HUGE last full day of camp. Lot's to tell. It was a very hot day -- 98 degrees plus 75%
humidity. No one was outside from 1p - 4p. The heat of the sun was merciless. All the
construction workers on the track & field on the school grounds all quit and sought
shade and tried to sleep, some sleeping on benches or in stairwells of the dorms.
We had sports in the morning -- tournaments in volleyball, soccer, and basketball. The
kids played hard. The boys played really hard and broke a light bulb in the cafeteria. It
was a great bonding moment as we all thought there would be hell to pay for the
damage. But there wasn't. It was a delight watching the girls giggle and laugh as they
played their first soccer game ever. By the end, everyone was happily exhausted. It
didn't take long to re-energize. We adjusted the schedule for a longer rest period
because of the sun, followed by a cultural discussion on music, t-shirt making craft, and
free time. Boundless energy, these middle schoolers have. We ran out of water by midmorning
and then again in early evening. We keep purchasing 8 or more large 10
gallon bottles of water (the kind that sit on the water coolers). They have water coolers,
but without the coolant, so they are more like water dispensers. Everyone remains
hydrated and are drinking like thirsty camels in the Sahara desert.
Last evening, we had guests from the community. They were checking us out. Word
spread quickly. Today our camp director, John Peterson, had official meetings with the
local school board and government officials for the JIgongshan District. They gave
glowing reports from their children. They absolutely love the sports camp and want to
pursue it again next year. In John's words, "We hit a huge homerun." So, the door is
WIDE open for next year. Want to go to China?
I just have to laugh with joy. John was initially so worried about introducing sports to the
camp. Mim, however, was confident that it would be a great hit. She was right. These
kids study almost 17 hours a day with no physical outlet to release stress. There is
something valuable gained through exercise and sports.
While walking back to our hotel room for the 1p rest period, I noticed a man digging
through the local garbage dump. The dump is like a little shack with a large opening
and window holes for ventilation. No one was on the streets. It was too hot. The street
vendors had finished their noon lunch crowds. All clientele had gone home to rest. The
kitchens all discarded their unused produce into the dump. So, there was this man
plucking out usable food items, mostly vegetables, which he peeled and carefully laid
into a reed basket. Who knows for what purpose? Maybe to feed his family. I thought
about the woman at the well in John 4, who also had gone to draw water when no one
was around. I gained a new understanding of the circumstances. Not being able to
converse in Chinese, I looked for his eyes and greeted him in Chinese and then English
and gave my best smile, hoping to communicate that I was glad to be with him in this
moment. He met by gaze and smiled back with a warm greeting. It was beautiful.
Today I was able to converse with a Chinese counselor and ask more indepth questions
about their national exam practice. All of their education is geared toward identifying the
brightest and the best minds and then funneling them, according to aptitude, into the
appropriate universities and colleges. Sounds great? If a student scores poorly on the
exam, the rest of their life is determined. It is like wearing a scarlet letter (remember the
story?). Certain scores qualify for certain professions. Hence, certain professions carry
with them the stigma of low exam scores, like businessman or English teacher. Suicide
is common among the youth (though not talked about or reported by the news
agencies) after exam dates. The student studies 14 hours a day, 7 days a week in
preparation for the exam. Even summer breaks from school are spent studying at
home. Consequently, few students are adept at social graces. Everyone is fighting for
position.
Later in the afternoon, we went with John into the city (about 40 miles to the north) to
visit university professors recruiting English as a Second Language teachers for their
schools. We got to look in one of the teacher's apartments. It was livable. (Even had
a western-style toilet! Hah!).
We returned and had our evening program that followed by a campfire. The sky was
clear, we could see the whole heavens filled with stars. It was enchanting. The kids
singing. The fire burning. The stars shining brilliantly in the night sky. We saw the "Big
Dipper" and felt the connection home. We walked the promenade home, the 1000 step
walk to the hotel from camp. I recorded the night sounds of crickets, bugs, and people
conversing by the riverside, all sitting as a community on the bridge. We go to our
room, turned on the air conditioning and then the power went out -- and remains out.
Oh well, last days in Lijiazhai, a small town nestled in a ravine running south to north,
funneling the evening breeze, will be memorable.
We are content. Only a half-day of camp tomorrow, then clean up and debrief and
evening meal. On Saturday, we travel to the Xinyang, spend the night, and then take
the fast train to Beijing. Almost home, but still available to every moment that The Lord
has for us. We are not done yet, and, there will be important conversations with staff
tomorrow. Perhaps, even opportunities to share our hope that we have in Christ with
these university students if asked.
Love you all.
Jeff & Mim
No comments:
Post a Comment