Today on September 16th

Today I rode a few (?) miles on my bike with a fellow teacher riding on the back.

Today I sang and worshiped with a whole bunch of internationals, covering each continent (minus Antarctica). We sang a song in Swahili. (?) The worship leader is from Sri Lanka. I've had Passover dinner with her before. --In the home of a family from South Africa, England, Taiwan, and mainland China.

Today at church, I grooved while I sang.

Today I ate a whole bunch of jiao zi (pumpkin, donkey, shrimp, curry with cow, and regular kinds too).

Today I saw the baptism of 3 foreign teenagers in a river and sang worship songs outside in the park.

Today I walked a lot and biked A LOT.

Today I participated in a surprise 50th birthday celebration of the leader of our small group. (I got to eat a piece of cheese cake.)

Today I ate some delicious kimbap (tuna) and drank a delicious mango smoothie.

Today I had interesting conversations with high schoolers, fellow teachers, and parents.

Today I put my leftover jiao zi under the car. (Stupid. Why?) When I came back, it was gone. I hope the street sweeper ate it.

I experience these things and I interact with these people and I don't want to go.

Tianjin -- view from Trash Mountain

Must I go?
Will I stay?

If I go, will I ever come back?

As I was walking today the realization struck me that if I must leave -- I may never be able to come back again.
That is a deep sorrow to my soul. Not so much because of the PLACE, but because of the PEOPLE.

The sorrow still lingers from Washington...a bit from California, and now I have China to (perhaps?) add to the list.

I tried to imprint on my mind the sights, sounds, textures, and scents of Tianjin in the throes of Fall.

Beauty can be seen here too.