Thoughtful Thursday

and Friday’s Food.

Last night was our church’ AWANA awards program. It was a little happy and a little sad. Happy because well it’s always a happy thing to get awards and watch your children be recognized for their hard work. Sad because my 11 year old is moving up to Trek. That is the junior high program.

She started in AWANA when she was 3. That is a lot of award programs.

Last night due to unforeseen circumstances the video our AWANA commander’s order did not make it in time for the program. In fact even now it is still in Maryland. I can’t help but think God held it up as only God can do because He had other plans.

You see this week has been rather trying, not only for the FullCup family but for our entire church body. The son of one of our members was killed in a car accident this week and we are all reeling. It is true that when one hurts, we all hurt. I love that about my church family.

This was the chosen devotional. Please watch to the end.

Week 12

Last week we finished our 12th week with Catherine. Again in some ways it is getting easier and in other ways not so much.

She is still very antagonistic towards our faith. She wants absolutely nothing to do with any of it.  It’s a sad situation.

You can more and more see Catherine’s huge disdain for any type of authority figure in her life. She told me one day she has no use for adults. She thinks she is 11 years old now and should be able to go to bed when she wants, get up when she wants, eat when and what she wants.

She leaves for China in approximately 33 days. I would think, as would everyone who has asked me, she would be very anxious and ready to go home. To see her family and friends, her pet mice, just to have her own things around her. But she isn’t. She doesn’t want to go home. I’m not sure what she wants to do exactly because it’s somewhat apparent she doesn’t want to be here either.  She maintains the only thing in China she misses at all is her comic books.  She said she will run and hug her aunt when she gets home because she has bought all Catherine’s comic books for her there.

Twice a month Catherine’s skype’s her mom in China. I’ve said she can use my computer for that but she doesn’t want to. Emphatically doesn’t want to. And I can’t get the skype address for her mom to work at home.  She never mentions friends at all in China. I’m sure she has some but never talks about them or says she misses them.

This past weekend Catherine got to experience, for the first time, Easter. We don’t celebrate Easter with eggs and bunnies. We do have  a “Spring Party” on the Saturday before Easter. For our Spring Party this year all three girls went to a gardening class at a local nursery. They were able to plant vegetables and/or flowers.  We colored eggs on Friday night and Saturday late morning the girls got to hunt for them.

On Easter night we took all the girls swimming at the hotel where my in-laws were staying. When Catherine was told they were going swimming she hugged me and said, “I LOVE YOU!”

That was a first. I do wish it wasn’t because I had done something she liked. Not that I don’t do things she likes every day but she was excited.  We have noticed she hugs others readily while when Mr. FullCup and I hug her she acts like a board.

I am optimistic though that she will miss us greatly when she’s gone. I’m sure we will miss her too.

Week 10

The first week with Catherin was difficult. We were all, all 5 of us, adjusting to life with each other. She was adjusting to a new country with new customs, a new language, a radically different culture.  It wasn’t easy for any of us.

The following weeks were difficult because she did get more comfortable and the “honeymoon” phase was over. I’m not saying Catherin is in any way, shape or form, a bad child. Not at all. But she is your typical 11-year old. For all our differences the Chinese children are still children and incredibly like their American counterparts. Things I see in American children that I don’t like, I see in Chinese children. Things I see that I like in Chinese children, I see in American children as well.

It seems the world over children are children. It doesn’t matter what their culture, country, and skin is, they are children.

I mentioned here that the past few weeks were very difficult and painful for me. There were things Catherin did that didn’t anger me so much as hurt me deeply. Added to this pain was words from well-meaning, well-intentioned people.

On Monday of this past week, Catherin was out of school for Spring Break and I needed to run out of town for some grocery shopping. (We shop once a month at Sam’s Club and it’s an 1.5 hour drive one way.) I am not yet brave enough to take all three girls there by myself. I asked a couple of friends to help with Catherin and the other two girls and I took off.

I was quite shocked when I picked Catherin up that afternoon by her demeanor. It was completely changed from the previous weeks. She was happy, cheerful and open. She voluntarily told us about her day. We talked about one of the ladies was a grandmother and “she looks too young!”

The happy attitude lasted until we got home. Then we were back to our silent, sullen self. Until Tuesday morning. And the happy girl was again in residence.

On Wednesday we didn’t have any trouble with her about AWANA. That is a first.

All-in-all this week has been pleasant.  And we’ve all needed it.

On Friday Catherin went to school with a bloody nose.  The school was not able to get it stopped and so they took her to the emergency room where they cauterized it and packed it. She will go to a doctor on Wednesday to have the packing removed and looked at.  She really wants it out now as it is painful. It has been a good teaching tool for us to use to teach her about choices.  I am constantly telling her to drink more water and she is constantly fighting/arguing/or flat out not obeying me. She knows it is in there by her choice.

It’s a tough lesson to learn, one I wish didn’t have to be taught this way.

Week 9 (第9周)

This week has been hard and painful. Instead of going into that, I’ll post pictures of field trip I took all three girls on this week.

Friday we traveled to a nearby town with a National Monument.

Catherin "trying on" the Native American headdress.

Ariana trying on the Native American Headdress.

Elizabeth was a little small for the Native American Headdress.

Mongo buffalo head.

Elizabeth wanted to "try on" the old shawl from the 1800s.

Not sure what is going on with her arms. She is also standing in front of the old shawl/cape.

Ariana and Elizabeth were fascinated with this old doll from, I believe, 1849.

Catherin loading the wagon with supplies.

Catherin and Elizabeth gathering supplies for the wagon.

Ariana loading the wagon. She moved just as I was going to take the picture.

Catherin trying to figure out how to fit a chest of drawers in the wagon. She decided to leave it.

At the visitor center they had a small wagon children could load with “supplies” as if they were going on a journey by wagon. At the back, they had lights that would say “half load”, “full load” and “overload”.

Ageless

It’s often joked about older people complaining about their various aches and pains.

“It’d be easier to tell you what doesn’t hurt….”

And we all roll our eyes and grin a little. I’ll admit I often thought they just needed something to talk about. Really why not talk about your health? People get very concerned and pay attention if you have an ache, pain.

Yes. I was that selfish.  Was. Was. No longer. I have joined the ranks. Every year it seems the first full week of March my body knows what is coming and gears up for it in ways I wish it wouldn’t.

My left wrist has hurt something awful since Friday. I don’t think I did anything but to bend it to put something on my shoulder is a killer. Last night it throbbed.

Last week my right hip was stiff and sore. For no reason. I could understand if I had done something, but I haven’t. It hurt to sit. It hurt worse to stop sitting and stand. Walking was okay after a few steps. Yesterday it moved to my ankle.

All of this to remind me that I am getting older. Life is pressing in on this body of mine. All the aches and pains, which really are quite minimal compared to some, are making my new body sound that much better.

I am also reminded of Psalm 103:14 (the whole chapter is a treasure trove!) “Because God knows how we’re made, God remembers we’re just dust.” (Common English Bible)

Our God is so compassionate with us. He knows. He remembers. It is we who forget. We forget with others. We expect things, actions, reaction, behaviors etc, from others and then when they don’t deliver, we’re upset. We forget they are just dust too.

We also forget we’re just dust. We forget we won’t always get it right the first time. We forget and when we stumble, when we fall, we beat ourselves up. We think we need to do penance for our misdeeds. When all the time God is saying, “Come to Me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” (Common English Bible) Sometimes our heavy loads are our own sins. Sins covered completely by the blood of Jesus. Sins we keep carrying around, sins we can’t seem to escape from, sins we want desperately to turn from but lack the strength.

And God says, “I remember you are just dust.”

Not to at all wink at sin. Not to say it doesn’t matter. He says to us, “You’ve confessed that. I tossed it into the depths of the sea. I’ve tossed it as far as the east is from the west. Cut yourself some slack.”

It is so encouraging to me that while He is a holy God and expects absolute perfect holiness from me, that He remembers I am still dust. I’m still trapped in a body with a nature bent on sin. He knows the struggle I face. He knows the struggle you face.

And I’d like to think the God of heaven stands and applauds when we stumbling and bumbling do the right thing.  He stands quick and ready to deliver, to help when we cry out to Him. It doesn’t matter if we cry out first or out of sheer frustration. He is ready.

We sang in church this morning, “Savior, He can move the mountains. My God is mighty to save, He is Mighty to save. Forever. Author of salvation, He rose and conquered the grave. Jesus conquered the grave”

Does that make anyone else want to fall down in worship?

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Yup. That about sums it up. Except this is a special Friday. Today we all got to sleep in. Bliss.

Week One

We have just completed week one of our hosting a Foreign Exchange student from China. To say it has been an adventure might just possibly be the biggest understatement of the new century. Yes, I am going back 12 years and saying this is bigger than all the previous understatements.

Our journey began in late November when we heard about the need for host families. I have never had any desire to host an exchange student so it took me completely by surprise to hear in my head, “I want you to do that.” A day or so later, or it could have been that very day, the girls started talking about it and really wanted to do it. I distinctly remember telling them not to get their hopes up because chances are “Daddy will say no.”

They talked with him and he promised to pray about it. I prayed about it. The girls prayed about it. And Russ brought back the verdict.

“I have no reason to say no.”

We contacted the Christian school and let them know we were  interested in pursuing the possibility. We filled out an application and had the interview.

We passed. And we were selected. At times I wonder if it was simply a matter of they had enough families express interest as they had children who needed homes.

Our student is  named Catherin. (Yingyuan in China) She is 11 years old and in the 6th grade. Many of you know I myself  have an 11 year old sixth grader.  Catherin is a couple of months younger than our oldest.

We were assured a few things by those in China about the students. We were assured they were proficient in English.

We picked Catherin up at the Christian School last Saturday at about 3:45 and the adventure began in earnest.

On the way home Catherin had a bloody nose that lasted forever…in my mind. Those that know me well know I was completely useless. Mr. FullCup took over and admitted to me later he was having a little trouble himself.  The next morning at church she had another one.

I am so very thankful that people in my church have no qualms about stepping in and fixing things. Even bloody noses.

Catherin was at school bright and early Monday morning. We found her classroom and met her teacher. (The same teacher our 11 year old will have in April when she attends school for Achievement tests) When she was settled in, we left.

And I thought our day would be normal. Hah! It was normal in that it was again just the three of us at home working on laundry and school. But the threat of 3:30 loomed large over our heads.

We had a friend’s birthday party Monday night and Catherin got to experience an American birthday and bowling. She told us in China on their birthday they get cake and that is how they celebrate. No gifts, no parties no real fanfare.

I might have failed to mention that all the students that came were decidedly not proficient in English.  I would say 95% of what we say, Catherin does not understand.  How she is making it through school speaking and hearing only English is beyond me.

Tuesday was a little better. A little smoother.  Tuesday afternoon Elizabeth told me she liked having another “sister” because it meant she was never alone in her room, but she would really like for it to be just the four of us again.

Wednesday Catherin was sick. For those who know me well, know I don’t handle sickness well at all. We had one of the Chinese sponsors (Audrey) come and check on Catherin to see how she was and what was wrong. I learned in China when children are sick they still go to school. The teachers are very strict and critical of students who are not in school and the parents want their children in school. So different from the way it is in America.

Wednesday I spent the day pretty much falling apart. For those who don’t know me, I don’t cry easy.  When Mr. FullCup got home I sobbed how unhappy I was. How much I wanted to be just done. Some of it was the stress of the day and some of it was the stress of the whole thing.

I was informed at least twice on Wednesday that Catherin would be in school on Thursday. So Thursday dawned with Mr. FullCup taking her to school on his way to work. He took her an hour early so she could skype her mom.

Friday was yesterday. Catherin volunteered at supper what she had for lunch. That is a first.

Catherin has no qualms at telling the girls rather gruffly, harshly even, “No” when they do something that is not up to her standards. She hovers over Elizabeth when she is practicing the piano and barks, “NO!” when it is not perfect. We have had to tell her “This is Elizabeth’s time to practice” and Catherin will go to another room. I think she doesn’t see Ariana as a peer but more of an almost adult. She has more respect for Ariana and won’t be as gruff. Poor Elizabeth.

Catherin is here until the middle of May. It seems a long time…eternally far away.