10.30.2013

Our New Home

We've found a home in our new city! We're so thankful! We're the only foreigners in our half of the neighborhood. There are a total of 30+ buildings in our our complex. There are three minority groups that live here: Tibetan, Hui Muslim, and Han Chinese. 


This is our building! We're on the second floor window on the left. Also very thankful that to enter the blue door to our building we have to have a key (a lot of times its just broke). 

The little exercise area in front of our building.

I see lots of interesting cultural things happen in our complex, such as Tibetan monks walking and praying with their prayer beads and Tibetan women doing dances in the mornings. Recently the Hui Muslims celebrated Kurban Bayram (Feast of the Sacrifice-honors Abraham for being willing to sacrifice his son before God intervened) and I watched many families sacrifice, slaughter, and butcher cows right outside my front door.  

The area where kiddos play! We love that our little neighborhood is full of families! 


Folks usually just sit on the benches for hours chatting or reading. This is also the area where the ladies do their dances in the morning

The entrance to our xiao qu (neighborhood) 

Little store and post office right out front our gate 

The street that we walk up to get to our gate entrance (its about a 7 minute walk from the main road)

Very thankful to have a bus stop on the main road near our new place 

4.01.2013

Trip to the Philippines

During the Chinese New Year David and I went to the Philippines. For the holiday most of the city shut down and folks headed up for two weeks. We decided to go to the Philippines with our friends, Anna and Nathan. 

On our first day in Manila we went to a slum that Anna used to work in. We visited with some of the families and kiddos there.





 Trisha sharing in single room that serves as the Building in that area
Kiddos Sunday school

Click below to see the video that Anna and Nathan made from our trip in the Philippines 
Visiting with Camile 
  (Link  will take you to Vimeo) 

 Manila



 We found Dunking Donuts on the street! 
 Hand washing clothes in the shower in our hostel
 Taking a break from snorkeling


The boats we went snorkeling out on







  We spent three days in Puerto Princesa. We met this young guy and spent some time with him as he showed us around town and took us to a local joint to eat dinner.


 Durian! The smelliest fruit!


Visiting our friends in Davao! It was a great time for us getting to hang out with them and learn more about their lives there!

1.23.2013

Exploring outside of Xiamen

During the time Logan and Alicia were visiting us we decided to take a day to explore outside of Xiamen. Our friend knew of a guy with a boat, we rented his boat for the day and spent the day out on the water. 


One of the boat docks in Xiamen
All of us on the boat

A large tourist boat




The tiny deserted island we traveled to. Our driver dropped us off there  for a few hours where we ate lunch and explore.



Nathan and David having fun with things they found around the island
The fishing village





People live in these little cabins during the warm months to raise fish and oysters. There are electrical wires hanging from cabin to cabin to provide electricity. 

You had to walk along the logs to get around




We got to know a family who lived there. They invited us in where we shared some tea and shared stories with us about whats its like living out there.
This is the bathroom I used... Yes, its a trap door that drops out into the ocean
David catching up with Logan. They were roommates at Taylor University.



We all decided to jump in for a little swim.