Dieck

In 26 days I will depart for Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago. It seems so long ago that I made the decision to walk the Camino as a pilgrim. At that time it seemed so far away and so unreal. Now departure is just around the corner and it has become very real! I have been busy preparing spiritually, physically, and mentally (in that order), and I am anxious to begin. I have a wireless keyboard so that I can use my smartphone to blog daily. I would love to share this journey with you; however, if you have received this and prefer not to be on my blog, please just let me know. Buen Camino! Linda... read more

Left the hotel in frustration this evening around 8pm. I had sat at this computer for at least an hour trying to finish a still unpublished blog I had started last night. In all that time I got about a paragraph done. The computer or the blog site froze on me at least 15 times. Wanted to throw the computer out the door! I returned around 10 much happier with the success of the evening shopping on the street a couple blocks from the hotel. I discovered this evening flea market (for want of a better name for it) when we first arrived in Beijing. People literally line the sidewalks with their wares - it is an interesting sight to see! I scored well and was happy with myself. I was able to score 3 nice ... read more

Back to present time. There will be pictures added to this one at a later time too. This will be my last entry for the day as I think the people in the hotel would like me out of the office. This may be my last entry from China too as I head home Sunday - it is now Wednesday morning here. I leave Xinyang in the morning by train to Beijing to join the others. It is a 9 hour train ride. Hopefully this train won't be 2 hours late like the one from Nanchang to here! June 30 - Charles comes to visit me from his home. It is a 4 hour bus ride for him! He was my student, with his wife Mary, in 2004. They are both English teachers in their home. ... read more

These pictures are primarily of the sunset and sunrise at Lushan. I have some wild stories to tell about that and then our swim at the Three Step Waterfall. As Andrea put it we were like zoo animals playing in the water with people taking pictures. And YES that is a man on a bike with another suspended below him - they were on a wire suspended over the canyon - any mistake was sure death! I couldn't believe my eyes when I happened to look up and see them.... read more

Okay we step back a bit. This would have been a week ago this past Sunday. First we have this unplanned meet with Larry - Larry is the billionaire that owns NIT. Martin wanted to go take pictures at the administration building after the closing ceremony. Low and behold down the stairs comes Larry. Andrea mentioned how hot it was and the next thing we know Larry is going to send us to Lushan to Lu Mountains in his private car for an overnight get away with Martin as our guide. He said so we could see the beauty and enjoy cooler temperatures after our hard two weeks of teaching in the heat! We had know idea the adventures that were to follow! Check out the pictures - I will add descriptions later. By the way ... read more

Still on Sunday the 29th. There will be pictures with this one at some point to - when I am able. Sometime around 6pm. Time for noodles from our favorite mom and pop noodle shop! I head out of the Sunny Hotel and head back towards "my street." I decide to walk as it isn't that far and I have to have that shirt fixed on the way anyway (I saw many seamstresses with there sewing machines that are probably 100 years old on my my earlier walk from church). I cross the street and as I make my way to dinner I see a seamstress in an ally and make my way to her. There is a toddle there and as I look down I gasp. The child has a large syringe with a LARGE ... read more

A step back a couple days . . . There will be pictures to go with this when I return home too! The alarm clock goes off and church begins at Xinyang! We stand and shake hands and wish each other God's peace. Well at least that is what I have always assumed we are doing - I am wishing them God's peace anway. Then there is the responsive reading. I think it is Psalm 46 - it sounds good to me anyway. God is our refuge and our strengh and ever-present help in trouble! . . . . The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob our fortress! Part of me misses the old church . . . I know it is silly - the hard wooden benches with us packed on them ... read more

HELLO XINYANG! And here are hugs from Lois! So many memories - as I come up out of the bus terminal the city greets. Loud and wide awake at 6am - greets me with a blast of hot air! Ahhhh xinyang . . . . I will forever love this city! Its like going back to your old hometown. You know its changed but there are so many memories and as you walk down the street you see so many things that haven't changed!!!! I arrived i Xinyang this morning about 6am. I have gotten a hotel room, been to church and gone shopping already this morning! All by myself too - no one to help me and you know I don't speak Chinese! Meg and Lois I miss you being here with me! Church was ... read more

Leaving the closing ceremony Andrea decided to stop and enlist with the Chinese ROTC on campus. She is getting a lesson in Kung Fu with the stick - check it out!... read more