Christmas Spirit!

"Christmas Eve will find me

Where the love light gleams

I'll be home for Christmas

If only in my dreams"



Well, as you can see, I have been busily "redecorating" my room for Christmas. It has been so much fun! I am really starting to get back into the "Christmas Spirit" thanks to my Family and Friends. They have all been super supportive - especially during this Holiday season. =)



This is an interesting year. I am trying to figure out if it is because I am away from my family for Christmas or if it is because I don't "feel" in the Spirit.

But this is where I had to stop and think.

These last few days I have been trying to get into the "mood/feeling" for Christmas by decorating, singing, and such. However, as of recently, the Lord has really been showing me that this season was made, not for the lights on the tree, but the One True Light who came down to earth.

I have made the decision that I am going to start spending more time in Him and in His word - remembering Who this season is really about - and less time trying to simply get in "the Mood" of things.



(decorating is still lots of fun though.) =)


(OK, and as a "side note" this is my "family" picture. From L. to R. = Mommy (Jay), Auntie (Ede), Baby (me), and Granny (Ruthie). Yeah, I know, that was totally random)

What's New?

God is so Good!!

I have had so many amazing experiences within these last few weeks and days. OK, lets see...where do I begin?

~The orphanage visits have been awesome! The last one, however, was quite interesting. We got there and the kids, as always, were super excited to see us. There were others there as well, but they were from a Buddhist place. They did a story and then showed a "slide show" and sang a Buddhist prayer. It was very disturbing - they had all of the children bow their heads and put their hands together. It was so sad because half of the children didn't even realize what they were doing, it was just what they had been taught throughout their whole life. I felt such a burden to reach out to them, but I didn't know how - I just pray that they are starting to see the difference that is in us. =)

~Tonight we had our team meeting, but instead of staying in the E.V. we went out to a nearby mountain and we all got to walk around and pray by ourselves. The mountain was a lookout peek to the city of Taiyuan (the place where I live). It was such an eye-opener. Just thinking about how many people lived here, how many people didn't know the true savior, and how many people are living by "tradition" and not really by what they have decided for themselves. =(

~Monday started off wonderfully (Mondays always do!). Anyways, I woke up early (about 7am) and had breakfast with my friend before she left for school. After she left I went downstairs to go help prepare for our school here at the E.V. - there was some stuff that needed to be put into the store classroom and Trevor, Sarah, and I were the only ones up and ready to help set up stuff before the children came. Well, as we were putting things on the shelf a can dropped from the top shelf onto my hand (which was on the ground) and split my finger nail in half! I didn't feel too much at first, but then pain came in like a flash flood!! I thought that I was fine, but the next thing that I knew Sarah was telling Trevor to help pick me up because I was going to pass out. I told her that I wasn't going to, but then I blacked out! The next thing that I knew was lying in the Library classroom and people were standing over me and asking me if I was going to be OK. Well, to say the least, it was definitely a humbling experience. I was asking God later "why?" and he stared to show me what it is like to fully dependent on Him. When I was out I had to be fully dependant upon Trevor and Sarah. I couldn't walk or even think because of the shock - I had to be willing and trust them completely, I didn't have a choice. ;-) In the same way, God really wants me to fully rely upon Him and trust Him completely. That's a hard decision, but it is totally worth it! =)

~Last, but not least, a few days ago some friends here (OK, Andrew, Trevor, Sarah, and Ashia) decided that they wanted to bless some of us by having a "Dinner Party" in the Drama room. We had no idea what we were in for...



Our "evening" turned out to be a very memorable occasion.



We were the "New York"-ers! =)



My "Roomies" picture - our first one in 5 months!



Our "home-made" Christmas tree! The Children made it for us - it is adorable.




Charity's parents came for 2 weeks (and a half) and they surprised us with a wonderful dinner of "Fresh Chili"- it was awesome!!




(and it was gone really, really fast!!)



Yep, good times! Praise the Lord for His goodness and His everyday blessings!
Lots of Love in Christ!! <3

Thanksgiving Time

Yep, now that Thanksgiving day is here and past, I thought that it would be a good thing to put up a list of things that I am grateful for. I have been thinking about it a lot lately and I have come up with 17 things that I am extremely thankful for. Here is the list:

1. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - He has brought me though so much and he never leaves me...Isn't that amazing? I know that I have deserved desertion more than once. He is all that I need.

2. My Dad and Mom - throughout all the decisions that I have made (either at home or here in Taiwan), they have always supported me and helped me out in anyway that they could. God has truly blessed me with great parents and I can never repay them for all of their love.

3. My "inner" Family - My siblings have been the biggest part of my growing proses and they are always there for me.

4. My "not-so-inner" Family - All of my Grandparents, Aunties, and Uncles have been such a big support, even when they don't know exactly what I am doing, they still give me there love (and send me special packages =)

5. My Church - being here and not really having a place to call "my Church" has been really hard. I have visited churches, but they are in Chinese and very hard to follow. It has made me appreciate my Church at home all the more. I will never take it for granted again...I miss it!



6. My Pastors - they always had so much insight to gain from and it always helped me to grow spiritually. I will totally admit that it is really hard not having that weekly "bread and milk" to gain from. They are always a blessing!



7. My Bible Quizzing Friends - Wow. What an encouragement you all were (and are) to me. Much as I have so many friends here that are spiritually minded, it was so awesome to be encouraging one another to memorize and have some awesome goals in common.

8. My other friends - I Love you guys so much. You all are such wonderful people and I cannot believe that the Lord brought y'all into my life. You are such great people and I miss you like Crazy!!!



9. My doormies - they are all so special in their own unique way.

10. Coming to Taiwan - I didn't think that I would come and now I cannot imagine NOT have come. Taiwan is my home already and God has stretched me so much. Although it has been hard so many times and I didn't think that I could go on, the Lord has truly proved Himself faithful and I am willing to go totally out for Him!



11. The Taiwanese people - The ones I know and the ones I have not yet met. They have shown me so much, like what it is to not have to much, but still continue on with life and continue to help out with those in need. They give without expecting anything back. How much we can learn from their example...



12. My roommate - Her name is Teresa and she is truly a gift from the Lord. We didn't talk much when we started rooming together, but now we are totally hitting it off! She is such an encouragement to me in my walk with the Lord.

13. Email - it is a great way to communicate with my family and friends. "I cannot believe technology these days!"



14. Pianos - OK, those who know me, know that I take that for granted all of the time. But since I have been here, I have never enjoyed playing as much. I love to whenever I get the chance and I am really praying hard that the Lord would bring us a piano soon...I really do miss being able to sit down and just play!



15. Thanksgiving meals - Every ones contributions really make it a meal to remember.



16. Thanksgiving time - it really puts life back into perspective. What am I truly grateful for?



17. Love - God gives His unconditionally and freely. He pours it anew into me every morning and it goes out onto people around me...I pray that I can only be a good testimony of His love.

Well, I must say that being here in Taiwan has really made me appreciate so much more than I ever had before. This November has been a great month and I have had so many great memories with all of my friends. However, it is starting to get really sad because it is the first time that I have not been home for the Holidays. But the Lord continues to remind me that it doesn't matter if you are with your family or not (although that is always a bonus), it is truly about Him and celebrating His special day. Although I am sure that there will be tears this holiday season, *sniff, sniff* I know that they will be good tears - ones of thanksgiving for all of those times that I have been fortunate enough to spend them with my family.

Picture credits are due to Charity, Julie, Ede, and various others.

The Orphanage

Wow is about all that I want to say.

We went to go visit an orphanage with some friends from church. Little did I know how easily my heart could be stolen...

We got there and the children were a bit shy. But as we played games with them and started (trying) to speak to them they became so much more "cuddly."

It was hard sometimes because I cannot speak too much of their language and they spoke no English what-so-ever, other than "Hello."

Please pray for me. I want to understand them so badly and make some "children conversations" with them, but my Chinese is so bad. I have asked the Lord to help me and I have made it my goal to learn at least 7 phrases by the next time we go.

I am so glad that I got the opportunity to go to this orphanage. The Lord has granted us favor with the "top people" there and we are going back next Sun. I am really hoping that this is going to be a continuous thing.

I can only now imagine the opportunities...

Other than that, it has been a pretty regular few weeks which have involved:

Team bonding time

Teaching at our regular Saturday program

Learning how to cook (I am getting better...)

And taking trips across Taiwan with some of my friends!

OK, and now for the really exciting part (or, should I say, "another exciting part" ?)

A sneak peak at my (behind the scenes) Sr. picture...

(no, this is not one that I am "officially" using, but my friend took it while I was getting the actual ones done and I thought that it looked really cool...)

Pictures are done by Charity Sanders, Ede Christensen, Naomi Lyons, and Jessika Lindley.

My fourth month here...

Wow! I cannot believe that it has already been over 4 months since I stepped into Taiwan! It seems like a lifetime ago. I have made so many new friends, been so many new places, and had so many wonderful experiences.

The more that I think about it, the more I laugh at myself. When people asked me in November, 2006, what I would be doing one year from then, I always told them that I would be getting ready to graduate with all of my awesome friends, doing Bible quizzing, hanging out around home, and (hopefully) be in MYS (Minnesota Youth Symphony). Yeah, I had my year all planned out. Luckily for me, however, it is true what is said in Isaiah 55:8-12,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the Lord.



"As Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.



"As the rain and the snow come down from Heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,



"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.



"You will go out in joy and be lead forth in peace;



"The mountains and the hills will burst into song before you,



"And all the trees of the field will clap their hands."



Well, that passage of scripture has really come to mean a lot to me lately. God truly did have other plans for me this year - it is incredible! Looking back at how much I have learned these last few months...it is like nothing that I would have ever dreamed that I would be doing.

How amazing our God truly is!!!

Pictures are taken by Ede Christensen and Me.

The Smile of a Happy Child...

There is not too much that compares to the smile of a child to a Teacher. It shows the Teacher that the student not only is learning, but is also enjoying that which is being taught!



This week I taught in the store a lot. I was afraid that it would be very boring, but I had no idea how much fun in the learning we could have!



We had some very interesting experiences in the store this week, like:
Teacher robbing the store, Everyone dressing up and robbing the (next door over) bank, picking up the store, and much, much more!!



I also figured out that the boys LOVE trying to steal the food. Unfortunately, they still have not made off with any (unlike their teacher)!



I made so many good friends with the students this week - I am really praying that I get to see them again soon!



Theses are the "twins" that we had for 2 days. However, I had them in most of my classes, so we got to know each other pretty well. Their names are Peter and Simon. They were so cool!



Oh, and I had special help this week from my "manikin" friend! The kids got a blast from it!!



And,...on a sadder note. One of my close friends, Aleita, has had an ear infection of some sort since she got here at the end of August. She has been to several Doctors, but none of them could help her. Finally she and her parents decided that she had to come back to Canada. When she told us that she was leaving we all got pretty sad...



We had a farewell party for her and we are keeping her in our prayers. We don't know if she will come back, but whatever happens, we are praying that God would keep his arms around her and give her His peace!