Always an Adventure...

With only 10 days until I return home, I've been thinking with much anticipation about the friends I'll be meeting this summer. I've got some amazing friends and family back home whom I only get to see once a year, if that. This summer, I'm flying to see a friend of almost 20 years whom I haven't seen in 5! I wish I could see everyone every time I go home, but with time, money, and geography, it's just not possible. Plus there are so many Taiwan friends who have returned to North America that I would love to see in addition to the Canadian friends I left behind 10 years ago. It's really hard for me sometimes to choose to see someone, or not to make the trip to see someone, to impose myself on people helplessly (I'd love to visit you, but I'll need you to drive me an hour or more to an airport afterward), and to have to say "you only get a few hours of my time" when it would take much, much longer for us to catch up. I also don't want i...

Recently there has been a lot of bad news coming my way. In the past few weeks there was news of two sudden deaths from afar. It is really hard to grieve when you are not there with everyone else, especially for an avoider like me. But as a friend recently reminded me, it doesn't make sense for us to wait until the end of someone's life to express how much they meant to us and how much we appreciate them. This is something we should tell them NOW, while they can still hear us. So here are some goodbye thoughts for those who have moved on, and coming up, I hope to post some #sayitnow words of gratitude and appreciation to people who have impacted my life! Auntie Mona Yours was the first wedding I remember going to, and I remember as a child always thinking you were so beautiful . But even more than that, you were the aunt that always took the time to talk with us kids. You would do our hair sometimes, and compliment us, and just make us feel like we mattered. One memory ...

So I don't think many people are still following this blog, especially now that we have Facebook, which admittedly, is one of the reasons my blog started to peter out. Increased privacy, greater engagement, friends not needing to sign in and type weird codes just to leave a comment: all bonuses. But on Facebook, I was left with another problem, who exactly was I writing for? Did I want certain people to see it? Would I be spamming my non-Christian friends with faith-related content all the time? Because now that I've been in Taiwan for almost 10 years, many things that were once new and notable are quite routine. And I was feeling a desire to move into more deeper reflections, but not really sure how or where to do that. Plus there was the monster of people-pleasing out there whispering that it was too dangerous. I wouldn't be able to control others' reactions. I wouldn't be able to cater my words to every possible audience at once. And so I started to feel cripp...

This past Sunday, my local church put on a Tomb sweeping service. It’s the first our church has ever done, and the first I have ever attended. And I found it to be deeply meaningful. Growing up in a Lutheran church for a while, and being part of this generation that seems to be moving away from consumerism and entertainment-driven worship and toward liturgy and a deeper connection to past, future, and community, I found it refreshing to be a part of this service. Now for those unfamiliar with the holiday, Taiwan celebrates Tomb Sweeping Festival on April 5. It’s a day off when families traditionally visit the family plot where their ancestors are buried, and, literally, sweep or clean it up. Cemeteries in Taiwan do not, to my knowledge, have groundskeepers or other employees. Thus it is the family’s duty to make sure grave sites are maintained. Traditionally this would be accompanied with burning incense or ghost money, making food offerings, and prayers to the ancestors for blessing...

I was helping out a friend this weekend who works at a Catholic school here in Taiwan, as she was asked to undertake the difficult task of translating legal/doctrinal statements from English into Chinese. To make matters worse, they were originally written in Italian! But the interesting thing about it was how the document was relating the vow of poverty that nuns take to the financial administration of an institution. The idea is that if our own Savior emptied himself and took on the nature of a servant, if he had no place to lay his head, and if the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, shouldn't followers of Christ also choose to live a certain kind of lifestyle? To our modern way of thinking the idea of renouncing your rights and/or possessions, much less committing to never acquiring anything except as you plan to offer it for the good of the community, well it seems outdated, impossible, and maybe even crazy!  The next morning I went to a church where the speake...

It's a new year, and just like last year , I wanted to ask God to give me word for the new year, to guide me, to inspire me, and to be a theme for me. I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks, and the word freedom popped into my head one day as I was walking, but it didn't seem quite right...too easy almost... so I kept thinking, then I started sharing with people that I was looking for a word, and the pressure was on, I knew they would ask me what I chose...or what chose me! As I went through a fun long weekend and an enjoyable New Year's Eve with friends, I still didn't really have a word... just before bed, I read a verse from Streams in the Desert which came from Deuteronomy 11, here set on the background of my view of Taipei 101 on new year's eve: It kind of inspired me to remember that God is there among all the beginnings and endings. In fact, 2012 was a year of many endings for me. The end of my 20s, the completion of my master's degr...

I just got back from the Christmas outreach service put on by the local church I attend here in Taiwan, during which I started putting this post together in my mind. 8. Expect variety, a LOT of variety.... the variety show is an extremely popular form of entertainment here and a formula a lot of churches follow... we had performances by groups of all ages and in many different genres tonight. 7. Expect at least one aboriginal dance or song, which will be amazing... Ok I've lived on the east coast for all of my 8 years here, so this might be different elsewhere... Tonight's dance represented at least three generations and three different tribes. They were great. 6. If you dare to wear red, or put on a red hat, someone will excitedly say that you look like Santa Claus... even if you're a woman. Who doesn't have a beard. I skipped it this year.  5. You might sing one or two actual Christmas carols. One of them will be "Silent Night." 4. You wil...

2004-2012. Who would have imagined I'd be here for so long? I still remember that nervous girl who got on the airplane from Castlegar, promising her mom she'd only be gone for a year. Who didn't know a word of Chinese. A passport. A suitcase. A job waiting on the other end. What an adventure it has truly been. My 7th year marked a season of milestones, what will the 8th year bring? So far, it seems to be a season of change. A lot of people here who have been in my life for a long time seem to be taking their leave. Saying goodbye is hard, though a part of life for expats. When we are far away from our families, the people around us become like family. So much more so in Christ.  So maybe my 8th year will be a year of change. A year of being commissioned (commanded to mission) and making space in my life for new things. If you somehow missed it, I also updated the title photo for this blog. The hymn Come Thou Fount has been playing in my head this week, and part of the...

 ( I took this picture!!! ) I took this picture on a little photography trip, and my friend told me that in Chinese, these sunbeams are called "Jesus Light." I thought it was very appropriate! Last night at bible study, we were talking about who God is and different names for God. I asked my students why God has so many different names. Some websites  list over 700!  We teased out the idea that God is everything to everyone. He has different names because he comes through for us in different ways and in different circumstances. Sometimes we need him to be our refuge or healer, other times we need the master and shepherd, and still other times we need the lover of our souls. God has been doing a new work in my life in this past year, and it has been hard at times. But last night when I got home, a paper literally fell out of my bag and onto my lap. It was some verses our professor had given to us on the last day of class back in July. But they were exactly what I need...

Well, the day is here. There's no more dreading, avoiding or bemoaning to be done.  I'm 30, flirty, and thriving, (not thirty, hurting, and crying) This has been a difficult milestone for me to face in some ways. Like many, I found myself approaching 30 thinking I was supposed to have a lot more accomplished by now. Thanks to a few pep talks and a lot of prayer in the last few months though, I'm feeling pretty ok. I don't have to have it all together yet. I can start making choices now that will affect my life in my 30s, 40s, and beyond. God has also been bringing a lot of words into my life for this time. In the last few weeks, almost every verse I read in a devotional has been something about Him directing paths, guiding our way etc. Another quote that has kept popping up is by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Do not go where the path may lead, instead go where there is no path and leave a trail." It's scary to think of being a trailblazer. It's har...

So I was browsing Amazon looking for some fun stuff for my Kindle last night when I came across a book about turning 30..it seems I'm not the only one who has a mid- (quarter?) life crisis when approaching this age. Here's what the book description said: Competence. Now in convenient book format You’re old enough to own property and have a family, but can you safely open a bottle of champagne? Or change a flat tire? 30 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do Before Turning 30 provides idiot-proof instructions for mastering these and other essential, face-saving, and possibly life-saving skills. You’ll learn how to... 1. wrap a present 2. start a successful fire in a fireplace, at a campsite, and in a barbecue 3. finish a piece of furniture 4. get a raise 5. order wine at a restaurant without getting stiffed 6. parallel park in three breathtakingly beautiful movements 7. dance a “slow dance” without looking like an idiot 8. use a full place setting properly, inc...

This past year has been a lot about reflecting for me, which is good, and I still have 4 more months until my 30th birthday. I hope I can continue to work toward my goals in that time. In the meantime, life still happens, right? Christmas went by in a flurry of parties and events, and new years was kind of the same. There are only 11 more days until my trip to Thailand and starting new classes. But for now, it's time to think about what 2012 is going to bring. One of my kindred spirits, Krystal shared this blog on Facebook, and I was indeed inspired. The blog challenges us to come up with a word (One Little Word) to represent your hopes for the next year. On the blog it says,  You live with it. You invite it into you life. You let it speak to you. You might even follow where it leads.  There are so many possibilities .  Do check it out. A lot of people had some very nice sounding words, especially in the comments, like nurture, gravity, believe etc. And as I was reading...

Our first week in Yuli October 16, 2004 I arrived in Taiwan with no idea what I'd be getting into. I was originally only planning to be here for one year... but 7 years later I can say that I truly enjoy my life here. It still feels a little surreal that it's really been 7 years. They do all kind of blend together after awhile, there was the year in Yuli, the year I broke my leg, the year I started commuting to Taipei, and so much in between. A song that I've been listening to a lot lately is Never Once by Matt Redman, and part of the lyrics say: Scars and struggles on the way//but with joy our hearts can say// Yes our hearts can say// never once, did we ever walk alone// never once, did you leave us on our own// you are faithful//God you are faithful I've had plenty of struggles along the way, and one long scar down my left ankle, but it's true God has been so faithful in big and little things, and it is true, never once in these 7 years have I ever walked ...

Last week I helped out at a kids camp for my church. We were out in the country at this little school, and the kids were sooo cute! Actually they reminded me a lot of the kids in Yuli, a lot of them were aboriginals. For me it was fun, but kind of a challenge. The worst thing about the camp was that there were these venomous monster mosquitoes out there, that left itching red welts on my legs, if I ever go back there, I'll definitely wear long pants, 33 degrees and no air conditioner regardless. Anyways, I was teaching the youngest age group, which is quite different from the high school and adult students I'm used to. They take a lot more energy, that's for sure! Some ways teaching 7-year-olds is different from teaching adults: You have to accompany your students to the bathroom You have to worry about students putting their food into the hair of the person next to them You use the word "xiao peng you" ('little friends') a lot Your tone of voice a...

"If you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness will be temporary." Last Saturday, we took about 30 students from Yilan to see Nick Vujicic give a talk. If you have never heard of this amazing man, take a few minutes to check out his website . Nick was born without arms and legs, and doctors could give his parents no reason why. He went through a very challenging childhood and at one point, even thought about drowning himself in the bathtub. But God turned his life around and gave him a purpose. Today, he is a motivational speaker who travels around the world sharing his message of hope, speaking against bullying, and encouraging people to "Never Give Up." Words can't describe how inspiring it was to see him here in Taiwan, and have him share with a sold out auditorium. He talked about the story of the blind man in John 9, who was born blind, not because of his sin or his parent's sin, but to give glory to God. Nick told us emphatically, tha...

My Taiwanese "little sister" Annie is graduating from elementary school this year! I took the train to Hualian to see her graduation recital on Saturday, where she played the flute and piano. I've known their family almost as long as I've been in Taiwan. My first year in Yuli, Hope and I went to their house for a weekly dinner. I also spent my first Chinese New Year with their family traveling around Taiwan. She was only 5 years old!! Sometimes it really starts to sink in that I've really been here for a long time, and I'm so thankful to have good friends like this family, who have really taken me in and made me feel like I'm not an outsider. I took a short video of her playing, I am so proud! She said she'd give me a few tips if I bring my flute back from Canada this summer...it might take a little more than a few pointers to make up for over 10 years of not playing though!!

Here is a song (click if embedded video doesn't work) that I love by a band called Gungor that I've recently started listening to. It's a great band and a great song! In talking about "beautiful things" or maybe colorful things, I went to the hairdresser today to get highlights. It's always a bit of an adventure to see what I'll come out with, with the communication gap and all, but this is one of the craziest outcomes yet. I decided to get blond and dark red highlights...but after the final rinse, the blond highlights turned bright pink! It's definitely a dramatic change...but I'm told it will fade after a few washes. Here's the result from today.....

It's my birthday!! Here is my best present so far, a picture of my new nephew, Derek!! In honor of embarking on my last year before age 30, I've decided that I'm going to try to write 30 posts in the next year, rather than what as been the norm of 1 a month! Here are two verses I read this morning: Psalm 16:5-8 L ord , you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! I will bless the L ord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the L ord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. Psalm 29:11 The L ord gives his people strength. The L ord blesses them with peace. And here's one more picture just because he's SOOOO cute, only 3 months and a few days until I can hold him!! Derek Levi, Born April 5!

After a few friendly reminders, here I am to assure you that I'm still here. The last thing I remember is it being October, and me thinking, "Man, November's going to be a busy month!" First, here's the random picture of the day: a funky blue drink I had, with little fruit seeds that resembled frog eggs... don't let the look on my face fool you, it was yummy!  Now, in honor of this being my 4th November in Taiwan... let's take a little look back: November 2004 : Was in Yuli, meeting new people, still getting introduced at church every week, and barely communicating in Chinese! We were visiting a lot of schools, but weren't teaching at any yet. November 2005 : Was nicely settled in Yilan, teaching, enjoying visits from Yuli friends, and going back down there to visit them. November 2006 : Was getting around only on crutches and still going for regular x-rays. Teaching from a wheelchair, doing regular PT, and having bananas stolen from me! November 2007 ...

On Monday night I was having some dinner and watching TV. My English Bible study started at 7:30 and my ride was going to come at 7. It was around 6:30 and I still had half an hour when I heard my doorbell ring. It was a little odd for 2 reasons: First, it was the doorbell outside my door, not the downstairs buzzer. Second, I wasn't expecting anyone for another half an hour. The best I could guess was that it was my ride here early? The moment I opened the door my stomach clenched in terror because the first thing I felt was a strong shove towards me from the other side. I saw that it was not one person, but two men standing there. All I could think was that this was a home invasion. I slammed the door shut and leaned against it as I struggled to lock it. I looked out the grate that faces out to the courtyard and elevators and saw the guys heading back toward the elevators, I yelled to them "Who are you?" and threatened to call the police. They said "Sorry" as ...