The Journey continues -Dandong and the school

We woke up to a cold morning in Dandong on Thursday. I imagine the temperature was around 10-15 degrees outside. The view from our hotel was beautiful. The sun rose over the country of North Korea and things in the city of Dandong came to life. After breakfast at the hotel (each hotel serves a western breakfast but personally I think there are more Chinese items on the buffet than western ones) we loaded the bus for the school. The gate was opened to this school for us and we drove across the campus to the main building. The campus consisted of one large school building that was 4 stories tall and one dormitory it looked to be 3 or 4 stories tall also. The dorms were for students that lived in the surrounding villages. Dandong is a city of around 3 million people.


As we arrived at this beautiful school we were immediately taken up to the fourth floor conference room. They had water set out around for all of us. We meet with a couple leaders from the school and then the time came for ministry. They broke us up into three teams and we went into the class rooms. We had the 7th, 8th & 9th grade classes. We I stepped into my class I was shocked at how well they knew English. They were also extremely polite. I began by making small talk and introductions of the group and then we broke into asking them different questions and we let them respond. It was so much fun. They were as interested in learning about us as we were them. Molly & Nicholas were in our group and these kids were just two years older than them. They wanted to know what life was like for them in the states also. Two of our groups led fun songs for the kids to sing along. It taught them words they didn't know but also broke down barriers.

Anita Barnett was in one group taking pictures in a class and they teacher asked if she would go to another class and work by herself. She was a trooper and went right along with her and began to work. You see sometimes we are taken out of our "comfort zone" before we are able to minister the way that the Father would have us. She later told us that if she would have known that was going to happen she would have gotten no sleep the night before. :-)

After our hour was up with the children we were able to go back to the conference room and present the principal and English teachers with the supplies of English books and candy bags that we sent to the students. They were thrilled with the gifts.

We went downstairs for a group picture with the leaders and noticed a group out on the playground playing basketball & jumping rope. Immediately the younger kids in our group went over and started jumping doubles with them. It was so much fun to be able to see barriers of communication being broken down through sports.

Our time at the school was finally over. We were able to take that last photo as a group and get in the bus. We each left a piece of our heart in that school and they left a piece of themselves with us. One of the last questions that I received from a student before we left the class room was, "Will you come back and see us again?" I pray that one day I will be able to do exactly that!