Lessons Learned

In three days, I will be returning to China.  My ticket is purchased.  My travel visa has been approved.  My hotel rooms are booked.  I'm both excited and nervous.  I have looked everywhere for a list I made on my way home entitled "Things I Don't Want to Forget About My First Trip to China" in hopes of printing it as my blog, but since I can't find it...I'll just have to write the most memorable lessons learned and what I hope to take with me to China on this trip...

#1 - First and foremost...DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER.  I plan to do whatever it takes to make sure I do not do this, even if it means duct taping my own mouth while showering, taping the faucets so they can't be turned on, and having bottled water gorilla glued to my hand while brushing my teeth.  IF I decide that I need to mix water with anything, I will BOIL bottled water in the hot pot located in the room and not merely heat the tap water.  I WILL NOT EVER DRINK WATER FROM THE TAP IN CHINA AGAIN and I will also NOT ask that lettuce be added to my sandwich if I eat at Subway this time because, more than likely, it is washed in tap water.  If I learned anything...it is DO NOT DRINK THE TAP WATER...don't even let it near your lips!  It will make you violently ill and ruin your week.

#2 - Some camera's are racist...particularly, my mother's. Each time I would take a photo of a smiling Chinese person, the camera would flash a message to me that said "Blink Detected".  I'm pretty sure that "Blink Detection" is not an option sold on a camera in China, but since I don't have a camera other than my iPhone, I will probably have to take my mom's politically incorrect camera back to China with me :-)

#3 - Domestic flights inside China are confusing.  Last time, China Southern took us West and China Eastern took us North.  I am probably one of the most directionally challenged persons on this Earth so this perplexed me. This time, I have no travel companion...I'm on my own...so, hopefully I won't get lost!  There are so many people in China.  We aren't talking Bluegrass Airport in Lexington here where you might have 20 people at most in line for security 1 hour before your flight is scheduled to leave. I will be surrounded by hundreds of people who will be pushing their way through the gate speaking in a language that I neither comprehend nor even begin to try to speak.  Last time, as I was trying to get through security, Lisa was ahead of me and got through.  I was stopped and I had no idea why. Imagine a young Kentucky boy trying to communicate to an Asian lady who spoke no English to tell her there was a problem.  In this case, it was a young Chinese boy trying to communicate to an American lady who spoke no Chinese that there was a problem.  He would look at me, look at my passport, turn and look behind him.  Finally, he said "Some Ting Wong".  My heart sank and I began experiencing tachycardia (that's a fast heart rate), my face became flushed.  There are probably 20 security lines and the way they are set up, you can't see the people who have gone on ahead of you so there I was...alone and had lost sight of Lisa.  When I could finally ask what the problem was, he couldn't understand my question, but I guess he saw my look of terror and replied, "Machine bwoke. You okay."  Shewwww.  I was expecting to be whisked away at any moment with no one's knowledge and questioned in a language I couldn't understand. I calmed a little, said a prayer, and a few moments later, got the green light to continue.

#4 - Don't forget that squatty potties are elevated and when you step out of the stall, there is a step down.  Last time I traveled in February in cold weather.  While in the airport traveling to a different city, I was ill, I was wearing layers of clothes, I had on a heavy down jacket, with a heavy packpack on my back.  As I stepped out of the stall, I forgot there was a stepdown and so...I fell out of the stall landing on my left hip and rolled around on the floor like a weeble wobble trying to assess the damage.  I would have laid there and cried if it wasn't for the blessing that no one was in there at the time and I could hear people coming and so I quickly got up, pulled myself together, washed my hands and limped out of the restroom rubbing my hip and praying I would be able to walk the next day. 

You may ask if there were any good times?  Honestly, I don't recall, because the first trip was absolutely the most miserable I have ever been in my entire life.  Yes, I met some great people and I got to interact with several very sweet children.  Even through the meetings and meals, I was concentrating on not throwing up, which is not an easy task when chicken feet are on the breakfast buffet!

During staff meeting on Friday, prayers were prayed for my upcoming travels and experience in China.  Our Executive Director, Lisa, said "OH Dana! Let me go grab a Bible.  During my devotional this morning, I ran across a verse meant just for you." 

⁸ We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,^[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. ⁹ Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. ¹⁰ He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, ¹¹ as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.      2nd Corinthians 1:8-11

This verse accompanied a daily devotional found in a book entitled "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young which I normally read each day as well.  That evening, I read the May 10th devotional that went along with the verse.  It reminded me not to resist or run from the difficulties in my life. My problems are not random mistakes, rather they are hand-tailored blessings designed for my benefit and growth.  I should continue to embrace all the circumstances allowed in my life, trusting God to bring good from each of them.  Problems should be viewed as opportunities to rely fully on Jesus.   Feelings of stress and fear should be an alert to me that I need more God and these needs open the door for me to be dependent on Him as I'm alone in a foreign country. 

You all know that I'm not all that excited to go back to China, especially alone, but I'm in a different place in my life in May 2013 than I was in February 2012.  During my last visit, I experienced troubles in Asia feeling I had received a sentence of death.  I realize now that happened so that rather than relying on myself or others that I would rely on God.  I will certainly be forced to do this on this trip.  He delivered me from that deadly peril and he will deliver me again.  I ask for your help through prayer and I'll do my best to keep you all updated on my travels through this blog...or Facebook :-)  I have a feeling that this is going to be a GREAT TRIP!!!