It's SNOWING in Qingdao!

Zhongshan Park fellowship

Joshua, from the Pre-K P.E. Class

Minchi and Emily from Pre-K

Mrs. B's Pre-K Class (MY FAVORITE!)

Qingdao's Hisense Shopping Mall



Wu Si Guang Chang, May 4th Square

The sidewalk outside of our apartment

The beach outside our apartment



A view of the coast looking West

Looking East



Looking outside an apartment window


Well Sunday morning was a little different for us here in Qingdao. Karen and I awoke VERY early because we were going to a Christmas performance that was put on by a few different fellowships. As we walked into the kitchen we saw blizzard-like conditions and we couldn't believe our eyes! Qingdao only gets "one day of snow each year and it isn't even enough to stick." Boy, are we lucky because we've had THREE snow days so far and this one wins by a stretch! Thankfully we bought jackets that were made to perform efficiently at these weather conditions (high wind, snow, below freezing temperatures, ice, etc) so we were able to put them to the test. The jackets were such a blessing! We blazed a trail up the sidewalk (pictured above) and hailed a taxi not knowing the next hour of our life would be slipping all over Qingdao's barren highways. The taxi's/cars/trucks are not made for these weather conditions AND there is no education on HOW to drive in these conditions so you can imagine the (X) # of car pile-ups along any given OVERPASS (aren't we supposed to stay OFF of bridges/overpasses when these conditions arise?) It was an adventure, nonetheless, and always is when Karen and I are traveling together. We arrived safely in Si Fang and found my friend, Paul, whom we came to support in the first place. We walked inside and were the only foreigners of course, but that is never a problem :) I was so excited for Paul because he's been practicing for this for months now! I went into the performance thinking it was going to be thirty minutes to an hour max, but BOY was I wrong. The production was WAY over THREE HOURS and I was stuck sitting in the middle of the crowd-unable to move the entire time. However, it was the best performance I've seen in a REALLY long time. It was beautiful because all ages were involved. There was dramas, a choir, children's program, youth, solos, and the "just older youth." After the performance was over I was so happy to see some familiar faces that work at our school who also happen to be some of my closest Chinese friends. After the production we prepared to go back out into the fronzen tundra-like weather conditions and decided to call it a day by grabbing lunch and going home and hibernating.

Tonight I'm helping with the first ever "English Service" at another fellowship. It's going to be grand. I'm in charge of singing and hand-motions (because we all know Chinese LOVE dancing and any hand motions). Please YARP for this time because the Good News will be shared for all to hear and there will be many many many people there who have never heard of Him. Then tomorrow we head off to Thailand! That is also another YARP-request. That we have SAFE and SMOOTH travels with no complications. We will be traveling for 8 days, Dec. 23-31. I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. Even though I miss family traditions and dinners and time with friends there is comfort knowing that I'm here at this time for such a bigger purpose and reason and Christmas-time is a GREAT reminder of that. May His name ring louder than ever this Christmas.

With Love,
Tan Mei Shan 谭 美山

Christmas is here!

The last month and a half has FLOWN by, literally. I've traveled a lot for games and tournaments, but my favorite destination thus far has been Hong Kong. Our company flew all of our expats for five days of training at the ICEC conference. It was great to spend time with teachers and administrators from all over the world! Some came as far from Brazil! We had a great time and were able to spend our evenings and nights out on the town. Since I had been to Hong Kong a few times the previous year I was able to re-visit some of my favorite places, one of those being the Giant Buddah (see pictures). You literally have to take an hour bus ride to the bay, take an hour ferry across the harbor to Lantau Island, then take another 45 minute bus ride up the moutain, THEN hike all the way up the thousands of steps to the top to reach the Buddah. I also was able to catch up with a friend from The Village and have MEXICAN FOOD with him on Thanksgiving night. It.was.GREAT. So we have less than two weeks left and then its two weeks of vacation for the Christmas Holidays and we, Karen and I, will be going to THAILAND :) I'm so excited. I'm also meeting a great friend, Valerie, whom I also met through The Village, there and we will be hostelling and peeking our nose into the surrounding islands and even SKYDIVING and scuba diving (hopefully). I'm super excited about it. But what excites me even more than Thailand is how lovely I have found Qingdao to be as my home. It truly is my home away from home now and whenever I leave for a while then come back, its nice to say "I'm ready to go home" and home meaning Qingdao. My relationships with Chinese friends here are so precious to me and they truly are a huge reason why I am here. Language is coming faster than I expected and I'm hoping one day to study full time at Qingdao University (Father-willing). Anyway, just wanted to give you a quick update. If any of you want to chat, you can call the local number anytime for free, 903-689-4229, and I'd love to catch you up to date. Love you all!
-Mei Shan (my chinese given name meaning beautiful mountain)

Fantastic Fall

Wow, lots has happened after looking back at the month of October! Here are a few things that have happily filled these great 31 days!

• I've had friends get married
• Seen volleyball season come to a close after the ACAMIS tournament
  
• Had Pneumonia for three weeks
• Had my first RED Winter coat made
• Celebrated my 23rd birthday
  
• Caught up with old friends back in the States
• Was told that I'm going to be sent to get my Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, and possibly my Wilderness EMT-B certification in December with China Climb! (possibly my FAVORITE of this list because it has been a LIFELONG dream of mine to be certified in these areas, but it is just too expensive in America and takes quite a while. After pr-ing about this for years, now the time has come where they are needing someone to fulfill this role at school and He has provided a way in which I will not have to pay ANYTHING! Yay for rock-climbing, backpacking, mountain-biking, rappelling, white water rafting, mountaineering, orienteering, and the WILDERNESS during the month of December! BRRRR!)
• Experienced 14 parent teacher conferences in 1.5 school days! WOO HOO! Complete with Korean/Chinese translators and all!
  
• Celebrated Halloween with first-timers here in Qingdao
• Celebrated the cool ocean breeze that the Fall rains have brought us! The weather has been BEAUTIFUL!

I'm sure there are LOTS of other important things I've forgotten, but for now this list should suffice! Here are recent pictures of beautiful fall scenery in our backyard literally (also known as the Yellow Sea), our school, Qingdao, yummy street food, my birthday dinner, and Anderson's wedding!


QMIS is nestled at the foot of that little hill, xiao shan, in this fishing village known as Shazikou.


The way we dry our greens over here!

View of the Qingdao coast looking West!

View of Qingdao looking East!

Our front yard fisherman friends!

Winter swimming is VERY popular here in Qingdao!

Sunset in our 'side yard'!

Side yard view again!

mmm.....yum yum!

More YUMMY (tails included!)


Birthday dinner with roommate, Karen! I had Lamb!

My friend Echo!

My best friend, Anderson (gege-big brother in Chinese) finally getting married! Also my FIRST wedding to EVER go to! WOO HOO!

As you can see, there is a lot going on here in the Fall! Lots of birthdays, celebrations, and what I love most-CHANGE! In other news, my health has been improving significantly in the last week. After three weeks with pneumonia, I almost started giving up and just coping with the idea of having a chronic lung infection the rest of my life. I still have a wicked cough but I'm gaining energy more and more each day. I think pollution really does take a toll on our poor lungs! Praise Him for clean air-SERIOUSLY! Well, its been over THREE months now since I moved to Qingdao. I can honestly say the best part about being here is my Chinese friends and the relationships I have with them. Praise Him that I work with most of them, allowing me to see them everyday! If it were otherwise, I would NEVER see them because being a teacher/coach/Athletic Director basically is your life (who forgot to tell me this!) I literally come home after practice each day, scarf down Chinese, and then sleep until 5AM which is when the next day begins! Honestly, sometimes this is a huge downer for me because I want my life to be intentional here, truly, and when I go, go, go all day and all evening it leaves no time for the other stuff like friendships/relationships (which is why I came in the first place). After seeking wise counsel MANY MANY times a week on this, I have found that if I verbally voice myself it really does help. I'm NOT used to expressing how I feel-especially to superiors-so it is DEFINITELY a growing time in my life. Father is teaching me patience, understanding, kindness, and gentleness right now. Sometimes I wonder, "why did I move halfway around the world to finally be able to audibly hear Your voice?" It's a mystery in itself, but such a blessing! YARP for my friendship with Echo, specifically, and for better health, and for clarity of mind in this next new month. November will be one of the stressful months because I'm in charge of organizing tournaments and all the fun that goes with it. Sometimes when I think of the holidays I get a bit homesick because my family really knows how to celebrate, so YARP that I will find the same fulfillment and satisfaction here in and with my new friends. Lots of traveling will be going on soon, Hong Kong, Yangshuo, Guilin, Thailand, and a possible visit to the States during Chinese new year (YARP for that as well that I will find the funds if it is His will).

I love you all more than you know! I'm so thankful at this time in my life for EACH of you and who you are in my life!

Kayla