We did it!!! With lots of support from all of you and great power from above – we did it!!! Summer English Camp in Shanghai officially ended when “Mr. Dale” took off his red baseball cap and laid it on the podium! We had a wonderful Closing Program this morning (Friday). The principal of Gold Apple School and Mr. Wong, the host of our camp, each gave a speech and then our Boy and Girl of the Camp, Rufus and Jenny, gave their excellent speeches. Each class then performed a song in order from Group 1 to Group 9. The classes sang 1 – Take Me Out to the Ballgame 2 - It’s a Small World 3 - English Class Medley 4 - On Top of Spaghetti 5 – Jingle Bells 6 – The Lion Sleeps Tonight 7 – You Raise Me Up 8 – Santa Claus is Coming to Town, and 9 – My Heart Will Go On and We are Chinese, a moving song that Doug wrote about Chinese and Americans cooperating together and loving one another. The children held up two parts of one heart with each half decorated as Chinese or American as they sang the song. Each of the head teachers introduced all of their teaching team and gave a short speech, one of the Chinese assistant teachers gave a short speech from each class and then the certificates were handed out and the medal awarded for the outstanding student in the class. The program ended with Dale’s speech which William translated. And then the good-byes and tears followed as our students left to go home with their parents.

Last night (Thursday) at our “Mid-Summer Night” party and this morning at our Closing Program Dale began the program speaking in Chinese as he MC’ed with Natalie last night and William today. The Chinese assistant teachers took the lead in planning the Mid-Summer Night party which was held in the auditorium. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we were happy to learn that the program included three really funny skits that our young people and the Chinese assistants acted in, a couple of outstanding instrumental performances by our students, a song “We are the World” performed by the Chinese assistants and the singing of three Christmas carols led by Joe who conducted the entire audience from the stage. One of my favorite memories of camp was seeing everyone – Chinese and American - singing “Silent Night” together in the audience as they joined me in using sign language for the deaf as they sang this beautiful Christmas carol! After this program we all stayed in the auditorium to sign beautiful Autograph books that the children had sewn in a crafts activity and orange camp t-shirts. We signed a lot of t-shirts as students wore them that were wet from sweat!

At 9:00 PM last night after the Mid-Summer Night program ended, Dale treated (and Carol, too!) the Americans and our Chinese teaching assistants to a Pizza Party!!! Carol, our translator, helped us to order pizza from Pizza Hut and have it delivered. She also helped Dale to arrange to buy 50 COLD sodas from the campus store. The party was a BLAST – as Buddy and Andy greeted our guests with a loud air horn and silly string as they got off of the 15th floor elevator!!! We served the pizza from a ping-pong table located between the elevator doors and the door to our room. All of the Americans expressed their thanks to the Chinese teaching assistants, we took a lot of pictures and then we said good-night. It was a great party!

Many of the Americans boarded the KFC train and walked in incredible heat several blocks to eat at KFC today for lunch after the students left. We also shopped at the Lotus store (like a Chinese Wal-Mart) for gifts and happened to find a great deal there on t-shirts! (Since one person bought about 15 of these for her family members as gifts I won’t describe them – MJ!) Tonight we will go to a special dinner hosted by Mr. Wong. It will be in an air-conditioned room on the second floor of the cafeteria so we are really looking forward to this celebration!

Last night Dale and I stayed up late to talk with Carol about the camp. She believes that Mr. Wong, the students and their parents and all of the Chinese enjoyed the camp and the opportunity to become friends with the Americans. They all speak about the love the Americans have demonstrated to them. Yesterday, Dale had a very good conversation with Mr. Wong when we went to visit him in his room to give him a gift. Carol helped to translate as they spoke together. We also gave Carol a gift of a special book for her to keep or give away and just now she came to tell us that she gave it away today to someone who became a friend forever just this afternoon! Today during the Closing Program a few of the Chinese assistants said that they would be friends forever with their American friends. That is our greatest hope! We rejoice to report that there are more of these friends now in Shanghai and many more who are seeking so think of them…

One more greeting!
Popeye says he is counting the hours.