A book about monsters or Roy Oswalt

It's been a long week, but Thursday's over and tomorrow the Kindergarten (and myself) will go on field trip #2--this time to some garden or something. Expect pictures, although if tomorrow looks anything like today, you won't be treated to a pleasant site. The sky is about as thick, yellow and smoggy as I've seen it in Beijing, or I guess ever really. Yesterday afternoon was probably the worst class I've had so far, too. But I bounced back, just like the Houston Astros. Even when Pujols takes one yard with 2 outs in the ninth or the kids are crazy and there's not a Chinese teacher in site, it's nice to know you can bounce back with a book about monsters and some goofy motions--or Roy Oswalt. But really I am glad the week is (pretty much) over.

In Tizo last night, we started a study of John's first letter, from this one "good book" I know. I'm really excited about that... times in the Word with my team have been great so far. The guys have a lot of insight and I think there's a great oppurtunity for us all to grow and stretch. Be lifting that up.

My Chinese is progressing. I'm realizing--this is probably terribly obvious for all of you, but I never got it til now--that learning a new language isn't like turning on a translator switch, but instead learning a new set of vocab words. It's not like someone who is fluent in Spanish as well as their native English hears a Spanish speaker translated into English in their head... they just hear and understand Spanish. For some reason I was expecting a Babel Fish and am just getting some new words. Thus, Chinglish... I'm mixing together the two like it's my business (with, of course, only about the five Chinese words/phrases I know well). I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

So I feel bad that I haven't passed on my congratulations publically to Sam Wilsey and Elizabeth Miller on their recent engagement. Congrats :) I have a funny feeling, though, that I’m going to feel a lot like Han Solo, waking up from a carbonite sleep (or 10 months in China) to find Zeke engaged, Sammo married, G a dad, and Luke a Jedi Knight. “I'm out of it for a little while, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur.” You said it, Han. Really I couldn't be happier for everyone, but it sure is weird all this stuff going on at home without me there. Expected question next summer: "So Jon, what have you been up to for the since graduation?" Playing with little kids, mainly.

Actually, Matt (my team leader) and I were talking about this just yesterday, that for being placed by the school with basically no reason whatsoever in the Kindergarten office, I sure do feel like it's exactly the place I should be. Let alone me choosing to come to China with basically no reason whatsoever... seems to me like Someone might have sort of plan for me... maybe I've read that somewhere. Who knows. Oh, some of you will be interested to hear this: Os Guiness is coming to speak at BICF West (my international fellowship) on the 30th. This Sunday I'm going to visit a Chinese fellowship. Be lifting that up, I think it could be a really great experience--but of course, it'll be all in Chinese.

I'm trying to think what else I've been thinking about recently. I dunno. Life's good. Miss home. Hope you're all well.