Updates!
This has been an interesting week. It started out Monday in HK trying to get visas. I needed to enter EA on a visitor's visa. On the application it asked for my occupation. I wrote “student,” but they wanted to know at what school. As I thought and thought I decided that I would write homemaker/student. So… now I’m a homemaker!!! Ha! When asked my reason for entering EA I had to check that I was visiting friends… I decided that the visit would last eleven months! My 30-day visa ended up costing me about $83.00. We were told last Sunday night that we would have to leave the country and go to HK every 30 days because we are on a visitor's visa. I was told originally that I couldn’t get a work visa because the university couldn’t come up with the proper papers, and that they would not be able to change it from a visitor's visa to a work visa once I got here because of new laws. Now, the university is telling us that we can get our visas changed over… there are six of us in this same situation. We will see what happens in the next month as to whether or not we can get work visas. That would be the ideal situation!!! Please think with me about this. Please think that this visa situation will be resolved smoothly and quickly. It really has everyone worried.
Tuesday at 1:00pm we began our 7-hour bus ride to MZ. The bus ride was when reality really hit me. I was beginning the next eleven months of my life in a foreign land with no family, a few friends, and where our Father is not accepted. I would not see home soil or feel the usual comforts for quite some time. I’m sure that through this journey there will be many more wake-up calls that the Father uses to teach me. After dinner and all, I finally made it to my new home about 9:00pm. I was left there all alone to get settled in. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lonely. The first light I turn on to see a large cock roach scurry across the floor, and I quickly ran after to squish it! The more lights I turn on in the place, the more I see the filth. When I finally got to the bathroom, I turned the light on and lost it. This place was filthy! It was like a REALLY bad youth or children’s camp! It was supposed to have been cleaned up, but I can assure you that a finger had not touched this place since the last person left. Pictures and hand-made frames were still hanging on the wall. The toilet, I don’t think had ever been cleaned… and the floors… just use your imagination. It was disgusting!
I decided that I would try to call home… I tried and tried only to get something in a foreign language being spoken back to me. More tears and more frustration. I tried several times to call Josh and leave a message, but never got his voicemail. Then I try to call Mom several times and couldn’t get through, finally I got my mom and all I could do was cry. I was so frustrated and tired; I didn’t know what to do!! I was so glad that someone was on the phone!!
Wednesday I went to the supermarket and got several bottles of bleach!!! I have begun cleaning this place, but have not finished… it is going to take time and lots of bleach. Wednesday was another hard day… it was just difficult… I was pretty low. That night, Paul asked me if I could keep Janey… my sweet little girl from last year! I was thrilled… I kept her all day Thursday. This was just the medicine I needed. We lay in my bed, cuddled up together, and watched a movie on my computer. We played with her dolls and colored. I got lots of little hugs and kisses. It was so wonderful. Our Father knew that I would need that… so much, so that Janey’s daycare was closed on Thursday for cleaning, her usual sitter couldn’t keep her, and I got to. That was the best medicine!!
The rest of the week, I spent getting to know the other teachers, with whom I will be working, meeting with university officials, getting my class schedule, and cleaning and setting up my apartment. Friday morning we had a meeting with all the new teachers. We received our class schedules and got some more information about the classes we will be teaching. The students start back to school this coming Monday. I am teaching Grade 1, which we consider Freshman. I will not start teaching until October 9. The students cannot come to the university yet because their dorms are not finished. Once they get here they will have 2 weeks of military training (mandatory). Then they will begin their classes. So, until October 9, I don’t have much to do.
When classes begin I will be teaching Monday – Thursday 8-11:40 each morning. I will be off during the afternoons and each Friday. Every other Wednesday evening I will have English corner. On Monday’s and Wednesday’s I will be teaching on another campus about 20 or so minutes away. A taxi is scheduled to pick me up and bring me back each day. Please think with me about my classes and the students in my classes. Please think that the Father will begin to prepare their hearts. Please think that many friendships will be formed.
Right now I am in the process of having a letter written so that I can go visit the orphanage twice a month. Please think with me that everything will go through and be approved and that I will be allowed to go. In the last couple of weeks they have close visitors off to the leper colony. Please think with me that it will be opened back up to visitors. Please think that the Father will continue to prepare me for what is to come, that I may become more like Him. I have been having trouble with email and internet lately. Sometimes it will work, most of the time it won’t. Hopefully in the next few days things will begin working like normal and I can update my website!!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, your emails, and your encouragement!
Tuesday at 1:00pm we began our 7-hour bus ride to MZ. The bus ride was when reality really hit me. I was beginning the next eleven months of my life in a foreign land with no family, a few friends, and where our Father is not accepted. I would not see home soil or feel the usual comforts for quite some time. I’m sure that through this journey there will be many more wake-up calls that the Father uses to teach me. After dinner and all, I finally made it to my new home about 9:00pm. I was left there all alone to get settled in. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so lonely. The first light I turn on to see a large cock roach scurry across the floor, and I quickly ran after to squish it! The more lights I turn on in the place, the more I see the filth. When I finally got to the bathroom, I turned the light on and lost it. This place was filthy! It was like a REALLY bad youth or children’s camp! It was supposed to have been cleaned up, but I can assure you that a finger had not touched this place since the last person left. Pictures and hand-made frames were still hanging on the wall. The toilet, I don’t think had ever been cleaned… and the floors… just use your imagination. It was disgusting!
I decided that I would try to call home… I tried and tried only to get something in a foreign language being spoken back to me. More tears and more frustration. I tried several times to call Josh and leave a message, but never got his voicemail. Then I try to call Mom several times and couldn’t get through, finally I got my mom and all I could do was cry. I was so frustrated and tired; I didn’t know what to do!! I was so glad that someone was on the phone!!
Wednesday I went to the supermarket and got several bottles of bleach!!! I have begun cleaning this place, but have not finished… it is going to take time and lots of bleach. Wednesday was another hard day… it was just difficult… I was pretty low. That night, Paul asked me if I could keep Janey… my sweet little girl from last year! I was thrilled… I kept her all day Thursday. This was just the medicine I needed. We lay in my bed, cuddled up together, and watched a movie on my computer. We played with her dolls and colored. I got lots of little hugs and kisses. It was so wonderful. Our Father knew that I would need that… so much, so that Janey’s daycare was closed on Thursday for cleaning, her usual sitter couldn’t keep her, and I got to. That was the best medicine!!
The rest of the week, I spent getting to know the other teachers, with whom I will be working, meeting with university officials, getting my class schedule, and cleaning and setting up my apartment. Friday morning we had a meeting with all the new teachers. We received our class schedules and got some more information about the classes we will be teaching. The students start back to school this coming Monday. I am teaching Grade 1, which we consider Freshman. I will not start teaching until October 9. The students cannot come to the university yet because their dorms are not finished. Once they get here they will have 2 weeks of military training (mandatory). Then they will begin their classes. So, until October 9, I don’t have much to do.
When classes begin I will be teaching Monday – Thursday 8-11:40 each morning. I will be off during the afternoons and each Friday. Every other Wednesday evening I will have English corner. On Monday’s and Wednesday’s I will be teaching on another campus about 20 or so minutes away. A taxi is scheduled to pick me up and bring me back each day. Please think with me about my classes and the students in my classes. Please think that the Father will begin to prepare their hearts. Please think that many friendships will be formed.
Right now I am in the process of having a letter written so that I can go visit the orphanage twice a month. Please think with me that everything will go through and be approved and that I will be allowed to go. In the last couple of weeks they have close visitors off to the leper colony. Please think with me that it will be opened back up to visitors. Please think that the Father will continue to prepare me for what is to come, that I may become more like Him. I have been having trouble with email and internet lately. Sometimes it will work, most of the time it won’t. Hopefully in the next few days things will begin working like normal and I can update my website!!
Thank you so much for your thoughts, your emails, and your encouragement!
posted by The B's | 2:37 AM
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