1. You smell your shoes before you put them on.
2. You don't ask what you're eating..you just eat it.
3. You walk down the streets yelling.. Mei Guanchi!
4. You drench anything and everything you eat with soy sauce.
5. You creepily walk up behind some foreigners just to hear them speak English.
6. You carry an umbrella EVERYWHERE just in case it starts raining.
7. You see a fruit fly or mesquito, and you automatically reach for the electric fly swatter.
8. You weigh yourself once a day in a church building.
9. You get overly excited as you're walking home because you see a snail.
10. Anti-Itch Relief and Pepto-Bismol are your constant companions.
(To Be Continued...)
The list could go on and on, but our time is limited. This trip has been anything but boring, though. It is filled with interesting food, fun adventures, awesome spiritual friendships, and much prayer.
Keith and Craig left three days ago, and it has hardly even hit us yet. It is still so weird that we are sitting in Taipei, Taiwan on the other side of the world from many of you who are reading this. We are really enjoying the time we get to spend here. It is good for us individually, emotionally, and most importantly spiritually. We are growing so much. God has really used the church and the readers here. The church has an evident love for God, and they are so generous! They make sure that we are never bored! They have played a major part in the teams comfort. We really do feel at home here. Not a day goes by that we do not get something bought for us or a gift given to us.
What's really crazy is all the food that we have consumed! We have eaten so many things. A few of the crazier things are stinky tofu, sharks skin soup, lilies, preserved duck egg, frog eyes, squid on a stick, octopus, tiny quail eggs, all kinds of sushi, and a whoooooole lot more. God has truly blessed us, too, because none of us have been sick (knock on wood!!).
Our readers are asking all kinds of questions that are great! Sometimes they catch us, and we aren't too sure how to respond so we ask each other and try to explain it. I think the craziest question we've received so far is, "What does epiphenomenon mean?" We have also received questions like, "If I get baptized, do I get a free ticket to heaven?", "Did Judas even have a choice to betray Jesus or not?", "Christianity is a lot like communism, isn't it?". Our readers are not just here to better their conversational English. It is very obvious that they are very interested in knowing more about Christianity and what all we have to say about God's love. It has become very clear to us, though, that the easiest way to bring them closer to God is to show them God's love by the way we act with them and each other.
We will definitely have many stories for you when we return!! Hope God is doing many things back home, too!
In Him,
Arkansas Tech LST Team
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Love it! Keep posting. You challenge me to do more here at home. You will leave a part of your heart there. I can't even imagine staying there 6 weeks and sharing Jesus and making friends and then getting on a plane and coming home. I will pray for your adjustment. Just know that you are leaving behind a view of God that was not there before. God bless you all. I love you.
ReplyDeleteI walk down the streets here, saying Mei Guanchi all of the time. What does it mean? Really good picture of what you all are being confronted with. God is at work in all of this. I will continue to pray for what you are doing. I love you. This is Dad using Mom's site.
ReplyDeleteLive this time up and work hard. God has given you a great task and I know that you know this.
ReplyDeleteI am pleased with all of you and I know that God is as well.
This Blog makes me miss Taiwan a lot.
You are enjoying the experience of a lifetime. God has given you the blessing of taking Jesus to a different culture than your own, and show that culture what it means to be christian. As you live Jesus' example each day, people are watching, they are deciding if its a lifestyle they can embrace. They are very astute, and look to see if what you teach matches what you live. You may be the only exposure to Jesus they ever receive in their lifetime.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your experience, share the Lord, love those you meet. These memories will be with you forever and as Vicki said, you will leave a little of your heart there when you come home. The time will be so short, you'll be returning home before you realize it. Be prepared for some reverse culture shock as you return.
God bless you in your daily experiences there, and when you return home.