Treasure in the Mail!

 Two of our boxes arrived!!! I never thought when I packed these 1 1/2 months ago that it would be this long before I saw them again, but it turns out shipping things overseas requires a lot of documentation. ;) Many thanks to Ryan's parents for figuring it out and sending them to us!

The other 18 boxes are still in processing, as customs needed more clarification. Hopefully we'll get them soon.

I found a dish towel I used as padding, and did a dance and sang the "Hallelujah Chorus." I never knew a towel would bring me such joy, but when the laundry you did three days ago still isn't dry because of the rain and all of yours are now dirty and wet... It's a cause to rejoice. :)

I had been noticing Hadassah's hair getting longer, so was excited to discover the teeny bow barrettes her cousin Sara picked out for her in the box. Somehow Hadassah just looks older with her hair pinned back. :)

Thanking God for His blessings!

Lately...

Life hasn't been all that abnormal or blog-worthy. In fact, sometimes life seems very similar to what it'd be in the U.S.: time seeking the Lord and studying His Word, Ryan working his job, me enjoying time at home with Hadassah and trying to keep on top of chores, us having meals together, enjoying Hadassah's laughs, and trying to get enough sleep. ;) Those precious moments when Ryan comes home, Hadassah lights up, and I get lots of kisses at the door. Or one of my favorites: hearing Ryan play the guitar while Hadassah squeals and rolls on the floor and I finish making supper. Of course, any time we set foot outside, or have to go buy more water that's safe to drink, we're reminded we're in a different country!

Then there are the almost nightly visits with our neighbors, which is wonderful. There's the lessons in Chinese for me, which are fun! Today I finished learning the sounds for all 21 "initials" (consonant sounds), and have learned 14 "finals" (vowel sounds), practicing them with all 4 tones and learning over 70 short words. It makes my brain spin every time, but my teacher is very good and very encouraging, and I've had quite a few "a ha!" moments when I learn words that I've heard before.

And then there's the rain... When they said June was the rainy season, they weren't kidding! Hadassah and I are sitting in the window seat watching it pour down as I type. Ryan has become a pro at putting his poncho on for his rides to work on his e-bike. And shopping... it definitely makes things interesting! Yesterday I waited until Ryan was home at 4:30 PM to go shopping together, thinking he could get a taxi. Well, for some reason they either didn't understand or didn't want to go to the store. So, we made the 25 minute walk both ways with Hadassah in the ERGO, umbrellas, and backpacks of groceries. Not exactly fun, but it's what you have to do when you don't have a car!

 This little one keeps us smiling... Here she is, fresh after a bath :)

 Being in China with my best friend and love is pretty amazing too. We try to keep up our Friday date nights, though if we go somewhere, it means Hadassah's along. But when you hear there's "normal" pizza a 30 minute walk from you, and you get to go through the University campus Ryan spent a semester at 9 years ago and see his dorm and the buildings he studied in... It's worth it.

Meals have also become easier, and when Ryan takes a picture of it, I know he really likes it. :)

And yes, you can do Mexican dishes in China - the only thing you have to get "special" is taco seasoning, but even that is available to order online! That and corn chips... they were a splurge, but we're making them last!

 There is a door made of mirrors in our hallway, and one of Hadassah's favorite activities is to talk to the baby in the mirror.

And she's become an expert at rolling! She had been at the pile of toys playing when I went into the kitchen, but was quite a bit away from there when I came back!

And no matter where I am, if I can smell fresh bread baking, I will feel at home. SO thankful for this oven!

There are definitely moments where, with everything in us, we want to be back home, in America. It's hard being far from family and friends. There are things that are different and annoying, and everything just takes longer here. But we know this is where God has us for now, and we see His blessings everywhere.

And just having a home is so good for all of us. After months of every few nights being somewhere new and trying to get her to nap in a car or a stroller or an ERGO, Hadassah gets to sleep in the same room for every nap and night time! That has helped us all, as her sleep has been better, and I can usually count on naps being at least 1 1/2 hours each time - which after months of often 45 minute naps is a luxury!

So, life is good. It's hard and messy sometimes, but God is always good. Each day His faithfulness is new.

My Grandma

With Grandma in February 2013

My Grandma Lofgren always wanted to go to China...

It would be her 90th birthday today. She went to be with Jesus in January of this year, but in a sense, she finally made it to China. It just took 2 generations.

My Grandma wanted to tell others about Jesus, and thought that China would be the place. But when she met - and then married - my Grandpa, he was headed to Africa. So, she put her dreams on hold and followed her husband, throwing her life into the work and raising 4 children in Tanzania. I grew up inspired by her love and sacrifice. If a combination of words would describe my Grandma well, it would be gentle strength.

Later, after their children were grown and married, my grandparents spent some years in Malaysia and Singapore, among the Chinese people living there. She got closer to the tug on her heart, but didn't make it to China soil.

Never did I think I'd be the one to go. But here we are.

I do smile when I think that I represented China in a dance for our presentation of "Let the Nations Be Glad" 3 years ago, never ever dreaming I'd be living there one day!

And in a sense, my Grandma is one who helped us get here. Of course, her example was a huge encouragement to follow, to know you can raise children in an overseas context. But her legacy, her inheritance, also allowed us to.

We were saddened by my Grandma's passing in January, though at the same time rejoicing that her suffering was over. A month later, the first of two large checks arrived in the mail, as my grandparent's estate was being divided among the children and grandchildren. They had saved and invested well. Our initial plan was to use it as a down payment on a house, and that's still our goal, one day. But when the job in China soon became a reality, and by implication we faced 3 months without a pay check, those checks from my grandparents gave us a cushion that allowed us to go. We will eventually get reimbursed for the start-up costs, so my inheritance will still be invested and saved towards a house (if/when we move back to the States). But in the meantime, it has helped. My grandparents helped.

And that's really cool. And humbling. The Providence of God is amazing.

Something better than wrath

We take another pause in our regularly scheduled Hadassah / China broadcasting to bring you another update from "Reflections on Romans".  This time from the 16th and 17th verses of chapter one.  These are the famed verses that are said to be the thesis of the whole letter.  They get at why Paul is writing and what he is writing about.  But before we can understand them, we really need to see the start of verse 18.

In verse 18, Paul explains how it is that "the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven".  All mankind is sentenced to death because of sin.  This isn't exactly good news.  1:18-32 has some pretty crazy epistemological claims: (1) It says that what can be known about God is plain to mankind.  In other words, "there are no atheists".  But even further, (2) it says that mankind, even without the gospel, understands that the just sentence for sin is death (see 1:32).  So, in a certain way, they don't even need the gospel to know this stuff.  Of course, the problem, as Romans 1:18 states, is that mankind has done an amazing cover-up job.  So often, when we tell the gospel (to ourselves or others), it is necessary to lay the "ground work": we have sinned and therefore deserve death, eternal death.  And God is just to sentence us thus.

Interlude: About 600 years before Paul was writing, some really bad news was also delivered to Israel: "y'all gonna get it".  The Chaldeans are gonna wipe everyone out.  You'll be eating your children it's gonna be so bad.  Whoever isn't taken into captivity will die by the sword or by starvation.  It was a bleak picture there too.  The wages of sin was death for Israel.   Yet, in the midst of receiving this bad news, God offered hope.  Some were wondering, "if this is the case... if everyone is going to die... is there any way - any way at all, to live?"  And God's answer came in the prophecy given to Habbakuk (2:4).  He said that life came about from the interplay of righteousness and faith.  But, of course, that's all we got.  In the OT is Christ concealed.  In the NT is Christ revealed.  Interlude over.

So in verse 16 of Romans, Paul is addressing some cowardice.  Some wimps were ashamed of the gospel.  And Paul says "I'm not ashamed!"  [Imagine it said in a fiery Scott's voice after a good drink.]  Kind of looking the people in the eye who are ashamed.  And he gives his reasons:  In the midst of so much death and wrath being poured out, I've got a message that is the power of God unto salvation.  Paul had eternity in mind.  He had the "wages of sin" in his mind.  He had the "wrath of God" in his mind.  The plight of man.  And he wasn't going to let a little fear of man get in the way of his message of salvation.  "For", he goes on to explain, "in it, the righteousness of God is being revealed."  There's that phrase again: "is being revealed".  Remember that in verse 18, we learn that the state of the world that everyone knows is that "the wrath of God is being revealed"?  That's all anyone can know about apart from special revelation.  But in the gospel, we have a special revelation that reveals something better than wrath.  Something much better.  This is salvation.  This is "anti sin".  This is "anti condemnation".  And this is the reason Paul isn't ashamed of the gospel.

In the NT, Christ is revealed.  In the backdrop of so much death, red in tooth and claw - the just judgment for our sin - the heart cry of mankind is "how can we live"?  Paul resurfaces the same answer from the OT prophecy, but applies it to Christ: "He who by faith is righteous shall live." Life and salvation now come to the man who has become righteous by placing their trust in Christ.

These themes of salvation, life, and righteousness are at the heart of the matter.   Everyone knows that God is judging the world, and that if God is going to be just, sin will be punished - no matter what.  He hasn't quite gone into all the details of how He's going to work that salvation, but he promises us it's coming.  And he chooses to make that promise with a peculiar phrase.  (A phrase that will come up again in Romans in several key places.)  That phrase is "the righteousness of God".  This phrase, when it came up in the OT was so often connected with the saving hand of God.  The Psalmist (and Isaiah) time and time again pairs these two by thanking God for God's salvation and, in the next meter, thanking God for His righteousness.  God demonstrates His righteousness by saving His people.

And isn't that the thanksgiving of the Christian heart?  Thank You God for saving us!  Thank you for showing off Your own glory in the salvation of Your people!  Thank You for the brilliance with which Your righteousness shines.  Thank You for giving us something better than wrath.

For good reason, Paul was not ashamed.  May it be so of us.

I want to be like Hadassah...

Hadassah and her neighbor friend are learning to play together more!

Each afternoon, I try to take Hadassah out to the courtyard near the slides in our apartment complex. She LOVES it. As soon as she sees other children running around, she wiggles to be put down and tries to run over to them. Whereas in the house she makes sure I'm holding her hands before trying to walk, when she sees other children, she thinks she can do it and shakes off my hands. I hold her under the arms and try to keep up, as she vocalizes happily and smiles.

The reactions are cute. Sometimes the child runs away, a little startled, until his grandma urges him to say "nǐhǎo." Other times they come closer, curious about the little blue-eyed child. The Grandmas all love it, and ask me questions about Hadassah.

It's hard not being able to understand. I've learned to pick up on when they're asking her age, and can respond appropriately: "qī yuè." I recently learned how to tell them she's a girl: "nǚhái." But then it turns into a game of gesturing as we try to communicate, until they eventually give up and talk among themselves while I smile. 

And while smiling is wonderful, and a great way to communicate that transcends language, it can only last so long. After 10 or 15 minutes, I feel the urge to go... It gets awkward!

But I want to be like Hadassah, always ready to go and meet new people. She doesn't seem to get tired of smiling! God knew what He was doing when he gave me - an introvert, who God has brought a long way, but would still often rather work alone than with people - a daughter who is so outgoing... one who loves people SO much! 

So, I go out, for another time of smiling. As I learn Chinese (I began on Tuesday and have a great tutor!) I know these times out will give me great opportunities to practice. And though it's outside of my comfort zone, I thank the Lord for the gift of my daughter, that gives me reason and an excuse to get out. Everyone is so welcoming when I have such a cutie in my arms! ;)

Lord, make me like Hadassah. Give me more and more of a love for people. Help me to share you with them.

Watermelon

We're thrilled to find it at the fruit stand right outside our apartment complex! We may now have a watermelon addict on our hands, though. ;)

Happy Father's Day, Ryan!

Two years ago, I was getting to know Ryan and saw him playing with a friend's child. My heart beat a little faster. I somehow knew he'd make a great dad...

...and he does!!!

When Hadassah was born, he bonded with her right away, and was the first to hold and cuddle with her.

Hadassah is growing up secure, safe in her strong Daddy's arms.

 It's been priceless to see Ryan involve her in everything, from passing on his love of music to praying with her and telling her about God.

This site has been a common one since Hadassah was a week old. He started playing with colored rings above her head, and seven months later, she STILL loves it, as her eyes pop out and her legs kick happily :)

Hadassah's eyes always light up something special when she sees her Daddy. Yes, there are times when only Mommy will do (when she's hungry, sleeping, or bonked her head again), but even then Ryan can often get her to calm down as he twirls her around and teaches her to dance.

And ever wondered why Hadassah smiles so much for pictures?

She has a Daddy who isn't afraid to be silly! :)

But the best part of all, much as Hadassah is Daddy's girl, he's already teaching her that Mommy comes first. :) He treasures our marriage, greets me first at the door, and makes sure we have time just the two of us. Countless times he plays with Hadassah so I can get something done or just have a break, even if he's exhausted from a long day. I am so blessed.

Thank you, Ryan, for going above and beyond in your role as a father! I love you!

Your Anna :)