June 2005 Archives

I have been given the daunting task of writing an update on the day before I leave Taiwan. I really don’t know what to say to give words to all the thoughts and memories of the past year.

My time the past week has been filled with visiting, packing, traveling, packing, numerous good-byes, more packing, and…packing. Yet, that is only a small part of the emotions and thought processes that are taking place. The impact that this place and its people have made on me is unmistakable, and I am sad to leave.

To try and sum up my stay in Taiwan, I would have to say, incredible and amazing. I have met so many people, taken part in a ton of activities, shared experiences with my team and others, and had a tremendous time teaching. Taiwan is a unique place, and I have been thrilled to have the opportunity to serve and teach here.

In saying good-bye to Taiwan, I am able to say hello to my family and friends back home. I am looking forward so much to seeing them again. I only have two more days and then…I will see them for the first time in a year. I am greatly anticipating being home again.

Please keep praying, both for the 8 of us who are leaving Taiwan tomorrow, and for the rest who will be teaching and leading summer English camps before they make their way back to the U.S. later on. Some will be returning to Taiwan for another year of teaching, while others will be staying in the States and continuing on there. All of us though, will cherish our memories of this year, and whenever we meet, the thread of comradeship will run strong.

Finally, I want to say thank you to each member of the Taiwan team, and specifically my team in Nantou. Kung Fu Beef Noodles!!!

From Ying Pan,
Chase

Today...

I woke up. I woke up very very late. I actually slept last night! So I woke up feeling quite cheery, and I felt even cheerier when I walked into the living room to discover that Mai had bought me breakfast. She's so sweet...

Then I went to 7-11. Every good day must include a trip to 7-11. This particular trip to 7-11 was to make some last-minute camp copies. This made me very happy because it was the last of the camp copies. Now if I could just get all the posters done...

But first I had to pack. If you know me, you know that I am a very fast packer. I proved this today by completing in a day (half, if you count the fact that I slept through the other half) what others have taken almost a week to do. I'm not saying this is a good thing. I have also been known to leave vital things behind, such as glasses, and... well, I guess the glasses was the worst thing. Anyway, I packed.

After I packed, I took the trash down. Actually, it took four members of our team to carry down all the trash. Several nice old gentlemen came walking by to chuckle at the crazy Americans with their boatload of garbage. We did some laughing too- I'm sure we must've looked pretty weird.

After this, I led my team on a "let's find the steakhouse that King Car took my old team to one time a very long time ago" hunt. We did find it, and I only made one wrong turn. We had a typical Ying Pan team dinner, complete with plum-tea salads, stolen drinks, and cappuccino overflows. We had fun, and I'm sure we livened up the evening for the employees too.

We finished off the evening with one last team meeting, filled with laughs and prayer. It was definately a great ending. A few last poster-painting experiences (Every color a certain member of my team was trying to mix ended up brown. Weird.) and camp prep was officially OVER for Tina. YESSSSSS...

After weighing my suitcases and straightening things out, I think I'm finally ready to hit the sack. Ewwww a big cockroach just skittered across our floor. GROSS. I have a friend coming over all day tomorrow, and then Wednesday it's off to Taipei for a goodbye press conference and THEN it's off to Nei Hu for summer camps. Pray for us!

For Taiwan,
Tina
Ying Pan Team

I went to school today and come to find out, all of my six grade classes had graduated on Monday! So, I had no classes to teach. None. Instead, the school had this great idea, that we could make some short videos for them to put on their website. Well, it went fine. I miss the schools already, as I just think that I will not go back to any of them.

I look around in our living room, and there are tons of flowers, given to all of us teachers this week. It makes me think how much the schools appreciated having English teachers. Here we are, young, without degrees, not a lot of experience, but they don't mind. They are still so grateful for anything that we do. It encourages me so much, and helps me work hard. I want to do the best that I can, because, to tell the truth, I am not worthy of all the attention that they give us... As we are packing, this is really hitting hard- a whole year is about over. May it be that we truly showed the light of Christ to each and every one of our teachers and students.

Please pray for the new team that will be arriving soon, that they would get settled in, and all would go smoothly.

Thanks for everything...

Isaac Mazur

This may be a short update, but here it is!:

"Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might!"

Coming out of 6th grade graduations and coming onto the last week of
school has brought me to realize how quickly our time is closing. (Less than one month now! :( )

Here is the top ten reasons on why the Kinmen team is sad to leave
Kinmen:

10) Washing dishes in the bathroom and getting hot water from the
shower.

9) The kids! good ones, bad ones, cute ones, other ones, loud ones,
quiet ones, short ones, tall ones, etc.

8) Tea with school principals.

7) Riding in the bus with interesting Taiwanese people.

6) Seven-Eleven!

5) RECESS! :)

4) LUNCH :)

3) Milk Tea

2) Jr. High Students... :(

1) No more updates! :()

It seems that you never know what to expect when you go to school anymore. All of my schools are busy with final testing, preparation for Graduation, etc. and this can play havoc with my nice orderly schedule. Sometimes this is tough as when I find out that I taught the 6ths grade for the last time…last week. But sometimes this can be a real answer to prayer too. As I’ve learned about teaching and how to work with the different kids, most of my classes go pretty well now. However, I have an exception in one of my 6th grade classes. They have me completely baffled. For awhile it was hit and miss, one week the lesson would go well and then the next week it would flop, but towards the end they just didn’t want to learn English when I came in to work with them. As I was heading out the door this morning, I asked my teammates to pray especially for this class and it is amazing to see what God can do when we look to Him. I walked into the classroom a little early and had the chance to visit with their homeroom teacher for a little while. About time for the class to start, he asked if I could teach them the English words for some of the things they saw on their class trip a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t sure if the lesson I’d prepared would work or not so I gladly switched modes completely and followed his suggestion. It wasn’t a perfect class, but the best in a while and I was able to leave on a friendlier basis with the kids (they seem to know when they’ve been misbehaving and it affects the way we can interact outside of class too.) Pray that God will continue to work in their lives as they move out into Jr. High school and that He will draw them to Himself.

Please pray also for us with the year wrapping to a close, that we wouldn’t just survive, but that we would keep our eyes beyond the goal and finish stronger than we started.
This is only possible through the Lord and He is able to: …renew Our strength;that we may mount up with wings as eagles; to run, and not be weary; and to walk, and not faint. (Paraphrase of Isa 40:31)

Christina Furrow
Hualien, Taiwan

It seems like whenever ministry has been taking place for a long period of time there are three stages in which the time is divided up into. The first part is always the longest, it seems to just creep by and at times, there is no end in sight.

The second stage brings you a little closer the finish line, but it is still to early to begin thinking about it.

The third is probably the hardest of all, you are on the home stretch and the end is in view, but now that you are almost finished with the race, you are not sure if you really want it to end or not.

The third part, is where I am finding myself right now, excitement and sadness both at the same time. Joy at the thought of seeing friends and family, but at the same time not looking forward to leaving the students with whom I have developed friendships with over the past year.

In a race, runners pace themselves for the first part and save up their resources for a final push at the end. Sometimes that last burst of energy can be very hard and painful, your legs and knees want to give out, your lungs scream for air, and your entire body in general seems to be in total revolt against what you want it to do.

That last part is what has been happening to me lately, I desire to finish out strong and victorious, Satan seems to be doing everything in his power to prevent it from happening . This is a pattern that I have seen happen quite often in different ministries that I have taken part in. Suddenly all at once, it seems like all hell is breaking loose, and seeming nothing can be done to stop it. But there is something that can stop it, prayer.
I would like to ask you to continue to hold all of us up in your prayers, that we would finish the race strong, and run that we may obtain.

Anthony
Jiji

As the finish line comes into sight for the 2005/2005 TESOL team, we covet your prayers more than ever. All over Taiwan teachers are finishing up teaching, attending graduations, and preparing to teach summer camps and then head home. After our vacation, some will be returning for another year of teaching. Others will not. Here in Kinmen, we will be losing three of our team. Three people with whom we have lived and worked. Three teachers whom we have watched pour their love and energy into their students. Three servants of God who have willingly given a part of their lives to making a difference in the lives of people.

BJ, we will miss your energy, enthusiasm, and passion for ministry. Living and working with you has been a privelege I will not take for granted. Your zeal for the Lord and willingness to give of your time and talents to accomplish any task has challenged and inspired me. Watching you seek the Lord to determine His will, and then seeing you surrender yourself to it has also been awesome. Thanks for letting Him use you to touch so many lives...mine, among many, many others.

Christine, what an incredible 6 months it has been with you on the Kinmen team!! It is so awesome that you could join Megan here and share in her life as well as ours. Your smile, ready laugh, and easy-going spirit have encouraged us all. It is so obvious that you love Jesus, and that He lives and works in and through you. You have self-lessly given yourself to the people of Kinmen, and He will reward your efforts! Your going will leave a very empty spot in our team circle.

Shawn, what can I say to a guy who has been an incredible addition to our team this semester??!! A fun-loving, energetic, "younger brother" who at the same time has demonstrated amazing maturity and wisdom. I have many times been awed as I listened to you pray and seen your heart for souls...specifically the people of Kinmen. I also know some kids who are seriously gonna miss "Shawn lao shi" when school starts next semester. You have learned the language of love, and communicated that clearly to them. God's love, flowing out of your life, is gonna do great things wherever He leads you in the future!!

So that's my "goodbye" to three teammates who have made a huge impact on my life in the last months. I know they haven't left yet, but maybe it will encourage them to know that one life, at least, has been touched through their obedience to the Lord. To the rest of my team out there...Keep running strong! Keep pressing on! Keep looking to Jesus! The race isn't over yet...it has been hard, but it has been good. I am so thankful to have had you all as co-workers and laborers together with God in this past year He has given us!! ‰Á–û!!

From Kinmen -
Rebekah Gilley
Phil. 1:20

My return to the United States is not even three weeks away; however, I’m still finding plenty to do here.

Take today for example, Daniel and I took a trip into the mountains here in Nantou. We visited a place called Ching Jing Farm. It’s about 2 or 2.5 hours by bus from Ying Pan, and about 5 or 6 thousand feet up. The farm raises sheep, goats, and some cattle, and is a tourist attraction here. I find it humorous that every day events in Kansas, such as raising cattle, farming, etc., are tourist attractions in Taiwan.

Ching Jing is way up in the mountains, and on the top of a mountain at that. I went there hoping for the incredible view that I had seen on a previous visit there. A thick cloud cover prevented that for most of the day. But about 4 o’clock some of it cleared off enough that we could see some of the surrounding mountains and valleys. Even with the rain and clouds, it was still wonderful to be back in the mountains, probably my last time while I am here.

Next Wednesday the Nantou government is hosting a “good-bye party” for the ten English teachers here. The Jiji team will be coming to Ying Pan, and a bunch of school, government, and other officials will be here also. It is going to be a pretty big deal, lasting for 3 hours and requiring formal attire. I know that it will be sad to say good-bye, but I’m looking forward to the event.

As you pray for our team here, and the teams in other locations around Taiwan, please remember these things.

1) Summer English camps will be starting July 2nd. Pray for those involved in planning and organizing these events, as well as the students who will be attending them.

2) Eight teachers will be heading back to the States on June 29th. Pray for them as they travel, and pray for the others who will be preparing to teach camps the following week.

3) Pray that our final two weeks of teaching in our elementary schools would go well, and that we would continue to be representatives of Jesus Christ to those we serve and teach.

Thank you for your encouragement this year, that and your prayers have been crucial to our service here. Please keep it up!

From Nantou, and because of Jesus Christ,
Chase

About a month ago the fifth grade students in Tong-lan were learning the English names for the months of the year. Naturally the conversation eventually led to birthdays and what month each person was born. Suddenly it dawned on them that “Katrina teacher” has a birthday too. I told them it was July 19. There was immediately a frantic chattering in Chinese that I couldn’t follow but I could tell by their expressions and the tones of their voices that they were anything but pleased. After some of the buzz died down Mr. Kong, the homeroom teacher interpreted what was going on.

They were upset because I wasn’t going to be in Taiwan for my birthday and they desperately wanted to have a birthday party for their English teacher. So, Mr. Kong came up with an idea – they would have an early birthday party for me sometime before I left. Smiles returned to my students faces. Peace and quiet once again reigned in the classroom – well to a certain extent anyway!

I didn’t hear a word about the party for the next three weeks. In fact, I forgot about the stir my birthday had caused in fifth grade. However, about two weeks ago one of the little girls wanted me to come to their classroom during one of the breaks. She excitedly showed me a stack of cards on the teacher’s desk that had my name on them. “For your birthday, June 2” she excitedly said. The next week I walked into the classroom and some of them were busily making paper party hats. About ten hats were already lined up along the window sill. “Teacher, for your birthday” several of them shouted out! “I see” I thought, “They really are taking this party seriously!” To them I said, “Wow, it looks like fun!” and gave them thumbs up.

The next time I went to teach at the school was June 2nd. I taught one class and the bell rang for the break. The next class was fifth grade. Usually I’m mobbed by about five of the girls from fifth grade and drug to their classroom so that they can show me something new that they got, or something they’re making, or just to draw and write on the blackboard until class starts. This time however there weren’t any fifth graders outside their classroom. “Hmmm, I wonder what’s going on!” I thought to myself.

The bell rang and it was time to teach grade five. One lone little girl came running to the teachers’ office to get me. When I was almost at the classroom door two more little girls came dashing out and told us to stop and wait. “Excitement” was written all over their faces! In a few moments Mr. Kong came out and said, “The children are ready for you. They are very excited for your surprise birthday party!”

With camera in hand I stepped into the classroom. I felt like I’d just activated a bomb. I was being sprayed with canned party string, balloon whistles were screaming, party confetti was being set off from little poppers, kids laughter and squeals of delight echoed throughout the room and I’m afraid throughout the whole school as I discovered later.

After the initial rush they led me over to a desk that they had set up for me and started bringing me their cards one by one. My eyes were moist as fifteen fifth graders’ words of love, thanks, and good wishes were translated for me from Chinese to English. What a special memory that is!

Now they said it was time for cake and coke and to sing Happy Birthday in English and Chinese. After everyone had their cake the show began! Some of the kids did various stunts and dances – “To make you happy” Mr. Kong explained. “As if I don’t feel honored and happy already” I thought to myself with a smile! As they finished their little show for me the bell rang. I’m afraid that during that forty minute period I didn’t teach much English but we sure had fun together!

The rest of the day I had random kids come up to me saying, “Happy Birthday!” or “Katrina teacher, Happy Birthday!” or the equivalent of that in Chinese. I’m sorry I don’t know how to write it in Chinese and I’m afraid most of you couldn’t read it if I could. I thanked them but I wished that I could explain to them that it really wasn’t my birthday. A few of the fourth grade students acted distraught at having missed my birthday and having nothing prepared. I asked the English teacher that I work with if he could please tell the fourth grade kids when my birthday really was so they would understand that everything was okay. They hadn’t really missed my birthday. That seemed to calm them down and make them feel better.

However, this long birthday story isn’t finished yet! This week when I got to school a little girl from grade four was excitedly telling me something in Chinese about a big cake and birthday party for me. I nodded and smiled thinking that she was talking about last week. I was wrong!

Apparently not to be outdone by grade five, three little girls decided to put their heads together and also have a birthday party for their teacher Katrina. They had one of their parents drop off a big beautiful cake just as class was beginning. This time before we ate the cake and they sang Happy Birthday we played an English review game or did we call it a Party Game? I can’t remember! Once again I felt very special. These little kids were so excited to be doing this for me!

And so by June 9th I’ve had two birthday parties this year and my birthday is still over a month away. All I can do is say, “Only in Taiwan!” It’s certainly never happened before!

Katrina Nisly
Hualien

Wow, this year has flown by so quickly. I can’t believe that I only have two and a half more weeks here in JiJi. With school, graduation, and trying to see all of our friends one last time, we are all going to be really busy. The last year and a half has been a wonderful adventure for me. I have seen many new places and met so many new people and learned so many new things.

This past Friday, we had the privilege of teaching in a small Aboriginal school. The kids were all so sweet and loving! After the first assembly with first and second grade, we were “tackled” by them. They wanted to pile on top of the Americans for pics, wanted to play clap games and just practice their English. The rest of the classes were so much fun to teach! We sang songs, played games and told them a story. They really seemed to enjoy it!

In the first part of July we will be moving to our new locations and getting ready to start camps. We would really appreciate your prayers as we finish up the school year and get ready to move into camps!

Holly Polson
JiJi Taiwan

Today has been one of the most enjoyable days of my entire stay here in Taiwan so far, and one of the most memorable that I've had in a long time. It was very special in that I saw the language of love can be very real, and very loud (like fire-cracker loud). I really feel a special affection for my students, and today it was returned to me in an unexpected way. Tuesday is one of my favorite days to teach, as I teach three sixth grade classes, and two fifth grade classes. The students are some of the best that I have come in contact with, and they are all very sweet. Anyway, today was my birthday. After I arrived at school, I was sitting in the teachers office and a few students came in with birthday cards and small gifts for me. I was thinking, "Aww, this is sweet!" When I entered the first classroom, I was met with a loud "Happy Birthday" from all of the students. After I finished class, they sang "Happy Birthday" to me in Chinese, Taiwanese, and English and some of them gave me cards. The next class was more of the same, and some of the students stood up and said that they like my teaching and will miss me when I leave. Then I got to fifth grade. That is when I got totally plastered in silly string and confetti! It was great! These kids are so sweet, and it was really hard to tell them why I have to go home for the summer. It's not easy when you have a mob of fifth grade students all around/on you telling you that you can't go back to America...
Anyway, I guess all this is to say that during the last few days I have been looking back at what has happened in my life during this last year, and wondering what kind of an impact, if any, I have had here in the lives of my students. Sometimes it is very hard to tell, as you only see them for maybe 40 minutes once a week. It was so encouraging to me to have them show such kindness and love to me, even if they can't express it in my language. I know that it was the Lord who arranged it all, and it really has been a happy day.
After school my team took me out for supper at a very nice little coffee shop not too far from our school. We had a humorous time ordering our food, with the help of the waiter's electronic Chinese/English translator, and we all had a great meal together. I do need to learn more food characters in Chinese...

Our time here in Taiwan this semester is all too quickly coming to an end. I pray that many people will have been reached, and that our work here will have a lasting impact for God's glory. It has been such a wonderful time of growing and learning many new things, meeting new friends, and being a light in the world. However, it is not over yet, as there are still many things that have to be accomplished. Thank you all so much for your faithful prayers on behalf of our team here in Taiwan, and I ask you to hold us up during these last few weeks, that we finish strong.

Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matt 5:16

From the center of Taiwan,

Joel

See you Latter

Endings are difficult things. The counter on the website tells you how many days left we have, this will be my last update. The end in not approaching the end in now.

The Chinese use a word for leaving spelled Zi Chen in Ben’s official Mandarin Pin Yin dictionary. It’s a word I like a lot better than the English word good bye. The Chinese word means see you latter. Lord willing I will see all you latter. It’s been a great year. Thanks for reading about what has been going in my life, and thanks even more for praying.

It has been said that long farewells are unchivalrous. So I leave you with one last cool thought.

God says that he desires truth in the inward parts. He also says that He is the way the truth and life. So God desires to be in my inward parts, not just around me, above, but coursing through ever blood vessel, and inside the deepest parts of my… spleen?

Blessings
Benjamin Jacob

Hello all,

Though it is Sunday while I am writing this, I will give a brief outline about my Thursdays over here in Kinmen. Thursday is an easy day. I only teach in the morning, take it easy in the afternoon, then have a meeting at night. However, even a relaxed day can have excitement (maybe). Well......................anyway, here is my update on my Thursdays.

5:00- Wake up. Devotions.
5:30- Study Chinese. I usually try to spend more time on learning (and reviewing) Chinese characters, which can sometimes lead to a bad mood.
7:15- Teacher Apple picks me up. The reason I leave so early on Thursday's is because their PE coach invited me to run with some of the students in the morning. Dispite the slight in convience of leaving earlier (and smelling afterwards) I'm grateful for the opportunity.
8:25- Teach four classes. The kids are usually well behaved, and I'm usually lacking good ideas).
11:40- Lunch. I'm on a rotation. One week I eat with 1st grade, the next with 2nd, and so on.
12:15- Go home.
12:30- Search on the internet, sleep, study, plan for meeting, or just enjoying the afternoon by reminding some teammates that I'm done with school for the day!
5:30- Team meeting then team dinner. Team meeing usually consists of a few announcements, bizarre comments, prayer requests, and prayer. I'm so grateful to have a team that prays together. We need Christ.
Then we have dinner. On Thursday's we almost always eat out. However, our choices are limited since they are few places that could fit all of us. We have very interesting conversations during team meals ranging from which State is the best to smashing your roommates pet with a hammer! Need I say more?
8:30- Hang out with my brother, go on a bike ride, play with students......
11:30- Go to bed, anticipating the wonderful Friday that is set before me!

That's about it.

Oh, one more thing. Today I met a lady at school. She was there as a guest speaker. When we rode the boat together after school she asked me if I was a Christian. To make a short story even shorter, I got to share my hope that is in me (1 Peter 3:15) with her without even initiating the topic. I thank God, for opportunities like this. Please pray for her, and see what God will do!

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

One of the things that keeps life interesting and always keeps us on our toes, comes to anyone living in country in which the mother tongue differs from your own. At times we'll be asked the question, "Do you like living here?" The response from everyone of us is a big, resounding "YES!" The inevitable response that follows is, "Don't you get bored?!" This is an understandable response as the island is very small. To clue you in as to how small, let me say that from the highest point on the island you can see almost all the way around it. We've biked around it. And recently Bonnie Jean related to her teacher that next year in the US she will be commuting an hour to school when she suddenly realized that it would be impossible for anyone to do that here, as they would end up in the ocean or start going in circles!
Yes, the island is small but the challenges and entertainment that come from both learning another language and culture, and also the fun of communication keeps life interesting.
Life is good here in Kinmen, thank you for your prayers!

Megan~Kinmen

Thought of the day: "To know this, whenever I fail to love, I am wrong."
Question of the day: What happened "One night in Bejing"?

A flood of feeling overwhelm me as I sit down to write this update, This will be my last update here in Jiji, and then I will be off to Summer English camp. As of today I have been living here in Jiji for nine months. I will never forget the feelings that I had as we pulled up here to this house that early Tuesday morning on September 6th. We had flown the whole day before, and when we arrived it was two O’clock in the morning. I was half tired, and half excited. I could not have imaged that this year would fly by so fast, and that it would have so many life lessons for me to treasure.

A since of sadness floods me as I think about leaving these people, and this place that I have grown to love so much. As I watch my 6th graders play basketball and hear them talk to me in class I see how much that they have learned. As I look at my first, and second graders, and see how tall they have grown, I smile at how they have became a part of my life, and how I love them. My kids have become so dear to me they make me laugh, and they are a part of my heart. I thank God for allowing me to come to Taiwan and for change that has taken place in my life here. My life in Taiwan is amazing.

Yet there is a hunger deep with in me to be with my family, and to minister to them. I don’t think that leaving Taiwan would be easy for me except that I know that home is where God has called me to next. I am glad that God showed me that home is where he has next for me.

Sarah Deluca
Jiji, Taiwan

This morning I got to school and was met by one of my English teachers and the lesson plans for today. I laughed when I saw that "Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo" was the chant I was going to be teaching to the fourth graders. That brought back memories of my grade school years and classmates. I got this flashback of me and my school friends playing simple, childish hand clapping games. That's definantly one of my happier memories of public school.

The teacher today wanted to know if I had any good ideas for the chant. LOL, yup I did! So I taught both of my fourth grade classes a hand slapping game I learned years ago. It was a lot of fun teaching it to them- I think I was enjoying it more than the students!

It's amazing how much a simple memory can effect you. A happy memory can energize your day, where a sad or painful one can be a hindrance to it. The other day when I had been thinking off and on about a not so pleasant memory, I read this in my devotions, and it made me ponder some things.

"Screaming for help, I fell over myself trying to get away from a gigantic spider. I am not normally afraid of spiders but this was one I have never encountered before. It was as large as the palm of my hand with long, grey-blue legs. It sat still in the middle of a web hanging over a corner of my flower garden.

My neighbor came to my rescue and inspected the spider. Through a grin he said in his slow southern drawl, "It can't hurt you, but it can sure make you hurt yourself, huh?" I laughed at his remark but it stuck with me.

Many Christians are overly concerned and anxious about the devil and his traps to ensnare us. They go through their days declaring every trial, sorrow, and challenge a work of the devil against them. Some may even go as far as to blame him for the tiniest of irritations. They have become so consumed with the enemy that they have taken their eyes off of Jesus. When this happens, the enemy hasn't hurt you but he has made you hurt yourself."

Okay so maybe this doesn't really apply to you when you think about memories, but it did to me. "It can't hurt you, but it can sure make you hurt yourself, huh?" When I read that part it stuck with me too. How many times do I let a painful memory or a memory I wish I could forget get me down and make me lose my focus on Christ and all that He has done for me. How many times have I been so distracted by memories of past things that the here and now part of my life is affected by it? I try to dismiss it, or I end up re-living it in my head and thinking of the "what ifs" that go with it, instead of taking it to the Lord in prayer, seeking His counsel, and being reminded of who I am in Christ.

As I was going about my day, I was thinking about this past year and all the memorable moments in it. Those are the memories I want to remember. I want to continually stand in awe of the past, present, and future of seeing God's hand work mightily in my life and others'. These are the memories where I'm reminded that it's all about Jesus Christ and not about me. That's the biggest keepsake I can take with me from my time here in Taiwan.

Mai Lewis ~ Ying Pan

A week ago I a cold/flu or some Taiwanese sickness and it had gotten to the point were it was very difficult for me to speak loud enough for the students to hear me. So I finally decided that it was time to visit the doctor.

Now visiting a doctor here in Taiwan is a unique experience that one does not always enjoy. There are two different kinds of doctors to choose; the Chinese doctor or the western style doctor. The Chinese doctor, bless his little heart, will give you lots of herbal medicines that smell horrible to smear on the wound or to take. He will also perform “Chinese Kung fu” on the area that needs healing, which hurts immensely. So since I am very wise I decided to go to the western style doctor and skip all the weirdness.

The doctor I choose to go to is a friend of ours and thankfully treat us for free and speaks “Hong Kong English.” But even a western style doctor can be strange sometimes and today was his day. First thing he did was to look in my ear, as may of you may remember it is not totally that painful of a thing to experience, but the doctors over here love to inflict pain and he did. A little side note, the doctors over here will honestly laugh with joy as they cause you to wither in pain.

Well, after all the so call examination was over we had a conversation about what he would do to help me get better. He said he would give me drugs to help me get better , but quickly changed it so he said he would give me medicine, remembering an earlier conversation about drugs we had had. So we had a nice little English lesson on when he could say drugs and it would still be okay. We waited about ten minutes and then he brought out a big hill of little packages of pills (drugs) for me. He went over all the pills, there was one for this and one for that and another one for this and so forth until I knew what each pill was for. Another side note, if the doctor does not give the patient medicine the Taiwanese don’t think the doctor is doing his job.

Before leaving we had a conversation with his wife in “Chinglish” (Chinese and English) as we call it and they were very disappointed that we would be leaving soon for America and Canada. Over the passed couple months we have spent a lot of time over at their place spending time with their daughter who is in Grade 12 and have gotten to know the family well. They are Christians and the doctor has choose his line of work and where he works so that he might be able to minister to the Truku Tribal people.

I pray that this has given you just a little glimpse of what life is like over here. Please continue to up lift my team and the people we work with in pray, for our health, our strength emotional and spiritually and for daily protection.

A Child of the King
Josephine Papp
Hualien Taiwan