With children in (and near) Chicago–Part 2

by noel.piper on February 10, 2012 in North America with 2 Comments

On Friday evening last week, we drove past a colorful bright sight that caught our eyes: “We should take the girls there.”

Saturday was a good time for an Grandmama/Grandaddy outing, so Mom and Dad could have a few hours. So we and the girls were off to the DuPage Children’s Museum in Naperville.

I gave a passing thought to doing the organized thing–you know, examine the floor plan and go at this systematically. In the meantime the girls passed me without a thought. When we caught up with them, they were wrestling into oilcloth smocks at the water area.
I think they could have been happy in the water the whole time we were there. A few more outings might offer adequate experience with the water going through a funnel and actually into a container. Check out this video for the current technique.

A wise mama will notice the last few seconds of the video and take the warning to pack an extra set of clothes.

Grandmama and Grandaddy enjoyed themselves too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wrapped up the day with lunch at 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill right beside the train tracks in Glen Ellyn, where your lunch is delivered to you by model train.

The concept in the 1950s-style diner is so fun it might make you want to borrow somebody’s child if you don’t have one handy,  just so you can “eat all your lunch if you want dessert,” dessert being the cafe’s signature sprinkles cupcake with a train whistle on top.

QUESTION FOR YOU: What are some more Chicago area activities you like to do with children, or wish you could do?

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With children in (and near) Chicago – part 1

by noel.piper on February 8, 2012 in North America with 11 Comments

Last weekend we were with one of our sons and his family in the Chicago area. In the process we discovered some to-do-with-the-grandchildren activities that we all enjoyed.

Friday outing to downtown Chicago–Grandaddy, Grandmama, Mommy, Daddy, & 2 girls

The girls are very familiar with their local Metra station because of dropping Daddy off in the morning sometimes or picking him up in the afternoon. (And from going with Mommy to Starbucks across the street).

But to actually ride on the train themselves . . . too exciting for words. Well, not actually. Both were gushing words and anticipation.

 

At the end of the train line, a 10-minute walk (or longer if following a 3-year-old’s path, instead of the straight line of an adult) took us to Giardano’s for Chicago-style pizza. This is just a block or two from the Sears Tower, America’s tallest building. Some other time, we might go up to the Skydeck.

 

 

On the way back to the train, the plaza alongside the river is good for watching and running.

 

 

 

Back at Ogilvie Transportation Center, Mommy’s stop at Mrs. Field’s provided a satisfying end to a sweet outing.

 

 

 

QUESTION FOR YOU: What have you enjoyed doing with children in or near Chicago? Or what do you wish you could do?

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Groupon: noise cancelling headphones

by noel.piper on January 23, 2012 in Recommendations with Comments Off

I suppose I’ve been a mother too long, but ear plugs or other noise cancellers don’t help me sleep. On the contrary, they wake me up with anxiety about what might be happening and I’m missing it. I suppose that’s a variation of “The children are too quiet. They must be up to something.”

But that doesn’t seem to be a problem for others. It does make sense on a plane to block out the startlingly loud announcements and the head-humming engine throb.

If that’s you, Groupon is offering Able Planet noise cancelling headphones for $49 (instead of the usual $129). The offer lasts 6 more days or until the limited quantity is gone.

(Another idea: Dorothy is getting a couple of pairs for her children with sensory processing challenges.)

Question for you: How would you use them?

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Video: Esther Expedition itinerary

by noel.piper on January 19, 2012 in Asia with 1 Comment

At our Esther Expedition presentation, after I talked about Esther (videos: Part 1 and Part 2), Joann sketched out our March itinerary when we sort of follow in Esther’s footsteps.

Below the video, you can find the maps that don’t show up all that well (or at all) on camera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 1: Why I want to know this woman

Part 2: Dream Fulfilled and Cut Short

__________

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__________

If you make a purchase after you click on a product link in a post or after you use an on-line shopping link in the sidebar, I receive a small commission, which costs you nothing extra. I recommend only items that I think will be of interest to my readers and that I use personally or wish I did. 

Video: Dream fulfilled and cut short

by noel.piper on January 17, 2012 in Asia with 2 Comments

In the first part of this presentation about Esther Nelson, I showed her as a self-effacing woman with the heart of an adventurer for God.

Here’s the rest of what I had to say. Of course, there’s lot’s more to talk about and read, so stay tuned!

Esther Expedition presentation, part two:

Part 1: Why I want to know this woman

Part 3: The Esther Expedition Itinerary

Video: Why I want to know this woman

by noel.piper on January 14, 2012 in Asia with 6 Comments

I had a good time on Tuesday talking about the Esther Expedition with a roomful of friends. I wish all of you who wanted to could have been there.

Maybe this will be the next best thing. We made a video–nothing fancy–and I’m breaking it into YouTube-acceptable lengths.

Esther Expedition presentation, part one:

Part 2: Dream fulfilled and cut short

Part 3: Esther Expedition itinerary

You’re invited — twice

by noel.piper on January 9, 2012 in Asia with 1 Comment

Joann and I are hoping to see you twice this week.

One invitation is a reminder. The other is one I haven’t told you about yet.

Hoping to see you! And please spread the word.

Tuesday! Tuesday! Hear all about it!

by noel.piper on January 4, 2012 in Asia, General with 5 Comments

It’s not that long ago when I was thinking, “Can I really spend a month in China? Is this a crazy idea?” Right at that time, no kidding, this was my fortune at Lee Ann Chin (don’t tell Joann, but that’s my family’s favorite “Chinese” place to eat).

I don’t want you to think that the paths of my life are guided by fortune cookies, but yes, my tickets now are booked.

Joann and I are thankful to all of you who are following with interest our Esther expedition. We’re getting together to talk about our trip and hope you can join us. We’ll have pictures and stories and maybe some goodies too.

 

Bethlehem to China: A Journey

Bethlehem Baptist Church

Downtown Campus, Room 114

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

7:00pm - 9:00pm

In the late 1920’s, a young woman departed Bethlehem for southwest China, where she worked as a nurse and teacher until 1951. Esther’s story rests in her letters, and it’s a story waiting to be discovered and told.

In March 2012, Noel Piper and Global Partner Joann Pittman will travel to China to trace the life and legacy of Esther. They’ll be seeking the land and people that captured Esther’s heart, traveling to the towns and villages where she served, hopefully even finding people who remember her.

You are invited to hear Noel and Joann talk about their upcoming “Esther Expedition” on Tuesday, January 10, at 7:00pm at the Downtown Campus.

RSVP isn’t required, but we’d love to know if you’re coming. You can do that by commenting here or by using the Contact link above–also if you have any questions.

Sweet, serendipitous providence

by noel.piper on January 3, 2012 in Asia with 3 Comments

Did I ever tell you that my favorite word is serendipity? I like the onomatopoeia of it, like flowing water, flipping over unexpected stones in the creek bed. My mouth likes the feel of saying serendipity, the last 3 syllables tumbling out more quickly than the first 2, and with a touch of mischief.

And I like the meaning of serendipity. The dictionary definition is a bit on the dry side: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. The history of the word is more appealing and enchanting: from the Persian fairy tale ”The Three Princes of Serendip,” whose heroes ”were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of.” 

Most of all, I love experiencing serendipity. It’s one of the great pleasures of traveling: running into someone you know in the subway in Singapore or mentioning a name and an eavesdropper exclaims, “That’s my friend!”

Johnny and I prayed together this morning before I left for a day of search and research. He asked God, “As Noel reads and searches, please grant her serendipity . . . which really means your sweet providence.” That’s the best definition of all.

And it happened. After I’d finished chatting with the archivist and was pulling out some books to look through, a young man introduced himself, and said, “I think I heard you talking about missions in China?” He himself is Chinese and his doctoral dissertation is about the church in China before 1910. Not the years I’m studying, but he could point me to books that would be more specifically what I’m looking for. And it’s just plain fun to listen to somebody who knows China.

A small, but sweet providence.

There was another sweet moment I’m not sure qualifies as serendipity, because I’d been hoping for such a discovery. I want to know what other people thought about Esther Nelson and I found this in a letter from fellow-missionary Anna Salquist, written to the Mission Board, wishing for people to be bold to return after 2 years of difficulty, including evacuation because of anti-foreign attitudes and actions:

I am very happy to think of . . . Miss Nelson here. . . . Miss Nelson is giving herself heart and soul to the hospital here and her example must tell. I did not urge [her] come back and I urge no one, but I hope many will want to come and be able to do so.

Yes! There were some of the things Esther would never have called atttention to. Giving herself heart and soul. Her faithfulness and devotion an example. Courage to be in the hard place God called her to.

Sweet providences.

Lots of footsteps to follow

by noel.piper on January 2, 2012 in Asia, Recommendations with Comments Off

The next 3 days, while Johnny and Talitha are involved with Passion 2012 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, I’ll be 1/2 hour up the highway from them at the American Baptist Historical Society.

For most of Esther Nelson’s years in China, she was with the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society.

So I’ve been collecting names from Esther’s letters–names of people she worked alongside. Beginning tomorrow (Tuesday), I’ll be spinning through miles of microfilm, looking for their prayer letters. The special treasures will be when they specifically mention Esther or when they mention events or people that Esther has also written about. Whenever more than one person writes about the same event, there are always more details as well as another person’s perspective.

Even when the connections in their letters are not that direct, whatever I can glean about everyday life, about the culture around them, about their interactions with the religions of China–all those things will give a more complete setting for understanding Esther’s story.

Mission Impossible: The Unreached Nosu on China's FrontierI’ve been warming up for this research expedition by reading Mission Impossible: The Unreached Nosu on China’s Frontier (or for Kindle). The author, Ralph Covell was part of the Sichuan team in Esther’s later years, when she was working alongside missionaries from the Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society.

The book is well written at both the personal level and in giving an overview of the culture and historical setting. Covell is amazingly frank about pitfalls missionaries sometimes fell into, situations that made it easy for critics to call them imperialists.

This book will send you partway down my path of following in Esther’s footsteps. Watch particularly for mentions of Esther Nelson and whatever was happening in Huili, the town where she was working. This was during the last dramatic years of her service in China, when the Communists came into leadership.

I feel like Christmas Eve. I hope I can sleep tonight.

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