Happy Birthday, Ann (or reflections from a refugee from China)

You are invited to my birthday party on February 13,Thursday, at 7 p.m. at our son Peter’s house in Greer, SC. (Send me a message and I will send the address. 717 660 9321) This is the first time in forever that I have been in the U. S. for my birthday. For a few years now I have lost 12 hours of my birthday as I cross the International Dateline on  our way back to China on this day. However, this year I am here!! And I am throwing myself a party! Now, if you want to see the “rest of the story” as to why we are still in the States you need to open our blog and read it.

I have delayed writing about our situation because everything is still unfolding and happening very fast. About a week and a half ago we were told that Peking University (as well as all the other schools and any large gathering) was closed until further notice. We were told not to return right now and nearly all of our organization as well as other expats that we know either were already  in the US like us or have evacuated. There was some vague talk that we might try to teach online, but it was unclear when that would happen. Then on Saturday morning, Feb. 1, we got a message from our supervisor saying that we would start online classes on Feb. 17, and please get the first four lessons ready by Feb. 5!!! Panic. What platform? What parameters? What is blocked in China? How does one teach Oral English online anyway? Therefore we have spent the last few days in hyper work mode trying to get information on these problems. Some of the answers have been unearthed, and we have prepared our 4 lessons and posted them on Canvas, which is the platform  we assume the university will use (but when I opened a message just now from the University with their version of Canvas, it was all in Chinese, and not of much  use to me.) This will be an ongoing and developing issue as we work out the kinks. However, it also does not really express the bigger problem and how we are feeling about this.

We had not an inkling when we left China on Dec. 31, that the virus would spread like this. We brought only our carryon’s with clothes. I was looking forward to some intense time with family and then back to our idyllic life of ministry and teaching. Instead we fine ourselves homeless and deeply concerned about our friends and China as a whole. Not so much the virus, but the economic havoc this must be wrecking, the lack of food, transport, fuel, etc. that must be happening even as I write this. The Lord knew that if we had been in China when the bans began, we would have just hunkered down and refused to leave. He decided to make the choice easy for us and simply removed us from China before we knew what was happening. But it has truly been a struggle. I feel like a refugee, and we are certainly still working out the  details of how this is going to fit together. We would just get in our van and head out to visit friends, but now we need a steady internet connection and hours of solitude to work through the beginning online teaching process. We will be with Peter, our son, in SC for the foreseeable future while we get set up. He, as well as others, very graciously has invited us to stay, and everyone is gone during the day so we can get our work done. Which brings us to my party.

I decided that although it might be unusual to throw your own birthday party, I would do it anyway. I cannot remember the last party I had, maybe decades, and I am having trouble thinking of the last birthday present I received. Sooooo, I also want you to bring me presents. But the only presents I will accept are used clothing. Those of you who know me well, know that for ethical, moral, and financial reasons used clothing are about all I use, but I also probably cannot take many clothes with me when it comes time to travel back to China, so the clothes will be donated back to thrift shops anyway. But as I mentioned, we only have our carryon’s and I am all ready finding it difficult to have only the current clothing choices. I also thought “winter” when I packed and ended up with things like one pair of Toms shoes and a pair of boots. I need some lighter weight clothing to make it for the next who-knows-how-long. I wear size 16 clothes and shoes/sandals size 8 ½ .  I am really making a joke of this, but only kind of. Haha

I could continue this blog about the little we know about the situation in China, but will save it for a later time. Maybe I actually will know something by then. Our life has never been uneventful, but this situation is up towards the top of the list. Your prayers are greatly appreciated.