Year 3 Review

3 years ago, on this date - Sept 5, we landed in a new country, in a new city with nothing but 17 suitcases, 6 carry-ons and 6 backpacks, and each other. Only God new what was in store for us. 

Every year we have grown (individually and as a family), learned new things and seen His faithfulness. This year has been no exception.

Lets take a look at some highlights over the past year for our family and our ministry: 

September 2014: 
*Returned to Changsha after an amazing summer in Airdrie.
*Brendin began grade 10, Jacquelyn grade 8, and Andrea & Alysa grade 1.
*We took on the role of Team Life Coordinators/Leaders for our international team. 

October 2014:
*Said bye to a teammate who had served for 2.5years. 

November 2014:
*ICC mini-retreat in Changsha. A great time learning from our speaker and being together as a complete international team. 

December 2014:
*We hosted and planned Christmas for the entire ICC international team - not a small job! 
*Celebrated our 3rd Christmas away from family. It does get easier, but we look forward to the year when we can celebrate with extended family.

February 2015:
*Chinese New Year break for the twins from school. Our first experience with the twins out of school for 5 weeks while the teens still had school to do. 
*Family trip to Hong Kong for a week while all the kids were out of school. 

May 2015:
*ICC retreat in Hong Kong. Was an amazing life-giving, fun time. At the end of retreat we said goodbye to teammates who were returning to their home countries (permanently) but also had the chance to meet new team members (serving in Changsha). 

June 2015:
*Made the decision that in 2016 only Brendin and perhaps Jacquelyn and Andrew will return to Airdrie for 6 weeks or so. Brendin will be staying to complete his grade 12. We will all return for furlough in 2017 for Brendin's graduation.
*A young girl (who we 'adopted' as our oldest) from America arrived to serve with us for 3 months. 

July 2015:
*Teens attended a TCK (Third Culture Kid) camp near GuiYang where they saw old friends and met new friends. 
*We took the twins for a weekend tour around GuiYang to see water caves, the tallest waterfall in China and a mountain full of monkeys. 
*Teens traveled on their own to Hong Kong to spend a week with their friends. 
*A young girl from Australia joined our team for the month.  

August 2015:
*ICC COP project hosted 2 summer camps. We had the privilege to be involved as teachers and counselors. 
*Sadly, on August 28 our Pastoral Care Director, Terry, unexpectedly passed away and met Jesus face-to-face. He served with ICC, in some capacity, since its inception in 1993. He was a very special person in each of our lives. He will be greatly missed by our whole family, team and ICC. 

September 2015:
*Brendin begins grade 11, Jacquelyn begins grade 9 and Andrea & Alysa began grade 2. 
*We will be attending Terry's funeral in Singapore on the 13th. 

God's faithfulness throughout the year:

*February: We needed this family vacation, yet didn't know how we would afford it. He put many people in our path who, when put together, provided for our mini-vacation. 
*June: We saw his faithfulness again when we were going to be short on our budget by the amount of rent. I (Darcie) was praying on the way back from taking the twins to school about how we were going to afford to pay the rent this month. When I got home, I was looking in our bin where we keep our budgeted money envelopes. Hidden amoungst the envelopes and receipts was a stack of bills. When counted, it equaled just over the amount of our rent! We checked everywhere to ensure it didn't belong to any forgotten bills or to any person and found it didn't. 
*July 2015: We were down to nearly $0 in our ICC account. Again, he showed his faithfulness by depositing a large amount into our account (anonymous donation). 
*September 2015: Andrew and I both wanted to attend Terry's memorial service in Singapore. We knew all 6 of us couldn't go. We also knew that for the 2 of us to go, we would need someone to watch the twins. It was going to be a stretch, but we could put 2 flights on our visa to go. We looked at flights the other night and decided to sleep on it and decide in the morning who would go. During the night, Andrew received a text from one of our ex-teammates saying that he had a large amount of money that he wanted to donate to anyone who wanted to go to the funeral but couldn't afford it. He deposited the entire amount for 2 flights into our account. I had texted a friend and ex-teammate, who lives in Singapore, to inquire about accommodations. She replied that as her gift to us, she would book and pay for a hotel room for us for the 3 nights. I asked some friends and teammates if anyone could watch the twins. Quickly I received replies that showed childcare for the twins was taken care of. With everything provided for us, we will be going to Singapore to say our goodbyes to Terry. We will leave on Friday, Sept 11 and return on Monday, Sept 14. 

What a crazy, amazing, fun, hard year it has been. We haven't loved every single minute of it, but we wouldn't change anything that happened. We are looking forward to another amazing year serving the abandoned and disabled children in Changsha. We love begin able to be His hands and feet. Thanks to God and everyone who makes this possible for us. We are blessed beyond measure.
 
 

Finding the Joy

Well, my plan of writing each month obviously didn't happen. Oh well. When I write a blog I keep thinking I need to write something serious, something "deep", something that will make people stop and think. Because of this thinking, I haven't written in 6 months. So, I've changed my thinking. I don't have to write a lot, or something "deep" in order to write a blog. Those reading this just want to hear from us. 

I was talking to a friend the other day who is preparing her backyard for so many great things - garden, gazebo, shed, trampoline, play area for her children. While I am thrilled for her, it leaves me feeling sad for the things our kids are missing out on - like a yard to play in. While talking to her, I was reminded that we may not have a yard, but it doesn't mean our kids are growing up deprived. We live in a very safe complex where our 7yr olds can ride bikes all over without worry of being taken, without worry of being hit. We live on the 2nd floor so when the twins friends come out front and call out "An Jue, Li Sha, come play with us!" they can reply from the window. Kids actually come calling on the twins. The kids in the complex will meet in the "exercise park" and play - without toys, without trampolines, without slides, without swings. They play with balls, rollerblades, scooters, pogo sticks, bikes and their imagination! Back to the basics. They really aren't missing anything. If anything, they have gained freedom and the joy of just playing. 

Our teens had the opportunity to grow up with a yard - and restrictions on where they could go. They are finding joy and fun in other ways now. Bike riding around town. Going for walks. Strolling the mall. Hanging out together. Watching movies together when the rest of us are out. Staying up to midnight playing Xbox or playing on iPods. But if you ask them, no, they aren't friends. They have a relationship they never would've had if we were still living in Airdrie. 

So, are my kids "deprived"? No. They aren't. 

We all have joy living here. We wouldn't change things for the world. This is our life. Finding joy in the everyday things. Focusing on the joy. Like when I show up to work last Thursday morning expecting to join in with "my kids" education class only to find out that the teacher took the day off to extend her long weekend. I was up early, no workout, and at work on a day I usually work from home. Was I upset? Yeah, a little. But I got to see the kids. I got to see their faces light up when they saw me. Joy. Their joy in seeing me turned me feeling upset into joy. 

Life is crazy here, everywhere. We have to be intentional on finding the joy. Surrounded by concrete buildings, I find the joy in the tree-lined streets creating a canopy over the road. Finding joy in early morning rides with little traffic. Joy in being able to use our language skills more. Joy when you watch a movie and there is a scene with Chinese people and they speak Chinese and then your twins say "Look! They are Chinese!" and then you ask if they know what they said and without thinking your twins say "wo xiang qu! I want to go!"

Finding the joy in unexpected days like today. Pancake breakfast with the whole family (even both teens got up to join in!) and then spending the afternoon outside having a family water balloon fight and then the kids biking and running around the complex together. 

Finding joy isn't always easy, but it's always there. You just have to look for it.