Not for Sale

While Dave and I were in Hong Kong getting my visa renewed we decided to look for a fellowship we could visit during the weekend we were there.  David had visited a building called "The Vine," a few years back.  Sunday morning we already had plans to visit some a friends' building in Macau so it worked out perfect when we found out The Vine had a Saturday night service for young professionals.

Were we ever thankful we got to go!  Dave met up with some friends he knew there, I got to make some new ones, and certainly Dad knew just what we needed to hear!  For me, it was so encouraging getting to be with a group of others and getting to worship and sing (something I really miss getting to do).  After the service that evening we went to dinner with some of the people we met and heard about their stories and lives.  Its just fun learning how Dad is working in different parts of the world!

That evening a Koran group from the US was there sharing and leading the worship time.  We met the singers and I just want to share with you a particular song they sang that night.

 I highly RECOMMEND you check out the link below and listen to Mickey Cho's song!  You need to know: its about sex trafficking, it speaks truth, and its still happening today.

THE SONG: Not for Sale

http://mickeycho.com/track/not-for-sale-ft-hanna-baek

*if your thinking of getting the album, I recommend it.

Meet my roommate!

Meet my roommate Xiao Lu! I'm so thankful I get to live with her!

We spent the evening cooking Chinese dishes together!
 

糖醋里脊 ＝ or in the US its called "sweet and sour pork!" I promise it tastes much better here!

麻婆豆腐！Ma stands for "mazi" (Pinyin: mázi Traditional Chinese 麻子) which means a person disfigured by pockmarks. Po (Chinese 婆) translates as "old woman". Hence, Ma Po is an old woman whose face was pockmarked. It is thus sometimes translated as "Pockmarked-Face Lady's Tofu".

Legend says that the pock-marked old woman (má pó) was a widow who lived in the Chinese city of Chengdu. Due to her condition, her home was placed on the outskirts of the city. By coincidence, it was near a road where traders often passed. Although the rich merchants could afford to stay within the numerous inns of the prosperous city while waiting for their goods to sell, poor farmers would stay in cheaper inns scattered along the sides of roads on the outskirts of the ancient city. (wikipedia)

She's an amazing cook!

Dinner and karaoke!

It wasn't quite my second week in Xiamen yet and David and his coworkers really wanted to go one evening and hang out. Our friends were still in town, so we decided to do a big dinner and then go to karaoke and invited everyone along!

After the dinner we all crammed into a friend's car and headed to karaoke.

This is only some of the group we had a total of 15 at karaoke (and even more that was at the dinner earlier that evening). We were quite a large group that night, it was definitely 热闹！(Re4 nao lively; buzzing with excitement)

My friend Jiang and I picking out some songs together

Dave and I

My boyfriend singing his heart out

All of our reactions when the singing wasn't good

It was a great night out with David's coworkers and our friends visiting!

Double date on the roof

We decided to take our friends to the roof of one of the apartment buildings near my place!

Ordered dinner (next time we'll have it delivered up there) and spent the evening together hanging out

overlooking the city!

Enjoying some good 东北 (northeastern) food

Friends visiting! (Part One)

Jiang and Kun came to visit us for five days last week. It was such a wonderful blessing and treat to have them here! To have my best friend and her boyfriend here to hang out and spend time with just after I moved here! It was great!

Our friends wanted to go visit the local Three Self Church with us. It was in Min Nan Hua, the local dialect spoken here (click here for wiki page to learn more about it) and then translated into Mandarin

网友！(Online Friend). In China its very common to talk with strangers online and become friends and then meet them. There isn't the same stigma here as there is in the States about it, its also a very common way of 'matchmaking' and online dating.

Our friend Kun who came to visit us had a 网友 here he wanted to meet. She and her husband invited all of us to her home, cooked a big meal, and then found out she is in a similar line of work as David. A few days later she went and toured the factory David works at.

Fresh Steamed shrimp, chicken feet, chicken and carrots, and soup for dinner!

They are so much fun!

Kun's first time to play in the ocean!

She knew I was gonna get her into the water and there was no way of getting out of it!

The Desert Song

A song that has sustained me throughout the last year and meant so much to me

The Desert Song: Click here for the video

This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

(thank you Amber and Emma for sharing it with me and the many times we've sang it together)

Trip to the States!

Spending June in the USA!

Some highlights!

Hiking!

Deb had written a letter to me many years ago when I was in college and stashed it in a box on top of this mountain! Four years later I've finally had the chance to hike up, dig up some rocks, and I found it! It was so special getting to read it and all the other notes and letters left behind in the notebook starting from students at my university at USF to all over the world that have hiked up and written in it. Letters to loved ones, friends, family, prayers. Thanks Deb for making that so special for all of us.

Time with friends in CO!

I somehow failed to take pictures when I was in Nebraska! :(
Thankful I got to see my good friends: Rach, Sean, Jenna, Clarissa, April, and meeting Amanda).

Chicago pizza, the Bean, and spending time with my family in Chicago!

My brother's graduation from the Navy!

So proud of my little brother!

Visiting my family in Ohio! Tubing and skiing with my cousins!

Spending time with this wonderful girl! Katie!

Seeing a Cincinnati Reds Game!

Catching up with old friends from high school!

Time with Victoria (and shopping with Lisa Meyer!)

Time with David when he came to visit my family and I in FL!