Geek Chic...with an emphasis on the Geek

I decided to come up with a new look for China.  For Realz!  I call it Geek Chic with a touch of crazy.  Michael said I can dress like this as long as I walk behind him.  Rude!!! ;o)  Who doesn't love faux glasses and a fanny pack?

What are you going to do every day?

Many people have asked me what I plan to do in China or what am I going to be doing every day.  And honestly, I don't know what to say to people when they ask me.  Because I won't be working, I get the feeling that some people think I am going to be sitting around eating bon bons and shopping all day. ;o)  And anyone that knows me, knows I will definitely be getting my shop on in China, but I hope that's not all I will be doing.

 "The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort.  This means that to be a follower of Jesus you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life."

This quote is from a book I am reading, If you want to Walk on Water, You have to get out of the boat, by John Ortberg.  This is exactly what I am wanting out of my experience in China, to be able to trust God wholeheartedly.  I think I do, but do I really?  I am always holding back because I am afraid of what people think of me, because I am afraid to talk to strangers about God, because I am afraid if I live my life the way God really wants me to live it, that means I have to give up stuff that I don't want to give up.

One of the reasons, from the very beginning, that I have felt God telling me China is where He wants Michael and I right now, is so that I can grow spiritually.  I feel God has a plan for me in China.  I don't know what it is, but I have felt at peace about leaving and it is because I know in my heart that is where God wants us right now.

I live a comfortable life here in the United States and I know I am blessed and I do try every day not to take the blessings God has given me for granted.  But in China, some of those comforts will be gone.  Being able to just call up my friends to hang out, losing some of my independence because I cannot drive myself around, the food will be different, the smells will be different and communicating will be difficult.  But you know what?  I honestly do not have any reservations at all about going.  I have a real peace inside, that I know is coming straight from my Heavenly Father.  Because it is not coming from any strength of my own. 

I know and expect many challenges during my time in China. And I do not expect to get through all of these challenges with flying colors.  I know me and there will probably be a lot of crying and feeling sorry for myself.   But I am trusting God to help me through these challenges.  The quote that I have at the beginning of this post is a big challenge to me.  But I know in my heart that God has brought me to a place where I can say that I definitely would rather live my life doing what He wants me to do, even if that means giving up things that bring me comfort and things that I value.  And believe me, I have not always been able to say that.  The majority of my life I have only been thinking about myself and what benefits me.  But I praise and thank God for His grace and mercy and bringing me to a point where nothing is more important to me than my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

So I guess what I hope I will be doing with my time is China, is spending a lot of time with God.  I hope to be able to develop relationships with people and I hope that God's love shines through me onto them.  And I hope that through this blog you can all be a part of my spiritual journey in China.

Look and See

We are one step closer to our new life in China.  We have booked our our "look see" to find a place to live.  My friend Aimee is the one who told me that it is called a "look see."  I guess because you go and look for housing and see what you like.  Whatever the reason, we will be house hunting very soon.  So stay tuned for House Hunting in China with Michael and Kim Kim!

V-day and other medical musings

Yesterday was V-Day!  And that would be V for vaccinations.  Waaaa waaaaa.  I hate needles, so I was not looking forward to it.  Also, I could not go to my doctor to get the vaccinations, we had to go to the World Headquarters of my hubby's job.  I did not understand why I could not just go to my own doctor, who I like and am comfortable with.  Just like we have to go and get physicals at World Headquarters in August and I just had a physical, so why can we not just use the results from the physical I just had in June.  I really was not liking that.  How do I know if the doctor is going to be quality or not.  I made Michael call to see if a Pap Smear was required because if it was I was not going to be going to a male doctor I had never met to get my lady bits examined.  Being the great husband he is, he reluctantly called for me and I do not have to get one, so I reluctantly agreed to get another physical.  Well actually, Michael told me I have no choice.  I have to get one done by his company because the Chinese government requires it for our visas or something.  Jeez, I am not even living there yet and they are already telling me what to do, China and Michael. ;o)

Anywho, that was a tangent, back to vaccinations.  We needed to get Polio, Tetnus, Hepatitis A and B and Typhim, which prevents typhoid fever.  I have already had a tetnus shot.  And I was also vaccinated for Hepatitis B a few years back.  I was a volunteer at Beumont Hospital and it was a requirement.  So I only had to get 3 shots yesterday.  I got 2 in my left arm and one in my right.  I was trying to stay cool about the process, but when the doc saw me she was like, "You looked really scared."  I obviously was not hiding it very well.  But I made it through and I only have sore arms to show for it.  I was walking around the house yesterday like a little bird trying to fly. I kept raising my arms up to shoulder level and I would say to Michael, "Look honey, I can only raise my arms this far."  I think after the tenth time, he got the picture that I was trying to tell him that my arms were sore. ;o)

p.s.  please excuse the photos, I took them myself while getting the shots!

Nihao Michael Michael

We had our first language session last night and guess what our instructor's name is....MICHAEL!  I am thinking that is his "American" name.  I didn't ask, but I meant to.  He is a GREAT instructor.  He will also be giving us some cultural training as well, which I am looking forward too.  It was actually surprising, when Michael (the teacher) started showing Michael (my husband) and I the basics of Mandarin, it seems doable.  I was really afraid it was going to be ridiculous to learn.  It is not going to be a cake walk.  It will take a lot of practice and really making myself use it when I am in China, but I don't feel like it is out of my grasp like I had thought.  Michael, our teacher, said that because we will be in a big city, we really could get by not learning Mandarin.  But that our experience in China will be much more full if we try to learn and use the language.  So I really want to try and learn the language the best that I can.  Here is a pic of Michael and Michael!

Do you understand the words coming out of my mouth?

Michael and I start Mandarin class tonight.  We have a tutor coming to our house.  It is nice that Michael's company will be providing us with lessons, not only here in the US, but also in China.  I am definitely nervous.  I have a bad memory, so I think this is going to be a real challenge for me.

As well, I can barely speak english ;o) let alone mandarin.   I prefer to speak in more of, shall we say "urban" english.  Things like amazeballz, hot mess, booty, dude, whateva, poot, chillax, holla, coolio, yo, etc... I think you get the picture.  And I am thinking that those words do not have a mandarin translation.

So I am sure my tutor will think I am off my rocker.  I hope that he has patience.  But maybe I will surprise myself and be a natural.  I am Korean after all. ;o)

Wish me luck!

I can only Hope

I was reading Relevant Magazine today and an article I read really spoke to me. The author was talking about how he was preparing a sermon for Easter and he knows that a lot of people only go to church on Easter and Christmas and he wanted to give a sermon that would make them want to come back.  So he was reading through the Gospels and reading different times when Jesus spoke to big crowds and he found that the message Jesus gave was often one that caused people to leave.  He said that he apologized to the congregation that Sunday for sometimes "selling Jesus cheaply and watering down the Gospel."  He said that he would often times leave out hard scriptures that made it clear that "the invitation to follow Jesus was an invitation to serve, sacrifice and even suffer."  He quoted Luke 9:23 "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take their cross daily and follow me."

As time draws closer for me to move to China, I feel like this is the message that God has been giving me.  I need to serve more and sacrifice more and yes, scary as it is, maybe even suffer.  I will have a lot of time on my hands in China and I hope to fill my time finding ways to serve others and spending more time with God.  I have felt that God has been telling me there are going to be a lot of lessons to learn in China.  And I pray I am open and prepared to learn what God has to teach me.

I have always considered myself a rather weak person.  So I can only hope to grow through this process.  I am sure there will be many sacrifices.  Don't get me wrong, I know we will not have a hard life in China. In some ways we will have a great life in China.  I don't have to work ;o), we will have a larger house, by no means will we be scraping to get by.  But I will be sacrificing time with my family and close friends, sacrificing the comforts of home and things that are familiar, not knowing the language, etc...  And I can only hope that the sacrifices I do have to make, make me spiritually and emotionally stronger.

I want to leave you with a quote from Dallas Willard that has been a quote I go back to often to remind me that there is more to this "Jesus thing"  than just going to church on Sunday or praying to Him when I want something.  I need to do my part to try and be the disciple that He has called me to be.  

"There is absolutely nothing in what Jesus Himself or His early followers taught that suggest you can decide just to enjoy forgiveness at Jesus's expense and have nothing more to do with Him."
-Dallas Willard from The Great Omission

Let the water works begin.

This week Michael and I spent time with my family.  My brothers and I live in different areas of the county, so this was going to be the last time I get to see 2 of them.  I have 3 brothers total.  I also have 3 nephews and 2 nieces and this would be the last time I see 2 of them until this time next year.  It is always great being with my family, even if at times it is a bit stressful.  When you have 10 adults and 5 kids in one house, things get a little hectic.  But we all love and support one another and in the end that's what matters.  So it was hard saying good bye.  I knew it would be.  And I am a crier, so there were definitely tears flowing.  But my family is a big part of me being able to go to China.  I have their love and support and my parents raised me to love God and care for others and that is what I hope to continue to do in China.  I still have many goodbyes to come, so their will be many more tears.  But Michael and I still feel at peace about moving to China.  And knowing God has our back and a plan for us in China has made all the difference. Here is a pic of my family we took this week.

On a side note, it might be hard to tell in this pic, but one of these things is not like the other and that would be me. ;o)  I was adopted from Korea when I was a baby, which should make my time in China a bit more interesting.  I will write more about that later.