Letters from Overseas

November 2008

• The Amity Foundation
  Education Division
  71 Hankou Road
  Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008
  CHINA

Hi there!

I am just home from Wuwei so will write a short message before I go off to bed.

It was wonderful to mark the beginning of Advent with some Amity friends, an Advent wreath, candles, English worship, and "O Come, O Come Emmanuel"!

It was so nice to be in a city where there are still street vendors—perhaps it is too far west to have been hit with the ban. As well as street sellers I saw quite a few donkey carts transporting goods—I was always too slow to get a picture but they sure are cute. Even on this crisp end-of-November day the streets were very active with card and mah-jong players and spectators. The squares were full of people—over-60s playing music and singing, children and teens riding scooters and snake-boarding (are there snake boards in Canada?), parents and toddlers running and climbing on little walls. I love it!

We visited a Confucian temple. I learned something interesting about the entrance. In the outside wall there is an obvious place for a central entrance. However, there is not one there because no one in Wuwei passed the imperial examinations. The entrance was small and off to the side of the temple. The grounds are very picturesque and peaceful. There is a bridge that is draped in red ribbons. Many students and parents visit the temple and tie ribbons for good luck during their gaokao (university entrance) exams.

I can’t count the number of Thanksgiving messages I received last Thursday from current and former students and Lanzhou acquaintances. The other Canadian Amity teacher had the same experience even although we have both emphasized that Canadian Thanksgiving is in October!

My students reminded me that, in September, I told them we could talk about Christmas on December 1, so I’m looking forward to sharing the Nativity story tomorrow—I have a play that I know they will enjoy and a nativity scene for us to unpack and talk about. Later in the week we’ll put up a Christmas tree.

I wish you all a blessed Advent season!

Love,
Mary

Mary Fraser is a United Church of Canada Overseas Personnel serving with the Amity Foundation in China. The work of this ecumenical partner and the work of overseas personnel are made possible through your gifts to the Mission and Service Fund of The United Church of Canada.