Author Archives: connieinasia

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About connieinasia

I have been in the Asia region for 27 years as an English language teacher. A majority of those have been in China with the Amity Foundation , a Chinese NGO that works in all areas of development for the Chinese people. Covid stranded me in America for over 3 years, with China closing its boarders to returning teachers. In 2023, I was accepted into a new teaching role not in China but in Laos. Join me in experiencing this incredible journey into a different culture, a different language, and a different life.

Back to Worship: My Hometown Church and My Chinese Church Open for Worship

Posted on July 20, 2020 by connieinasia

 Welcome Back!! July 5th had our Marshall First UMC open to worship in the sanctuary.  The preparation for this was quite stringent and lasted several weeks.  I listened in on  the discussions via Zoom, which my mom participated in as … Continue reading →

Posted in A Message of Faith, A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, coronavirus, Coronovirus Situation, Illinois, Luzhou, Luzhou Protestant Church in China, Return to China, Smalltown American Life, The Chinese Church, Travel, Visit To The States, Wuhan coronavirus | Leave a comment

News of rescue kitty 平平 (Ping-Ping): A match made in heaven

Posted on July 10, 2020 by connieinasia

The Recap from previous post Last October, an abandoned newborn kitten was handed to me by a colleague who found her on our campus. Near death and in dire straights, she blossomed with a good dose of antibiotics and round-the-clock … Continue reading →

Posted in A Visit Home to America, China, Chinese Christians reach out, coronavirus, coronavirus, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, My Rescue Animals in China, Tales from The Yangtze River, Tales of China, Travel | 1 Comment

My mom’s last newspaper column for the summer

Posted on July 1, 2020 by connieinasia

Walk with Me by Priscilla Wieck Summer is my usual time to take a break so this is my last column until September. Hopefully in July, I will be moving to 710 Mulberry Street, just a few blocks from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Travel, Visit To The States, Walk with Me: My mom's newspaper column | 1 Comment

“John Dana, Where are you?”: One mystery somewhat resolved

Posted on June 25, 2020 by connieinasia

Recap from June 14th Post, “Dear Chaplain,” If you haven’t kept up on my entries, I came across hundreds of war letters sent back and forth from my grandmother, Connie Maris, and her husband, Army Chaplain, Captain Marvin Maris, who … Continue reading →

Posted in a Veteran, A Visit Home to Marshall, A WW 2 Chaplain's Duties, Travel, Visit To The States, World War 2 Letters | Leave a comment

It’s Father’s Day! (My mom’s weekly column)

Posted on June 20, 2020 by connieinasia

Walk with Me, By Priscilla Wieck The recent breezy cool mornings have made our early walks pleasant again this week. I have been trying to remember to check out the interesting outdoor sit places that are attached to some of … Continue reading →

Posted in A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, Father's Day, Illinois, Smalltown American Life | 2 Comments

Dear Chaplain

Posted on June 14, 2020 by connieinasia

In the previous entry, I mentioned my grandfather’s role as an Army Chaplain overseas had him wearing many hats.  Not only was he tasked with the spiritual morale of the troops but also officiating over funerals, where it became his … Continue reading →

Posted in A Message of Faith, a Veteran, A Visit Home to America, Michigan in 1945, Travel, Visit To The States, World War 2 Letters | 1 Comment

A Chaplain’s wartime duties: My grandfather’s service to his men

Posted on June 10, 2020 by connieinasia

It’s been a very long time since I’ve been in the States for patriotic holidays.  The 3 that most recently come to mind are  Memorial Day (May 25), Flag Day (June 14), and our upcoming Independence Day (July 4).  These … Continue reading →

Posted in A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, Illinois, Travel, Visit To The States, World War 2 Letters | 2 Comments

Re-cap and Updates From Me about China Return

Posted on June 7, 2020 by connieinasia

I’ve recently received some emails saying, “Hi, Connie!  Just wanted to know how you are.  Are you still in China?” I’m guessing those individuals haven’t been checking out connieinchina.org or my Facebook page, so let me review, with a few … Continue reading →

Posted in A Message of Faith, A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, China, coronavirus, Coronovirus Situation, Current Situation for Foreign Teachers returning to China, Illinois, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, The Chinese Church, Travel | 1 Comment

My mom’s newspaper article: Graduation Memories

Posted on June 3, 2020 by connieinasia

Walk with Me  (Priscilla Wieck) The past week, Connie and I have been entertaining ourselves on our evening walks by looking up to find  tulip poplar trees in town. I say looking up because the small  green/yellow/ orange blossoms that … Continue reading →

Posted in A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, Class of 2020, Illinois, Smalltown American Life | 1 Comment

Last Weekend’s Activities: Memorial Day

Posted on May 31, 2020 by connieinasia

Last weekend’s Memorial Day had many of us doing numerous activities in my small town, including decorating our yards with flags to commemorate those who have served the country in some special way.  My home was the same. With the … Continue reading →

Posted in a Veteran, Illinois, Travel, Visit To The States | 1 Comment