I Thought I was Volunteering

A few weeks ago, I had to fill out some paperwork and state the number of times I taught English Club. I just thought they were formalities in China. But the other day I received this We-Chat from Lily, the teacher who oversaw me.

It's an envelope with my name on it. Then this conversation:

That amount is equivalent to me making $36 an hour. That's not an awful wage in the US, but it is unheard of here. WAY too much. They *really* don't understand volunteering.

It was the next day that I finally heard back from Lily. (I think they really don't know what to do with me!)

After this conversation, I sent the top image to Tom and said, "I hope I didn't preach the gospel too loudly here." And then I got on my knees to pray for Lily to have a revelatory experience knowing who to help with the money and to experience great joy in doing it. I hope she'll repeat it again and again! What I wanted to say to Lily was that I'm not necessarily a great and kind person, but I'm trying to live my religion and that is what it teaches. I really feel that serving others is a key to eliminating the disparity and oppression in this country. I hope Lily's actions trickle far and wide--for her and others.

I'm thankful for these types of missionary opportunities. So thankful.

Comments

While We Are Waiting: Temples!

I love the temple. When I first learned of the possibility of us moving to China in December 2019, one of my first questions was "How can I leave the temple?" That question was answered in part during the closure of temples in 2020. However, when the joint venture was signed and Tom was officially offered the position in China in November 2020, I began fasting and praying that I would be able to attend the temple just once before we left. Our original flights were for July 7, 2021 and just a few weeks before that, our temple opened up and miraculously we were able to get 2 appointments for baptisms and 4 other appointments for Tom and I before our departure date. I can't express my deep gratitude for those 6 precious appointments. Then when we didn't obtain a visa in time for those flights and access to nearby temples was given, I took up a new hobby. Temple scheduling. The girls teased me it was a bit of an obsessed hobby; but since we will go ...

Bamboo Forest

There is a bamboo forest nearby. A few weeks ago we paid it a visit. It was about an hour drive and after we got off the freeway it was a meandering road through some cute villages. I started getting excited for some hiking and a lovely nature experience. I should have known better. This is China. If people will come, they will find a way to make some money. The bamboo forest was no different---it was a tourist trap. That didn't mean we didn't enjoy it. We did. It was a lot of fun. But our expectations were shot down yet again. (Pro tip, Darcee, drop all expectations, you're in China!) At the bamboo forest, you can see shops, get a hot dog at "Fatty Dogg WestCoast Hot Dog", (perhaps I should try it, my expectations may be happily surprised; but I highly doubt it) get measured 3 times, (in China, children's prices are determined by your height, not your age. When we came to China, both girls were under 150cm so they...

Underarm Odor Census Notice

I just got this text message from Changzhou City. I can't quite imagine what an inspection would entail. (And to "enjoy" an inspection!) In a country where you can't buy deodorant, what would the treatment be? I wish them well on their census efforts!

This Great Work

Search This Blog