We arrived at our team’s destination this week. Talk about a crazy trip. Our host gave us the name of the city, put us on a bus, and sent us on our way. With the phrasebook in hand we were expected to get off the bus at the right time, find a hotel, procure our accomidations, and begin the work here in the city. Hahahaha, what a funny thing to do!
Gary and I ran around our city trying to find a hotel. We would point to sentences in our phrasebook, use hand motions, have them right down the price, look at the rooms, and decide for some reason that the hotel wasn’t exactly what we needed. We found one hotel, a very very nice one, but it was out of our price range at about $11 US Dollars per night per room. I don’t know which is more hilarious… that this super nice hotel only cost $11 US Dollars or that this super nice hotel was out of our price range!
The second hotel we looked at was in our price range at about $5 a night, but it was also obvious why it was so cheap. In all my travels, I have never seen such a disgusting toilet. It makes me dream of the sheds in Mexico and the sqautties of India. Yuck. I can’t even think about it. My prayer quickly became, “Please Lord, there has to be something in the middle!”
There wasn’t anything we could find. So Gary and I turned back to meet up with Katherine and Sarah. It turned out that they had found some help from a Chinese English teacher. He led us to a government hotel that was suitable and in our price range. He has become a good friend to us.
It’s funny though, as we were checking into our hotel, our Chinese friend informed us that foreigners were not allowed in the city, and that we would be required to show some proof to the police. We brushed it off, saying “They wouldn’t pay us any mind would they?” A few hours later, as we were preparing to go out to dinner, we find out that they would give us some attention. The cops were at our hotel door!
Through some broken English, a Chinese phrasebook, and more hand gestures, we fill out registration cards and they let us stay. What’s more interesting is that our Chinese friend shows up later with the headmaster of his school, and the police to greet us and invite us to give a lecture at the school the next day! The police told us that if we needed anything while we were in town, we should just track them down. The headmaster was so excited to have us in the area and to be presenting a lecture at the school, that he could hardly contain himself. Our Chinese angel was proud to have found us and helped us out.
The next day we were awakened unexpectedly by our Chinese angel. We were anticipating a 2:30 lecture, but he was expecting us at 10:00 AM! We rushed around and got ready for the unexpected meeting. When we made it to the school, we were ushered into the headmaster’s office for tea. The students went into the conference room and waited for us. Finally, it was time to meet them. I’ve been in many schools by now, and I had an idea of what it might be like.
It wasn’t like anything I had ever encountered before though. 300 eyes bore into you as you walked into the room, clapping and jeering like you were some sort of star. For most of these pairs of eyes, it was the first time they had seen a foreigner in the flesh. They probably thought the same thing I did when I arrived in the city. “How did they find this place!”
We went to the front of the room, sat a long table with little microphones for speakers, and I had a feeling that I was som sort of diplomat. Soon the questions started. The students wanted to know how to study English better, and they wanted to know what we liked about their town and country. One student wanted to give me a hug! They sang us traditional songs and even gave us a Kung Fu demonstration. But the coolest part came when we were instructed to teach them an English song.
Katherine taught them “Jesus Loves Me!” It was awesome. We talked about our holidays and their meanings, Christmas and Easter! The time was amazing. Our English Teacher Hosts took us to the nicest resturant in town for lunch. They fed us so much food that I was afraid I would burst. I tried things I would rather not even look at during that meal. I ate “Big Head Fish” which is a giant fish laid out on a platter, giant head and all. They don’t clean and cut them up like we do in West Virginia.
We left full and read for the second presentation to the older students. This group numbered about 500! We had many of the same questions, some more songs, and lots more fun. They were a louder group, but it was still going well. When Katherine got up to teach the group “Jesus loves Me,” the teachers asked her to explain what the Bible was and to explain the song line by line!! That was the coolest thing in the world. Then, to hear all 500 of these kids singing the song, it was amazing. I’ll never forget it.
When we left, we were met with a barrage of pads and pencils. Everyone wanted the foreigners autographs. Talk about weird! I now know what it’s like to be chased around like a celebrity. It isn’t that much fun. I got separated from my teammates in the crowd. Our teachers were trying to usher us through the crowd, and the whole time I had a notebook in my face. Kids wanted us to sign their shirts and jackets. I wanted to scream out, “I’m JUST A NORMAL PERSON!” I doubt that would have made a big difference. Oh well though, whatever will get these kids talking to me, to where I can hopefully lead them into a conversation about Jesus, that’s for the best. It was crazy though.
That night our English teachers took us to the same resturant for dinner for the same kind of huge meal. Many of the students were invited to, and we got to meet them at dinner. We had fried pork ribs (good), some other vegatables that I will never know the name of (okay), and pigs feet with shirmp (blahhhh!). In WV I hear that people eat pickled pigs feet a lot, but I’ve never actually seen it. These weren’t pickled. They were gross. I felt so bad not being able to eat this, I’m sure it was expensive, but WOW. I picked it up, the fat of the foot slipping through my fingers, and when I tried to find some meat to eat on it, I broke the foot at the joint. That was it for me. I had seen the anatomy of a pig’s foot way to close to my mouth.
The dinner was a great time of fellowship with our new friends. We sang English songs, danced around, talked, laughed, listened to Chinese pop music. I had a great day. I can only imagine what else is in store for us here. Please pray for our new friends, for the work here in the town, for our health, and for safety.
I never would have thought that I would get to hear 800 kids sing Jesus Loves Me in a place like this, a forbidden city. Awesome.
