please pray for Ruth. She is a high school friend of mine who got into a really bad car accident. I'm not entirely sure on everything and I'm trying to keep updated. It was a bad car accident though. So just keep her in your prayers.

Hmm. China. What do I think of you thus far? You are okay but I would rather be somewhere else right now. God has been showing me a lot and I am trying to focus on that. One thing I have learned is that there are many other places I would rather be than here. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful in it's on way and interesting, but it's just not my place. I met a great girl from Taiwan here. Her name is Michelle. She is adorable. Came a few days ago and will be here for 6 months for teacher training. She is one of our assistants. She wants to be an ESL/English teacher.

The food here is worse. Charlotte told me it would be. It is also a tad more salty than Korea, but I think that is just the school's cafeteria food. They bought us coke. So I now have a coke can with Chinese on it. I think I might bring it back with me.

I read this in one of the books I brought:

I'll never be lonely
Even if I'm alone
For I've a precious Savior
Who'll come take me home
But while I'm here
His servant I will be
With one foot on earth
And one in eternity.
And I'll gather His crops
To populate His land
And if I feel weary
I'll cling tighter to His hand

we are in china. we are safe. and we are all going crazy trying to prepare for camp tomorrow. 10 days. 8:30am-8:30pm.

for now I'll say see you later.

i don't want to say goodbye to all these incredible people. most of them i am only beginning to know. tomorrow katie and i head to a hotel near the airport around 10.30 am. Our flight leaves at 9.30 am wednesday and off to china we go.

as sad as it is. we get to see most of our group again. either for touring or perhaps right before the last week of camp. i honestly have no idea what it will be like without them when i head back to the US and start school.

i shall miss them so...

and I will praise you, when the tears fall, still I will sing.

Wow. Today was an incredibly hard day for me. I woke up and got on the internet to check my e-mail as I usually do only to find out that a friend from school passed away Wednesday morning. Although he was not a close friend it is so hard to believe. Dan Walker, who recently graduated with an engineering degree died while working at a camp in Colorado. That is all the information I have right now and I will update as I find out more. All I ask is you keep his family, his girlfriend (Brook) and all of his friends in your prayers. There is no doubt in my mind of where he is sitting right now as he was an incredible Christian man. I may not have known him well but the conversations I had with him and the way he lived his life was inspiring. I praise God that Dan can be sitting next to him right now but I also know all of the people here hurting and missing him.

The day of camp went well. It was full of rough times and many trials for us to overcome. We talked about how that just means we are doing all we are supposed to. In culture I shared the Easter story with the children. It was fitting for today as it is only through Jesus we may be with God when we leave this earth. Today was a very sad day for many people.

My thoughts and prayers are with your friends and family.
You were an incredible man and an inspiration.

Teacher Greg dancing with Grace.Teacher Karissa taking a picture of her boys.

Mary, one of the most adorable girls. We twirled in skirts together.

The Green Class.

Grace making bubbles in science class.

Jane one of our translators.

Musical Chairs in recreation because there was no room out side.

Teacher Karissa and Teacher Greg's Blue Class.

The biggest church in Seoul or maybe Korea. (artistic version)

(full version).

Each day has gotten better with the camp. The kids seem more responsive. I'm still sick though. Jennifer helped me with Culture on Tuesday and I did it today. It seems to be going alright. I'm not very comfortable with that area and the kids are the least responsive during story time and culture time. Recreation has been pretty good. We are realizing how to make things work with each different age group. It's been pretty cool getting to work with Greg. He is more active than I am and I am more organized than he is so we make a good team. I am excited to finish up this week and help start another camp and to move onto China for a few weeks but I am also very sad to be leaving this team. We get 16 new people on Friday who will be working on this next camp. Karissa, Greg, Lynn and Daryl will join us for touring in China. Then we come back and most everyone from our original small team of 10 will be here.

More about our team:

Karissa: is my eating buddy. She doesn't like seafood and she is hesitant about spicy foods. We try and sometimes sit with each other at meals. She has such and kind heart and loving soul it has been great to be around here. She is petite and very cute. All of the Koreans tell her she is pretty because she is skinny and has a small face (apparently all Westerners do). She is working with the youngest group of children and they all just love her.

Jennifer: She is a teacher at a middle school. Another eating buddy of mine. She has the hardest group of kids to deal with, but she does a great job handling them. She is sweet and very encouraging and always has some sort of coffee with her. :)

Katie: is a friend from Olivet. She is very pumped to be teaching her own ESL class. She thinks it may be what she would like to do for the rest of her life. Perhaps.

Matthew: If I could make a book of funny faces he would have a great many pages in it. He teaches Science and Cooking and does alot with technology. He's funny, quite sarcastic and is always a laugh to be around.

Robert: Sadly departs this weekend for Tokyo this weekend. He is a quiet one but a very knowledgeable person as well. He knows a bit of Japanese and his host mother knows some as well. It is pretty fun to watch them converse.

Lynn: She is the craft lady and she rocks! She is very very quiet but very centered and she has some really cool creative ways of keeping the kids involved.

Greg: is my recreation buddy. He has a crazy sense of humor and he calls me "princess." Something about my eating habits and such. I'm not sure why but it has indeed grown on me. He loves the kids and he is absolutely wonderful working with them, especially the "stinkers."


That is all the update I have for today. I need to get ready for bed. Katie and I are going to fall asleep to Mulan 2 (yes, mom, they have movies and they are in English (some) so I feel right at home). We might have dinner with our host family tomorrow and we are going to go to the night market with Sarah and her friend. Sarah is a member of our host family. She is 22 and a very sweet girl. We talk to her most because she generally knows the most english, that is her major at the University.

I'll try to update again before we change host homes but I am unsure of internet availability after Saturday (or your Friday). Love you all.

this is not an official update (hopefully tomorrow).

the first day of camp was rough. the second was much better. i have a head cold or something, so that isn't too much fun. but things are going well. and our host mother took Katie and I too the market so our breakfast usually consists of bagels, eggs, watermelon (it is huge here), cereal, and cheese pizza. [mom. no worries. i'm not starving.]

the reason for this random post was to ask you(Mom) a question: have you been taping "So you think you can dance?" i miss it.

okay. that is is for today.