Ni Hao (Hello) From China!

Hello Everyone!

Rachel and I have made it safely to Shanghai! Mabel met us at the airport and we are on our way to Pingxiang to move into our apartment. Once we get to the train station we have at least another 8 hours of travel. It will not seem long at all though, we are taking the fast train and Mabel and her son David provide excellent company.

Some quick highlights from our travel and first day in Shanghai:

• The closer we got to China, the more we noticed how out-numbered we were. Once we got on the plane, we just assumed that no one would speak english anymore. If they did, it was a nice treat.
• The 12 hour plane ride wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It was very confusing though. I never new what time it was or how much longer we had before we arrived. They fed us three different times, so I couldn't even base it off when I ate. I will say though, after about 6 hours in a small seat I got real jealous of first class seats.
• After we landed we went though customs - much easier getting into China than the USA. At least that is what Rachel has told me. I would believe her.
• Mabel and David pick us up and we went out to eat - Incredible. If you think you have had good Chinese food you are very wrong. I had to eat with chop-sticks and I still stuffed myself it was so good. We ordered a dish that had bacon in it - my word! Our favorite so far.
• David, who is about 8 years old, just after meeting me threatened to put me in a coffin! (Rachel thinks we'll get along great... :] ). Turns out that was a new vocabulary word and he was practicing. Whatever the case, it was real funny.
• Mabel's first impression of us was amusing. When she saw all of our bags (3 each!) she called us camels! :]
  

Please spread the word that we have arrived safely. We no longer have the use of social media to help us. Also, if you wish to receive regular updates about our adventures and are not already on the list just let us know. (To those whom it may concern: if you have a super secret job such as running the youth group or saving the world before breakfast, you may want to have someone forward these updates to you. Not sure what they filter or what is safe.)

Blessings from some international pilgrims,

Later

Now Boarding for... China

Dear friends, family and blog stalkers,

Four months and four days ago I received my first email concerning China. Hard to believe that Rachel and I will be boarding our flight to the Republic of China in roughly 12 hours.

Both Rachel and I are overwhelmed by how gracious people have been and how God has supplied everything we need and more. The wedding went amazing, the honeymoon was perfect, everything is in order for China and we still have time to enjoy a good American meal before we leave. It is so wonderful to see everything coming together. We have everyone to thank for that!

Thanks go to all those involved in the wedding, those who gave gifts, friends and family that supported this whole crazy idea, and so many others than made this marriage and going to China possible. Thank you!

Right now, Rachel and I are repacking to ensure we have everything and nothing is overweight. We had to send a few things to our parents because we don't have room, but for the most part we are ready to go. I am filling out the last of the paper work, Rachel is working on thank-you notes, and that is about it. We're ready to leave.

Crazy!

Praises:

• We received an overwhelming amount of support toward our marriage and our efforts in China
• All the required paper work for China, Visas and travel is in our hands. Finally.
• Rachel and Jeremy are married - that is pretty darn sweet!
• Waiting for marriage has been totally worth it!

Please Pray for:

• Safe travels to China, an uneventful flight and arrival.
• Jeremy and Rachel would adapt to China, the Chinese culture, and the major time change quickly
• Good communication with friends and family back home. We miss them already.
• Jeremy and Rachel to constantly remember why they left for China in the first place. To serve the Lord!

Thank you so much for reading and following us on our adventures to China and wherever God would lead us. It is our greatest joy and highest honor to serve the only King.

Blessings from some married(!!!!) pilgrims,

Later

Jeremy and Rachel

Crunch Time - End of July update

4 days until Rachel is here, 5 more days until I finish work, 10 days until the Family is here, 12 days until the wedding and 21 days until we leave for China!

It is really crunch time right now. And it isn't like college were you can turn in a paper late or ask for an extension. This is it. Ready or not, we are getting married and leaving for China! Pray that God would allow everything to be ready on time.

By God's grace, the more important things are nearly all here and ready. My Visa has come in already and Rachel's is "in-transit" which means that it could be here any day. Hopefully today, since it was scheduled for Saturday or Monday delivery. There is a long story behind her Visa and how it is a miracle that we are getting it so soon, but I'll save that for another day. The important part is, God is watching out for us and making sure everything happens according to His plan. We are learning more and more that He is in control and we have to go by His plan.

Cool thing happened with my Visa that I had not planned for. Even though I applied for only a double entry Visa, they sent me a "M" visa, which stands for "multiple entry". This is very good because after I applied I realized that I would need to re-enter the country more than twice. God for the win!

Another cool thing, although it might result in a few problems, we have way more children's books than we estimated. God has surely blessed us in our efforts to help others in need. We were thinking of grabbing a couple dozen just to get the children's library started for the school, but it turns out we might bring over a whole library with us. It is so cool to see how God provides over and above what we would ever expect as we seek to do His will. The one setback - It is going to cost a fortune in luggage/shipping fees!

Even with that one setback, I do not see God having a problem with it. Rachel and I are already experiencing the blessings of friends and family as gifts and cards come in the mail. Friend from Church have already offered to help pay for shipping, get us even more BOOKS and do whatever else they can. Either they are really excited about missions, or about getting us out of the country. (joking, but seriously). Either way, I am blown away when I think about all that God is doing as we prepare for both the wedding and China. It is going to be one crazy adventure, that is for certain.

Celebrate with us...

• Jeremy's Visa came in with "M" status
• Birthday week for Rachel, her and her sisters got to celebrate with friends and family at home.
• Jeremy and Rachel have way more book than estimated!
• Jeremy will get to see his family soon. He misses them a whole lot.
• God is leading and providing in ways we never imagined. Praise the Lord.

Continue to pray with us for...

• Rachel - Finishing up the final touches on the wedding and putting everything together.
• Jeremy - Wisdom to figure out how to get all the books over to China
• Rachel - Her Visa would arrive sooner rather than later.
• Jeremy - Last full week of work, and it is going to be very full.
• Jeremy and Rachel - God would prepare us, as only he can, for what is going to take place over the next month and coming year.

Blessings from a pilgrim

Later

China/Wedding update July

Just over five weeks and Rachel and I will be arriving in Shanghai, China. Just under four weeks and Rachel and I will be married. A little more than two weeks and Rachel will be here! There is so much to do, and time is moving so quickly!

I'll be honest, whenever I attended a wedding before, I thought they were all that complex. Now I have a whole new appreciation for everything that takes place leading up to and during a wedding. I am not even planning that much of it and I feel the stress of it all. It just keeps building and building... It is like a test that you just keep studying and studying for and are still never ready. Pray for Rachel and I as things get closer and more stressful.

With that said, we are still both really excited about the wedding and everything that has gone into it. I know that she has done a lot of planning and it is going to be great. Slowly but surely, everything is getting done and things are being checked off the list. The crazy part is just how much we have to get done with the little time that we have.

In addition to all the wedding planning that is happening, I am getting everything together to leave for china. Not nearly as complex as a wedding, but just as important at this point. Visa, flight details, packing list, paper work and more paper work!

Last time I updated I mentioned the concern for our Visas. Sure enough, we aren't going to be able to get the work Visas on time and will have some added complications. We're going to apply for our tourist Visa at some point this week (hopefully today or tomorrow) and then reapply for work Visas when we get to China. It required more paper work than we thought and didn't get it all in on time. So, now we are going to have to take a trip to the Chinese Embassy in China to apply for our work Visa directly. Pray that there is not added complications to the Visa process - we don't have a lot of time to make mistakes at this point.

Speaking of China. This weekend I met up with Andrea, the English teacher who just came back from China. Strange to finally meet her in person. I got our Chinese cell phone from her along with a lot of Children books for the library. When those things went into my car it became more of a reality that this is all really happening. I have a Chinese cell phone. I have children's books in my trunk. I am going to China!

The hardest and nicest part right now is being apart from each other. On the one hand, we have so much to do that we are having a hard time finding time to talk and keep up with communication. It has been a couple days since I have heard from Rachel, and with being this close to the wedding it is hard. On the other hand, being away from each other makes things easier when it comes to waiting making productive use of our time.  We'll both be glad to be together again though, it has been a hard and long journey.

A few people have contacted me about supporting us on our way to China. As I have mentioned, the best way to help us out is financially. If you need an address to send gifts, shoot me an email and I will explain the process. Most gifts are coming directly to us right now because we haven't set up anything to support the school, hopefully that will change soon.

Thanks for reading an praying, we appreciate it!

Blessings
Later

End of June

It is hard to believe it is the end of June already. Only 43 more days until Rachel and I get married, and only 53 more days until we fly off to China. It is coming so fast, or at least it seems like it since we still have so much to do before we are ready.

The wedding planning is coming along nicely enough, though Rachel is more stressed than I would like. Pray for her as she plans that she would remain calm and use her time effectively. She is getting everything done, but it is hard for me because there is little I can do to help. On the other hand, we have been reminded more than once that "at the end of the day you will be man and wife, and that is what is important." And it is so true—we want to honor God and our parents in the process, but we'll honestly be glad when we're married.

A few people have wanted to know how they can best support us financially, both for the wedding and China. Since we are leaving for China, we are not registering for traditional wedding gifts. Therefore, the most helpful thing for us would be monetary gifts and very specific gifts. (If you absolutely must give us something other than money, let me know and I can tell you what we need). Money will be useful for the following:

• Giving Rachel and I something to live off while in China until we start getting paid
• Allowing us the financial freedom to serve others, such as building the children's library
• Helping us create an emergency fund if anything goes wrong
• Blessing us by caring for our daily needs
• Honestly, only God knows how your money might bless us or others!
  

Planning and preparation for China is coming along very well. Rachel is working on a collection of children's books to bring over with us to build their library. We got some language CDs and we are both working to learn a little Mandarin before we get over there. Considering we only practice a few hours a week, we are learning very quickly. We’re praising God for that!

Early this month, we met with a man that spends more than half the year over in China. He provided a lot of helpful insight and information. He is also the one that suggested we start learning the language before we arrive. He is very excited for us and also gave us some contacts of others who might be able to join us in the future. Talking about China with someone who has been there and enjoyed the experience rekindled our excitement!

Prayer Requests:

• Rachel - as she continues to plan to wedding, build a children's library and prepare to leave for China. Jeremy - as he continue with China preparations, working this summer and anything else that comes at him
• Work Visas - We are still waiting on our invitation letter from China to apply for our work visas. Pray that God would give us enough time
• Learning the language. Rachel is doing very well, but Jeremy is having a hard time with the tones and pronunciations. It is slow going.
• Spiritual preparations - we're sure there are drastic changes between Church/Christianity here and over there. Also, Rachel and Jeremy will play a large roll in the Bible studies that take place and other ministry opportunities.
• Our teaching ability –How well we teach English will greatly determine how much influence we have while over there.
  

That is all for now, but I am certain God has much more in store for all of us. Thank you for your care and support, we cannot thank you enough!

Jeremy and Rachel

Pictures from my travels

Below are some pictures (in no particular order) from my trip to New Mexico and my visit in New York.

Caught in the act of stealing a toothbrush! 

Later

Update - June 7th

As I write this update I am sitting at the Atlanta Airport waiting for my flight into New Mexico to see Rachel. I have to say, after about a month without seeing her, I am fairly excited to see her in person. It just isn't the same as Skype or talking on the phone. One month is the shorter of the two times we'll be apart. The longer one takes place once I leave New Mexico - seven weeks. After that though, things change.

This weekend we're having a pre-wedding reception for our New Mexico guest. We and the guest will celebrate with friends and family as if we are married, but we won't be. This is going to be both hilarious, awkward and just weird. People are going to be expecting all kinds of affection from us, asking us to act like we are married - "we're not married though!" I imagine this situation and many other awkward things taking place this weekend. The danger comes because of what it will do to our minds. It will be very easy for Rachel and I to get sucked into the idea that we are married, we could let our guards down and ignore the reality that there is 9 more weeks. We have to be so careful.

Now, about leaving the country. One thing I am very glad for is God's evident involvement in everything. Both the big concerns and the little ones that escape my mind - God has in mind. It would be so easy to become stressed at all that still needs to take place before we can leave, there are just so many details that I haven't even begone to consider. Though stress would be easy, we can instead rest easy knowing that God has everything - including us - in mind as we head to China.

One really cool thing that has happened the last couple weeks is God's continue provision for our financial needs. Our needs aren't much, but the budget is going to be pretty close. With that in mind, the amount that I tithe at church is something I consider more closely. And when I didn't have small bills this past weekend, I had a decision to make. Do I continue to trust God with my financial concerns, or do I trust in my own abilities? Do I trust in God's promises? I decided to give a little more and trust that God would provide for the difference.

On my way out of church that day I was stopped by one of the mom's in the youth group. She gave me a card wishing me good luck in future ministries, my marriage and the trip to China. It contained more than the difference of what I gave. Only moments after I gave it - God gave it back! I think I have received more money not working, than working... This happened the following week as well. Both times it was almost exactly the amount that I gave if not more. I think it is God's way of (though it could mean something else) rewarding our trust in Him. Whatever the case - God is providing!

Earlier this week I met with my home church about going to China. I will also give a presentation this weekend to Rachel's church about our opportunity. One of the things that is becoming more of a reality as I talk about China, is how much I don't know about what we actually need. I can talk all day about what we'll be doing and how it is all going to work out, those are easy. When I struggle to articulate is when people ask how they can help us or about what we'll need when we get over there. I know that we need support of some kind, even if some of our needs are provided. So, I thought about it and came up with a few areas that we could use some support beyond what we'll receive from the school in China. As I could have guessed, almost all of the areas in one way or another could use financial support.

Here are some of the areas that I have thought of where you can partner in ministry - I am sure there is more:

• Your support will help us build the school's easy-reading library for the students
• Your support will assist us with inviting people into our apartment and building relationships for the Kingdom
• Your support may give us the chance to reach the needs of those in poverty around us
• Your support is a ministry directly to us with our own personal expenses.
• • Assist freeing us from debt for future opportunities. 
  • Build our emergency account.
  • Reduce the strain by providing a financial buffer. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and partnership with us as we head to China. It is not an endeavor we could do without the support of friends and family.

I keep adding new people to the mailing list. If you wish to see previous updates go to PBNJeremy.blogspot.com

Blessings from a pilgrim on the move

Later