I was looking forward to going back for the annual hot pot reunion at the Wu house. But, instead I was sadly stuck in an airport. Because of the snow in Dallas, 1 canceled flight, 1 seriously delayed flight, 2 missed international flights, and a redirect to a different city, I missed celebrating Chinese New Year’s Eve with family. I was supposed to arrive on Friday the day before CNY Eve, but arrived on Sunday, CNY Day.
I think I also kinda missed all the “excitement in the air” part of the holiday by being in Texas for the days leading up to the holiday as well. So, it just made it seem weird.
I missed all the fireworks. I missed weeks of hearing “gong xi, gong xi, gong xi ni” played over and over in store speakers. I missed . . . I just missed it. It felt like there was no celebration at all.
Happy Chinese New Year!
However, since Lawrance had the entire week off for CNY, we were able to spend the entire week just together and relaxing. We did nothing special or amazing, but it was great nonetheless.
We did go visit my best friend, Ellen and her family for a few days . . . which included seeing all her relatives, soaking in a hot spring, getting a Thai massage, making a Costco run and eating great food.
So, now the holiday and winter break are over . . . and it’s back to work and school we go . . . hi ho. hi ho.
P.S. I’ll take seeing my precious family and spending time with loved ones over feeling “not weird” anytime . . . a little weirdness is good for the soul, right?
In a Nutshell I live in Tainan County in southern Taiwan
with my husband, Lawrance. Currently we are both working as English
teachers. We love to tell people about Jesus and look forward to the
day when we can be full time career missionaries.
I’ve lived in Taiwan as a tent-maker missionary for 7 years. While
here, I met and fell in love with my husband, who is Taiwanese. We got
married, however, in my home state–one of the best places in the
world–Texas!
A Bit More My husband and I met through a mutual friend. She basically begged him to go on “just one date” with me. We dated for about four months before he proposed, and we married three months later. It was one whirlwind of a year, perhaps the most perfect year of my life.
I was 30 when we married. It was hard being single in my 20s. I blogged about it a lot as I struggled through the process of praying and hoping and waiting, waiting, waiting.
My mom, dad, and kid brother, Sam, live near Austin, Texas. Both my
parents are teachers, and my dad is also a bi-vocational pastor. My
sister, Sarah, and my brother-in-law, Chad, both work for the Arlington
Police department. Everyone in my family enjoys laughing–and laughing
loud–something I didn’t realize on my own (an “outsider” pointed it
out to me).
Since my husband and I are tentmakers, we support our missionary work by
teaching English. While, my husband enjoys teaching junior high students, I enjoy teaching college students. I teach public speaking, biz
English conversation, and English composition (the essay) regularly. I
have also taught Songs for EFL Teaching, Movie English, Internet
English, listening, and pronunciation.
And, last but definitely not least, I am a daughter of the King. I
am saved by grace–something I of course do not deserve! I desire for
all that I am and all that I do to bring glory to God. I desire to
know him and make him known–this desire is the foundation of all that
I am.
Thanks for stopping by following an unknown path! I hope you find something that “tickles your fancy!”
Well, my winter break is officially over . . . that went so fast! too fast!
A new semester is always fun. That is one of the reasons I like teaching–we get a clean slate twice a year. New classes, new students, new books; sometimes I even try a new way of doing things.
And, in about 20 weeks from now, Lord willing, I’ll turn in grades, hop on plane and go home for the first time in two years. Yipee!! Can’t wait. You can start the count down now, Mom. :)
"You could buy a yacht, or you could save some children’s lives and build a family," Meg, the mother, is quoted saying in regards to spending their family inheritance on the hundreds of thousands of dollars on international adoption fees!
wow! just wow. This couple near Chesapeake Bay has really adopted 20 children–aged 1 to 21. Just amazing. I’ve always dreamed of having a huge family–12 children is the number I always dream about. But 20? . . . hmmm . . . that is just huge!
Even though they’ve been accused of adopting just for government money, they take no government money in order to run their household.
Their pockets are not bottomless, so the Kings live frugally and
with great faith, believing what they need will be provided. They
rarely visit malls. They shop at outlet stores while on vacation in
Maine, which they travel to — and anywhere else they go together — in
two 15-passenger vans.
The children wear hand-me-downs that are donated; friends shop yard
sales and send boxes of clothes every year. Their medical expenses are
largely covered by health insurance, but for orthodontic braces the
kids go to the dental clinic at VCU Medical Center where students work
at a reduced rate. So far, eight sets of braces are paid for and three
more are in the works.
As for college, the Kings are banking on help from scholarships and other financial aid, as well as the kids working part-time.
For groceries, they shop for sales and at warehouse stores. A local
tomato grower let the family loose in one of his fields to pick ripe
tomatoes that would have gone to waste. The Kings turned the bounty
into 350 quarts of various kinds of tomato sauce.
Sometimes on Sunday afternoons, my little neighbors (who really aren’t that little anymore), Karen and Christine come over to play games. But, this last time, we did something different. We painted faces onto little pumpkins (no, not oranges, pumpkins really–I promise).
This was the first time I’ve actually seen orange pumpkins here in Taiwan. Usually they are more of a yellow-green and more gourd-like in shape.
When I found these at the store I actually got a little excited. But, I also found it quite humorous since I now know where all the pumpkin rejects from the States go to die . . . Taiwan! :)
They had one kind of pumpkin labeled "large." The "large" pumpkin
could still fit easily into the palm of my hand. It was about the size of a grapefruit–maybe. I think the family across from
me in the grocery store last week got a kick out of watching me get a
kick out of the "large" pumpkins. :)
This is just to let you know that the the planned posts about my new apartment are delayed due to the fact that my camera battery is dead, and I’m not exactly sure which box the recharger is packed in. :)
After posting this this morning . . . this afternoon, another security guy (not the same one from the story before) came running down the ramp to the parking garage with a letter from my grandmother in hand. He delivered it to me in person right after I dismounted from my moped. Talk about some major service!! Gotta smile! :)
~*~*~*~*~
Three posts in one day? I think that is a first for me!! Can you tell it is summer vacation?
Since we’ve continued to have random rain–sometimes light and sometimes heavy–for weeks now, we’ve also continued to have blue skies.
I am totally enjoying our blue skies. They make me very happy.
I often find myself singing a David Crowder Band song whenever I’m on my moped:
Praise Him under open skies
Everything breathing praising God
In the company of all who love the King Let us dance, let us sing
It could be heavenly
Turn the music loud and sing
And it’s so wonderful
Just to be here now
It’s a happy, joyful song that just fits my blue-sky-enjoying, moped-riding self!! Too bad I have to keep my eyes on the road and my hands on the handle bars.
I’ve avoided making a comment policy for as long as I could, but now I feel like it is time to publish one. There are two points in my comment policy. One is how I respond to comments and the other is that I do feel free to unpublish comments.
Responding to Comments Like all bloggers, I like comments. I read them all.
Nonetheless, I just
physically don’t have time to always respond to all of them. I do make
an effort (when carbon-based life isn’t too hectic) to visit the blogs
of those that comment here, and try to respond when I can.
Please
don’t get your feelings hurt if I don’t respond to your comments. It
is nothing personal–I just probably have a class to teach, a dog to
walk, a student to talk to, or a meal to eat. :)
Unpublishing Comments I also unpublish all comments that are rude, try to persuade me or my readers to convert out of Christianity, or are otherwise trying to stir up trouble. Conversation is ok; trolling is not.
One of the purposes of my blog is to share with familiy and friends about my life in Taiwan. It is also to help people who are interested in missions know how to better pray for the Taiwanese. However, I am not able to control who reads my blog, and people who are not the intended audience read it. That’s cool, but it does not change the purpose of my blog.
So, I refuse to enter into a debate on my blog (because I just don’t have the time)–especially with people who make false assumptions about me, make false claims, or resort to petty namecalling and know nothing about who I am or what I really do.
So, there you have it. . . that is how I deal with comments here on following an unknown path.
From blogging with my students (in the internet English course I am teaching), I learned two new things about The Dragon Boat Festival this week.
I learned this from Amy:
OH~~~ we have a very specially ＂Luckly Thing＂ and you can hang up it
just like a necklace, AND it can protect you safe & well this
year, moreover it’s smell fragrant.
I call that ＂fragrant package＂in English, because I don’t know how to say that word,HA~
I learned this from Tim:
Some say if we can stand the egg upright at noon on the day of Dragon Boat Festival, it would bring us good luck for the rest of the year.
No one ever said teachers knew it all. I learn so much from my students!!
On a more serious note though, do you see a pattern here? My students, my neighbors, my dear friends trust in "horses and chariots" (Psalm 20:7), they trust in auspicious items, and desire lucky things and lives.
Would you please join me in praying for them they too will place their trust in the name of the Lord our God? Please ask God to open their eyes to the truth that auspicious stuff has no power to make lucky things happen.
The Most High God is an all-powerful, all-loving God, and we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). May they one day soon know it too!!
Blogging is one area of my life that I rarely if ever feel "behind" in, but right now I am feeling a little behind. Here is a hodge-podge post of what’s up.
Thanks to both Blair and Crickl’s Nest for giving me the Thinking Award. Thanks you guys–what a fun surprise to come back to. After being awarded the "Thinking Award" you are supposed to pass it to five more people, we’ll see if I get around to it . . .
The Carnival of Beauty is at Susanna’s Through a Glass this week. The topic is the The Beauty of Feminity. As Lindsey said last week, "It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just write from the heart. It doesn’t have to be long or flowing with fancy words." For more details on how to join us, read this.
Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday! This is my last year in my 20’s. *sigh*
And, thanks to all of you who have taken my student’s survey so far and who have promoted it on your own blog!! We have 36 replies so far. My students are so excited. They are hoping for over 50 submissions though, so if you haven’t take it yet, it only takes around 10 minutes. I looked through the answers and am glad to see that I am not mistaken about American culture. :) They will be very surprised by some of the answers. Thanks again for helping us.
I’ve got pictures to post, things to write about and blogs to go read, but for now, I am off to teach classes ALL DAY LONG today. Too bad I can’t just blog all day instead. :)
Today (April 5th) is a national holiday here in Taiwan–Tomb Sweeping day. Saturday is my birthday (April 7th). And, Sunday is, as you well know, Easter. So, I am going to be scarce around here till Monday.
Please stop by Lindsey’s blog to see this week’s Carvial of Beauty, "The Beauty of the Ressurection."
Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend as we celebrate our Savior and the free gift of salvation!!
My coworker in the harvest has a brother who is also missionary. He serves with his family in Southeast Asia. One of his national coworkers who lives on a boat told him one day:
"I am blessed because I had five shirts. But that is more than I need. I kept two for myself–one to wear while the other is washed and drying. The other three I gave away. I only need two."
How much I have!! How much I take for granted!!
I cannot forget this story. Whenever I go shopping and whenever I think of things I think I "need," I remember this man. No, I do not think I have to live with only two shirts because this man does. But, I do need to reevaluate what I need to have to live and what I can live without. Father, help me clearly see what is necessary for life and what is fluff and clutter. Thank you, oh, so much for blessing me. Help me from letting those blessings distract from worshipping and depending on you. Teach me how to bless others with the abundace you have given to me.
Firecrackers and fireworks–yes they are different (one goes "pow! pow!" a hundred times and the other "swoooooosh! pop!")–went off all around my apartment from about 9 or 10pm till about 2 or 3am in random intervals. Let’s just say, "welcome to Taiwan, land of ‘we love firecrackers and fireworks.’"
Somehow I caught a cold this weekend, so I plan to spend the rest of my day putting away Christmas decorations, grading papers, and napping (with probably more napping than anything).
Real exciting, huh? Actually, I don’t mind at all–rest is nice.
In other news, Sallie has posted the new list of Carnival of Beauty topics for 2007!! I love this carnival and encouage you to participate!! Go check out the great list of ideas she has choosen for us!! I can’t wait!!
I can’t tell you why, but all day long I kept singing and humming this chorus:
Isn’t He good; Isn’t He kind; Hasn’t He blessed us time after time!
I just kept humming and singing, singing and humming. At one point, I thought to myself that I wasn’t just making this song up (which I do sometimes)–that it was a real song I had heard before.
I started thinking about it and finally concluded that it was a Sovereign Grace Music song. So, as soon as I got home tonight, I looked it up and . . . . sure enough it is!!
Isn’t He Good is a praise song written by Stephen Altrogge and part of the Worship God Live cd that I bought online this spring. I’ve not listened to it since this summer, so I have no idea why the song played on neverending repeat in my heart and mind today.
But, I am thankful it did. This is going to be a busy week (midterms), and I am honestly not looking forward to it. It was nice to be constantly thinking about the goodness of God’s grace and mercy while I was working today instead of focusing on the stresses before me that pale in comparison.
Isn’t He good, all of our days With endless mercies and ceaseless grace!! Oh let us sing . . . Isn’t He good!!!
I’ve wanted to post all week long about so many things but each moment I’ve had a "break" I don’t have enough brain-power left to write anything worth reading. :)
So, night I am going to keep it real simple.
I want to just show you three pictures from the past weekend (more will be posted soon with lots of culture explained). For now, I just want to show you some of my best friends in the world.
I love these girls. We are all Belivers, sisters in Christ, and alumni of Dallas Baptist University. I met each of these lovely ladies in America, but they are all Taiwanese (well, one is from Hong Kong). They each have played a very significant role in my life. I have been blessed because God let them be a part of my life.
Below is a picture of me with the bride, Lydia. She is one of my dearest friends. I met her my sophomore year in college, and we were roommates my junior year. I have always thought she was so beautiful (inside and out). She is a great listener and very easy to be around. I am so happy for her and her new husband.
And the last one is some of the DBU ladies with Lydia and her new husband–right after the wedding cermony. Oh, which, by the way, we were a part of. We sang a song at their wedding–I solo-ed the English version of the song, and we all sang the Chinese version together. So does that make me a wedding singer? ;)
祝你生日快樂, Ellen!! I am so glad that I get to be with you this time on your birthday.
I love you!!
No one could ask for a more patient friend, a more giving friend, nor a more encouraging friend. I can’t believe we have now been friends for nearly 10 years. Time flies!! Thank you so much, Ellen, for all you do for me and give to me.
This is baby Enoch. He is 2 months old. He is the third child of some Taiwanese friends. I held him for the entire "worship in the park" on Sunday since his dad and mom–the pastor and pastor’s wife–were leading the worship (see below).
Other pictures taken yesterday at the park ministry can be seen here (warning though–most of them are of children–I was having mommy-longings yesterday, so I wasn’t in a "capture pictures of ministry" mode). :)
In fact, for several years now, I have wanted this song (the WHOLE song) sung at my funeral. (The only reason I know this or thought about this was there was a class offered at my college where one assignment was to plan your own funeral. I didn’t take this class, but I thought about the assignment. This song is the only real decision I made in regards to my own funeral.)
There is more than one version of it. There is one part that is most commonly known by many people that we sing today. But, there are other versions–all sung by Keith Green–on different albums. It was like he was writing the song and editing the song as he led others in worship.
Here is my favorite version:
Oh Lord You’re beautiful
Your face is all I see
For when Your eyes Are on this child
Your love abounds to me
Oh Lord my body’s tired
But You keep reminding me
Of many holy, tireless men
Who spilt their blood for Thee
I wanna take Your word and shine it all around
But first help me just To live it Lord
And if I’m doing well,
Help me to never make a sound *
Except to give all the glory to You *
Oh Lord my faith is small
And I need a touch from You
Your Book of Books lies on this dirt
And the prayers from me too few
Oh Lord please light the fire
That once burned bright and clear
Replace the lamp of my first love
That fueled with holy fear
*In another song these lines are:
And when I’m doing well,
Help me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.
We live in Taiwan--a little tea leaf shaped island in Asia.
Amanda is from Texas and Lawrance from Tainan. We met, fell in love and married in 2008.
We both teach English and both love to tell others about Jesus. We also both really enjoy laughing, and we both just happen to enjoy "ching cha," a type of fabulous green tea.
This is just to let you know that the the planned posts about my new apartment are delayed due to the fact that my camera battery is dead, and I’m not exactly sure which box the recharger is packed in. :)
