Leaving....

The time has come....and tomorrow morning I leave. Part of me really can't believe it, but I am really really excited too! I will try to post as soon as I can once I get to China, but in the mean time your thoughts and prayers mean so much to me. Thank you so much for your support as I have prepared to leave! I am copying e-mail guidelines. Most everything is common sense, but it just as good thing to look over!

REMINDERS ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS WHILE OVERSEAS

1. The Internet provides a wonderful way to keep in touch with friends and family back home. However, all e-mails going in & out of China are filtered and can be read. An unwise comment in an incoming letter could jeopardize not only you but also the whole ESEC team. Please make sure that all of your correspondents are familiar with the following guidelines:

1. What not to say about me: Missions and evangelism are very important and natural topics to the Christian. But they take on a very different meaning with the Chinese government. Oftentimes, they are equated with imperialism and subversion. So please don’t call me a “missionary” while I’m in China—the Chinese government has a very different (and negative) impression of what that means to you and I.

2. Other topics to avoid: politics in general, especially Hong Kong or Taiwan’s independence, “freeing Tibet”, human rights, religious freedom, military encounters, or any negative comments about China.

3. What to write about: anything personal you wish, including spiritual things. It’s okay to use Scripture occasionally and speak as a Christian. Do tell me what’s happening in your personal life and at church. Just avoid anything concerning missions or evangelism—and especially avoid using those words directly.

2. Newsletters (e-mail or hard copies) – copy the home office along with your supporters.

3. Some people ask a friend at home to do your "screening" before messages get sent to you. This is a similar function as the "mail facilitator” for regular letters & cards. Only family and very close friends have your direct e-mail address.

4. Please ask people to not put your e-mail address on any sort of mass-e-mailing list!

They should not forward any chain letters or jokes or "prayer letters" from other people. (It's too easy for your e-mail address to get out to wrong people. This happened to another teacher—she received an unsolicited e-mail about the situation in Tibet.)

5. Ask friends not to give out your e-mail address to other people. Rather, they could tell you that someone else wants the info and let you decide what to do.

6. Apply these guidelines to online chats, MySpace, Facebook, blogs and online media, including pictures.