• Never Forgotten

    Never Forgotten

    A picture appeared on my social media feed a few weeks ago, part of a post from nearly ten years ago. In it, I’m surrounded by a small group of primary school children eagerly looking… Read more

  • Never Abandoned

    Never Abandoned

    Throughout his growing up years, a friend’s son and I shared sweet interactions. All children in China learn English, but Malachi’s proficiency was better than most. At his dad’s urging, I primarily communicated with Malachi… Read more

  • Taking the Long View

    Taking the Long View

    If I had first moved to China in the digital age, the face smack emoji would have punctuated many of my communications with people back home as I experienced a culture quite different from my… Read more

  • A Gaggle of Gigglers

    A Gaggle of Gigglers

    The other day on my way to work, I passed a group of my elderly neighbors coming back from the morning market. They were so busy giggling that they didn’t notice me. With a big… Read more

  • Confusion, Hypocrisy, Hope

    Confusion, Hypocrisy, Hope

    Over many years in China, helping people parse out what it means to be an American Christian has been challenging. Early in my time here, people assumed that all Americans were Christians. Since their contact… Read more

  • The Joy of Fitting In

    The Joy of Fitting In

    (A note about terminology: In China, people from other countries are referred to as “外国人,” “foreigners.” In English, people like me are comfortable calling ourselves “foreigners.” However, I would never use the English term to… Read more