As I approached the tea house I heard this metallic ringing sound and I knew that I had found what I was looking for. I was filled with nervous anticipation and a little bit of dread because I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself in to. I saw a man holding several sort metal rods and this metal tone making thing and I sat down in the chair he pulled up and he started working on my ears. He would put some cotton on the end of one metal rod and put it in my ear and scrap out some ear wax. Then he would put in another and do the same thing. Final he put in one rod and used a metal tone making thing to vibrate the metal rod in my ear as a way of cleaning out more wax. The whole time he was doing this I was nervous that it might hurt me and I had to remember why I had gone there.

I had gone to this tea house with express purpose of finding these ear cleaning guys as part of a “cultural scavenger hunt” that we where doing with all the new people and their partners. So while I had been over here before my partner hadn’t so I got to do the “cultural scavenger hunt” too. The idea was to get in to Asian culture even if it was uncomfortable. In the end the experience was good. I won’t say it was enjoyable but it didn’t hurt and wasn’t harmful like I was a little afraid it might be. It also, made me feel like I was more in tune to Asian culture.

This experience was shortly after I arrived. Since then I have moved into my apartment and have been settling into living here again. It has been a busy few weeks so far but it looks like I will be starting a normal routine of life now, which I am excited about. I have also gotten to connect with my new team, half of which is the same as last year. I am really excited that God has put us together and for what He is going to do this year.

Please pray for:

Me: I have been feeling sick the past week and I think I have a cold, so please ask God to make me well and to give me strength for the things I need to do.

My team: We are still getting to know each other and are building unity which is vitally important in the work that we are doing, so please ask God to keep connecting us together and uniting us in heart and spirit for what we are doing here.

My campus: Please ask God to bring us the guys He wants us to meet and fill the campus where I work with His Holy Spirit.

With your help I really believe God is going to do great things this year.

-Rocky J