Excited for.. Part 2

The next thing that I am excited for is pictured above.
Legitimate Chinese food. There is really nothing like it. Last summer during camp I got to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking for the kids that were on our team and working alongside the Chinese cook that they brought in for camp.  On top of being an awesome cook the lady we worked with was adorable!  She was always willing to try our creations and we would try hers.  She was an awesome cook and I was always excited to see what she would make each day.  While we were making simple American meals she was preparing sometimes 8 different dishes. She was amazing to say the least, until she brought me me this bowl of goodies:

We were usually pretty fast in making our meals so we would often help out the cook with cutting vegetables and anything that she needed help with.  She brought me this bowl and I just starred at her.  She explained that I needed to "clean" them and then she would use them in whatever she was making that night.  Not knowing that "they" were or how to clean them I set it and tried my best.  The were as slimy as they look, don't worry.  Beth (the other lady leader) and I laughed until we cried because we were convinced that they were bats/bat wings.  

Even though what is in that bowl LOOKS really gross, by the time we cleaned them and the cook cooked them it was actually really good. Yes, I did eat it. And to clear up any confusion they were not bat wings but a form of seaweed.

I am excited to get to try a ton of new foods while I am in China. :) 

Here is a picture of Beth and I attempting to "clean" the seaweed:

*my eyes are not present in the picture due to the fact that I was laughing that hard.

Excited for...

I have decided that during this week leading up until I leave I will write about things that I am excited for. 

The first thing I am excited for is a special lady that I met last summer. Due to the strictness in China I have not included her name so that she will be safe :)


Last summer she was the first person to meet us at the airport when we arrived and I could tell she was going to be a lot of fun.  Her English is better than she thinks and her mix ups make it so funny.  On the bus to the camp she asked us if we would like to stop for some "snakes." What she really meant was some snacks but it made for a good laugh for the rest of the summer. "Chinglish" became something that I had to work to understand.  She says that is what she speaks and so do most of the Chinese I met.  It is a mixture of Chinese and English and is always entertaining.  
She was such a life saver last summer.  She traveled around with us everywhere and helped get us out of some sticky situations.  
Along with being super funny and an awesome translator she is also a beautiful woman of God.  She is so humble and hard working.  The entire time we were there she was always trying to learn from us and always asking questions.  She was an awesome person to get to know and I am so excited to get to spend more time with her this summer and maybe karaoke? ;) 

One day when I was sitting with her just talking she pulled this book out of her backpack.  She asked me if I had ever heard of this man. I just laughed.  Being an Asbury student I ave more than heard of C.S. Lewis.  I explained to her that I had heard of him and also read that book.  She told me how she really loved what she had read so far and how wise of a man he was.  It made me smile so much when she pulled that out of her backpack. :) 

All the Chinese Christians I met have such a passion for God's work in their country.  It was awesome to be able to serve alongside that for a summer and receive encouragement from them while also working to encourage them in their work. I think it is safe to say I am getting really excited :)

One week away!

In just one short week I will be boarding a plane to China for a month. WHOA.

It seems so weird that it is so soon.  Since I have been home I haven't really done much of anything exciting.  I have been going to the beach a lot and even house/dog/cat/fish sat for a week and a half for one of my favorite families here.  Other than that I have been soaking up time with my family since we won't be seeing much of each other before I go back to Asbury in the fall.  

This summer my Dad, Mom, and two sisters will be heading to Nepal to work at an orphanage and my little brother will spend his summer in Honduras.  I am so blessed to have a family that travels to such awesome places to do God's work every summer. 

This summer is going to be a challenge in so many ways and I know I will be stretched in new ways.  This is my first time going to another country by myself.  I have been on a number of mission trips but have always gone with groups of people.  I know that going by myself will be difficult.  I have about 4 layovers before I actually get to China so it should be interesting. I am excited for all the opportunities I am going to have and to teach English to adorable kids. 

I don't know how much internet access I will have once I get over there but I plan on updating this regularly (mostly so I can remember everything for my paper I have to write at the end of the summer. Shhhh).  

So excited for more of this :)