Well, I hope this kind of makes up for me missing my update last week. Ugh...that's like an oops. Some admin huh? Can't ever get an update out on time. Oh well, here's a cool one for you.

I'll warn you though, many pictures ahead! Dial-up users may have to go home crying. Though if you just stick with it you'll be ok. :-)

Daniel Neu
Ji Ji

Dear Friends,

Happy Ressurection Sunday! This day holds volumes of meaning for us as Christians and it's awesome to reflect on Jesus victory and ressurection!

Our team started the day out at 6:30am as we headed out to the joint sunrise service they hold on the island, after worshipping with our friends and having a "start the day out right" breakfast of soy milk and chix/egg/cucumber breakfast sandwiches we were blissfully content. Later that day we witnessed three new believers be baptized and some new friends came to Bible study! We are praising the Lord for His anwsers to prayers. On Thursday we prayed for encounters with people, specifically to witness. I marvelled this weekend as one after another my team shared with me the opportunities they had had! Thank you God for your prayerful saints, and thank you Lord for Your faithful anwsers! Many of us feel that our friends are reaching a better understanding of the Gospel little by little and there is no doubt at all that God is working here in hearts. Thank you for your continued prayers during this exciting time. Have a great day!

The Kinmen Team

Thought of the day: "My brethern count it ALL joy when you fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." Jam. 1:2-3 "Faithful is He who has called you who also will do it"! 1 Thess. 5:24

Question of the day: Do you like your chocolate chip 'cake' gooey or crisp??? ;)

Have you ever been asked to write many stories on a place you really don’t know much about it? Well, our team has. The Hualien Government has asked us to help them write about the Hualien County in English. They have asked that we write short stories that are only about a hundred and fifty words long and simply enough for Elementary students to read them and understand. We have about forty short stories to finish by the end of June. Each one of us is assigned a certain part of Hualien to write about, I was assigned the Coast Range and a Theme Park along with the little interesting stops close by.

The only catch to us writing these stories are we don’t really know a lot about Hualien County, so many of us went to our computers and brought up “Google Search.” I must tell you it is amazing what interesting info you can find on places and things you have never heard of. Still I did not know enough about my subject to write yet, so I decided that at school I would ask one of the teachers who loves to practice his English with me about the Hualien River. The main reason was because I had never really heard of it before I was to write about it. Thankfully, the teacher could help me remember that in fact I had seen it and it was one of those rivers, that is very wide with almost no water in it. That is all the info I ever found on the Hualien River, I finally gave up and decide I had to write it info or none. Thankfully, God gave me the wonderful idea of having my two characters I have to work with tell what they thought about the strangeness of the width of the River.

I am very grateful we have the opportunity to learn more about Hualien and the people we live with. If I had not been asked to write about these places I would never have learned about the many tribal people and the hard ships they have gone through. Please pray as we continue to go to our schools and be with the kids that they can see Christ in us.

Josephine Papp
Hualien County

Where do I begin on this update? That seems to be my opening line every time I write. I’ve been back in Taiwan now for about seven weeks now. Things have been radically different since coming back.

My time back at home was good to get rested and prepared for the new semester. (Well if you can call non stop travel a break) Since I’ve been back to Taiwan it’s been a non stop testing of my faith in every area of my life. God has been at work in ways I wish I could share with you all but for lack of time I won’t.

One of the things that God showed me was the importance of my team here in Hualien. I have to say last semester was a little rough. When you have 6 people living together all with different perspectives you tend to clash. Through a few people God has been really challenging me to change things. The amazing thing is that I don’t feel I’ve actually changed anything. It’s totally been the Lord and things are getting much better.

In fact there is nothing like pressure from the outside to bring everyone together. We’ve all faced a very hard situation over the last few weeks. In fact it hasn’t been easy at all. We really wondered on days or at least I did on how God was going to get us to school.

One of the things God has been showing me is why I’m here in Taiwan. It’s been a mystery to me and in fact it still is. I’ve been really trying to decide whether or not I’m going to stay here for another year. Although there is nothing definite yet He’s been showing me my heart in all of this and where my heart needs to be.

This semester things changed at my Wednesday school. Instead of only teaching 5th and 6th grade I’m now teaching 3rd thru 6th grade. This has been totally amazing as I really have gotten a new love for teaching. In fact these kids have really taken to me or I should say I’ve taken to them. This one girl in particular… Tina and Maggie they are just so sweet. In fact yesterday as I walked in the room I had about 20 kids jump from their seats to try and tackle me to the floor.

It’s through these kids that the Lord has been showing me why I’m here in Taiwan. In fact as I talk with them more and see the need that they have in there hearts I just melt. I really love my job. Yes even when I have to teach “If you’re happy and you know it” for 160 minutes. (BTW I don’t want to hear that song again)

The other thing that God has been teaching me is the importance of surrendering my will to His will. To be honest I don’t like his plan especially when He asks me to do something against what I’m thinking and wanting to do. Like I mean God I want this and I want it now. I don’t want to wait I don’t want to do it your way. Well Sunday night God reminded me that I decided about a year ago to follow Him and to give him my life to serve him in whatever way he chose. That obviously translated into serving here in Taiwan. A verse he gave me before coming here was from Luke 9 where Jesus says “… any man having put his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of heaven.” God reminded me that I told him I would give up my timing and direction for my life. In fact I told him I was willing to do anything and go anywhere. Well things changed and I found myself wanting to do something else. God told me that if I wanted to I could go back and turn from the plow. Yet he reminded me that if I did that I wouldn’t be fit for his kingdom.

Well where am I at right now… I’m still on that process of once again trusting Him for his timing in everything and you may wonder have I decided to do things my way… well the answer is no. I would rather have God with me then against me. After all He was with Joshua… "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Joshua Smith,
Hualien

“Why did you come to Taiwan?”

You might be surprised how many times we hear this question. It seems like everyone we meet wants to know why young Americans would leave their families, put a hold on their futures, and come to Taiwan to teach English. As I was thinking about what to write today, this question kept popping into my head, for the events of the past few days have reminded me why I came to Taiwan…

“BE QUIET!” I had to laugh. I was trying to help some second graders with some English dialog they had to recite and have me sign. Trying to get second graders to say “would you care for some ice cream?” can be like trying to catch mosquitos and paint their toenails blue- it just ain’t happening. To make matters worse, the kids like to swamp my desk during breaks and push each other around while they’re waiting. They seem to think its funny when they all start saying what they think is the dialog, so I can’t hear what the one who’s reciting is saying. I’d been signaling for the kids to be quiet for several minutes but they just wouldn’t stop. So in the middle of my “repeat after me” session I asked them to be quiet. It went something like this:
“Would you care for some ice cream?”
“Wa you ca wa wa i-suh cwee?”
“Would. You. Care. For. Some. Ice. Cream?”
“Wa you ca…”
“Be quiet, please!”
All the kids’ eyes lit up and they all yelled “BE QUIET!” They were probably thinking “Wow, something I actually recognize in English!” It struck us all as being so funny that it took a minute to restore order and get back to caring for ice cream. My point in this little story, however, has nothing to do with ice cream or being quiet. My point is that I absolutely adore all of the kids I get to work with and I wouldn’t trade this opportunity for the world. The kids are what make my little world go round and they always manage to find ways to totally brighten my day.

“Hi! My name is”- before I could finish, an excited student bounced in her seat and exclaimed “CHRISTINA!” I had never been to this class before. In fact, I had never been to this school before. No, I was not in a kindergarten class. I was not even in an elementary school. I was in a seventh grade classroom at the local Junior High school and every student in the room was trying hard to hide their excitement at seeing five foreigners in their classroom. Each of us would be teaching a seventh or eighth grade class for the rest of the semester, so we were introducing ourselves to the students. In the midst of the introductions, the Lord chose to show me one of the reasons I am here in Taiwan- more specifically, the reason that I am still in Taiwan. The student that was so excited to see me was one of my students from last year’s sixth grade. I love my students now, but there’s nothing like seeing a “cool” junior high student that is so excited to see you that they’re squealing and they can’t sit still. I realized that God still has me in Taiwan so that I can follow up on relationships that I’ve built throughout the year and a half that I’ve been here already. Whoever teaches that seventh grade class will find a special place in that student’s heart too, but I know that she will always be special to me and there may be opportunities to talk to her and spend time with her that might not have been there if I hadn’t been here last year… or if I’d have gone home this year.

“Max and Ted ran with the hen!” Now maybe this sentence wouldn’t bring happy proud tears to your eyes under normal circumstances, but last night that is exactly what it did. Perhaps it wasn’t so much the sentence but the little boy who was reading it with an almost perfect accent. Every Monday evening I get to give little Benny English lessons. We’re working through a phonics book- so far we’ve gotten through vowels A, E, I, and O. Most of the time we don’t get much of an opportunity to actually see our students progress much, but working one-on-one with Benny has been such a privilege. In just four lessons he’s come so far and last night just listening to the shy 4th grader read the sentence about Max and Ted with such confidence almost did bring tears to my eyes. Benny’s mother would love to pay me for the lessons, but as part of our contract with the government, we aren’t allowed to be paid by anyone other than the government without express permission. Too bad for Benny’s mother, but I think it’s great. Benny’s mom owns a vegetarian noodle stand and treats me to dinner every week, as well as any other time I want to stop by and get some. I love all the extra opportunities that God throws into my path to encourage and help others- it usually ends up being a much bigger blessing to me than to any of the people I’m “helping”.

Last night I was standing outside on our balcony thingy just looking at the dark sky, thinking, and talking to God. I like to “discover” things that are rather obvious to other people, and this particular time I was thinking about my life recently. It hasn’t been easy- God has allowed many tests of my faith. In thinking back, though, I can already see how God’s hand was clearly in every part of it and that he carefully planned each part of my life. Even the parts I don’t understand have a reason, and I’m so grateful that God is in control. This is also the most important reason I came to Taiwan and that I came back to Taiwan. God is in charge of my life and God clearly led me here. And I will always be so thankful that He did. Taiwan has touched my heart in a way I never would’ve imagined.

There are many other reasons why I’m glad I’m here. I won’t go into them now because this update is already way too long. Taiwan has and always will have a very special place in my heart. Last year’s tourist slogan was “Taiwan- touch your heart.”

I couldn’t agree more.

In His love,
Tina Moody
Ying Pan Team

A couple of days ago, somone asked me if Taiwan was like what I expected. I had to think about it before I answered. What did I expect when I came to Taiwan in the first place? What did I not expect when I came to Taiwan? I don't remember what I answered, but here are a few things that I could say, now that I 've thought about it for a couple of days!

When I first came came to Taiwan, I think that the only major expectation that I had was that I would be teaching English, somewhere, sometime, to someone. Because I didn't know that much about what I was getting into, there wasn't really opportunity for greater expectations to build up.

What I didn't expect would almost be a longer list. I never expected that God would ask me to be an English teacher! That was definately not on my list of things that I wanted to do! I also never expected that I would want to stay here another year. God hasn't asked me to do that either. Instead, I will have the opportunity to go home and have more character building experiences at home.

It is now time for me to go to school, so until next time, God bless!
Gracia Engle

This past weekend was the teachers conference in Chuanghua. It started Saturday morning and ended late in the afternoon. The teachers seemed to enjoy all of the classes. There were classes on motivating students, playing games, teaching songs, telling stories, using storybooks, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Character, etiquette, and phonics. I got to teach the ones about Christmas and using storybooks. I thought storybooks' session went really well. The teachers seemed to like getting to participate in the games we played. Christmas went okay, but I think those in charge decided they would put something else in before the next conference. After the conference, the people from the school took us to a small market. The cool thing was that the market was in an area of a lot of old, traditional buildings. After the walk through the market, they took us to a wonderful restaurant. It was probably some of the best Chinese food that I have ever had. Today, Sunday, was a really nice day. We went to Church this morning and one of our Chinese friends met up with us there. Since it was such a nice day out today, we decided to go for a bus ride and a walk up a hill for some, really good, famous popsicles. While we were up there, I saw one of my students and we heard a man's opinion on the need for students to learn English. Since he was speaking Taiwanese, my friend translated all of it after he was done. When she said he was talking about English, the first thing to pop into my head was that he did not like the fact that we are foreigners teaching English in Taiwan. But, that was not what he thought. He said that the Taiwanese students should learn English because it is the international language, and told my friend that she should be studying English. I also got to see two of my students. That was a special treat! I love getting to see my students outside of the classroom!
This semester has been really good. I could not have asked for better schools. I find myself very happy and content when I am at school. The neat thing is that I am friends with so many of my students. From being the rope in tug of war, to being pulled by the sixth graders to go play UNO, it is such a comfort to know that this is where God wants me and has placed me. No, things are not always easy here, but I can trust His perfect will to take provide all that I need. To think that I only have 5 more months here, is both exciting and sad. I am looking forward to going home to my family, but at the same time I am really going to miss Taiwan. Thank you all so much for your prayers and encouragement. It is greatly appreciated!

Holly Polson
JiJi Team

Hope Unseen...

Why is it so hard to be patient? Why do I want to have everything my way right now? Why can't I trust the Lord to work out His best in His time?

"...let patience have her perfect work that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
James 1:4

I want SO DESPERATELY for my dear friends to know Jesus. There are times when the only word to describe the longing in my heart is "burning." It literally hurts. I see such need everywhere I look. I know, without doubt, that my Savior can meet those needs.

In my mind NOW is the best time. The way I see things my motives are right, my desires are right, thus my time table must also be right. The Lord is teaching me, however, that His ways are higher than my ways, and His thoughts are higher than my thoughts. His will is always best. If I had my way right now, I would miss out on the lessons He wants to teach me as I learn to trust and wait on Him. In His classroom I am learning to hope.

What is hope?
I have a long way to go, but the Lord is showing me that it is certainly more than just wishing for something you don't have.
It is anticipating something in the future that will benefit you or those you love.
It is working relentlessly toward a goal in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
It is praying that God will bring it about in His time, and maybe even use you as His instrument.
It is being willing to have your heart broken by the things that break His heart.
It is seeing your dreams come crashing to the ground.
It is holding on when there is nothing but HIM to hold on to.
It is sitting back after all your human efforts are exhausted and trusting and waiting, watching and praying, with the realization that only He can fulfill the desires of your heart.
It is surrender of our will and way to His higher and holier plans and purposes.
It is learning the meaning of communion with Christ and fellowship in His sufferings.
It is sitting at His feet and learning the lessons He has to teach you.
It is becoming His hands, His feet, His voice to those around you as you take on His character.
It is never giving up even when the longed-for thing seems too long in coming.
It is knowing that in spite of our painful inability, He is able.

"Do you believe that I am able to do this?...

"Yes, Lord...

"According to your faith, be it unto you..."
Matthew 9:28-29

Keep loving, keep waiting, keep praying, keep learning, keep hoping...

"...but hope that is seen in not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."
Romans 8:24-25

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1

Rebekah ~ Lu bei ke
For the Kinmen team

For me, a word that would describe recent days as well as coming weeks, would be, “busy”. Let me try and fill you in.

Last Saturday I was able to go to the engagement ceremony for one of my teachers. A traditional Chinese wedding has two parts, the engagement ceremony, and the wedding ceremony. The engagement ceremony is a chance for the groom to meet the bride’s family, as well as for exchanging rings, and several other proceedings. The ceremony was held at Sophia’s parents’ house, it started about 10, and lasted till noon. At noon all of the guests (about 35 of them) headed to a restaurant for a formal dinner. I would guess that about 500 people showed up for the two and a half hour meal. It was a neat experience, I’m glad I was able to go.

Sunday I went to church in Taichung with Daniel, Mai, Christina, and Joel, as we have been doing for about 6 months now. On this particular Sunday we arrived a little early to go over the “Written in Red,” the song we were singing for the service.

After church we went over to the Brenneman’s house for lunch and games. Carl and Amber invited us over for Christmas dinner a couple months ago, and then we were able to spend the afternoon with them again last Sunday. We had a great time. Carl teaches at an American high school in Taichung; our church meets in one of the buildings on the campus.

Tuesday night my team went to dinner with several of our friends from the area. We had a really good time, and ate some good food too. Wednesday held several new experiences as well. First, we visited Zhong Hsing Jr. High School. Joel, Isaac, Christina, Mai, and I will each be teaching a class there starting April 6th. We went yesterday to meet our classes and take a walk around the school. Teaching in Jr. High is not something I have done a lot of, and while it presents a lot of challenges, I am expecting good things from this opportunity. We are starting this kind of as an experiment. If it goes well the amount of teaching will probably be expanded next semester, so please pray for us as we start at Jr. High.

We rushed off from Zhong Hsing into Nantou, where we were ushered into a conference room at Zhonghua Telecom Company. Zhonghua Telecom was presenting all 10 of the Nantou teachers with some gifts to say thank you for working here. It was really nice of them.

Ok, so that was earlier this week. Let me tell you what is coming up… In the course of the next 2 or 3 weeks we have 2 teacher conferences, one in Taichung County, and one in Nantou County, several visits from friends on various weekends, we start teaching at the Jr. High, and we have to keep up with all of our normal classes, as well as with teachers and friends who would like to do things with us.

Needless to say, we are pretty busy. I don’t think any of us would complain about all the experiences we are able to enjoy, but I know everyone would ask for your prayers. Please pray for strength and endurance for the teachers here, for good health (some of us aren’t feeling well again), and above all, pray that our lives would truly reflect Christ and His character to our students and teachers.

For who is God, save the Lord? Or who is a rock save our God? (Ps. 18:31)

From Ying Pan,
Chase Hiebsch

The past two weeks have been especially busy. Nothing out of the normal, though, I guess! It seems every spare moment has been filled with something...(even if that "something" is playing volleyball with high school friends, or hanging out with the team...:D) My list of "Things I Need to Do Today" is about three weeks behind. Right now, my "Stuff to Prepare Before Facing that Third Grade Again" list has taken a higher priority.

A lot of us have been sick recently. Please pray that God would give us His strength. Last week I missed a few days of school because of sickness. One day, I was feeling sick and decided to go to school anyway (because, of course, all the students were sick too. The Kinmenese like to go to school regardless of sickness). I decided that if the Kinmenese can go to school when they are sick, so can I. So....I went....and now I can proudly say that I am truly a 金門人!!! (smiles all around)

It has been a challenge and a blessing to be learning lessons in teaching this semester. Often, it is so hard to go from class to class and remember what I am to be teaching. Already twice this week, I have walked into class with the wrong book... No, I'm not that stupid, it's just difficult when you go to a different school everyday and only see one class for forty minutes per week.

Learning what my place is in "classroom management" has been a difficult lesson as well...... Hmmm.....maybe, that's all I'll say about that....

Today, after teaching my classes in the morning, I sat in the school van thinking about this verse: (Psalm 83:18)

"That men may know that Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, art the Most High over all the earth." This is truly our purpose as Christians living in this world. To be the salt and light that proves, to this world, that God really is God.

Please pray for us as we continue our daily and weekly routines of teaching.

Pray that God would "be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us. That [His] way may be know upon the earth..." (Psalm 67:1)

A 真正的金門人!
Lucas

Hello from a little isle at the end of the world...

Here at Ying Pan, we have had a great week, everything has been moving along very nicly, amazingly busy. This last Saturday was the biggest event for me in a while. For the second time, I attended a wedding at one of the Chinese churches I am good friends with. Actually, I was an usher in it this time! It was a moving experience, to see this couple take one of the biggest steps in their life. I don't know why, but there is something special about a wedding ceremony, even if I have to listen from the foyer...It brings out a longing in the hearts of the young people. Why? Why is it so hard to understand? Those older than us say, it is natural, they often say to just fill your mind with other things, keep busy 'til...til... But there is something special in that longing, because it is not just a instinct, it is a real need that we have been given by God. We open our hearts to Him, and cry out, "I want someone, I need someone, to be here with me, to share and hold, to be part of." He looks down, and replies, "Child, don't worry about it, I have already provided for you. I know just who you need, who is right for you. You may not see it now, but you will. Just trust me." I ask that you who are reading this would pray for the young people out here and there. As we seek to do God's will, pray that we would be filled with comfort and peace that God has already worked everything out, He is in complete control of the future.

In other news, our team will begin to teach in the junior high school next week, and that is going to be a challenge since it is the first time for all of us. Tomorrow we will head over there to do some planning, we'll see how that goes. It will be cool...

Til next time,
Isaac Mazur
Ying Pan

Here in Hualien we have been given a unique opportunity this semester. One of our classes is actually a meeting with English teachers from all over the county where we work on projects to improve English in Hualien. Our latest project is writing a book about Hualien that is simple enough for students to read, but which would enable them to be able to tell visitors about their homeland. It is a good idea, but one that will definitely involve work on all our parts in order to pull it off. For the Taiwanese English teachers it is just one more task added to their already full schedules, but for those of us on the team here it is a unique opportunity to research, and learn more about the area around us. The biggest problem I’m having so far is that of getting distracted as I come across interesting information that have nothing to do with the subject I’m supposed to be researching.

Please pray for us as we work on this project. That we will be able to do our best and that we would be a living testimony of Christ to those we work with.

May the word of God dwell in you richly by faith and may you, “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18

Christina Furrow
Sincheng, Hualien

30 Reasons why I did not get my update done on time:

1. My dog ate it my update.
2. My dog ate my computer.
3. I just forgot!
4. Well you see I got stalled at the drink stand.
5. I was busy spending time learning Chinese.
6. God did not make the world in one day, what make you think I can do it all.
7. The bus broke down, and I was stalled for six hours on the bus with no way to get home.
8.I couldn’t think of anything to write.
9.I couldn’t find the computer.
10.I needed beauty rest.
11.I had to go to Taipei.
12.My team leader was sitting on my head.
13.My sister needed to talk.
14.We were having girl bonding time.
15.Well it is my day to have a manicure and that is a must.
16.I had to chase a ceiling fan down.
17.I had to mop the floor.
18.The MRT ran over my fingers in Taipei, and so now I can’t type.
19.I was busy spinning in a chair.
20.Well Holly made this yummy food, and I really did not want to miss out on it.
21.Daniel locked Lydia and I out of the house.
22.I was distracted and could not think because of the trash truck.
23.I needed to go and get my hair washed and styled.
24.I had to give everyone in Ji Ji a hair cut.
25.My computer exploded.
26.There was an earthquake a few days ago, and I was not sure that it was safe to get on line.
27.I was not sure if I was supposed to update in English or in Chinese.
28.Well I had problems because I tried to use chalk on the computer, and it did not work.
29.It snowed.
30.Well it was raining, and I wanted to play in the puddles.

What a wonderful weekend I had. Lydia, Holly, and I all went to Taipei this weekend. Holly had a doctors appointment, and Lydia and I just wanted to go and visit friends that live there. We left here on Friday afternoon at about 3:00 on a bus to Taipei.

We arrived there we met up with Laura and Daphne, who are some friends that we had met over winter break in Kinmen. All five of us girls went out for dinner at a near by night market. After dinner Holly and Daphne went home, Laura, Lydia and I just hung around for a little while just looking around.

We went back to Laura's house and her mom was up waiting for us, She was so hospitable and so caring we sat around her dinning room table talking in broken Chinese and English. Laura's mom would ask us a question in Chinese and then we would try to figure out what she had said. It was so fun for me to think in Chinese. We ended up staying up until 1:30 talking and trying to communicate.

In the morning we went to McDonald's for breakfast, and then we walked around the town where Laura lives. I enjoyed just looking around and not really having to be somewhere or worry about being late to something. Our time there was so relaxed. That afternoon we met up with Amy and Laura, Amy, Lydia, and I went to Taipei 101, which is the tallest building in the world. There is a lot of exspensive things in Taipei 101, but most people go there becauase there is an awesome bookstore there. The bookstore is like a Barns and Noble bookstore as there are a lot of books in English as well as Chinese. I really like going because it makes me feel smarter.

On Saturday all of the girl TAs from Kinmen, the Ji Ji girls and Ginger from Kinmen went out to eat at this beautiful resturant. Now, when you have that many girls together you know that there's going to be a party. It was a blast to be together with all of the girls.

Sunday after Church Lydia and I went to Subway for lunch with some sweet friend of ours and afterwords headed back to Ji Ji. I really had a fun weekend and I am so thankful to my friends who helped me and for Laura who let us stay at her house.

Sarah,
Ji Ji

Friday was a beautiful day! Warm, sunny, and hardly any wind, such a great blessing after weeks of windy, cold, and wet weather.

I had just gotten back from the post office with Christine, with a few minutes to prepare. “Prepare for what” you may be thinking (or not thinking). I am talking about preparing for an adventure of great proportions, intrigue, and full of wonder! Well… maybe it’s not that exciting, but it was for me! It was a trip to the beach with Megan, Christine, and Samuel.

Now you need to remember; it’s been cold and wet here, and I’m also a full-blooded Californian, so the beach was really appealing to me. We jumped on our bikes and road a few miles to the nice beach (different from the one that’s a 2 minute walk from our dorm). It was awesome! Christine and Megan goofed off in the freezing water, Samuel went around and took pictures, and I did the tedious task of keeping the blanket and gear secure… Ok, so I was laying on the blanket with my head propped up on the backpack listening to music and reading a book. I truly enjoyed myself.

After an hour or so, it began to get windy and cloudy, so we packed up and left on our bikes. We didn’t get more than five minutes away before my left pedal fell off! My first thought was, “I think I’m going to need that” (brilliant, I know). I looked at it for awhile, and found out how to fix it, yet lacked the tools to do it. Therefore, I called upon my great creativity and used my fingers to tighten the bolt. Then Megan offered to ride my bike while I rode a different bike, because she was lighter and probably wouldn’t knock the pedal off as easy. Unfortunately, my fingers lack the capacity to tighten bolts to the fullest extent and the pedal fell off again a few minutes later. So I once again called upon my ingenuity and creativity and used two keys to tighten the stubborn bolt! That also didn’t work too well… I had to put the pedal back on at least three times on the way back home. However, we DID get home, and that’s what is important. We also had a good time, even though the pedal wanted to stay at the beach and not on my bike.

I guess God was trying to teach me that even though little (or big) things happen in life that may get me down; I shouldn’t dwell on them and forget the many blessings I’ve had. When you look at the glass that is half full, remember the taste and blessing of drinking the first half, and be glad you still have a whole half of a cup left to drink!

Shawn Searle
Kinmen Island

Here on Kinmen there are very few things that can be a distraction, mainly because there is not much to do. I have learned to entertain myself through books, singing, being with other team members, and walking around. Another thing that I have been using to occupy my time, is a scrapbook. I am putting it together for my friends and family when I go home so they can all see what I've been doing right away. It’s been really fun putting it together and thinking of ideas to put into it. On Wednesday the sun was shinning, and we happen to have a beach very close to our dorms. Armed with my camera, I headed out to take some artistic pictures of the beach. It was so peaceful, taking pictures of the simple things I take for granted.

I have been reading a book called "Safely Home". Its about a business man who only cares about earthly success and money, he goes to China to visit his old roommate (a Chinese Christian). The whole book is mainly about how the Christians in China were (and maybe are) persecuted for their faith in God, this man's discovery of that, and his own lost faith. It’s really good! The man is a picture to me of how I can become when I see worshipping God as a routine instead of a privilege and freedom I might not always have. I hate the idea of getting stagnant in my faith in God, no longer getting excited about the things that I discover in my walk with him.

God is really teaching me to "fall in love with Him". The other day I was thinking about how young love acts. (You know, the girl that has stars in her eyes and can't stop talking about the man of her dreams.) I realized, that sometimes my focus gets on other things, not only guys, but school, music, church even. I start putting my time into things that seem more important then spending time with God. I asked Him "God, how do I get to the point that I can just simply focus on you?" He answered "Christine, you need to fall in love with me. A girl that has a man in her life, that's all she can think about, She is totally focused on him. Once you fall in love with me, I will be all that fills your mind, I will be all you can think about." I have known God as Jesus the Savior, God the Father, even the Holy Spirit, but I have never experienced God as my "lover". I guess I never thought it was possible to fall in love with someone so untouchable. Yet, That is exactly what He wants me to do. He has already "fallen in love" with me, and now He is in the process of wooing me. For example, the other day I was in the bookstore. I was at the register, and the two women behind the counter said something about me to each other (I don't know what it was cause I'm not very good at Chinese yet) But then one of them said in English "you are so beautiful". I felt like that was God's small way of telling me I am beautiful. That is just one example of how God has been showing His love for me as "His girl". I'm not there yet, I still have a long way to go, but I am excited about the journey with my God and newfound lover.

Today we celebrated Bonnie Jean's birthday! even though it is not until Saturday. We had some "cake" that tasted kind of umm, bland. It was ok though, because she was surprised and we had a wonderful time as a team. We also got a song together to sing at church this Sunday. I'm really excited, because I really like to sing, and its nice to be able to prepare something every month.

well I think that's everything!

Christine Jefferies, Kinmen Team ~James 1:2-5

I love Taiwan!!! Where else would you see a bummer sticker that says "NO KISS" on the back of it! Which means please don't crash into my car. Or here a 5th grade student tells you that he is "7-ll years old"! I think he must have gone to one to many of those convenient stores! Where else would you wake up and know that even if you decided to be grumpy all day, something funny would happen or some cute Taiwanese child would make you smile or laugh. Therefore ruining your decision!

In my personal devotion time I've been reading through the book Of Genesis. Our Pastor is doing a study on it for church so I though that it might be a good idea to refresh my memory. It's amazing how you can read the same passage of scripture over and over again and learn something new from it! I was reading the story of the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9 NKJV) when I suddenly dawned on me how much it's in human nature to want to stick together. (vs.4) I thought it was interesting being as in couple chapters before God had just commanded that Noah and his family to fill the earth. ( Genesis 9:1)

Then it got me thinking about myself. I'm a person who likes to stick close to home or where ever my small comfort zone lies at the time. Even here in Taiwan I've created my own comfort zones in different ways once again, and sometimes fight against the thought of God expanding my horizons. Isn't the whole reason for being here in Taiwan to let the Lord use me as much as He wants to? To be an open vessel for Him to take anywhere at anytime? I know I'm giving a ton of time, and energy to the Lord for everything that He has given to me so far, but is it possible that I can give more than what I am? Of course I can!! God is my strength and I'm His tool and I know He's not going to break any of His tools! I know some people think that it's a waste of my time and youth to be here in Taiwan teaching and not striving for a college degree in something or other. But when you do step out of your comfort zone, and let God use you to give to those around you He blesses your life in ways you couldn't imagine. So as a Challenge for you today, ask yourself…

Are you in comfort zone that you need to get out of? (They come in many shapes and sizes.)

Are you truly letting God expand your" horizons"? (Are you letting the Lord stretch you to more then you thought you could be?)

Are you giving more then everything (to what God has given to you) and not expecting anything in return?

I know that I'm challenging myself as I write this! (LOL I feel like Pastor Chuck!)
Speaking of letting God stretching out our horizons...Those of us in Nantou (Ying Pan team ) will be starting to teach at a junior high school next Wednesday. Talk about comfort zones!! I've only been teaching at elementary schools! I'm looking forward to the days to come and willing to face any challenges with Joy of the Lord as my Strength!!

Please pray for us as we start teaching at the junior high school. We are all excited about the opportunity we will have to build friendships with the students. Please pray that the Lord would give us wisdom, creativity, and favor in their eyes as we teach and minister to them.

Thank you so much for all your prayer support! We love receiving your notes of encouragement and hope that you won't stop sending them! May the Lord bless you as you serve Him today.

Mai Lewis
Ying Pan, Nantou

Pulchritude is Merely Epidermal” and other famous Sayings

We use them all the time, little English phrases or parables like the one used in the title, dropped causally into everyday conversations to make a point or to indirectly communicate an idea we don’t dare directly state. One of the phrases which has been useful for life here in Taiwan has been “tenets of transparent abodes should abstain from hurling granite fragments.” If right now you have the same look my third grade class has when I ask them “how old are you” don’t worry. I didn’t make up some new proverb, you just probably know this saying as “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

It takes a little while to use to living in a glasses house, after all as an American I have a RIGHT TO PRIVACY. A hard lesson to learn is that my right to privacy ended at the cross. From children who are fascinated by endlessly touching my arm hair, to school leaders who make the investigation of my love life (or lack their of) the topic of meetings, privacy is something which I had to leave in LA.

Why I am writing about this after being in this county for more than eight months? Because like the title says beauty is only skin deep, so after all the press conferences and people telling you your nose is beautiful, you have to get down to the work loving the people, and it is easy to say you love them, but your life has backs up what you say, they see straight into our little glass lives.

Join with us in praying that as we would live up to the high standard of excellence that the Taiwanese have for us, and if you are about to hurl a granite fragment, remember I am not the only person who lives in a glass house.

Ben Jacob

Well, the semester has been going for a couple weeks now, and it has gone very well. The children at all my schools seem to be much warmer, and see me as more of a friend than just a teacher, they are more eager to speak with me and in general to just want to hang around me more. For me, this is probably the best part about teaching, the chance to spend time with the kids and try to invest in their lives is something I thoroughly enjoy.

In the beginning of the year, the time to go home seemed so far away, and at times almost unattainable, but now as the end of the year continues to get closer and closer. It's kinda weird, as much as I will be glad to get home and to see and be with family and friends, I am actually dreading having to leave Taiwan, to be perfectly honest, I will not miss teaching at all, although the time I spent teaching was very enjoyable, the things that I will miss the most are the people.
Walking down the street here in Jiji, we are constantly met with eager Hello's various other greetings and even the occasional hug. It seems strange to me that after spending just a year in this country, how attached to the people I have become.

As time goes by, the days are starting to get a little longer and the weather is getting warmer(something I am grateful for, but will probably regret once may rolls around) This afternoon a few of us walked up a little ways into the mountains, the view was beautiful, and it was very nice to breathe the fresh air.

Near the top of the mountain, there is a little place that sells popsicles, and is known for having many different flavors. They were really good.

Hope this post didn't bore you too much, have a great week.

Anthony
Jiji

Wow. And wow again. Today has been totally insane. It's been different, exhilarating, fun, exciting and disappointing. Right now I'm actually feeling semi-depressed, but I think that's just because I'm tired and my emotions have been going nuts all day. I just told Megan that I am so ready for tomorrow to be Sunday...except tomorrow is Monday! AHHH!

So this morning starts with church. Shawn and I took our bikes to church, riding through the alley ways. I've finally figured out how to get to church using only the alleys: it only took me a full month of being in Kinmen to learn the way!

Joy, our pastor's wife, translates the church services for us. Pastor Samuel gave a cool sermon about the effects of Christ's resurrection on Jewish society. Then we had English Bible study (basically Sunday school in English). Bible study is taught by Tim, a new teacher at the college here.

At any rate, we finished (45 minutes late! Tim kinda get's caught up in his lesson sometimes...) and had lunch together. When I got home from church we found that Sandy from King Car had arrived. I hadn't met Sandy before, but BJ had told me a lot about her, so it was cool to finally have a face to put with the name. And she brought us a bunch of King Car chewing gum, so she and I are now very good friends (at least until the gum runs out!).

Sandy's boyfriend is stationed here on Kinmen with the army, so he came over as well. I'm not sure how much he actually got to visit with her though: within half an hour he was totally sacked out on the couch, in spite of 14 screaming people in the same room as him.

The afternoon was a blur of visiting and volleyball (lots of screaming
involved there...nobody here on Kinmen really knows how to yell and scream properly- I even had to give a girl lessons on how to yell my name).

At around six o'clock we had supper. Drew (once again!) made it for us (nobody here really cooks very much and Drew is the only person who volunteers to be in charge of team dinner...noddles for three weeks in a row...). Actually, Drew makes really good dinners...just slightly redundant. Team meeting starts around 7:20 (ok, so we're slow to wash the dishes! Give me a break!) It's totally a typical
meeting....Sandy needs passport numbers, BJ's lost a note boo(anybody seen it?), Megan has a question about this...la, dee, da, nothing really unusual. Then one James' phone rings. You never know what is going to happen when James' cell phone rings. It might be really good, or it might be horrible. At any rate, he steps out the door. Then he sticks his head back in and says, "Maybe the Minister of Education will be here soon."

AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Lucas and Bekah start running around the room cleaning. But we're not really worried (or at least I'm not). Then James sticks his head in and says that there are people down stairs with camera's and they want us to come down. Ahhhh! I'm not even wearing shoes! So everybody runs around like chickens with their heads cut off. We come down stairs and it's not just a few people with camera's: it's a TON! There's even somebody from a TV station somewhere with a video camera.

Apparently somebody knew that I juggled, so before you know it they have me juggling for them. I actually had a little trouble seeing the balls because of the camera flashes! Then they had Bekah sing and talk in Chinese. Things kinda slow down after a while and I'm thinking that it's pretty much over. But then somebody else shows up and everybody is taking pictures again. "Who is this?" I ask James.

"He's the Minister of Education."

"For Kinmen?"

"No, all of Taiwan."

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why can't they ever give us warning?

So they have me juggle again, then Bekah and Ginger and Christine sing together (they were all wearing black shirts and looked really cool together...apparently I missed the memo on shirt color- I was wearing a BRIGHT hunter orange jacket and a tie-dyed t-shirt!) They took about a million pictures and then the Minister goes on an inspection of the dorm...these poor kids had no more warning than we did and he was looking in their rooms! Ahhh! I would have died! So at least they didn't ask to see our rooms!

Hey guys, pray for me. I've been thinking seriously about staying for next school year, but now Sandy tells us that there will only be six people on the Kinmen team next year and there will be no Jr. High. Ahhh! I love my Jr. High classes! I'm thinking I don't really want to stay and teach elementary school!

Ok, below is something I wrote about two weeks ago, but I thought it was pretty funny. It's about my first day teaching in Small Kinmen.

Something really funny happened. After classes the principle comes in to meet me. He says he wants me to come to his office and visit until it's time for the to head to the dock to catch the boat back to Big Kinmen. I thought that would be fine. From the way he said it, it sounded like it would just be me and him and the bus driver visiting together. So imagine my shock when we walk into his office and there are five girls there, all in their early 20's. They are dressed very fashionabily, their hair is done very fancily and they each must have spent an hour in front of the mirror that morning. The principle spreads his arms to encompass the girls and declares "Beautiful girls! From Taiwan!"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, what do you do at that point? I felt like running away. I was fully expecting his next sentence to be "Pick one!" I wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

It wasn't quite that bad, but it was close. It turns out that they are students from Taiwan and they apparently have some sort of tie with the Jr. High on Small Kinmen. I never figured out what it was. But we ended up sitting in his office drinking tea (it tasted horrible! You probably would have liked it, Dad!) and trying to make conversation. It was somewhat forced conversation, but I did live through it.

Samuel Bavido
Director of Blunt Affairs, Kinmen Team

The big 200 is not something you normally celebrate on any given day. Can you remember the last time you celebrated 200? I know that in life it’s considered to be a great achievement making it to the age of 100. So why the big push in celebrating 200? Well if you want to find out you’ll have to keep reading. Please bear with us as we take you on a roller-coaster of an update. We hope that you’ll take the time to stay with us till the end.

"Here we go again … another update. Oh, wait- this is the 200th one. Wow. Three cheers for all of the people that keep up with us- you've made it this far!! See, my job is easy. I just have to live my life here, while everybody else has to sit and read about it. No offense, but I think I get the better end.

To sum up life in the past eight months, there are simply no words. Strange thing is, even if there were words, I don't know if I'd be able to remember the English word, much less know it in Chinese. I know you guys are thinking, "Man! These guys are English teachers! They should have the best English." Please remember, we live in a foreign country, and teaching English changes the way you think. You get used to depending on simple words for people who don't know English very well (which is almost everybody you deal with on a regular basis), and using very simple Chinese, because that's all you can speak.

My thinking has really changed. Not so much that my mind has been transformed into a different person, although in some ways, yes. Just in the things that every day demands from my brain, I've learned to think in ways like never before. From rolling tortilla shells out with water bottles to constructing a change in lesson plan as I'm opening my books (or my mouth) to teach, to knowing exactly what I'm ordering at a restaurant and not knowing the English name for it...to automatically knowing what to talk about with a kid because I know the words they just learned.

I feel used to life here now. Things don’t faze me anymore. Yet still I can't seem to grasp a complete understanding of the people and things here. Right now everything seems strange. It's like what was so foreign to me earlier is familiar now. But what was familiar then, is fading into what we call a "normal life," and that's far away. Knowing I won't be returning to it for a while, I just settle into life here and let myself get absorbed into the change and adventures I experience every day.

As I just told my roommate, I don't really worry about the future now. That's all I can do at the moment anyway. The future will become "now" soon enough.

"Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away." James 4:14

Thanks again for investing thoughts and prayers into our team and our time here. I can say for all of us that it really means a lot to know you go before God on our behalf. Please know we appreciate you, and we hope you continue to enjoy reading about our life here in Taiwan!!!"

Really our time here in the long scheme of things is just a short chapter in our lives. Many of us are still amazed that we are approaching our 8th month and that the end of our journey together for most of us will be coming to an end in just a few short months…

"As I contemplate the past 8 months here, I'm not sure what to think. At times everything here seems normal, because it is normal and I'm a part of it. At other times though, I realize how different I really am from people and culture here. I think it is good though, it helps to keep my perspective in the right place.

If I had to sum up my time here, I think it would have to be "God takes care of His children." Every day there are events and happenings that can only be explained as the hand of God. These things range from conversations at school, to people we meet, to protection, to providing for a need we didn't know existed. He knows our needs, and he takes care of us.

If you don't remember anything else from reading this, please remember that God is sufficient."

There are days and nights when the path seems stormy when we feel like throwing in the towel yet God truly has been sufficient for each of us. All of us can give you example after example of His hand moving in our lives. The most amazing part is that He’s never late - in fact, He’s right on time…

"Yeah right, you got to be kidding me God; you want me to do what? God, are you sure you want me to sleep on that thing they call a bed God it’s a piece of wood! I wish my obligations to be obedient to the Lord and suffering for Christ would’ve just ended there and then. In fact that was just the beginning of the many things God would ask me to give up or I should say give back to Him.

These last eight months have taught me so many things not only about myself and others but more importantly about God and His love for people. Each and every day God reminds me of why I’m here in Taiwan. I wish each of you could come along with us on our day and see the children. I wish you could look into their eyes and see the hunger for not only truth but also for love.

The nation of Taiwan is bound by fear, lies, and spiritual oppression. We haven’t been asked to solve the worlds hunger problems or bring the world peace. No, God hasn’t asked us to do those things he just asked us to as it were give a cup of cold water in His name. Truly the opportunities that we have to reach the children of Taiwan are incredible.

Yet with that incredible responsibility also brings its challenges. People tend to think that their involvement isn’t important- after all, praying doesn’t put them on the front lines. Yet really when you are fighting a war you realize that you’re unable make it one day without the supplies and support from back home. That’s exactly where each and every one of you comes in your support and encouragement through prayer, giving us the strength to carry on. The times when we’ve been down in the dirt and are in our greatest need is when your support comes in. Truly each and every one of you makes a difference in the lives of all us here in Taiwan each and every day."

These updates that you read each and every day are not just updates. In fact, they’re much more then that. Anyone can write about their lives they can talk about the good and bad things… if that’s was the case you would be reading everything you see here off of Xanga. Yet what you see and read here is not us boasting in our achievements, or our great teaching skills. What you see here is 200 testimonies, 200 day’s of God grace, glory, and love. Each and every day we have here is really to the glory of God. We’re nothing special in fact none of us are qualified to be representing Christ yet He has chosen us to run this race…

"Once upon a time there were a bunch of runners running a marathon. They were all running towards the same goal but each of them had started at different times, were running at different speeds, and would reach their goal at different times. Sometimes they would run alone, sometimes by two’s and threes, and sometimes in even larger groups. One day several of these runners saw a sign labeled “Teach English in Taiwan! It’s rough but the rewards are beyond your wildest imaginations. Turn here.” They decided to give it a shot and, after waving goodbye to their fellow runners, they turned and began running down a small winding trail. Some were excited, some were pacing themselves, some were even a little wary of what the trail might hold for them. More than a few of the runners found themselves glancing back, hoping for a glimpse of their former running mates. These twenty-five runners came from different roads but for one year they all ran together. Through deserts and jungles, over steep mountains and through streams and even rivers, at times it seemed as if they would never reach the finish line. There were days when the only thing that kept them going was the voice of their Master encouraging them along. When one would trip over a rock their teammates were often right there to help them back on their feet and offer a word of hope. The sign was right- the trail was hard, in different ways for each runner. But when they were all hot and tired and ready to give up, there were not many things more encouraging than the people cheering by the sidelines.

Now I don’t know how people are cheering by the sidelines when it’s a marathon through deserts and jungles and our runners are on a little winding trail. Yeah so my analogy isn’t perfect- in fact, it stinks. But hopefully you get the idea of what I’m trying to say. Life here can be more exciting and rewarding than anything a lot of people have ever experienced, but it can also be draining and just plain hard at times. Whether the times are hard or not-so-hard, the only one we can truly turn to is Jesus- He is the only one who will always be there for us. But the encouragement and prayers of others often gives us the boost we need to face another day with a smile on our face.

This is our 200th update- hard to believe, isn’t it? 200 days of teaching…200 days of struggles and smiles…and 200 days filled with the prayers of so many faithful friends near and far. It’s March- for some of us, our journey has just begun. For some, we’ve just passed the halfway point. For others, we’re nearing the finish line. But regardless of where we are or how long we’re staying, we need your prayers. Pray that we would finish this race strong, that we would pour everything we have into the people of Taiwan and then turn to Jesus to be filled again. Thank you for your prayers- we are indebted to you.

And for those of you that are wondering, the story ends happily. Of course there are the fire swamps, UFOs (unidentifiable food objects, naturally), giant talking chopsticks, and encounters with ogres and giants, but what story is any good without all that?"

"Well, what can I say about this year? It’s been an amazing journey on which the Lord has brought us.

The people I’ve met…the places I’ve been…the friends I’ve gained… the things I’ve learned…we serve an awesome God.

It’s been a real treat to work on the desktop wallpaper. I’ve enjoyed going through all the pictures and remembering so many blessings. I cried more than once, it’s the truth.

So many children that are lost and yet, finding a small glimmer of light in their hard world here. That small spark of hope is retained by childhood innocence. It’s with that innocence I’ve fallen in love. Looking into a child’s bright gleaming eyes and seeing a smile that would put a sunrise to shame while you take just a brief glance further, taking a moment to look past those eyes into the heart of a child. Not speaking their language but still understanding. Knowing you’ve been there before and wishing you could go back. Wondering where you lost it…

Well guess what? I’m back…I’ve found it…And I’m loving every second of it…"

Chase, Christina, Daniel, Ginger and Joshua writing on behalf of the team would like to thank you for your faithful support and prayers for us each day. Without God and without you we would’ve never made it past day one.

You can download a Light 2 Taiwan Desktop image by clicking below.

Hello and welcome to central Taiwan, a frozen land surrounded by snow-covered mountains where the American English teachers resemble walking ice cubes. OK, slight exaggeration, but it has been cold and rainy, and I heard that some of the taller mountains did get some snow yesterday. I have also seen some rather cold looking Americans walking around with multiple layers on muttering something about wishing the computer would overheat and create some warmth... Really, we are alright, and some of us are rather enjoying this kind of weather.

School continues to be a wonderful challenge, with new and unexpected things happening every day. Last Friday, the team here in Ying Pan went to Pu Li Elementary school, which is the biggest one in Nantou County. It has around 2,800 students, and about 150 teachers all together. There were 11 to 12 classes for each grade with 30-35 students in each class, plus some kindergarten classes. Talk about massive! Each of us taught three classes by ourselves, which was different from what we normally do at a Friday school, but it worked out great. I taught 1st, 3rd, and 6th grade and had a blast doing it. After classes were over and we had finished eating lunch, we headed for the door of the dining hall and found it to be packed full of about 100 students who wanted us all to sign our names for them. Ahhh.... I think I got through about 40 of them before it was time to leave. This has happened at other schools as well, but sometimes they are small enough that we have time to sign our names for all of the students before we go. If you have never been mobbed before, you should come over and try it sometime. Its fun :) You have to love the kids, there is just no way around that.

Friday afternoon, we were invited out for dinner with Mr. Sun who was visiting for the day. We were talking with him in the principles office when he asked us if any of us would be interested in possibly teaching some classes at a junior high school near here. Some of us were like, sure, that sounds interesting, and so he calls the principle of the junior high school and invites him to come to dinner with us right then to talk it over!!! I was sitting there in a state of "please slow down, this is all too fast for me" watching as two new classes were added to our weekly schedule. As far as I grasped, we will begin teaching at the junior high school in Jung Shing in two weeks. This is a great opportunity for us (I think), so please pray that we will have wisdom from the Lord in all that we say and do.

The life we live here, and the ministry we have is only possible through the power of Jesus Christ, and by the prayers of His children on our behalf. This month we ask prayer for the new classes we are teaching at the junior high school that everything would go well. Also pray for two teacher conferences that the Nantou teams will be teaching in the next few weeks. Those are always a challenge. Fun, but a challenge :) Health and our unity in Christ are also something that you can pray for, as well as all of our students, teachers, friends, neighbors, extended family, etc... The people are really what we are here for, so please pray for them. Thank you so much.

Wishing you the peace of Christ,
~Joel

Romans 12:9

Time flies when you’re having fun! The fourth week of the second semester is about to begin. The last few weeks have been very rewarding for me as I’ve begun to see the children really putting forth an effort to communicate with me in English. Even though we ask each other the same questions every week – “How’s the weather? What do you like? How old are you?” I can see that they’re becoming more and more confident in speaking to me. I’m going to miss these kids! They’ve become a part of my life. Even though we aren’t able to talk about a lot of things, we have been able to communicate to each other that we’re friends. And so when I leave the island of Taiwan in less than four months I’m going to be leaving over 400 small friends.

With as much as I love being with the kids teaching is still a lot of work and can be very tiring. That’s why weekends can be so nice! This weekend has been great so far. I’ve just experienced one day of it but it was relaxing and a lot of fun. Here’s a rundown of what I did today.

To begin with I didn’t set my alarm. It felt good to get up and feel rested rather than having the alarm wake me at 5:45. After I got up and got ready for the day I spent some time journaling and reading my Bible. I checked my e-mail and wrote some letters. By this time it was 11:00 and time to get something to eat. Most of the rest of my team had the same idea so over breakfast (or was it lunch) we discussed what we should do for the rest of the day. Josh, Jo and I decided to meet at 1:00 and go to Carrefore to buy groceries.

On the train Josh befriended a little guy that was about a year old. The two of them kept the two of us (as well as the other adults in the train car) entertained for the duration of our fifteen minute ride. The little guy was so cute and we have pictures to prove it! When we got off the train and were standing on the platform we could still see him smiling at us.

After buying our groceries we got something to drink and then Josh said we should try the massage chairs that they have for sale. I’d never tried them before. The next fifteen minutes were wonderful! Now I wish we had one of those chairs here in our dorm. I guess that’s why they let people try them. They know you’ll be hooked if you do.

Instead of taking the train home we took the bus. Buses are a little less predictable than trains but after waiting about half an hour our patience paid off and we were on our way home.

We got home at about 5:00, unpacked our backpacks full of food and started making dinner. We had a special Mexican supper. Cheese, beef, salsa, taco seasoning and tortillas are more difficult to find in Taiwan. We were able to find the cheese and beef today. We bought the salsa and tortillas in Taipei and the taco seasoning came in a package from home.

After we ate dinner we cleaned up and played games for the next three hours. I’ve played a lot of Rummikub before but rarely have I played the game with such intensity and competition! We definitely needed the two minute time limit per turn. Christina got a new game from her family for her birthday that we ended up trying as well. It’s called Swap and I have the feeling we’ll be playing it more often! It was a great evening spent with my team.

That pretty well sums up the day. Now it’s time for me to go and get some sleep!

Katrina Nisly

Hualien, Taiwan

I know... I know..... The first words that come to your mind about Taiwan is probably not "winter wonder land", but it really feels more "winterly" now than last year. Seriously I'm cold here, and I'm an Ohioan! However, spring is coming.

Well, I'm sure you all remember where I last left off: Monday afternoon. Lunch time!!!!! During lunch times I have eaten many different kinds of food: tofu, octopus, squid, blood cakes, and many other squishy things. To be totally honest, I actually like most it (excluding blood cakes). At my Monday school, I always eat with the teachers. Some of them can actually speak English, which is nice.

After lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 is national nap time for all of Taiwan. When I came here I knew life was going to be different, but this was one of these things that caught me off guard. For a about an hour after lunch is nap time for everybody. I have seen shops closed, construction works lying on the street, and an entire city quiet during this period. However, I've also noticed that a lot of Asians work seven days a week; so they have an excuse. I rarely take naps on Mondays though, because Namor, my good buddy, likes to talk with me during this time. He has become a really good friend, and Mondays will be different when he leaves next month.

Around 1:20 or so, my San-Chee Bus Driver picks me up and takes me to my second School of the day. San-chee is by far my smallest school. With only seven 3rd graders and twelve 4th graders, I sometimes have to adapt the games that I play. However, small numbers can be an advantage in name learning. Especially since I also go there on Tuesdays afternoons, I now know most of their English names! My teachers, Hway-Ping and CuCu, do a very good job, and I don't have to worry about any discipline problems. Often when Cucu's class (yes, that's here real English name) gets upset during one of my games, she says "mei guanshi, mei guanshi, hao whan", which means "It's OK. It's OK. This is fun".

After school I take the 4 O'clock boat home, and I get back to the dorm around 4:40. Next update I'll tell you a little about what I used to do on Monday nights, which was quite an experience that I'll probably never forget. Many strange, sad, and hilarious things have happened on those nights. Curious? I let you know about it on March 31st.

Until next time...... See ya!

P.s. May the Lord Bless you.

Drew
(Matthew 11:28-30; Phil.1:21)