WOW!

Dear ones:
Wow - what a week this has been! We have had so many rewarding and special moments - some good, some not so good!
The week started with a student of mine - Emi Sakamoto, coming to the apartment to have us help her with her oral English.
She has been preparing for a test to determine her mastery of the English language and has failed it twice. She is an older
Japanese student who has a nursing degree and wants to be a Pharmacist.
She ask us where we had been all day and we told her we had been to Church. She ask so many questions about the
Church and every time we tried to change the subject, she kept referring back to the Church. She saw our picture of the
Salt Lake Temple and ask all about it too. She has a visa and carries a passport - the same as we do, meaning that she
is not a Chinese citizen and we are free to talk to her about the Church!
We really tried NOT to talk about the Church and she kept referring to the Church. To make a long story short - she wanted
to read the Book of Mormon and Rog ended up giving her his copy to read!!!!
He also invited her to go to Church with us... We will see what happens. I will keep updated.

This past week Rog and I attended the finals of the debate competition here on campus. My 7th year Medical students
were vying for first place, against Rog's Post Graduates!!!!!!!! Can you believe that???
40,000 students on this campus (larger population than Cedar City!) and our students are against each other for the championship!!!!!
I am sad to say that Rog's students won. I really thought that my students had won - they did the better job! But the judges
proclaimed Rog's students the winners. Rog's other students - all girls - took 4th place. Two of his girls won top honors, one
for the best English speaking student at the University and the second one as best debater at the University. Needless to say,
he was very proud.

Today is May 27 and we have the next 4 days with no classes, as it is the celebration of the "Dragon Boat Festival". As I have said
before, the Chinese love to celebrate and this celebration is a fun one. The special food eaten is a "Junsie", made with sticky rice and bean
curd or nuts or meat and cooked in twisted bamboo leaves. They taste very good and I had the chance to watch a woman making them at the street
market today.
Every day is a new adventure. I never know what I will see when I leave my apartment. I never look for different things - they just seem to be
EVERYWHERE!
Today I had 20 of my Sophomore girls with me at the market and they were so helpful and showed me so many new and exciting things. I took many more pictures and as soon as Rog downloads them, I will post them.

The Miller's have gone to Korea for the holiday and we will stay here and wander Qingdao. There are so many things we still need to see and
experience here. Our friends, the Brown's, will spend the weekend with us and we are sure to have a great time. Of course I will go to Jimo
Market and look at pearls... I am known as the Pearl Lady of China to all the BYU teachers because of my knowledge of pearls I learned
while working at a jewelry store. And, I can bargain !!!!!!

Time is getting short here - I only have 2 to 3 more times with my students before the end of the semester.. I can't believe it.
They are such a big part of my life, I can't imagine what my life was like before coming to China. I love these dear people.
I love the rich culture and history. But I love my students best of all... each one has touched my life in a special way. I love
seeing their faces light up and the smile spread across their faces when I peek in the classroom every morning.

I am getting very anxious to see everyone at home. We were so sad to hear of our dear friend and family member, Bud Bowman's
passing. We pray for our sister, Diane, and her family at this time and realize that it is time to come home and see our dear ones.
When I look at our family photograph I realize how much I miss all of you. I can hardly wait to see you all again........

Much Love,
Mom