Dear Jonathan...

From the afternoon that I met her in the hallway of the California hotel where we were to complete our pre-China training, I knew I wanted to be her friend.

And now, five years and fifty thousand memories later, I consider myself rich. She became my friend.

Confidant. Ally. Counselor. Sidekick. Sometimes my leader, sometimes my follower. Teammate—in every sense of the word. My number one sounding board. Travel buddy. Greatest encourager. True soul sister.

In this crazy life of living in a place where you don’t belong, a friend like this is rare, invaluable,  precious. Living no more than twenty feet away from each other the whole five years, we have bonded through shared purpose, deep joy, and confusing pain. The lattice of our friendship has been woven through a million moments…

Riding on the back of her electric scooter, ignoring traffic lights just like the locals

Five consecutive Christmas mornings of making our own traditions…complete with the precious box of CheezIts shipped in from America

Countless hangout time with students in our apartments

Rescuing each other from the crowds at English corner (Is it 8:30 yet??)

Experiencing the loss of one of our dearest Chinese friends

Nanchang Train Station at 2 am---“the not-good, the bad, and the ugly”

Me blissfully texting her in those moments when my love for the students threatens to explode my heart

#hashtagtexts

Meals together around the world (Thailand, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, USA)

Boat rides in three countries

Hotel horror stories (the filthy common squatty/shoilet and the mold in the bottom of the glasses!)

Being greeted with exploding firecrackers upon our arrival at a student’s countryside home

Dealing with the horrors of Chinese bathroom facilities---especially the time when I was showed to the restaurant’s bathroom which also functioned as the storage room of the establishment’s noodle supply (buckets of noodles sitting on the edge of the squatty potty)

Sleeping in foreign airports (Thailand, Vietnam)

Long, adventurous train rides throughout China

Fourteen hours on a "hard seat" train trip (once in a lifetime is enough!)

Inside jokes (“I only hate really stupid people”)

Bonding with the workers in the cafeteria, the copy shops, the milk tea shops…

Comforting a weeping student

Being stared at, everywhere—even by a bus driver who rubbernecked as he drove past us

Communicating in a foreign language

Christmas parties---hundreds of students, hundreds of cookies, hundreds of pictures

Cultural stress

Visiting graduated students in other cities, and reuniting with them in Nanchang

Lesson planning/ Teaching

The days when we used to shop at the busiest Wal-Mart in the world, on the busiest day

Watching movies/shows online (much more accessible over here but sometimes the subtitles go wacko!)

Talking to our Father together

Our birthday parties with students

KTV awesomeness

Talking about anything and everything, all the time

For five years, together we have chosen to love this place, these students. The Chang has broken into our souls and we have returned again and again. And now, we are saying goodbye to this place, this life, and to each other.

This Nanchang life has had its grimy, exhausting moments as well as its exhilarating, hilarious, and heartwarming ones.

I wouldn’t have wanted to experience the heartache and the wonder of this place with anyone else.

Frodo said it best:

"What about Sam? I want to hear more about him.

Frodo wouldn't have gotten far without Sam."

Thanks, Christine.