while i was there, i contacted quite a few of my old ccvs from two years ago. they're all over the place now, mostly off doing work and such and such. chatting with them about old memories and current life has made me realize how much i've missed them. it's really made me see china as a secondary home, a place i belong to.
and talking to the students in lanzhou have made me realize that i really really miss them over there. my one regret for this trip is not heading over to lanzhou after xi'an, where plane tickets are cheap and a train ride isn't too far. i've been in contact with a high school student named star, who was extremely surprised and excited to hear me talk to him. i'm actually really happy i got to talk to him; from him, i can see the lasting impact TGA has on these bright young kids. for a while afterwards, i've really questioned whether TGA's method of teaching really made a difference in these children's lives, but now i see the fruits of our labor. star has entered into a college in lanzhou--a feat by which i've heard is achieved by students by a number countable on a single hand. even more importantly, we've given him a glimpse of God's will on this earth, and he's really recognized that very fact.
now that i'm back at home, i've made a commitment to contact my students in lanzhou even after a period of nearly a year and a half of no communication. friday night's call was to a girl named julia who is now taking her first year in high school. contrary to what i'd think, she holds no resentment towards me for not calling her. we talked about little trivial things, but it filled me with so much joy. one thing's for sure: i'll be making a lot of calls into china in the future, along with a visit to lanzhou probably sometime next year (esp if i study abroad at HKU).
it's strange to think that God's given me such a heart for china though i've always called myself a global citizen. perhaps that's the real reason he gave me the gift of mandarin--to be able to use to impact lives. the past few days have made me feel slightly depressed over little things, but thinking about all the people who love and support me from around the world has helped to eliminate these feelings of discontentment.
