and I really need a few prayers to finish strong this week. Monday morning, my friend Julie called me to ask if I could sub at a really easy job for the mornings this week, 8-12. I went to see the school and meet the class and co-teacher, and was so impressed with everything, I said I'd do it. Yesterday was my first full day to start at 8 and finish at 9:15, and now I'm facing three more of those, so I need prayer. You may ask why I would do this, but I guess all I can say is it seemed o.k. to do it, the job is pretty easy, (although it's watching over 12 pre-K kids, including 3 precocious little boys), the co-teacher has great English, and I found out yesterday she goes to the Chinese speaking congregation at my church, so that's cool. The extra pay I'll get this week will pay for my rent for a month, and that's handy since I'm looking at being gone for a whole month this summer, spending instead of earning. AND, on the health front, my cold is gone since I'm pumping my body with Vitamin C and water every day, so my energy is a little better.
All in all, I know the week will fly, but what I want prayer for is...patience with all my kids. This has to come from God as I'm not naturally gifted in this area (as you know) and when you throw in normal weariness from long days with living in this foreign context, I can be pretty crabby. Pray that my usual classes at my school will run smoothly and I will be gracious to ALL my children. Big prayer!
Speaking of prayer, thanks for praying for Lee-Sheen and his parents. The father met us after church for lunch, but LS and his mom came to church!! Big praise. We had a great afternoon and I was so happy to finally get to connect with the father, as I have never had an opportunity before. His English name is Frank, and as I said, her name is Jean, so keep praying for our relationship when you think about me.
I have a free day on Saturday to recover from this week, and I get off at 7:40 on Fridays now, so I'll check in at the weekend to let you know how God answered your prayers. Thanks again for loving me from a distance.
Until next time, LC
4.22.2008
4.18.2008
It's the weekend...
and I'm getting ready to go down to Taichung today to spend some time with my friends, Otey and Cheryl and their three kids. Their oldest, Hannah, is in Seussical the Musical at her high school, and I love that show, so I'm excited to see them do it. I'm in a fat hurry, but I wanted to quickly tell you two things that I've experienced this week. (By the way, I posted a few pictures from my trip to Thailand so you may want to look at my previous post again.)
Last Saturday, I got up at the crack of dawn, drove over to Chudong, met up with 10 of my co-workers and got on the bus from H-E-double toothpicks (sorry, but it was!) to go up into the mountains of Taiwan where there is an aboriginal village of farmers. One of the gals who worked for Kang Ning was born in that village, one of nine children, and she now lives in Taipei. She was our guide and we had a blast, (once we got off the bus...winding roads, with potholes that touched middle earth, for two hours, me with a cold and on medicine, I was pale and wanted to hurl, but never did!)
There are many details about this day that I could share, but I must just say the highlight of the day was meeting our guides parents and some of her family. Her father, apparently was a minister in the Presbyterian church in the village for 30 years, and we met him and his wife. Their countenance was amazing and it truly gave me a different and welcome impression of Taiwanese people. This has been a prayer request for awhile, so I am thankful that God answered my prayers. When I spoke to the man about his life (through his daughter as our interpreter), he said that the whole village was Christian. This really did my heart good to hear. After lunch, we were relaxing around their lodge (a huge retreat house with traditional bunkbeds that will sleep 10 people each), and one of his granddaughters came in to turn on the television. I took my Ipod off my ears when I saw she was watching a worship service. It was Joel Osteen from Houston and no matter what you think of him, his worship team can play and the worship leader was bustin' out with How Great is Our God! I started singing and Anne (our guide) came in and started singing it in Chinese, and again, my heart swelled with excitement. Wow! It was cool.
Well, that was a week ago, and I've needed to post this all week, but haven't really made the time to do it, since I was full of the cold all week, and just had the energy to teach and come home to my bed.
However, one last story about my student Lee-Sheen, with whom God has given me favor. Lee-Sheen started out in a lower level class of mine, but quickly proved himself to be in the wrong class level. He's very bright, and his English is great, so I promoted him within a month or so of being here. About 6 weeks ago, his mother asked if we could put him in another class of mine, since he likes me, and she wants him to have four days of English class a week, rather than just two, which is the norm. His mother's English is very good, and we have had some very good conversations. Several weeks ago, she talked to me about coming to church, and expressed real interest in it. Then this week, she asked me again about it, and I told her that I really believed Lee-Sheen would benefit from being in Sunday School with all the children at our church, since he is an only child, and he is a little A.D.D., and can be demanding. She immediately got that, and said, "O.K., what time does it start? We'll come this Sunday!" I really pray that she and her husband will come together, that Lee-Sheen will have an instant connection to the teacher and to some of the other students, that the worship and sermon will pierce the heart of these people and that God will have His way in their lives. So, if you think about it, no matter when you read this, lift up this family, who's priorities seem to have focused, up to now, on material things. Her name is Jean, and I don't know the father's name. Thanks.
Gotta run.
Until next time,
LC from TW
Anne and her parents in front of their house.
He's 62 and the mother is 56.
It's a hard life in the mountains, I guess,
but they have faces full of joy.
(Sorry about the angle!)
This family entertains guests from the
lowlands regularly, and here the father
is singing a traditional song for us.
It was very moving.
Last Saturday, I got up at the crack of dawn, drove over to Chudong, met up with 10 of my co-workers and got on the bus from H-E-double toothpicks (sorry, but it was!) to go up into the mountains of Taiwan where there is an aboriginal village of farmers. One of the gals who worked for Kang Ning was born in that village, one of nine children, and she now lives in Taipei. She was our guide and we had a blast, (once we got off the bus...winding roads, with potholes that touched middle earth, for two hours, me with a cold and on medicine, I was pale and wanted to hurl, but never did!)
There are many details about this day that I could share, but I must just say the highlight of the day was meeting our guides parents and some of her family. Her father, apparently was a minister in the Presbyterian church in the village for 30 years, and we met him and his wife. Their countenance was amazing and it truly gave me a different and welcome impression of Taiwanese people. This has been a prayer request for awhile, so I am thankful that God answered my prayers. When I spoke to the man about his life (through his daughter as our interpreter), he said that the whole village was Christian. This really did my heart good to hear. After lunch, we were relaxing around their lodge (a huge retreat house with traditional bunkbeds that will sleep 10 people each), and one of his granddaughters came in to turn on the television. I took my Ipod off my ears when I saw she was watching a worship service. It was Joel Osteen from Houston and no matter what you think of him, his worship team can play and the worship leader was bustin' out with How Great is Our God! I started singing and Anne (our guide) came in and started singing it in Chinese, and again, my heart swelled with excitement. Wow! It was cool.
Well, that was a week ago, and I've needed to post this all week, but haven't really made the time to do it, since I was full of the cold all week, and just had the energy to teach and come home to my bed.
However, one last story about my student Lee-Sheen, with whom God has given me favor. Lee-Sheen started out in a lower level class of mine, but quickly proved himself to be in the wrong class level. He's very bright, and his English is great, so I promoted him within a month or so of being here. About 6 weeks ago, his mother asked if we could put him in another class of mine, since he likes me, and she wants him to have four days of English class a week, rather than just two, which is the norm. His mother's English is very good, and we have had some very good conversations. Several weeks ago, she talked to me about coming to church, and expressed real interest in it. Then this week, she asked me again about it, and I told her that I really believed Lee-Sheen would benefit from being in Sunday School with all the children at our church, since he is an only child, and he is a little A.D.D., and can be demanding. She immediately got that, and said, "O.K., what time does it start? We'll come this Sunday!" I really pray that she and her husband will come together, that Lee-Sheen will have an instant connection to the teacher and to some of the other students, that the worship and sermon will pierce the heart of these people and that God will have His way in their lives. So, if you think about it, no matter when you read this, lift up this family, who's priorities seem to have focused, up to now, on material things. Her name is Jean, and I don't know the father's name. Thanks.
Gotta run.
Until next time,
LC from TW
Anne and her parents in front of their house.
He's 62 and the mother is 56.
It's a hard life in the mountains, I guess,
but they have faces full of joy.
(Sorry about the angle!)
This family entertains guests from the
lowlands regularly, and here the father
is singing a traditional song for us.
It was very moving.
4.10.2008
The only good thing about...
not being able to breathe through my nose is I don't have to worry about holding my breath on my scoot home going past the street vendors selling stinky tofu. Yep, I came back from Thailand with a cold and my nose is so stopped up I can't smell or taste anything. Last night after work, as I rounded the corner into this small market street on my route home, I was reminded of how fortunate it was to not smell that rotten smell. The Taiwanese call it Cho Do Fu, but all the westerners call it STINKY Tofu, because it is strong and smelly. I don't know how they do it, but they season it with all kinds of funk and then deep fry it and the smell wafts through the streets. You never know when you're going to pass a vendor selling it, but you can't mistake it when you do. I once asked several of my classes if they like it and I didn't have one person tell me they didn't like it. They all said, "It's delicious." They may have been showing off that they knew the word delicious, but seriously, I think they all love it. It is apparently the national dish, according to one of my co-workers, Sharon, who has informed me that I have to try it before I leave Taiwan, or I cannot say that I've lived in Taiwan. (Why can't milk tea be the national dish?) I guess asking a Taiwanese person if they like stinky tofu is like asking someone from the south if they like fried chicken. Or, asking someone from Texas if they like Dr. Pepper. (My supplier in Hsinchu ran out of Dr. Pepper about 3 weeks ago, so I've not had any for awhile.)
Anyway, all that rambling, to say I've got a cold, even though it's hot here. It turned off hot and humid this week and I was able to ride the scoot to work without a jacket for the first time in 6 months I think. It will soon be unbearably hot in our apartment I'm sure. Alas, I cannot be pleased when it comes to the weather.
Speaking of hot...it was hot in Thailand. My friend, Julie and I had a very relaxing three days and four nights, although now, on Friday morning at the end of a busy week, it seems like we were there a month ago rather than a week ago. Thailand is a tropical Asian experience replete with street markets selling black market wares, the tuk tuks (open air cabs for two plus people run off a motorcycle engine), the smells of green curry and pad thai, and the people begging on the streets. I saw many people from around the world walking the streets and markets of Bangkok and Pattaya (pat tuh yuh), and got to use my Irish accent on a young Irish guy who approached me in the street to see if I wanted to join his party in the bar for a bucket. (Apparently the bucket is the preferred container for mixing drinks and consuming them in Thailand amongst western tourists.) He was funny, although he was drunk. As soon as I mimicked his accent he asked me where I was from. I told him San Francisco, and he told me he was drunk. As I walked away, I thought, it was kind of funny, and really sad at the same time.
One of the things I liked most about doing this short vacation was seeing the looks on my kids faces when I got into a limo at my school on Thursday evening, and then getting dropped off at school with one hour to plan for the day on Monday. I couldn't have planned this or executed it any tighter, and many of you know how I relish the challenge of tight travel plans.
I also enjoyed just getting to take my watch off for a few days, getting two massages in one day (one delivered to my room - luxury), sitting by the pool (fully covered), and eating some of the best food I've had in months (green curry giant prawns!)
What I didn't enjoy about Thailand - our resort in Pattaya was on a dirty beach and our view was of industrial cranes. When we walked around the town, the prostitution was really in your face, and one couldn't just ignore what goes on in that country. Please pray for the people of Thailand to come to know the Savior.
Well, I've got to scoot, so I'll close for now.
Until next time, LC in TW
Julie on the beach being intellectual.
Our cute little taxi guy taking us to the airport
at 5 in the morning. Ugh! Nice taxi though!
Anyway, all that rambling, to say I've got a cold, even though it's hot here. It turned off hot and humid this week and I was able to ride the scoot to work without a jacket for the first time in 6 months I think. It will soon be unbearably hot in our apartment I'm sure. Alas, I cannot be pleased when it comes to the weather.
Speaking of hot...it was hot in Thailand. My friend, Julie and I had a very relaxing three days and four nights, although now, on Friday morning at the end of a busy week, it seems like we were there a month ago rather than a week ago. Thailand is a tropical Asian experience replete with street markets selling black market wares, the tuk tuks (open air cabs for two plus people run off a motorcycle engine), the smells of green curry and pad thai, and the people begging on the streets. I saw many people from around the world walking the streets and markets of Bangkok and Pattaya (pat tuh yuh), and got to use my Irish accent on a young Irish guy who approached me in the street to see if I wanted to join his party in the bar for a bucket. (Apparently the bucket is the preferred container for mixing drinks and consuming them in Thailand amongst western tourists.) He was funny, although he was drunk. As soon as I mimicked his accent he asked me where I was from. I told him San Francisco, and he told me he was drunk. As I walked away, I thought, it was kind of funny, and really sad at the same time.
One of the things I liked most about doing this short vacation was seeing the looks on my kids faces when I got into a limo at my school on Thursday evening, and then getting dropped off at school with one hour to plan for the day on Monday. I couldn't have planned this or executed it any tighter, and many of you know how I relish the challenge of tight travel plans.
I also enjoyed just getting to take my watch off for a few days, getting two massages in one day (one delivered to my room - luxury), sitting by the pool (fully covered), and eating some of the best food I've had in months (green curry giant prawns!)
What I didn't enjoy about Thailand - our resort in Pattaya was on a dirty beach and our view was of industrial cranes. When we walked around the town, the prostitution was really in your face, and one couldn't just ignore what goes on in that country. Please pray for the people of Thailand to come to know the Savior.
Well, I've got to scoot, so I'll close for now.
Until next time, LC in TW
Julie on the beach being intellectual.
Eating Mango Sticky Rice in Bangkok.
Nothing intellectual about me!
Nothing intellectual about me!
Our cute little taxi guy taking us to the airport
at 5 in the morning. Ugh! Nice taxi though!
Julie in the Burberry Taxi at 5 in the morning.
Vacation over!
Vacation over!
Just one of many funny things we saw in Bangkok.
In this funky boutique hotel lobby where we stayed,
these were the bathroom doors. At first, I really
wasn't sure which one to go into...lol!
In this funky boutique hotel lobby where we stayed,
these were the bathroom doors. At first, I really
wasn't sure which one to go into...lol!
4.01.2008
Pictures as previously promised...
As always, not much time for posting an entry, but here are the photos of Sunny, one from last week, and one from this week's Monday class. I posted the entry mentioning her on Monday morning before work, and then went to teach her class. Didn't she show up with the cutest pants on and her hair done up like she was in a wedding or something? I tell you, watch this girl, 'cause if she doesn't grow up to be a model in Taiwan/Asia somewhere, I'll be shocked and her mother will be devastated I'm guessing.
Gotta get classes planned for the day, so I can work, come home and pack, and leave for school tomorrow ready to be picked up after two classes and swept off to the airport for an evening flight to THAILAND. Beach resort, cheap massages, good Thai food, and Thai coffee here I come...for 3 glorious days. Woo hoo!!
Until next time, LC
I had her stand up and read with Jessie and Juliana
this week in class to try to get her ensemble,
and the hair, but it's not a great shot. You get the idea.
Gotta get classes planned for the day, so I can work, come home and pack, and leave for school tomorrow ready to be picked up after two classes and swept off to the airport for an evening flight to THAILAND. Beach resort, cheap massages, good Thai food, and Thai coffee here I come...for 3 glorious days. Woo hoo!!
Until next time, LC
Sunny, last week, walking across the room before
she was aware I had the camera out. Love the stripes!
she was aware I had the camera out. Love the stripes!
I had her stand up and read with Jessie and Juliana
this week in class to try to get her ensemble,
and the hair, but it's not a great shot. You get the idea.
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