Pickles At USU

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

2010-04-15T15:32:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful day!! It has been awhile since I've updated and thought well, isn't today a great day for blogging!? I think so. So as a result here is the new post for this month. ;) Considering that's what's been happening. (the whole monthly blogging) Anyway, I can't believe how fast time has flown by these past few months! It's almost the middle of April! Cody's birthday is tomorrow and Heather and I turn 21 in a week from Saturday. Life needs to slow down now!!! I'm not old enough to be 21 yet. I still feel like a kid. I guess it all depends on how you look at things.

Spring is upon us! In fact it has sprung! J/K not quite yet. I found this picture on the internet! I couldn't help myself. They were just so beautiful and I had to put them on my blog! Soon they will really be out though and they won't have to be pretend flowers.

Managua NICARAGUA Mission

2010-03-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

My mission call was delivered to my house at about 2 o'clock on Wednesday February 24, 2010. My mom text me to tell me it was here and I freaked out on the spot. I teared up in disbelief! I had planned to wait to open it on Friday night with my family and friends but as the day drew on the waiting and anticipation could no longer happen. I had to open it that night. So Jen, Cody, and I drove down from Logan to open my call that night. Heather would have to meet us there because she had a lab that couldn't be missed.
Well at about 8:15 pm the doubt, fear, and wonder left my mind. I opened the envelop to find that my life in the next few months my life would change drastically. This is what it said:

Dear Sister Pond:

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are assigned to labor in the Nicaragua Managua Mission. It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should report to the Provo Missionary Training Center on Wednesday, May 26th, 2010. You will prepare to preach the gospel in the Spanish language. Your assignment may be modified according to the needs of the mission president.

You have been recommended as one worthy to represent the Lord as a minister of the restored gospel. You will be an official representative of the Church. As such, you will be expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and appearance by keeping the commandments, living mission rules, and following the counsel of your mission president. As you devote your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs, the Lord will bless you with increased knowledge and testimony of the Restoration and of the truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Your purpose will be to invite those to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. As you serve with all your heart, might, and strength, the Lord will lead you to those who are prepared to be baptized.

The Lord will reward you for the goodness of your life. Greater blessings and more happiness than you have yet experienced await you as you humbly and prayerfully serve the Lord in this labor of love among His children. We place in you our confidence and pray that the Lord will help you become an effective missionary.

You will be set apart as a missionary by your stake president. Please sent your written acceptance promptly, endorsed by your bishop.

Sincerely,
Thomas S. Monson
President

I know this is a calling from the Lord. I'm excited to serve in Nicaragua! Now I just have to wait.....AGAIN!

Sitting, WAITING, Wishing

2010-02-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

This week has already been the longest week of my life. It's only Tuesday afternoon and I feel like a whole week could and should have gone by already. I've been sitting around looking for things to do to keep myself productive and to also make time go faster but it hasn't done any good. So I sit waiting ever so patiently for something to come up. Things like watching the Bachelor, or going to FHE, or taking a trip to the store with Sammy, or even studying for that matter! Anything will do really!! I need to keep my mind off getting my mission call. I'm left wishing it will already be here so I don't have to worry about it any longer. My end result, I'm sitting, waiting, and wishing all for the same thing! I guess I really need a life huh!?

poEms arE CUMMING out in Style

2010-01-30T10:07:00.000-08:00

I heard this poem and thought it was a perfect Valentine's Day "Love Emotion". It goes like this...

I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart.
I am never without it, anywhere I go you go. My Dear.
And whatever is done by only me is your doing, My Darling.

I fear no fate for you are my fate, My Sweet.
I want no world , For Beautiful, you are my world.
My True, and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant.
And whatever a sun will always sing is you.

Here is the deepest secret nobody knows,
Here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called LIFE.
Which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide. And this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart.

I carry your heart. I carry it in my heart.

-EE. Cummings

Thanksgiving time in Moab

2009-11-30T14:34:00.000-08:00

This time of year always makes me so excited. I love being with my family and everything we do. We spent our Holiday in Moab. We went hiking, shooting, and played loads of games. I think the best part about it all however is eating Thanksgiving dinner on Paper plates with plastic silverware in a Condo somewhere outside of town. It's not the traditional dinner you hear everyone talk about. But it's tradition in our family and I LOVE IT! Here are some pictures.

FINALLY GOT AN "A" IN CHEMISTY!

2009-11-20T09:17:00.000-08:00

These past few weeks have been so weird. I have been praying for time to move faster because I'm getting so anxious for school to be over this semester. There's only 2 more weeks left of school and I'm done. The reason I say the past few weeks have been so weird is because I've been getting what I've prayed for. Two weeks have already gone by.... and I have been staying way busy. This week especially since it's now Friday and I swear the week just started. However, I have been working my little butt off this past week because I had a Chemistry exam on Wednesday and I spent over 17 hours studying for it. (Yuck! I know right?!) Well, praying for help and all the study time paid off! LOOK FOR YOURSELF!

Detail file for chem1210-1118ensign

Name : Nicole Pond                 Id: A00789093
Test : chem1210-1118ensign       Date: November 18, 2009
You scored:   23 out of   25 for    92%
 You ranked:   44 out of  227 who took this test
Average score:  19.5 +/-    4.6 (std.dev)

Question    Response    Question    Response    Question    Response
 #      Your   Instr |   #      Your   Instr |   #      Your   Instr |
---     ----   ----- |  ---     ----   ----- |  ---     ----   ----- |
 1       D           |  10       D           |  19       C           |
 2       B           |  11       A           |  20       A           |
 3       A           |  12       E           |  21       C      D    |
 4       C           |  13       D           |  22       B      E    |
 5       E           |  14       A           |  23       B           |
 6       A           |  15       B           |  24       B           |
 7       D           |  16       D           |  25       C           |
 8       B           |  17       C           |
 9       B           |  18       B           |

I ONLY MISSED 2 QUESTIONS! Totally awesome. I know the Lord answers prayers! By the way Thanks Cody for all your help! You're the best!

Not much to report :

2009-10-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

Life has not been the most exciting lately. I feel like there isn't much I can report on to keep you all interested for very long but nonetheless I have the urge to blog right now. So to keep you updated on what has happened over the past couple months.

I got a calling in church. I'm once again helping with the compassionate service committee. I swear I always get called to help with that and it's great because I love it!
I'm doing really well in school. I have been caught up in all my classes for a little while now and I can't believe I would procrastinate my homework before. It's totally stressful! So school is going well.
The boys in my life are basically my nephews and Cam Woodbury (my really close friend). I haven't dated much since I got to school whether it be because I'm too busy with homework and studies or the real reason....because the boys are lame up here.
I love FHE! I have a crush on my FHE dad which is probably why I love to go, but not only that it's that we have something different we do every week! We hiked to the wind caves once, played games as a family, made skookies one night while playing wii, and to tie it all together we share spiritual thoughts. I love, love it.
Lastly, I have been donating plasma for the past month and a half now. It's the coolest experience you could do for yourself. You help save a life and get money for it. WIN WIN situation people! Awesome! And just to add a note to those who aren't interested really, I heard it helps lower your cholesterol, so go check it out!

Other then these things listed here, there really isn't much going on in the life of me. I'll continue to update now that I have more time considering I'm ahead in all my work. I'll be in touch.

The Power of The Temple

2009-09-06T19:42:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I attended the temple dedication with my family. While in the meeting house I had an experience I will never forget. I had a "flash forward" if you so will about something I desire with all my heart. For all of you who know me, I have been talking seriously about serving a mission ever since I have been home from China. That is still my desire. Anyway, the experience that I had while with my family leads highly into attending the temple. I saw myself walking within those sacred walls, and felt as if I were walking on clouds. After the shock of realizing where I was and looking at the incredible structure of the building.... It came time for me to walk through the vale and when I looked through to the other side, I immediately burst into tears. On the other side I saw my Father standing there waiting for me, smiling as bright as the sun. He motioned for me to come and accompany him so we could finish out the rest of the session. As I walked across the vale with tears still in my eyes, he grabbed my hand and then embraced me. I had never been so happy in my entire life! I felt completed, I felt real joy, I felt my Savior. My father stepped back and looked me in the eyes and said, "Nicole, this is it. You did it! I'm so proud of you. This is what life is all about. Remember and ALWAYS Remember." After those last couple words of "always remember" I flashed back to reality while sitting in the meeting house. I then had tears well up in my eyes for real. I then thought, that's exactly how it's going to be and I wouldn't have it any other way. Therefore, my feelings of serving a mission got stronger. I know my Father loves me. I want him to be the one that pulls me through. This brought me to have a strong testimony of the gospel and why the temple is so important! I cannot wait for my time to go through the temple. What an incredible opportunity.
This site below is an awesome article about why these temples are so important. I love this gospel so much. It's totally Epic!
http://www.lds.org/temples/purpose/why/0,11581,1953-1,00.html

SCHOOL... School... school

2009-08-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

Poof!!! I'm back from my fantasy world. Sorry it's been over a month since I last updated. There are no excuses other then my fantasy world ROCKS! Well, it's crazy to think summer has come and gone already and now it's time to go back to school. I have been running around like a mad women trying to get everything ready to move back up to Logan. I can't tell you how "EXCITED" I am to live there again. It's probably the best place ever. Plus the whole school scene isn't that bad either! I'm serious. I love it. Life has been good and it will only get that much better when I'm back in Logan. See ya up there guys! I know you've been waiting for me!

July already...... julying to me? Julyer!

2009-07-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already July! It's crazy to me how much time has flown since I have been back from China, gone to school for a semester, and it be almost half way through the summer! I'm excited for the upcoming events in my life though which will be exciting in the weeks and months to come. Especially this weekend for the fireworks! Just a little preview of what it will look like!

Olive Garden Eatin'!!

2009-03-22T15:57:00.001-07:00

One of Heather's roommates, Lora, had never been to the Olive Garden to eat. I know it's a "catastrophe" right? (inside joke) Well, that all changed on the 21st of March, 2009. We ventured down the street, just a hop, skip, and a jump away to have a delectable meal. It was quite the adventure. Maybe it's just one of those things you just have to be there for but nonetheless it was rather entertaining! We had a good ol' time!

Me and Lora: Aren't we just so beautiful?

Heather and Samantha: They could practically be twins right? Maybe.... Almost....??

They had these amazing drinks that were so good. We each had our own little passion for them after we got them. And yes I'm drinking water.... Cause in case you didn't know..... water's always better! (Famous words from the movie - Waterboy)

Can you be 2 places at once?

2009-02-28T08:12:00.001-08:00

Oh the boredom days up at USU. They really do go well. A few of my friends had on their kick list (Bucket List) to be in 2 places at once. (Is that even possible?) Oh by Zeuz, you better believe it is. We were trying to think of ways to make it happen.....and well thanks to the movie "A Walk to Remember" things happened! Thank goodness Idaho is only about 15 minutes away. HEHE!

Year 2009!!

2009-01-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Year 2009 started off with a bang! My friend Sammy invited a group of friends over to watch the Utah vs. Alabama Bowl game. And let me tell you it was the night of a life time! We had so much fun with the intensity of the game, the amazing camel/chocolate fondu, and the enjoyment of each others company that we had to document our joy. And look the whole crew decided to show up. Oh and for those that don't know.....Utah beat Bama! BOOYAH!!!! 13-0. Perfection looks so much better in RED.

Problems with technology..

2008-11-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not updating my blog as often as I would like!! The technology here isn't that great and it doesn't help either when my computer is having a hard time uploading the full web page. So again my apologizes.

Beijing at its Best

2008-11-04T01:45:00.000-08:00

Beijing was incredible. I think so far it has been one of the best experiences ever! The city is MASSIVE! And I'm pretty sure what I have to say here won't even give what I experienced Justice. So I will let the pictures do the talking.

Great Wall Grandeur!

2008-10-17T17:00:00.001-07:00

The Great Wall has always been on a list of mine to go see, experience, and love. Well, that dream came true on October 2nd, 2008. I hiked the Great Wall, which was not an easy task. I literally stood on top of a mountain and looked out over the city below. No wonder they built it to keep the Huns away. Let me first say, it wasn't what I expected it to be. I thought it would be wider with walls like a castle. Instead it was like a little path way that scaled the mountain face and was at least 10 feet tall maybe taller. I guess all the Chinese people were going for was the height. Their such tiny little things they don't need the width like us Americans. Sad but true. I had a dream and I got to see, experience, and love every minute of it.

I had to pause for a minute and take in everything I was seeing, experiencing, and loving. It was without a doubt the coolest thing ever!

It was super hot that day so I was sweating pretty good. Don't laugh too hard!

On the way back down all the girls and I decided we wanted to take the Zip-line. Don't worry all they do is wrap you up tight and let you go! Talk about adventure at it's finest!!

The wall was also very very steep at places. Almost completely vertical actually.

When we were off the Zip-line there was a cute little boat that was waiting for us to take us back to the Parking Lot. This picture was on the boat.

Forbidden City FEVER!!

2008-10-16T19:23:00.001-07:00

The fever began one morning when the girls and I decided we wanted to go to the Forbidden City. Before we knew it we were standing before the front gate along with the MILLIONS of other Chinese tourists. When I say millions I really mean millions. Just walking through the front gate we were sandwiched between little Chinese people rambling on with gibberish words and pausing to look at us with these faces of pure shock, like they have never seen a white person before. Well, actually they haven't which is super weird.....anyway, back to the story. After about 10 minutes of trying to walk through the door we finally hit the City grounds! Another dream fulfilled! I was encompasses with the awe and wonder of the Forbidden City walls! Take a look at the adventure...The fever never fails.

Before walking in the front gates.

What did I tell you about the millions of people? Absolute chaos!

All the other pictures you see are self explanatory. I hope you enjoy the Fever as much as I did.

Out of all places to meet up with Serena and her family the Forbidden City was the place with the millions of Chinese people. Serena is one of the teachers at school in Changzhou. Crazyness!

We met Hans right as we walked through the gate. He gave us girls a fabulous tour of the City.

Apparently throwing money on the turtle/dragon means good luck. Hans had never seen this before so it was a first for the 5 of us!

Imperial Flower Garden

2008-10-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

At first we thought the Imperial Flower Garden was way lame because there weren't any flowers in site. Some Imperial Flower Garden this was! You would think that flowers would be really easy to spot right? They're colorful little things that smell really good. Just follow your nose and you will find the flowers. Well after about a half hour we were very disappointed we spent 5 qui on nothing!! But boy were we wrong! After about another 15 minutes we spotted them!! All you have to do is walk around for 45 minutes with all searching eyes! But what we saw was incredible. I'll let you decide what you think for yourselves.

There was a choir of people behind us singing opera. It was surprisingly really good music. Man the Chinese are super cool!

Bamboo is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! I felt like a model when taking pictures.

There were weeping willows everywhere!! As you can tell I'm super excited.

When we spotted the little temple of prayer we just had to take time out of our day to Meditate. (Pay our respects to Buddah)

Mulan anyone? Sign me up!!

Look we found the flowers! They are absolutely beautiful huh!? What did I tell ya?

Yet another picture we just had to take! There were just way to many cool buildings in this Imperial Flower Garden.

Kat and I are being ridiculous. Taiji was calling our names, or should I say Martial arts?

I think we went in the side enterance of the Imperial Flower Garden because this picture is the main enterance. Look Flowers galore!!

FOOD CHINESE STYLE....

2008-10-13T22:17:00.000-07:00

The food here in China can be quite deceiving. You may look at something and think, "Hey, that actually looks really good!!!" and get all excited and then when you taste it, you are very very disappointed and end up spitting it out. On the other hand you may look at something and think, "There is no way anyone should ever eat something that looks like that!!! That's disgusting!" and the next minute you are scarfing it down because it's so good. You can never assume here in China. What your served is what you eat and you deal with it. You may go home with a full stomach or just the opposite leaving with just the sound of rumbling in your tummy. I'm thankful that I've had more days with leaving full rather then the rumbling.

Most of the food still contain their bones .... Helpful Hint: Always watch out for the noggin!!!

I was told before coming to China that the noodles were always safe to eat. So what did I do?? I went straight for the noodles. They are sooooooooo good.

Um.......All I gotta say is the rest of this food tastes exactly how it looks. The veges are always good.

I know one thing is for sure....YOU CAN NEVER GO WRONG WITH ICE CREAM!!! We found a Cold Stone in Beijing and if you think for one second that we weren't going to stop, your CRAZY! It was sooooo good. The melting in your mouth, the delicious fruit, and sweet caramel....ah, I'm drooling just remembering what it was like. I've got one word for you, YUMMY!!

A Day in the City With May!!

2008-10-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

So first I must apologize for not updating my blog sooner. I have horrible news to tell you all. I got my camera stolen about a month ago and it's been hard getting the pictures off of the other girls camera's..and as you can tell with traveling and what not it has taken me forever. Please forgive me. However, I would like to kick off my blogging rampage with a day in the city with May!! May is one of my students I help teach on Tuesday's and Thursday's reading. She is beautiful and does well. Her family is very polite and humble in a way that is undescribable. They cooked us Lunch and it was probably the best Chinese food I have ever had. HOT!! The food we have at the school cafeteria is cold probably 90% of the time. Which makes some of us queezy, but after having it for so long you get used to it. So again let me explain to you the food that we had was INCREDIBLE!!! I even ate fish. I'm beginning to like it. A lot actually.

This little boy was just random. He was driving a remote control car. It was pretty intense.

The day consisted of us going into the city and enjoying an amusement park. We walked there from May's house. It wasn't that far away, only about a 10-15 minute walk.

I loved it so much!!! The swings were crazy talk! They went so fast you felt like the chains were going to snap and fling out into the middle of nowhere! But no worries I'm safe....those chains really are super strong. My absolute favorite part was the bumper cars though. The bumper cars were legit! I wish I could explain them better. But for now all I can say is that when you got hit, you really bumped around! As far as the roller coaster went it wasn't as fun as I hoped it would have been. But the day was amazing! The family was great!

The Best Kids Ever!

2008-09-18T18:02:00.001-07:00

So I was thinking about how my Homeroom class really wanted to meet my family and all the sudden I got really homesick. I have been missing you all like crazy!! However, these kids are my new family now. They are my pride and joy. As you can see they are the most precious things ever. Take a look and tell me if their names fit their faces!

All of their names just in case you couldn't see them in their pictures are....
Logan, Tara, Bailey, Lily, Jason, Howard, Jenny, Emma, Jazzy, and Taylor.
Ps....A few of the kids in my class had to change because they weren't compatible with some of the other kids so Howard and Jason are new. Just so you know.

FIELD TRIP!!!

2008-09-16T19:36:00.001-07:00

King (the guy that's incharge of us) told us we were going out! He said the school was going to show us Changzhou and hoped we would enjoy ourselves as we went about the city. To our astonishment we ended up going to the ancient city of Chanzhou. How could we not enjoy ourselves!? It's over 3000 years old!!!

This is the front gate to before you enter into the actual city.

This little building I called my own. Not to much to ask for right?

Once we got into the city after walking past all the other old buildings you simply just walk into the most beautiful place ever. I sort of felt like I was in Mexico or something when I say these arches!

On our way out I felt like we were walking away from a castle or something. It felt so protected there. It's crazy how the Chinese deal with certain things like that.

Memoirs of an American Tutor

2008-09-16T18:48:00.000-07:00

My first thought of coming to China was...I can't wait to meet my little kids. I knew they would be super cute and I just wanted to be with them and teach them. Seriously how hard could it be to teach them English? Boy let me tell you it's not as easy as you think it is. The first week of teaching went rather interesting. We had a meeting about 2 hours before our first class (in which none of us understood one word) and the nerves started to hit. But by the end of the meeting they calmed down after they greeted us with the lovely flowers you see me holding. They wanted to make us feel at home and thanked us for our generous time with helping their kids out.....I thought was going to cry. Then teaching began....and surprisingly it went rather well. But I knew it was only the beginning.

Katherine and I were so ready to teach we couldn't stand it anymore.

Abby was teaching Old Mc'Donald had a Farm and of course she had to have pigs!! I think the noses would work wonders with the little kids don't you!? They look fantastic!

These are some of the kids we thought we were going to be "tutoring" ... They are probably the cutest little things ever! Some of them can be very restless at times but by the end of the day you can't help but love them.

All of these girls are amazing! I will have you know I couldn't have asked for more while being here in China. They are becoming my best of friends!! I love them all.

The Humble Abode

2008-09-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

I thought it was a bit rude not to invite you all over, so here is a formal invitation for all those who want to come!! Welcome to my humble abode!!!! I hope you can forgive me for not asking sooner!!

I know it's not much but please take into consideration the circumstances I'm living in......PSYCH! In case you haven't seen the pictures already it's pretty much incredible!! Considering the school is only a year old, the staff member's thought it would be great to give us all our own rooms complete with EVERYTHING! It's one thing to be spoiled back home in America but here in China too?? Who would have thought?

The bed is the highlight of my room, despite the rock hard pad I have under me every night, it's quite comfortable.

I even have my own 2 sinks and washer and spinner. In case you don't know...there is no such thing as a dryer in China. They hang their clothes instead.

The mini fridge and freezer hold all my beverages....and again it would be rude of me not to offer you something to drink so go ahead. Take whatever you'd like! You can choose from Water, Juice, or Soda! I have all three. The TV never comes on because all the channels are in Chinese. But it's there for looks. And of course we can't forget the Microwave that's in the corner of my lovely desk/closet! Amazing eh?

My squatter and shower are connected in the same room. And FYI squatters are the best invention ever!
Most of everywhere you go you could probably go to the bathroom and shower at the same time right? Not here, you can pee as you'd like without getting a drop of water on you!

Little Warrior!!

2008-09-10T17:40:00.001-07:00

Us girls were out shopping in the city of Changzhou and we happened to stumble across a few little kids along the way. They were super cute! However, one little boy would not stop following us around. He was pointing, laughing, and "trying" to hide as much as he could. I called him my little warrior.

When I pulled the camera out to take his picture this is what he did....So warrior like eh? Totally ironic.

Me and my little Warrior!

Airplanes, Trains, and Buses!

2008-09-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

Traveling to China really isn't that bad. The flight to San Francisco went by faster then you can say Magoo and then from San Francisco (dispite all the chaos with our luggage) to Taipie wasn't that long either. Just take a sleeping pill and it's like you're in America one minute and Taipie the next! Beautiful stuff I tell you just beautiful!!

This picture is of Abby and I on the first flight to San Fran!

And our adorable roommates! Kayla on the left and Katherine on the right.

Our first bus ride to the Hotel in Hong Kong was such a great experience. Our tour guide Matthew told us there was going to be a Typhoon that evening! In case you don't know what that is pretty much described as a Hurricane! No worries...yet again WELCOME TO CHINA!

This is me and Brielle on the sleeper train! It was probably the coolest thing I've ever seen. Besides the fact I had 2 other people sleeping on top of me....on their own beds of course! You never know what can happen in China!

So from Airplane to Airplane to Airplane...we jumped to Bus to Bus to Bus....then to Train to Train to Train! All in all traveling took us about 37 hours and that doesn't include waiting for each airplane, train, or bus! If you only knew what it was like. I have one word for you....Exhaustion!!

Traveling can be such an adventure!

And this picture is of a man we met on our train ride to Mainland China. His name is Ming. He was absolutely adorable! He knew English really well and even taught us a few words in Chinese. He knows 5 different languages and is only 24 years old! I envy that. I want to speak 5 languages! But if I learn 1 I think I will be satisfied....hint hint.

Hong Kong Continued....

2008-09-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

Victoria's Peak is beautiful. However, it was a super cloudy day and the pictures weren't coming out so good. I messed with a few of them on photoshop so you can see the colors and how cool it really would have been if it was a clear day. Since it wasn't however I did my best to grasp the concept.

Next I just want to say Welcome to Fisherman's Ward! As you can tell by the boat just imagine about 3000 more exactly like it and you've got the visual! Everything else just fits in.

The man you see sitting with his legs crossed was our tour boat driver who couldn't speak a lick of English. So we just said our "Ooh's" and "Ahh's" the whole time. Pretty intense no!?

Hong Kong Adventures!!

2008-09-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

So I have been in China about 2 weeks now and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to get updated but it's been kind of hectic here. Jumping from airplane to airplane, train to train, and bus to bus......and all the other chaos in-between with our luggage and all, hopefully you can understand.

But where do I begin?? China is incredible, amazing, fabulous?? In all honesty I don't know if these words describe it well enough. There are certain things that go on here that back home would repulse you! But here it's like WELCOME TO CHINA! I'm surprised by the filthiness of everything yet how green it all stays. The fogginess is something to get used to but after awhile it's almost natural. The smells, oh the smells almost made me gag but I embraced it fully. I knew I was going to have to sooner or later anyways however it wasn't as bad as I had prepared for...

My journey all started in HONG KONG!!!

I must say the Temple in Hong Kong was an incredible experience I will never forget! Here are a few pictures to show you...

This is Abby and I in front of the temple.

I can't believe how Holy the grounds felt!

It's absolutely beautiful!!!! Isn't it!?

When I walked into the temple I felt an overwhelming feeling come over me. It was as if I were HOME.....away from HOME. Knowing I have the gospel in my life is such an outstanding blessing, I can't possibly imagine living without.

The man standing next to me is the temple president!! He was awesome!

CHANGZHOU CHINA!!!!

2008-08-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Five days before departure you would think that everything should be running smoothly and it's just time to kill until boarding the airplane, right? Well it has been infact..... until today when I checked my email. SURPRISE from ILP!!!

Brandy from ILP
"We have some exciting news! We’re opening a new school in Changzhou, and we need to send some volunteers to teach there. We looked at everyone’s application and talked about how things went at training, and we decided that you two are some of our best volunteers. We’d like to have you teach in this new school in order to set a good example for the school so they’ll want to continue in future semesters."

My emotions hit the floor! I couldn't believe what I was reading.....Not only was I nervous about going to Kunming to teach and bringing all the right supplies, I now had no supplies waiting for me and no previous teachers to tell me about the school in Changzhou, talk about stress!!!!

I have been doing some research though on this new city I have been assigned and I'm getting quite excited about it. Here is a little information I found.

“At sunrise the flowers on river banks were suffused with a flame-like red. In springtime, the river water turned turquoise blue.” A city whose beauty has been adored by many poets, Changzhou is becoming even more attractive today. Up to 2005, it has won many honors in the nation:
★ The earliest “city for the experiment on comprehensive reform of economic structure” and “city to open to the outside world”;
★ One of the 50 Chinese cities with biggest comprehensive power;
★ China Excellent Tourism City;
★ National Clean City;
★ National Model City in Environmental Protection;
★ Provincial Green City;
★ Nat ional Award for Human Inhabitation Environment;
★ One of the 50 Chinese cities with best investment environment;
★ National Advanced City in Development of Science and Technology;
★ National Excellent City in Public Safety;
★ National Advanced City in Social Progress.

NICKNAMED THE DRAGON CITY