It would appear that I am the update man this week… :- )
That’s ok. Ask my friends and they’ll tell you how much I like to talk.
Life here in Taichung county isn’t quite like anything I’ve ever come across in my short miniscule 21 years of life. It’s as if my mind can’t really figure out how to process all the different experiences that I’ve had so far. When we first got here my first impression of the place was a mix of sympathy and wide eyed amazement. I found myself glued to the window as we drove along the rough switchbacks. All around me I saw signs of the typhoon that had come through a few weeks back. I’ve been told that they got over 5 meters of rain in less than a weeks time. This caused huge mudslides all over the various mountain ranges in Taiwan. In Taichung county it is really bad. All around me I could see the scars that had been ripped into the sides of mountains by the mudslides. Entire trees had been snapped in half and were laying in stacks all along these strips. We continued to drive along and passed a bridge that was probably 20 or more feet above the river. You could still see the remnants of tree roots stuck between the metal beams. It was an incredible visual proof of just how high the water had gotten during the floods. I’ve been told that thousands were displaced and lived in camps for a while. Most of the kids that we have at our school had their homes damaged in one way or the other. It really gives you a heart for the people when you can see what they have been through.
On the other hand…Taichung county is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. We are in the middle of a valley surrounded by dark lush green mountains on every side. The other day some of the guys and I went climbing for several hours. You can check the photo gallery for what we found. It truly is amazing the way God has made this place. The one thing that blows my mind is the wild flowers. I’ve been into landscaping for a while and love flowers. Here in Taichung county you can actually find wild “impatiens” growing in the mountains. It’s the weirdest thing to see a flower that I pay good money for in America growing completely wild here. If I want all I have to do is go and dig some up and I’m all set.
Then there are the children. They give you the impression of being a type of cute little monster. They are friendly, loving, kind, gracious, fun, happy, but at the same time they can be stubborn, obnoxious, dishonest, unhappy and annoying. But that’s all kids I guess. I can just hear my mom laughing as she reads this. I can only imagine what I was like as a child. All in all, the kids here are really good and I love working with them. They get into the songs, stories, lessons, and games but at the same time they will sit and be quiet when it’s time to rest. They are good at putting up with us when we try to communicate and they are really good at helping us with our Chinese when we need it. (really good actually).
Then there are the teachers and TAs. We have one of the coolest teams here in Taichung. Everyone knows their job and is good at it. The TAs really work hard and give it all for the kids. They have to always be there with them and don’t get much time off. But they still have a smile and keep a pretty good attitude. My team of King car teachers are doing great. Hats off to them for a great first week. I’m looking forward to the next one.
This weekend will be nice. We got a chance to go to Taichung city for some fun and shopping. Tomorrow we will rest and plan for the next week. Pray for us as we prepare to work with the same group of kids for the second week in a row. We have to get new stories, games, activities, and crafts all ready to go. With your prayers and the Lord’s help I’m sure it will all be good. So keep praying for us here in Taichung County.
Daniel Neu
