10 random observations (and updates, don't worry)

1) All the guys here... are either really short, really skinny, or really girly.
2) All the girls here... are either with a guy that's 2 feet taller than them or with a guy that's 2 feet shorter than them.
3) Jeremy Lin's face everywhere. Literally.
4) I'm really tall and really big here. I'm the dream height for guys here. Imagine how tiny some clothes are here for me.
5) I swear I saw a guy with a headband today and a guy carrying a leather purse around.
6) Blond hair's what's popular.
7) This new phone called "___ Ace" is pronounced "A@@" everywhere. Maybe I should write a letter to the company...
8) There are churches on every block now!! Praise God!
9) People love to just stand in front of you when you're sitting, block you when you're walking, or stare at you.
10) They love to check-in on Facebook more than us... no matter where they are.


Can you guys believe it that it's already almost a month since I've moved here?! Time goes by so fast...

Last Sunday I checked out my first church located just around 5 minutes from me (on a mo-pad that is). It was really interesting because it's an only mandarin speaking church. The people were very welcoming though. Coco, one of the leaders I've become friends with, has been taking me everywhere and eating everywhere.

Finally got to try some Taiwanese beef noodles! Costed only around US$1.66!!

Kaohsiung's famous "Love River" (愛河)

A museum dedicated to old Taiwan movies

Stinky Tofu in crab ragoon style

Stinky tofu in spring roll style

Restaurant where they cook it right in front of you. Our whole meal only costed US$9!

Came with self-serve rice, soup, and iced red tea unlimited.

Main course. We ordered more but I forgot to take pictures ha...

Bought myself a little mopad helmet from all the mo-pad rides I've been getting ha...

Also since this Wednesday, I've become an English tutor for their morning elementary review class (補習班）. The students  were really shy so it's been a challenge warming up to them haha.

After homework review, it would be a special class according to that day. Wednesday's was a traditional Chinese board game

One of the student's homework assignment book

When I was being introduced to the students, one of the teachers kept joking about how I had an "American Chinese accent" and just kept laughing about it. That was my first time hearing that I had an American accent...

I also got the privilege of meeting up with a friend that I met three years ago through a church! She took me to a night market and ate another style of hot pot (痲辣鍋). It was great catching up with her too before she goes studying abroad at Germany.

Ma la guo!

Yuki (:

A picture from us shopping

I also met up with my first student's mother! This is definitely another amazing thing God provided. Her husband was a pastor at Denver for 18 years and 2 years ago, the whole family moved to Taiwan. Her two daughters (a 3rd grader and a 1st grader) was in need of an English tutor and apparently have been praying for one. I finally got to have lunch with her and it was so easy to talk to her. Right away we got to talk about how our lives were, how my two years of college was, why I'm here and about her side of the story about some stuff too. What's more amazing is they live right across from me. They've invited me to their church which has around 2000 people, 3 services, and is bilingual. She also offered me right on the spot today if I want to teach English in their church too. So I'll be checking out her church next Sunday including their college fellowship.  I definitely need to pray about this! Praise God indeed though! I really can't wait to know this family more.

My first tutoring job thus will begin next Wednesday. I'll be teaching Kariss Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for an hour for the rest of the year.

I'll be also checking out the church's college fellowship for the first time this Sunday. I really haven't settled down on a church yet but so far, I like this church. We shall see... I really hope to make a decision by this month.

School starting in 9 days!! Ahh!!


Prayer requests:
1) Like I've mentioned above, the churches. Hope God will give me wisdom and discernment on which church to stay and serve at.

2) As the tutoring starts, like how the mother and I have the same vision, that I'll also be an older sister to Kariss and be there for her spiritually. Pray that I'll be in a humble and loving position for her.

3) SCHOOL! That I'll be able to make friends and study hard this year here!


"I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps."
Jeremiah 10:23

May you remind me of that every single day...

TO DO LIST:

1) KTV (last time got cancelled)
2) Go to a beach and eat seafood
3) Eat a bowl of Taiwanese beef noodles
4) Thoroughly walk through Dream Mall
5) Go to night markets in any city I'm in
6) Watch a movie at the theater
7) Walk in a rainy day
8) Eat stinky tofu
9) Explore my university's campus
10) Meet up with old friends
11) Go to Kenting
12) Go to Taipei
13) Drink a Taiwanese beer (I'm legal here!)
14) Ride on mo-pads
15) Skype with someone from Chicago
16) Play those claw machines and win something (Jerry kind of did this for me...)
17) Go on an adventure with my DSLR
18) Eat exotic foods
19) Learn Taiwanese (um... yeah crossing this out after a year)
20) See my old babysitter and family members 

Comment if you have anymore suggestions! (:

Mommy&Daddy

Mom and dad came to Taiwan two days ago! We went everywhere: Da Tong Mall, Rue Feng Nightmarket, my University, etc etc. It was definitely a wonderful two days with them.

Grandma and Dad

Mom and Taiwanese shaved ice 

After they left today, it made me reflect on many things. Instead of rewriting it, I'll just copy and paste what I wrote to my prayer group:

"I think it's really clicking now haha... everything. How I'm here, and new school, and everything. I think it's because I've finished all my government stuff: ID, health insurance, bank account, medical examinations.
I just hope I'll make some friends this year that can speak English, haha. All the people I've met so far... it's so hard to communicate. I never knew how much my chinese suck until now.

Anyways... yeah, parents came to visit... Had a good time shopping and eating with them after also. But now that they've left, I think it's really clicked that for the rest of my life, it'll be harder to see them instead of an hour train or car ride away...

It's just all the memories of me wanting to grow up fast, move out fast, so I can be independent and the now me regretting it ... now I am actually, really, alone and independent in the world now. 20 years old is so young... how come I never treasured those years when I had the chance to be a child with them? ...Haha I hate how all of this is clicking now! ... "




Mommy and daddy, thank you for loving me. Thank you for all the times when I rebelled, you embraced me when I turned back around; all the times when I was rude, you both still yet spoke to me gently; all the times you called to check up on me even when you both knew I wouldn't pick up with a loving, welcoming voice; all the times you both worked so hard to save and support this family. We were never considered blessed with a lot of money, but all the worldly treasures cannot replace what we've always had as a family. Love you both.

"Listen, my son, to your father's instruction
and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
They will be a garland to grace your
head
and a chain to adorn your neck."
Proverbs 1:8-9

jeremiah

"Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number." 
Jeremiah 2:32

"What is faith?" 
I cannot even begin to share how long that question has been repeating in my head. Like a taunting voice, it won't stop echoing and repeating itself; rebuking and challenging me. Ever since the plane ticket was bought for this one year in Taiwan, it just feels like I don't know the answer anymore. Flipping back and forth through His word, His love letters to me, I've just been getting more rebuking words than reassurances. 


I've been reading Jeremiah for a long time and of course, the first four chapters are all about Israel and her brokenness that keeps driving herself away from Him. Impossibly hard to not see myself as her, Jeremiah's words hasn't done anything else except pierce my heart with guilt, doubt, and questions. Thing were going well... 


What does it mean to be His daughter? To live a life of faith? To truly be immersed in His joy and love? Do I actually believe in all this or am I just so used to living a life "of faith" because I grew up with it? If I let go, how many people would I disappoint? 


I just want to have that child-like faith again. 


Taiwan's been so hard in a way that ... it's definitely a spiritual battle every single day. My family here challenges my faith with their questions and sarcastic jokes sometimes; seeing idols and temples on every streets and the people offering up their lives to them more passionately than I can love my God. 


If I'm not living for You, then what am I living for? What can I live for? 






Why am I here?