Information on International Pilgrimages with Youth

Friday, March 7, 03

Journal Entry by Barb Godwin from Des Moines, Iowa

I can’t believe we have already been here for over a week.  The time is flying by, filled with so many amazing experiences, and today was no exception.

The day started very early as we left our hotel before we had even had breakfast to go to a school to teach English to elementary children.  As we head to the school there is a sense of anticipation, and also a little apprehension, since we had been told each class has around 50 students.  But everyone is eagerly sharing ideas about what they are thinking of doing and how that might work with the students.  As we arrive at the Confucius Temple Primary School many children are scurrying around sweeping the floors with brooms that look like they are made of sticks, so that they will be ready for their visitors.  We met first with Principal Chen who talked with us about the school which is one of the experimental primary schools in the province and has had a great deal of western influence.  They promote student centered education, where teachers give a key point or a question and the students discuss and research, thus helping the students to work cooperatively.  There are 1200 students in 24 classes – so yes indeed there will be more then 50 children in a classroom.  It’s time – off we go to our classrooms!!!  I went to a 4^th grade room.  As I enter I am greeted by a chorus of “hello, hello welcome to our classroom”.  The teacher then leaves the room and I am on my own.  We spent 25 delightful minutes as we shared about our families, our favorite sport, and favorite foods, and identified colors.  I also had the children write the Chinese words for the English words that I wrote on the board.  The children were all very bright and most did a very good job using English, much better then I can do with even a couple of Chinese words that I try to say.  And they were so excited to practice what they knew with us. 

The children then leave the room to go to morning exercise.  As we watch the large center gathering area fills with a sea of colors as the children march out and then all move together to the recorded music.  It was very hard to leave, but as we wave goodbye and board the bus we all excitedly share about our individual experiences.

A quick stop for breakfast and then on Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.  This hospital was started in 1892, and has a special relationship with the church.  The hospital has over 60 departments, with 1790 staff and is well known in the province and the country for its work.  It is a public hospital with the purpose of serve its patients well.  Operation Smile is one special program that gathers doctors together to treat children with cleft palate problems for free.  Over 1000 children have been helped.  We were given a tour of the hospital with our first stop at the nursery.  We were escorted into the “Baby Touching Room” where we had a very special opportunity to watch a nurse teach a new father how to massage his baby born just the day before. She quietly instructed him how to stroke the baby “not too hard” and told him that as the baby gets used to it he will stop crying  right away  whenever you gently stroke and massage him in that way. What a wonderful idea to teach parents how to use comforting touch in such a special way!   We also were allowed to visit two other rooms with new mothers and babies.  What a gift to be allowed into those patients rooms at a time they might wish to be very private. 

The next part of the tour included the chance to view an angioplasty in process.  We certainly have felt on this tour as if we were treated like very special guests, more then we felt we deserved.  We continue to discover that China is a country of etiquette.  They are always so kind, so gracious and so giving.  We continue to feel blessed.

At the Nanjing Museum we wandered by ourselves looking at exhibits of Calligraphy, Ancient Chinese Jade, Lacquer, Embroidery, Copper, Ceramics, Earthenware, Bronze and Folk Art.  The history here goes so far back, some pieces over 6000 years old.  It boggles my mind.

At the Nanjing Seminary, we were greeted by Rev. Sam Pearson, who is a missionary through our Global Ministries, teaching church history at the seminary.  He and his wife Mary gave us a tour of the seminary, which is the only seminary in China that has a full undergraduate and graduate program.  Then we had the opportunity to have a time for questions and answers with some of the seminary professors and students.  They were able to speak English quite well and we talked about hopes for the Chinese Christian Church, home churches, theology, the reconstruction of Chinese theology, and the world situation with Iraq.  We all shared our concern about the possibility of war. 

This was a day with many individual experiences, as each of us taught in our own classroom and spent time wandering in the museum.  But also a time for asking questions, searching for answers and learning together.  A time for individuality and togetherness, each excited to share our experiences when we gathered together again. As each day goes by we become closer and closer, becoming more and more of a community.  As this day ends I am filled with huge gratitude.  Gratitude for the people that we meet each day, my fellow pilgrims on this journey, and the experiences that we are having.

To all of our friends and family – we are all doing great, no one is sick, and we all send you our love!!!!!  

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