Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Back to civilization
For the past week the western europe interns (my self included) have been staying in an authentic french "Giet". Its more or less a holdiay - get away from civilization - kind of home, so we have been without internet etc for the past week.
We really have had an amazing time though. We've studied how to learn about culture, conflict resolution, and bitterness (amongst other things). Its been a great time of fellowship and growing deeper in our relationship with the Lord.
I think I speak for everyone though when I say we are excited to begin ministering in our fields.
~Ken
We really have had an amazing time though. We've studied how to learn about culture, conflict resolution, and bitterness (amongst other things). Its been a great time of fellowship and growing deeper in our relationship with the Lord.
I think I speak for everyone though when I say we are excited to begin ministering in our fields.
~Ken
Friday, May 29, 2009
Goodbye to Tai-ching and the Jiangs
I don't have Jenna Detter to proof read for me and the keyboard here at my host homeis different and old so the keys get stuck and because I don't type well, what I say doesn't always make sense. Sorry.
I have been here in Tai-chung, Taiwan for almost 8 (ba...8 in Mandarin) days now and it has been quite the experience both physically, spiritually, socially, mentally...
Activities:
Language classes - Monday-Wednesday I got to take Mandarin classes and have learned a lot but comparatively very little. I got a book and made flash cards from a deck of "poker" cards from a 7Eleven fromwhich I will continue to practice.
Tai-ping Ministry - Tai-ping is a city near Tai-chuing that the missionaries and some Taiwanese have invested in because of the high population of Vietnamese brides there. It appears that the majority of their ministry is concentrated there. On Sunday's they have a Bible story time for discussion in Mandarin and Vietnamese. The style is catered to the Taiwanese where it is open for them to come and go as they please, be loud and informal, but in a clean, safe environment they might not find in other places. We have a rented "gospel center" there and they offer Mandarin classes on Saturdays for the Vietnamese brides, a tea time on Thursdays where the Taiwanese husbands can come and smoke and talk, and the missionaries make house visits and meet in the parks during the week to have devotions and encourage and pray with the families. Most of the days I go and observe and "listen".
Church in Tai-chung - The whole service was in Mandarin, but some of the songs I recognized and could sing along in English and the sermon had somany Bible references that I could at least follow the pattern of thought even though I don't know what he said. It was so wonderful though to worship the same God with believers on the other side of our world!
Missionary fellowship - between World Team and their co-workers from OMF in Taiwan, there is the largest variety of nationalities I have ever seen at one time, apart from the UN. We had a cookout on Tuesday night and there were missionaries from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and United States (...and maybe China.) A new family just arrived from Australia and they shared their journay and God leading them to Taiwan, which was amazing and encouraging. Taiwan is somewhat of a hub in the Asian world because of it's location, which explains the amount of ex-patriots and foreigners here.
Youth ministry - I was supposed to speak at a Bible club in the Tai-ping highschool yesterday, but classes were all out for holiday so I didn't get a chnce, but Robb Branch, the missionary I work with here, goes just about every week and talks to the kids. They are allowed to join a club through the school and although there are 25 members, only about 5 are actually Christians, so it allows for much ministry. The youth here are sooo driven though their studies and competition that they rarely make timefor religion and when/if they goto college, then is when the most youth may start beinginterested in religion and/or the gospel. The daughter in my host family, Linda Jiang is going to be taking the entrance exam to get into college in a month or so and she studies almost non-stop through "cram schools" until 11pm sometimes and tutors on holiday and the weekends. She wants to study Biology, but she didn't have very good interviews with the colleges, so please pray for her. If the interviews go well in February and they are accepted to college, students don't have to finish their senior year or take entrance exams.
This morning I got to share at a small bible study of yound adults about my testimony and it was a nice time of fellowship, low pressure.
Temple visits - I got a chance to visit Taiwan's largest temple, a Buddhist temple, and a folk religion temple. The Buddist temple had a large gold smiling Buddah statue as big as a house. The folk religion templewas the only one we really went into and looked at and it was a little bit frightening, just knowing someof the things that go on in there. People move about from one god to another praying and burning incense. Matsu (Mazu) is the patron goddess here in Taiwan and you see her picture everywhere. It is interesting though because the people aren't really concerned with truth of their religion. You will hear a different story about the god's histrory depending on which person you talk to. And many of the gods are pulled from ancient stories or fables. But there are many people in the temple throwing these cresent shaped blocks to see what the answer to their questions are from the gods. Both blocks up mean no, one up one down means yes, and both down means the god is busy and try again.
Prayer walking - There is a practice here of themissionaries to walk around and just pray over the people and the city. Most stores have "god shelves" in then which you can see clearly by the 2 red lights on them. Even my host home has a shrine to ancestors on the top floor i believe, because only the mom and 1 daughter are Christians.
Food and Fun:
I have already written too much, but I rarely have this much timeto write.
I have eaten: a whole squid on a stick, freid tofu, oyster noodles, clams, fried eel, hot soy milk, bamboo soup, rice dumplings, nose fruit, dragon hair candy, cow tongue cookie, pearl milk tea, TONS of rice, and many other questionable or unidentifiable things this week so far.
I have seen: many beautiful parks, much beautiful architecture, swimming pools (that's an interesting experience i'll tell you later if you remind me), restaraunts, schools, homes, old shopping streets, new shopping malls, small shops (i even had a "chop" Chinese signature stamp name with my Chinese name "He rou en"), night markets, temples, many many people!
OK, that's all for now because I could go on forever with my new experiences (my journalsometimes I write 9 pages a day) but I wanted to focus on the spiritual state of Taiwan today. Miss you all!
LB
I have been here in Tai-chung, Taiwan for almost 8 (ba...8 in Mandarin) days now and it has been quite the experience both physically, spiritually, socially, mentally...
Activities:
Language classes - Monday-Wednesday I got to take Mandarin classes and have learned a lot but comparatively very little. I got a book and made flash cards from a deck of "poker" cards from a 7Eleven fromwhich I will continue to practice.
Tai-ping Ministry - Tai-ping is a city near Tai-chuing that the missionaries and some Taiwanese have invested in because of the high population of Vietnamese brides there. It appears that the majority of their ministry is concentrated there. On Sunday's they have a Bible story time for discussion in Mandarin and Vietnamese. The style is catered to the Taiwanese where it is open for them to come and go as they please, be loud and informal, but in a clean, safe environment they might not find in other places. We have a rented "gospel center" there and they offer Mandarin classes on Saturdays for the Vietnamese brides, a tea time on Thursdays where the Taiwanese husbands can come and smoke and talk, and the missionaries make house visits and meet in the parks during the week to have devotions and encourage and pray with the families. Most of the days I go and observe and "listen".
Church in Tai-chung - The whole service was in Mandarin, but some of the songs I recognized and could sing along in English and the sermon had somany Bible references that I could at least follow the pattern of thought even though I don't know what he said. It was so wonderful though to worship the same God with believers on the other side of our world!
Missionary fellowship - between World Team and their co-workers from OMF in Taiwan, there is the largest variety of nationalities I have ever seen at one time, apart from the UN. We had a cookout on Tuesday night and there were missionaries from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and United States (...and maybe China.) A new family just arrived from Australia and they shared their journay and God leading them to Taiwan, which was amazing and encouraging. Taiwan is somewhat of a hub in the Asian world because of it's location, which explains the amount of ex-patriots and foreigners here.
Youth ministry - I was supposed to speak at a Bible club in the Tai-ping highschool yesterday, but classes were all out for holiday so I didn't get a chnce, but Robb Branch, the missionary I work with here, goes just about every week and talks to the kids. They are allowed to join a club through the school and although there are 25 members, only about 5 are actually Christians, so it allows for much ministry. The youth here are sooo driven though their studies and competition that they rarely make timefor religion and when/if they goto college, then is when the most youth may start beinginterested in religion and/or the gospel. The daughter in my host family, Linda Jiang is going to be taking the entrance exam to get into college in a month or so and she studies almost non-stop through "cram schools" until 11pm sometimes and tutors on holiday and the weekends. She wants to study Biology, but she didn't have very good interviews with the colleges, so please pray for her. If the interviews go well in February and they are accepted to college, students don't have to finish their senior year or take entrance exams.
This morning I got to share at a small bible study of yound adults about my testimony and it was a nice time of fellowship, low pressure.
Temple visits - I got a chance to visit Taiwan's largest temple, a Buddhist temple, and a folk religion temple. The Buddist temple had a large gold smiling Buddah statue as big as a house. The folk religion templewas the only one we really went into and looked at and it was a little bit frightening, just knowing someof the things that go on in there. People move about from one god to another praying and burning incense. Matsu (Mazu) is the patron goddess here in Taiwan and you see her picture everywhere. It is interesting though because the people aren't really concerned with truth of their religion. You will hear a different story about the god's histrory depending on which person you talk to. And many of the gods are pulled from ancient stories or fables. But there are many people in the temple throwing these cresent shaped blocks to see what the answer to their questions are from the gods. Both blocks up mean no, one up one down means yes, and both down means the god is busy and try again.
Prayer walking - There is a practice here of themissionaries to walk around and just pray over the people and the city. Most stores have "god shelves" in then which you can see clearly by the 2 red lights on them. Even my host home has a shrine to ancestors on the top floor i believe, because only the mom and 1 daughter are Christians.
Food and Fun:
I have already written too much, but I rarely have this much timeto write.
I have eaten: a whole squid on a stick, freid tofu, oyster noodles, clams, fried eel, hot soy milk, bamboo soup, rice dumplings, nose fruit, dragon hair candy, cow tongue cookie, pearl milk tea, TONS of rice, and many other questionable or unidentifiable things this week so far.
I have seen: many beautiful parks, much beautiful architecture, swimming pools (that's an interesting experience i'll tell you later if you remind me), restaraunts, schools, homes, old shopping streets, new shopping malls, small shops (i even had a "chop" Chinese signature stamp name with my Chinese name "He rou en"), night markets, temples, many many people!
OK, that's all for now because I could go on forever with my new experiences (my journalsometimes I write 9 pages a day) but I wanted to focus on the spiritual state of Taiwan today. Miss you all!
LB
Monday, May 25, 2009
First Impressions
So...I have been in Taiwan for 2.5 days thus far and I have experienced more culture than I experienced in the 2 whole weeks I sepnt in China 2 years ago. Getting here was actually much more pleasant than I expected. Although i claim to enjoy math, do not think I lied to you when I said the flight was 14 or 15 hours...i can't count...it was about 13. BONUS: i asked if I could be switched from a middle to a window seat and they put me in the last seat in the plane which was only 2 seats next to eachother. So I got to board first and then the other seat was never filled so I got an isle and window seat all to myself for the long flight. Then at the airport in Taoyuan, Taiwan the apple from World Team that I had forgptten about was confiscated by an agricultural beagle watch-dog, not to mention the water bottle I was given was confiscated priorto leaving Philly, but I should have known better.
SO...here in Tai-tung, I am staying with a host family where noone speaks english except the daughter. It has been fun getting to know her, Linda, and the rest of the family through her. We had an imprompto photo session last night where the family took lots of pictures of me and with me and we had such a good time. I am using their computer right now because it is the only internet, but when I get access to my own computer I will post some pictures.
Now, I know all the other interns are wanting to know...YES, they have cheese!!!! AND they have chocolate, milk, and coffee. My worries subsided, I have already ordered one of their normal breakfast items that they translate at an egg roll, which is more like an omlet rolled up and stuffed with...Cheese. :)
Other observations, instead of their ice cream trucks driving around playing songs, their garbage trucks drive around playing Bach. One of the most common soups here has a hot melon cooked in it which apparently tastes like a turnip, but I haven't been brave enough to try it yet. The daughter of the missionary family, Shannon Branch, likes the most interesting things like fried, crunchy fish, filled with fish eggs and tiny squid looking things. The people are usually very very friendly and I always feel bad that I can't speak their language, but in about 1 hour I will be starting my first Chinese lessons! The religion is so prevelant in the culture that most shops have 'god shelves' in them with big red lights on each side.
Well I am off to lessons and anyone that is getting frustrated with me not returning e-mails, I promise I will soon, but while in Tai-tung (this week) it is difficult. Love you all and my prayers are with you as I know your prayers are with me. Thanks!
-LB
SO...here in Tai-tung, I am staying with a host family where noone speaks english except the daughter. It has been fun getting to know her, Linda, and the rest of the family through her. We had an imprompto photo session last night where the family took lots of pictures of me and with me and we had such a good time. I am using their computer right now because it is the only internet, but when I get access to my own computer I will post some pictures.
Now, I know all the other interns are wanting to know...YES, they have cheese!!!! AND they have chocolate, milk, and coffee. My worries subsided, I have already ordered one of their normal breakfast items that they translate at an egg roll, which is more like an omlet rolled up and stuffed with...Cheese. :)
Other observations, instead of their ice cream trucks driving around playing songs, their garbage trucks drive around playing Bach. One of the most common soups here has a hot melon cooked in it which apparently tastes like a turnip, but I haven't been brave enough to try it yet. The daughter of the missionary family, Shannon Branch, likes the most interesting things like fried, crunchy fish, filled with fish eggs and tiny squid looking things. The people are usually very very friendly and I always feel bad that I can't speak their language, but in about 1 hour I will be starting my first Chinese lessons! The religion is so prevelant in the culture that most shops have 'god shelves' in them with big red lights on each side.
Well I am off to lessons and anyone that is getting frustrated with me not returning e-mails, I promise I will soon, but while in Tai-tung (this week) it is difficult. Love you all and my prayers are with you as I know your prayers are with me. Thanks!
-LB
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
A Day in Philly
City of Brotherly Love
ROCKY!
Everyone made it to the top of the Rocky Stairs!
Trying to find the train after gorging ourselves on cheese steaks
Thursday, May 21, 2009
PEACE OUT
Here we are at our last day in World Team Orientation, state-side. We've been fed to death (which was amazing) we have no expectations...although we've made lots of lists of what they should be. We are goofing off, probably because we are to nervous or anxious to talk about anything serious. We've slept, some more than others, we've excahnged contact information and at least I am sad to have to say goodbye to all of the new friends (interns and staff) that I have made these last 3 days. Matt has inspirational words for us all now..."um...every artist was first an amateur...don't write that one...men do less than they ought unless they do all that they can...let thy words be few. You have to write Ecclesiastes 5:2...wait a second, i'm not done yet!" YES, you are Matt. GOOODBYE AMERCIA!!! (and goodybye Erica, [tear])
Monday, May 18, 2009
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