the good fight...

We are all doing well and nobody is sick. Great contact and lots of activity with the good news. We are excited and the team is really into the fight on the second day.
Our father is well and preparing the way for the past 9 year in China in Guilin. We will be at other campus today and Thursday in afternoon. Great schedule and we are encouraged. I have to type fast. No way to send pictures yet. Keep thinking of us. It has rained here the past 2 days and we love it to cool it off. We need rain every day to keep us cool. AC in room can hang beef if we want to and lots of hot water so we are well cared for. We are hoping for luggage maybe tonight for people with no clothes or items.

update from dave...

The team arrived safely in Guilin on sunday (6am usa time - 6pm china time) and we are off and running.

The airline lost Liz, Steve, and Joanne's luggage and 4 team bags. They were lost in the Chicago delay. We are waiting on bags to come to Shanghai and then to Guilin.

The hotel is at least 4 star and nicest we have ever stayed in. Even nicest in USA almost. Even blow dryer and soap on the wall, but the shower still leaks across floor. :) But it is China. We are all getting fat on the best chinese food ever. More to follow soon...

from joanne...

Hello from the Shanghai Airport! It's about 1:30 and we just got done a delicious meal at a little Japanese restaurant in the terminal. Yesterday was...long, to say the least. Chicago had some major storms and tornadoes so we were rerouted to Grand Rapids Michigan, where we were grounded for another 4 hours. Later, after finally arriving in Chicago, we caught our 14 hour flight to Shanghai. After some men in white suits tested the entire plane with lasers for the H1N1 virus, we were all so happy when we stepped off the plane-- in China at last! -- until learning that our luggage didn't come with us. But Peter saved the day and was able to use Chinese to find us a hotel (air conditioning!) and our first authentic Chinese meal of the trip. After a morning of exploring a tiny marketplace on some side streets of Shanghai, we came back here to the airport to wait until our 7pm flight to Guilin. Although all the delays were frustrating at first, we know that everything happens for a reason and decided to look at it as some nice recuperation time from the flights with the team. We're all doing well and really excited to get to the beautiful Guilin!

off line...

sorry gang! i've been offline for a few days! i'm going to catch you all up and post some of the emails that were sent in the past few days!

ni hao shanghi!

it's official!!!
as of 8:36 am (8:36 pm china time) the team touched down in mainland china!
shanghai, to be exact.
the only casualties have been one pillow and one pair of glasses.
when i talked to them, they were at the baggage carousel hoping to spot their luggage, but with all of the delays, they aren't sure where it ended up.
although they missed their original flight to guilin, they are staying positive and will sleep in the airport and hang out all day and leave tomorrow at 4am (4pm china time) for guilin.

as always, flying to china never leaves a dull moment...

when the team boarded the plane from chicago to shanghi, they were met with a swarm of white-suit clad stewardesses, complete with white gloves, hats and face masks! each one was armed with a laser temperature reader and they scanned the entire plane for feverish passengers. they singled 2 passengers out of the entire plane...can you guess which 2?? tim and cathy from our team were pulled aside for a temperature check with a thermometer! thankfully, they did not have a fever and were allowed back to their seats. not sure about you, but i would have been really nervous surrounded by the white-suited fever police!

travel fun...

I've been on and off of the phone/text with my dad and after a day of stop and go travel, the team has found themselves en route to Shanghi!

After nearly missing their flight to Chicago (they literally had to run to make the flight!), they are smiling and encouraged to see how things work out with a little faith!

At this point, it looks as though they will not make their original flight from Shanghi to Guilin. The delays have them set to arrive in Shanghi at 6pm, but 6pm is the time of their hop to Guilin. Most probably they will need to sleep in the airport and hang out until they can catch the next flight to Guilin tomorrow afternoon at 4pm, putting them in Guilin just in time for their welcome party.

Right now they are feeling really upbeat and encouraged! But from past expirience, I know that they exhastion will soon kick in...think about them if you wake up in the middle of the night...odds are, they will be awake too :)

flight update...

i just got a call from dave (my dad)...
and the team just landed in Grand Rapids, MI...not Chicago, IL as scheduled!
aparently there are severe thunderstorms and tornados in Chicago and they were not able to land.
the pilot came over the loudspeaker while we were on the phone and said they were going to take off soon and hopefully they will make their connecting flight to shanghi.
the main concern is that the team must make it to shanghi in time to make their flight to guilin because there are not many flight times each day.
be thinking of them today as you go about your day...
they need your thoughts right now!

and their off!!!

it's official! china team 09 is in flight!

they left on time this morning around 8am from philadelphia to chicago, and chicago to shanghi and shanghi to guilin. it will be a long trip with so many layovers, but hopefully they will all get some rest!

airport breakfast:

nathan's first airplane ride!

the countdown has begun...

Wow, what a great team of 11 mighty men and women. I am totally impressed with this 2009 CARE Team. I cannot believe how they have come together as a team and as friends. Great thing to come in the next two weeks.

2 days to go: Trying to get a little jump on the 12 hour time difference (extreme jet lag) in China, planning early to bed Wednesday (ya right....), and then up early Thursday to work at 5 am, then extra earlier to bed on Thursday night (but I need to pack yet), and then up very early departure day (3 am), last minute check of everything (do you hear the toilet running for the 10th time, did you check the windows and doors for the 5th time) as we walk out the door to leave our house for 15 days.

We are off to CFC at 4 am. Frantically tag, weigh, label, and lock all suitcases. Leave CFC at 4:45 am. Arrive at airport at 5:30 am. Check in and ask agents to give us nice seats and maybe with a prayer we get an exit row for my extra long Henricks legs, and for tall Koons, of course. Flight to leave at 7:55 am. Then it is time to organize my carry-on bag at the airport. I have reduced my stress this year by cramming my usually well organized carry-on bag with items in no rime or reason and will use the time at the airport or on the plane to organize it and also to read all my preparation literature for my encounters with my Chinese friends.

Sometimes I wonder why I put myself thru this. It's a lot of work, time, energy, money, etc. But time after time, Linda and I always go back to, "Here I am send me!" (and there is no real good reason NOT to go besides being selfish).

I love my chinese friends. I have lifelong friendships that will span through generations. My time in China is precious and I keep with my moto that I always say to my best and dear Chinese friends, "I'll be back!".

dedicated to our sweet sister and friend...

This 2009 China Short Term Trip will take along the memory of Katelynn Melissa Hunt since her home going to Heaven on Feb. 7, 2009.




She will be missed dearly by her friends and family and especially by her friends in China. Katelynn made Short Term Trips to China in 2004, 2006, and 2008 and was in love with China and its people.





She was in constant contact with her friends in China thru the internet and they were always on her mind and heart.







With Katelynn missing from future trips, it will give these future teams the urgency to share their life to the fullest extent possible becasue we don't know the time or place of our trip to Heaven.

about us...

C.A.R.E. stands for “Cultural and Relational Exchange” in the country of China. We are comprised of a diverse group of professional business persons, teachers, counselors, college students, and high school students that are interested in exchanging culture and friendships in China. The main goal is to teach English and culture in Chinese university classrooms and to build long term relationships with Chinese students and facility.

Our destination will be the Guilin University of Technology (GUT) in Guilin, China. http://www.gutcie.cn/ . GUT has a student population of over 20,000 students and facility on two campuses. Guilin is in the southern-most part of China and is one of the most photographed and beautiful places in China because of its picturesque landscapes and awe-inspiring mountians surrouding the city. Guilin has a population of around 5 million and is a popular tourist spot and also growing industrial and business area.



Our Team:




Back Row: Steven, Jeremy, Tim, Nathan, Dave
Front Row: Peter, Cathy, Joanne, Linda, Elisabeth, Brandon