Light From Under A Bushel

Cleaning Lady: What’s your nationality?

Me: I’m an American.

Cleaning Lady: You’re not like the other Americans who have stayed here before.

Me: What do you mean?

Cleaning Lady: I don’t know. There’s just something different. You’re respectful, your apartment’s always clean, you don’t drink, don’t smoke.

That was from a conversation I had with our cleaning lady a few days ago. That was the last conversation I had with her in fact. She has been our maid this past month we have been here at CNU, but as of this week she has been reassigned, and we have a new maid. Though I had this conversation with 海燕, I know she was talking about all the BYU-Idaho students she has been observing these past weeks. In Mattew chapter 5, the Savior talks about the need for us to be a light unto the world; a city that is set on a hill. Though the spreading of the gospel is prohibited here in China, it amazes me how that light cannot be extinguished. Though they try to cover it, the light seeps through the cracks, as if light from under a bushel. I don’t believe the people’s path we cross in life are by mere chance or coincidence.

爱 - Love

“Our Saviors love shines like the sun, with perfect light.” (Hymn #113)

 

I believe that in an ever darkening world, the light on “love” continues to shine ever brighter. Have you ever had one of those days where you were feeling a little down, and someone doing something as simple as just smiling at you made your day? Maybe you were just talking with your parents on the phone. You didn’t talk about anything particularly important, but you just knew they cared about you unconditionally. Our love is manifest through our actions. Words by themselves are hollow, unless combined with meaningful gestures of sincere care and admiration.

I remember as a missionary, teaching individuals who had tried for years to overcome various addictions. Their will-power alone was never enough. It was only through the power of love, manifest through the atonement of Jesus Christ, that individuals were able to break the chains of their captivity. Love reaches beyond human understanding. Somehow it is not only infinite, but intimate. The love of Christ is so powerful, at times it’s almost tangible. It reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution? ...Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life…shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)

Christ’s entire life was love. His days were spent in the service of others! Christ desires that we have this same love; a “love unfeigned” (2 Corinthians 6:6). A love that isn’t fake or pretended, but originates in the very depths of the soul. Having this love creates a desire to serve God with all that we are. In a way, being willing to lose our lives for the Savior isn’t as important as really being willing to LIVE our lives for the Savior. The first is just an appendix to the second.

During one of my classes, we discussed the question: “什么是富有？”(What is prosperous?) Several ideas were presented: 钱 (money), 身体健康 (health), 亲情 (family relationships), 友情 (friendships), 爱情 (intimate relationships), and 时间 (time). When you think about it, aren’t all these things connected to ‘love’. “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (3 Nephi 13:21) What do I value most in my life?

Note from District Conference:

“What has to take place before we can be called the Lord’s friends?

Pattern:

1)      Become a disciple.

2)      Become His servant.

3)      Become His witness.

--->Friend

4)      Become joint heirs with Christ.”

-President Anthony D. Perkins

     (Asia Area President)

Chinglish

All day, every day we are surrounded with people speaking both Chinese and English. With all that swirling around in our heads, we end of speaking a mixture of both languages: Chinglish. Here are a few examples my friend Tina jotted down in her blog. They probably mean nothing to you, but for memories sake:

Josh: I was kai wan xiao-ing.

Adam: She’s such a da mafang. You know what I’m saying?

Various people: Let’s go chi some fan.
Adam: Tomorrow is your birthday is tomorrow? (mixing up word order but realizing it halfway through the sentence—and trying to fix it)

Ben: I’m kan-ing some shu.
Brother Paul: Don’t go xiexie-ing all over the place.
Me: I really like your de thoughts on that. (mixing up how to make a word possessive)
Adam: How lei are you?
Various People: Let’s shang this che.
Dana: That teacher just xiezuo’d all over my paper.

Adam and Josh: Is it easier to bao a jiaozi or to jiao someone to bao a baozi?
Various people: Listen. My duzi isn’t happy. Laduzi.

Dana: I went with MaiSee [to eat] but she qingke-ed.

A Tribute To 小胖 (Xiao Pang)

Before arriving at Carrefour that afternoon, the idea of buying a pet crab had never crossed our minds. It was just one of those decisions you make at the spur of the moment. The salesman was rather confused when I asked him what I should feed it. Haha He wasn’t overly helpful. Minutes later we were walking out of Carrefour with a live crab in a plastic bag.

It wasn’t long before the word got around about our pet, and everyone wanted to see our crab scuttle across the shower floor and blow bubbles from his mouth. I don’t think any crab has ever been more loved. I particularly remember the day our cleaning lady first found out we had a crab. Coming back to my room after class I heard her call out to me from up the hall:

Lady: Hey! What’s that crab doing in your bathroom?! It scared me half to death this morning! You know you’re not allowed to have pets!
Me: That’s not a pet… that’s our dinner.
Lady: Dinner?! And how are you planning to cook that?! (We don’t have stoves or ovens in our dorms.)
……... (Responding with a straight face)
Me: Microwave.
Lady: Microwave!? You’re going to cook it in the microwave!?
Me: What can I say? I like my seafood to be fresh.

A couple of days ago 小胖 died. It was almost midnight and raining, but using chopsticks we buried our little friend in the rose bed just outside our dorm window. He will be missed.

人山人海：

“Ren shan ren hai, dui bu dui?” This is what we often say to people as we squeeze onto crowded subways and buses. They laugh and wonder where we are from. It’s one of those cool Chinese idioms meaning, “Mountains of people, seas of people!” Though it seems like a natural part of the conversation at the time, thinking back it’a kind of a ridiculous thing to say. The equivalent in English would be a random Chinese person walking up to you and say with a grin on his face: “Birds of a feather, flock together! Am I right?!” Yup. I would laugh too. I love interacting with the people around me on these crowded subways and buses. Each person has their own individual story and outlook on life.

Riding the subway, it’s a lot of fun to listen to some of my BYU-Idaho friends practicing their Chinese with those around them. Here are a few of our funnier moments together:

Talking with the nice old gentleman, he asked her where she was from.

Emily: I am from… (not know the Chinese word) …Michigan.

Old Man: Where?

Emily: Michigan zhou.

Old Man: Oh, you live in Moxige?

Emily: (Not sure what he just said, she shook her head in agreement.)

Leaning forward I whisper to the man:

Me: “No, she’s not from Mexico.”

Studying flashcards on the subway:

Really random, and in a kind of a ‘know-it-all’ tone, she announced to everyone around her:

Abby: “Jing ji. It means lawyer.”

(A short pause…)

Me: “No it doesn’t.” haha

Tina got “lost” and wandered around Beijing for an entire afternoon. The first thing she wants to know when we see her next, is how to say “tobacco” in Chinese. Coincidence? Yeah, I thought it was pretty sketchy too.

Josh’s dating advice to Tina:

After telling a confusing story that didn’t seem to go anywhere, he remarked:

Josh: “I’m just saying, if you like a guy, touch his arm a little bit. Maybe caress his hand.”

(After a few seconds of it sinking in…)

Me: “Josh… that is possible the worst advice I’ve ever heard.”

An excerpt from Abby Paulsen’s blog:

#2 “I like it.”

“So, there I was talking to this guy on the subway. He had kind of a strong accent that was hard to understand. My friend Adam, who served a mission in Taiwan, Chinese speaking, later told me what the guy said. This is how it went. We will call the guy on the subway “Joe.”

Me: Have you eaten Beijing Duck? (Beijing is famous for their duck)

Joe: Oh, yeah it’s really good.

Me: Do you like it?

Joe: Yeah, have you tried it?

Me: I like it.

Joe: But have you tried it?

Me: … …I like it.

Joe: Ok, so you’ve tried it?

Me: (I just shook my head “no” at this point, because I had no idea what he kept asking.)

#3 “Your Chinese is very good”

“This conversation took place with Josh and a Chinese guy on the subway, but Adam and I were listening in. We’ll call the guy he was talking to “Ted.” So Ted and Josh were talking for a short time and Josh was able to carry on a conversation with him pretty well, and then…

Ted: Ni shuo han yu shuo de hen hao. (Your Chinese is very good)

Josh: huh?

Ted: Ni shuo han yu shuo de hen hao. (Your Chinese is very good)

Josh: Wo ting bu dong. (I don’t understand)

“My friends who have served foreign speaking missions have told me that the motto when you don’t understand what someone is saying to you is, “When in doubt, bear your testimony.” Here, I’ve found that the motto is, “When in doubt, say ‘bu cuo’ (not bad) and ask another question.” You can never go wrong.”

Mid-Autumn Festival At The Temple Of Heaven

The Temple of Heaven (literally the Altar of Heaven-天坛) is situated in the southeastern part of central Beijing, being constructed from 1406-1420. This complex was visited by the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest. During ancient times, the Emperor of China was regarded as the Son of Heaven, who administered earthly matters on behalf of the people. Twice a year the Emperor and all his retinue would move from the Forbidden city through Beijing to encamp within the complex, wearing special robes and abstaining from eating meat. No ordinary Chinese was allowed to view this procession or the following ceremony. It is regarded as a Taoist temple, although Chinese Heaven worship pre-dates Taoism. Symbolisms: Earth was represented by a square and Heaven by a circle. This is why both the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests and the Circular Mound Altar are round, each standing on a square yard. (Wikipedia.com)

An excerpt from Tina Ashcraft's blog:

"Afterward, I met up with Adam, Josh, Abby, and Kayli and we headed off to see the Temple of Heaven. We thought it was going to be a short event. Take a couple photos and leave—that kind of thing. But it actually ended up taking all day and we had so much fun. Can I say best day ever?

"Adam traded his broken Mao Zedong watch (the one he smashed on the alpine slide) for a ‘working’ Mao Zedong with one of the seedy watch merchants. He was happy he managed to trade it for only 17 kuai, and he walked away so proud. Only later, when he went to show someone the time, he realized the new watch had already stopped working. haha

"Leaving that section, we were mobbed by a group of Chinese tourists who wanted their photos with us. First it was three Chinese people, then it was six, then ten, then a mob of twenty people were trying to squeeze in with the waiguoren. This is some serious stuff, guys. “You need a confidence booster? Come to China.” (That was my quote!)

"We moved on to the last area, which is comprised of three rings. There was a large, outer, circular court, a level of steps and a second, circular court, and the top circular court is where most of the tourists were gathering. Adam and I taught everyone how to polka. Yeah, I’m that cool. I’ve done the polka at the Temple of Heaven.



"When we were leaving, Adam was approached by another seedy watch salesperson, and he couldn’t resist trying one last time. He managed a trade again, this time paying only 4 kuai. Good job Adam, good job. That watch has now cost how much now? Somewhere around 75 kuai? (¥71 to be exact…) A waving Mao is clearly important to him. Of course, five minutes later Adam looks down: “ai-ya!” Once again his watch wasn’t working. Hahaha. Poor kid. We dubbed it: ‘The day Mao stopped waving.’

"Walking to the far side of the Temple of Heaven, there is a very large, wooded park area where many folk were engaged in various forms of bi-pedal exercises. Following Adams advice, Josh randomly challenged some marathon runners to a footrace. They were off—and, last second, Adam decided to join too. They were already a ways ahead, but Adam still ended up beating the three Chinese men and gaining second. Congrats, you two! You beat marathon runners at a sprint."

We ended the evening celebration eating the traditional "yuebing" (Moon Cakes).

Beijing China International District

Members of the church in China can be classified into two categories: 1) Those with foreign visas (including Taiwan and Hong Kong), and 2) Chinese members. The two groups are prohibited from any interaction with each other. Members of the Asia Area Presidency are the only ones who have information about these native Chinese members, and they are not allow to release any of this information. Not even where branches exist nor how many Chinese members there are.

In China there are two districts for members with foreign visas. One district covers the area surrounding the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing. Our district is the Beijing China International District, and it covers the rest of China. The geographical boundaries of our district are enormous, so the church uses a telecommunication system to broadcast the meetings nationwide. It was interesting to see how the meeting took place. Though President Anthony D. Perkins (President of the Asia Area) and the District Presidency were here in Beijing, members from many different cities and branches actively participated in the meeting. Through this telecommunication system we listened to a choir in Shenzhen provide a special musical number, a member from the Xi’an provided an opening prayer, talks were given by individuals in Guangzhuo and Qingdao. It amazed me how technology was being used to move the work of the Lord forward. Over 700 members participated in the conference from more than 30 locations throughout China. (My understanding is that there are only 7 branches in our district. Individuals who don’t live in cities with branches participate in a virtual church each Sunday in there homes.)

Our ward here in Beijing meets on the fourth floor of a large skyscraper. I believe we meet on this particular floor because it could be purchase at a cheaper rate. I found out as a missionary in Taiwan that Chinese people are superstitious, and consider the number four to be unlucky. This is because the Chinese words ‘four’ and ‘death’ are the same word, just with different tones. (During those two years of missionary service I lived in eight different apartment buildings, and all but one were on the fourth floor.) It’s interesting to note that you will rarely, if ever, find a hospital with a fourth floor. If you ride in the elevator, you will find that the floors skip from the third to the fifth.

What I Wish I Could Tell Her...

There are certain people that you just connect with. Simon Jones was certainly one of those people for me. Whenever there was an opportunities to serve, (cleaning the Temple from 9pm until midnight, volunteering to work at the bishops store-house, baptisms for the dead early morning before class, providing sacrament meeting at the elderly home, mutual at the juvenile center, etc) we were always both there. We have been roommates these past three semesters and is now one of my best friends. My friendship with my roommate here in Beijing, Josh Riches, has been much the same way.

This morning a small group of us BYU-Idaho students cleaned the church here in Beijing. Waking up at 6:30am on a Saturday morning is a small thing, and I really don’t mind the hour and half bus/subway ride to the chapel. The time really flies as Josh and I interact with the people who are crowded around me. (This is a holiday weekend, so the subways were especially crowded this morning. Switching from one subway line to another, with bells ringing signally that the doors would soon be closing, we pushed our way into the subway just as the doors were slamming shut. A man, farther in, let out a yelp as he was smashed in the crowd of people filling the area around him. It was like sardines; every inch of space packed with people shoulder to shoulder. It was truly an amazing site to see.)

Just before we finished cleaning, a Chinese lady working in our same building walked up to me and asked me what we were doing. I simply remarked that we were cleaning our church in preparation for our Sunday meetings. She knew that we were Christians and asked if she could attend our church meetings tomorrow. I wanted so bad to say: ‘YES!’ I wanted so bad to tell her that I knew that the gospel of Jesus Christ could make all the difference in her life, and that she was a child of God! I wanted to explain to her that God had a plan that would allow her family to be together forever, but I couldn’t. Brother Liu, a Taiwanese member who was helping us clean the church this morning, overheard our conversation and came over. He explained to her that the Chinese government had laws that wouldn’t allow her to do so right now. It just broke my heart. There are so many souls in China prepared to receive the restored gospel. I look forward to day when the doors swing wide open, and I hope to have even a small part in that taking place.

My Home Away From Home

Being with my roommate Josh feels like I’m back in the mission training again (and I love it!). He has taken some Chinese classes at BYU-Idaho, so his Chinese is pretty similar to my trainees coming out of the MTC. He doesn’t understand much yet, and constantly turns to me for translation, but we have a lot of fun together. (I remember how excited he was that first morning I took him to by food out on the street.) You have no idea how great it feels to be back in Asia. I was worried that I had forgotten a lot during that year I was home from my mission, but being out on the streets again makes it feel like it was just yesterday.

Few things get me back into my missionary mode more than bargaining at markets. I forgot how much I missed bargaining with Chinese salesmen! We went to the silk market today, and there was one particular dragon tie that I liked but the lady wanted ¥285 for it. That is ridiculously high! The lady obviously thought I was just some ignorant tourist she could rip off. After haggling with her for 5-10 minutes, I set my final price (which she refused), so I walked away. It didn’t take long before she was calling for me to come back. I bought that tie for only ¥35. (Less than six dollars U.S.)

Cultural Visit: Grocery Store

The most popular grocery store here in China is called Wumei. Though Wal-mart has been here for a while now, it can’t seem to keep up with this chain of little stores. There is an Wumei just up the road from our apartment, and it is pretty much a hole in the wall, having a narrow entrance between two other stores. As you walk through the entrance, you still have to snake through a series of other small stands selling various items ranging from cell phones to jewelry. 

            As I walk into Wumei, the first thing to catch my eye are the shelves filled with various brands of Raman Noodles. There are row after row of the same product being produced by numerous brands, in a seemingly unnecessary amount. Though raman noodles are something you will find in the United States, you certainly won’t find it in the same degree. The way you cook the noodles are the same, but the flavor packages are very different. These come with several different seasonings, including liquid soy sauce, in addition to the regular powder packages you are accustomed too. Once you’ve had these noodles, your American raman noodles almost seem flavorless.

            Next you might notice a table covered in various traditionally Chinese pastries. Unlike the United States where most of the food is packaged, these just sit out in the open, occasionally being covered by clear plastic covering. You probably wouldn’t like these pastries your first time trying them. The Chinese don’t like sweets very much, and most of their pastries are comparatively very bland (and the ones that aren’t bland, you sometimes wish they were).  You might not be accustomed to the various flavors: Red Bean, Taro, Black Sesame Seed, etc…

            The meat and seafood section is almost entertaining. Raw meat sits out in the open on ice, and there are all kinds of fresh fish (None of which are cut-up or packaged).  The raw chicken feet were particularly interesting. That is certainly not something you would see every day in the United States.

            Visiting any Chinese grocery store, you will find their huge selection of various kinds of Chinese tea. Drinking tea is a very significant part of Chinese culture. As a missionary in Taiwan, I must have sat down in thousands of Chinese houses, and I can’t remember once not being offered tea (It surprises most people to learn that there are more teas that we are allowed to drink, than are actually prohibited by the Word of Wisdom).

            Last of all I want to point out the different fruits that are common here. In addition to all the fruits that are commonly found in the United States, China has several additional ones. You may not be very familiar with the following: durian fruit, guava, dragon fruit, papaya, passion fruit, winter mellow, mango, etc...

Sometimes It's Better Not To Know...

Everyone from our group has gotten sick to some degree from the food we are eating. (I’m not talking seriously sick, mostly just “拉肚子” - diarrhea) Why? Because we are eating three meals a day from street vendors. We don’t have our cafeteria cards yet, so we have to eat-out in restaurants or off the streets (which is much cheaper). A dozen street vendors have set up carts outside the gates of our school, selling a variety of different Chinese xiaochi. I don’t really notice as much anymore, but sometimes I just have to question how sanitary the food we are eating really is. These people cooking our food don’t wear gloves or hairnets like you would see in the United States. Sometimes I just want to ask if they wash their hands or utensil with soap? How long has that been sitting out for? Is that cigarette ash floating in my soup? But then again, sometimes it's better not to know...

I’m to the point that I won’t eat anything that I haven’t seen cooked. While waiting for our sandwich today, we watched as the man pulled raw chicken out of a plastic grocery bag hanging from the side of his cart and tossed it into the grease. (He had no refrigeration, not even a cooler.) Turning to Josh: "Should that worry me? Yeah, probably. Does it worry me? A little. Having seen that, will I still be back her for lunch tomorrow? Yup..."

Now don’t get me wrong, I am actually a huge fan of eating off the street. I personally think the food is delicious, and you can’t argue with the price. One of my favorite street vendors sells a sandwich that is comparable to what you would find on a McDonalds menu, but it only cost ¥3.5 (about 50 cents). 

To be blunt about the water here, it isn't safe to drink. People living in China have to buy bottled water, use a filter system, or boil it. (Most people use a combination of the three.) Here in our apartment we have a large thermos that we fill with boiling water from a machine in the laundry room. After letting it cool overnight we fill our water bottles with this lukewarm water. It's a daily process.