My name is Ginger Sinsabaugh MacDonald or 麦静洁 . In Chinese characters, my name literally translates into Pure and Peaceful Hamburger Bun. I know this because I lived in China from 2010-2023 until I was advised to leave the country. No, I am not a spy. I teach grammar. I survived squatty toilets, intestinal parasites, COVID, and a divorce that spanned thirteen time zones, two continents and two years. Now, I hang out with Paddington Bear, dream about marmalade and write.
In 2015, I cooked for four hundred folks a day at JPUSA, a faith-based community in Uptown, Chicago. I arrived with nothing but a seven-foot marlin, hope, and a damn good wok. Nothing changes your life more than getting a hug from a homeless lady thanking you for your Brussel sprouts.
But now I’m experiencing a new adventure in South America. Along with surfers, ceviche, and Jesus sightings everywhere, there are forty-some cats in Kennedy Park.
Two things I’ve learned over the years are this: First, God will weave our lives together in ways that we would never imagine, yet things will work out. Second, God is bigger than any intestinal parasite.
And, last by not least, by sharing our stories, our loads seem lighter. I’d love to hear yours.
