Let's Do This

"For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." - Ecclesiastes 3:1

I can't believe the time has come. Three months ago I graduated college, I've endured a summer of 80+ screaming American children, and now I embark on a journey across the world. When I arrive in Denver, the new chapter in life begins. The pages are blank, waiting to be filled. This moment feels so incredibly surreal. I leave an amazing family and a handful of wonderful friends behind, but I turn to an awesome group of people who I will serve with in China. I am so flipping excited to FINALLY meet Deb, my CTF counselor! AND my teammates...AND everyone else going...AND my students...AND my colleagues...AND the random Chinese people! God has guided every step thus far, and I BELIEVE Deuteronomy 31:6 "So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

We got our team and school placements about three weeks ago. I was placed in Beijing with a team of three others and two team leaders. Then, this past week as I have been preparing to leave and pack I was informed that the school in Beijing (a very prestigious private school) denied me because of my lack of work experience. :( ELIC placed me there because they knew I had a background in education, and didn't think it would be a problem. They haven't had this issue before. It is not even the school, it was the Chinese officials. So God spoke loud and clear through the Chinese officials and ELIC transferred me to Taiyuan, Shanxi. It is a city 3 hours west of Beijing. Though it was hard to "take in" this news at first, as Deb and spoke more about it we both realized this is a better opportunity for me in so many ways. What is incredibly cool is that it is just MORE confirmation that God is putting me EXACTLY where He wants me! So, instead of Beijing--He wants me in Taiyuan. Probably so I will actually try the REAL Chinese food and not just settle for the Western food they have in Beijing. ;] Taiyuan is the capital of the Shanxi province and is still pretty large (about 3 million in population). Nothing like I'm used to in Spartanburg (280,700).
The darker gray picture is of China. The lighter gray picture is of the Shanxi province and the yellow shade shows where Taiyuan is. Just a small idea of where I will be in regards to the whole country. :]

My team consists of 4 other girls: Felicia, JoLyn, Stephanie, and Florence; and 2 team leaders: Tanya & Susie. I am PUMPED about the team, the placement, the whole opportunity and CAN NOT wait to see what God has in store!

I am sad that I won't be with the Beijing team, as I have gotten to know a couple of them, but I know I will be visiting them regularly. They are going to have a great time and experience there, I can't wait to see what God is gonna do in all of the teams!

I can't believe I was able to pack a majority of my things in 2, 50lb. bags. I will also have a carry on and my book bag that will hold my lappy. :) Mom still has to send a box of different things behind me, but they are things I can wait for.

I wanted to try and post my teams pictures, but since they transferred us last minute everything is all not how it is now. :) If I can get a quick picture of my team during training in Denver I will try and post it on here as one last post before we head to China.

Which brings me to the last thing...wanted to let everyone know the dates and times of departure and arrivals so you could keep the entire CTF clan in your prayers! Please pray for safety and protection for all of us as well as our baggage! We will be taking numerous different flights so we've gotta pray nothing gets left behind or on the wrong plane! :)

My flight from Charlotte leaves on the morning of the August 10th. I'll arrive in Denver to meet my team, and we'll all train together until the 13th. We leave VERY early on the 14th from Denver to LA to catch our flight to Seoul. Then we will fly from Seoul to Beijing, putting us there on the evening of the 15th. We will have about half a day of "sightseeing" before we head to Qinhuangdao for 2 weeks of in-country training. From there we will head back to Beijing to meet our school officials and take buses or vans to our school in Taiyuan to get settled. I believe school starts in September sometime. :) Your prayers (or for practice..."your thoughts") are definitely appreciated! I will do my best to keep everyone updated on the journey. I know I will not be able to blog here on blog spot, but I am hoping to maybe use shutter fly. If not, I definitely have my email address. :)

LET'S DO THIS! (It's gonna be our teams motto...;])

Rufus, Edisto, and One Month To Go

warning: this will be long. go ahead and recline back with your ice cold glass of diet doctor pepper. :] it's going to be a long [and good] read.

i will start off with the visit from Rufus Lynx, the mascot for the Charlotte Bobcats. he came to visit with the kids: dancing, shooting hoops, and signing autographs. the kids really enjoyed it. Rufus would also pull some of my counselors to dance and shoot hoops with him. of course the kids chanted "Miss Aly!" when he was "surveying the counselors" in a shooting match with him. another counselor snapped a few shots of the awesome competition. he wanted me to shoot the ball from the foul line but with my back turned to the basket. i tricked him out at first [because his back was turned to me] and turned really quick to shoot it. definitely air balled it. guess that's what you get for cheating. well since i missed it, Rufus and i sat on the line to "meditate". i guess so i would make it the next time around? a second attempt [this time with no cheating] had me BARELY missing. although in the picture it looks like i made it. it's a shame i can't lie to you people. :]

camp is going really well. always a new adventure each day, but it keeps me on my toes. with 80+ kids each day, i am honestly surprised i know a majority of them by name. especially since i don't necessarily work closely with them. i will be honest and say i have yet to learn the names of my little, quiet girls who never get in trouble. the other day i was checking the kids in and when this one little girl came up to me i said "hey sweetie, is this your first day?" she gave me this look like i was an idiot and said "uhm, Miss Aly i've been here all summer." OOPS! definitely trying to pay more attention to those sweet little girls who give me no trouble. half the time i forget they are even there. i'm so busy having to discipline those typical trouble makers. here i am enjoying a day at Monkey Joe's with Vangundy & Sam. i realize this is the second time i have posted a picture of those two. making a mental note to take MORE pictures of the OTHER kids! :]

moving on. relaxed on Edisto Beach with the family for a week. enjoyed every second of it! [who wouldn't?] we were also joined by extended family from Mom's side, so it was different but a nice change. these photos will be sufficient in explaining the vaca. :] oh and sister #2 [Lindsay] got engaged! whoop! whoop!

all i did.

big family photo

shad and i beasted the kayak one morning :]

auntie dina [mom's youngest sister], me, mom, and shad

jlas :]

playing with declan

turvy twins! :]

the fam at our beach house :]

after an amazing week of R&R, it was time to get back to the grind. soon after returning from Edisto, i got the "green light" to book my one way to Denver! :D God is AWESOME and SO incredibly faithful! most of my prayer at the beach was that i would have enough money raised to be able to book my flight. He [as always] met my need and I believe He will continue to do that as i finish preparing for departure. we serve an AMAZING God! really.

less than a month. A MONTH! it is SLOWLY becoming more real to me, and i think excitement is starting to creep in. [that's a GOOD thing!] it also hit me pretty hard one night this past week that i will be away from my family for 10 months. they won't be at an "easy" reach. i can't explain the pain i had inside that night. at that moment i didn't think i could do it. i didn't think i would be strong enough. all works of the enemy trying to fill me with fear. i had to [and will CONTINUE to have to] remember that God knows what He is doing. i am praying and begging Him to move BIG time in me while i am over there. it overwhelms me thinking about what He could possibly have in store.

i hope to soon find out my finalized team and placement. i think that's when it will really begin to sink in. especially since i will be able to contact my specific team members. the entire CTF clan has been shooting emails back and forth playing "get to know you" games which has been a lot of fun. makes meeting them [whether they are on my team or not] more exciting.

$$ is still pouring in from all directions. God is so faithful! it is my prayer that He blesses all you who have given! THANK YOU!

i guess now it is time to bear the "bad news". i received confirmation that China has blocked all blog spot access. therefore i will not be able to blog from here while i am there. [major bummer, i know] i am contacting a friend who is already over there to see where [and how] i can start a new one. regardless, i will still have my email [aly.decken@elic.org] and my monthly newsletters will be sent out. i am currently putting together an email list to send weekly emails to you all as often as i am able. if you would like to be added to my list, please just shoot me an email at the above address and i will be sure to get them sent to you! :)

hope you enjoyed the update. [and ice cold diet doctor pepper, for those of you who enjoyed one]

oh and i apologize for how bad the beginning of this post looks. in the preview it looked very pretty and organized, but when it officially posted it looks like what it does. i was in no mood to fix it, so that will have to do. i promise though, it looked real pretty when i originally typed it out. :]

zai jian [goodbye]

Life Update

WHEW! What a CRAZY three weeks it has been. I honestly do not even know where to begin with updating. :]

Of course, as many of you know, camp began three weeks ago. It has been a whirlwind as we have gotten into the swing of things. The first week was crazy hectic as me, my staff, and the campers had to get used to the different daily schedules. That week gave me a good glimpse into what I would be dealing with this summer, which was both good and bad. (Always is, right?) I am blessed with some amazing counselors, but I have found that a couple are going to need a little more guidance and push. The kids are great [DUH!] and really seem to be enjoying camp. The first week was really hard for me because I had to be the "harsh" person and lay down the law to the kids. This new position is hard in general being that I am doing more "behind the scenes" stuff and not getting as much "play" time with the kids. As the weeks have gone on, I am finding time to spend with each of them throughout the day.

Last week we had Party Pets come and show us his animals. He had all kinds of different critters from turtles to lizards to rabbits to SNAKES! The kids had a great time getting to hold or pet/touch each one. The guy had two snakes that he would allow the kids to wear as a necklace and a belt. That day I had over 80 kids, and pretty much all of them wanted to line up to try on the "snake belt". I stood there next to Mr. Greg taking picture after picture of each kid with the snake belt. Much to my surprise, by the time the last kid got to try on the belt, Mr. Greg decided to ask the kids if they think I should wear the "snake belt". OF COURSE the kids screamed YES! [Would they be kids if they didn't?] So, I had this huge snake around my waist. Mr. Greg also took his albino snake and put her around my neck for a "snakelace". Cool, I know. I cringed the whole time, not gonna lie. One of my counselors grabbed my camera out of my hand and took an awesome picture [sarcastic]. I debated on whether or not I should share it on here because I look horrible in it. However, I felt like no one would really believe me...so here it is. :] (Please excuse how horrible I look, thank you. HA)


Hottie, I know. :] As the third week of camp is in full swing and comes to a close, I am finding things to be a bit easier. My staff as really come together and overcome the awkwardness of not knowing each other. It has been frustrating with a few, [as I mentioned above] but I am learning how to approach them with love and patience. Not easy when I feel like they are just another one of my 6 & 7 year olds. :/ My assistant director is amazing to work with, and I am even learning how to encourage her to take a deep breath and not allow the things that pop up randomly throughout the day to stress her out. Being site director is tough and parents are not always the nicest beings on the Earth. [I am now REALLY grasping what teachers mean when they say it's always harder to deal with the parents than with the kids.] It's unbelievable some of the stories I have from conflicts with parents, really. So sad, too. Regardless of the incredible amount of stress this job brings, I am having fun. Funny, huh? It's cool to be on this side of things organizing activities and all for the kids. I have always been used to "playing" with the kids. Hence the reason of why I was always the "player". :) Now, I get to be the "teacher". Sort of. :) Sharing my days with my CTF (China Teaching Fellows) counselor/advisor, Deb, has been fun too as she ALWAYS tells me that I am definitely being prepared for what China will hold. Over there...CHANGE is INEVITABLE. I mean, change happens everywhere, everyday. BUT...well let's just say China will be interesting for someone who apparently doesn't get along with change AT ALL. [I am getting better though, as this summer has shown.] These two little boys are my BOYS! :) I had them last year when I was a counselor. It was exciting when I saw them back again this year! This is Sammie (blue) and Jake aka VanGundy (white). Some of you might remember them from seeing pictures last year! :)

Enough about camp. :) Outside of camp I am continuing to raise money for China. As of now, I have 22% raised! Our Father is SO good! I recently spoke at my parents church, and I was really nervous but God took over and spoke through me. I felt so loved and supported that day, it was very encouraging. It is overwhelming sometimes to be at camp all day and come home knowing I still have so much to do with fundraising. I am praying and begging the Father to open up more doors for speaking opportunities, and to speak to the hearts of people who have received my letters. I KNOW He will provide, but it is hard to wait. I have less than two months...TWO MONTHS and I am leaving the country. WOW! It has really been hitting me lately as I am spending time with my family and I think about how I won't see them for 10 months. I know it will be harder than I think, but that's where relying on JC will come in. :) [He is already teaching me how HE is ENOUGH! -from last post-] I know I will make new friends in my teammates and colleagues, but that doesn't make leaving my friends here in the states any easier. :(

This past weekend [Father's Day weekend] I took a much needed short vaca to Central to visit with Paige. It was nice to get away and forget about camp and China for a bit. We crossed more stuff off the "list" like running to Ingles (3 miles), which proved to be relaxing for me and hard on P. :) Ran it in a bit over our time from the 5K back in April, so it wasn't bad. I feel like my next visit to Central we'll be able to run to Ingles and BACK (6 miles). :] We played more games of Phase 10, one of which included little Eden [Paige's 6-year-old niece] who made the game more challenging since we were so used to only playing with two people. Of course we went to Chick-fil-a and went to see The Proposal. GREAT movie! I recommend it to anyone who wants to have a good laugh. I would definitely see it again. One of our friends from SWU got married [the whole reason I went up there] so I painfully endured that wedding and enjoyed dressing up, strawberry granola bars and cake, and pineapple punch. [sarcastic] Another fun weekend spent with my "old college roomie". Before I knew it I had to foller my sissty back home for another week of work. :D Coming back to camp this Monday proved to be harder than I thought. I felt so "out of place" being gone for the weekend, even though I had only missed one day of camp. I enjoyed the break way too much. :)

Father's Day was spent at home with my Dad. :) Just me and him. Mom had meetings in Greenville, Shad was at camp, Linds is still in KY, and Joce and Wats were visiting with W's Dad & G-pa. I enjoyed the time with just me and Pappy. I got a great adjustment, watched a good movie, and took in a pretty good nap. :)

That about sums it all up, I think. During the time I have typed out this blog one parent and my boss have called. The parent was freaking out about her daughter's DS she let another kid borrow. They know it's their responsibility when they bring it each day, but you always get parents freaking out. So, already I have something I have to deal with in the morning. :/ Awesome. My boss was calling about moving one of my trouble maker boys to the older camp. She wanted my opinion, but I was clueless. I didn't want to lose the boy but he is causing too much problems with other kids, and is suspended for the rest of the week. We will see what happens.

Getting close to bed time, I must retire. What an old foggie going to bed at 9:00. I need the sleep though. 80+ screaming kids tomorrow for a field trip to Monkey Joe's? Yeah, I need all the sleep I can get. :) Three more days and it's BEACH TIME. Edisto here I come!

Until the next update...