LOVE!

Sounds like the perfect theme for the last couple of days. An adventure it was, heading out to the northern part of the Island to visit the capital city - Taipei. 250-ish Taiwanese people of the Concordia Middle School staff and 15 foreigners - joined in love! Building love with one another, and needing love - to be patient and understanding! I'll tell ya, it takes a lot of patience in trying to understand a travel itinerary spelled out in Chinese characters! I can pretty much say, I never knew what was happening next, or what to expect....but to just take it all in stride with an open heart of love! And that, we did - and had a blast...

You might say, we'd been engulfed in Taiwanamania!

But, did this ever lead to a greater love for Taipei, and the new parts of the country!! You name it, we saw it, and fell in love with it - from the most obvious, to the most random:

Taipei 101, the world's tallest building

A small mountain village (sounds like: Jeo Fahn) filled with food, clothes, random items!

The ocean side view from our hotel and mountainous land were great, a true reminder of our Creator's greatness!

Everyday is a continual reminder of the many blessings I've been given, and what a blessing it is to share God's Love throughout all the experiences I have here in Taiwan - in travel, or in teaching!

My first Sunday here in Taiwan, my first Taiwanese worship experience.

I go to a church called Salvation Lutheran, located in downtown Chiayi. So, a Chinese worship service. Confusing? In a way - but It was so amazing to worship with the Taiwanese people. What an experience to partake in - people of different languages, cultures - joining together to thank and praise the Creator of us all! We (the foreign teachers) spoke English while the others spoke Chinese, we sang the hymns in English, while the others sang Chinese, we heard the message in English (through a translator), while the other in Chinese...yet all was said, sung, and heard in one faith. Now, give me some time, and I hope to join in the Chinese speaking, singing, and listening - but hey, baby steps here! ; )

This brings me to my next thought on our worship today. We read in the Bible, and Pastor Leo mentioned today, "Do not worry about tommorow..." I began to think about this statement and how it is so greatly applicable to my life, to my work here. A perfect message to be had in this new worship experience. The ministry to be done here in Taiwan is in the hands of the Lord, and I am excited to be able to have the trust that He will lead me through all of the many encounters, in both teaching and in sharing His love, that I may have!

Taiwanamania has officially begun! I've landed! Praise God for such smooth travels and welcoming co-workers!

After about 30 hours of traveling, I was introduced to my new and bustling home. It has been a busy few days running around town, getting aquainted with the area, and with the many poeple who work at the Concordia School System. The weather is hot and humid....always feeling like summer! The rice is excellent, and the tea choices are unending!! My brand new bike proves to run smoothly as I've been exploring both campus and the city. Catching a few rides on the back of other teachers' scooters has also been a new exerience, as the driving moto here is..."Go with the Flow!" On top of it all, my Chinese ability is slowly growing as each hour passes. I am constantly learning about the culture, my coworkers, and myself more and more, day by day.

Thank you all so much for your continual prayers as I begin this new endeavor. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity and to surrounded by such supportive people - whatever continent they may be on!!