Back From China

Hello friends, family, and random people who have stumbled across my life!

I am back from China!

How do I put a 10 day miracle into a single blog post and post pictures from a really slow internet connection? I don't think I can, but I'll do my best.

My trip to China was amazing! I couldn't help but giggle out loud on the plane ride there. I am a missionary. I have no salary and in fact am paying to be able to do what I am doing. (That is to say that any extra things like juice, toilet paper, and phone service that are not provided for me, I pay for from my savings.) Yet, the entire trip to China was paid for- my visa, my flight, my taxi services, my meals, my hotel, massages, facials, my trip to the World Expo, everything! God is so good and so fun! I love being His daughter!

Oh, how do I put this into words?! I think I'll post pictures separately as there are so many I don't think I can do it and type all of this in one sitting.

I arrived Monday night and Judith picked me up. We went to the hotel and went to bed. The hotel was very nice. I had a real shower!!! :-) There were slippers and wi-fi and a TV. AND THERE WAS AIR CONDITIONING!! It was like living in luxury!!! I felt so spoiled there!

The first day of teacher training, I just adjusted and "surveyed" who we were working with. The teachers were mostly Chinese teachers who had little experience teaching and who were far from fluent in English. It was such a challenge to take college level material and put it into words that would be comprehensible by a five year old.

We spent the whole week laboring to convince the teachers of their need to be creative with their presentation of materials and assisting them in their pronunciation of English. We had numerous practice sessions for the teachers. It really was a difficult thing.

Remember, adventure is created by overcoming adversity. Without adversity, there can be little to no adventure. I love the adversity not for its sake, but for the sake of the adventure and joy that it brings once it is overcome.

The second night there, the director of the school in China took us out for a welcome dinner. We ate "hot pot." It was at this place that I had my induction to the Chinese food. I ate cow's stomach for the first time. It was really good! They offered me duck blood and duck intestines, but I passed on those. I just couldn't shake the laws of Exodus and Leviticus from my brain and conscience entirely.

Since I didn't get to blog while I was there- the internet is monitored, so I didn't want to even try, I'll post a corrected email I sent to my family.

I did get to go to the World Expo, but only for a few hours. We toured
parts of the city and did some shopping instead. Then, once we were at the
Expo, the lines were so long just to get into the pavilions that we didn't
go in. But I talked to the boss asking him to send me to each country that
we passed by. I want to help his businesses there and maybe start some new
ones. We'll see what he says about that in the future. We did get to go in
to the Philippine pavilion. They had dancers there and at one point, they
pulled me up on stage with them! Haha! It was fun! I wish we'd spent more
time at the Expo, but the boss knows best and he knows my heart for his
business to expand to the other countries represented there.

I got to get a facial and a back massage while I was here, too. When I got
the facial, the lady thought my eyelashes were fake and tried to pull them
off!!!

Shanghai is very nice. Besides obvious cultural, language, and procedural
differences, it feels very much like America. It is very developed and the
people don't stare at me as much here. It's nice. And, places are air
conditioned! Granted, buildings are not kept as cold as a refridgerator
here, but it is definitely cool inside places. I don't know how I'll adjust
to being back in the Philippines! Maybe I'll learn how to sweat while
sitting in front of a fan again! (Ugh!) This is totally what I am doing!

The teacher training is over now. Most of the teachers still have a long
way to go. Unless the boss makes it very clear to me to do otherwise, I'm
planning on doing homeschool for my future children- no matter where I live!

We had a very nice graduation dinner for the teachers. I love the way the Chinese eat! They have like 50 courses that are brought out in little bits at a time. One of the courses was boiled frog. I ate that, but passed on the duck head again. Nonetheless, I think I gained a few pounds while I was there! It's time to get back into my Pilates routine!

Thursday, one of the teachers showed me around the city. He
is from New York but has learned enough Chinese to be able to translate
things for me. My plane wasn't scheduled to leave until 12:30AM on Friday (so really
Thursday night) so I didn't have to leave Shanghai until 8:30pm. That gave me
the entire day to tour!

I went all over the city. I saw the Bund, the Pearl TV tower, this other really tall building, the Chinese Mac store, the Jiang Temple, People's Square and People's Garden, and took a ferry to the Pudong area. It was SOOO fun!!

I LOVE working for God! Judith and I never did do an official prayer walk. However, everywhere we went, I was so conscious of my role as an intercessor. Shanghai has been covered in prayer, asking for God to raise up Pauls who are unafraid to speak His name. There will be a shift in that nation regarding prayer and the people's boldness. There will be evangelists and intercessors that will be risen up from that place. Dad loves the people there.

While I was there, I was very careful to talk about God as the "The Boss" or as "Dad." I am back now and there is not a restriction on my speech here. However, to only be able to talk about God like that was really fun and kind of hard to shed. It brings new light to the meaning of those words. To be a Christian truly means to make Jesus your Boss and to put Him in charge every appointment: all of your time. Time is life. So, to make Jesus the Boss of your life (also known as Lord of your life) is make Him Boss of your time. And He is the best! He has as way of organizing all the little details that we never could have fathomed.

With that being said, my plane was delayed in coming home by 2 or 3 hours. It provided for a divine appointment! My seatmate was from New York but had worked in China for 10 years. We talked about everything under the sun and I know that God did some things in him through our conversation. I also came to some cool understandings that I will be chewing on for the next lifetime.

I arrived at Manila Airport around 6:30am on Friday. I went straight to sleep yesterday and didn't see anyone the whole day. I woke up for lunch and dinner and to do my laundry. I also slept all night and part of the day today. I think I'm caught up now!

This next week, classes are cancelled so that teachers can prepare for our national educators convention. I'm not sure what that means for me. I just know that I won't have students this next week. :-( I feel like I am getting off to such a slow start in developing this reading program!! It could be frustrating, but then I know that Daddy has His perfect ways and knew this was going to be happening before I even signed up to come.

Things I learned in China:

I like cow's stomach.

I can eat with chopsticks.

I need sleep in order to be nice.

I like air conditioning.

I speak very quickly.

Let no one look down on you because you are young. God supplies all the experience you need.

A good meal for 2 can be purchased in China for only 20 Yuan (US$2.94).

Chinese people don't know how to translate to English- even if they think they do. Example: "The faucet said don't let me cried all the time." This is a real sign telling students to turn off the sink. Example: "No Photoing"

Fish jerky and sea weed can make a sufficient meal when combined with waffles, peanut butter, and mandarin oranges.

There is nothing that can compare with Turkish Coffee.

I have a lot of energy, even when I'm sleepy.

Earth is not my home. Heaven is. Only in the presence of God do I really belong. We sing this song all the time, but it is not until you are stripped of every place that you could call home that this becomes a reality. I am in the Philippines, but this is not home. America is not home, Argentina is not home. Heaven in home. My job is to be like an interior decorator and bring the flavors and styles of my home to my temporary dwelling places.

China Bound

I leave for China today. I will drive to the airport at 3pm. My passport and visa will be picked up at 5pm. Our Boss will send His messengers to rush it through traffic and get it to me in time for me to be on my flight at 8pm. I will land in Shanghai at midnight, where Judith will pick me up.

While I am there, I will not be using facebook or updating my blog. The internet is monitored.

While we are there, please, please, please talk to the Boss about Judith and I. We need conversations about health, safety, and being wise. Judith was fighting a cold before she left and I was fighting allergies.

We will be presenting teaching materials. Most of this program I have never used before. If the teachers we present to do not pass our tests, they will lose their jobs. We really want them to be successful. A lot is resting on our shoulders.

We will also take a special walk with our Boss, talking to Him about the plans for the nation. We hope to visit the World Expo that is going on there and talk to the Boss about the plans He has for the nations gathered there. Please talk to him about this time, too. I don't know when it will be scheduled, but if He calls you, please answer.

I will be gone for ten days and be flying without a companion. I will have a lot of time in the airport. I hope to have a lot of conversations with people about our Boss. You know Boss likes to be talked about, but in this place he must be asked about before he can be talked about. I hope people want to to talk about him and have the courage to ask. I also hope Judith and I have the boldness to answer!

So, until I get back, if you want to communicate with me, you can email me at clairbright@gmail.com. But remember to talk about the Boss only by his name of CEO, Boss, Dad, or Pa. His other names can't be made known again until I get back to the Philippines.

Thanks!

Update on China

Hey Everyone!

I am still going to China, but not until Monday now. I was not able to get my Visa processed in time to go Saturday. I will still be doing the same things, though. It's been a crazy, wonderful day!

Here are some prayer points. I may add more as I get more information and more internet access. Keep praying for the internet here to be fixed. I am still using my roomie's internet card and paying her for it.

Pray for unity between the other teacher and I. Judith is my roommate and now my travel companion. :-) We get along great, and want that to continue!

Pray for divine appointments and conversations. We are not allowed to openly evangelize, but can talk about our faith if asked. Pray for us to be in the right place in the right time and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in all things.

Pray for us to find the right places to prayer walk and that this will happen.

Pray for supernatural wisdom and revelation for us and for the teachers. Pray that I can quickly learn the program so that I can effectively teach it.

I can't wait to see what God is going to do!

I'M GOING TO CHINA!!!

So, my alarm was going off this morning at 5:35am and I hit snooze for like the 6th time when Nancy oh-so- sweetly informed me of text.

"Judith texted me at 2am last night, "Tell Raymi she is going to Shanghai with me on Saturday and that she needs to get her visa application turned in today."

WHAT???!!!

Nancy read the text again. I shot out of bed and started screaming and dancing. I am soooo excited!!!!!

I knew this trip was taking place and have secretly been praying about joining them, but never mentioned it to anyone and never thought it would actually happen. It was just one of those, "I wonder if that could happen" kind of prayers, but never really a conversation piece between God and I. Unbeknownst to me, Judith, Tita Pat and Ros (the secretary) had been talking about it, too.

The purpose of the trip is to train the Chinese teachers to use the Sing, Spell, Read, and Write phonics program used in the preschool here. So, now, I have two days to learn the SSRW phonics curriculum and train someone to take over my class while I am gone. And I have 2 days to prepare spiritually for this trip. I know it is no accident that I am going. I am called to the nations of the earth and I know that this trip is just a cover up for what God wants to do in that nation. May HIS purposes prevail. I am praying that I have the opportunity to prayer walk while I am there.

I will be able to bring a personal Bible there. I will fly out on the 14th and Ate Ophel will pick me up from the airport. I will stay with her. Judith will join me on the 15th. The flight on the 15th is full, so I can't go with her. The training is from the 16th- 25th and I will return to Manila on the 26th. I have no idea what the internet connection will be like there or anything else. I don't even know anything about China!!! Hahaha!!! :-) The Lord is so fun!!!

Life is definitely an adventure!!! :-)

Prayer Requests

Hey Y'all!

I am not able to teach this week because the kids are taking their quarterly exams. But I will be doing tutoring in the afternoons. Tutoring in this manner is quite difficult because I do not know all of the things being taught in the classes. Pray for this time for everyone here.

Also, pray that the internet gets fixed. I am currently using Nancy's SIM card as the internet connection. I think I will get myself one of these, but haven't yet. It is affecting everyone here to not have internet.

Pray that God gives me wisdom in when to pray and when to say. Some things are just to be prayed about. Other things need to be spoken about. I need wisdom to know the difference, and willingness to obey.

I am off to bed. Thank you all so much for your prayers. Love y'all! :-)

Pictures!!!

I realize that it's been a few weeks (or at least a few posts) since I last posted pictures. And I know that everyone wants to see what life is like here, so I am taking my Saturday to add visuals to my verbals.

Praise the Lord that my classroom is close to the internet connection! I can sit at my table and talk/blog/whatever and actually have privacy and good posture!

I started my full load of classes this week. God is so good! Even with all that I have to do, I actually have hours of extra time on my hands. I don't really know what to do with myself! So, I started a daily exercise program (yay pilates!) and am looking for a hobby. I already pray and read all the time, so I need to do something else besides facebook stalking. I think I may take up sewing, but I'm not sure where to start nor what to make. Any suggestions? :-)

As I live my life here, it makes me so grateful for the life I used to have. It is not at all a sorrow that I feel when I think of where I came from. Do I miss it? Yes, sometimes. But even in missing my former life, it's not like a longing type of missing. It's not even a I wish I had this all the time again kind of missing. It's more of a It sure would be nice kind of missing. And yet, it's not even that. Oh, to have the English words to express the memories!

America, do you know how rich you are?!! You are SOOOO blessed! And I'm not just talking about financially. You are so rich with the presence of God. You are rich with the opportunity to learn about anything you want anytime you want. You are rich with pastors. You are rich with Bibles. You are rich with wisdom. You are rich with life. Do you know just how rich you are?! Please, on behalf of the nations of the world, turn your riches over to the Lord and allow Him to send you and use you!

Ok, now on to pictures! There are SOOO many!!!

These pictures are from the teacher training days a few weeks ago:

The is Brain Galaxy Memory training. I have learned how to memorize a list of 60 items and recite them forwards and backwards from this guy. Pretty cool!

Team building/ community building in a classroom

Team building activity. Don't break the line. Only the first person can touch the pipes and stack them on a pole. All but one person is blind-folded.

These are just random pictures from my time here:

Jeep-nee- kind of like the community taxi, but we have those as well in Manila

Moving furniture to kill a cockroach. This is inside my apartment.

Saying bye to Jing. We serenaded her and made skits as well as a card. :-)

Raffy, Pat's adopted son, and Rainya, Sheila's adopted daughter

The view from my apartment one morning. It changes every day, but is always beautiful!

What mosquitoes did to my foot. Ignore the red and white lines from my scratching.

Bitter gourd. I do not like it at all, but we had nothing else to eat. So, I ate it, of course.

Did I say we didn't have air conditioning? I'm mistaken! (This is inside a car that looks like a bumble bee on the outside.)

Coconut filled with fruit. Called Buko. DELICIOUS!!!!

Another view from my apartment

Same mountain as above, but at a different time

Jing in the car on her way back to Singapore

This is from when I ate bolut:

Did I write about that? It's a local favorite. It's a boiled, aborted egg. You add salt to the "soup", drink the "soup", then crack open the rest and eat the soft parts. It's DELICIOUS! (These pictures were taken with my iPhone in the dark, so the quality is not the best, but gives you the idea.)

First, Jorge showed me how to do it. But he cracked the egg on his forehead, not the table!

My turn to crack the egg.

Drinking the "soup."

What the inside looks like when the "soup" is gone.

Raymond laughing at me as I drink the soup. "You ARE a missionary!"

Eating the soft part.

The hard part that you don't eat

The before and after picture as displayed by the oh-so-serious Jorge!

Here are some pictures of Tina:

Tina (Valentina) age 16

Tina and me

These pictures are from Nutrition Month Celebration:

Kids working on their posters that I judged

Kids preparing a meal

Place setting

Ate Jo helping to cook (she is also one my students)

Another place setting and one of the finished products of cooking

More food. I don't know what anything is called, but it was all wonderful!

Kid dressed up as a pumpkin (I think) for their nutrition skits

More nutrition month skits. They were hilarious!!!

Last Batch of Randomness for Now:

Charlotte, this is probably not the best place for you to spin your web. You may catch something you don't really want.

Not even the natives knew what this food was! We just knew it was edible and greasy!

My classroom with a touch of my personality! :-)

(In broadcaster's voice) I hope you enjoyed today's blog post and pictures. Join me next time on... Life's an Adventure! This is Raymi Moore reminding you... Don't forget to have your pets spayed and neutered! (Seriously, we don't need any more dogs and cats running around here!)

Class Begins

So, I haven't posted pictures. I've been a wee bit busy! :-)

I had my first day of classes yesterday! They went so well! I started the lessons with setting up expectations, interviewing kids, and letting them interview me. In a few classes, we got started with reading comprehension strategies. I LOVE TEACHING!!!! That is what I was born to do!

I also got to share with the teachers last night. That was a lot of fun. God has been speaking the same message to them over and over again. Last night was an opportunity/ requirement for them to act on it.

It's amazing how prayer and worship changes the atmosphere. I stated that last week was a breakthrough week. It really was! I now have a classroom, teaching materials, a schedule, a table in my classroom, a fan, and students! The Lord is soooo goood!!!!!!

I still need books to teach from, but the Lord has provided in a different way. I found class sets of unused workbooks in the library for Grades 1-4. They have stories in them (although it is sometimes difficult to find them) and I have been given permission to use these as my textbooks! I now just have to change my mindset so that I can utilize these books. That will not be too hard. And while I use these workbooks, I can focus on getting picture books and novels from the kids by doing some research across the Philippines.

This weekend, my roommates went to their homes in different provinces, so I was alone. It really was a blessing. I got to spend so much time with God! The culture here is a community culture so everyone kept thinking I was crazy to be alone. They don't understand that I lived alone for about a year and loved it (at least most of the time.)

I am still in the place of learning and applying the truth that God works in processes. I am also learning when to pray and when to say. James says that the tongue is a small thing but it directs the life of a person like the small rudder of a ship directs the entire ship. May my tongue only utter what the Lord speaks. And may my ears be so tuned in that I move at His whisper.

Oh, technology is AMAZING! I got to watch Gateway's sermon online this weekend!!! I also got to watch Monday night's Presbytery Service! I am blessed that I can still be connected to the "mother ship" even while sent on a mission. It's like Star Trek. I am away on mission, but still in communication with the command center. Watching the sermons and listening to the podcasts are like the wristwatches that throw up holographic images and communicate timely and needed messages. These messages are mission statements, changes to plans, and status checks. It does not make me homesick, it just makes me grateful that I am connected to something/ someOne bigger than myself.

Today I went to the Chiropractor again. AKA: the spa! God has His purposes in this! And it is so much more than just for my healing... I got to share the gospel with at least two people while I waited for 2 1/2 hours to be picked up. I did not really enjoy waiting for so long, but seeing things from God's perspective makes the smallest inconveniences worth it.

Tomorrow (Wednesday), I get to participate in making a movie! I'm going to be famous!!! Haha, not really! I have been selected to be a part of a Brain Galaxy Memorizing Training. The guy will train me with nemonic devices for memory for two hours then film me (and some others) for an advertising video on YouTube. He'll take the training and the video to Malaysia soon afterwards. I'm excited to have this training, even more than being a YouTube celebrity. (Hehehe!)

Love to all and thank you so much for your continued prayers. It REALLY does make a difference in how things go here.