Administrator: November 2005 Archives

Hey everyone!

This past week has been a full, unusual (and really fun) one for me. My Tuesday school won a recycling contest, placed 7th in all of Taiwan (!!!), and their prize was a three-day road trip to Kaohsiung. My teammate Ben and I both teach at that school and we were invited to go with them … of course we accepted. This is the smallest school I have – the entire student body numbers less than 25. So it was a great opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with our students. Never mind that a lot of that time included being fed crushed Doritos (among other things) and playing hand-slapping games again and again. And again. “Teacher, one more time! Play the game again!” Never understimate the Whining Power of twenty kids on a tourbus …

Really though, it was great. I fell in love with Kaohsiung, and spending time with the kids and teachers there was amazing. Rooming with three little girls who don’t speak much English was an adventure in itself. We learned a lot about communication – words, body language or otherwise. Breakfast at seven-thirty. Do you have the key? Bethany, your hair looks funny! (It was six in the morning, for petes sake.) Of course we’re not tired. We want to jump on your bed, too! And so on … they’re great kids! Life really doesn’t get much better than a road trip in Taiwan, with some of the cutest kids on earth.

The trip went from Wednesday to Friday, and we were a little tired when we got home, but the weekend was just beginning. Our friend Alice from Taipei arrived. And just like that, we went from road trip to hiking trip. Alice really wanted to go hiking in Yushan National Park near where we live, and this trip had been planned for a long time. Me, I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing. I’d never really gone hiking before … and especially not 14 km up a mountain. I’m from Minnesota, okay? Think flat! I was unprepared -- I don’t have the gear, and I definitely don’t have the muscles. But my teammates kindly loaned me hiking clothes and stuff, and I figured I would just have to make do with what muscles I have.

Strangely enough though, the hiking trip turned out to be incredibly fun, even for me. I loved it, every minute of it. Saturday morning was dismal and rainy but we set out anyway – and soon enough the rain cleared enough to be no problem at all. God is good! Walking through the misty mountains was something I’ll never forget. Seeing wild monkeys for the first time. Wading in waterfalls. Drinking hot chocolate on top of the mountain. High-fives all around. Yes, and charging uphill through the rocks and leaves, making up variations on “I don’t know but I’ve been told” as we went along. (I’ll spare you those.) I think I preferred charging downhill to charging uphill, although both were hazardous and both HURT. I already said I don’t have muscles!! But I’ll bet you my yellow-silver shiny carabiner that I have more now than I did two days ago. At least they certainly feel that way. Ouch.

With two great adventures in one week now behind me, I still don’t feel quite ready for the ones ahead of me. Speaking at a teachers’ conference in Taoyuan (to me) is a lot scarier than hiking up a mountain in Hualien. But then again, it’s all part of the adventure. God is in the conference room just as He is on top of the mountain. And when I’m weak, He’s strong. These days I’m needing that strength, and it never fails. Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the teachers’ conferences and other activities coming up next week in Taoyuan.

Bethany Ingebretson
Hualien, Taiwan

Greetings from Nantou, the heart of Taiwan where currently everything is happening all at once. Well, sometimes it seems like it anyway. But that's not all bad, as we have recently had many opportunities to interact with some of our students out of class, and also meet some new ones. Last weekend our team helped out working at an English table for the Nantou County Education Expo. It was held at the junior high school we teach at every Wednesday afternoon, so a bunch of the junior high students were there. Many groups from different elementary schools in Nantou county represented their schools by doing a performance of a traditional Chinese dance, or a demonstration of a skill their school is known for. One of the most interesting performances was given by a unicycle team. Did you know that you can skip rope or play the Chinese yo-yo while riding a unicycle? Our job at the expo was to ask students various questions, and then give them prizes based upon their English level. We had a very enjoyable time with the different students that were there. Hopefully none of them were too traumatized...

Time seems to be escaping as fast as it can, leaving us looking bewildered in it's dust, as it laughs at our futile attempt to keep up with our schedule. Sleep seems to have deserted us as well. Traitor... But there is One whom we can go to for help, and He is always faithful to help us out. This week I have been encouraged many times by the ways that the Lord has shown Himself true to us, and by the blessings that He gives to us each day.
For the most part, all of our classes have been going very well. Please pray that our teaching will continue to go good, and that we will have many opportunities to share the love of Christ with our friends and students. We, and the team as a whole in Taiwan, have many things to prepare during this time of year for our upcoming camps and conferences. Pray that we will have wisdom and creativity as we work, and strength as well. Thank you all for your prayers, and encouragement.

In Him,
Joel Feig
Nantou

James 1:5