1 month away from a year

I realized the other day that I will be hitting the 1 year mark in China--give or take. The first time I came to China was on June 9th, so I will count it as a year of being in this country. WEIRD. I forget how fast time flies, but didn't even notice it happening. I have been truly content and happy this semester and love everything I am doing.

I am in the process of finding a new apartment for the next year! A place to call home, I am tired of all this moving around! I am preparing like crazy for summer camps and figuring out what everyone is doing! It is tough work, yet so rewarding. I am counting down the days until they all arrive! It is going to be so exciting seeing them all at the airport! (if I cry, be warned! I just get so excited to see people from the states!)

I have found a community here, something I searched so much for last semester. It puts a smile to my face and I really enjoy this group of people. They are fantastic. It is nice having people that feel like family, when family is 9,000 miles away.

Here are some pictures from our field day we had a couple weeks ago that I talked about during our schools spirit week :P It was a lot of fun and I think the kids really enjoyed it. They really liked tug-of-war!

Rachel, Krista-Rae and I after our field day.

Big things are happening. My trip to Mongolia with Mary is coming up and I could not be anymore excited than I am to see her. It feels like I just saw her in Hong Kong in October but that has been months! Counting down the days till I pick her up from the airport and we start are really unplanned, adventurous trip up north. I still laugh at the though of about a year ago we were laying on the couches at our apartment watching a documentary on Mongolia. We made a promise to each other that day, we would not go there without the other. Weird that it is happening so soon!!!

I am really excited for the opportunity I have been given with these summer camps. I hope they are successful. My worst fear is that they will fail miserably, but I am being hopeful and enthusiastic about all of it. It is weird to think that me, the 23 year old, is in charge of a whole summer program. I guess this big kid life is actually happening. :)

I got to go to Huaiji, China. It is a small village a few hours away. We are teaming up with the school to help them and working with CWEF in the process. It was a lot of fun to go out there and meet everyone. I forgot how pretty China can be--the city life is rough in that way. I miss seeing the green countryside...those rice fields are gorgeous! Here are some pics from my recent trip up there!!

So what have I learned in this year? I am determined in so many ways and learning to accept failure. I am stronger when I actually pray and listen and put God first. I appreciate the simple/easy things we have back in America--so much more. I love service--any type of service. I love saying good morning to great friends everyday at work. I love teaching. I am starting to enjoy math (don't tell my old math teachers that). I think I am supposed to be abroad, for how long? who knows. Just taking it day by day and couldn't be more excited about another year here. The adventures continue and I will keep on smiling during it all--even when it sucks.

Thanks for reading!

With love,

Ashley



Highs:
Good friends in SZ and HK
relationships
family
service trips

Lows:
end of the year slump
unmotivated
finding a new apt

prayer requests:
That I can go out with a bang these last three weeks.
Summer camp stuff gets done, the program goes smoothly
That the Huaiji trip next week is amazing!
That communication with people here and back home continue to be strong.
That I am doing His will.

When it rains, it pours

I have been blessed here at BCIS. There is no other way to put it, no other explanation makes sense. I am someone that should probably not be working here, it is not by chance that I am here. I can't even give you a number to how many blessings I am greeted with daily. We have hard days, we have easy days--it is well worth it though. I am excited to continue to work here next year and to watch the kids grow, I am connecting really well with quite a lot of them!

We have been hit by Spring time in Shenzhen, which means epic thunderstorms. I love thunderstorms and lightning and heavy rain, one of my favorite things on this Earth. It has been great but I am seriously shocked that it can rain non-stop for 6 hours+ it is crazy! My favorite has been teaching in it, the kids freak out and then stare out the windows. I enjoyed my impromptu lesson on lightning and thunder and sharing why we have these things in the world. It has been fun :) But man when it rains, it is seriously pouring!

A lot has been happening, staying busy with teaching and summer camps. I am planning two different camps, yes two. I don't know how people do this for a living--seriously you rock. I am stressed, confused, discouraged and so many other things but I am so excited for these graduates to come and visit Shenzhen and to do His work here. I have been putting in "long" hours, getting up early and going to bed late--gotta love time differences. I have been making calendars, I have been making packing lists, budgets, so much! All you trip planners out there got so much more respect from me, SO much. I can not wait to see everyone at the airport, this summer. I am counting down the days to see some amazing groups!

This week is our Spirit Week. Monday-Crazy dress day. Tuesday-Crazy hair day. Wednesday-Character day. Thursday- Pajama day. Friday-Sports day/hat day
The kids are getting a kick out of it--which makes it fun. We had a rough start on Monday with not as many doing it, but they stepped it up today. We had all different kind of wigs, hair colors, hair clips--all cute. I look forward to field day and getting to play some sports with the kids--sports are the best kind of medicine. Plus I really just want some friendly competition with them :P

Other news is that I bought a ticket back to Calcutta, India. I feel like I am going home, it is such a weird feeling! I can not wait to walk those streets again. I am going with my friends Rebecca and Krista-Rae and it will be their first times to India. I hope I give it enough justice and can show them what I fell in love with, two years ago. I really do have a heart on fire for India and can't wait to see what I can do while I am there. I have missed it for way too long now!

I also have a study that I go to once a week. We decided to pick up the book Radical, I am excited to read it with a group of amazing ladies. Please pray for us as we dive into the book and into His work! I love this group :D

I love it here. I look forward to the last few weeks of school and to the summer. I am excited for the adventures with my friends and with the students coming to visit. It will be well worth it--I hope. :)


Highs:
Thunderstorms
Visa stuff went smoothly
future trips
Friendships

Lows:
a little discouraged with summer stuff

Prayer Requests:
That summer stuff goes smoothly.
For our future Head of School--that they pray hard about the offer and that it is His will
That I can find a new apartment soon, want to move before the summer rush.
Friends with different colds/allergies/sickness
For friendships

with love,

Ashley

The Philippines for Spring Break!

Hello everyone!

I apologize for being MIA from the blog world, it has been a hectic last few weeks to say the least. I have been traveling and teaching non stop...or at least it seems that way!

Where to begin...so I was offered a spot to join a service team that would be going to the Philippines for a week. It happened to land on my Spring Break and I had been praying that something would just fall in my lap--it did. I am now a heart on fire for the Philippines and absolutely loved my time there. I went with 7 other people and we got to work with an orphanage while we were there. We got to play with babies in the morning, lead a VBS type camp for street children in the afternoon and paint a room in our spare time. It was a fantastic adventure and it was so nice to get to know the people I interact with in Hong Kong more. I fell in love with one of the little girls there and if I could, I would adopt her. She was the cutest and had such a touching testimony at the age of 14 months old. I couldn't believe how happy and excited she was to see me every morning.

This is Rachel my new little best friend in the Philippines and she has stolen my heart. Of course that is me and my weirdo self :)

The street kids were a great opportunity to open up to them about vulnerability and what it is like to live where they do. Most of them live in squatters, another name for slum, and have a family with more than 5 kids in it. A lot of them told me they had at least 11 other siblings, I couldn't even imagine that! We did a lot of games of interacting and talking about our favorite things and what they like to learn about. My favorite was getting to pray with them at the end of the day. These are some special kids with big dreams, I loved it. Continue to pray for them as I am! They were sweethearts and I miss them a lot and hope I can go back in the future to interact with them again!

Here is a group funny shot of us all.

We also got to be tourists for awhile and go see different things that the Philippines had to offer. We went to the only WW2 memorial in all of Asia and it was absolutely beautiful. I love going to cemeteries and this is definitely in my top 5.

Don't even get me started on the food. This is the first country I have been to where I have loved every single piece of food I ate. I was raving about the food and I am slightly obsessed. It might be because the food was pretty much just seafood :) I can't get enough seafood so this was the perfect place for me to visit!

One of the prettiest sunsets I have ever seen!

after the rest of the group left I got to fly to another island and spend a couple days on the beach. A nice little break before coming back to teach, the water was beautiful.

just a little taste of paradise....now to plan the next time I will visit there :)


Highs:
Meeting some amazing people that are changing my life
God.
Traveling

Lows:
A tad homesick

Prayer Requests:
I have a nasty sunburn and just pray that it heals nicely and that the peeling is not too bad.
Get through these next few weeks, just getting a little tired.
We are hiring a new head of school so pray that He guides everyones decisions and that the process goes smoothly.

With love,

Ashley

Spring time means heat time

On Sunday I did the normal activities of getting up, and preparing to go to church. I was amazed to find that the heat was back! It feels like it has been cold for months, I don't do cold--at all. I got to wear a skirt and a short sleeve shirt, my excitement was through the roof! After church the normal crowd went to lunch after, one of my favorite activities here. It was so nice we could sit outside and have that company. I got to take every form of transportation on Sunday...which is rare, but exciting. Metro, Taxi, Walking, Motorbikes and an auto rickshaw.

My friend Rebecca and I had a genius idea to go up to the country club and go swimming, best decision ever. Needless to say I got sunburnt, but it was totally worth it. I will call it my base coat for the Philippines and summer.


My life here is going normal and is exciting and He is working in so many ways. I was asked to return back to the school next year, so the decisions are being made...I have till Friday to sign or not sign my contract and so that is overwhelming in it's own. So please continue to pray this week as I figure out what is best for me, this time around.

I have been taking Chinese lessons more seriously this semester as well and my new teacher wants me to take the proficiency exam, I call her crazy...but it might be something I end up doing in a month or two! I enjoy the language and I am slowly actually remembering how to read the characters in chinese and not in english--which is so hard for my brain!

I decided also that I needed to be more healthy in life decisions, mostly in exercise. I have started going to the pool to swim laps and plan on 2-3 times a week, so far I am doing a great job with it! It is weird how much better you feel after working out, the endorphins are amazing! I have fallen in love with the pool that I get to use at the club...it's gorgeous and no one is ever there!

new favorites place. ever.

Everything is going well...planning a trip to HK to go see the Hunger Games...my excitement is (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and everyone is probably annoyed of my excitement, but I can't wait! And I get to be a full-time sub next week to grades 5, 6 and 7...so I get to be in charge, weird concept! but I am excited to do it, the kid's are great and the support here is very helpful when I need it.

Also some CUI folk will be here this weekend and I get to go to dinner with them. I am excited to see them and get to talk to them about summer and just what is happening back home!


Highs:
The weather being perfect!
Being asked to come back next year
Getting closer to the women here at work
Getting to travel soon

Lows:
Figuring out my decision about next year.

Prayer requests:
That I power through these next few weeks before Spring Break!
For my decision this week.
Strength in my friendships back home, feeling really discouraged right now.

With love,

Ashley

Traveling is in the air

Since moving to China, I have really wanted to be able to travel. Traveling was something that got shut down pretty quickly, when I got kidney stones and decided to go back to America-- until they were gone. I am now healthy and the trips are back on track and I am excited!

First up, volunteering in the Philippines and then a little bit of a beach break right at the end, soon. I am excited for this opportunity and so excited to do some service work! I will get to work with an orphanage and with street children. SUPER excited!! I am really looking forward to a break, away and in another country.

Second up, a trip with my friend Mary who lives in Vietnam! She will be coming to China to see me :) and then we will take a train up to Beijing and do the typical Beijing things, The Great Wall and hopefully zip lining it, as we have heard they do that. After Beijing we will be going up to Mongolia! We were watching a documentary about a year ago, on Mongolia and we both made a promise that we would not go without the other, so we are going this summer!!! Crazy how dreams become reality. I miss her and I am excited to see her and get to show her mainland China, since she has never been here.

More trips will be planned and more trips will change my life, I can't get enough of this traveling. I love seeing the Light in people's faces, showing them the light and just being friendly with everyone I encounter. My heart has been overtaken with traveling-- I can't complain.

It seems like India will be in my semi-near future as well and I am stoked :D

Things at school are going well, busy as usual! We have been having fun and the students like me, or at least I think they do, but that doesn't really matter. After school EFL is a lot of fun with the kids, on Monday's I have 6 pre-graders, whoa are they a handful! but super cute and you can't help but love on them!

I am working on finding a motorbike, yes a motorbike. I am ready to brave these streets, everyone thinks its a great idea :) I have decided that it would be a great thing to have this summer, since I will be here doing summer camps the whole summer. Makes sense to get around on my own, and to avoid taxi's, because they can't seem to find my school to save their lives, even with directions written in 3 different forms and someone speaking Chinese to them. So I am resorting to my own modes of transportation. yes!

I am enjoying it here a lot right now.

Highs:
Trip with Mary getting planned
Philippines coming up
Students being amazing
growing closer to my new chinese friends at the school
growing closer to other expats


Lows:
Caught a little bug last week.
Not being organized enough.

Prayer requests:
For some of my friends here, mostly for their families back home.
Stay healthy!
Power through an awesome semester
That I can become more organized and give my all to everything I have committed myself too.
Thoughts about next year, what am I being called to do...

with love,

Ashley

whirlwind of a week

My new home-

It is hard to believe that last week, was only my first week in the classroom. It felt like the longest week, but also the shortest week. I am co-teaching a mixed class, 2 grade 5's, 1 grade 6 and 5 grade 7's. In total we have a lovely number of 8 students in our class, all at different math levels and at extremely different English levels. It's great! The school is small right now and I know all the students in all the classes names, its refreshing. I am learning that teaching is hard work, I knew that but now being in one classroom full time, is so rewarding. I even got MY OWN classroom!! It's official EFL and when the class splits during certain subjects they go into Miss Turner's room. It is not decorated or set up nicely, but it is my new home and I love it!

I have found a little community at my school. There has been one family the DeGarmo's that are here, they have been the biggest blessing. Rachel is one of the other 5, 6 and 7 grade teacher and we get along well and she has been helping me with so much. Her kids are adorable as well and I love hanging out with them :) Oh and can't forget about Rebecca! she is their nanny/art teacher at our school and she is my age. We met last semester before through friends who are also abroad and now I teach at the school. It is nice to see her at work and to have someone my age there as well. It is always fun getting to know new people and this job has great people to get to know. I have been going to dinner with different teachers and talking to them in breaks and just getting to know their stories. They are great! and my roommate is hilarious. Today was her birthday and I bought her some flowers :) she is a sweetheart and I am enjoying her company and getting to know her as well! I definitely miss seeing Christine every day but we have been trying to make the best out of all of this and I have seen her and Jessica quite frequently. Last night they even through me a belated surprise birthday party that was wonderful :D I really enjoy the community that is being established here in Shenzhen and I love them all dearly.

I have done a lot this week, catching up with old friends here in Shenzhen. I went and saw Mission Impossible "Ghost Protocol" with one of my old co-workers and that was fun! I have found a fellowship near by where there are a lot of expats that come together to worship. It is refreshing to have english music/sermon. I am enjoying that a lot these last two weeks. I am slowly figuring out the new part of the city that I am in. I get lost often, but the motorbike guys help me out and cost me about 75 cents. I also have hunted down most of those Academy nominated films and have been watching them. I have enjoyed them all so much!

It feels like this semester is going to go by quickly and that is exciting but nerve racking. Friday's have become a little blessing. The kids get to go golfing on Fridays up at the country club and I am a chaperone for it. I get to hit at the driving range for an hour, so relaxing!! It is fun getting to know the kids outside the classroom as well :D

Some of the kids waiting to go up to the country club! They are a lot of fun and super cute. They had the driver put in one of their cds. The driver and 8 students were rocking out to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" I started to cry because I was laughing so hard. They are all hilarious.

Everything is busy, teaching EFL, remembering my math skills, helping them in everything! It is fun being in the classroom with these kiddos. So much so that I have been seriously thinking about next year again. I feel very called to be here next year. So please pray with me as I decide what to do next. I am also busy with the summer camp's, I was approved for a 3rd group from CUI. I have 2 different summer groups to work with now and that is so rewarding, but exhausting as well.

Highs:
Surprise birthday party
Getting to know the teachers
having someone my age at work

Lows:
relearning all this math. If you know me, math is just so foreign to me.


Prayer requests:
For my friends brother who will be going into surgery this week to remove a brain tumor, here in China. The more prayers the better.

Continual growth with the teachers and new friends here.

For my students as they improve their English.

for fellowship

If coming next year is what is best for me.

Summer camps!

with love,

Ashley

New Job, New District and New Friends

I conquered those evil kidney stones a few weeks ago, I can not be grateful enough that it was not as painful as everyone said it would be! With the conquering of these evil stones that meant one thing, head back to China--to start the new job.

I had a really hard time with grasping that I would be returning to China. I was scared, I didn't want to come back at all--but because of the commitments I had, I came back. Best decision yet, it has been a great first couple weeks. I love where I am working and what is happening here, what will happen in the future and just hoping I can leave an impact here. The staff is all American teachers and we get along really well and I enjoy their company.

The past few weeks of being here in a nutshell:

I turned 23! yes yes I celebrated my birthday in Hong Kong with my friend Jessica. We went to lunch at a great little bar and grill and then continued to walk in a cemetery (I know, weird.) It is a cemetery that I have seen a million times while walking around in Hong Kong and finally I walked right by the entrance! It is huge and beautiful. It dates all the way back to the first people that colonized Hong Kong from Britain. It is an interesting cemetery to say the least. It is Catholic, Parsee and Muslim in different areas. We walked around and met a homeless lady there, we talked to her for a few minutes and it was just a really interesting day that I enjoyed a lot. After we headed for some frozen yogurt and then the jet lag got the best of me and I fell asleep pretty early. An eventful 23rd birthday, if I do say so :)

My friend Krystal came to visit that following Monday for 6 days! I have pictures, they will be posted later. I have been too busy to even upload them yet, so I will get that done soon! We visited all of Shenzhen. Walked miles and miles and miles, it was exhausting but a whole lot of fun! It was really cool to show her different parts of the city and show her what the team this summer got to see and just enjoy it together. I hope that I did a good job showing the city without overwhelming a first time abroader :P I had fun taking her to Lo Hu which is the shopping district where you get to barter and watching her stop and becoming friends with everyone as I tell her to keep walking...it was good ol' fun. I really enjoyed her coming! Art district, shopping, hot pots, moving.

I got to move to a new district of the city of Shenzhen for my new job. I am about 45 minutes west of where I was before. I now live with a roommate, who is fantastic. I am really enjoying getting to know her and what she has done in her life, she is an older lady. I hope I can be her age and still be living abroad! The new apartment is still not set up, when it is...I will attempt some pictures! Her stuff has made it quite cute and comfortable...my stuff is still everywhere...naturally.

The new job is great. I will be teaching language arts, math, science and social studies to grades 5, 6 and 7. I am essentially a real life teacher. weird. Not something I thought I would be doing 5 years ago. I am also the head of the ESL/EFL department, that runs the after school programs. So I make sure everything is running smoothly and that we are actually making progress in our EFL development with the kids. I will be teaching EFL every day after school with 2 or so other teachers helping to all the grades we have. I am excited to be busy and to also enjoy getting to know such a small group of kids. I have 9 students in my class and I am excited to get to know them. I am Miss Turner, weird. :) I also am in charge of bringing a group of 10 students to China this coming summer from Concordia, Irvine! I am turning into a busy bee, I am so excited though!


That is all I can update for now :) I will update again next week as I get into the teaching mode and update you along the way.

Prayer requests:
Continual growth as I figure out this whole teaching thing, especially with no specific training.
That I can show the Light to these kids and my coworkers in many ways.
I continue to stay healthy
That I can still be in the people I met last semesters lives, even with being far away now.

Highs:
Krystal coming
New school
New friends
Possible Chinese lessons!

Lows:
not seeing friends/family on my birthday
missing everyone back home.

with love,

Ashley