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.

A long time later...she writes a post.

Sorry that I have not been keeping up on this blog as I should be. But, I will try to keep it up. Other then exploring death mountain, guy's hoodies, strange mountain men, neat jane austen hairdos, surprise teaching opportunities(with a 5 second thought of a lesson plan), running around Taipei with voice students, and spending time with friends; I have not been too busy:)
My school is going great. I am able to spend a lot of time with Mary, a nurse at the school, she is very interested in what I am doing, and has looked up at everything that she possibly could on the Internet. The English teacher's name is Jessie, she is very kind and trys to help me in every way she can. The principle hardly knows English, but she can say my name:) My driver can speak little, I plan to find out how much later.
We have started working with YWAM, they are doing a lot of stuff with the community. Like the English cafe, where they take in people, have coffee or tea, and do English lessons. They have a boy's home ministry, abused women and children shelter, and they do hospital visitation. I plan to try and help out in every thing I can. This would basically fill up my time in the afternoon, right after my teaching time. Another answer to prayer, of how to fill up this time.
On Saturday I plan to go to Hualien for vacation. There we will celebrate the moon festival and meet some of the other TESOL teachers. I'll fill you guy's on the detail later.

I am here!

Well, here I am finally at the English Village. We started this week on Monday, and everything seems to be going well. We have the kids for two days, and then they leave. The places we are teaching are the Airport, Library, Bank, Store, Clinic, Drama, Science, Dance, and Cooking. These past few times I have taught the library, which has been fun. The lesson time we have with each group is 40 minutes, then we go to another class. Which makes a total of 5 classes a day for each place. You can imagine that after awhile we start to get a little bored with our classes, our throats get dry, and start to hurt, and we get very tired after the day is over. Other than that, I am excited that we have finally started the EV, we know what is expected and we just have to do it. I am excited about going to the school and teaching for the day. It will be something new and refreshing. Which is something all of us need. I hope to put up some pictures of the EV later, because I am really feeling tired. Sorry it has taken me so long to do a post!