Blog Entry #2

As we made our way to SFCV despite many plane delays and a slightly frantic attempt to find Patricia, one of our team members who had been waiting for us in the airport, our eyes lit up at the sight of the gates to our new home. The five of us were all tired and very, very sleepy. 

As we pulled up to the gates, the drivers noticed a small red bundle next to the guardhouse.  We curiously looked closer as they picked up the bundle, and to our surprise and horror it was a small child who had been abandoned outside so late at night.  Thankfully we had arrived that night, as he or she could have been waiting outside for the rest of the night, easy prey for the wild dogs that roamed the area. 

After the infant had been brought in, we quickly moved our luggage inside to our rooms.  The rooms were nicely furnished with large soft beds and small couches inside as well.  Despite jet lag, I fell asleep quite quickly after barely unpacking.

The next morning we rose bright and early to do our daily devotionals, which as the week progressed, began to become one of my favorite parts of the day.  After eating the zone bars and granola bars that Elissa had thoughtfully brought along, we did a quick tour of the area and buildings.  We then began to move from house to house and finally get to meet the kids that we had heard so much about.  For me, it was a wild blur of cute children who instantly demanded to play. They approached all of us, despite being strangers, with unusual confidence and charm.  After the initial awkwardness of being new, the kids slowly yet surely drew us in.  Soon I forgot all about being new to this place and quickly began to mingle with the children.  At each house there was a new fresh wave of kids to play with, including other visitors who came to see the children.  We played and played, and by the end of the day we were exhausted.   During the team meeting in the evening, we each shared our experiences and any memorable events that had occurred during the day. 

On Sunday, we attended church at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship (BICF), which was a great experience for all of us.  There were quite a large number of people present, including my friend, Paul, from my college fellowship back in Brown. We were so surprised when he turned around and recognized me!  Such a coincidence.  After service, we proceeded to explore the Hutong area, and had lunch nearby. After we roasted outside in the sun, we went to a snack street to enjoy some more food.  It was quite an experience!  Despite the heat and long walk of course…

For me, the highlights of my trip were sitting in the preschool class and helping out Lin Lao shi.  With eight kids in his class: Noel, Maggie, Adrian, Francis, Mike, Luke, Grayson, and Bill, he was relieved to have some help to manage his rowdy class. I would say that Patricia and I really gravitated towards the pre-school class.  We quickly found our favorite kids there, Patricia had Grayson, and I couldn’t decide between Adrian and Francis.  Grayson was younger and extremely cute, but was very energetic and quite often a bit disobedient.   Adrian and Francis were two of the older kids in the class, both around 7 and 8.  Francis was a polite and had a sweet disposition.  By far the best behaved in the class, he was also extremely creative and fun to play with.  Adrian apparently had a history of being a bit wild, but I discovered a sweet side in him and surprising intelligence. 

Matthew with Adrian, Francis and Maggie in Pre-school

Patricia with Mikey and Luke

During class I would sit next to Adrian and Francis and watch and play with both of them.  We would do puzzles, play with toys and Legos, and do arts and crafts.  One fun memory of arts and crafts was when Teacher Lin gave me a glitter pen, since we did not trust the kids with it, and the kids would swamp me and attempt to get the pen.  It was so funny what excuses they would try to come up with to have it, but I maintained control of the pen.  Patricia also spent a lot of time fighting off kids who wanted her to “bao bao” them, or pick them up. 

While the kids were learning English and math, I earned my honorary spot on the floor mat next to Adrian and Francis, who apparently would not let me go.  They would either individually or both sit on me whenever they could.  Patricia and I quickly learned that Adrian, who was at heart a big baby, would smile whenever we hugged him.  He soon after became our favorite when he pieced together an extremely tough puzzle, which even gave Patricia and me a slight problem.

I hope to see more of these wonderful kids as the days go by, and continue to visit their cafeteria, houses, and school.  I feel as if all of our team members are finding a part of SFCV that we can each deeply root ourselves in!  I have heard news of a trip to the Agape house, a bakery nearby, which has children affected by osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease.  I’m looking forward to all the delicious baked goods that await me! 

Blessings,

Matt