An Incredible Week

I wish I was able to tell you all of the great things that are happening here in China but words will not allow me to tell you. Just know our life here is seeing many good things and we are meeting so many great people that want to know about him. It has been such a privilege to meet so many people from a different culture and see how other people live.
It is so different here, but we have also realized when we leave in June we will miss parts of China and the friends we have made here. Being here is sometimes challenging, but also at the same time rewarding. I definitely think we are learning patience. I will miss the street atmosphere of China, I love it! The streets are always full of people, shops, and all kinds of different foods. Everybody just goes out and walks along the street and enjoys being outside and seeing each other. I will also miss some of the food. Craig loves fried bread and dumplings and I will miss steamed bread (or as I call them Cinaminnies). Food is so easy to get here and also so cheap. There are many different foods to explore, some I probably will not, but others have been so good. A girl I recently met on the street took me to a noodle place. You get a huge bowl of noodles for about 80 cents and they are YUMMY! I have been meeting with her every week and studying English. I really enjoy her friendship.
My Chinese lesson this week was also encouraging. I am not great by any means, but this week the 4 tones started to click and my tutor was proud of me. Last week, I think she left with a headache because I couldn't get it right. I am going to start studying Chinese more each day so I can learn more. So far I can say hello, thank you, and some other small basic words, my numbers, money, and directions. I can also write my numbers in Chinese. I have a long way to go, but she said 8 months should be enough time to teach me. Of course, I won't be fluent or even close to fluent, but I will be able to communicate with people on a basic level. I am excited about that because when we go back to Russellville, I will be able to talk to the Chinese and Taiwanese students on campus and around Russellville. We hope to be able to meet more of those students and share our experiences with them about our life in China. We are very excited about that possibility!
Our classes have been going great! Craig and I switched some of our classes so I could take the 1st year students. So I now have 4 classes of Phonetics and 4 classes of Oral English. He has 8 classes of Oral English. In some ways, it reminds me of teaching elementary students because it is teaching them sounds and the way to form their mouth when they make the sounds. Some people may think it is boring, but I find it rewarding and challenging. I am also getting to tell them some phonics generalizations that they have never heard. I really enjoy all of my classes. The students here are so willing to learn and so respectful of their teachers.
So life here is different and at sometimes very hard, but we are happy we are here and excited about the next 8 months! Continue to lift us up.