Merry Christmas from China!

photo courtesy of our friend Brian!

Hello to all our friends and family!  We wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and A Very Blessed New Year from China! 

It has been a very crazy year from us, going from the suburbs of Detroit to China.  Neither of us would have ever thought that we would live in China, but the opportunity presented itself and we both felt God pushing us in this direction, so here we are.

We have only been here 3 months, so we still feel like babies learning to walk. ☺  But surprisingly we are adjusting better than expected.  The tough things for us are: 1. being away from friends and family 2. not knowing the language 3. adjusting to the food - more so for me than Michael ☺ he is a much more adventurous eater than I.  But other than that, we are doing fairly well. 

We are very blessed to have met some wonderful people that have become our friends.  And since everyone went back home for the holidays,  I am definitely missing them because hanging out with my new friends is what helps fill my days. For me,  I am still looking to God for guidance and direction in my life.  Back home I had just gotten a job that I loved, working with the homeless and it felt like that was exactly where I was supposed to be.  So in the New Year please pray that God guides me as I figure out my place here in Nanjing.

Michael has been doing great at his job!  He amazes me everyday because he works harder than anyone I know.  He never complains even though most days he works 12 hour + and travels as well.  He has little adjustments, like learning how to communicate with people who's native language is not English but I have met his team several times and they are great guys.  Michael feels blessed to have them on his team and I think together they will help each other grow. 

We have been very blessed with a great driver whose name is Yi and great house help.  Her name is Xiao Li.  They really take care of us like we are their kids.  They try and teach us the language.  Xiao Li cooks great meals for us and when she is around she will not let me lift a finger.  It was hard to get used to at first, but I think I have adjusted to that. ☺  In a country where labor is very cheap, Yi and Xiao Li inspire us everyday.  Xiao Li especially works very hard.  Because this house has 5 flights of stairs, it is a real chore to clean this place.  They remind me us of the type of people God wants us to be....serving others selflessly, no matter what the cost. 

Coco and Willow have adjusted to China as well.  They got here a little stinky and a lot skinnier than when we left them.  But they have regained every pound and are back to their old selves...almost.  Willow loves the house.  She loves running up and down the stairs.  She loves hanging her head over the stairwell and peeping around.  Coco has not fared so well.  Her bum legs do not like the stairs and many days she is limping around the house, but she is ok.  And for any strangers reading this blog, these are pets I am talking about...not kids. ☺  Thought I should clarify.

So we are excited to see what God has planned for us in 2012.  We have felt very blessed this past year to have great friends and family who sent us off to China with love and support.  We feel blessed to have this opportunity to live in a new culture, meet new people and see new places.  Our hope for the New Year is that we continue to let God be the center of our lives.  And that we may pass along the blessings that God has given to us. 

We wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and A Blessed New Year.

Peace ☮ Love ♥ Hope

Kim and Mike