Our China Adventure
In the Fall of each year, St. Paul’s eighth grade students and their parents have the opportunity to travel to the People’s Republic of China and take part with Zion Lutheran School of Fallbrook in the annual China Adventure Trip.
The twelve day adventure begins in Hong Kong where the group will spend its first two days exploring the former British colony. The “core” of the trip is a seven day biking trip through the countryside in rural southern China. The trip is planned to coincide with the final rice harvest, so there is always plenty of activity out in the rice paddies.
When not cycling, students keep busy conducting interviews (aided by an interpreter) with people they meet along the way. Students also participate in school exchanges, make home visits to our scholarship recipients, worship in a local Chinese Christian church and enjoy a fascinating cross cultural experience.
St. Paul’s missions/service projects in China are organized by the Concordia Welfare and Education Foundation of China, an organization affiliated with the Lutheran Church. The service projects involve providing assistance to needy families with education expenses for their children, providing micro –agricultural loans, and helping families who have handicapped members. The funding for these comes from our students’ chapel offerings and from monetary gifts from the families of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and school.
This year was the first year that I had the opportunity to participate in this trip. It was an incredible experience and I can’t wait to go back! The people that we met, the experiences we had, the cultural exchange that took place, the food we ate were all incredibly positive. On the day we left mainland China to return to Hong Kong, the students and I all had mixed feelings. We were excited to go back to Hong Kong but sad to leave China behind.
Joyce Schedler and Dan Fisher from Zion do a wonderful job of organizing and planning the trip. That combined with working with some outstanding people in China make for a safe, busy, and fantastic adventure. The adults who accompanied our group have my thanks as well. St. Paul’s parent Paul Hagerty, and St. Paul’s church members Sherrie and Carrie Kaemerle did a great job of supporting, and encouraging the group.
It was also very special to be able to share an experince like this with my daughter Olivia and six other eighth grade students. The students were a joy to be with during the trip and they carried themselves with maturity, they treated a different culture with respect, and they approached all the new things coming their way with curiosity.
If you ask me about the trip be prepared – I will take a lot of your time because I have so many positive things to say about this great experience.
China Pictures