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Ruth Otey
Missionary to China
This page is dedicated to the e-mails and updates that we recieve from Ruth. Ruth is a Fairfield girl and left for China on June1, 2007. She is working with Christ Reaching Asia Mission in China, North Korea and Vietnam. Please keep Ruth in your prayers as she labors for Christ in China. |
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| This is Ruth |
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| Living room |
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| Living Room |
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| Kitchen |
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| Bedroom |
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| Out the window |
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| Out the other window |
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| The School |
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| On the street |
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| HYPOtherapy |
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| Friends |
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| Out To eat |
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| ???? |
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| What do you think? |
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| Ruth teaching |
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| Ruth & her fellow teachers |
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| Ruth & friends |
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| What could she be up to? |
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| A light hearted moment |
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| Forming friendships |
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| Ruth and friends |
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| Ruth & Aaron |
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Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 8:50 PM
Greetings from Hun Chun City, China. I arrived safely and I am adjusting nicely to envirorment. Will send more lately.
Best Regards,
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Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2007 7:19 PM
Greetings from China,
I am adjusting well, I have been in three different classes. We just finished an early morning class that starts at 6:30, I am enjoying my experience so far.
Yesterday I went with the students for HIPPO therapy, it was a journey of about 20 minutes in the school van. We took 9 students and had a great time.
I was informed yesterday that I need to pay for my rent for a year. CRAM paid it in advance and I need to repay them ASAP. I am sharing a beautiful furnished apartment with a student from Johnson until the middle of August. The rent for the entire year is $1500.00 which includes utilities, remarkable. Today I will open a bank account.
Give my regards to everybody.
Love in Him,
Ruth |
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2007 2:17 AM
Hi Cindy,
Things are going well here, I am enjoying meeting all the personnel and getting acquainted with them. I have helped teach two classes already. Most of the students are very eager to learn. Yesterday I went with the special school for HIPPO therapy where we put the students on horses and lead them around in an enclosure, there are rings on poles that some of the students retrieve. The meals have been very interesting and there is always a lot of food.
Regards to all,
Ruth |
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 10:18 PM
This morning we had service with four different languages, really interesting and then we had breakfast. Jessica Newton, Aaron Tribou and I are having teacher training. Not exactly the most exciting thing but I guess it is necessary. I am enjoying the people and we have a lot of fun.
Talk to you later.
Ruth |
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 5:20 PM
Glad the picnic went well, I am very busy here. I help with the early morning class which starts at 6:30 each day, on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I help with HYPOtherapy for the students from Special school. This is letting them ride horses, pull rings off a post and toss a ball. Yesterday I helped bake bread after class, this baking is done on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Two others and I are having teacher training which lasts for an hour and then I assist in another class starting at 3:00. Each class lasts 1 1/2 hours. Yesterday a TV crew came and filmed the students during various things. Then we helped stuff letters and pictures of CY in Russia. We did not get all done as the printers ran out of ink for the letter that accompanied the pictures. We will finish them today.
Talk to you later.
Ruth
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Sent: Monday, June 25, 2007 11:39 PM
I'm glad you had a good turn out for the vacation school. I am very busy here and the first of July will be much more so because we have 20 teachers coming from Hawaii and we will have to help them. Graduation for students from the spring will be Friday and we are having review now and they will have their final test on Thursday.
I am just using the address of Hope school for any mail, that address is PO Box 1, Hunchun City, China.
Regards,
Ruth
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Sent: Friday, June 29, 2007 1:41AM
Just a few lines to let you know things are going well here. We are expecting 20 people from Hawaii next week and we will have a 5 day summer camp for kids. The other teams will do the teaching and we will just be there to assist. Our spring term ended yesterday with final exams and we reviewed the tests with them today. After the review we had some snacks and talked.
We have had two short time students that have been here and left. We have received an e-mail from the young man and he is ready to come back already. We really hated to see him leave. The young lady was here for only 2 weeks but we all fell in love with her. My roommate is leaving Sunday to visit a friend in Thailand. She will return July 15 and then her time here is up August 10.
As of right now the school does not have enought students to be self supporting. We are trying to get more students. Last week we spend Friday passing out literature at two middle schools. They have to take a test to determine if they are qualified to go to high school. Our school has two principals and the man turned in his resignation one day earlier this week. Hopefully he will not carry thru with this.
Talk to you later.
Ruth |
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 5:00AM
We are very busy here as I know you are also. I miss everybody there but I have made a lot of new friends here. The staff members are wonderful to help a "new" member and have made me feel very welcome. We have 20 people from Hawaii helping with a one week English camp for younger students than normally attend Hope School. We have two sessions per day, AM classes from 9 - 11 and afternoon classes from 4 - 6. I have been helping with the afternoon classes. Next week we start our summer term. It will last 5 weeks and we will have 2 hour long classes 5 days a week. I will be co-teaching with the students that are just beginning to learn English as the regular teacher is due for furlough in September so I will be teaching that class for the fall term. We are having very cloudy, cool weather, we have only seen a glimpse of the sun for a very few minutes this afternoon and that is the first we have seen it all month.
I will close for now.
Ruth |
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 10:29AM
Dr. Peter Kim, son of CY and Patricia is here for 10 days. He has performed 5 surgeries in Yanji and will be going to North Korea with his father tomorrow for 4 days. We had beautiful weather here today after having cool rainy days for so many days this month.
The young man that arrived here the same day I did returns to the states Tuesday. He and I have bonded and I will miss him, however I know he has to return to his studies. He is from Mayfield, KY.
I trust things are going well there. We are still very busy as this term is only 5 weeks long and usually they are 8 weeks.
Patricia sends her love to Ruth Knavel.
Tell everyone hello for me.
Regards,
Ruth |
Sent: Monday, July 30 at 12:16am
We are in the third week of a five week course for the summer term.
Tell Judy Gruner that I am not out of practice fixing communion. I have been fixing it here since I arrived. We just don't have as many to fix for as there. Yesterday we had forty some which is a big group for us. It was the last day for part of the Hawaiian team but another one will be coming soon.
Talk to you later.
Ruth |
Sent: Saturday, August 11 at 10:30pm
I received the package yesterday. As I opened the box the bear fell out, it is so cute and all the young people at English corner last night had fun with it also. I really appreciate all the items you sent . The beanie babies went to an orphanage where several of our young people go to play with the children. The crayons will go to the Special school when they resume classes in September. I have read several of the papers and it is nice seeing pictures of people I know plus the birth announcements.
We are having a very unusual summer here, only 4 hot days, most days it is cloudy and we have had a lot of rain. Last Wednesday we had a downpour which flooded the streets, the drainage system leaves a lot to be desired.
Our summer term of classes ends this Friday and then we will have a graduation party on Saturday night. I am teaching the very beginning students and that is a challenge because they speak very limited English. My co-teacher is now teaching two other classes, she is Chinese-American and so she did not need a translator. However, I do, so I have had several students from the more advanced classes helping. We have two teams from YWAM here now and two from that group came in Friday night. I am enjoying teaching the students and my co-workers are Great!!!
Take care and give my love to all in the class. A special thanks to the Hall family for their letters in my last package. The Martha Circle send me a check, so please thank Vienna Martin for me, so she can convey that to the rest of the Circle.
Love
Ruth |
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2007 6:29 PM
I finally was able to obtain access to the website and view all the building process. I am sorry that I am not there to help with some of the clean up work. We are in our final days of the summer term. Some of my students are doing very well and I am very proud of them. I feel very inadequate, however, with the help of the Father maybe I am doing some good. We have had a lot of rain and I would like to send some your way as I understand it is very dry there. Thank you for all your support and I will send more pictures as I get time. We have had several people from Hawaii helping us this summer, one team has already left, another one will leave on Saturday and the third one will leave the 24th. They have been a great help and we have made some great friendships. Craig was correct when he stated that I had family I had yet to meet.
Regards to all in Fairfield. I remain HIS servant.
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Sent: Friday, August 17, 2007 1:29 AM
It is raining here again today, we have had a lot of rain this summer. It has been a very unusual summer from what I have been told, very few hot, sunny days. The lack of hot does not bother me because my apartment does not have air conditioning. Very few places do have air conditioning, in fact.
One team from Hawaii leaves tomorrow and the last one leaves Tuesday. The last team has just been here a short time.
Summer term is over today and graduation party where we hand out certificates to show the students completed the course successfully will be tomorrow night. We will have a one week break before the fall term begins. The fall term will be seven weeks in length with the class sessions lasting 1 1/2 hours. The summer term was only five weeks long with the class session lasting 2 hours. I will be teaching the very beginning students again this coming term with the assistance of Chinese speaking students from the more advanced classes. Some of my helpers will be returning to college and I will miss them.
On September 1 I will be attending a Chinese-American wedding, should be interesting.
I continue to enjoy the work here as well as my co-workers. Give my regards to the Taco Gang, tell the students I miss them
Regards,
Ruth |
Sent: Thursday, August 23, 2007 2:28 AM
Hi Everyone,
Today is sunny with a slight breeze, that is much different than the past two days they were extremely windy. The wind brings a lot of dirt into my apartment and makes it difficult to keep it clean. Oh well.
The supertinent of school, Solomon (that's his English name, I have no idea what his Chinese name is) is helping me get a resident visa. The visa I purchased was for three months and it expires September 2. We have had to do a lot of different things to get ready to request this visa. First of all since I don't have a college diploma he had to request an expert certificate. To do that he had to go to Yanji about 1 1/2 hours from Hunchun, which he did Tuesday. Then I had to get a photo taken for the visa and we had gp to the city police station. There is a main station and then 4 local stations. At the police station we got a form to register to get a visa, then I had to have a physical and that was a lot of fun!!!! Today we went to my local precinct and got the request form filled out. Friday Solomon will go to the hospital and get my physical form, take it to the city police station and they will complete the visa request form. Then Solomon will take the request form and my passport to Yanji along with my expert certificate and leave them. He will return to Yanji after 3 days to pick up my passport with my one year visa. That should all be completed next Thursday, just 3 days before my current visa expires. I thought my visa was good until November, Patricia asked my last Sunday to check it and we are so thankful that she did. If a visa expires they can fine the offender any amount of money they desire. That is enough excitement for me for a while.
Talk to you later.
Love,
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Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2007 8:12 PM
I am learning some Chinese but not much. It is difficult enough teaching my students English, I did not realize how complicated English was, guess because I have grown up with it. I have 9 students in my beginning class. I had 18 last week with half of them unable to understand English, so the dean of our school, David Riter, took those students and now it is much better for all of us. In the other class I have 6 students, one is a middle school student, Joy, and the name is very appropriate. She speaks Korean, Chinese and English very fluently and some Japanese!! She wants to learn Russian and Spanish!
I enjoy the pictures of the new addition. Behind Hope school was an abandonded building that has been converted to a theater. The contruction stage is completed and now comes the finishing touches. Stage lights, curtain, sound system, chairs, etc. Also a director is needed. They hope to have performing acts from different countries.
Last Saturday we had a Chinese-American wedding. A truck driver from Cincinnati was here last year and started dating a beautiful girl. It was very different from our cermonies, there was a "mistress of cermony" and she performed the service!!! She has a beautiful singing voice and sang several songs. Then we had a large meal. Dr. Kim danced, he was very good.
We had rain during the night but it is just cloudy now.
Tell Royce I said to watch the cookie eating!!! I miss all of the Taco gang as well as the youth from Holy Grounds. I trust Wednesday night was a success.
Guess that is all for now.
Regards to all, Ruth
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We are having very strong winds due to a typhoon south of us. Because of the high winds we did not have hippotherapy today. So I did laundry instead and then walked to work. It was a struggle fighting the wind but I won. The sun is shining which helps counteract some of the wind. The Montana team left Hunchun early this morning to fly to Beiijing for two days, then three of the team will fly home and three crazy ladies will go to Toyoko for three days. They should have a good time. I miss them, they were great friends and fun to work with.
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Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2007 7:37 PM
Hi to all in Fairfield,
Guess you thought I had forgotten about you, huh? Not so, just busy doing other things.
Today our scheduled hippotherapy session was cancelled. The girls running the program both have sore throats plus the weather is very cold, windy and rainy. There is no heat in the arena and the children get very cold as do the workers.
Our heat is scheduled to be turned on tomorrow and none too soon!!! The government decides when this should be and in their infinite wisdome that will be October 20. My apartment and the school are both cold, so we dress in layers. The heat will be on for 6 months, day and night. We have no thermostat, so I am told it gets very hot and the only way to regulate it is to open a window. Not very efficient but that is how it is done here. Also it is paid for in advance, so very different from our customs.
Speaking of differences in customs, I helped shuck corn two weeks ago. They cut down the stalks first, then the corn is shucked, placed into piles. After this back breaking process, they pick up the ears in a cart and transport it to a drying bin. Later they pick up the stalks for silage. I would like for a farmer to come over and show them how it used to be done there before mechanics took over. I would show them how my father used to do it but I am not sure they would listen to an American woman, if you understand.
I am waiting to see more pictures of the building. Is it going to be ready for A Night In Bethlehem? Hope so. The theater behind the school building is completed. We have a sound system purchased by a team from Montana and chairs and tables are in place. There is no carpet or curtain on the stage yet put they are in the works. Also there is no heat and I am not sure of that situation. We plan to have graduation ceremony there next Saturday. We have this after each 8 week session for students that have successfully completed their course. I am teaching beginning students and one class of more advanced students. Out of the two classes I will have at least 6 that will advance. So many of the students in the beginning class do not understand much English and therefore have not done very well. It would be a disservice to advance them.
I am still enjoying life here and will be very glad to be warm again.
Regards to the Taco gang and all at Holy Grounds. Give the students a hug for me. Hugs to all the staff and I miss all of you.
In HIS Service,
I remain
Ruth |
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 10:23 AM
Subject: Christmas Party for Special School
Greetings,
Mrs. Kim has requested that we give a Christmas party for the students at Special school. These students have either physical, mental disability or in some cases both. There are 120 students and 60 teachers. We are getting small gifts for each student and teacher as well as some treats for them.
Mrs. Kim left today for a 3 month stay in the states for conferences, board meeting, convention and speaking engagements. I'm told CY was there last month, what big tales did he have to tell?
Our weather is still mild and for my part it could remain that way until spring, wishful thinking on my part.
Monday we start our second fall term. We will have 9 classes with 4 teachers have two classes each and 1 having only one. As of tonight I am not certain what time my classes will be but I will know tomorrow just in time to prepare a lesson for Monday, I hope to be able to teach students that have graduation one step from the very beginning class. I continue to experience good health and I enjoy my coworkers and the students.
Talk to you later.
In HIS Service,
Ruth |
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 9:11 AM
Subject: Second fall session
Today was the first day of the second fall session of classes. I am teaching Intro A & B this session. I had 12 students in each class, in Intro A I have a Russian lady, several Korean and Chinese so it is a challenge. I do have a translator who speaks both Korean and Chinese but no one that speaks Russian. In Intro B I have several students that were in my class last session. It was a very tiring day but also very sucessful.
I am getting assistance from several different individuals on the planning of the Christmas party for the disabled students. The wife of our dean is Korean and she has given me a suggestion for the gift for the students. When she was a child they received food as their gift, a colored hard boiled egg, fruit, candy and a pencil or pen. Since there are 120 students that will be a job but not as bad as having to purchase small trinkets for a variety of ages. I have secured the services of a man that speaks both Korean and Chinese to serve as Santa. We plan to take a picture of each student with him and that will be part of their gift. We have a scanner here and could get the picture while they are still at the party. The party would be on Dec 23 the day after our Christmas concert.
We are planning a Thanksgiving dinner with the staff and a small Christmas dinner. I'm not in charge of either of them so I don't know any definite plans.
One member of our team is currently in South Korea and has been diagnosed with a turmor on her right thyroid. She was getting a biopsy today to see if treatment is needed. Her name is Lily, please remember her.
Thanks for all your support.
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Sent: Sunday, November 25, 2007 10:41 PM
Hi,
Sorry I have been neglected writing for so long.
Our Christmas concert is scheduled for Dec 22 and my part of that is singing TENOR. When I was in grade school I sang that part and hopefully I will not embrass myself this time. We are practicing Silent Night and I think that is the only song we will sing. We have a lot of other more talented people in the concert. The director is a professional musician who directs the worship team for her ch---h. She plays the violin beautifully.
A week ago Sunday I attended Thanksgiving services at a Korean ch---h. This is run by the father of one of my students from last term. This student is 15 years old, plays five musical instruments and speaks three languages. At the service she and the director played a violin cello duet, very impressive.
We are at mid term for the second fall session this week. Both my classes are doing well, we will have a test over the third and fourth units today. I continue to be impressed by their progress. The FATHER is very good to me daily.
I understand from Phyllis that this year for the review the CIT class will be attempting Charlie Brown. If at all possible I would like pictures, please.
The weather is cooler now with days of high winds which make it extremly uncomfortable. I have purchased a long warm coat, long warm boots, mittens, gloves, scarves, etc. trying to combat the cold. Since I live so close to the school I usually walk but when the snow falls with high winds I will probably use a taxi.
I continue to enjoy the students and my coworkers. I do miss all the people and activities back there.
Talk to you later.
Ruth |
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2007 3:50 PM
Hi All,
WOW, I've been here six months today. I have two different thoughts on that subject. In ways it seems like I have been here much longer and in other ways much shorter. I miss all of you and yet I have great friends here also. One of the things I miss the most is Craig's sermons. We have a young man here that teaches on Sunday evenings but it is so very different. It is just a study, not that that is bad just different.
We are busy with school this being the last part of the term. I have 27 students in two classes. Most of the students are older and I am finding that older students tend to study more than the younger ones. Also we are busy getting ready for our Christmas concert that is scheduled for Dec 22 and the party for the Special school students on the 23rd. We plan to have both events in the newly completed theater; however, heat for that building is a problem. It is a converted boiler room and we are trying to heat it with electric heaters. We have students come on Saturday night for conversation and games and we held it in that building last week. The heaters were on for 2 hours before time for the students to arrive and it was only 11 degrees celasius at meeting time. We were like ice cubes by the time the session was over at 7:30. Our problem now is how to make it warm enough for both events planned for the latter part of this month. The natives tell us it is not cold yet but we view it differently. There is ice on the river if that tells you anything about the temperature.
Please don't misunderstand me I am enjoying nearly every minute here just stating facts, okay?
Did you enter a float in the parade that was held Saturday? I read about the winners on WFIW's website. I enjoy all the letters and cards I have received I just don't have time to answer them, I hope everyone understands that.
Tell the board how much we appreciate the special offering being sent to us for the Special students party.
I remain in HIS service,
Ruth |
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 6:27 AM
Hey,
Today I have a confirmation that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I have know this to be true since I made the decision to come but today really was the clincher. When I came I had a visitor's visa good for three months. We applied for and received an expert certificate for me which enabled me to get a resident visa good for one year. There are two Belarussians here that are a year younger than I am. They attempted to get a resident visa and were told they are too old!!! My friend, Karen, told me that usually an expert certificate and resident visa are not issued to anyone over 60!!!! The government knows how old I am because they had my passport!!! It's the Father amazing??!!!! I just had to tell you about this.
Tomorrow we will have practice for our Christmas concert and then we will have dress rehearsal the next Saturday. I will need assistance with singing my part, so please remember me.
Classes are going well with two full weeks left and then the three days after our Christmas break. On the 29th our handyman is getting married in the morning and then in the evening we will have graduation exercises. It will be a busy last part of the month.
Greetings to all there. I miss all of you.
In HIS Service,
Ruth |
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2007 8:41am
We have not had any snow, did you have any for Christmas?
We have our final day of classes this term tomorrow. Then we have graduation Saturday night. We will have two weeks off before the next term starts. During that time we will be preparing a new idea for the winter term. The students will not be using books, we will be having conversation only and then we will have them go to the theater to a "city" to purchase clothing, groceries, visit a travel agency, order food at a restaurant, go to the doctor, pharmacy, etc. It will be a big project, hopefully we will be able to complete it.
In HIS service,
Ruth |
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