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.