zhong guo peng yous.....(chinese friends)

I'm really missing China today- reaaaaaally missing it. If you could imagine yourself spending everyday for four months with the same people and then never seeing them again? It hurts to think about. Fortunately, I have every intention of going back to see my family in China- hopefully very soon! You form a special bond with the people that you love and serve, and the people that love and serve you right back. Not to mention that you're in the middle of a foreign country where you happen to not know a word of their language....you love anyone who speaks English right away!

To the left is Catherine, one of our best Chinese friends!! She helped us everyday with ANYTHING that we needed- its amazing how helpless you are with even the most simple things in a country where you just don't know how things work. Things like going to the post office and buying bus tickets would have been impossible if it wasn't for her help. She is a sweetheart.

On the right is Apple, another best friend from China. She was the Chinese teacher for our ILP classroom and we quickly became friends- we both love to be crazy. Or at least she liked to watch me be crazy- Chinese people were never shy to let me know how crazy I was. Apple is only 20 years old and already has a full time teaching position- and by full time i mean 8-5, Monday through Friday. So much is expected of her and she is such an amazing teacher- all the kids love her. One of my favorite things from china is a heart necklace that Apple gave me as I was leaving- she has a matching one and said that "when we wear our hearts, it is like we are in the same place. Because our hearts are always together, in China and America." I love Apple!

And there's no way to understand how much I miss my kids. I mean really.....just look at this picture. We were with them for more hours in a day than their parents were- and then to never see them again? Heart breaking. This is a picture of "Teacher Jonah" being attacked by students Cindi, Lily, Kayla, Jodi, Yo-Yo, and Apple. And I think Hanah is the one smashing my nose. Some of these kids are growing up in really trying circumstances- they have a life of hard hard work ahead of them, but I know that they can do it. I only hope that they'll be able to look back and remember Teacher Jonah as someone who really loved them and believed in them.