Holidays in this Strange Land

It's the holiday season! This is my favorite time of the year! I love getting together with friends and family and just spending time together! It's the best thing in the world. Quality time... it's my love language! I know people say that Christmas is their favorite holiday because they get presents and tons of food. Well I could care less about the presents and the food, although there is some delicious food at Thanksgiving and Christmas! The best thing about Thanksgiving and Christmas is that families make it their mission to be together for the holidays. Whether it is seeing one side of the family for Thanksgiving and the other for Christmas or everyone gets together for both. That is the best part of the holiday in my opinion!

Unfortunately this year I will miss it (and more). These Western holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) aren't really celebrated here in East Asia.

America is the only ones who celebrate Thanksgiving and, here in China, I don't really have any American friends. I'm not complaining. I love all the friends I have here in China that come from all over the globe. But when it comes to beginning the holiday season with Thanksgiving there is no one here that actually celebrates it. :(. That was hard, but thankfully I have some awesome friends (*cough* Tanith*cough*) who want to celebrate with me even though they don't actually have this holiday in their home country. So the group of foreigners I work with decided to go out on Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) for a "Thanksgiving" in China meal. Sadly there was no turkey but again it's not about the food. It's about the company. :)

I did call home on Thanksgiving. It was cool to FaceTime with my mom and get to see all my family after they had stuffed their faces full of Thanksgiving food prepared by my awesome Aunt and Grandma. It was great talking to everyone for the brief time I had but I was a little envious. I wanted to be there so bad. Not just for the delicious food that you can truly only get back home, I mean it's called home-cooked for a reason ;), but for the company of family. My family has been going to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving for at least the past 8 years and I always enjoyed it, but the phrase "you don't know what you got til it's gone" really resonated with me. I don't have the quality time with family this year and I definitely miss it.

But now that Thanksgiving is over.... I get to look forward to Christmas.... here in Asia.... where December 25th is just another working day. You read that right, I have to work on Christmas day. Our school is having a party for Christmas but I think it is called a Snow Party. In preparation for the party we have to decorate our classrooms with Christmas decorations. I don't know why but this makes me want to go home even more. I miss decorating the tree and making holiday cookies. Because all of these things are done with friends and family.  Holiday movie nights, baking Christmas desserts(No Bakes, sugar cut outs, peanut butter balls, etc), and just being together. WAAAHHHH Can I go home?

But a good thing is I have some great friends here that I get to spend the holiday with. My friends at church are having a Christmas dinner on Christmas. So I am leaving school that day and traveling the hour distance to go to their house and have Christmas dinner! I am super excited! Then I think the day after Christmas some of us foreigners at IVY are getting together for a Christmas dinner. So I will still get to spend time with friends. It's the family traditions of Christmas that I will miss out on. Hopefully I will get to Skype/FaceTime with my family so I will get to see them at least :).

Everyone tells me to enjoy this adventure because it's a once in a lifetime. I agree I am going to enjoy it but there are definitely ups and downs that come with it. I miss the holidays and my family and friends back home. But I wouldn't change this for the world. I know this is where God has called me to be. I don't know for how long but for right now this is where I am meant to be. I have learned and grown so much during my time here and my time isn't over. Just keep me in your prayers this holiday season! :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!
Remember the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus! :)

Saying See Ya Later

So it is here... the day I leave the United States for the first time and head to Beijing, China. I have known this day was coming for a good 6 weeks but I still feel like it snuck up on me. I am excited for this adventure I am on and I am excited to see how God moves and uses me. It's going to be so awesome!

So for the past couple weeks I have been saying my goodbyes. However I don't say goodbye, I say see ya later. Goodbye just sounds so final like we are never going to see each again and I am going to see everyone again (in a year!). And there is never enough time to say see ya later and get all your hugs in for the year. I am going to miss everyone so much!

So I haven't cried yet, I mean I have but I am sure there are many many many more tears coming. God has been allowing me to enjoy the time with my amazing friends and family and not harp on the leaving part of my adventure. I am saving these tears for my super long flight from Chicago to Beijing. Whoever is sitting next to me won't know what to do! 

Saying see ya later has been so hard. Realizing that these were the last times I would be able to hug people for a year was so hard. I am so glad God allowed these thoughts to come at the end of my time with my friends. That way I didn't harp on the sad part of leaving, instead I was able to enjoy spending time with the people I love. 

I also had to say bye to my kiddos. There are 5 kids I watch regularly who are interwoven into my life. I love these kids and I am so sad that I won't be able to watch and play with them for at least a year! They are all going to be a year older and a year smarter. Ugghhh. I better get tons of updates and pictures from their parents! (You know who you are!)

I also had to say see ya later to some of my best friends all week. I am going to miss them all so much! It's going to be so weird not talking to these important people everyday :(. I am going to miss everyone so much. But I know that this is where God wants me and I am so glad that they all support me! 

Last night I was making final packing arrangements and I was just praying that everything would go smoothly at the airport (luggage exactly or under 50lbs each, fast security, etc). So today we got to the airport I started getting anxious! I went to weigh my luggage and each of my 2 checked bags weighed 50lbs. Yes that is heavy but I didn't have to pay for excess weight! Praise The Lord! And then security had no line and I was through in less than 10 minutes. Even in the small things God provides. I can't wait to see what He does in China and how He uses me. It's going to be amazing!!!

So now I am sitting at the Louisville airport with Kristoff waiting for the flight to Chicago to board. I am so excited, anxious, nervous, and all the other emotions. I am truly excited about this adventure. Letting Jesus lead!