My city face. I'm in and out of so many different worlds here. At times, I travel through some rather rough neighbors. In one neighborhood, they have bullet proof glass at the KFC register. That's something you don't see every day. The way that I deal with all of the craziness around me is to put on my city face. It's a defense, an appearance of being hard up and closed. It may seem like I'm unfeeling. But I'm far from being aloof to what is happening around me. The hardness of life here has many unhealthy escapes. I'm saddened by all that I hear and see and it breaks my heart. But more than that, God sees and hears and his heart is broken for them...

All in a day's work. I wear many hats during the day. In the morning, I might be aiding in an ESL class with Arab students. A train ride away from that center, I might be playing Skip-Bo with some African student as we talk about their day at school and make crafts. Yet a few hours later, I might find myself sitting down drinking some Chai tea having a conversation with Tibetans inviting them to an English class down the street. My days are very piecemeal and unordered. Desiring more structure and routine, I have felt rather frustrated. Yet when these feelings arise, I am reminded that I need to work harder to have faith in what is unseen. It takes a mindfulness of God's work of restoration to see beyond all that happens in a day.

Funny conversations with students.
"I know your brother." My response: "Excuse me?" after a student who asked for me to write down my full name. He looked at me (dead serious): "Bruce Lee!"

"Are you Chinese?" Amadou (an African student at the kid's club whom I've mentioned in a previous entry) asked me as I sat down. "Yes, I am," I replied. With his hands raised in the air he exclaimed, "I love Chinese people." I smiled, knowing that I had been accepted. It melted my heart to hear those words. By the way Amadou's favorite bible story is when Jesus walked on water. I hope that one day he will have great faith to do the same.