In Honor of the 75th Anniversary of V-E Day: My Grandparents’ WW 2 Correspondence, A 5-letter series

Posted on May 10, 2020 by connieinasia

Review Information

A previous post spoke of a rare find in my home as my mom and I cleared out things for her upcoming house move:  Hundreds of  WW 2 correspondence letters between my grandmother, Connie Maris, and her husband, Army Chaplain Marvin Maris, who was stationed in New Guinea and later the Philippines from 1943-45.

Connie was in Holland, Michigan with her two children,  Priscilla (my mother, ages 11-12) and Rolf (my uncle, ages 5-6).  She had moved to Michigan from the California Army base area  after her husband had been deployed.  Officers’ families were not allowed to live in military housing units once a soldier left so she was forced to find a new place to wait out the war.  She had several options but finally decided to sell the car, using the money to hop on the train with her two youngsters and head off to her husband’s hometown, Holland, Michigan.  There Marvin’s parents, Ebba and Harvey Maris, lived, which would put her closer to family.

During the war years in Holland, Michigan: My mother Priscilla (11), her brother Rolf (6) and Marvin Maris’ parents, Harvey and Ebba Maris

In Holland, she rented the first floor of a 2-story bungalow whose owner was a retired schoolteacher (Jeanette) who lived on the second floor.

Being a pastor’s wife, Connie Maris was extremely active in the Holland Methodist Church, where she directed the youth choir, led Christian seminars, served on numerous church committees, and participated in and organized church activities.  In between all this, including raising 2 young children, she sat herself down daily to write long, newsy letters to her overseas’ husband.

Among those many personal letters of happenings in Holland came those poignant moments-in-history reflections, including Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, May 8,  and Victory over Japan (V-J) Day, announced on August 14 but commemorated  on September 2 during the official signing of surrender aboard the USS Missouri.

A 5-Part letter Series

In honor of the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day , I include here my grandmother’s letters concerning V-E Day.  Also included will be her husband’s reply in the following 5-letter series

I begin below with  my grandmother’s first letter sent to her husband as victory announcements began to spread throughout the world via the radio.

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Letter 1

Sunday, May 5, 1945

Dearest,

Just three years last week since you left Williamstown.  It sure seems that a lot has happened in all that time — California, Oregon + New Guinea and Philippines for you and Michigan for us.

Yesterday, Rolf went down to the Winstroms for the day for fishing.  He had a grand time and managed to get a sheepshead.

This is a sheepshead.

He said it was too big for him to pull in alone (very proud young man).  Priscilla helped me so well yesterday, I took her out for dinner.  She eats everything now with a relish.  Boy, she can out-eat me and will be a good runner-up for you.

Rolf’s appetite is getting better and he might be climbing up on you when you do get back.

My Uncle Rolf in Holland, during the war years.

Do you know the song “All of a sudden my heart sings”?  It’s very nice.  Good sentiment.

Today has been a day of little accomplishments.  We went to church and Sunday school and then I cooked a nice dinner for a change — pot roast, potatoes, asparagus and green salad.  Pineapple and banana cookies.

Our neighbors came over and wanted us to come and see their 3-day-old goat.  They got it for a joke and were taking it to a farmer later in the afternoon.  It was a good looking brown kid.  They have 4 ducks and 4 chickens and we go over to see the progress every once in awhile.

Ora came for me yesterday morning and we went to the flower show and discovered that Priscilla had taken 2 3rd prizes after all of $2.00 each:  her breakfast tray and miniature. I was very well-pleased.   Imagine getting 9.00 in the family for a flower show.  It is in war stamps so we are going to get a bond with it.  We bought two bonds yesterday — one for us and one for your folks for Mother’s Day. They won’t like it but that’s OK.  I’m going to blame it on you!

Tomorrow, I’ll go down and get stamps which is are our prize money.  Nine dollars worth of war stamps.  I’ll put 9 more with it and the kids can buy a bond.

We’re still waiting for VE Day.  When it comes, it will be a tired starving Europe, won’t it?  I wonder how we can feed all those poor people.  I get awfully ashamed of us when we complain at what we don’t have.  I think complaining gets to be a habit in this country of ours.

The all-girls choir is singing “Trees.”  The hymn tonight is “Now the Day is over”.  One of my favorites!

Off I go.  Send money. I’ll try to buy war bonds with it.  Goody, goody.

All my love, Connie

Note: If you didn’t know, war savings stamps were issued by the United States Treasury Department to help fund participation in World War I and World War II. A war bond was a debt security issued by the government to finance military operations during the war. Investment in war bonds was an emotional appeal to patriotic citizens to lend the government money as these bonds offered a rate of return below the market rate. My grandmother supported the war effort, as did many Americans, by purchasing bonds, as she did for a Mother’s Day present for her mother-in-law, Ebba. Her comment “They won’t like it!” referred to  Harvey and Ebba’s pride when it came to accepting what they considered monetary gifts.  However, in her letter written a week later on Mother’s Day, she reported that Marvin’s parents were very pleased with the gift and felt it appropriate.

Example of a $25 War Bond: January, 1944

Posted in A Visit Home to America, Michigan in 1945, Travel, World War 2 Letters, World War 2: VE Day Correspondences | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

From China: Sichuan Province Colleges are re-opening but under strict conditions to do so

Posted on May 9, 2020 by connieinasia

My College is opening!!

“Can we talk?”

The text came at 10 a.m. my time, 11 p.m. China time,  from my best friend Cathy, a departmental head in another college in Luzhou.

Absolutely!  I love talking to Cathy.  Aside from having wonderful English, she is a wealth of information, which she is always happy to share.

My virtual visit with Cathy

Our face-time began on my phone, with enthusiastic greetings of “long time, no see”  and a “hello!” from my mom as she stepped into screen view.   Cathy knows my mom well, both from my reports of her during our 18 years of friendship and also because she met my mom 3 years ago when she visited my hometown.

My frustrations of my delayed return  soon spilled into our conversation.  I launched into my lament that I felt I’d never get back to China:  The inability of my country to control the virus spread is disheartening;  The ban on incoming foreigners’ is still in place; My visa will expire soon, meaning an even longer delay in returning.

“I am sure you can return soon,” Cathy said with firm optimism and solid conviction.  She then went on to tell me about the upcoming opening of colleges in Sichuan, including my own.

Colleges are Opening:  A Bright Spot in China’s fight against the virus

To date, no colleges in Sichuan Province, and my city Luzhou (5 million), were yet allowed to re-open. Luzhou has more than 10 colleges of various educational levels:  3-year vocational and technical schools (similar to a junior college), 2-year trade schools (14 – 18 year olds learning a particular profession) and one full-fledge medical university (Southwest Medical University), which includes 400 foreign students from various developing countries studying to be doctors.  Campuses have remained empty of students, all having gone home during Spring Festival in mid-January and not being allowed to return due to COVID-19 concerns.

During the past months, some elementary schools,  high schools and  colleges went to online teaching.  All provincial  governments waited to receive notices from central Beijing on when to re-open schools and how.

High schools were first, then elementary schools and now, colleges.

Re-opening Requirements for Colleges, Including Mine

Cathy’s college is opening May 17, with students from all over the province and country returning to her campus.  My college (10,000 students)  is opening this week, but with many safety checks in place.

According to Cathy, before colleges can open, they have to meet the following criteria:

  1. stagger incoming students according to graduating classes
  2. all students will have a 2-week quarantine period in dorm rooms
  3. all students have twice temperature checks by campus medical personnel
  4. no students can leave the campus, meaning all colleges must have a well-stocked student grocery in full operation (my college has 2)
  5. In-classroom lessons are limited to 30 students or less (My English language classes usually have 50 -60, but these must be scaled down, divided into 2 sections)
  6. a building for full quarantine, with beds and bathroom facilities, must be available for those who suddenly show symptoms of the virus or become sick.
  7. Emergency lock-down procedures must be in place for a sudden explosion of illness if that happens.
  8. several times a day disinfecting of the campus, dormitory facilities and classrooms.

I am sure there are more detailed requirements but Cathy didn’t share everything with me, just the basics.

Proof of Changes to Re-open

Each higher educational institution had to produce detailed plans and explanations how it would meet the criteria set out by the central, provincial and city governments for re-opening.  After these plans were submitted to authorities, improvements were suggested and sent back for revisions by the college.  Next, inspections were made by local government officials to make sure the requirements had all been met.  Meetings ensued with invigilators to make certain everyone was all on the same page.  After all paperwork and official stamps were given, a college could open.

If anything was missing for the opening requirements, school officials had to amend the failures and submit again for another passing mark from in-charge local educational and sanitation and health bureaus.

Once all the boxes were ticked off, a college could begin to open but not before that.

Fortunately for my college, it passed all the inspections so it now is allowed to continue onward by inviting students to return.

Luzhou Vocational and Technical College:  Summer courses begin and Also my Online Teaching Duties

I heard that our college kids have been arriving for the past 2 days and summer courses will start on Monday. All students at our college are required to take summer courses, meaning we should be reaching our full capacity of 10,000 by Sunday, May 10.

In the meantime, I have been asked to do short teaching videos for students to watch on their WeChat accounts.  I am so excited about this!  I will be enlisting the help of my mom and even Little Bridget, the China rescue dog, to create some innovative mini-lessons for all to enjoy.

Already, my creative juices are flowing and I can’t wait to get started!

Speaking of the above, I’d best close this off for now and get busy.  I was told today to have 2 video segments ready to go by Sunday.  Wish me luck!

From Illinois, here’s wishing you 平安 (ping ahn) Peace for your weekend . . . .and a Happy Mother’s Day!

Me and my mom, last year in Holland, Michigan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in China, coronavirus, Luzhou, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown, Return to China, Smalltown American Life, Tales from Sichuan's Yangtze Rivertown, Tales of China, Travel | 1 Comment

My Mom’s Weekly Newspaper Column: Walking Observations and The Orphan Train

Posted on May 6, 2020 by connieinasia

The Orphan Train

By Priscilla Wieck

 

Walking the Town Observations

As I write this,  I am wondering whatever happened to our lovely spring weather. Temps in the low 50’s and, oh, that wind! Have any of you noticed how many more strong windy days we have experienced in the last year?  If you are a sidewalk walker or an outdoor worker you know what I am writing about.  Some sort of change in the weather patterns, I would guess.

I hope by the time you read this, our warmer temps have arrived. I can recall having school snow days in April many years ago, but never in May so I think we are no longer in that sort of danger. One benefit of these cooler weather days is that the spring bloomers have been on display for longer than usual.

Not so good for all those who are wanting to get into the fields for spring planting, however.

I have no more current thoughts about our virus situation except to wish you all well in your social isolation and to continue to encourage you who are able to get outside as much as possible, whenever possible. You can do your meet-and-greets on the sidewalks and still keep that recommended distance.

The Orphan Train

I have been doing some research on orphan trains, so today I am sharing some of my findings in this column. Mostly I am interested to find out if you readers have known or heard of someone who came to the Midwest on one of these trains.

The name ‘orphan train’ originated from railroad trains that carried thousands of children from overcrowded northeastern cities such as Boston and New York to live with families in the Mid-west. These trains operated from 1853 to 1929.

While some of these children were orphans, some had immigrant parents who were unable or unwilling to care for them. Others came from crowded slums and had been living on the streets. Eastern cities were happy to rid themselves of the almost impossible social burden of caring for them . The children ranged in age from 1 to 17 years of age.

Charles Loring Brace of the New York City Children’s Aid Society conceived the idea of mass relocation of children, the beginning of what we now call foster care. Between 1853 and 1929, an estimated 200,000 orphaned and abandoned children were placed in what is now known historically as The Orphan Train Movement.

The children were accompanied on the train by adult social workers and Catholic nuns. They left the train at each stop and were lined up for viewing to be chosen or not chosen by people who came to the station to see them.

I can only imagine how confused and bereft those children must have felt. Some were eventually adopted, but many were not. Some were ‘indentured’, meaning that they were chosen to labor on Midwestern farms. Many were well treated and loved , but again, many were not.  Most were separated from their parents and siblings for the rest of their lives.

The orphan trains made many stops in Illinois and it is thought around 20,000 children were taken in by Illinois residents, mostly in rural areas. You can find a map of our state train stops that include Mt. Carroll, Bloomington, Champaign, Normal, Effingham, Murphysboro and other towns on the Illinois Historical Society website. Sadly, there are no records of the number of children chosen at each stop or of their family histories. They began their lives anew and their past was to be forgotten.

Perhaps someone from our area, needing an extra farm hand, went to one of those stops to find a child laborer. Or maybe a childless couple chose one of the babies to adopt. An over-worked farm wife might have needed a kitchen helper.

I can only hope that most children were able to live a fulfilling life and were treated well. Many books, documentaries and oral histories about the orphan train riders can be found in libraries and on Internet sites but I couldn’t find much about those children who were delivered into our nearby Illinois towns and villages. So I ask you readers:  Have you known or have you heard of someone who was an orphan train rider?  This sad part of our state’s history should not be forgotten.

“Home isn’t where you are from; it’s where you find the light when all grows dark”–anon.

Peace

Posted in A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, Illinois, Visit To The States | 1 Comment

What’s it like in a Luzhou elementary school now?

Posted on May 2, 2020 by connieinasia

I have quite a few former students whom I’m often in contact with.  Many are now English teachers in their hometowns or in different cities throughout Sichuan province.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, which in China took place right before the Chinese New Year  (January 25), many of my students had already gone home to spend time with family and friends.  When the seriousness of the virus took hold, the government had strict protocols in place for the entire country.  Everyone stay in place.  No traveling.  Quarantine yourself in your home with family members.  Wear masks.  Disinfect. Schools remain closed until further notice.

This gave teachers quite an extended holiday break.

On my college campus, many of the single teachers living in my apartment building had already gone home and were unable to return to the campus until restrictions were lifted.  Even afterwards, they were required to enter Luzhou with temperature checks at the city border.  After passing through, our college regulations, upon entering the campus, stipulated for teachers to quarantine themselves for 2 weeks in their apartments. Local city health officials came daily to take their temperatures and food was delivered to their doors by the cafeteria workers or friends in the building. Meals and groceries were left within reach of their doors, in the hallways, for them to pick up.  Three times daily, disinfectant crews came to spray down every floor, hallway and all around the building.  If anyone felt sick, they were to immediately report to our school authorities and await further instructions.

I’m expecting that the same strict requirements will be in place for me after I return to Luzhou in, hopefully, July.

My school’s only teacher apartment building has 66 apartment units. Most living here are single teachers but we also have a few families as well. I’m on the 9th floor.

An Alum, Hero,  Reports

My student, Hero, was invited last year to be a judge alongside me during our college’s English Language Teaching Competition for our 3rd year students. What a proud moment for both of us!

My former student, “Hero” Li, is one of those stuck in is hometown until a month ago when he was allowed to return to his teaching position in my city, Luzhou (loo-joe, 5 million).  He is an elementary education English teacher in a semi-private school with very high tuition but excellent educational standards. It encompass grades 1 – 6 with 2,000 students attending. About 300 students from the distant countryside board at the school.  Their parents, poor farmers, know the importance of education and save every penny they have to keep their children in a city school, in such an exceptional learning environment.

Hero teaches 3rd grade English courses and is the only male English teacher on staff. (There are 6.) Classes just started a few weeks ago. Here is a look at what is required of all students, in the classroom and morning assembly on the sports field.

I am expecting my Chinese college and others around the country, when and if they open in September, will also be following the same protocols. This will be our world in China now for a few years.

One particular school has really taken this to a higher level.  A friend sent this to me, posted in a Chinese newspaper.  Looks like a double-whammy of protection, with both face masks and shields incorporated into the classroom safety protocol.

Will this be the standard in China in the near future?  One does wonder.

From Illinois, here’s wishing you 平安 (ping ahn) Peace for your weekend.

 

 

 

Posted in A Visit Home to America, China, coronavirus, coronavirus, Luzhou, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown Stories, Travel, Wuhan coronavirus | Leave a comment

To my Chinese college, still awaiting my return

Posted on April 30, 2020 by connieinasia
Yesterday, I received a message from my college asking me to compile a short informational write-up for their teacher files.  This was to include a  photo headshot, description of my educational background, places I’ve taught, courses I’ve been teaching and number of teaching years.
Although travel to China for foreigners is still temporarily halted by the Chinese government, many are hoping that the restrictions will be lifted this summer.  I, also, am hoping a July or August return is still in the works.
My college is likewise expecting my return, which is a great relief on my part as I was wondering if they wanted me to make an appearance.  After all, I will be a prime candidate for bringing the virus to the campus, even after all the strict quarantine requirements upon entering the country are carried out.  You just never know.  
It only took a few minutes to complete the request, including me sifting through piles of photos for a decent headshot, and off my email went.
Wanting to Add More
But as is my nature, I couldn’t leave it at that.  I wanted to truly thank the school for all they have done for me over the years.  We have a college website, full of school updates along with student and faculty stories,  so I submitted the following to be translated with a request that, if appropriate, please submit.  If not, please share with the leaders of my college with my heartfelt gratitude at being a part of their school family.
Here it is below, along with submitted photos.
From your Foreign Teacher, Connie
For my profession, I followed in the footsteps of my parents.  My father was a history and government teacher; my mother was a music, speech and English teacher.  In 1987, I graduated from Eastern Illinois University as an English teacher in secondary education and later, I received my MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Southern Illinois University.

My dream has always been to teach overseas, to learn from others about their countries and lives while at the same time sharing my language and educational expertise to those in greatest need of learning.  Through the Amity Foundation (爱德基金会), my sponsoring agency in China who works in partnership with the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, I found a home in your country.

I first arrived in 1991.  

My first class of students, in 1991, were English teachers from various schools throughout Jiangxi province. They came for a 1-year course to improve their teaching and language skills. I am in the front row, center

To date, I have taught in many different Chinese colleges:   Nanchang Normal University (Nanchang, Jiangxi), Inner Mongolia Institute of Adult Education (Hohhot, Inner Mongolia), Guangxi Normal University for Nationalities  (Longzhou, Guangxi) and, at present, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College (Luzhou, Sichuan).

 

I am so proud and honored to be an Amity Foundation teacher in China for 25 years now.  Luzhou, and Luzhou Vocational and Technical College especially, hold a deep place in my heart because I have been teaching here the longest. The love, care and support you have always shown me have made me a better teacher, a better person and a better world citizen.  I am so very, very grateful for your guidance and so very, very sorry I can’t be with you in this very trying time due to COVID-19.

Thank you for wanting me to continue working at your college.Thank you for the excellent leadership of the administrators, the School of International Studies faculty, the school workers, the enthusiasm of the students and all my apartment building neighbors.  I miss you so much and I anxiously await my return to begin a safe, fresh school year alongside all of you.

Your foreign teacher, Connie.

Posted in China, Luzhou, Luzhou Vocational and Technical College, Luzhou: Yangtze Rivertown, Return to China, Travel, Wuhan coronavirus | 1 Comment

Earth Day, April 22, has passed but not the sentiment

Posted on April 29, 2020 by connieinasia

My mom’s column in today’s newspaper, The Marshall Advocate, is a reminder not to forget the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.  Remember to follow through with your plans on how to make the world a better place for ourselves and future generations

Walk with Me 

by Priscilla Wieck

Last year in one of my columns I wrote about a theory of the passage of time that some scientists had put forward. I recall that the main thrust of the theory was that, for humans, time seems to have passed slowly when we were learning or doing new things. We remembered past activities in greater detail if they were different from our daily routine experiences.

Now that we are all sequestered in our own little spaces, most of us are following the same routines day after day. These days seem to blur together and often we lose track of time. We have little re-call of what we did the day before and the day before that! To me, right now, time seems to be passing rather quickly. “What day is it really?”  Connie and I often ask each other. Time for the weekly trash pick-up already? Whatever happened yesterday, or the day before that, or even last week, we wonder.

Earth Day, April 22

To my chagrin, that is my excuse for forgetting about Earth Day. It was Tuesday, April 22nd,  just two days ago as I write this. The 50th anniversary, no less!

First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day events are now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network in more than 193 countries. Many communities extend Earth Day activities to last for an entire “Earth Week.” The emphasis for all Earth Days is to show support and to take action for environmental protection. However, this year’s celebrations were more subdued and held mostly by Internet transmissions.

The theme for the 2020 Earth Day was Climate Action. This is a particularly apt theme because of the unexpected impact of the coronavirus outbreak. In cities around the globe, blue skies and clear water are appearing where only weeks ago pollution was clouding the atmosphere and seeping into open and ground waters. In Los Angeles, residents are observing the lovely blue skies that we here in Marshall see often. Fewer people are driving cars and trucks and that is reducing noxious air emissions.

Although our environment may be getting cleaner during this time of COVID-19 , lives of many people are disrupted and getting worse due to loss of jobs and isolation. Environmentalists have learned that any sustainable change in emissions and pollution will need to happen in a way that will not put workers’ livelihoods in jeopardy. Those who live in polluted areas of the world have had an opportunity to experience living with cleaner air and water. Hopefully they will demand that their countries find ways to balance their working opportunities with cleaner, healthier living spaces in the future.

It’s not too late to put some Earth Day ideas into practice. They may seem small but really , everyday is earth day, isn’t it? Many of these suggestions you have heard before, but it is good to be reminded of them. For starters, you can walk or ride a bike instead of driving your car, if possible. Be sure to take a trash bag and pick up litter as you go. You can plant a shade tree that will be enjoyed by future generations. Refill your water bottle, fix that leaky faucet and consider getting a rain barrel to collect water for yard plantings. Shorten your shower time to conserve water usage.

Using earth friendly cleaning products such as baking soda and vinegar keeps pollutants from our ground water. Dear Abbey is a strong promoter of that hint. Don’t use insecticide on your garden flowers. This will encourage visits from the native bee population; they are the world’s pollinators. Treat them with care.

Reduce your use of plastics and recycle, recycle, recycle. Reuse, reuse, reuse. Think before you throw away items as trash that could be used by someone else. It only takes a few minutes to break down those boxes and take them to the recycling bin. Landfills are not the most environmentally friendly places with their methane gas emissions.

And most importantly, help your children and grandchildren understand how wonderful our world is and how we must work to care for it. So many Marshallonians have taken advantage of this virus isolation and been enjoying the spring weather outside. We all should appreciate and enjoy our beautiful yards and blooming trees. Soon flower and veggie gardens will materialize. Watch for them –maybe plant one.

Most of all, take care of yourself. Whether time is passing quickly or slowly for you, eventually a new normal will emerge. Whatever happens, we will deal with it together.

Bridget knows how to take good care of herself: Flop in the lovely sunshine on the front porch!

“I cannot do all the good that the earth needs—but the earth needs all the good I can do.–Anon

Happy late Earth Day!  Peace

 

 

 

Our Finch of Faith has 3 little ones carefully tucked away on our front porch wreath. They’ll be fluttering away soon where adventures await them in our big, wide world.

Posted in A Message of Faith, A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, coronavirus, Illinois, Smalltown American Life, Springtime in small town Marshall | 1 Comment

What is V-mail?

Posted on April 26, 2020 by connieinasia

As mentioned previously, I’ve been reading over my grandparents’ WW 2 letter correspondence.  My grandfather, Marvin Maris, was a chaplain in the US Army and was stationed in New Guinea.  My grandmother, Connie Maris, was living in Holland, Michigan where Marvin’s parents lived.  She was renting the 1st floor of a bungalow with her two children (my mom and uncle).

Note:  For the full story and pictures, see my April 17th post, “A wartime era revealed”.

Mixed in with the letters is what is referred to as V-mail.  I had heard of V-mail but had no idea what it was until I found these miniature folded, photo-copied letters thrown in with the large-sized versions.

Ah-ha!  Must be V-mail

What is V-mail?

Two V-mail letters, written by my grandfather’s father to him while he was in New Guinea. You need to use a magnifying glass to read them! They are really tiny.

Aside from the usual written letters, included were V-mail letters, which I had never seen before until I came across them among the correspondence piles.  This was short for Victory Mail, a hybrid mail process used by the United States during the Second World War as the primary and secure method to correspond with soldiers stationed abroad.  It was created by the war department for the following reasons:

“The savings of this system were enormous; 2500 pounds of paper letters in 37 mail sacks could be condensed into only 45 pounds of film in one mail sack.  In turn, this freed up room for more materiel to supply the war effort.  The US further reduced waste by only printing the letters at 60% scale.  The use of V-mail also inadvertently deterred espionage; as only photocopies of letters were being sent, invisible ink and microdots were rendered useless.  In addition, letters could not be “lost” in transit; every letter carried a serial number and new copies could be printed if necessary.  After being introduced in mid 1942, V-Mail became the primary method of communication for US soldiers stationed abroad until the end of the war in 1945 with over a billion letters going through the system.  As such, it was a staple not just of a soldier’s life, but of Americans back home as well.”

That sentiment of letters being a lifeline between family and soldier was certainly true for the Maris family. The testament to this being the writings I’ve been pouring over, mostly written on thin, fragile airmail paper.  That’s a good thing, too, because for the few V-mails included in the bin, I’ve needed to use a magnifying glass to make out whatever was being written.  Help!

I’m fortunate that not too many V-mail letters are included in the piles.  It would be quite a chore to go through them line by line.  My eyesight is not what it used to be, nor is my patience in having to magnify each one so I can make out what anyone is talking about.

I also have found that V-mail, limited to one page, doesn’t give much room for my grandparents to expand upon their  thoughts, feelings or their daily routines.  Those are in the regular-sized notebook or airmail paper which both use to share their lives, one in the States (my grandmother) and one overseas (my grandfather).

At present, I have almost finished with 1945.  The war’s end is at hand and my grandfather is waiting to return to the States, a process which seems to be taking months.

Next, I’ll be going backwards to the 1943 letters and finally to 1944.  Can’t wait to see what the two are up to!

From Illinois, here’s wishing you 平安 (ping ahn), Peace, for your weekend

 

 

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活出愛 : Live Out Love — One of my favorite Chinese praise songs

Posted on April 25, 2020 by connieinasia

There are so many uplifting praise songs used in the Chinese church today.  Here is one of my favorites I found to share with my choir members in Luzhou.  Perhaps when I return, our praise team (seen below, last year) will have taken this one to heart, preparing it for our weekly Sunday morning and evening services, the latter of which has a wide range of attendees,  young and old alike.

I look forward  to joining them in the future, after virus fears have long since faded and we meet together once again in worship.

I’ve included an captioned English version below for those whose Chinese language skills might need brushing up … or are non-existent.

Here’s wishing you 平安 (ping ahn), Peace, for your day. Enjoy!

 

 

Posted in A Message of Faith, A Visit Home to America, China, coronavirus, Luzhou, Tales from Sichuan's Yangtze Rivertown, The Chinese Church, Travel | 1 Comment

Dealing with Slippage: My Mom’s April 21st “Walk with Me” Column

Posted on April 23, 2020 by connieinasia

My mom has a weekly column in my hometown paper entitled “Walk with Me.”  Her columns are insightful, touching upon topics she thinks about as she walks the dog around our small-town community.

Here is her latest, involving the term “slippage.”

Walk with Me

by Priscilla Wieck

How are you doing after living through several weeks of social isolation?  Have you experienced any slippage yet?  You may be as unfamiliar with that word as I was when daughter Connie asked me a few weeks ago, “Have you had any slippage lately?”  I thought she meant had I recently taken a tumble. I did trip over the dog’s leash last week and sprained my naughty finger, but that’s another story and not what she meant. She explained that she first heard of slippage from the director of the Amity Foundation in the organization’s Hong Kong office when she was one of several English teachers newly arrived in China to teach under the auspices of that particular NGO.

The Amity director, a proper Canadian, occasionally visited the recruits to see how they were getting along in their various postings and to offer advice about living and working in a foreign country. One of the things he would caution them against was slippage. He had discovered through the years that sometimes when the teachers, old and young, were in unfamiliar situations, they didn’t behave the same as they would in their home environments. This occasionally caused a problem for the teacher as well as bad press for the Amity organization. In other words, keep up your standards of behavior to avoid slippage.

There are several meanings of slippage.  One pertains to the stock market, as in stock values slipping below what the purchase worth was. I think that is happening now although I am far from an expert. Very far!

Other meanings can be “failure to to maintain an expected level or standard, a decline or delay, a falling off.”  Connie and I have been entertaining ourselves by trying to figure out if our isolation behavior has morphed into slippage or if it is just plain old adjusting to unusual circumstances.

An example: Is it slippage to wear the same pair of jeans and sweatshirt for a week? After all, who is going to see me? It has been so cold this week that I have had to wear my winter coat for our daily walks. I am saving a bit on the water bill, am I not?

How about hair washing? Again, no one sees my hair under those ear warmers. Why shampoo every day?  Years ago when we all went to the beauticians for our weekly wash and set, we got along OK. Granted our hair didn’t look so good at the end of the week, but now, who’s to see me?

Has slippage occured when, at 10:30 a.m.,  I take the daily yard tour wearing Bill’s old sweatshirt and PJ bottoms?  Good thing I have the dog to walk or I might not bother getting dressed for the entire day.  Again, saving washing water. Except for Sunday a.m. when Pastor Bob is hosting a “Coffee with Bob” on Zoom. Be sure to  be suitably clothed, he advises. If we join in, we may be seen.

Our binge watching of “Call the Midwives” on Netflix until the wee hours of the night, and not getting the advised 6-8 hours of sleep, might qualify as slippage . However, I have watched so many babies being born I think I could supervise a birth in an emergency. Surely that is educational!

Roasting a turkey breast and dining on it for several suppers in a row, shopping on QVC for clothes I may not get to wear outside of the house for some time, checking out celebrities’ scandals on the computer and just messing around the house may also be judged as suspicious activities that could be called a slipping of standards.

But who sets the standards and who is judging? As many signs around town have proclaimed,”We Are All In This together.” Whatever helps get us all get through these trying times is acceptable as far as I am concerned. Just observe these two things: 1.  Pick up your dog poop in others’ yards  2.  And, please, don’t throw your trash into the street!

“Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares?  He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes.”

Peace

Posted in A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, coronavirus, Coronovirus Situation, Illinois, Smalltown American Life, Springtime in small town Marshall, Travel, Visit To The States | 2 Comments

My Chinese Choir in Luzhou: Supportive and Concerned

Posted on April 21, 2020 by connieinasia

 

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As mentioned before, I am in touch with my Chinese church choir on my cell phone via WeChat, China’s equivalent of Facebook. As in America, Churches and large gathering places still continue to be closed due to COVID-19.

While the Chinese Christians have always been very active in WeChat, it has become even more so due to the absence of meeting together for worship.  Where once hundreds met in our 1913 sanctuary, . . . .

now, it is empty.

Doors once open, now closed at the Luzhou Protestant Church due to virus precautions

In the case of the choir, practices and taking a physically active part in the services are still on hold. (Below, see us last year preparing for worship)

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I currently belong to 3 church texting groups:  The daily scripture reading group, my daily English prayer group (that is my duty, to post a short prayer in English and record it) and the Constant Love choir sopranos’ group, soprano being my vocal range.

In all three, we are full of Christian love and support.  No matter what is happening in the world, no matter how our countries are warring with one another in the media or what the headlines screech concerning opposite or controversial viewpoints, we remain Christ-like to one another.

Whenever I post prayers, notes of concern, share songs that I find uplifting or add pictures of my current situation, I receive the most lovely replies (mostly in Chinese) from my soprano choir community:

“Connie,  Jesus loves you.  We love you!”

“I also love this song, Connie.  Is the American church still closed?”

“Connie, we miss you.  May God bless you and all your brothers and sisters in church.”

“The Lord take care of everyone’s body and bring peace.”

It is a given that no one posts controversial news reports or launches into words of discord which will stir up hard feelings among others.  As Christians, we steer clear of all that might hurt, attack and upset.  It can be a challenge, especially when our countries’ leaders launch into rhetoric that puts both our nation’s people and governments at odds with one another.  The blame game of  COVID-19’s spread is a particularly sore spot at the moment.  It seems an impossible task:  How can world Christians maintain strong faith values of love for our neighbors and compassion during such a time when outside forces continuously stir up trouble and dissent?

I take my cue from my Luzhou church choir members.

Personal Prayers Sent

Yesterday, one of the group members worriedly texted, “Connie, the US epidemic is very serious now. You and your family should take precautions.  God bless your country, and peace be with you.”

Quickly following came an embedded English music video, posted by another member, to reassure, calm and encourage.

What a thoughtful gesture, to include something for me in my own language with such an appropriate sentiment relayed through song and unity.

What was sent to me? The lyrics and the embedded performance as posted on the choir WeChat I leave below. Sound familiar?   I think it resonates for all of us.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
Refrain:
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.
There is no life – no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.
Refrain
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My Posted English Prayer for Today

Today’s Prayer: Dear Lord, Help me be fully alive in your presence.  Use me to do good in the world and let my heart become one with yours.  In your name I pray, Amen.

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I am anxiously awaiting my return to Luzhou, where I hope to don my robe once again and join in song with my faithful brothers and sisters.

Posted in A Message of Faith, A Visit Home to America, A Visit Home to Marshall, China, coronavirus, Illinois, Luzhou, The Chinese Church, Travel | Leave a comment