MELODY TIENYUN

Grace Student Center

The Center began running in 2014, and while they expected to have 4 students, they currently host 8, (2 will leave this week). It is the hope and mission of the organization to inspire the students to study hard, enter a good university, and get a good job in order to change their current situation and empower their generation.

My hosts, Jia Shen and Jia Mei, are the couple who lives at the student center and runs it full time while raising their two boys, Da En (5) and Da Guan (3). While they were shy in the beginning, I think it’s safe to say that between jumping on our backs and tickle fights, they are fairly comfortable with us now. Staying here is like living with 8 more brothers and sisters…except I have no clue what they’re saying 90% of the time.

Jia Mei cooks breakfast and dinner for everyone daily, while Jia Shen sends and picks up the students from their schools. Since their job is to make sure the students do their homework, they typically do not go out at all except for school, school related events, and church on Sundays.

My first morning here, I was jet-lagged and woke up a little before 5:30 AM, thinking that I would be up far before everyone else, but then I heard a loud RING. The first wake up call of the morning sounded for the students to wake up and start getting ready for school (If that doesn’t wake you up maybe the roosters will). At 6:30 the bell goes off again and everyone is dressed and downstairs eating breakfast. By 6:50, the Junior High and High Schoolers are loading into the car and off to school. I am extremely grateful that I do not have to get up this early for school. I’d be late every day!