During my five weeks in China, I wrote down observations on life as a foreigner. My first trip in 2008 was to urban China; this one was to an orphanage in a rural area. Tonight and tomorrow night, I'm going to share some of my thoughts. Some are deeper than others and some are just random. Hope you enjoy them.1. Travel is very difficult within China for non-Mandarin speakers.
2. The subway system in Beijing is incredible!
3. Standards differ so much by culture in terms of value, beauty, etc.
4. Food is not an issue for me but digestion can be.
5. Cameras are invaluable in telling a story.
6. The most important person in a lesson is probably the translator.
7. You can be happy with less, especially if you aren't aware that you have less.
8. It's easier to rely on God when you are poor.
9. We take everything we have for granted.
10. Chinese believers know the Word well and I think they pray more as a whole than we do.
11. American kids would be blessed to read-pray-sing for an hour a day the way these kids do. So would American adults.
12. The orphanage director is father/mother/maintenance man/big brother/preacher/teacher/organizer.
13. I can get by on less caffeine if I have to.
14. Clean clothes might be a luxury to many in the world.
15. Simple food is a feast when well prepared.
16. The children are all thin; they play outside instead of sitting around. It isn't because they don't eat enough.
17. I am a curiosity, the only blue eyed white skinned person I have seen in four weeks.
18. Many of the kids are very affectionate. The girls in the orphanage are more open than the boys but they are also older.
19. The kids can make a game out of anything.
20. Losing electricity and water are taken matter of factly.
21. The heat is oppressive but you can adapt to it.
22. You can give up stuff if you have to.
23. The stuff going on in the world seems very unimportant when you are here.
24. People appreciate it when you try to speak their language.
25. There is a peacefulness that comes with doing without.
26. Very few people in the countryside wear socks.
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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