How can I describe such a diverse, challenging, fun, exhausting and amazing time I had in China. China definitely had its ups and downs but overall I learned a lot, discovered a new culture and made many new friends that I hope to keep for a long time. I have many stories from this month, many successes and many failures and though I was in China for a mere three weeks, I have learned some valuable lessons that I will keep with me for years to come. Here is a snippet of what I learned this month
I learned…
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Chinese people love blue eyes
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being polite in a crowd does not exist in China
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Playing human frogger is the only way to cross the street
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I am better at basketball than a couple of Chinese men
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Students love talking to foreigners
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I began to learn how to serve and be served
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Authentic Chinese food is so different from America but so good!
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Chinese people are some of the most hospitable people I know
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Squatting is the new sitting
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Chinese people love karaoke
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Bargaining can be done even with a language barrier
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Chinese coffee is weak but still a luxury!
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Chinese college is very different and I was lucky to go to school in America
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The Great Wall is pretty amazing
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Ministry does not have to be a schedule time but can be apart of our everyday life
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Eating meat is a luxury (with a world race budget)
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Hand washing clothes is fun but not very effective
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Chinese people are open to hear the gospel!
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Find stores like Wal Mart or KFC are weirdly comforting
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Tigers are some of the coolest animals!
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Ligers are real
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Chinese have a strong desire to learn English, they will even invite random Americans in to a kindergarten to teach.
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Peanut butter is a necessity!
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I can hike over 4,000 steps in 20 minutes (Great Wall)
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Rest is necessary
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Milk Tea is one of the best inventions!!!!!!!
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Lung does NOT taste good
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Ordering food in another language is quite challenging and you never know what you are going to get
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feedback is an amazingly beneficial part of the race
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Pictures in menus are an ingenious idea
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You can always fit one more person on the bus
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My clumsiness is hazardous on buses
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My team loves sleepovers
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Asian babies are the cutest things ever
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God is alive and at work throughout China
But as I say goodbye China, I am sad to leave the friends I have made, the ministry that we did and the churches that we visited. Yet as a friend told me earlier its better to leave feel sad than being ready to leave. Going on the race, I knew there would be a lot of goodbyes and transitions but through all the goodbyes, there is excitement of whats coming next, what God is going to do next month. We are in Chang Mai, Thailand and I can not be more excited! We are working with an organization called Lighthouse in Action with two other teams in the heart of Chiang Mai. The three teams will be working with girls that work in the bars, ministering to the children in the slums, chatting with monks and working in the cafe. My team will be focusing on working in the slums though we will be able to be apart of all the ministries. I will blog more about Thailand later. Thank you all for your support and love!
