Easter Update!

April is almost over! I’m going to be home before I know it, and it’s kind of hard to believe. While I’m excited to return home for the summer to see family and friends, I’m loving every moment that I’m here in China.

The past couple of months have been much different than the fall semester. The early days of the fall semester were spent adapting to the changes here. Every once in a while, I get a brief reminder of what was going through my head at that time and it amazes me just how much I have changed and grown in these 8 months.

So far the spring semester has been busy and great. My teammates and I agreed early in the semester that we will spend more time in Langfang and less time travelling (something we were guilty of in the fall). The result has been nothing short of life-giving. While some of my friends (such as Jason and Robert) have moved on to different cities for work, there remain a few guys that I spend some time with. My freshmen guys Owen, Eric and Buck (Eric and Buck are pictured below) are among some of my favorites to hang out with. Unfortunately, they live on the west campus, known as Gu’an. I take a bus to get out there every Thursday to teach their classes and I rarely get to spend time with them outside of class.

 

Easter weekend, my teammates Jaime, Kristina, and I hosted all 12 IECS teachers and our newest addition to the IECS staff, Apple! It was an incredible opportunity for us to serve as a team. One of my favorite parts of the weekend was when we invited our students to join us for activities Saturday afternoon. Not expecting them to make the journey, I invited my freshmen guys to join us. Much to my surprise, they came! Even Owen, who needed to take an exam that very afternoon came with Buck and Eric. Owen left after lunch. That afternoon it was raining so we spent some time in the indoor park, 九天. Here we walked around the massive tropical park, rode bumper-cars, and watched as Jaime and Becky rode the Gyro Ride (no, not a ride that looks like a giant Greek wrap, but one like the picture below).

Jaime and Becky on the Gyro Ride.

After spending time in the park, Jimmy and I returned to the main campus to set up for our Easter Egg Hunt! Soon after hiding the eggs, the group returned and we had a massive egg hunt. This was the first time any of the Chinese students have experienced anything like this. It was special to have this experience with them. I was so glad my guys could come to the main campus for this and I’m looking forward to next semester when they will be living on this campus!

Next week China has yet another holiday! Rather than spend our time on a barren campus whose only students to remain are busy studying, team Langfang has decided to spend our Spring Break in Shanghai! In a matter of days, Jaime, Kristina and I will board a 5.5 hour train to the city! It’ll be all of our first times to the city. We’re excited for the trip. We honestly have no idea what to expect.

Thank you for your continued support and thoughts! I’m excited to see you all in June!