Emails from China - 3

May 30th morning:

leela,

i knew david would walk as soon as i left! ha! tears.

let's see where did i leave off. i think i told you about tennis. ate lunch on a street. fish and assorted vegetable. then we came home. the tennis player's name was futichen. we also played doubles with a gal (name too difficult). when we took her picture she said she looked ugly because she was too brown.

skin color is a big deal here. especially for girls. just the opposite than the usa. the paler you are the prettier. strange how stuff like that goes. i played with two other fellas. and my father of course. my email writing is turning into the english that i speak here in china. it is choppy and short and clear. maybe not so clear. it will probably take me days to get back to regular.

about fifteen people came over in the afternoon. they were very likable. two girls were the most likable. jolene and free (above photo). i think i am going to try to connect them with some college students when i get back so they can start an american friendship with folks their age. there was a couple who came with a little boy the age of david. it may me miss the little fella. his name was shuay.

i played guitar with this guy named charles. he said it was one of the greatest moments of his life. ha! something must have gotten lost in translation. he told me about the most popular song in china. it is called Take My to Your Heart. by this band called Mike Loves to Rock i think (actually Michael Learns to Rock). it is pretty classic. you'll have to listen to it. seriously, every person in china loves this song. (i've done a bit of research. this is a danish band that sings in english. they are connected somehow to bmg in taiwan. i think it is some kind of conspiracy by the chinese government. i don't want to say more because i'm afraid they may revoke my visa).

it was time for dinner. we went to my mother's tai chi instructors apartment. her husband is a chinese teacher at the school. her name is jai ping. the way they described this woman to me was that she was the lady whose dog bit my mother. turns out my mother was bit by her little yappy dog a week after the Peace Corps had sent a memo warning about rabies in China. mom spent a week at a hospital in Chongqing. we went to her house for dinner. the first time mom has been back since the incident. i heard the dog yapping as we entered.

turns out, jai ping is one of the most delightful human beings i have ever met. her laugh was classic. and the way she spoke english was the way we should all speak english...loud, deliberate and full body. i could not stop laughing. which made her laugh. which made us all cry because we were laughing so hard. her sense of humor was remarkable. she calls her husband teacher liu. to his face. all the time teacher liu teacher liu. he is a football fanatic. i am going to play on his team tomorrow in a game! he is 46 years old. and came home remarkably drunk. it may have been the alcohol but teacher liu is possibly the funniest human being on the planet. he called me his little brother. i called him my little brother because he is only something like 5'1". he said "i am your big brother, and you are my big brother!" and he laughed so hard i had to hold him up. he was remarkable. the whole night was remarkable.

he autographed his book of poetry for me. he described it as love poetry though none of the poems were written about his wife. we had a rendition. we did tai chi in the computer room. they made me play guitar. it was virtually impossible to leave their apartment. but we finally made it home. i was very tired. but after all the stuff of the day it was difficult to sleep. plus, the biggest mistake of this trip was that i forgot earplugs. china is very noisy. i don't think people have any real sense of how their actions appear to others. everyone butts in line. no one waits turns for anything. the women hock loogies. and there is a rule. it may even be written, but it is certainly followed that you must be quiet until 6am. but at 6am you can be as loud as you want. some guy played saxophone outside my window for 45 minutes. no lie. they have a wake up bugle for the students at 6:20am. no lie. it's ridiculous!

the town and campuses (my parents live in one and teach in two). they are both beautiful. i don't know if i'll get pictures of them but they are very beautiful. but there is so much construction in the town that there is dust on everything. you breath dirt all day. and the haze is something to get used to. ok. that's all for now. breakfast time and another full day awaits. i love you.

ned

Emails from China - 2

May 29th afternoon:

Leela,

This morning I made some instant coffee which actually tasted good. Then we went to eat breakfast. It was dumplings that you dipped in sweetened soy milk. Very tasty, and some funnel cakelike substance that you dipped as well.

They are having a festival here so there are lots of balloons. Everything you can imagine for sale. Including cars! Want one?

Saw the end preparations for a wedding.

We came home and grabbed tennis rackets, and played for a couple hours.

They have tennis students here (that is their major). I demolished them. So I guess if all else fails, I can be a tennis major in the middle of nowhere in China. They are actually good hitters. Just need a little guidance. Until then, the world is safe from their dominance. It was a lot of fun. We ate with one of them (Futichen, the boy) for lunch.

A full fish and vegetables. Very good. I stuck to the middle of the fish and left the head and tail for the others. I think my parents have set up an "open house" to meet their son this afternoon. So I'll be shaking a lot hands, and bowing, and trying my best to stay awake. It's 1:46am! back home. I've actually adjusted well. I think I just planned it out to be tired when I got here (which is not hard being on a plane) and my body rebooted fairly well. We are going to need to practice chopsticks. Otherwise you will not be able to eat when you come. Other than that, I think you will be fine here in China. People are very kind, and there is a sweetness about everyone. It is not a difficult place to visit. Tonight, we're going to a bar for some live music. Hopefully, I won't pass out from exhaustion. I love you.

ned

Emails from China - 1

Just returned from a whirlwind trip to China. My parents live there (Go Go Peace Corps!). And I was finally afforded the time to puddle jump over the Pacific (or perhaps the Arctic (I think we may have flown north)) to visit them. It was three days of travel and four days of visiting, but it was more than worth it. We fit in more stuff in four days than I usually do in a month. So much that I don't know how best to chronicle it here. The plan for now is to record it through emails to Lia (edited...I'll save you the mushy stuff, most of it.) (Come back later to see more photos...My parents should be sending me theirs). Anyhow, here goes:

May 27th night:

I made it! I'm brushing my teeth and getting ready to bed.

Life is good. Miss you lots. Write more tomorrow.

Ned

May 29th morning:

Leela,

We had a full day yesterday. After breakfast I went to my mother's class. She taught for the first half. I answered questions for the second half. It was a lot of fun. The kids were great. Then we took a bus ride out of town to the other campus for lunch with students. Food was great. This little outdoor "restaurant". The craziest thing I ate was crawfish. But we also had things like mashed potatoes and a dish that tasted like french fries. The food was great to be honest. Then, we came back and visited with a couple students who were practicing Chinese. That was a bit painful because I was about to pass out from being so tired. But the kids were nice. It was definitely fun to see my parents in action. They are most beloved. Everywhere we go. Seriously, they are like the rock stars of Chongqing or wherever we are. I think it is Yuchuan (actually Yongchuan). Then we played ping pong for a couple hours with some students. That was a ton of fun. They have about fifty tables. Everyone is filled. Praise Buddha, I managed to hold my own!

Then we ate dinner for my father's birthday . Ate this "cake". With "icing" they drew an "old man". Tasted like foam and pineapple. The "forks" are toothpicks.

A student from another school came (Gary).

Then we headed out for a performance. It was like a variety show of skits. I was in the front row. (Like I said, rock star.) Which was great except listening to Chinese and the warmth and the jet lag definitely was putting me to sleep. I survived. It was entertaining which was helpful. The biggest laugh came from this guy dressed in drag. He started with a leg routine from behind a curtain. The Chinese have such nice legs and no hair, so it took awhile to figure out it was a man. But once we did, it was hilarious. I didn't understand a thing, but the students were very theatrical and most boisterous. The last skit was a "version" of the Little Prince. They took some liberties. Then we came home and I passed out. My folks are waiting for me to head out for breakfast. I just chugged some instant coffee (not bad). Another full day awaits. I love you.

ned

Perspective

A few months ago, Lia convinced me to take a pilates class with her at our local YMCA. Being a man who has no shame, I went. And I have to admit, I sized up the competition (including the instructor). I was pretty sure that I was the biggest stud there (not to mention the only other male). You can probably guess where this is going...I got worked. But my pride is not the point of this post.

The point of this post is perspective. This is what happened: having finished another hour of humiliation, I mean torture, I mean pilates, Lia and I walked/limped over to the childcare area to pick up...you see where this is going...

A side note, I don't know what those people do in the childcare area, but whatever it is our kids love it.

Anyway, Anna Rose runs to greet us. We wrench David from the childcare lady's arms (David's clinging to her). Anna Rose shows us the picture she has drawn. It's squiggles and lines and the usual, but up in the top right corner is the most perfect sun I have ever seen (see photo above). Ok, that's an overstatement, but you have to hand it to Anna Rose, that's a pretty good sun for a 3 year old (at least my 3 year old).

I say, "Anna Rose, what a beautiful sun!"

She says, "That's not a sun, Daddy."

"What is it," I ask.

"That's a mouse with fifty tails," she replies.

I take another look at the picture of the sun. "You're right," I say, "that is a mouse with fifty tails."

Perspective.

You see, it's about perspective. One person's sun is another person's mouse monster. It got me thinking because lately life has looked pretty stinking rodent-tee to me. The thing I am starting to wonder is what if the problem isn't my life? What if it's my perspective? Maybe I'm just looking at the picture wrong. Instead of seeing the light for some reason I'm seeing a monster mouse with fifty fangs and whips for tails.

I don't know. Maybe life is ratty right now.

However, this I know with complete certainty...my Anna Rose sure can draw.

Love and Honesty

We were going around the dinner table last night and sharing things that we loved about each other. I know that's pretty stinking cheesy. But hey, we're the Ericksons. What do you expect?

It was Anna Rose's turn. She said, "Mommy I love you. You are the best mom in the whole world."

She said, "David, I love you. You are my favorite brother."

She said, "Winnie, I love you. You are the prettiest dog."

She said, "Daddy, I love your red shirt."

Six Questions Answered

Why am I wearing a frilly shirt, yellow pants, and a furry red bowtie? The Kentucky Derby of course.

Where did I get my hands on a furry red bowtie? A sexy devil Halloween costume that I bought not to be sexy, devilish, or to wear for Halloween....but to win souls to Jesus...ah...the joys of Young Life...

How did I get such a hot wife? Great question.

How did I get such a beautiful daughter? (See above question.)

What happened to David's hair? Clipper accident last weekend while Lia was at work.

How great is it to have friends who are willing to party for any reason? Very.

Congratulations to Blake (pictured above, holding baby Kessler (yellow onesie), who picked Supersaver, the winning horse. I picked the last place horse, Backtalk, who lost by a whopping 70 and 3/4s lengths.).

Thanks all!

Family Camp 2010.

Every once and awhile Anna Rose looks up at me and asks: "Daddy, can I live at Windy Gap?" I confess there is part of me that wonders why she wouldn't rather live with us, but there is another part of me that is glad she loves the place. It is a place Lia and I love as well. As corny as it sounds, we feel closer to God there. And to think that Anna Rose would choose a place that feels, even if it isn't true, closer to God, honestly warms my heart.

So last weekend we lived there. It was our local area's family camp. I had the privilege of leading music once again. I had great help this year from Chris Hinson, Ben Lambeth, and Jennifer Steele. We again decided to lead in costume. Jennifer Steele took it to the next level though I believe that Ben Lambeth dressed as Buzz Lightyear truly took the cake. (It was Disney theme...Toy Story might have been when Pixar was only Pixar, but we let him slide.) Blake Hill, Mark and Ginny Evans did a great job on program. Mark's Boris character...the Russian Figure Blader...was one of the most impressive displays of talent I have ever witnessed. Below is a great photo by Lia of Jimmy Glacier and Jimmy Riptide the Extreme Freaks of Nature...

My college housemate Andy Morris, his wife Laura and their two cute dudes Luke and Gabriel came up on Saturday to visit. (I forgot to take pictures...erg) Saturday night, Lia and I had a hoot with Charley Patten, Kathy, their children Laura and Sarah and their husbands John Reed and Jim. I love that I just wrote the word hoot. Below, David is having a hoot at lunch.

There were many highlights from the weekend. If I had to pick one, it would be Sunday morning, watching my little Anna Rose and her friends Hannah, Sarah Kent, and Ellie dancing to the music. This picture doesn't capture their or my joy. (By the way, yes, I am wearing footie pajamas. And yes, there is approximately two gallons of sweat sloshing around my feet.)

Come with us next year!

The Way

I had the chance to talk at church on Sunday.

Here's the link! (the passage was Luke 24:13-32)

http://www.hopepresws.com/components/com_sermonspeaker/media/20100411.mp3

this here below is the story about my Grandma...pasted from my notes

· Grandma...one of the saints…you won’t read anything about her, though I try to write about her whenever I have the chance…not that she was perfect…she suffered greatly, was tragically flawed, obsessively compulsively disordered…but she loved Jesus, and she knew he loved her…One time, she was under a great deal of pressure…so of course she started cleaning the house…at one point she began to clean underneath the piano…we actually inherited the piano, and I can tell you it has not been cleaned since…but there she was on her hands and knees cleaning underneath the piano, crying out to God…when all of the sudden she said that she saw this picture…she was in this pit…this miry pit…she couldn’t get out, the walls were too high, wet…the only light came from the small hole at the top of the pit…where she saw a shadow, a silhouette of a person, a hand reaching down…she grabbed it, he pulled her out, it was Jesus, he set her feet down on a rock…you may recognize this picture from Psalm 40…but as her eyes adjusted she looked out, and all around were brambles, the world was brambles, 360 degrees as far as the eye could see…thorns…and she couldn’t remember if she actually said the words or just thought them, but she said “what’s the point in pulling me out of the pit, if the whole world is brambles…there’s no path…” It was then that she heard Jesus say: “You are right. There is no path. I am the Path.” And he took her arms and wrapped them around his waist, he showed her how tightly she needed to hold on, then he stepped out, directly on the thorns, crushed them, blood, he took another step, directly on the thorns, and he turned to my grandmother and said, place your feet where I have placed mine…she said, he showed me how tightly I needed to hold onto him…

(the pictures are just because they are beautiful...taken by Lia)

Lillie's Friends

Last weekend, Lia, Anna Rose, David and I competed in our first 5k as a family. I'm proud to say that we came in first place (in the stroller division, of which there wasn't one). But still, we rolled across the finish line before the other strollers. You have to admit that's pretty impressive. As you can see by the picture below, Anna Rose and David (even Lia) were not as enthused as I was. But hey...who gives a rip about attitude...it's winning that matters (even if it means you have to make up your own division to do it!).

So anyway, it was a great event for a sweet little girl who passed away a few years ago from neuroblastoma. You may recall that we have very dear friends who have a daughter who is a neuroblastoma survivor (Kerith is the girl on the right in the picture below), Lia is her doctor, so you can imagine how this is an important event for us.

It was also a lot of fun. They had jumpy castles, face painting, crafts and a race for the kids...Anna Rose took it very seriously (see picture).

There was also an Easter Egg Hunt (which could have also been called something like 'A Parent's Worst Nightmare' or 'Utter Mass Chaos). The lady said go! and Anna Rose took off. 30 seconds later, I realized that most every other kid was being accompanied by a parent and Anna Rose had been swallowed up in the crowd! So as it turned out, it was not an Easter egg hunt, it was an Anna Rose hunt. Fortunately, I found her; several other parents did not (for the next fifteen minutes, the lady on the loudspeaker was announcing names of missing kids). Anna Rose found 5 eggs.

By the way, yes, I was wearing a shirt showing my insides...long story...

Top 10 Reasons I Think My Son is a Dog

1. He growls.

2. He thinks everything is a chew toy.

3. He travels on all fours.

4. He loves to eat dog food.

5. He licks to kiss.

6. He drools.

7. He stands by the back door hoping to be let outside.

8. He pants.

9. He would eat his own poo if we let him.

10. He is fascinated by the water in the toilet bowl.

Almost Famous

I had the honor of helping out once again at the Simply Youth Ministry Conference (once known as the National Youth Ministry Conference). It was held this year up in Chicago. Go Cubs (as long as you are not playing the Phillies!). It was a great weekend.

The highlight for me was reconnecting with the youth pastor of my youth, Mike Flavin. Twenty years ago (my 9th grade year) he moved from my church to the church he still serves in. Twenty years! 9th grade! And he recognized me! What does that say?

I recognized him as well, but I guessed wrong on his name. Finally, it hit me. We embraced. He told me in his thirty years of youth ministry I was by far his most annoying kid. Ha! How about that! In fact, I have been doing a lot of thinking about that - I think he was probably right.

Hopefully, time has changed my obnoxious ways (even if they have not changed my appearance).

He and his wife, Amy, and Lia and I had breakfast the next morning. Two hours later, I had to excuse myself to get to the session I was leading.

Ironically, the theme of the weekend was Legacy. I can't tell you how cool it was to be someone else's. To have Mike Flavin come and hear me speak, to be his fruit - man, I can't tell you...it was awesome.

True to theme, Lia and I spent Sunday night with Brian and Erin Amrich and their little one, Emerson. Brian picked us up at 5:30pm and took us to their apartment. It was 10:30pm before we knew it.

On the way back to the hotel room, a man held the elevator door for us. He was dressed like a rock star. Turned out he was. He said he played guitar. I said, "Cool. Sorry we missed the concert." He said, "Cool." I said, "How did it go?" He said, "We're rusty." I said, "Cool."

On the tenth floor, we both exited and parted ways. Two ladies passed and entered the open elevator. "Is that Ned?" I heard one say to the other. The other squealed. "Hi Ned!" they chimed.

I waved my hand, squeezed Lia's with the other. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the rock star...He had this look that said, "Who the hell was I riding in the elevator with? And why don't I know him?"

I guess every dog has his rock star moment...TobyMac.

Graduation Day!

Ten years ago, me and some guys adopted a Compassion child. Really, it was me. It was my idea. And it was easier just paying for it, then hounding the guys for the cash every month. Our name was Ned and the Boyz. Every couple months I'd get a letter from our little fella. Each time addressed to Ned and the Boyz. I always got a chuckle at that.

For awhile there in the beginning, I would give the boyz updates on our fella. He was from Rwanda. He had a wild name: Mushimiyimana. Pretty wild. He never smiled in his picture.

Years went by. The boyz moved, including me. This summer we lost our leader Paul. Many of us got married. Many of us now have children of our own.

Every month I would send Compassion my check. Every couple months I'd get a letter from Mushimiyimana. I wrote back. Not every time. But enough to build a relationship. I keep him updated on the ups and downs of the writer's life. He tells me about what the Lord is teaching him. He keeps me updated on the local soccer news. He isn't the best student. I've sent him pictures of the family. I'd get a picture every year or so of him. He never smiled. But I didn't care that he wasn't photogenic. We were friends. Our letters were always full of love even if I had forgotten to write him back.

At some point Mushimiyimana started going by Eric. My last name is Erickson. He never told me if his name choice was coincidence or on purpose.

To my surprise, I got a letter from Compassion about a month ago, notifying me that Eric had aged out of the program. "Is he done?" I asked. A foolish question. Are any of us done? "Did he graduate?" "Not quite." (Like I said, he is not the greatest student.) But he can, and this May he will, Lord willing.

Yesterday, I wrote him my "Final Letter." It was pretty powerful so far as experiences go. I couldn't stop crying. And I couldn't find the words. I just didn't know how much this little guy I've never met has meant to me these last ten years.

He's a big guy now. Eric is 21. I'm proud of him. I believe great things are in store for him.

I didn't know if it was against the rules, but in my last letter I gave Eric my address, email, phone number. I wanted to give him everything. (I sent him a big check even.) I wanted him to know that this little tiny benevolence is not willing to stop even if Compassion tells him to.

I know that some Compassion donors plan a meeting with their child. I don't know if Mushimiyimana (Eric) and I will ever meet here on earth. But it has truly been an honor to be his benefactor these last ten years.

God bless you, Mushi...

...Last night, Ned and the family adopted a new child. Her name is Umazi. She is a little girl from Kenya, born three days after Anna Rose. So it begins again...

Bowl-O-Rama 2010

We had another successful Bowl-O-Rama. With the weather and the short notice, I was pleased with the great turn out (of course disappointed that some dear friends couldn't make it). A great time was had by all. In fact, there was one moment that was so funny, I literally fell to the floor in a veritable gut bust. I can't really expound on what happened. It would get lost in translation. And it would be terribly inappropriate. Jonathan Murfee was involved. (If you know Murf then it shouldn't surprise you (1) that it was funny (2) that it was inappropriate.) Let's change the subject...

(JB, Dudley, Murfette and Murf in their finest)

So the Bowl-O-Rama was awesome. We switched venues to Creekside Lanes this year because of price and service. The folks at Creekside were wonderful to work with. I could not have been more pleased with the level of enthusiasm and leeway they gave me as I put this event together. If you are bowling in the triad - bowl there.

Team Zorro and Fish-head (Mark Evans and Ben Lambeth) came away with the Championship. The Bell family won the Spirit Award. David Erickson was the Master of Ceremonies. We also brought a cake for him (as it was three days before his birthday).

(Dave Dave being festive)

There was this little kid that was bowling beside us that asked me if he could play the next time we had the event. I said 'absolutely.'

Put it on the calendar, first Saturday of February 2011.

Capacity

Every once and awhile you get one of those glimpses into who you really are. Not who you can be...but who you really are. And there is nothing you can do to take it back. Because it just happened. And you can't change the past.

Now, I don't know where your mind is taking you at the moment, but what I'm writing about is love.

Every once and awhile we are given the opportunity to show our capacity for love. That is what I see when I see what has happened in Haiti. We can debate whether or not God made the earthquake happen. I doubt we'll get anywhere. But what I do know for certain is that what Pat Robertson said about it was wrong.

He said: "They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal [...] ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other."

This is what I say: "God loves the Haitians. And if it was possible for God to love one people more than another, he loves the Haitians more than most. Because God has an especially tender place in his heart for the suffering."

What I marvel at is that we do, too. That's the truly incredible thing: the millions of dollars being donated, the people lining up to adopt the orphans (including my wife!), the doctors who have left their practice to serve in tents for free, the Red Cross, the US military, Europe, South America, Asia, Africa, The Dominican Republic. My friend Allison. She just hopped on a plane Monday. It is amazing to me. This is love. Every once and awhile we get a glimpse at our capacity for it.

Lord, please keep my friend Dance alive...

Closer to home, God gave Lia and me a similar glimpse (though on a lesser scale). Our kids got the bug. I will spare you the gory details, but they involved projectile vomit. I didn't love the experience, but I was amazed at the love with which I responded. Does that make sense? I did what it took to clean up the mess. I didn't pause first to think about what it would cost. I got dirty. Because I love these children. I did what David and Anna Rose could not do for themselves.

Every once and awhile I get surprised at how much love I have in me. May we discover the same capacity as we care for our sisters and brothers of the island.

Dance Machine

In the evolution of dance, David has already mastered the knee bob and the Stevie Wonder head swivel! Looks like the sky will be the limit for this dance machine.