How are you? Have you had a good weekend?

Sunday morning, when I got up, I had no idea what I should write, after I came back from the Springfield Chinese Christian Church, I found the title: Huge Disasters Create Love.

Why? In the small Spring Chinese Christian Church, except the normal Sunday Service, they did a very meaningful job, to collect donations to help the people who are suffering the Typhoon in the Philippines. I gave some money as well.

Then, after I came back home, talked about the thing with my roommates, Zheng Yining, a girl EMBA student of Missouri State University told me that her younger female cousin Wang Jing, a practice nurse who is just 21 years old, from a poor family form Anhui county, is suffering the leukaemia in the First Medical College of Suzhou University in China. As the child who has the highest degree of the family, Zheng Yining was collecting a donations for her younger female cousin. There was no any hesitation, I took out whole of the cash in my purse - 100 USD and gave her.

And then, Sunday evening, with her together, I made 10 international phone calls to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuxi of China, to talk with my former boss, friends, classmates and my own brother who are working in the newspaper office, government, corporations or university and hoped they would be able to help the girl on the sickbed from China.

Mr. Jia Yongqin - a successful entrepreneur, Mrs. Yang Renrong - a former director of Suzhou Administration Collage, Ms. Gong Yuntao - the Vice Executive Chief of a Natural Newspaper Office, Dr. Nie Wansheng - a general manager of a culture development company in Beijing and a finance company in Shanghai, Mr. Yang Guangyin and Mr. Liu Zhiping - my former classmates in China Central Academy of Fine Arts and my brother all expressed that they would like to do their best to help...

From the far away USA in the windy night, we did really feel the warm, love and hope from our motherland.

A Chinese idiom: “ Da Ai Wu Jiang -- huge disasters create great love” jumped into my mind, meanwhile, I thought of a Chinese lyric I have been enjoying since I heard it first time“ If everyone offers a little bit love, this world would be changed much more beautiful. ”

With this idea, as long as I could, I tried to offer some Chinese painting and Chinese poetry lessons to some students in my travel.

Since Nov 6 to Nov 16, a 8 years old American Chinese girl (She is on the 5th and 7th photos) came to my place 4 times, in my little bathroom, she has completed 2.5 Chinese Baimiao paintings, for her mother wished her to touch whole of the process of a Chinese Gongbi Painting.

A 19 year old girl Lisa Luu (she is on the 8th photo and the last photo is her Chinese painting), a music student in Drury University, whose parents from Vietnam has been able to recite a Chinese poem and completed her first Chinese Song Dynasty Baimiao Painting. She told me that she wanted to learn another Chinese Poem and another painting before I leave for China.

A young graduate of Missouri State University Chen Xu was so happy for he had not thought that he would have an opportunity to have a Chinese Painting Lesson in America.

The pity was, I could only teach one student once in my small bathroom, at least 4 students have missed twice of their classes because I had no place to teach them and my schedule did not allow me to work for them one by one. The value of my hard word and limited time did not be maximized.

Relying on my feeling to the Chinese Christian Church, I tried and then I made an appointment with the Pastor , Mr. Zhuo Yingshi (he is on the 4th photo), both of his wife and him have invited me to have a dinner in their house tonight and to talk about the possibility to offer me a place to teach the more and more students before I leave for China.

The good news is that the Springfield Art Council will offer a classroom for a group of adoptive American Chinese children for my second Chinese painting or poetry classes for them (my last lesson for them was in 2010) on a weekend before I finished my travel in the US.

Last week, still I worked on my interviews, to collect data for my new book: My American Stories.

Wednesday morning, I visited Mr. Brent Dunn (he is on the first photo)– the Vice President of Missouri State University for University Advancement and the Executive Director of Missouri State University Foundation.

I knew Mr. Brent Dunn via an email in June, 2012. I missed the alumna event of Missouri State University in Beijing May 27, 2012; I was lucky that Dr. David Meinert - my first American professor and the associate Dean of Business College helped me to carry 7 paintings that I specially painted for the alumina event for 41 days back to the school in USA.

Maybe you would ask why I did it?

My long-term art dream was true because of my study in Missouri State University Sep, 2009. The opportunity to see an American Eye doctor during my art exhibition was held in Missouri State University May, 2010, helped my Chinese doctors to diagnose my sicknesses so much. Much simple, but clear and sincere advice from my American advisor from Missouri State University, helped me go over the most difficult time after I entered in the art schools in Beijing, at the time I wanted to escape back home for the extremely hard life ( the temperature in my new classroom in the end of 2012 was only 1 C degree - 33.8 F and there was no any hot water in my room in the winter of 2011, as soon as I put a music instrument in it, I had to move always the TV and when I needed to go to the bathroom, I had to move the chair for the room was too small); at the time I wanted to give up the series books and DVD for the too heavy workload on my own shoulders ( painting, writing music, singing, translating, writing, reciting and all of the jobs by myself) while I was suffering the ache because of my sicknesses. And the last check of my publication was also from my English tutor from Missouri State University.

I knew clear, if there were no Missouri State University, there would no my today; but I did not think, after my paintings were taken away for about 1 week, I got a letter from Mr. Brent Dunn, he had framed the painting I painted for Missouri State University Alumna Association and he would like to express his appreciation to me.

I was so touched with much surprised for this letter was written by a vice president in person, instead of his assistant or a clerk of the school.

May 27, 2013, after I came back Shenzhen from American for just 15 or 16 hours and got my new book and DVD only for about 3 hours, I rushed into the hall of the alumna event in a hotel in Shenzhen, it was Mr. Brent Dunn greeted me first among the 50 or 60 people, and also it was he sent me a T-shirt of Missouri State University in the event. Then also it was he welcomed to go to his officer for a visit after he knew I would like to come to the USA.

All of these “ small things ” that Mr. Brent Dunn did in person, made me have a quite clear impression and a very new understanding about an American officer of a university who had also been a headship of Missouri State and a headship of Springfield City.

It really gave me the courage and confidence to interview him and to ask some questions directly.

After reading much data about his education and work background, missions of his work in different fields, annual report of Missouri State University Foundation, the stories how they completed a great job names Our Promise Campaign and raised 167 Million by 29 projects for the University in 2013. Especially in the 167million, includes a fund that was donated by Dr. Clif Smart – the President of Missouri State University and his wife with their own house allowance, every year 40,000 UDS for 10 years. there is a fund was donated by an associate professor, to help 4 Chinese students to come to America to study each year. Also, includes a fund that was donated by an artist who had passed away to help 2 American students to Taiwan to study.

With so much respect, I went into the office of Mr. Brent Dunn and we had a good talking for 1 hour. Via the talking, I have not only learned so much about the school itself, such as what makes Missouri State University special? Why it is a comprehensive public school? What is the relationship between the university with the K-12 education, with the local economy development and with the religions? But also, I have learned how an American University’s Vice President treated a common graduate with a sincere, kind and easy to approach style.

In my opinion, Missouri State University is special, not only because of its middle level tuition but high level teaching stratagem, its wonderful environment, but also because of its especially sincere leaders and staff under the strong Christianity atmosphere in the special area of Ozarks culture. It does not only offer the education as good as possible when students study in the school, but also it pays more attention to their graduates after we left from the school. Every week, there is an event of alumna in the US and every year, there are a few alumna events in China, South America, and the other countries.

With their special sincere and considerate service for their students and graduates, this state university has international students from 80 countries and a group and a group sincere and loyal alumna...

In its campus and around of the school, you would find the eyes of people are special clean and their smiles are quite bright. Here you can feel the respect and equal as a human being. As a Chinese, I do feel comfortable no matter in the campus or around of the school, so that I do not feel that I am a foreigner except when I could not speak some words in English. :- )

Can you imagine? Just on the same day I went out of the building of the Mr. Brent Dunn works in. A lady who was walking the other side of the street called to me in the heavy windy: " I enjoy your long overcoat " (that day, I wore in a classical and long blue overcoat ). When I took photo on the road, suddenly a red car stopped on the road and a gentleman called to me from his window with a big smile: Did you take me into your photo? :- )

These are just what I have felt and met in my travel in person. Since human being are just the feeling animals, a sincere heart and a sincere activity should certainly get a return with the same sincere as well. Therefore, I am not surprise why the university had gotten many awards from CASE.

With a grateful and sincere heart, also I am thinking of some way to return the school.

Then, Friday morning, I went to Art and Design Department and to visit Ms. Robin Lowe (she is on the 2nd and 3rd photos)- the director of Brick City Gallery of Missouri State University, who had helped me most during my art exhibition in the PSU Gallery in 2010, decorated the exhibition hall, found workers to fix the light, hung up every paintings by herself up and down, even, she did not forget to carry a big branch peonies from her own garden on the day to hold the reception. With what she did for me, I really have learned how an American artist and educator to work with an extra responsible work style...

You can hit the link to see the big size photos and the notes..

How about you, do you have anything special to share?



Shirley Yiping Zhang
Nov 18, 2013