Nothing much...

Well, I know that it has taken me a long time to actually write a post to let all of you know how I am doing. Sorry:)

I’m doing great, life seems the same to me; so unless something really exciting happens, I really don’t feel like writing.

My Chinese friend Kelly, and I have just started to read “Our Daily Bread” together. By “together” I mean we read it separately, and then will talk about it later. We have not had time to go over what we have read so far, but I think it is awesome. Especially since she bought it, and came up with the idea herself.

And tomorrow the both of us will head out to a mountain, which I believe is in the Taipei area. There we plan to have a picnic, and take a lot of pictures! Hopefully I will post them very soon, so you can see!

One really exciting thing is that I will be heading back home the 25th of June! So I will be home for the fourth of July, one of the holidays I missed last year:) and I must say that I can’t wait to see everyone, it has been so long.

That’s just a little update…I’ll write more later!

"The guilt makes us sharper"

What do you do when you come to a point where you realized you did everything wrong. What you tried to do to make things right did not work. You thought things were fine, but they were the opposite. You knew there were problems, but you thought they were small. But, in one second you realize, they are bigger than you thought, and you are a problem.

You tried and failed…is it even worth it to continue? What were you doing wrong? Why could you have not done the right thing? Is there anyone you can talk to? Why am I so selfish as to not have realized the matter more fully?

The questions can’t stop coming. Your heart is heavy, yours eyes cloudy, fingers shaky, and your mind is racing.

The tears fall. The matter is clearer. You’ve realized the stakes…and right now have made a decision. It has either been to continue in the old way, or to start afresh.

The former will lead you down the path of shame and a life unfulfilled. The later will be hard, but will bring the satisfaction of knowing that you at least gave it your all and tried.

As a wise person once said “The guilt makes us sharper.” So it applies to all our lives. We realize our wrong. Strive to move on. And know where not to make that same mistake again.

A Long Time...

First I want to say sorry for waiting so long to post:) But, I think after I tell you what has been going on lately, you will forgive me.
About a month ago I came down with a cold, it was really bad...thankfully it lasted only a couple days. A week later I came down with a fever, and was in bed for like a week. I saw a Doctor after most of the sickness was gone. She said it was in my head, and gave me some Tylenol. Some days later I got a really bad cough, and I thought it was Bronchitis. This time I was sent to the hospital, and had a better Doctor.
It appears like I might have pneumonia. It's not at a really bad stage, but it could get worse. So I am writing to ask for prayer. I really want to get better, to work, and spend time with people. It gets lonely, but I have the most awesome friends, who are taking good care of me. I really don't want to get worse, so please pray! I love all of you! And of course I miss you guys!

Thanksgiving

This was my first Thanksgiving spent away from home... that should say a lot. I know that I really missed my family more than ever during this holiday. And I think the rest of the teachers here did too. We celebrated with a real thanksgiving dinner. Everyone brought their favorite dishes and the traditional food they would normally eat.

I guess I've realized how much I took my family and Friends back home for granted. I miss the corny jokes, the discussion times, being crazy and not worrying about it. I guess it's just being with the people you love, and being yourself. So from being away from home, and the ones that I love dearly, and miss greatly, I've learned how special they are to me. Nothing makes you appreciate it more, than to have it taken away, and you realize how much you need it.

I'm thankful for a Dad that willingly listens to my problems and helps me solve them. I know that if I called him at three in the morning, he would be happy I called him, and talk it out with me.

I'm thankful for a Mom that is always there to supply any need she hears of. Even if I slightly suggest something, right away she is there to try and meet it.

For a brother that talks to me about the little details back home. It makes me feel as if I was there. for another brother who is patient, and always has a good attitude. For a sister who is the best! Spunky in her own way, and always asks how I am doing. For yet another brother who is so adorably cute, and I miss his hugs very much! For a sister who is always making a joyful sound, I miss her smiles! Another sister, she is my sweetie pie! Always trying to be like me, and I love her to pieces. And my little baby sister, her small voice saying "I love you", is the sweetest sound to my ears.

Other than learning more and more what things I should be really thankful for, life is going great. We are trying to improve our teaching here at the English Village, and mixing stuff up.

I am probably going to start tutoring eight kids next week! That's an awesome opportunity, I'll let you know more later. I'm making many friends here, and spending time with them a lot.

Life...when it seems hopeless.

Sometimes in life a person runs across a time where they feel like they have nothing important to write about. They feel as if what they are doing really does not matter at all. They think their life will never add up to something significant. Each day is spent thinking about how dull their life is and how they want to do all these wonderful and exciting things.
But the sad part is that they never do them. We dream about it and put it off till tomorrow, and then the day after that, and it never gets done.
Sadly that’s what happening to many of us. We become so depressed in what are lives are like and what they are becoming, that we never change and keep thinking on what we will do tomorrow.
No matter how many times we go through a time of depression, or time of great longing; we still have not realized how this can be stopped and overcome.
We focus on the future. What we will do differently next time, what things we will try next week, or how to change some detail about our everyday lives.
And we never see the present. We never see how we can change the things we are doing at that moment. How doing something right there and then can matter for eternity.
It’s not a question of what will I change, or how I will do it differently. But, rather a question of what will I do right now. And what will I keep doing.
So many people stop right there, and never go any further. They never change their lives because they keep hoping for the morrow, that something better will turn up.
Each day is spent in a vain hope, and with no change whatsoever; except that the smile is swept of their face and the joy is gone from their life. Because they never showed anyone that they cared. And never believed they could change the world, and really matter.
What do you do when you realize that this is in you life, that you have become an average person, just living through life, and not trying to reach out to our world?
Stop it, and do that little thing you thought would be nice for someone. Give someone a hug. Help an elderly or disabled person. Go to an orphanage and just be there with the children. See the needs around you and meet them.
The most important thing is to keep doing it. Never giving it up, and striving to accomplish what we have set out to do.
If we fail here, we will keep falling back into that depression, never changing, and never mattering for eternity.

Seashell

Today after one of my classes, a little girl handed me a white seashell. I smiled and told her thank you. Then, looking on the seashell, my mind wandered off to some random thoughts. Holding the seashell, I thought of the little crab that used to live in it. All through it's life he gets bigger and has to move to another shell. He keeps doing this until he draws his last breath. Imagine having to find another shell, a bigger better one, and hoping that the shell has no one in it when he gets there. He has to struggle to get to that new shell, it's not easy, but very hard. And if he does not get there successfully, he will end up dieing.

I was thinking also, that we also have to move to new stages of our lives. We have to move out of the place where God has us, and go to the new one He has given us. As we grow in Him we have to keep moving and doing the things He has called us to. If we stay in our comfort zone, and never leave the thing that we already have worked with and done, when God says it's time to go; then we will just die like that crab, and never go anywhere or do anything. Life is not easy sometimes, and it's hard to know where the new shell God has for us is, but He will show us. We just have to be willing. God is showing me this over and over. I just have to continue to grow, follow Him, and wait for Him to show me where the next place He has for me is. This is hard for me most of the time, but we were never called to an easy life. It's a daily battle that I face, one that requires self denial and sacrifice. Sometimes I think I will never make it, but at those times my Father just picks me up and sets me on my feet, with the urging to keep going on. Praise God that He never gives up on us, and when we can't go on, He is there to help and guide us!

There and back again...a travler's tale

Well, the Vacation to Hualien went well. We traveled on a bus the whole way.At first we were excited, but after a few hours, we could not wait to get off the bus. Stopping frequently, to get off the bus and explore was our only consolation of not getting too car sick.

Riding on the road was a little scary sometimes, because of the typhoon, most of the road had fallen off into the ocean. So during some of our trip we would be looking down into the ocean as we drove past. While most of sane people would just not talk about it, and pray for the best; Hannah and I were talking the whole time about what would happen if we fell, how we would get off the bus, sharks, and the possibility of death for everyone. Isn't that an interesting discussion?

After about a ten hour trip, we finally got to our destination. There we rested, and started another day of touring. We saw beaches, went shopping, saw awesome mountains, and got to grow closer together as a whole. But, I must say, all of us were happy to get home.

Please remember us in prayer, alot of the group is sick with a virus that seems to be going around. I have not got it yet, and I really hope I don't.