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We have been in China for about 3 weeks now, and it has already been quite an experience. I feel like we have seen so much of Beijing, but there is still so much of the city that we have not had time to see. One of the best things about this trip has been the opportunity to interact with students not only from China but from all parts of the world. There were students in our class from Brazil, France, Germany, China, Thailand, Lesotho, among others. A couple of other scholars and I went to church with a student from Germany and met and talked with people from Korea, the U.K., and others from the United States that had been in China for over a year. If there is only one overarching aspect of this trip that makes the whole experience worthwhile it would be the opportunity to sit down and get to know these students from around the globe. We have talked about everything from American foreign policy and politics to movies, books, and pop culture. In a way I have come to see that people our age are not as different from us as we might expect. They have largely the same likes and dislikes, the same dreams and fears. After only three weeks in China, my world has most assuredly shrunk.
— Eric Kiser, from the PRC, June 6
— Eric Kiser, from the PRC, June 6