US Trek: Lafayette and Evansville

Flight from Xiamen to Shanghai (2 hrs), to Washington DC (14hrs), to Indianapolis (2hrs), drive to West Lafayette (30 minutes).  We we're so glad to see Sharon and Travis in the airport and pumped to see the rest of the family the next morning!

We spent a week in Lafayette, Indiana with family (everyone joked that we arrived earlier for Sharon's wedding to help with preparations than we did with our own wedding earlier in January).

Here are some of our highlights from our time there: 

Lunch date with family at Olive Garden! 

Playing with the foxtail ball in the park
 This shows our height different... just remember we're standing on a hill :)  

Thank you Travis and Sharon for introducing us to the card game "Curses!"  My new favorite game!  The game that made me laugh so hard I was crying.

Travis, my new brother-in-law, grilled out and made a huge dinner for  all of us

Took Debbie out for her birthday (enjoying our first US hamburgers while being back)

Loved getting to go on a walk and explore more around Lafayette with Debbie 

Family hangout time in the park 

Picnic in the park! 

That week was a really special time for me to get to spend time with David's family, getting to know them more and hanging out where they all grew up.   

Travis & Sharon's wedding! 

Getting to know David's extended family

David was a groomsmen at his sister, Sharon's wedding

Family time together! 

We then drove to Evansville to visit David's grandparents

We're so thankful for the time we got to have with family in Lafayette and getting to visit David's grandparents in Evansville

US Trek: Cincinnati!

David and Stacy's US Itinerary:
West Lafayette, IN: Celebrate Sharon's Wedding (David's sister)
Evansville, IN: Visit David's grandparents
Cincinnati, OH: Visit Stacy's family

Road Trip Map! 

Family reunion dinner! 

One of the highlights from our time in Cincy was hanging out with my extended family.  My uncle and cousins took us on the boat on the Ohio River.  It was really special getting to show David one of my favorite pastimes of boating and being out in the water.  

David's first successful time of water skiing!  My Uncle Robbie was a great coach!  Keeping his record straight, there isn't a person Rob hasn't got up on water skiis

Hanging out with my cousin, Kelly! 

Red's Stadium! View from the river

Skilling on the Ohio River!
 

Enjoyed time with my Aunt Lisa at breakfast

we enjoyed lunch dates with my extended family

Spent a wonderful evening with Doug and Pam (I've known them for  over fifteen years!  Dear friends who've been wonderful mentors and invested and supported me since middle school)

David has heard me talk about Snowie for years and finally is experiencing what it is! 

We got to have breakfast with Jon & Katie and their newest little edition, Finely.   Such an encouraging time getting to catch up with them.  Really thankful for their friendship

Intense games of fuse-ball with Uncle Robbie! We loved getting to stay in their home and spend time with them!

(PS David Won!  I'm sure there will be another match next time we visit)

David enjoying Cincinnati's speciality! Skyline!!!! 

Date night downtown

Walking along the Purple People Bridge (the walking bridge that separates KY and OH).  We loved stopping and reading all about the history of Cincinnati along the way  

Tree roots in your toilet?

Couldn't help but not post these when my mom emailed them to me!  I thought I had weird things happen in our apartment... but this is pretty unique! 

They couldn't understand why the toilet kept stopping up and finally called a plumber to come see....

Tree roots in their front yard had grown into the pipes.  They kept growing and worked themselves up through the pipes into my parent's toilets.  

Licensing my Bike (from David)

Sometimes when living here I feel like I effortlessly reap the benefits of the conveniences of an economic boom. But in other times I feel the system of red tape suffocate my independent spirit. For the last 2 years a significant outlet for my independent spirit has been zipping around Chinese markets, industrial parks, and residential side roads on my handy “PaShanWang” (literally “the King of climbing mountains”). Though the mere 48 volt and under 30 mph would never have the slightest hope of making it up anything more than a little bunny hill. Nevertheless, its noiseless motor (recharged every other night) and narrow size was an amazing asset to provide freedom, convenience, and speed home after a long day at the office.

Beginning the start of next month, there will be a step on the “red tape” direction as all bikes that do not have a license placed on it will presumably be taken when in public. So, I decided to investigate what I had to do in order to register this bike for legal riding in the city.

After two unsuccessful trips to different police offices I finally showed up at the right location a few minutes before they began registering individual's bikes. In the chaos of a sea of bikes waiting to be registered I was clearly the only foreigner there (everyone was quite puzzled why I didn't drive a BMW). The officials said the only foreigner who had tried registering for the whole month.

I quickly was told that I didn't have the right documents (I had to have my residence permit). After yet another unsuccessful trip, where I learned they couldn't read my English documents, I had one of my Chinese friends go to help and use his identification. Now, mind you, I didn't need to have a drivers license or any apparent skill in driving the vehicle. Other than documentation all I needed was a $1.60 fee.

The next afternoon after getting the two license plates, I went to the electric bike realtor who I was told could help install the plates on my bike. To their amazement. I still was using a bike that I had bought almost a year and a half before! I didn't know if I should take the comment to mean that they were amazed that I hadn't lost it yet (theft is rampant) or that the quality of the bike was still in such good shape. Regardless the picture below is take after they had finished attaching the license plate (with the help of two cable ties) to my bike tire guard.

I now am free to ride in freedom without the fear of having my bike taken away from me. My independent electric bike riding is still a joy to take me away from the cares of a hard day.

And yes... I am the “weird' one who wears a helmet.

-David

A dear friend's advice

I remember my dear friend Rachel pulling me aside days before my wedding and saying, "your biggest ministry now is to each other." 

In the middle of figuring out how to feed 160 people three days before the wedding, getting my dress refitted because it was too long, and figuring out where tables should go during the reception those words didn't quite sink in yet. 

However, during our honeymoon David and I spent an evening going through all our wedding cards we received.  What a blessing that was, we just praised God that night for giving us such wonderful friends and family!  When I got to Rachel and Sean's card I saw she had written the same words inside the card.  I need to be reminded of things sometimes, so I was thankful she did that.  :) 

Three months after our wedding, as we learn to live together, figure out our little quirks, and do life together, we continuously go back to their advice.  We both mess up, sin, don't meet each other's expectations, and miscommunicate.  But how awesome it is to know we're in it together.  Committed to seeing each other grow, forgiving and showing grace... I love the place where God has me right now.  I am learning so much.

Sanctification. 

Sean and Rach - thank your so much for your friendship and we're so excited to meet Ellie!!! 

Our US Wedding Video

Stacy & David Wedding Day from Jenna Nelson on Vimeo.

Thank you Jenna Nelson for the wonderful gift!  

Come and See

A piece I wrote that didn't get into our latest update: 

“JC turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and you will see.” John 1:38-39.

When I look back at the time I spent in Xi'an I remember Him continuously teaching me this “Come and See” theme. During a book study my friend challenged me by asking, “How did JC preach the good news?” I started reading the Word with that question in mind. I saw that JC loved to speak in parables, tell stories, and always asked questions. He loved to ask good questions to get his listeners to think, while not always giving them the answers. By doing this the his listeners were always left wanting to know more. When I was learning this back then little did I know how much this theme would apply to my life today as a teacher.

With the law here and for security reasons I am very limited with how much I can share. I sometimes have to remind myself to not live in the fear and to have boldness, but also having discernment and knowing my life rests in Dad's hands. I ask daily for God to show me how to live out his love in my classroom when I can't directly speak truth from his Word. I'm learning that love comes out through listening to my students, taking interest in each of their lives, caring about them, helping them, or giving advice. My students love it when I sit on a desktop in front of them because they know they are about to hear a story. They hang on every word wondering whats going to come next.

Last night Dave and I were at dinner with some of my students and one of them told David, “When Mrs. Stacy teaches she moves my heart and I feel the joy that she carries with her.” At that moment I grabbed my husband's hand under the table and had to hold back the tears.

Lately I've felt that days go by in my classroom and I wondered if I have had any impact. It was God's perfect timing and a way that he showed his love to me by letting me hear her say that during a time I was discouraged. I took it as a blessing and encouragement from God to keep pressing on. This week I am renewing my contract with knowing as of now I'll be the only foreign teacher who is a believer on campus next year (I only know of two other Chinese that are, out of 1,200 teachers). Join me in praying for my students and coworkers' hearts, for me as I tell stories that will leave them wanting to seek more, for more like-minded teachers to come to my school, and for me to know how to live out His love.