First Hot Pot

We kind of stumbled upon the greatness of "hot pot" by accident. I wasn't a fan when we lived in China before, mostly because of the mystery meats (for those of you who know what gou rou is!) But in Singapore, when Jim and I stole away for a date night alone, we found ourselves returning to the same restaurant over and over. Yes, it was a hot pot place. It had the perfect combination of factors for Sinagpore. It was COLD inside, it was cheap, and it was all-you-can-eat.

Having moved back to China we quickly found more hot pot restaurants to experiment with, and then I happened upon the perfect Christmas present for my husband! Jim has hardly been more excited about any other present I've bought him since we got married. Does this man look happy? (And it was a mere $25!)

So today came my first experimental hot pot meal. This meal was part of the Christmas present. My dear friend Agnes (who is Singaporean and makes a mean pot herself) took me to the market and showed me the ropes--who to buy the veggies from, stick to meat stalls #8 and #18, and packaged tofu won't taste burnt like fresh does.

Kathryn came out of her room after we put the kids to bed (early-- when the sun goes down at 5, you can pull off bedtime at 6:30 if they are really tired!) and commented, "Uh, I see you're having lettuce for dinner. That doesn't look very good." Ah, perhaps to the untrained eye! But quite the contrary--it was yummy and such fun!

I suppose it's not mostly about the taste for us. (Next time I'd like to try chicken bone broth instead of pork rib broth.) It's just that we've just had a lot of good dates eating hot pot. And if you come visit us here, I promise we'll offer you all the best in our pot!

I definitely feel a little more Asian today than I did yesterday.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you! I was wondering this morning,
What do you think Jesus is thinking as He watches over our celebrations today?

I love the verse from a hymn we sung today that I hadn't remembered...

Why lies he in such mean estate, where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear; for sinners here, the silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear, shall pierce him through; the cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh, the babe, the son of Mary.

What a treasure that Christmas brought forth Easter!

We had a delightful day of yummy food, fun gifts sent by lots of family & friends, meaningful worship, great fellowship, Happy Birthday Jesus cake, The Christmas Story (some of the humor doesn't translate so well into another language!), football...Here are a few of our best pics. Hope you are now enjoying all the wonder and delight and joy of Christmas morning as we have here!

Christmas breakfast...















Love those eager faces!



















Lookin' cool and ready for our trip to Thailand next month!

















For you non-Asian food lovers, this is a HOT POT. It's a fabulously yummy meal best spent with friends... a soup base to cook whatever you want in it so it does all the work for you!






































Merry Christmas to you all!



















Daddy says so too...















Happy Birthday Jesus!

K's Photo Journal #6: Cookie Time!

My mom says that once a year (and only once a year) we make sugar cookies, and yesterday was the day! We made a BIG MESS and got sugar ALL over the floor. My mom said she got more upset about the mess last year, and that she is making progress.















































Then we got a surprise invitation to make cookies at a friends' house again today! Our friend (Auntie Mel-- I have LOTS of aunties here) has a LOT more cookie cutter shapes than mommy does. She had reindeer, snowmen...even Mary and the baby Jesus! She also had all kinds of sprinkles, and my mommy only had one. So we could make an even BIGGER MESS at her house!


















This is Auntie JJ. She came to my house last week too and she is LOTS of fun!

















Once I realized that Ellie and I were the only kids there, and that all the aunties were a great audience I started singing and making up LOTS of silly songs. They thought I was GREAT-- well, I am! My mommy didn't know why I was frowning in this picture, but I told her that everyone else was smiling and I knew what my smile looked like but I've never seen what my frown looks like... so here it is! Bye Bye!

Kathryn's Photo Journal Entry #5: My Teacher Comes for Dinner!

I had been asking my mommy for a long time if I could have my teacher over for dinner. She CAME and she brought me and Ellie little Christmas bears as a present!














I kept telling mommy that we should ask my teacher if she knew about Jesus. So we finally did, and she said her mommy taught her about Jesus when she was a little girl, just like my mommy does!

My favorite part was when she played songs from my class on the piano. My mom and dad have never heard me sing those songs before, so they were really impressed when they heard me singing all those Chinese songs! (I don't know what they mean, but I've memorized them anyway). Then she came in our room and helped Ellie and I build a REALLY big block tower. She is really great!

Caught off guard...

Anyone else feel surprised by the immanent arrival of Christmas like me? I determined not to go to bed last night until ALL the Christmas presents were ordered online. When I was finished, I was exhausted! It takes a lot out of you, after all, to sit at your desk and press buttons and spend your money. How spoiled I am that I can order Christmas presents for all our family, 10,000 miles away, just one week before Christmas!

We have been receiving some fun packages too! Yesterday Ellie and I had another interesting cultural experience. They have recently built new mailboxes in our apartment community, but I didn't know how to find the key. I felt like the wiseman walking hither and yon (is it yon, or non?) searching for the mysterious building that was holding the keys! We finally found it as the clouds cleared and the light from heaven shone down upon it. I walked in and found the right room-- It was a tiny room FILLED to the BRIM with keys! The sole purpose of this room, and the workers in it, is to distribute new mailbox keys. They finally found ours, and upon returning to our new mailbox, were delighted to find 2 package slips! But getting these packages is another story, and I've already bored you with too many details about the Chinese post office...

So, I would love anyone to share the ways you still your heart and mind to enjoy the delight of Christ-in-Christmas in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. (what is bustle, anyway?) Perhaps we are not exposed to all the commercialism you have to fight off in the US, but still it is a struggle.

I am excited to say that Kathryn's teacher is coming to dinner tonight. She has turned down 3 other invitations so I am thrilled she finally said yes. Kathryn is very excited! We are planning to do our advent wreath while she is here, and the girls have been practicing their Christmas carols! Please pray we make a meaningful connection with her and can share about Christ.

First Ski!

This is a week of firsts! Ellie's first snow; Kathryn's first ski! After a week of meetings and development activities with friends, we all went skiing for the day. Surprisingly, there are ski-able mountains, just an hour north of us. Who knew?? Ellie was too young, (She and Jim went tobagganing --Jim says he would ski but for his ankle incident last month) but I took Kathryn and together we did ski school. Things were a little sketchy at the beginning, (as K cried though bitter tears, ever the emotionally-aware child, "mommy, my HEART feels like QUITTING!") but she persevered and didn't give up. Way to go K!

For me, I went skiing multiple times during high school and college. Trying to count... at least 4 I specifically remember, maybe 5 or 6? (My dad would remember.) But the last of those times was... now let's count again but it will take me longer this time... 14 years ago! Wow! It doesn't feel like that much time has passed. But as soon as I got going again, I had so much fun! I loved it! K had enough, and I left the girls behind and took off for the slopes. Felt like I was in college again!

One of the selling points as I was trying to encourage K to keep going was that she had cool rainbow skis. It worked. This instructor was really great with her! The language wasn't even a problem, as K discovered there are certain 'international ski symbols' (Look of sheer terror means, "Oh no! I'm going to crash!") that work all around the world! :)















Look at her go!










Such fun for both of us!



















Not bad for what you may expect in China, huh?

Hmmmm....

As an add-on to what I wrote earlier today, I was thinking-- What effect do you think it had on Jesus' development as a child that he spent approx ages 3-6 in as a stranger in a foreign land (Egypt), being exposed to a foreign language, around a foreign people who were culturally worlds apart from the country of his birth? Maybe some great things could rub off on my girls too! :)

Ellie & Aiyi

A couple of weeks ago we got a small set of Chinese children's books as a free gift along with some diapers I bought. Ellie seems fascinated with them and keeps asking me to read them, but (children's books though they may be), mommy cannot read them so well. So today I asked my helper (Aiyi) if she could read one to her. Ellie was fascinated! I couldn't believe her attention span. Does she understand them? I have no idea. But it made me feel that I'm so glad they have such a diversity of experiences here. I love the worldview they are gaining having to think through questions I didn't ask till after college. I love the variety of people from all over the world that they daily encounter. I love helping them think about people of other cultures who need to hear about Jesus. Of course there are many challenges to raising them here. But these are among the gems!

First Snow!

Those of you from the north may rightfully call us southerners wimps, but for me, this is serious winter! With consistent highs in the 30's and lows in the teens, this is as cold as it's ever been for me--Especially defining "south" as "on the equator" the last 2 years.

No, that's not true. The coldest I have ever been was my first winter in China, 1996. I was in a city south of the "government heat" line, and so there was no heat in the buildings at all. 40-50 degrees or so may not be that cold. But if it's 40 degrees inside and out, all day, then that's pretty darn cold. I bought a small room heater that glowed brighter orange than the sun! Kinda hard to sleep with it on.

OK, but I'm missing the point. It has been cold enough here to snow for the last few weeks, but we don't get much humidity. Today was the day! I don't have that many pics of Kathryn here because she was only out a short time on the way to school. But Ellie and I stayed out and played a bit longer. It's such a delight to watch a child play in her VERY FIRST SNOW!







































We happened across this snowman...

















And this snowlady...



















They fast became friends!



















Three cheers for snow!

What a Beautiful Christ!

This morning (as is the case most Saturday's), I got away for a few hours of mommy reflection time. This has been the weekly gift of my beloved husband since we moved to Singapore, and what a wonderful gift it is! It is when I get to think, journal, write, reflect, and unwind. This morning as I was preparing for this week's bible study, I had some new revelations about Christ I had never thought of before, and I thought I'd share them with you. Our study this week is looking at the worship of Christ in heaven in Revelation 5 and 19 and I found some beautiful new insights into the imagery there.

Can I bring you to Jesus this morning, in the spirit of this blog?

--Did you know that in the book of Revelation, it only once calls Christ "the Lion"? (In Rev. 5:6); But 31 times, He is called "Lamb". It seems that John wants us to know that throughout all eternity, Christ will be primarily known by His sacrifice for us.

--In Rev. 7:9-14, it mentions that the multitude standing before the throne have palm branches in their hands. Did you know that the only other time palm branches are mentioned in the Bible is in John (same author as Rev.) during the Triumphal Entry when Christ rides into Jerusalem? You can picture John making the connection--His first entry on a meek and lowly donkey; But this an eruption of unabashed, delightful, continual worship.

--In Rev. 19 when the elders and creatures fall down and worship Christ, these are the same words that are said of the wisemen who fell down and worshiped the baby Jesus. It is also said (the fall down part!) in this scene in the Garden of Gethsemane "Jesus went forth (to the soldiers) and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" They answered Him, "Jesus the Nazarene." He said to them, "I am He."... and they drew back and fell to the ground." John remembers this scene: the power of His presence!

--There is only one place in Revelation where we hear the exhortation to "rejoice and be glad", at the marriage celebration of the Lamb. The only other time John mentions these words are in John 16, where Jesus addresses the disciples who are saddened by His immanent departure. Can you hear John making the connection? He is saying that THIS scene in Revelation is the picture Christ is painting of a future time when their joy will not be taken away. We don't have it fully yet, do we?? But YOU AND I ARE THERE in Rev. 19 if we are in Christ-- It is coming!

I can only think of one thing to say: What a beautiful Christ!

Giggly Ellie

Usually Ellie has the reputation in our family of being the mischievous quiet type. Totally alert, but not much to say. But it seems this is beginning to change--she has been quite the talker lately! Tonight she dominated the dinner conversation with great fervor discussing seemingly random details of the Christmas story, the whereabouts of our resident crocodile, (Clyde--he lives in the bathtub but often travels to other exotic locations so we don't see him very often during bath time) and why she is NOT afraid of giants.

Tonight at bedtime, during the singing time, I attempting to begin singing several different Christmas carols. Each time she would interrupt me and say, "No, no, no, no, no! I want to teach you a very SPECIAL song.... This is how it goes..... Mary rode a DONKEY, DONKEY, DONKEY!" and then doubled over laughing at how wonderful her composition was. It was, hands-down, better than any of my song choices!

Do You Want it to Taste Good, Or Do You Want it to WORK?

Today I had a nearly perfect hour. I put on some Christmas music, sat down on the couch, and watched my girls dance. Decked out in full tinkerbell regalia, I was serenaded by two prima ballerinas who were delighted by nothing more than an audience of mommy. The pace of life often feels so frantic that those moments don’t come nearly as often as I’d like.

I am beginning to feel better, but I have a horrendous cough—the kind where it feels like you have done 200 sit-ups because your abdominal muscles have had such a workout. This is another way to work on your abs!

Do you know what my helper brought me? (As I mentioned last time, her promised “dish” to cure me?) She was right—it was spicy and sour and sweet and salty, all at the same time. It was ginger—straight-up, raw, peeled ginger. This is a common Chinese spice, and I like the flavor of it, mixed within a whole dish. But have you ever tasted it on its own? If you’ve ever bit into a piece of it, you surely spit it out! Wasn't she sweet to want to help me, though?

Can I make a confession? When my helper brought a whole large jar full of them, I knew I needed to eat at least one… For 30 minutes I belabored over one 3 inch slice as she told me of all its healing properties. I got about 2/3 of the way through it, and then I couldn’t take it anymore. I flushed it down the toilet. How’s that for cultural sensitivity?

Amazingly though, while I was eating it, I wasn’t coughing. There must be something to it. But I just can’t stomach it. So all day long, I have been sipping hot honey lemon water. It tastes a whole lot better. I just doesn’t work.

Sick Again...

I am sick. Really sick... again! :( 6th sinus infection and 6th round of antibiotics since our arrival.

My helper came today (for which I am so very grateful as she watched Ellie this am so I could take a nap; though Ellie was not happy with it!). She offered her theories as to why I keep getting sick.

-I don't wear socks enough. The floor is too cold.
-I don't eat enough of a variety of Chinese food, especially spicy foods. Her proof was that Jim seems a lot healthier than me, and he eats ALL KINDS of Chinese food. Jim was cheered by her explanation and suggested we give her a raise.
-She is going to bring me a dish next time she comes that she says will solve my problems-- it has "spice" and "sweet" and "sour" and "salty" all combined and will keep me in "balance." She is really sweet to us.

I'll try anything.
Please do pray that God will make things clear-- I know He has called us here. I know I can't continue living here getting sick as often as I have thus far. I'm just not sure how those two fit together.

What's for Christmas?

Some of you have been asking me what you can send that is hard to get here:
-pecans
-crystal light lemonade
-parmesan cheese
-Honey nut cheerios
-canned pumpkin
-New York Peppermint patties,
-Reeses Peanut butter cups
-cookie decor items
-flavored creamers: esp hazlenut!
-spices: vanilla, cinnamon
-decaf teas

For the girls: (mentioned in the last week!)
-Color wonder paper/coloring books (We have a good set of markers but are out of paper)
-kids' sized oven mits--Kathryn's particular request due to a recent burn :(
-Strawberry Shortcake sticker books- The "sticker stories" series
-More Polly Pockets...
-Glitter Glue (a xmas craft used them all up this week!)
-Washable Crayola markers and new crayola crayons

Kathryn tells me she wants me to write:

"I want a book that tells me all about the things you can buy in the stores in Nana's country."

Oh dear!

Contemplating A New Career As a Chef

Being around a new group of people sometimes affords you new insights about yourself.

In the times I have spent hanging out with the women in our new community here, I have noticed the conversation continually circling around culinary delicacies. Trying new recipes, what fun new spice or ingredient was discovered in the market, and other such fine-tuned kitchen skills. Kitchen-savvy is a wonderful hobby that blesses a lot of people-- I just don't really like it.

I began to notice this when, after several group gathering where pot-luck sign-up sheets are passed around, I seem to keep bringing the fruit salad. When there are gaps in the menu, others rush to fill in the blanks... and I let them.

My mother has great skill in the kitchen. She says that it is from the years of practice, and that one day I too will have this gift. She says that my stage of life is what keeps my interest displaced from the kitchen. There are those times that I crave a particular dish that motivates me to cook...a yummy soup in the winter, a unique refreshing salad in the summer...certainly chocolate-chip-cookies year round! But there are few days that I gain any excitement from trying out a new recipe for dinner. And on the days when I do...well, a kitchen overflowing with excessive dirty dishes squelches the return of that desire for months!

Earlier I would have said this is partly my husband's fault. If he really enjoyed home-cooked meals, then I think I would get into it more. He seems just as happy to pick up Chinese take-out. (We live in China- is there any other kind?)

But I began to question this theory yesterday when Jim perked up when another wife mentioned she was cooking chicken wings for dinner. Chicken wings? Who cooks chicken wings for dinner? Then I began to think that my husband WOULD be more interested in home-cooked meals if the menu for the week was:

M- Fried chicken and french fries
T- Chicken wings and mashed potatoes
W- Tater Tot Casserole
Th- Pizza with breadsticks
F- Chicken Fried Steak with extra gravy... you get the point

But this entry is NOT about criticizing my beloved husband. It is about accepting myself... So here it is. At least in this season of life (though I will leave myself some room for growth in the future) I don't like to cook. And I'm OK with it. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go start supper.