Good-byes

Difficult good-byes are a blessing because it means that time you spent with those people was so good.

Two weeks ago I couldn't think about saying goodbyes to friends and family without tears welling up. I asked the Father for peace and it came. I was still dreading the time home thinking about how awful it was going to be to say farewell to the friends and family that we love and love us. One week ago I couldn't sleep and Father reminded me that he was strong enough to make this time at home not only bearable, but actually a really good thing. He has been so faithful to His word in these last few days.

Thanks to all the students - Mike came home feeling so encouraged and affirmed that we are supposed to be making this move and that the Father has specifically chosen and equip ed him for the task at hand. Talking with student that have spent time in our city got us pretty stoked to go.

Thanks to friends- Thanks guys for spending some time with us at home and making us feel loved, and thanks to those of you who came to the airport before dawn to see us off.

Thanks to family - Thanks to the Ritzman's and the Easton's for all the support. Thanks for showing us tons of love and for sending us out with your blessings. I know that we asked a lot of you and put you through some extra emotion and stress by taking off overseas.

We love you guys
Mikes final American meal

Forgiveness is NOT...

We recently listened to a speaker that said the following about forgiveness.

Forgiveness is NOT...
Restitution (being paid back for the wrong that harmed you)
Reconciliation (although it can often lead to reconciliation)
Approval of sin (saying that what someone did is ok)

My kids at work and so many others came to mind when he was talking about this. People choosing to walk through their days holding bitterness and anger because they believe one of these myths about forgiveness.

Cyclone Dedication

Turns out they don't broadcast the Iowa/Iowa State game in Virginia. That didn't stop Mike from watching...




This is a picture of Mike watching the game on my parent's TV via skype with the computer pointed towards the screen. The funniest part was that my parents had to turn it up so loud that they couldn't even be in the room anymore. And that is how mike watched the game.

We're not the same

A couple of weeks ago Mike and I took a the Meyers Briggs Personality test and scored pretty much the opposite of each other. Here's a quick story that illustrates our differences.

Mike leaves pretty early in the day because he has to study for a course he's taking and he tells Emily he's going to be gone most of the day. Sweet, thinks Emily, that means I get to hang out with people and have the day to goof off however I want to. Well, she soon realized that there wasn't anyone around the dorms and really you can only play Tetris and Solitare for so long. Eventually she got around to reading and other things that needed to be done. At the end of the day Mike comes back and the following conversation occurs

Emily: How was your day?

Mike: Good I got all the work done that I had wanted to and I'm even a little ahead and I only have a little more to do. What did you do today?

Emily says sadly: Well I studied chinese for two hours and completed some online surveys, finished an assignment, and got caught up on some reading.

Mike: What's wrong?

Emily: I just feel like I wasted my whole day.

Mike (laughing hysterically): That's probably the most productive day you've had in your entire life.

We're not the same

New Big Wong

Some of you may know that one of our assignments here is to take a trip to Washington DC and share with people you come in contact with. So we jumped on the bus and headed out. (Side note - we were selected to be bus captains. I know it's a prestigious title and a big honor but please don't feel awkward around us. Remember we're just like you.) Anyway our lunch goal was to find the most authentic restaurant we could. We carefully surveyed the area and after much deliberation we ended up at the New Big Wong. That's right I'll say it again New Big Wong. We figured you'd have to be foreign to name your restaurant New Big Wong.

By the way it was delicious and we got to share with our waitress!

Another quick fact about our trip to DC - We were appointed bus captians for the short bus

Insert your own amusing statement here _______________________

Rabies is a special feeling

In preparation to move overseas it has been advised that we get properly immunized. Ok, we want to be healthy so that sounds pretty sensible right? Here's the fun part "properly immunized" is just a nice way of saying "Hey Mike and Em, we are going to give you each ELEVEN shots in both arms two at a time and pump you full of every disease that you could possibly incur in the next two years!" Awesome.

Right now swimming around in our bodies are the following deadly diseases:
Hepatitis A/Hepatitis B cocktail
Japanese Encephalitis
Tetanus
Yellow Fever
Typhoid (I thought you only got that on the Oregon Trail)
Rabies - watch out that one's a bleeder.

The Dora the Explorer Band-Aid and the melted ice cream sandwich was not quite the consolation that we was hoping for

Poor little guy

We also were assigned the task of organizing some fun activities for the children after they get their shots. There are three different days that we have shots here to accommodate the different series of shots that we're given. The first day it wasn't so bad cause the kids didn't know what was coming. The parents hyped it up and got them all excited about the fun activities afterward and it was fine. The second week was a little trickier cause they all knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. We sent people into the clinic to make balloon animals hoping that the squeaking of the balloons would drown out the screams of the children being held down inside. I don't think it worked. Still a fun day. Tomorrow is our last clinic day - so we'll see how it goes

This is my cousin's son Owen - We're both pretty stoked about our balloon hats

Just the Beginning

Things are winding down here and we'll be headed back to Ames in just a couple weeks. We're starting to think about the time that we will be spending back home. There's lots to do, family and friends to see, good-byes to say and only about 4 short days to do it in. I've been trying to avoid thinking about it for a long time, but alas it's here.

Our time here has been great. It's been uber fun getting to think about what our days will look like and to wonder in expectation about all the ways that we'll be able to be used there. We're stoked to be students again and to experience all the new things that are headed our way. I even think we are ready to tackle the chicken feet dinners and the squatty potty expeditions. (We tested out some different strategies on a "dry run" and I think we may have found a winner.)

The closer it gets the more excited we are to go and start our work there. But the closer it gets, the less excited we are to say farewell to the people we love here in the states. Please lift this up for us and ask that Mike and I would use this time well and not feel too overwhelmed. Thanks Guys.

PS I know you can be overwhelmed and I know you can be underwhelmed but are you ever just whelmed?

A visual on the Squatty situation for any who might be unfamiliar

Language 101

Ni feng pi le ma? (did you fart?)

Mei you (I did not)
Dui (Correct)

Ahhh, my first Chinese phrase. It will always hold a special place in my heart. For some reason I find that bathroom humor is funnier in Chinese. One of these days we really should start learning phrases that are actually useful.