Friday NightThis past weekend was quite pleasant. Friday night we had a party with the Chinese students that we met earlier in the week at the university. They came over to play games, eat some snacks, and practice their English. We played a dance game called "Jimmy, Jimmy, pa, Jimmy pa, Jimmy pa" (very entertaining). Some of the students volunteered to do some dancing and singing for us as well... so we had a few of our own performances. I sang a song about knowing one of the coolest people ever. Katie and I spent the majority of the evening with two girls that have interesting animal nicknames - Cat and Penguin. We have been emailing since Friday night and are hoping that we'll be able to get together for coffee again soon - so that they can practice their English and we can practice our limited Chinese!
SaturdaySaturday I spent the entire day doing homework with Katie. Just about everyone else went shopping. We felt kind of lame, but I'm glad we stayed. We had a nice time together and got a lot done.
SundaySince we worked so hard on Saturday, we were able to take the day off on Sunday. After church at BICF, we had Subway (I haven't tasted turkey for months!). It was delicious. We also found a coffee shop in the bottom of the building where the fellowship meets. It provided the perfect atmosphere for a relaxing Sunday afternoon of reading and reflection. I'm hoping to visit the place more often, now that we know where it is.
After a very refreshing time together, Katie and I decided to attempt to find a Chinese market to do some shopping. We managed to get on and off the buses okay... but were unable to locate the market. After over an hour of searching, we decided it might be best to return to the apartment. On our way back, we stopped at our Bonjour grocery store and bought some chocolate to accompany our movie selection of the evening. We also decided to get manicures - for only 25 RMB ($3.50 USD). It was very relaxing. Upon our return, we had Papa John's pizza for dinner and then proceeded to watch My Fair Lady. It was delightful.
A note on dryness...So, things here in China are very dry. I feel like I am almost constantly re-applying chapstick and putting lotion on my hands. When I walk through the city, I notice the air is dry. When I go to bed, I notice my skin is dry. When I run, I notice my throat is dry. We are surrounded by dryness. Since we've been here, I've noticed the dryness is not merely physical. I've noticed it in my own heart at times - more than I've been comfortable with. Over the weekend, I feel like my heart was really renewed and encouraged. He is working. I was reminded of the story of the Valley of Dry Bones in Ezekiel. This experience is raising my awareness of battles beyond the physical realm... and has placed a new burden on my heart for people living in such dryness. I believe my Father is good... and I'm asking Him to bring streams of refreshing water. I hope this makes sense... just something I've been thinking about. I'm excited about the next four weeks of this trip. I believe there are many great things to take place between now and the time I go home.
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