This Week in Xi'an

We have enjoyed some really wonderful experiences over the last couple of weeks, particularly in our branch, though getting back in school has been great as well.

The highlight was the long-awaited baptism for Ning Ning Judd, a charming Chinese ophthalmologist who is married to a retired American attorney. She has studied the gospel for some four years, moving from no belief in God (a philosophy drilled into her for all her years since kindergarten)to a fervent testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and a sure witness that she has a Heavenly Father who knows her and loves her. It has been a long process, not the least of which was getting the necessary District President's approval to go forward with her baptism. With a district covering nearly all of China but for Shanghai, President Stephen Toronto doesn't get to Xi'an all that often and Ning Ning and Conrad had to learn patience for what seemed like ages once she had completed the missionary discussions and accepted the baptismal challenge. Finally, despite very limited funds, the couple traveled to Beijing to see the president and get her approval for taking this important step.

Clearance to go ahead with the baptism was a critical step but it was just a first. Holding a baptism in China is an interesting challenge on every level. Finding a location to hold it, with adequate privacy and water in and of itself takes some doing. John's 2nd counselor, who speaks Chinese, contacted the Hyatt Regency in Xi'an where another baptism had been held several years ago, only to learn that since that time, the hotel had been sold. A door seemed to have closed but the manager did suggest that someone put a formal request together and she would submit it to the new owners. As branch president, John put together a wonderful email and shipped it off and for the next few days all of us prayed that hearts would be softened in Ning Ning's behalf.

Stepping out in faith the baptism was tentatively scheduled for a week ago Saturday--Ning Ning's only day off work. By Thursday we still did not have permission, or any word. Finally John called and talked with the manager to see if his email had been received and she told him she had just gotten it and would get back with him that day. By day's end there was still no word. Then Friday he received a beautiful email telling him that they would be honored to have us use their Club Zen at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Our prayers answered, the baptism was a go!

We still had no idea of what the facility looked like so I hopped a bus up into the city to check it out. It was absolutely perfect. A lovely quiet room with two huge hot tubs with dressing rooms just off them and with a door that could be closed for complete privacy.


Saturday most of the branch congregated in the Hyatt's Club Zen in our Sunday best, were greeted with great respect and consideration by Hyatt personnel. We were able to have a lovely little meeting before Ning Ning stepped into the waters of baptism holding tight to her husband's hand. With priesthood power he performed that simple, beautiful ordinance and immersed her. She came forth from the water beaming with joy. Conrad drew her to him, both still in the water, and hugged her, and she him. They are an unusual pair.

The Hyatt people were so charming with us. They could not be in with us for the baptism, but came in when we were done and took the picture of our group and ushered us out telling us they hoped to have us come again sometim.

It was the most beautiful event of its type I had ever witnessed. It was such a privilege to be part of it, even on the sidelines. She was to have been confirmed the next day but Conrad became ill and she wouldn't leave him so was unable to attend our meetings. Instead she sent the following email to the branch. It captures a little of her sweetness, and of the wonderful spirit of this special branch that we are blessed to be part of.

Hi, everybody,
I just want to tell all of you how grateful I am to have such a wonderful baptism with you all. From the first day I got to know you, I could feel the warmth, support, encouragement and the love from each one of you. Those were so important for me and Conrad at that period of difficult time. Because of the age difference, we suffered lots of prejudice and misunderstanding. But the great love from you gave us comfort and peace. Every time I think about this, I just marvel how good you are. Yesterday I felt I AM the daughter of my Heavenly Father. I can feel His love. And I know He sent His love to me by all of you. Thank you all for everything you did, thank you for the great love you give me, thank you for the good example you set for me, thank you all!

Today Ning Ning was confirmed and bore her testimony as part of our Fast and Testimony meeting,held this week because of our district conference next week. The home teaching message for the month of February, as you know, was about Finding Joy in sharing the gospel and in these special occasions that have brought Ning Ning into full fellowing in the Church we have been blessed to partake of that joy.

This week we both returned to our full teaching schedule. It is great to be back! I had procrastinated dreadfully in getting prepared for both my oral and writing classes but finally buckled down, put my power points together, and figured out how to begin. I have the same students I had last semester which has its good side--I already know their names and personalities--and its bad side--I can't use a darn thing I used last term so everything has to be created new. I am teaching research writing for my juniors and that is a bit of a challenge for me and for them. Knowing what is and isn't available in the way of resources makes it interesting. But I will muddle along.

John on the other hand has all new students--three sections of graduate engineers, with some 45 or so kids in each. BUT he has the advantage of being able to polish and perfect the materials and ppts he used before. He and our neighbor even put together a text for their classes with all their handouts and sources available to them. He came home beaming from his Tuesday sections--tired but happy that they had gone so well. He makes a pretty nifty college "professor." I am proud of him. It isn't easy to step into a totally new profession in such a challenging setting but he has excelled at it.

Now if we can both just hold up for the next five months we will feel like we have made a contribution, in a tiny way, but a contribution all the same.

On the home front, this has been a big month for our family with birthdays for Kiki (Adam's youngest) on the 20th, Adam's Kimmy on the 23rd, and Patrick on the 25th. We are proud of our boys having both just received major promotions in their employment with Adam becoming the sales manager over his team and Patrick becoming the General Manager of his company's Portland office. We are pleased to see Chi and David face the challenges that life sometimes hands us with courage and faith. Chi is expecting another little one in June and they are planning to move to South Ogden the end of March.

Our hearts are much with John's folks this month as they face the challenge of Pop's having been diagnosed with metathesized cancer through his systems, of a move from Heritage Place in Bountiful to John's only sister's home in Springville, allowing her to care for them at this important transition in their lives. We are so grateful for all Crystal and Lorenz have done to watch out for them over the months we have been away. Pop's greatest concern is not his own pain and discomfort, but rather his focus on worrying about leaving Mom. He has cared for her with such faithful devotion and love for some 60+ years, still viewing her as the beautiful 20-year-old he married. He is an example to all his family. I told him on the phone when he expressed a little nervousness about what lay ahead for him that it would be a "wonderful adventure" to move on to the next world having done all that was required of him here--a grand graduation is surely in store for this good man. I am so grateful for the knowledge we have of the plan of salvation that provides us comfort and peace at such times as these. We are a blessed people!

Spring Festival Adventures

After a month of traveling over the Spring Festival, we are now home in Xi'an. We have been privileged to see some astonishing, lovely parts of this vast land of China, enjoyed wonderful associations along our way, and now, with the new semester pressing upon us, we find ourselves so happy to have come home to our happy hovel! Having had no access to blogger while we were away we had no chance to capture these details day to day or even week to week, so as difficult as it is to squeeze a month's adventures into one blog entry I am going to try. It is now or never--we begin our new semester this week and by tomorrow I will be under the gun to try to stay up on all my preparations.
Guangzhou

Guangzhou meant a couple of peaceful days with the Monsons. The city was such a contrast to Xi'an with its sparkling, clean skyscrapers and modern facade. I suppose it must have its funny little markets and dumpy areas, but we didn't see much of them. It was the city where the recent Asian Games were held and China is very big on face lifts for areas ready to be exposed to the world. Our visit included seeing friends (other CTP teachers) at Church and then joining them at lunch, exploring the pearl market (with its shops and shops and shops! and bags and bags of pearls. Our charming hosts at our shop, recommended to us by a friend, were a mother and son who strung the pearls we selected, while we waited).


We also enjoyed a ride on the Pearl River seeing the old colonial buildings from bygone eras when foreigners had control of Canton--now Guangzhou--and walked and talked (and ate raw sugar cane). One of our favorite views was of the kindergarteners all lined up waiting for their parents--or grandparents--to come collect them. It was a very nice beginning to the rest of the trip.


Shenzhen
Leaving Guangzhou, we traveled by train to Shenzhen where we joined our tour group at the Century Plaza Hotel before boarding our bus for a visit to Splendid China and the Chinese Cultural Center--China's version of the PCC in Hawaii.


Splendid China was a series of miniatures of China's most famous sites. Set in a beautiful park, the displays were really lovely. The Cultural Center consisted of "villages" of the different ethnic groups in China. In them they performed their native dances, songs, crafts, and costumes. It was all a delight to see--the Mongol attacks and the Tibetan dances were especially wonderful.


Hong Kong CTP Seminar
After seeing the Center we climbed on our bus and headed for the border to cross over into Hong Kong. It seemed so strange to have a major immigration check point to go from one economic zone to another. Arriving in Hong Kong we all checked into the Salisbury YMCA with its wonderful location, rooms, and swimming pools. It doesn't sound very posh but it was lovely. Over the next couple of days we enjoyed our seminar with the CTP teachers where we shared teaching ideas we'd found successful last term. We also had the thrill of attending the Hong Kong Temple. After the famine of five months with no temple visits, that was a treat!

Sunday we had our District Conference and John and Dave were set apart for their new callings in the branch presidency in Xi'an, as was another of the teachers, as part of Guangzhou's branch presidency. The meetings were wonderful including as they did the area presidency.

After our meetings we left on the bus for the airport and our flights to Guilin--and the beginning of our South West China trip.
Guilin and Yangshou
The evening we arrived we went out on boats and watched the cormorants catching fish for their owners.

The next day we took a cruise down the Li River, the connecting waterway between Guilin and Yangshuo. A thousand years ago a poet wrote of the scenery in this area: “The river forms a green gauze belt, the mountains are like blue jade hairpins.” Perhaps it is not exactly that but we saw extraordinary limestone peaks, sprays of bamboo along the riverbanks, cormorant fisherman in small boats, and picturesque villages. In Yangshuo we had fun scouting the street markets.


In Guilin we also visited Reed Flute Cave, 240 meters underground and filled with exotic rock formations and fantastic shapes lit by colored lights. The Crystal palace of the Dragon King, a grotto in the center of the cave, can hold more than a 1000 people.


We left Guilin for Kunming and there saw the Stone Forest, a massive collection of limestone pillars eroded by wind and rain to shape fanciful forms before leaving later in the day for Lijiang.

We loved our leisurely stroll around Black Dragon Pool Park before exploring Lijiang`s Old Town--a delightful maze of cobbled streets, rickety old wooden buildings, gushing canals, bustling street markets tended by merchants in traditional Naxi costumes.



Our next adventure was to travel to Dali by bus. This historic city is set against a stunning backdrop, Erhai Lake with the imposing Cangshan mountain range (part of the Himalayas) behind it. Upon arrival in Dali, we enjoyed the dancing and singing of the Bai Minority House. Dali's houses were painted and decorated in a very different manner than any we had seen. While in Dali we also visited the famous three-pagodas Temple and the city tour at the old town where we spent hours shopping.

In the morning we flew back to Kunming where The Monsons, Dahls, and we stayed for a night before leaving Monday morning, use to Shenzhen, the rest to Guangzhou.
Sunday in Kunming was very special since we were able to tune in through Skype to the Beijing virtual branch's meetings before having our own little sacrament service. Erin Gillie, a young student studying in Kunming joined us for it. She had visited in our branch in Xi'an earlier in the month and was thrilled to be able to partake of the Sacrament again. She is the only ex-pat member in Kunming so has only rare opportunity to do so. Afterwards we went to lunch and then walked in a park. A fun day--until the last hour when we discovered that my camera had been stolen. It was a shame since I had not been downloading my pictures each day. So not only was the camera gone but also the pictures of the whole trip. Fortunately we were able to retrieve a few from fellow travelers. But it was a disappointment.


Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Macau
Monday morning took us back to the airport for our flight to Shenzhen. We were now on our own since the tour was over and we were heading back to Hong Kong for a week's visit with old friends of John's from Long Beach--Cheryl and Tony Ferguson.

John and Cheryl's dads had both served as bishops one after another in the Long Beach ward. The Fergusons had been living in Hong Kong for some 10 years and had invited us to come stay with them on our way to China but we were unable to do so. We were delighted to have the opportunity to go see them. Getting there, however, was a bit of a challenge.

We didn't realize that our flight had a touch down at a tiny little village called Ling Ling so when we landed we disembarked and waited with the other passengers for our luggage. It never came. We were a bit concerned about how in the world we were going to get to Hong Kong since we assumed we had landed at an old Shenzhen airport--there was nothing there. It was the most dilapidated excuse for an airport we'd ever seen. Something that looked as if a flight would only come in once a month! Finally I asked someone who looked like he might be in charge how we get to Hong Kong. He looked startled and said "Shenzhen?" to which we nodded. He radioed out to the plane to hold up and rushed us through a quick security check and then a forced march out to the plane, where we found the door already closed. Fortunately they opened it for us and re reboarded for the flight to Shenzhen. We were very grateful not to be stuck in Ling Ling. We may still be there. It looked as if there was no chance of a hotel of any kind. It was a very close call!

What a delightful warm welcome we had in Hong Kong. It was just like being with family. Our first stop the next morning was for Cheryl to take us to where we could buy a new camera. We bought an Olympus and hoped it would fare better for us! We stayed at Ferguson's mid-levels apartment on Robinson Road and during the day took a BIG BUS tour of Hong Kong with Brannock and LaVonne Riggs, two teachers from Hangzhou who were also back to Hong Kong for a week, staying with LaVonne's brother, Elder Carlos Pratt. We had a great time with them. We also got to attend the temple again.


The trip to Macau was quite an adventure. Tony Ferguson was leading the way and reminded both me and John so much of my dad's enthusiasm and interest in everything. We went to the museum and to lunch on the revolving tower, while bungy jumpers flew off the roof before our eyes. Pretty amazing!



Xiamen and Gulangyu
After a delightful week with the Fergusons, including a fun visit by hydrofoil to Macau we flew to Xiamen, took an airport bus to the ferry and headed for our final stop before going home--four peaceful days in Gulangyu--Piano Island. We were ready for a leisurely time. It had been a fun but tiring trip, especially for John. Both of us were very tired of all our luggage. In fact we were just very tired period!


The island is dubbed Piano Island because it has had several notable Chinese pianists who lived there and boasts a wonderful piano museum. We went to the museum and walked the old town's streets that were fun to putter around in.
The museum was an amazing setting, perched as it was on the side of a mountain. The buildings were lovely and we loved browsing through seeing all the old pianos--even an early Steinway or two.


One of my students from Xiamen told me the best thing to do in Gulangya was to wander the streets and get lost in them. That was good advice and I did just that several times. We had wonderful weather until the morning we headed home when it was chilly again but we enjoyed our days.


Return to Xi'an
Friday, February 11, we caught the ferry to Xiamen then took a taxi back to the airport for our homeward bound flight. We were both excited to be going "home"! Even though home for now is grey ole Xi'an. It is still home. It is always fun to travel, but going home is the best.

Moves in Xi'an

For the last month we have been traveling on the Spring Festival break and simultaneously Blogger stopped working on our end even through our VPN. I don't know if it was the Chinese firewall or a glitch with Blogspot, but we were told that our site was no longer available but had been moved permanently!--yet another MOVE! So the following entry is catchup from just as we left on our trip.

This week Julie and Dave Monson got to pack up in order to move to a new apartment on their campus so I hopped a bus across the city to go help get all their stuff ready for the moving crew their school had promised to send the next day. We don’t envy them their new apartment even though it has been renovated and has considerably more space. They have been on the 20th floor—with an elevator—and will now be on the 5th floor, with none! (I am grateful for our second floor apartment!) Finding empty boxes to pack in is next to impossible so we loaded clothes into suitcases and garbage bags for the move. Julie (on the right above) with Ruth Ann Prather in our branch and I had a fun outing to the West Market after the pack up. Nice area where the Silk Road officially began. Xi'an has built this stunning West Market to honor that beginning.

A couple of days before, Julie, while out shopping, had fallen when she tripped on a big roll of recycled newspapers a Chinese lady had dropped right in front of her and she was hobbling around with two very bruised knees. Just what she needed with her five floors of steps she has to now climb several times a day!

Tuesday was our first adventure to home teach. We go and come by bus, of course, and John has to hold on with both hands en route. The newest members of our branch are Patrick and Xiaoyu Belnap, who had just moved back to Xi’an with their little son, Lucas. Xiaoyu is from Xi’an and has been a member for about six years; hers is a remarkable story of a mainland Chinese girl finding and joining the Church.
We are delighted to welcome them here. It is fun to have them living at Brittons’ former apartment. It feels very at home to go visit, even climbing those long six floors of stairs to get to the apartment. They have a wonderful little family with Lucas being the only child in our branch!

Julie’s move earlier in the week was just a warm up because on Friday the foster home began its move to its new quarters out in the country and the branch was there to help out. What an experience that was! Because of our scheduled departure on Saturday, Friday was our only day we could participate so John went, with all the men in the branch, to dismantle the kitchen cabinets Amanda had had installed but for which her landlord refused to reimburse her so she opted to take them along.

The women showed up about 1:00 to help out however we could and to be on task to help hold babies during the actual move. Amanda was calmly at the helm of this remarkable move. At present, Starfish has 42 babies and their nannies. Each nanny is generally responsible for three babies. But for the move that meant that for every nanny there needed to be two volunteers to get all the little people cared for.

Before that could happen, cribs by the dozen and all the other paraphernalia necessary to the care for the children had to be transported. We have never seen such big trucks as what we saw that day. These are not spiffy enclosed moving trucks, but open cattle-car type vehicles with furniture literally dumped in every which way. It was a sight to behold.

By 3:30 babies were assigned and we all headed out to the touring bus for the move. What a job. The TV cameras were there on the bus taking pictures of this remarkable event.

The new place, which I have yet to see, since we helped out only on the front end of the journey, is in the country and is big and spacious and surrounded by a large complex of retiree apartments.

This little guy is named James and is the sweetest child I've ever encountered. Wonderful to learn that on Valentines Day this year he is being adopted to an American family. They will be blessed as he will be.

I understand that the grandmas and grandpas residing next door to the new foster home were just waiting in grand anticipation for all these little ones to move in next door. What a wonderful thought that they would be on hand to love and hug these little children.

After waving off the bus I headed for Wenyi Lu to pick up John’s suit we had had made and headed home in the worst traffic and on the most crowded buses I had seen in a long time. While running for the bus I was talking with John on the cell and heard a crash. His legs had given way and he fell, ending up hurting a shoulder that we have been working on daily ever since. Poor dear!

Saturday morning we left for the airport shortly after 6:00 am, first by taxi to the Bell Tower, then by airport bus. At the airport we checked in our luggage, went through security, and settled in for an hour’s wait for our flight to Guangzhou, which was scheduled to leave at 9:50. About 9:00 an announcement came across that our flight had been delayed “due to mechanical failure” for an undetermined amount of time. Mechanical failure didn’t sound very fun to us so we ended up switching our tickets to a 3:30 pm flight. It was a long wait at the airport but at least we had a seat and a time! It turned out that our original flight actually arrived within minutes after the one we took. John looks like we all felt!

Because Xi’an was so cold when we left, we had worn our down coats and long johns, sure we would quickly shed them in tropical Guangzhou. But we arrived to find our heavy coats almost insufficient for the unusually cold temperatures in this southern part of China.

We were warmly greeted at the airport by a student from Southern China University of Technology whom friends of the Monsons had arranged to meet us. He came with a driver in a large van to pick us up and take us to the university apartments we are staying in for the few days we are here before going on to Shenzhen and Hong Kong. After a quick dinner we were grateful to crash for the night and looked forward to the next day.

Sunday morning we got ready to leave by 9:00 am to try to find a taxi to deliver us in close proximity to where the Guangzhou branch meets, some thirty minutes away. We were grateful to have received emailed instructions to get us there. We found a huge branch (by comparison with our little Xi’an group) and we were delighted to join with them. Their meetings began at 10:00 am; they meet in two large adjoining apartments.

Although we arrived in good time, before joining them we made use of the unoccupied apartment (later to be used for Primary) for a prearranged conference call between our district President, Steve Toronto, in Beijing; our branch in Xi’an; and us and Monsons in Guangzhou, while President Toronto conducted a very unique sustaining of our new branch presidency with John as the new branch president and Dave Monson as the 1st counselor, to serve in the Xi’an Branch in the Beijing China International District. John is the second branch president to so serve here in this branch since it was organized less than six years ago. Another adventure ahead for us in China, but he is willing to do all he is called upon to do to the best of his ability. I am grateful for his faithful willingness to serve wherever he is in the world.