Last Friday, one of the Chinese co-teachers, David, asked the foreign teachers if they would like to participate in the Tree Planting Day the following Tuesday. I was a little hesitant because Tuesday afternoon was my off day. I had no classes and a message to prepare for the next Sunday. He assured me that we would be back around 4 or 5 PM. Needing an answer that day, I said I would go and experience this Chinese cultural excursion. Tree Planting Day is the equivalent to our Arbor Day, I think. Maybe the only thing they do here is wrangle up the foreign teachers and ship them out of the big cities on buses to throw some dirt in pre-dug holes (above right) with twig-looking trees (above left) ready for planting. We left our school on Tuesday afternoon by minibus only to go to a university and get on a bigger bus with more foreigners. Things were getting a little sketchy. I found out that we would be back to the university around 7 PM. This wasn't even my apartment or school, but the drop off point after the trip was done. Oye va!
This mysterious spot was a little over an hour outside of the city. We had a police escort and everything. The hillside was filled with pretty flags welcoming us to this special event. The area was nice and we could see some of the work done by planters from previous years too. We had to share tools because there were only so many of them. The five of us from our primary school (above left) planted three different trees. One of the best parts was putting a name tag on these trees (above right). We were all a little skeptical about how long they would stay on the "trees." The weather also helped ease the disappointment of missing a free afternoon. It was the nicest day probably since October. Temperatures were in the high 60s and the sun was shining. Not too far from the hillside was a restaurant where we had a nice buffet supper provided for us. It turned out to be a fabulous day. We got back a little later than expected, but we enjoyed nice weather, good food, and now I can say that I have planted a tree in China. I'm also asking Him to plant the seed in the hearts of many here. He's the one that makes things grow and what a privilege to experience and see some of the growth! May you continue to stay connected to the Vine who gives life-saving nutrients to the branches.
