The rice plants were short when I first came to Taiwan.  Now, they are long and lush and the grainy tops are turning white.  It feels like I've known the people and places here much longer than two months, so I imagine spending all of next school year here will have me really settled in.  What a great setup, to have three months as a student teacher to get accustomed to life and work here before I made any commitment.  God knew I needed it.

School update!  Spanish is a fun subject to teach because it is irrevocably connected to culture.  For our Spanish classes, my cooperating teacher Michael and I put together a Cinco de Mayo party (a little later in May).  We made fajitas, horchata, listened to Spanish music, and students decorated piñatas and got to experience the joy of piñata bashing!  All the while I was taking mental notes of what to do and what not to do next year.

Last weekend we took the kids to a Bolivian restaurant in Kaohsiung city, two hours away by train, because that is the closest hispanic restaurant.  We had a good time, even though it was rainy, and it was amazingly refreshing to speak Spanish with the workers at the restaurant.  I think it was a good experience for me as a teacher.  Before we went, I didn't consider a restaurant worth four hours in transit.  However, experience is the best teacher.  Students got to taste Bolivian cuisine, test out their Spanish skills on the waitresses, and enjoy the authentic atmosphere.  I am so glad we went!

Mission update!  I'm pretty sure the elderly lady that I've been going to see is deaf, which puts a damper in trying to communicate with her (as if another language wasn't enough).  However, I won't give up in going to visit her from time to time and pretend I can understand what she is saying.  I pray that God will help me find a way to communicate with her.  I've been trying to think of a name for her, since I can't figure her's out.  Maybe I will name her "Hope".

On my way to visit Hope, I stopped at a tea stand to get us two teas.  The three girls there were so excited to speak English with me, and we talked for a while.  I gave them cards for Friday Night Bible study, and they ended up coming last night, bringing sisters and boyfriends with them.  The three of them are really bright, outgoing, happy girls and I would love to see them come on a regular basis.  English is difficult for them though, so I pray that our message can be translated clearly for them.  Please pray for Pamela, May, and Tricia!

I found out that next year I will teach:

-- all Spanish classes
-- 9th grade Bible and writing  (there are ten 9th grade classes, so I split it with another teacher)
-- some small group conversational English classes.

I'm pumped!  God is good and teaching is so much more enjoyable when you teach something you enjoy. Adding some private tutoring on the side, I think I have a really good schedule.  One more month and I will be home!  I'm counting down the days.....


Anna

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The Just Will Live by Faith

I continue to learn that one of the hardest things about being a missionary is to TRUST and BE STILL.  There is so much to do and I want to do it all, I feel pushed to do it all.   Love and guilt have never been so difficult to distinguish from each other.  How difficult it is for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle when I always feel I should be praying more, always giving up more, always working more.   But, like Luther, God reveals to me again and again that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus and that the righteous will live by faith.  I also felt better after talking to some of the missionaries.  One gave the advice to not be involved in anything your first year; just watch and learn.  Please pray that I can find a healthy balance between work and rest, ambition and stillness, not giving in to thoughts of guilt but knowing the Spirit's prodding and following it.  Americans understand this struggle more than anyone, maybe, because we are always always always busy.

God quieted my heart last night and faithfully reminded me that His grace and mercy are so much bigger than my insufficiency.  While I only see my failures when I look at myself, He sees me perfectly through Christ so that my sin isn't there and all that remains is love.  Christ died so that I don't have to be guilty anymore.  Why continue to live in guilt?

One of my favorite books is Song of Solomon because it shows the love Christ has for His bride, His Church:

"Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone....."

"You are altogether beautiful, my love;
There is no flaw in you."


(the Beloved:)
"Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
he would be utterly despised."   Song of Solomon 2,3,8 (various verses)




Before my computer battery dies, a quick update:

--  I have been seeing an 82-year-old woman who I met while I was biking.  She only speaks Taiwanese so we only communicate through motions, but she brought me into her house and fed me.  She also pointed out all the places where water is leaking into her house (she is very poor).  I'm going to see what I can do to help her out. We enjoy each other's company at least, and it's fun to listen to her talk animatedly to me in Taiwanese as if I understand every word.   I've learned how to say "Jesus loves you" in Taiwanese!  We'll see what God will do, as she is definitely Buddhist.

-- I'm tutoring a 9th grade girl who is from a Christian family but wants nothing to do with Christianity.  I am praying and looking for opportunities to talk about Jesus in my life, as she obviously looks up to me and is opening up more and more.  I love my time with her each week and it brings me joy to connect with the young girls here.

-- My Chinese is slowly but gradually improving.  I can carry on simple conversations.  The hardest part is learning characters, so before that I'm learning bopomofo, the Mandarin phonetic alphabet.

That's all the battery I have for now.  Praying for you at home!

Anna

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Beginning

Hey faithful readers!


Well..... my decision.....

I accepted a position teaching in Taiwan next year.  It was probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make, and I struggled with it for a while.  But I was confident that either decision would be blessed as long as I remain in God, and I couldn't imagine leaving Taiwan after just being introduced to the people here.  I'm excited for next year and to see what God will do through and for me.  He is so faithful and I am so blessed!


Last night I led the Friday Night Bible Study high school group.  I had 9 students totally, 5 of them were new.  The lesson was Mark 12, and it has some difficult stories, especially because some of the students did not know English at all, so we had to wait for translations to go around the circle.  After the study, I got to talk with three of the new girls, who I learned were cousins; the oldest is my age and became a Christian when a friend brought her to church. She said she never liked praying to idols when she was young, and she never knew which one was "her Lord".  When she went to church it became clear to her who God is.  Then, she brought her two younger cousins to church.  She is baptized but her cousins are not yet.  She was filled with so much conviction and joy to follow Christ and it was encouraging to see.  I felt convicted to pray with them and I begged them to come back to church (I don't know if they have a church home).   God will work through people even when the circumstances seem impossible, and it was so great to see faith in the lives of these three girls.


One interesting thing about being a new missionary is discovering what is effective and what is not.  In hearing new Christian's stories, it seems like a lot of them were touched by hospitality-- food and invitations to spend time together reading the Bible.  Missionaries that invited people into their homes and fed them and talked with them are still remembered years later as being wonderful people.  I want to get in the habit of doing that; even though I don't have my own house, the "Practice Hotel" where the single girls missionaries live is nice and gives me a place to entertain.  Nothing develops good guan xi (a good rapport or trusting friendship) like hospitality!

That's it for now!  Blogging is overwhelming because there is SO much to write, so often times I don't write anything at all.  Thanks for putting up with my inconsistency.


In Christ,

Anna

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Two Weekends

Happy Mother's Day!


I really missed my mom today and my whole family for that matter.  Mom, no one could ever replace you in my life and I am so thankful for you.  But since I'm here, I did my best to make my self-proclaimed "Taiwanese mom" feel appreciated.  Janice got a flower, which made her beam and talk about it for the rest of the day.

TAICHUNG NIGHT MARKET.   Last weekend I went to visit my Taiwanese friend Erin at her university in middle Taiwan.  First we went to a night market in Taichung, the third largest city in Taiwan.  It was packed with people.  We looked up numbers for the average attendance at Taichung night market on the weekend-- 100,000!  In a space that I'm sure is less than a few square kilometers.  You don't have to walk, the crowds push you along.  I don't think I've ever eaten more of a variety of things before in my life, from grilled squid to sweet potato balls to lime jelly to green tea ice cream to durian, a very stinky fruit.

DURIAN.  My friend bought some durian before we hopped on the bus.  She said, "better eat it fast, I don't want to get in trouble."  I was thinking, what's wrong with this fruit?  I soon discovered its immense stink.  We sat in the back of the bus and ate our durian-- Erin in giant bites, me in little nibbles.  A few minutes later the bus stopped and the driver looked furiously around the bus.  "What's so stinky in here??" He yelled in Chinese.  No one answered, and Erin in and hid in our seats.  After staring everyone down, he gave up and started driving again, and I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.  Never underestimate the stink of the durian!

ERIN.   That night Erin and I slept at her church.  She is the first Christian in her family and I enjoyed time to talk and hearing some more of her story.  She is able to stream a Christian radio station from St. Louis through her phone and listens to it all the time.  She's a great tour guide and a very sweet girl!


SUN MOON LAKE.  The next day we went to a beautiful lake in the mountains called Sun Moon Lake. It's smaller than Lake Geneva but very popular as one of the bigger lakes in Taiwan.  There we enjoyed the view, the pineapple, and also visited some indigenous shops.  There are something like 12 different indigenous groups in Taiwan, and I don't know too much about them yet.  Being at Sun Moon Lake made me miss home and made me realize how much I love the water.  It's easy to take the beauty of Lake Michigan for granted.

Professional engagement photos in Taiwan are extravagant and a bigger deal than wedding photos.

Sunset at Sun Moon Lake

TUTORING.  It's the work week again and now have three students that I meet once a week to help them learn English.  I really love working with kids one-on-one and getting to know them.  Teaching Spanish is exciting for me but also very difficult as there is no curriculum.  It's very freeing because I can choose what I want to teach, but also difficult knowing how it all fits together and how to time the lessons within a schedule.  This week we are having a Cinco de Mayo party, complete with piñatas that I am making!  It should be a fun cultural experience for the kids. I am transitioning between English teachers right now, so I'm back to observing for a week.


THIS WEEKEND.   On Saturday I had the opportunity of visiting a public school.  I was invited to teach them a song, so I taught them Amazing Grace and the meaning behind it.  Then I went out with my friend and her family to try some duck soup, which is pretty good. We visited a temple dedicated to Matsu.  Matsu is the goddess of the sea and the protector of fisherman.  I read on a sign that the original temple built for Matsu was destroyed in a flood... ironic.  I took a video of the ceremony that we saw which was for bringing gods into and out of the temple so they can travel.  

Thirty-five public school 8th grade girls got to hear the Gospel today.  An opportunity I didn't even ask for but am so blessed to have had!

Duck soup.  It's pretty good.

My friends Tina and Antonio.  

"Changing of the gods".

That's it for now folks.  Enjoy the pictures and the video.  I hope and pray you all had a very blessed Mother's Day.  My placement is halfway done and I'll be home before I know it!




       "Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.     
      “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'


Isaiah 46:6-10


Anna


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Promise!

Ok, ok, ok....  I know I haven't updated in a while.  Which is why I am promising to update tomorrow.

In the meantime, enjoy some random videos that I found from a few weekends ago.

Your Bible verse of the day:

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure than neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:37-39

In Christ,

Anna

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Squid in Kenting night market:

(I know in the video I say "fried".... I definitely meant "grilled".  I was tired...)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you:  the ocean.

And also, the lovely Petrea teaching a Bible lesson to first grade:

Decisions

Well folks, I've decided to make a decision by May 13th of what I am doing next year.  Whereas I thought there were only two options, there are really many possible outcomes.  I know that God will be with me wherever I go, but it would be so encouraging to have a definite answer on this one.

Thanks for praying!

Kenting!

So much to write about!

This weekend we went to Kenting, the southern tip of Taiwan, for our team Spring Retreat.  It was beautiful and so much fun!  While on the beach we ended up digging a huge hole, which attracted more crowds than the ocean (haha).  It's kind of funny, the things that God can use to reach people.  Check out a silly video that our friend Graham put together.  I think you will get a sense of the humor that pervades the American dorms.

Here are some more beautiful pictures of what I got to see:

 Our hostel.

Grilled squid is quite delicious.

Woke up to see the sunrise over the beach, but it turned out to be behind the mountain.

Washed-up coconut

Heaven

The beach in Kenting.  Saturday was rainy but Sunday was hot and sunny!

Hermit crabs are everywhere, if you know where to look for them.

If nothing else, I had a marvelous time just taking pictures.  We also enjoyed Bible studies every day, worship Sunday morning, and toasts to exiting team members.

It's another week, and I've been busy.  I got to see a friend that I haven't seen in two years.  Her name is Sophia and she was in the master's program at CUW where we met.  She was visiting from Taipei, and it turns out her parents live only ten minutes away from me!  They invited me out to eat and reserved a room in a restaurant where they brought dish after dish.  I can add pig blood soup to the list of "icky foods" (which is a fairly short list but consists of stinky tofu, little fish, and chicken feet) and can now add duck, octopus, shellfish squares, and cold noodles with peanut sauce to the list of delicious new things.  What blew me away wasn't the food, but how they treated me like absolute royalty.  I went back home with more food than what I ate at the restaurant.  None of the family speaks English, so it will be interesting if I go back to visit my friend's family while she is in Taipei (which they said I have to do, so they can give me more food).  I was exhausted after that experience; even coming from a big family, I never realized how dinner could be such a sensory overload.  While my friend goes to church, her family is basically Buddhist.  Not being able to speak with them makes me rely on Jesus' presence through my actions as my only way to witness at this point.  It takes trust to know that the time I spend witnessing in this way is not in vain.


There are so many students that come into the English office to ask questions or just chat.  I'm learning it's a good opportunity to invite them to Friday Night Bible study.  That a venue is really effective because the people that come really want to learn.  There they can also meet other Taiwanese Christians; it's a fellowship that is so vital for believers, to know that they are not forsaking their Taiwanese roots by embracing Jesus.


Here is a video that I found that I'm trying to share as much as possible.  It's about the Genesis story written within the ancient Chinese characters.  To be honest I have not watched the whole thing, but the beginning is fascinating!  I encourage you to watch at least a little bit, or do some research on your own on this topic:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA-AkJzpKmg&feature=related


Well, I'm done with school for the day, so I think I'll go for a run or a bike ride.  Not too hungry, so maybe just pineapple and leftovers will make a good supper.  God bless! :)


Anna


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