Welcome to North Macedonia! We’ve been here for three weeks now and it’s starting to feel like home. It’s impossible to put into one word the experience of moving somewhere completely new, so I thought I’d give some of my first impressions of this fascinating country we are learning to call home: Kindness is everywhere…
Tag: Culture
Watchman on the tower
The idea of the diaolou, some 1,800 of which are still standing, has been around for centuries, but most were built during the 1920s and 1930s. At that time, China was full of bandits and warlords, so many overseas Chinese sent money home to build fortresses for their families. The diaolou are built to withstand assault; with barred gates, iron shutters, and many stories of stone, they are imposing structures.
Where Red Meets White: A Chinese Wedding in 2020
Seven years ago Jarek and I were just married and living in Xi’an China as exchange students. One evening as we sat studying in our cramped, dusty apartment, we heard a knock at our door. We opened it to see a bright-eyed Chinese girl with beautiful high cheekbones and a contagious smile. “Hello! My name…
Families are Forever
One of our most cherished beliefs is that, through Jesus Christ, we can be together as a family forever no matter what trials we go through in this life. Because it means so much to us, Kaylee and I try to collect the phrase “families are forever” as art in the local language everywhere we go. This gives us beautiful, unique art with deep meaning, and there’s almost always a great story to go with. We’re quite proud of our burgeoning collection, so we’ll share it here!