Leslee & Carrie In China

So Long, Farewell
By: Carrie	Published: 2006-06-04
Category: China!	Subcategory: At the School in Kunming
Yesterday was a crazy day. As the bus drove through campus, and then through Xiaoshao on it's way to Kunming I couldn't help staring out the window at all the things that had become so familiar and wondering if we would ever see the place we had called home for four months ever again. When the people at the school saw that we were leaving they all stopped whatever they were doing and waved goodbye. It made me want to cry. In town we went and had a goodbye dinner at The Wicker Basket. Then we went to a kareoke club wich was awesome. We got our own room and they brought us all fruit drinks in shot glasses since Colin explained to them that none of us drink. It was fun just to kick back and hang out. We haven't had fun like that as a group for a while. After kareoke we went to a dance club wich wasn't nearly as much fun as kareoke. It was loud and there were psycho guys everywhere. When we were standing outside waiting to leave some guy approached Colin and asked him how much we cost per night. That made Colin livid, I don't think I've ever seen him that mad before. Needless to say, we got out of there in a hurry. That night we slept at a massage hotel. It was kinda like a spa except that you sleep there too. It was kinda weird. Im not a big fan of massages and to make it worse, by the time we got there it was like 2:00 and we had to be awake by 4:30 the next morning. I hated it but it was fun hanging out with everyone. The next morning Colin took us to the airport. Once we passed customs he wasn't aloud to come with us anymore. He just stood there watching us as we checked our luggage and made our way through the final passport check. It was so sad! I miss him already!

The end is drawing nearer
By: Carrie	Published: 2006-06-02
Category: China!	Subcategory: At the School in Kunming
Today is our last day in Kunming. We're gonna go into town today and spend the night there and then our flight for Bangkok leaves at 8 AM tomorrow. At this point the excitement of going to Thailand is overshadowed by the fact that we are leaving the school today. Most everyone has already left. Megan, Krissy, Leslee and Kristen all left on Wednesday. By now they are all back in the states. Melissa and Amber left yesterday to go travel around China. It's so weird to say goodbye to people, I never know what to say. It's not even that big of a deal, I know I am going to see them all again soon but still it just leaves and empty feeling in your stomach. I guess I'm just so used to seeing them every day. Im going to miss Colin most. He is such and amazing guy! I think I will name one of my children after him. Tuesday when we were riding the bus he was talking about how he will be Uncle Colin to all of our children. Wednesday was the big closing show. No one danced in it but Lissa, Shannon and I but it was lots of fun. I've definately gotten over any stage fright I might have had before I came to China. The past few nights we have stayed up until all hours of the night playing games and goofing off. It's been a good way to wind things down.

Closing Show
By: Carrie	Published: 2006-05-28
Category: China!	Subcategory: At the School in Kunming
Friday was the day the children had their English show. As we watched all the other kids perform I sat in the audience with my kids. I was holding Mardi on my lap and I never wanted to let her go. Then Colin gave his closing speech which was pretty much the nicest thing ever. Then all of us teachers got called on to the stage and they gave us really nice certificates thanking us for teaching. At this point pretty much everyone was balling. Anyway I don't know what Colin said to the kids after that (he was speaking in Chinese) but it must have been something about us teachers leaving back to the states because after the assembly when we went outside to say goodbye to them they we all crying. I'm not just talking watery eyes I'm talking uncontrollable, irreconcilable balling. You would think someone had died. So we took them down to the grass and just held them as the tears ran their course. When I saw Bobby crying my heart just melted, he was always kinda the annoying one but at that moment none of that mattered. He was my Bobby. I held Mardi and Bobby on my lap and just rocked them back and forth for a good 20 min until they finally settled down. I never wanted to let them go. I love my kids so much and I can't wait to have a reunion party with them in heaven!

Group Naps
By: Carrie	Published: 2006-05-28
Category: China!	Subcategory: At the School in Kunming
Shannon and I went and hung out over at Colins after church. We were watching a movie but we all ended up just falling asleep on his bed instead. It was a bonding experience :) <br> Then we had to wake up to go to dinner with the headmaster, which wasn't really with the headmaster, he was in a completely seperate room from us. I kinda felt bad because no one wanted to eat anything they served us. It was just a little to authentic for us. <br> After dinner we gave Colin the present we got for him (a 30 gig IPOD) He had no idea it was coming. We all filed in his room, I gave a speech on how he is the coolest guy ever and will always hold a place in out hearts, then we gave him the present. We wrapped it in like 3 boxes, each one bigger then the next, so it was fun to watch him unwrap it. When he finally got down to the present he freaked out. He couldn't even talk, he turned away from all of us as the tears started streaming down his face. That was the first time I started crying all week. Seeing Colin cry like that just tore my heart in half. I love that kid so much! <br> When we were done in Colins room we all went to tuck in our kids. Kenya's mom was with her and taking pictures, I was worried she was going to take her home and I would never see her again so I ran back to my apartment to grab her present. After all that it turns out her mom wasn't taking her home after all. Her mom is a teacher @ the school so her and Kenya live in the apartments with the rest of the children. Anyway, I gave her the present and she gave me one of her stuffed animals. It's kinda an ugly bunny but Im going to keep it and cherish it forever. Her mom and her also wrote me a nice note thanking me for everything I had done which I had Colin translate for me. <br> After tucking the kids in Shannon and I went back to Colins room and watched more movies, looked at pics of the semester, watched American Idol, and fell asleep again. It was a good day. <br>

Hannah
By: Leslee	Published: 2006-04-25
Category: China!	Subcategory: At the School in Kunming
April 14th 2006 The Children here are beautiful. I can not wait till the nation opens up and the Church is able to come. I see many people here that are ready. I want to be a part of it! There is one girl imparticular that I firmly believe one day will be a member. I can see it in her eyes and they way she speaks. I want to share with you part of a letter that I recieved from her. not to draw attention to myself, but to share with you just how ready some of these people are. "When I talking to you I always have a special feeling, just like we were old friends and we shared our dreams, beautiful memories, interesting stories and talked about our families. There is also another feeling like an old sister, you taught me something and from your words I could felt there is something I should learn from you. Thank you again. I also thank God because he gave me a wonderful friend. Yours sincerely Hannah" This is the first of a few letters that she has written to me to practice her english. She speaks and writes really well! Hannah is 17 and her dream is one day to come to america to live. She has already started to save money. She works really hard in school gets very good grades so she can go to a good Chinese University and then come to America. April 25th 2006 There have been many more letters since this one three weeks ago. We have spent many pages sharing about our families. Stories of her parents and aunts and uncles. I did not make it that far, as jsut telling about my immediate family took up more pages than her entire extended! We tell eachother of our hobbies, she has many things she can teach me and I have told her I will teach her embroidery (thank you aunt linda!) I do not have a chance to talk to Hannah often as she is in school from 6:00 am - 9:50 pm. She has a dorm mother that expects her to report to her dorm immediatly following the closing of class in the evening so she can get to her studies. It is most often in passing that we share a "hello", hug and "have a good day" and a gentle smile. She was able the other night to come over after class and we hung out for an hour! It was so fun. We talked and asked questions about eachother. She was able to be on a webcam for the first time. She spoke with my dad and asked him some questions. She loved it! She has talked about it everytime I have seen her since! Hannah is an amazing girl, and I will be sad to leave her. When I get home I am going to contunue correspondance with her and cant wait till the day she will come to see me in my home.. Even if it is in 40 years!

I am going to China because for as long as I can remember I've wanted to travel. I am excited to go to china with ILP and have the opportunity to serve the children of this amazing country. When I'm not gallavanting around the world, I'm a full time college student at Brigham Young University - Idaho.

I am so excited to go and work with the Children in China! I just hope I can teach them half as much as I know they will teach me!

International Language Programs

International Language Programs (ILP) is a non-profit service organization based in Provo, Utah that sends 18-25 year old volunteers to share the valuable gift of the English language with children around the world. ILP currently has programs in Russia, China, Taiwan, Japan and Ukraine and always welcomes new locations. Over 3000 volunteers have served with ILP, with numbers growing quickly.