View of the city from the center, looking to the East, on a rare, smog-free day DAILY ROUTINE Some of you have been asking about my job and it's responsibilities.  Here is a little insight into my daily routine.  The boys wake up early--between 6 and 6:30 every day, weekends included. I help get everyone dressed, fed, teeth brushed, and ready for school.  The boys spend all day in Chinese school and are surrounded by the Chinese language and as a result, they are slowly losing the ability to speak English sounds correctly.  I am here to help reinforce the English language with them.  After breakfast, I spend an hour with the middle boy as I teach him how to read and correct his pronunciation of English sounds.  After the lesson, I take the youngest two boys to school while the Mom or Dad take the oldest boy to school.  The youngest two boys and I climb aboard an electric scooter.  One boy sits in the back and the other boy stands in front of me as we join the other commuters on the clogged roads.  Normally I would never get on a motorbike, scooter, moped, or any other type of this vehicle because of the dangers involved.  But I am in a country where the majority of people are on bikes, scooters, or in electric cars and such so it is much safer than it is back in the States.  We scoot off to the school, which is about a ten-minute ride.  After dropping the boys off, I return home to help out with the normal upkeep of the apartment.  Laundry, floors, never-ending dishes, meal prep...I do whatever I can to free up the time of the parents so they have more time to devote to their ministry.  At 2:00, I pick up the middle boy from school and spend two hours with him reading, speaking, and playing Legos.  This is my favorite part of the day when I can spend one-on-one time without two other rowdy boys clamoring for attention.  At 4:00, I pick up the youngest boy from school and then head back to the apartment.  Depending on the smog level, some days we play baseball, hockey, or soccer in the common area.  Most days I get dinner on the table by 5:30.  After dinner, I clean up while Mom and Dad have time with the boys, reading to them, getting homework finished, and finally getting the boys down for bed. On Sundays, we attend an International Church.  Saturdays are my day off.  I usually use the day to explore the city.  The city is HUGE, with over 15 million people living in it.  The area of the city is spread out over 650 square miles.  Needless to say, I haven't even scratched the surface of this city yet.  While the boys are in school, I have time to read or go out with friends to have a coffee or lunch.  There is a large population of missionaries nearby so there is a lot of support in our community.  I am so grateful because this really makes life easier for me.

PATHS For we are God's masterpiece.  He head created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10   Every day I marvel at the places my life has taken me.  I never dreamt that I would be experiencing the life that I am living right now.  I am so very, very blessed to be able to travel the world and serve other missionaries.  But it wasn't always this way.  Along the way, I took many paths and detours which led me away from God's plan. (Proverbs 19:21 ESV  "We may make a lot of plans, but the Lord will do what he has decided.") I followed my own desires and did things my own way, much to my own detriment. All along, God had a plan for my life and he was patiently waiting for me to choose his way. (Isaiah 30:18 NLT "So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion.") He has uniquely created me for a specific purpose, combining my strengths, my abilities, my talents, my personality, my experiences, and my passions. Together, they enable me to do what I do now.  (Ephesians 1:11 NLT  "...he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.") We are all called to take different paths, according to the way we were designed.  Sometimes your path may be completely out of your comfort zone.  Every year God takes me down a path that challenges me in areas where I need improvement. For those of you who don't know me well, I am a shy, introverted, stuttering person who struggles with rejection and prefers to stay in the background.  So naturally, I am frequently called upon to share my story in front of a large group of people.  It always ends up being a blessing and slowly I am becoming a better speaker as well as a more self-assured individual.  God created us to reflect hope and love in this world.  We are to live differently, think differently, and love differently; we are set apart.  We leave our best mark on this world by being who we were created to be. If you ever feel God pulling you in a different direction on a new path, say "Yes" and go with him.  You won't regret it. He will take you places and put you in situations that may very well change your life forever.  His dreams for us are so much larger than our own.  PRAYER REQUESTS Miss Betty Sullins, the founder of Mission Nannys, fell and hurt her hip in April.  After surgery she completed rehabilitation and is now is the physical therapy part of her recovery plan.  Please pray for complete healing for Miss Betty. Please continue to pray for my health.  Because this past month has been quite smoggy, I have been struggling with constant headaches.  I've accepted the fact that as long as I am climbing six flights of stairs several times every day that my knees will not get any better.     FRUITS OF THE MONTH Dragonfruit The flesh of Dragonfruit can be purple or white.  It has a delicious sweet flesh and is one of our favorite fruits.  The boys prefer the purple ones and they eat them like candy. Durian Durian is a coconut-sized spiky fruit.  It has a horrible smell.  When I tasted it I was able to eat an entire section of it: but the longer I chewed it, the more unpleasant the smell became.  Now I cannot even pass fruit stands without the smell getting stuck in my nostrils.  The taste was quite bland for such an odiferous fruit.  It is not on my list of suggested fruits.       SUCCESS!!! After months of practice, I have successfully eaten in public with chopsticks without flinging food across the room!  A friend and I were eating at the counter of a hot pot restaurant and I was able to feed myself without calling attention to myself.  Unfortunately, my friend accidentally flipped her chopstick behind the counter.  The waiter got a good laugh out of it.  When my friend asked for advice, the man simply replied, "I've been using chopsticks since I was 2 years old.  It takes patience and practice."   I really admire and appreciate the graciousness of the Chinese people.