Rod's Taiwan Life Blog

New Blog About Down Syndrome

2011-05-23T20:30:00.004-04:00

I've just started a new blog called "The Deal With Downs". I invite you to check it out and subscribe if you like.

Thanks.

And so it ends....

2011-05-17T13:42:00.007-04:00

This post is notify my blog readers (assuming there are at least a few), that this particular blog will come to an end as of today. As the title indicates, I originally started it to document the experiences and musings of what life was like for me in Taiwan. Last week my wife and I submitted our resignation to our sending mission, and so we will not be returning to life and ministry in Taiwan. The reasons for this decision are entirely personal and family related. We leave our mission on good terms. We may yet visit Taiwan in the future, or even serve there on a short term basis, but for the next foreseeable season of our lives, there is something different in store. (If you want to read a copy of our letter to our supporters, you can find it in the blog section on our family website here).

I would like to start another blog in time, as I do enjoy the creative writing outlet. If nothing else, it may just consist of my ongoing musings of life in general, and my faith in particular. I thought I might call it "Rod's Ramblings", but apparently there already is a blog by that title. If you have any suggestions about what I should blog about, or suggestions for a name/title, please let me know.

By the way, I will keep this blog up (even though I won't be posting), but if and when I start a new blog, I will announce it here, so if you stay subscribed, you'll hear about it that way.

Take care. Love you all.

Proud of My Wife

2011-05-10T17:47:00.006-04:00

This is "old news" in the sense that the half marathon my wife (pictured on right) ran with a friend/neighbor was already a month ago, but I am still proud of her accomplishment. She trained with her friend for months running up to the marathon, which was held to help raise funds for Retina Research. I could only watch in wonder and admiration as my wife never flagged in her discipline to train, running in even the nastiest of Canadian winter weather.

She completed the 21 km. run in 2 hours, 26 min. Not a blistering speed (as far as seasoned marathon runners go), but the feat itself was far beyond anything I could even attempt. I was, and am, impressed, and one proud husband!

Songs I've Written & Recorded - Provided For Me

2011-02-17T08:54:00.010-05:00

Years ago (1990 to be exact) I recorded a tape (yes it was cassette tapes back then) of many of the songs I had written over the previous years. The name of my album was "Provided For Me", which was also the title track. Click a listen to the song here, "Provided For Me". I'll let the words speak for themselves. I think the song was written in May 1983, just after finishing second semester at Winnipeg Bible College (now Providence), and I had recently moved back to my parents' home for the summer. I remember it was one of the first really beautiful days of Spring that year.

I will probably post more songs from that album in the coming weeks. If you would like a copy of the full album (11 higher quality mp3 files, or a CD quality disc), let me know. I am not charging a price, but being a missionary, I will take donations. Cheques can be made payable to "Rod Seib". (I'm serious, I'm not joking. I put a lot of time into writing, recording, and now digitizing the songs).

NOTE: A few more words about the recording itself: The songs were recorded on a Fostex 4 track recorder, which allowed me to multi-track, blend harmonies, add a lead guitar part in addition to the rhythm, etc. The songs were recorded in a basement room in my parent's farmhouse. The bottom halves of empty egg shell containers were taped over the walls to give an acoustically "dead" recording studio feel to it. The artist's performance is not perfect. I sing off key in a couple of places, and hit a sour note or two on the guitar, but hey, it's pretty darn good given what I had to work with.

What's New?

2011-02-17T05:19:00.007-05:00

This is one of those "catch up" posts to a) let you know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, and b), "catch you up" on what's been happening, and what God is doing in my life the past couple months. So, let's dive right in, shall we?

1. Christmas holidays were good in some ways, not so good in others. It was interesting to see our oldest (Erin) be kind of out of sorts for the first few days of the holidays, as expectable routine is very important for her, and she loves her school situation so much she definitely hates not being able to go.

2. I'd just like to forget most of the month of January if possible. Depressing, lifeless, dark, and frosty, in more ways than one.

3. On Jan 26 I flew to Vancouver for Missionfest weekend. Besides representing SEND International at the conference, and having a great time doing a program with 70 kids one night, I had an awesome time reconnecting with old friends and some family. When I get together with my sisters (my two older ones in this case) we talk, laugh, eat, laugh, talk, eat, try not to choke while we laugh and talk while we eat, and of course there's talking. Did I mention talking? Thanks, Karen, and Sandy, for a great visit I will always remember.

4. From Vancouver I went to Winnipeg, to represent SEND at Manitoba Missionfest. Talk about arriving on a different planet, meteorologically speaking. Driving out to Providence College one day, the blowing, drifting snow and sub-arctic temps made it seem like I was driving across the surface of Pluto. How did I ever live in this place for 5 years??!! Anyway, the coldness of the Manitoba winter is often quickly melted by the warm fellowship of friends I have had there seemingly for a lifetime (and in some cases that's true). Thanks to all friends there that I had the chance to reconnect with. And thanks, cousin Roy, for the use of your house and your truck. I missed not seeing you and Anne, however, and I am very jealous that you were in Hawaii while I was in "Winterpeg".

5. Had a very warm welcome from my wife and kidlets when I returned to London on Feb. 8. It's great to be missed. And it's always fun to dispense with gifts I collect along the way for them when I go on a trip like this. I am so thankful for each of my children, and that I have a close, affectionate relationship with each of them, even my "going on 13 years old" son.

6. As I spend time in God's word, and am fed with the teaching and fellowship at our church, I am gaining a new understanding of who Jesus is (cf. John, 1 John, Colossians, Hebrews). His pre-existence means that when the universe was created, he was there. Think of what that means, and now this same Jesus loves me more than any other ever can, and he will never leave me or forsake me. I can have peace in the storm, and fear nothing, as I know he is always with me and in control.

7. I'll finish this list with a "Biblical #7", just by saying that God is doing some wonderful things in my life. Yes, I'm getting old (I will turn 50 this July), and I'm overweight and out of shape, and I have chronic hip pain that makes me think I might be better off in a home commiserating with a generation older than me. But, in my spirit, I have hope. God has blessed me with so much, and I recognize maybe only a tenth of the grace He has poured upon me, and even just that much overwhelms my soul to sing.

A Weekend To Remember

2010-11-09T08:58:00.001-05:00

My wife and I participated in a marriage enrichment retreat this past weekend. It was put on by Family Life Canada, a ministry under the "Power To Change" umbrella organization. We had previously attended a marriage weekend through the same organization about 7 years ago. That one was held in Niagara Falls, ON. This last one was at the Blue Mountain Resort & Conference Center near Collingwood, ON. Family Life Canada typically hosts about 8 or 9 such weekend marriage conferences a year, in various cities and places across Canada. They even have one in Chinese (Mandarin) next spring in Ottawa.

Just as it was 7 years ago, this past weekend was an incredible opportunity for Eileen and I to reconnect, apart from the distractions of life and parenting, and focus on the current health, and hopes, of our marriage. One of the statements from the facilitators was that "The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. It is greener where you water it.", and this past weekend, we were able to do a lot of watering, cultivating, and even routing out some "weeds" that had started to grow in our relationship.

Eileen and I firmly believe in the value of these marriage retreat weekends. Family Life Canada is a top notch organization, with excellent, experienced, and transparent facilitators. Couples at any stage of their marriage can benefit from the excellent teaching, challenges, and encouragement available through this marriage conference. We would highly recommend this to anyone who is committed to making their marriage more fulfilling and satisfying, living out the purposes God designed for this wonderful, unique, and foundational human relationship. Eileen and I are even praying that God might help us in a financial way to give the gift of "A Weekend To Remember" for other couples we know.

For more information on Family Life Canada's ministries, check out their website here. A schedule of upcoming marriage retreats can be found here.

What Now?

2010-10-20T10:53:00.003-04:00

Now that my family has settled into basic life routines back in Canada, and we're all feeling relatively well-adjusted, I have asked myself, "What should I blog about now?" I started the blog, and intended it to be, personal thoughts on life as a missionary in Taiwan. Well, right now, I'm not in Taiwan. For the next nine months we will (Lord willing), continue to make our home in Canada, following which (Lord willing), we will return to ministry in Taiwan. So, not having been overly motivated to blog about much of anything the past four months, I wonder what the focus should be for the immediate future....

In talking about this with a friend the other day, she suggested I write about "transitions". A good idea, since that has been the experience of our family this year. I also thought about writing about cultural comparisons between Taiwan and Canada. I have had a Twitter account for almost 3 years now (visit @tairod to follow me), and most of what I "tweet" about there has to do with either Taiwan or Canada, so the cultural comparison theme might be a natural expansion on that.

In any case, I don't plan to change the name of the blog. Being temporarily away from Taiwan does not equal absence from Taiwan, if you know what I mean, and as long as we plan to return, that will be our focus. There are a lot of exciting things God is doing in Taiwan, and still a lot of needs and work to be done, so if you follow along, you'll be hearing more about that in the weeks and months to come.

Avoiding Drift

2010-09-21T21:28:00.003-04:00

Just thought I'd share a great quote this morning from a book I'm reading about the importance of spending time DAILY in God's Word:

"Know this: All of us drift somewhat, because we still wear human flesh. We must contend with and abate a warped and sinful nature that will accompany us on our journey throughout this lifetime. However, meeting with divine mentors on a daily basis will allow us to make the necessary corrections in smaller increments, so we don't have to go through the shock of a major adjustment. We must make frequent stops. Without consistent compass checks to assure our direction, we can drift and drift and discover too late our miscalculations. (Wayne Cordeiro in "The Divine Mentor")

The "divine mentors" Cordeiro refers to are those in the Scriptures through whom God has worked out His divine purposes throughout Biblical history, and in whom we see the revelation and application of His truth. I am really being challenged by this book. Whether you choose to read it or not, I would encourage you to examine your own "drift", and be convinced again that being steeped in God's truth is the best way to avoid the pain of sinful choices.

Western Canada Trip

2010-08-18T10:10:00.007-04:00

We've just returned to London, Ontario, from a wonderful time out in Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta). We visited 7 different churches, spent time with family and friends, and were refreshed by God's goodness. It was exciting to able to share with many what God is doing in Taiwan, and the vision SEND Taiwan has for reaching the least-reached peoples there (more on that soon).

Now we settle into some "routine" for the coming year. This will be a year to rest, recover, reflect, recharge, renew, and respond to what God has for us. A big "hurdle" for us is the additional financial support we need to raise in order to return to Taiwan next summer. I say "hurdle" for us, but it's not a hurdle for God. We are trusting for His provision, as He always has provided for us in the past.

"O Sovereign LORD, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?"

- Deuteronomy 3:24

Praying for a Friend

2010-05-07T08:27:00.004-04:00

Last week a good friend of mine was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. He and his wife were actually taking care of our kids while my wife and I got away for a weekend by ourselves. He had gone out to run an errand and upon returning to our house was struck by a young Taiwanese kid going WAY TOO FAST down a narrow lane behind our house. In the 3+ years that we have lived here I have witnessed at least 6 accidents at that particular cross-alley. It is a dangerous place to cross, especially for those that aren't aware of it. I never thought a close friend of mine would be one of the "statistics" of that crossing.

I, along with several friends, visited him in the hospital today, and prayed for him. We question why this had to happen to him, why now; especially since he and his wife lost their oldest daughter earlier this year in a motor vehicle accident in America in January. What we do know is that God is not finished with him yet. God still has plans for him. Please pray for my friend, Scott, and his wife, Leslie. Pray for God's grace to overflow in their lives at this time. We are all in the war together.

How's Your Marriage?

2010-02-20T22:58:00.008-05:00

I'd thought I'd share this video and song. It's from the movie "Fireproof", which many people have seen already, especially if they are in the Christian faith. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It is a lower budget movie, and there are some slightly cheesy moments, but it is a powerful film with a message that hits right at the core of what is needed in a marriage relationship.

My wife and I first watched it about a year ago, and then we watched it again last week. I got more out of it the second time. I was also very blessed by this song that is featured in the movie. It deals with a major theme and lesson that God has been teaching me over the past 3 months, that of moving ahead in obedience, even as I WAIT on Him. Too often I go to one extreme or the other; confusing waiting on God with doing nothing, or, on the other hand, simply taking control of my own life to the exclusion of any consideration of His will and purposes for me. I am learning that it is both/and; the Divine will working in concert with my will. This song has been a special encouragement to me, and I hope it can be to you as well.

Even if you are not a Christian, if you are committed to your spouse and want to build a better marriage, I would recommend watching the movie and discussing it together with your spouse. I hope the "romance" of Valentine's Day will not be lost too quickly, but translate into an ongoing, growing love and commitment in your marriage.

Grief and Hope

2010-01-23T02:24:00.010-05:00

Yesterday we received the tragic news that the oldest daughter of some dear friends of ours here in Taiwan had been killed in a car accident in North Carolina. Aimee was 25 years old, and just at the beginning of her career as an elementary school teacher in the U.S. My wife and I have known the family since we first came to Taiwan in the early 90's, when Aimee was only 7 years old. We deeply feel the sense of loss and grief that Aimee's parents, sister, and brothers are feeling at this time.

Aimee Elisabeth Powell

1984-2010

Aimee's death was sudden and unexpected, unlike the passing of one of our neighbors, a Taiwanese grandmother who was well into her 90's and had been ill for some time. Today they are holding a funeral service for her across our lane. Family has gathered to "meditate" as prayers are chanted for the departed soul.

As I listened to the monotone chanting, I wondered what hope our neighbors have for the eternal destiny of this woman's soul. I believe it is quite unlike the hope that Aimee's family has, knowing that Aimee loved Jesus and lived with the assurance that one day she would live with him in heaven, as she now is. There is still the pain of loss, of course, but Aimee's family, and everyone else who knew Aimee and knows Jesus, live in confidence that we will see her again one day. And Aimee, like her missionary parents, had a burden to share that hope in Christ with others. May many come to know the hope found only in Christ.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

- Paul's Letter to the Romans

Chapter 8:38-39

Christmas 2009 Activities

2009-12-29T21:48:00.018-05:00

Well, the 2009 Christmas season has come, and is almost gone. Here is a summary of what the holidays held for us as a family this year:

No H1N1. Well, we did get it, but fortunately well before the holidays started, and we could enjoy the Christmas season knowing we were now immune to it and didn't have to live in fear of picking it up at some point during the holidays.
Getting together with my English students for a special lunch. We went to McDonalds. Yes, McDonalds. Does that mean it wasn't so special? It was fun anyway.
Going bowling and a trip to Costco. Bowling is always a fun thing to do as a family, and the highlight of going to Costco is getting to eat there (usually their hotdogs).
Outreach activity with local elementary students. I helped lead singing Christmas songs, and the pastor shared the Christmas story.
Singing Christmas carols on Christmas eve at the CCT church. Though we don't attend CCT regularly, this has been a "tradition" for our family. Props to Lillian Dwight and friends for leading a great service this year.
Sharing with the teachers at Da Peng Elementary School. I was able to share (in Taiwanese) the background/history of the song "Silent Night", and then lead them in singing it.
Caroling and sharing the true meaning of Christmas with Patients at China Medical Hospital. Our church, along with about 5 other church groups, met at the hospital on Christmas evening, and sang carols in the main lobby, and then near the emergency waiting room area. We also went up to the 6th floor ward and went room by room, sharing about Christmas, handing out gift bags, and praying with patients.
Having a great Christmas meal with friends, and playing "Ticket To Ride". Sharing holiday food with friends, of course, is one of the best things in the world. We hope our friends enjoyed our company this year as much as we enjoyed theirs. Thanks, Jon & Beth, for introducing us to the "train game".
Visiting my friend A-Hong. I met A-hong in the hospital over a year ago. He is now in a physiotherapy recovery center. My son and I went to visit him yesterday, hoping to bring some Christmas cheer into his heart. He was very glad for the visit and the Christmas cookies I brought.

There are other activities we still have planned before the end of the holidays (going to the Flying Cow Ranch, going out for a special meal at a favorite restaurant, etc.). As you can see, though, we didn't go too far afield this year. Good to just spend some time at home as a family, too.

A Jackhammer Christmas

2009-12-23T00:11:00.003-05:00

I grew up on a farm outside of a small town on the vast expanse of the Canadian prairies. It was quiet at night (except for the occasional dog barking), but it was super quiet at night at Christmas time, especially when a fresh blanket of snow covered the ground. I will forever have memories of standing outside on the nights leading up to Christmas, being lost in the silence. I wondered if the night was as still and quiet for the shepherds just before the angels crashed on the scene.

Stillness and quiet is not part of Christmas here in Taiwan. In fact, this year seems especially full of noise pollution as the neighbors have taken to renovating their house the past few weeks. Renovating a house in Taiwan invariably means the use of a concrete drill day after day, sometimes as early as 8:00 in the morning to 9:00 in the evening. When the drill is not being used, there are still various noises of tapping, banging, hammering, grinding, tearing, crashing, and ripping. And since the houses are all basically built in the same concrete block, the noise vibrates seemingly as loud in our house as it does 2 doors down.

So, the challenge, for those that typically like to spend a quiet Christmas, is to find peace in the noise, stillness in the vibrations (which we also had from a recent 6.8 earthquake). One has to find a quiet inside oneself, because it doesn't exist in the air around a Taiwanese city.

In closing, I offer the Taiwanese version of "Joy To The World" (with apologies to Isaac Watts):

Noise to the world, the work's begun

Let men their drills employ

While hammers and saws, grind ceaselessly each day

Repeat the clanging tools

Repeat the clanging tools,

Repeat, repeat, the clanging tools

Quiet or loud, may you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

H1N1 - Seib Saga Update

2009-12-11T00:49:00.005-05:00

Well, yesterday our son tested positive for H1N1, and this morning my wife did. So that's 3 of 5 in the family with it confirmed. I suspect I have had it, but tested negative both times I had the test this week. I do however have bronchitis now, a secondary infection from the flu, so I'm on antibiotics for that. It is surprising that our daughter with Down Syndrome, who supposedly has a weaker immune system, so far has not developed any flu symptoms. We pray for God's continued protection over her health.

How kind the Lord is! How good he is!

So merciful, this God of ours!

The Lord protects those of childlike faith;

I was facing death, and he saved me.

Let my soul be at rest again,

for the Lord has been good to me.

-Psalm 116:5-7

So, at this point, our youngest daughter can return to school on Monday, our son next Tuesday, and my wife on Wednesday. It's been a tough week, but it's encouraging to see everything progress and run its course. It'll be so nice to get back into some "healthy routine" when this is all over.

H1N1 - Our Numbers Came Up

2009-12-08T05:03:00.012-05:00

Well, it finally happened. The H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic finally caught up with our household. Our youngest daughter was confirmed with it this past Sunday, and of course is home from school this whole week. This means that the rest of our family is technically "quarantined" as well. Our son must also stay home from school this week, even though at this point he is "healthy as a fiddle" (whatever that means). The rest of us are discouraged from going out, unless absolutely necessary.

I went for an H1N1 "rapid test" at the local health clinic, and the result was negative, even though I feel like crap and am pretty sure I have it. I learned later that these rapid tests are horribly inaccurate, though I'm glad my youngest daughter actually tested positive as it meant the doctor could give her the anti-viral medication, which seems to really be helping her. I, on the other hand, continue to suffer...... (start pity party music here).

Keeping the kids on task with their school work is proving a challenge, and we are trying not to think too far ahead should our son (whom my wife and I affectionately at times refer to as "the boy") come down with it this weekend and then have to miss a second week of school.

In any case, we will survive this. As they say in Hebrew, גם זה יעבור‎, (gam zeh yaavor), "This, too, shall pass."

A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T00:54:00.009-05:00

Thinking of the American Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow (although I am Canadian), I read and meditated this morning on the following passage in my Bible:

"I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

Psalm 50:8-15 (NIV)

With this in mind, I direct your attention to the article posted here:

200,000 animals to be sacrificed at Hindu festival

Does your God need the sacrifices of bulls, goats, and fowl? Does he hunger for blood? Jesus has already paid the "once for all" blood sacrifice (Hebrews 7:27). I choose to offer a sacrifice of praise and a grateful heart. Which God do you serve? What are you thankful for?

Of Cops, Contradictions, and Getting Caught

2009-11-20T00:45:00.002-05:00

Once a year, as foreigners living in Taiwan, we need to renew our Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). Once that is renewed, we can then renew our driver's licenses. My wife has a driver's license for the car, and I have one for car and another one for motorcycle.

On the day that the licenses were to expire, I went down to the local "DMV". I handed over the current licenses along with our ARC's. The fellow at the counter asked, "Do you have your photos?"

"What photos?", I asked.

"You need new photos.", he replied.

Needless to say I was a little frustrated, but I just left, planning to return the next day, with photos.

TWO days later I was on my scooter headed down to the DMV. I noticed a traffic light turn amber, then red just half a block up. I was in a rush, so I decided to do what so many people do in Taiwan on scooters, and make a left turn on the left turn arrow that was now lit. This is for cars turning left, but scooters are to advance to the corner ahead and then wait for the next green light (a 2 stage turn).

As I smoothly sailed through the intersection I smirked to myself, pleased with being able to shave a minute off my travel time. Then I heard the whistle blow. Darn!! Two police officers waiting at the side of the road pulled me over. The one young officer asked to see my license. I said, "You know, that's funny, because I am rushing on my way to get it renewed. It expired 2 days ago."

He didn't laugh as he issued me a warning.

Five minutes later I entered the DMV to renew my licenses. "Here are the photos", I said to the lady at the window I approached.

"What photos?", she asked.

"The man I saw 2 days ago said I needed photos."

"Photos? We don't need photos."

Ah. Okay. So that's how it's going to be. I took the renewed licenses and continued on my way, being careful not to make anymore illegal turns.

Today as I went out with the pastor on visitation, he made a comment to me, "I read in the paper that the police this month are cracking down on scooters making illegal turns."

"You don't say....."

Earthquakes

2009-11-05T20:34:00.005-05:00

Last night a fairly major earthquake struck Taiwan, with many aftershocks, both large and small, continuing through the evening and night. The epicenter was in Nantou county, which is only about an hour's drive south from where we live. Initial reports put the quake at a magnitude 6.0, but other reports say it was as high as 7.0.

We have felt numerous quakes in the past 3 years since returning to Taiwan. None of them however, made my heart jump the way it did last night. We were in the middle of eating an early supper (as Paige had her piano lesson at 6:00 p.m.) when a sudden jolt hit and the whole house rattled and shook. Eileen and I quickly looked at each other and said, "Let's get out of here!" We ran to the lane outside, finding many of our neighbors had done the same. As we congregated in the lane we suddenly noticed that Erin (our oldest daughter, age 15, with Down Syndrome) was not with us. We looked back in the house; she was merrily sitting at the dining table eating her supper. Eileen went back in to coax her out, but she wasn't about to leave her food without a fight. I had to go back in and we literally had to drag her out. Fun! We felt bad later for not even thinking about her and just running out of the house. BAD parents, BAD parents!! Guess we'll have to do some earthquake drills to teach her what to do.

You can find more info about earthquakes in Taiwan here.

For My Dad's 83rd Birthday

2009-10-19T20:00:00.000-04:00

On October 26th, my Dad turns 83 years old. I am sending him this letter:

----------------------------------------

Dear Dad,

You are turning 83 this year. Do you feel old? I am only 48, and I feel old. But I’ll bet you only feel old in body, but not in spirit.

I was thinking, instead of sending you a card this year, I would send you a letter, some musings and reflections from a son to his father. You have been my Dad for 48 years, though you have been a father for longer than that. For actually 56 years, right? Anyway, there’s a lot one can pack into 48 years….

I remember being a little child. But Christmas, I especially remember Christmas. I remember you driving us home from the Christmas Eve service at church, and we would all have to wait patiently by the tree while you parked the car in the garage. I remember almost peeing myself with excitement. Then you would come in the house and SLOWLY take off your coat and spats. Finally, we could open our gifts.

I also remember when you bought your new 350 Detroit Cummings Diesel truck. I remember one of the first trips you took with it, to The Pas. I remember you taking me along, and fueling up at the Texaco station before hitting the road. It was early in the morning, but being the good Dad you were, you bought me a grape soda and a bag of chips. I dug into them as any child would. But before we hit Mafeking, I threw it all up on your new truck. I don’t remember you being angry at all, but just cleaning it up and being concerned for how I felt. I realized later how you must have felt. I would feel bad if someone threw up over my new truck.

I remember the times we toured the rodeo circuit together. Unlike Barry, I wasn’t old enough to compete in any of the events myself, but you enjoyed having me there just to watch you. Maybe I never told how proud I was to see you race your chuck wagon around the track. You didn’t win often (if ever), but I was still proud of you just for trying. Racing for the Queen of England was the epitome of your rodeo career. I still tell people how proud I was of you for racing chuck wagons and taking me to the rodeos.

And the camping and fishing. I will never forget the camping and fishing trips. You know that many times I complained about being bored and being cold and wanting to go home. But you were so patient. You were willing to endure the cold and boredom just for a nibble on the line. My favorite was when we had lunch and opened the thermos for some tea. The warm tea was especially appreciated on those ice fishing trips.

I also remember the hard work. Dragging hay bails off the bailer and stacking them on the rack. You were impatient with me at times, but that’s okay. I would be impatient, too. And fencing. I never liked fencing, but I knew it was an important job. I remember handing you the staples as you held the wire tight and nailed it to the post.

And then there was the wood cutting expeditions. I always thought it was a great adventure to go to the mountains and cut down trees and saw them into logs and pile them into the back of the truck. What a great memory. I felt like a true man when you let me use the axe, or the chain saw, or the wood splitter.

Dad, I would not be who I am if it wasn’t for you. We had our fights. We had our disagreements. But you always supported and encouraged me when it counted.

I remember when I was trying to raise support for going to Taiwan for the first time, and in a church meeting some people criticized me for going with a non NABC mission. I remember you, you who never stood up for anything before, stand up boldly and defend your son. I remember you speaking up for me. I remember your love.

I remember after my first year of Bible college, when I didn’t do so well academically. I remember calling you from college one night, telling you that I had failed a history course. I felt so ashamed. I remember you saying that it didn’t matter; that you still loved me and supported me. I was comforted by your words and love. I also remember you coming into my bedroom one night and saying that if I wanted to tour Western Canada with my blue grass band buddies, that you would support it and even buy us a van to tour in. Why did I not realize at that moment what a great father God had given me??

Dad, I love you. You are not a perfect Dad, and God knows I have not been a perfect son. But we are grateful for each other. I know you love me, and I can only hope you know how much I love you.

Thank-you Dad for loving me. Thank-you for giving yourself to me. Thank-you for disciplining me when needed, and thank-you for showing me how to love life and receive the good gifts God gives to all His children.

I am sending you my love and hugs from across the sea. God keep you till we can meet again next summer.

Love,

Your son,

Rod

Guess The Economy's Not All That Bad

2009-10-11T01:39:00.007-04:00

Homes in Taiwan that do not have direct natural gas piped in must buy and use liquid propane gas (LPG) from a local vendor. The gas comes in different size bottles/tanks. Once you pay the initial deposit on the bottle, you simple call the vendor (whose phone number is painted on the side of the tank) and usually within a few minutes a motorcycle or small delivery truck is at your door with a full tank, ready to replace the empty one.

We live in an older home so we must go through this routine. We use 2 large bottles: one for the 1st floor kitchen (for the stove and hot water heater), and one for the 4th floor, for the clothes dryer. Most gas companies will charge a little extra for hauling a full, heavy gas bottle up to the 4th floor. I've worked out a routine, however, whereby when the kitchen bottle gets low, I carry it up myself to the 4th floor and bring the fuller bottle back down.

One thing I have always thought funny is that the motorcycles typically seen delivering propane gas bottles are old "Indian" motorcycles, and invariably the exhaust pipe is totally burned out and they make a lot of noise. I've always wondered why they didn't just pay a little for maintenance and get the exhaust replaced. I guess it's just not a priority.

Imagine my surprise then when I recently spotted a local propane gas vendor delivering bottles on a brand new motorcycle!! My first thought was that the economy mustn't be all that bad and that the propane gas business must be doing okay.

Compare the two images below. The top one is of one of the old Indian motorcycles. The bottom one is the new San Yang motorcycle I saw recently. Nice bike, but in time it's muffler will also be totally shot and will add its contribution to the noise pollution of Taiwan.

Old

New

2 Songs

2009-09-04T08:17:00.002-04:00

About 5 years ago I went through a deep clinical depression. It lasted about 9 months. God brought miraculous healing, but that's another story.

During my depression I lost all interest in the things I had typically taken pleasure in. I have always listened to music, but during my depression I found that I lost all interest in listening to music. I did however come across two songs that really connected with me during those dark days. One was "Everybody" by Stabilio. I caught it one day while listening to the radio. It was my introduction to the music of Stabilio, and I have been a fan ever since.

The second was "For You" by the Barenaked Ladies. I also heard this song on the radio while driving to the London airport one night. Both songs connected with me in where I was at at the moment. If these songs connect with you, in whatever you are going through, I pray that they would be an encouragement to you.

Twitter, You Done Did Me Wrong!

2009-08-30T23:46:00.005-04:00

I signed up for a Twitter account over a year ago. Check the linked Wikipedia article if you don't know what Twitter is.

I was unsure at first whether it was worth getting into Twitter. I started following other users, including some news services and a handful of celebrities I was interested in. What really got me more into it however were the fellow "Twitterers" that I discovered in Taiwan. I began following a number of people who live and work in Taiwan. Twitter gave me an introduction to friends that I had never met before, but who I might someday. The common connection was our experiences of life on this island, and our unique views on the things we saw and were a part of.

So I was "tweeting" along just fine when a couple weeks ago I noticed that my "Followers" and "Following" counts were listed at "0" (zero). Up till then I was following about 60 people and about 25 were following me (a combination of both real world friends and online acquaintances). I immediately sent an e-mail to Twitter support but only got an automated reply saying that they were aware there was a "bug" (catchphrase for "We don't know what the heck is going on!") in the system.

Then, about a day later, I checked my account and a large notice in bright red across the top of the page said that my account was suspended for "suspicious activity", which they define as basically any kind of "spam" or service abuse, neither of which I was guilty of.

Repeated enquiries to Twitter has resulted in zero response, and at this point my account is still suspended, with no indication when it might be restored, if ever. If you were following me on Twitter and are reading this, you can now follow me on a new account, @tairods, though who knows how long that one will last.

I know Twitter has been a big deal this year, with many people joining, and they have had their share of technical glitches as a result. Being a free service, I guess one shouldn't expect too much in the way of customer service or support. I do hope my original account is restored soon, so I reconnect with the good friends I have met online here in Taiwan. Taiwan is such a unique place to live, that any expat I meet, face to face, or online, is a "good mate".

Typhoon Morakot

2009-08-10T04:16:00.004-04:00

The first typhoon to strike Taiwan this season is just leaving. As far as typhoons go, it was predicted to be a moderate one. But as with all weather predictions, the weathermen once again learned they are not gods. The predicted path of the typhoon was to see it come across the island and take a more northerly turn. However, the worst part of the typhoon seemed to hit the southern half of the island. There has been a lot of flood damage. As I write this, the death toll stands at 12, with 56 people unaccounted for, so the death will undoubtedly rise.

One of the more dramatic videos from the storm shows a hotel in the city of Taitung on the east coast toppling over due to the erosion of its foundation by an adjacent stream, gorged with rainwater.

In my limited experience of living in Taiwan, I have come to learn that it is almost impossible to predict the "size", and effect of a typhoon. In the past, typhoons that were in the "super typhoon" category ended up doing little damage with no loss of life. Whereas there have been smaller typhoons (in terms of size and maximum wind speed) that have wreaked all kinds of havoc on the island.

The positive side to the typhoons that come this time of year is that the rainfall provides much needed rain for the reservoirs, which then supply water for the island during the rest of the season. It has also been recently reported that the low pressure system associated with the typhoons somehow trigger small earthquakes, which helps release pressure on the fault lines, thereby reducing the chances of larger more devastating earthquakes occurring with greater frequency. Check out the following for more info:

Typhoons trigger earthquakes on Taiwan: scientists

Ya' Gotta Watch Out For The Crazies

2009-07-31T10:49:00.003-04:00

A girl on a scooter sideswiped me today as a result of an illegal move on her part. I was okay, but she lost her balance and fell down. The best part was that there was a policeman standing right on the corner who witnessed the whole thing. After ascertaining that the girl was physically okay, the officer proceeded to scold her for her carelessness. He told me I could go on about my business. In any case, another reminder that even when one is technically in the "right" according to traffic laws, "Ya' Still Gotta Watch Out For The Crazies!!"

Wedding

2009-07-28T08:46:00.004-04:00

We went to a wedding the other day. It was the son of one of our former Taiwanese teachers. They had especially invited our whole family. I knew the kids would not be impressed, but it was good for them to see what a Taiwanese wedding was like.

At the reception, the food was all seafood. The kids didn't eat much, but they got to see what a "traditional" wedding was like.

I enjoyed myself. Maybe the next time the kids will enjoy themselves more.

I Have A Daughter

2009-07-10T10:16:00.006-04:00

I have a daughter. Actually I have two daughters, and one son. But it is my oldest daughter that I want to talk about. She was conceived in Taiwan, but born in Canada. To this day, her favorite food is plain steamed white rice. But I digress. Before she was born, doctors in both Taiwan, and then Canada, gave her little to no chance of survival following her birth. The doctors in Canada said it would be a miracle if she even survived to full term. Well, guess what? God did a miracle, and more.

Erin was born at full term, small, but healthy. As we were told beforehand, she did have Down Syndrome. She was our first child, and we received her into our own and joyous arms. It was a time for celebration, not mourning.

We were shaken however, as first time parents, and not quite sure knowing what to do with this special child. We believed she was a gift from God, and we accepted her with all the joy and grace any parent would accept any child.

Since then, she has blessed our life more than we could have ever imagined. She has opened doors no other child could. She has shown us what it means to accept others, no prejudice, no pretense. Erin has always has a zeal for life that we find unmatched in others. When she is offended, she is the first to forgive, and quickly restore the relationship. She is the epitome of unjudging love and acceptance.

One of my greatest pleasures in life is to cuddle with her at bedtime. She still wants me to sing to her and tell her a bedtime story, anything about her being a princess and me being the King that comes to rescue her. She really loves her mom, but in many cases, it is only her Dad that is good enough to help her with certain things.

All three of my kids are a blessing, and I love each of them. But Erin, is, of course, special. I used to ask God why He created her the way He did. Now I just thank Him. I thank Him from the bottom of my heart. This young girl that has brought such joy and love into my life.

The Bible says that in heaven the imperfect will be made perfect. When I think of Erin, that makes me a bit sad. I love Erin the ways he is. Without the Down Syndrome, she would not be who she is. On the other hand, I look forward to getting to know fully the daughter that I only know in part now. One day, she will have the verbal skills to express all that she has felt in this life. She will be able to tell her brother what a great brother he has been. She will be able to tell her little sister how important it was for her to HAVE a sister. She will be able to tell her Mom & Dad all that she has silently harbored in her heart these many years.

For now, I am Erin's Dad, and that makes me both proud and special, for she indeed is a special girl. Erin, you are special, but you are also a daughter, a sister, a granddaughter, and a friend. When we look at you, we see you as a person first, and the DS second.

Erin, I love you! Nothing, NOTHING, will change that.

Vacation In Kenting 2009

2009-07-06T01:48:00.006-04:00

For the past three summers we have gone to the southern tip of the island for our family vacation. Kenting is a place that offers lots to see and do for the visitor. In addition the Kenting National Park, there are many beaches for swimming, sunbathing, or snorkeling.

Our kids always love the beach. We went almost every day, but took a break on a couple days. It is hot, and the UV index is usually very high, so it is easy to get a bad sunburn real quick if you don't use sunblock.

We also enjoy visiting the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium every time we go down. Again, this place is a big hit for the whole family. There is a great blog article about it here.

Finally, one of my favorites in the town of Kenting is the Night Market. Night markets abound in Taiwan, but being a tourist town, this one has an especially festive mood. Its layout is a bit different in that it simply lines the main road, and the crowd moves up along one side, then back the other. For more pictures of our time in Kenting and the night market, you can view the albums on my Facebook page.

Ah-Hong - Update

2009-07-05T12:27:00.008-04:00

Past readers will recall my meeting and subsequent friendship with Ah-Hong. He has been moved around a lot, from hospital, to rehab center, to home, and then back to hospital. He's basically been confined to a hospital bed for the past 14 months. The hemorrhage in his brain is not under control, and the left side of his body is still paralyzed. I admit that unless God intervenes and heals him, there doesn't seem to be much hope for recovery.

I had stopped by to visit him 10 days ago, but he had just gone into surgery (his 8th one in the past year). His father told me later that this latest surgery lasted 14 hours! I went to see him this past Saturday. In the past he has always been talkative and happy to see me. This time he didn't want to make eye contact or hardly say anything. I could see the suffering on his face. He has told me before, and did so again this time, that he just wants to be free of his suffering, and if death is the only way, then so be it.

I had brought my Bible and hymnal along with me. I read Psalm 90 to him in Taiwanese, and tried to encourage him. I also sang a song for him (God Will Take Care of You). Tears welled up in his eyes as he listened. For the rest of the time I just sat by his side, praying. He asked if I would pray that God would take him home. I said I would pray that God would work out His will for his life, whatever that might be. In Ah-Hong's situation, I see only three options: Either God heals him, God takes him home soon, or God allows him to continue to suffer. I admit I don't like the thought of that third option. I don't understand what His purposes might be for letting Ah-Hong to continue indefinitely like this. I feel guilty for asking God for patience and understanding for myself in this, when it is Ah-Hong who is the one suffering.

I still pray for healing for my friend Ah-Hong. If God chooses not to heal, then I pray that he would be released, and pass through death into new life. Ah-Hong has that hope. Indeed it is the only hope he can see right now. And that is a hope that comes from true faith.

First Day on Kenting Vacation

2009-06-26T10:05:00.004-04:00

Today was our first full day on our holiday in Kenting, Taiwan. We always love the time spent here. So peaceful and so many things to see and do. We're staying for a full week this time. The kids are so excited. There will be pictures to follow. I promise.

My Dad

2009-06-22T05:09:00.010-04:00

In Taiwan, Father's Day is on August 8, because the Chinese word for the number 8 is "Ba", so 8/8 is "Ba Ba", or Papa, or father, in Chinese. But, back in the land of my birth, and many other places in the world, yesterday was Father's Day (June 21). I had just been thinking of giving my Dad a call (it was late evening Taiwan time), when the phone rang. It was my Dad. "Hello", I said. "HAPPY SON's Day!" he said cheerfully.

"What? I'm suppose to call you!", I replied. Well, he explained that as he felt he was "getting up there" (age 82) and not sure how much time he had left (what kind of talk is that?), he decided that this year on Father's day he was going to call his children and tell them how much he loved them and appreciated them. Not much has moved me to tears the past few years, but I suddenly started to get a lump in my throat.

I have been reading the numerous greetings and well-wishes to fathers around the world on my Facebook and Twitter accounts the past 48 hours. I personally didn't post anything there, but I thought I would just say right here that I love my Dad. I always have. I haven't always liked him, but I do love him, and always will. He has always had a deep love for his children, and it has shown, more often than it's been briefly eclipsed by any faults he may have. I often catch myself in moments with my own kids and think, "I'm so much like my Dad.", and you know what? I'm glad about that. Because when I look at many of the poor excuses out there these days that even try to pass for fathers, I am grateful to God for giving me a man as kind, generous, faithful, thoughtful, interesting, compassionate, and encouraging as my own Dad is. "Thank-you, heavenly Father, for giving me such a great earthly father!"

MY DAD

Half Honest, Half Not

2009-05-21T03:11:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday night, my wife's wallet was stolen. We had gone downtown to a recommended shop to get our youngest daughter's ears pierced. That all went well, but in the excitement (and crowded conditions of the store and street), Eileen discovered her wallet was gone. Probably snatched by a professional pick pocket. We prayed that someone would find it (minus the cash of course) and return it to a Police station. 7:30 on Monday morning we got a call from the police station. Someone had turned in Eileen's wallet contents. Yeaaah!! Sort of.

When we got to the police station, we were given only the cards from the wallet. Make no mistake, we were thankful for that, but a little miffed that the wallet itself was not returned. Our theory? The original thief took the money from the wallet then discarded it. The second "person", discovering the wallet, thought, "Hey, nice wallet." They removed all of the contents of the wallet and returned them to the police station. BUT kept the wallet.

Well, lesson learned. Keep close tabs on your wallet when you're on a busy street in Taichung. There ARE professional pick pockets about. Wallet or no wallet, we're grateful we got all of the identity and health cards back. Saves us a lot of hassle. And we are wiser for the experience.

Speech Contest

2009-05-06T04:51:00.007-04:00

About a month ago the head of the language school where I study Taiwanese approached me just as I stepped off the elevator one morning. "How would you like to enter a speech contest?", she asked. "Uh, sure. Okay," I replied.

I got the basic particulars from her; time, place, $200 NT ($7.00 CDN) registration fee. It was a "story telling" contest. Speeches were to be a minimum of 4 minutes, but not more than 5 mins. (or they would start deducting points). I didn't really have time to prepare my own story so I picked a "folk tale" from one of the books I was studying. Now I don't remember clearly if I asked our school principal if this contest was just for foreigners or not. I thought I did, and I thought she said yes, but maybe I just assumed it.

Well, come the day (May 3, which also happens to be our wedding anniversary), Eileen and I went down to the school where the contest was being held. We were a bit late and one of the contestants was already at the front giving his speech. As I entered the room, all eyes turned to me and Eileen. We were the only Caucasian faces in the room. Well, these other contestants must be from other Asian countries, like Japan, Thailand, or mainland China. However, I thought to myself, the guy currently giving his speech is speaking pretty good Taiwanese!

The next contestant, a young woman, gets up and starts her speech. Thirty seconds in to her speech, Eileen leans over to me and whispers, "Are you sure she's not native Taiwanese?"

"Sure sounds like one", I reply.

There were 16 contestants. I was #16. I got up and delivered my speech, just shy of 4 minutes. Everyone clapped as I sat down. One of the judges got up and said that they never expected a foreigner to join the contest. "What does he mean by that?", I wondered. Everyone was dismissed for a break. I asked one of the contestants what country he was from. "I'm Taiwanese", he replied. Turns out everyone in the contest, excluding me, was native Taiwanese.

We had a good laugh. Of course I didn't even place (the guy who took First was a professional Taiwanese radio DJ), but they did give me a plaque, and special recognition for my efforts. They commented on how good my tones were and that I didn't have any "foreign accent".

Would I do it again? Maybe. It was a good experience, and I was glad I could represent the language school and join in the efforts of the Taiwanese culture association of Taichung to help promote the use of Taiwanese in Taiwan.

After the contest, and everyone had taken more than enough pictures, Eileen and I went out for our anniversary supper. It was a fun day, and I was thankful for the special memories that were made.

Sister Act

2009-04-13T11:04:00.003-04:00

Eileen and Suzy Brown do the Sister Act from "White Christmas".

SEND Taiwan 2009 Annual Conference

2009-04-09T22:11:00.009-04:00

Just got back from our annual field conference. Four days on a wonderful conference ground just south of Hualien city on the east coast of Taiwan. Highlights of the conference included:

Being fed and challenged from the Word, through our guest speaker, Rob Magwood, Canadian Director of SEND International.
Awesome food!
Times of rest and leisure, including several hours out on the Pacific ocean whale watching (no whales, but we saw lots of dolphins).
Leading a couple of the worship sessions.
Spending one morning with the Junior high boys in SEND Taiwan, helping them learn about trusting in God and committing to following Him in all things.
Variety Night - an evening of fun, sharing talents (or lack of?) with the rest of the SEND Taiwan family.
Driving through the mountains and beautiful scenery of Taiwan.

This past year I served as Assistant Conference Manager. For the coming year I am the Conference Manager (planning for the 2010 conference). PRAY FOR ME!!!

Rod & Erin doing a special number for Variety Night.

Dolphins in the Pacific!

Eileen and the kids before the boat tour.

Haulien scenery

Rob "Mags" Magwood sharing from the Word.

Suzy & Eileen doing their "Sister Act" for the Variety Night.

The East Coast of Taiwan.

Language Gaffes

2009-03-15T09:55:00.004-04:00

Adult learners of a foreign language all have stories of making embarrassing mistakes. Early on when I was studying some Mandarin, I meant to say, "Wo dudz e", which means, "My stomach is hungry", (or they way they would say the equivalent of "I'm hungry"). However, instead of the "dudz" I should have used (for "stomach"), I said "tudz", which means "rabbit". I wondered why the expressions on my host family's faces went blank, trying to figure out where I was keeping the fluffy little fellow, and precisiely how I would know that he was hungry!

Fast forward 27 years and many, many language blunders later (including a very serious one, which I'll share about in another post some time), I made a doozy last week in English class. I had shared a devotional with the students about how the encouragement we show to others can really impact the course of their lives for the better. I started to share a story about how my life had an impact on a young high school student in a grocery/produce store where we both worked. However, instead of saying chhiau-kip-chhī-tiû* for "supermarket", I just put the words for "vegetable" and "store" together: "chhài tiàm". Several of the students in the class started snickering. I immediately knew I had made a "linguistic misstep" and corrected myself.

Afterward, one of the older ladies in the class approached me and said I shouldn't tell people I used to work in a "chhài tiàm", as this was a euphemism in Taiwanese for a p*rnography store. Yikes! Won't make that mistake again!

My First (and possibly last) Attempt at Poetry

2009-03-11T00:22:00.007-04:00

The following is a poem I wrote about life in a Taiwanese city (in free verse):

I am witness. Witness to a million lives, lived out in the routine, and sometimes not routine of life.
Air is thick, tensions thicker, behind walls in unseen rooms.
Voices, calm, laughing, shouting, angry. I am immersed.

Faces pass. All the same, all different. Eventually you see. Not all the same.
Emotions pushed deep, behind a mask, erupt from time to time. This is human, yes?
Cries, anguish, witness the suffering, both public and private.

Frenetic pace, yet a pure flow, like a river that turns it's course, winding, ever moving to it's place.
At any given time, I see any given picture. A snapshot; scenes that could be repeated a thousand times in other places, yet all within this pool.

Noise growing, steady, constant, then fading, to the rhythm of the orbit.
Heat and light, cold and dark, faces, lit from within. Faces, devoid of hope.
Friendship, relationship, love. How different we are, yet how similar.

Words fall like raindrops. Rippling in time, but without meaning, to me.
I get it, I understand, but miss the point. Is there some secret you're not telling me? Or am I just to thick, too "outside"?

A smile. Eyes connect with eyes. You know me. I know you. Thank-you. I am your guest. You are a gracious host. Can I offer you hope.....?

Where Did February Go?

2009-03-05T23:16:00.004-05:00

I've tried to post on this blog every other week or so. Nothing that could be defined as "regular" by any means, but enough to keep followers interested and up to date with what's happening with us here in Taiwan. Somehow the whole month of February slipped by without a single post.

A highlight of the month was definitely the visit from one of my older sisters and her son. It's the first time family has come to visit us in Taiwan since we came back in 2006, and we had a great time. One week is just too short, though. But, we are thankful nonetheless. We did have a great time, and I'm hoping more family will come to visit before too long.

One of the things my sister and nephew and I did was to drive across the cross-island highway to the east coast. The mountains of Taiwan are so beautiful, and I seize every opportunity I have to get up to where it's cool, quiet, clear, and uncrowded - the total opposite of life in the city here.

My sister (Sandra) and nephew (Steven)

Today It "Clicked"

2009-01-24T22:46:00.004-05:00

For the past 2 months we have been in an internship assignment at a local Taiwanese Presbyterian church. It is not a new church, although the current pastor has only been at the church for 1 year. In the short time I have come to know him, I have admired his zeal, dedication, and love for the church. I am learning much about church ministry in Taiwan, as well as making strides in the comprehension and use of the Taiwanese language.

Pastor Li (center)

This morning's worship at the church was special for me. Pastor Li gave an impassioned plea for us to bring the "rifts", or brokenness in our lives to Jesus. When Jesus heals, His grace is made evident in our lives.

One thing that also touched me this morning was the way I was able to enter into the worship of God through the singing. The Chinese characters for the songs were displayed on the projection screen, and this morning the songs were easy to read and understand. Rather than being distracted in trying to figure out what we were singing, I found myself able to connect deeply with the meaning of the worship songs and give my spirit fully to worshiping God in the congregation. That hasn't happened that often since leaving Village Green Church in London, Ontario. I thank God that it happened this morning, and pray that it will happen more frequently as I go deeper into the language and church culture of Taiwan.

A Half Dozen Random Thoughts from Christmas and the New Year

2009-01-08T20:16:00.015-05:00

It's been a month since my last blog post. I haven't felt motivated to post about anything in specific, so in the meantime, here are some random thoughts, comments, and observations from the last four weeks:

1. Christmas was good. We didn't go anywhere, but had fun around home with the kids, fellow missionaries, and some Taiwanese friends. It's different not having snow for Christmas, but we had opportunities to do carol singing and some other special Christmas activities. Church potlucks provide an abundance of delicious Taiwanese food this time of year!!

2. Our oldest daughter Erin celebrated her 15th birthday on Dec. 30. We had a Disney Princess theme party for her. She loved it. She was such a grown up host, serving everyone cake and ice-cream before eating some herself.

3. I recently visited my friend Ah-Hong in the hospital. He had been transferred to a different hospital for physical therapy. When I got to the hospital he was in the physical therapy room, strapped to a back board standing in the upright position. I almost didn't recognize him. It didn't occur to me till then that I had only seen him before laying in a hospital bed. Gravity has a way of changing one's facial features. He looked good and was pleased to see me again. He said he considers me a good friend. I thank God for the opportunity to continue to encourage him and pray for him.

4. Our internship at the local Taiwanese Presbyterian church is going well. The pastor and his wife there are very warm and helpful. The elders, deacons, and other church members have also welcomed us with open arms. There is one lady in particular that takes delight in teaching me new Taiwanese words, and then quizzing me on them later. She keeps me on my toes!!

5. The weather has turned chillier the past few days. The sun can still warm things up to around +20 C in the day, but the past couple nights it has gone down to just 9 or 10 C. The houses here have no central heating, so it does get rather cool. I still tend to ride my scooter with just a short sleeved shirt on, and when the Taiwanese see me they comment on how "strong" (tough) I am.

6. Our son Adam got a Lego "3-in-1" set for Christmas. He has never really been a Lego fan before, but this time he really got into it. I had great fun spending time over the holidays working on it with him a little each day. We built a Ferris wheel (motorized). It has over a thousand pieces!! The other 2 things you can build with it are a construction crane and a draw/lift bridge. We'll tackle one of those over the Chinese New Year holiday at the end of this month.

No, She's Not Taiwanese

2008-12-10T03:11:00.004-05:00

I've commented before on how as a foreigner learning Taiwanese (instead of Mandarin), the reactions I get from the Taiwanese people are varied, though also predictable. For example, a lot of people will guess right away that I am a missionary, because it is typically only the missionaries that make the extra effort to learn Taiwanese.

Another reaction that is common (if Eileen isn't present) is for the person to say, "Oh, your wife must be Taiwanese!" And, for the 153rd time I respond, "No, she's not. She's Canadian like me." They assume that the only reason a foreigner would learn Taiwanese is to be able to speak to his Taiwanese wife's relatives (especially grandparents).

I love all the special reactions I get when I speak Taiwanese. At the very least it elicits smiles and warms the heart, both mine, and hopefully that of the listener.

Taiwan Franklin Graham Festival

2008-11-16T09:05:00.006-05:00

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a great page detailing the recent Franklin Graham Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. Check it out here. In addition to giving glory to God for His love and mercy for the people of Taiwan, there are some excellent video shorts (like the one below) that will help give you a better picture of Taiwan's current spiritual need.

All At War

2008-11-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

This past year I've had the pleasure to discover the music of "downhere". The band has released several albums, all of which are worthy of purchase and adding to your collection of quality Christian music. downhere often write from the perspective of that age old struggle between the spirit and the flesh, the temporal and the eternal, the now and the "not yet". Their music resonates with me as I have recently been thinking more about the reality of our eternal hope of heaven. I have often felt that believers (speaking for myself and the circle of friends I have been a part of) often do not live in the present with a sufficient hope and longing for the eternal life promised to us through Christ. This is understandable, as I know how the "fog of war" in this present life can distract us from the ultimate prize.

On their most recent album (Ending Is Beginning), downhere has a song entitled "All At War". Below are the words to the second verse and chorus:

I was born depraved, but created for the divine,
With death in my bones, in my heart eternal life,
I'd love for Eden, but I'd kill for Rome,
I'm native in a land that is not my home

It's justice and mercy the old dichotomies,
All along the frontlines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies,
All at war, in me

The words of this song speak deeply to me in these days when the Spirit has attuned me once again to the spiritual battle we are in. That battle is very prevalent and real in Taiwan, where idol worship has given Satan a stronghold. But that battle is also just as real in my own heart, as I struggle with temptations old and new. The apostle Paul longed to be free from that "body of death", and joyfully expressed the freedom that comes through Christ and the new Spirit He has placed within us (Romans 7-8).

There will be no retirement from war this side of heaven. But in the meantime, I have the assurance that there is only one winning side, and I'm on it. And I intend to stay there.

You Gotta Dress For The Weather

2008-11-10T06:12:00.004-05:00

Fall weather has truly arrived here in Taiwan the past few days, with a wonderful cool front moving in to lower the temperatures. Last night the mercury dipped to 18 C, and today's high was 22 C. For a Canadian who grew up in northern Manitoba, now living in Taiwan, this brings more joy than I can express!

What I always find funny this time of year, when the first "cold snap" moves in, is to see the reaction of the Taiwanese. 22 C weather means all the Taiwanese on their motorcycles and scooters suddenly don their winter parkas, mitts and scarfs. For me, it means that for the first time in about 7 months I've finally felt comfortable without the aid of fans or air conditioning. I chuckle as I pull up alongside others at a stop light. They immediately look over to see what idiot is dumb enough to drive a scooter in such frigid temps, wearing only a T-shirt and summer shorts. Then they see my beard and foreign face and say, "Oh yeah. American!"

Fourth Annual Taichung Fun Fly

2008-10-26T23:08:00.010-04:00

Taiwan is a fairly affluent society by world standards, and people here have various ways of spending their money on leisure and recreational activities. A popular one is RC craft (airplanes, helicopters, cars). A friend tipped us off to an RC event held this past weekend at Taichung city's old abandoned airport, just a few minutes from our house.

Besides the flying demonstrations, there were other exhibits and fun things to do. Check out the video at the end of this post of the guy with mad skills on the RC helicopter.

The chopper above came back in pieces, unfortunately.

A Bike Show, Dinner at Chili's, and a Smashed in Window

2008-10-25T09:29:00.005-04:00

Well, today's blog title pretty much explains how our day went. The kids wanted to go out and do something fun today, so we went to a large department store where they have some kind of revolving exhibit on the 10th floor. This month's exhibit was on bicycles, and we all enjoyed looking at some of the newest innovative designs in cycling. After kicking around that department store for a while, we then walked over to another department store in the area that has a Chili's restaurant. Supper was good, and we even got a free dessert.

When we got back to the car, which we had parked just on the side of the street between the two department stores, we discovered someone had smashed in the passenger window and rifled through our glove box, etc. They were probably looking for the portable GPS (as they could see the holder on the dash) but they didn't get it, as I had slipped it into my pocket before we left the car earlier that afternoon. They did, however, find my iPod in the center armrest pocket. I was only upset about this for a few seconds, as fortunately it was an old iPod that had served me well. My new iPod was safely at home.

This was not the first time our car had been broken into, although it was the first time it happened in Taiwan. Back in Canada someone vandalized our van by smashing in the back window. There was nothing of real value worth stealing that time, so I'm not sure if theft was the motive or just senseless vandalism. On another occasion a portable CD player was stolen out of the same van, but no other damage was done as we had forgotten to lock the doors that night, so it was a free invitation, so to speak.

Nevertheless, Adam and Paige were somewhat upset to see the smashed window and to have their innocent psyches confronted with the fact that there are people in this world who don't hesitate to damage and/or steal another person's property. Although I was sufficiently "irked" at the theft myself, I am hoping my somewhat calm reaction to it helped the kids to understand that our joy does not rest in our possessions. In any case, we all had a good laugh on the way home as our solemn mood was broken by Erin bursting out into a praise song at one point! At the time I thought she maybe didn't understand what had actually just happened, but later at bedtime when we talked about it some more, and prayed for the person(s) that broke into our car, it was clear that Erin understood exactly what had happened.

So, we let it roll.... It's not the first time someone has stolen something from me/us, and, unfortunately, pretty sure it won't be the last time. I might be a little choosier next time where I decide to park the car (it was in an isolated area), and I'll be sure not to leave anything in the car that would hint at hidden goodies. But beyond that, we thank God for every day He gives us of safe, family fun, like going to bike shows and having supper at Chili's.

Getting Meds in Taiwan

2008-10-15T23:11:00.014-04:00

One of the things a western foreigner must adjust to when living in Taiwan is how the medical system works, specifically when it comes to doctor visits and getting prescription medication.

Walk-in clinics abound in Taiwan, as do both traditional Chinese and Western medicine pharmacies. In any major city one doesn't need to go too far to find either. The doctors (i.e. General/Family Practitioners) that work in these clinics usually speak a fairly good level of English (being highly educated folk), however, some doctors are not as reliable as others. Several years ago some American missionary friends of ours took their daughter to a doctor to see about getting a prescription for her allergies. The doctor prescribed a certain medication for her. Before giving it to her however, they decided to do some research on it on the internet. Turns out the medication in question was some kind of psychotropic drug. Needless to say they didn't have her take the drug.

That brings me to my first point - you can never be too sure what you are getting when a doctor prescribes medication for you in Taiwan! I know the doctors intentions are not in question, but they do not offer a whole lot of information as to what they are actually prescribing. The foreigner should always research the drug on the internet. Typically when a clinic dispenses medication, they put the pills in little packages (one package for each dose - see picture for reference). It is often difficult for the foreigner to know exactly what he/she is taking, as the package does not contain any drug information. You do get a receipt, which probably has the names of the drugs on it, but I have a hard enough time reading drug information in English, let alone Chinese.

Another interesting thing that doctors do here is that when prescribing antibiotics they only prescribe 3 days' worth. Now, everything I have learned in Canada about antibiotics is that you must take at least 7 to 10 days worth in order to be effective. This also prevents the bacteria from developing a resistance to the drug before it is completely eradicated. What the doctors here will tell you is to take 3 days' worth and then come back to see them to see if the drug is working. If it is, they will give you the remaining 5-7 days' worth. If not, they prescribe a different antibiotic for another 3 days. I guess there is some wisdom in that, but it does make for multiple trips to the clinic whereas in Canada they give you the whole 7-10 days' worth from the start.

The final thing I'll mention here is that in Taiwan you do not necessarily need (is that redundant?) a prescription to buy antibiotics in Taiwan. One can walk into a local pharmacy and ask for 250 mg. of erythromycin, for example, and walk out with it, no questions asked. You couldn't do that in Canada. This leads to the (perhaps ethical) question of whether an individual should "self medicate", but it can be convenient if you know for certain the antibiotic in question is the one that you need. Saves you one step in the process.

So, sick person beware, the medication game in Taiwan is different from what the westerner may be used to. Once you learn the system, though, you shouldn't run into too many problems.

Ah-Hong

2008-09-14T03:32:00.004-04:00

A week ago I was still in the hospital recovering from knee surgery, but while I was there, I saw God do a greater work than just the fixing of my knee.

On the first morning after I had admitted myself into the hospital, I stood by the window enjoying the view from the 9th floor. From behind me to my left, I heard a somewhat weakened voice say "good morning" in Taiwanese. I looked over to see one of my hospital roommates. Ah-Hong, as I would soon learn his name, was laying in his bed glancing over at me. His father was sitting by his bedside, providing care for him.

Ah-Hong, 38, had already been in the hospital for 5 weeks. An injury left him with a brain hemorrhage that they were having difficulty controlling. Two surgeries had left him bed-ridden and weak, his body suffering the slow atrophy that comes with such a condition. The left side of his body was imobile, and though he was coherent, the constant pain he was experiencing him was obvious. I asked him if his head hurt at times. He said, "It always hurts".

Just before I was taken for surgery I had a chance to pray with Ah-Hong. I shared briefly with him about God, and Jesus, and that he could have peace through faith in Him. Later that afternoon a fellow missionary came by to visit me. He and a Taiwanese co-worker from a local church were able to talk with Ah-Hong and share with him more fully about Christ, and they then prayed with him as Ah-Hong said he wanted to trust in Jesus as his savior.

We rejoice in Ah-Hong's new spiritual birth, but it is difficult to see his physical suffering. Though never married, he has a 13 year old son. Ah-Hong's parents are raising him. He comes to see his dad in the hospital only on the weekends, as he is normally too busy with school during the week.

Physically, Ah-Hong does not have much hope. Before I left the hospital I talked and prayed with him again. I told him I wanted to come back and visit him soon, and asked how much longer he thought he might be here. "I'll probably be here till I die" was his answer.

We pray that Ah-Hong's faith would grow, for it is by faith that any of us receive the good things God has for us. We pray for healing as well. God may choose not to heal Ah-Hong's body, but God has given him the promise of something better. The hope of being whole again someday. And that gift is certainly worth rejoicing about.

Knee Surgery

2008-09-09T02:22:00.015-04:00

My first post when I started this blog back in the spring was about a minor motorcycle accident I had had. That minor accident resulted in a minor knee injury, which was loath to heal, and so this past week, that minor injury required minor surgery.

I was admitted to the China Medical University Hospital last Thursday (Sept. 4). Although my expat insurance plan would cover me for a stay in a semi-private room, I decided to go with the standard ward room (4 patients). I figured it would give me a chance to get to know some people, and maybe encourage them during my stay.

Surgery was the next morning. Originally they were just going to insert a drainage tube to allow the bursa sac to heal properly, but my doctor suggested that they take out the bursa altogether. That would eliminate any recurrence of the problem. So, now I have a nice 5 inch incision running down the middle of my left knee. I go back next week to get the stitches out. I'm sure the scar will be a good one to pull out at parties in the future.

This was my first time to have surgery of any kind, although not my first hospital stay. I never realized before how recovering from surgery in a hospital room is a lot like an overseas flight. A lot of sitting in one position, having meals brought, reading books and magazines, and the occasional trip to the bathroom.

For most of my stay one of the beds in the room was empty, so I only had 2 other roommates. The fellow beside me (which I didn't see a lot of since the curtain was always drawn) was an 86 year old man that had some kind of surgery the same morning I had mine. He was quite hard of hearing so whenever his family or the nurses talked to them they had to practically yell. I learned a lot of new medical terms in Taiwanese however as a result.

The other fellow was a 38 year old man that was suffering from a persistent brain hemorrhage. He had already been in the hospital for 5 weeks, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight (I'll post more about him in a few days). His 72 year old father was there with him around the clock to help provide care. The hospital system in Taiwan is different than in the West. Nurses only do the most basic of required care (dispensing medicine, inserting IV's, etc.). Family members of the patient are expected to do the rest, such as managing bed pans, giving sponge baths, providing meals. A small cot is provided beside each hospital bed for the caretaker's use. I had good friends in the mission that helped out with visits, bringing me food, etc., but I think my roommates were a little perplexed that I didn't have someone stay with me round the clock, as is their custom.

So now I am back home. The incision is healing well. I need to change the dressing on it every day. The doc says I should wait 4 weeks before I start to exercise on it. I'm glad the procedure is done and look forward to getting back to a regular exercise routine soon.

Something In The Air

2008-08-21T01:32:00.008-04:00

Last week saw the start of "Ghost Month" (鬼月) here in Taiwan. It reminded me of late Fall harvest time back home in the farming community where I grew up. Why? I'll get to that in a moment.

Ghost month starts on the 15th day of the 7th month on the lunar calendar. The belief is that the ghosts/spirits from the "lower realm" are released and free to wander the earth for a month. Offerings of food and incense are therefore made on the first day of the month so as to appease the ghosts and keep them from doing mischief in one's house, family, or business. Of particular concern are the "hungry ghosts", or those spirits of the deceased that have left behind no relatives to make regular offerings and care for them in the next life. The Taiwanese also tend to avoid certain activities during this month, such as weddings, travel (other than necessary), or other significant ventures.

So why does this time remind me of harvest back home? Well, part of the offerings made to the ghosts include the burning of paper "money". The money is burned in wire cages or small burners/incinerators on the side of the street The amount each family burns is not that significant, but when you get the majority of Taiwan's population of 23 million people doing this all on the same day, it can wreak havoc with the air quality.

Back home, following the harvest, many farmers would burn off the straw swaths in the field. This would leave the air thick with the burning smell for a couple days. In Taiwan, due to heavy industry and traffic, the air quality isn't that great to begin with. So adding the smoke from hundreds of thousands of families burning ghost money on the same day puts and extra pall in the air; a similar smell to the post-harvest atmosphere back home.

I read in the news last week that the government of Taiwan was encouraging people, for the benefit of the environment, to offer flowers instead of burning incense and money. Whether that idea will catch on or not remains to be seen.

By the way, although offerings to ghosts are an ancient tradition among the Taiwanese and Chinese people, this hasn't stopped the progress of technology from having an impact on the practice. My Taiwanese teacher told me the other day that there is a website where people who are too busy or otherwise unable to prepare their own literal/physical offering tables can pay to have someone to it "virtually" for them online. Leave it to the Taiwanese to capitalize on a business opportunity when they see one!

Time To Switch Gears

2008-07-13T09:30:00.005-04:00

Last week we participated in the annual TMF (Taiwan Missionary Fellowship) conference. It was a wonderful time of fellowship with other missionaries and being fed spiritually through the ministry of the Word by a couple of great Bible teachers from the USA. Last week was about receiving and being refreshed. This coming week will be a little different....

Once again I am teaching English to grade 5 and 6 Taiwanese kids at a school in Chingsui, a town just a half hour from Taichung (see my "Light In The Darkness" blog entry for more info on the town of Chingsui). God has really opened doors in several of the schools in and around Chingsui, and this year we again have the privilege of spending time with about 75 kids at each school. I will have about 25 kids in my class, a good size, but not unmanageable with some good help. Some believers from a local Taiwanese church will be helping with the English time, as well as with the Bible lesson and craft times.

I typically enjoy this kind of ministry, but it can take it out of you. The classes are not air-conditioned, and this is the hottest time of the year in Taiwan. I have two 40 minute class periods, and making learning English fun is always a challenge. But the rewards are considerable. It is fun to just spend time with these kids. A significant number come from broken homes and are yearning for love and affection. Most importantly, we have the chance to share the love of Jesus Christ with them in both word and deed. Our prayer is that the words of God's truth will take root in their hearts, and that He will draw many to Himself in the coming weeks.

Grief That Comes... and Goes

2008-06-08T00:47:00.010-04:00

Anyone who has lost anything important (which is probably 99.9% of the human race) knows the grief that comes with that loss. Even long after the initial loss and grieving process, certain events and reminders can trigger the pain all over again.

At the end of December, 1993, our first child, Erin, was born. We knew beforehand that she would be born with Down Syndrome, and so even before she arrived in our arms, we had already started to work through some of the grief that came along with that. For every parent who has a "special child", that grief comes from the loss of much of what you had hoped the child would be and could become. Erin's arrival changed our lives in many other ways, other things that we had to give up (willingly or unwillingly), that in turn compounded grief upon grief. At the same time, we wanted to remember that this life was a gift from God, and in the midst of processing the grief, we chose to celebrate, and invited others to celebrate with us the joy of being new parents. Indeed, over the past 14 years, it is the celebration of Erin's life and what she is that has eased the pain of what she is not. However, like a bad weed that can never be fully eradicated, that pain surfaces from time to time, threatening to further excoriate the wound.

This past week was just such a time for me. The international school that our younger two children attend closed off the academic year this past week. On the second last day of school, the middle school held a special event for all those who are "graduating" from Grade 8 and will be going into high school this fall. As I was leading Erin out of the grade 2 art class that she participates in, I saw all the grade 8 gals dressed in their best, make-up on, and prepared for the event. Proud parents were there taking pictures. It suddenly hit me - this would be the class Erin would be in! If she didn't have Down Syndrome, she would be dressed up and having her picture taken with the rest of her classmates. If she didn't have Down Syndrome, my wife and I would be there with the other parents of all the grade 8 students, laughing and celebrating with them in our children's accomplishments. If Erin didn't have Down Syndrome, she could be building the memories of partying with her friends at this special time. If Erin didn't have Down Syndrome......!

The grief lasted for a few days, and then subsided. Till today. I was looking at an album of a facebook friend from the school, and saw the pictures of the grade 8 class. The boys, the girls, and then the whole class together. The pictures were beautiful, but all I could see was that Erin wasn't in them. And so I go through one more cycle of grief.....

I am sincerely happy for all our friends who have children in the Morrison middle school graduating class this year. We celebrate with them in the accomplishments of their kids, and we hope and pray for the best for each of them. At the same time, I choose to once again, celebrate in Erin's life. It is a very different life, but it is also a life of joy, sometimes mixed with pain. As is every life. In the meantime, I ride out the alternating waves of grief and gratitude, knowing that in a special way, because of Erin, this will forever be a part of my life.

Remembering A Great Canadian Legend

2008-06-01T03:00:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow (June 2) marks the 25th anniversary of the death of Stan Rogers. It is still hard to believe he was only 33 when he died.

For you non-Canucks and otherwise nescient beings of the greats of folk music, Stan Rogers was (and continues to be) one of the greatest music artists Canada has produced in the last Century. His deep, rich voice and notable talent in song-writing left a indelible mark on the music and folk culture of the country. Music in general has been called the language of the soul. If that's true, then Stan's music spoke with a fluency and artistry uncommon among those who practice the craft.

The first song I ever heard by Stan was "Northwest Passage". I heard it on CBC radio as I was painting my parents' house one summer. Before the song was even half done I knew I was hooked. That voice was so captivating, so rich, so compelling. Anyone who's acquainted with his music can insert whatever adjective they want here: ___________ .

Since then I have purchased all of Stan's albums, including the most recent "From Coffee House to Concert Hall", a collection of previously unreleased recordings. Thinking about the anniversary of his passing motivated me to put together a list of what I consider to be the 10 best Stan Rogers songs (no small task). If you're a Stan Rogers fan, I'm sure you may take exception to some of my choices. Remember, this is my list. From all of the many Stan Rogers songs I enjoy, these are the ones that move me in a particularly special way. These are the songs that have either transported me to the place and time Stan was singing about, have made me cry at one time or another, or have otherwise touched my heart in a way that most other songs don't. So, in no particular order (to order the 10 would be impossible), here are my favorite Stan Rogers songs (you can click on each song title to link to a copy of its lyrics):

1. Northwest Passage - why not start with the one I've already mentioned? This a cappella song describes the history of explorers that sought passage through the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific. Stan weaves his own calling and urge to probe new territory with that of those early adventurers.

2. Lock Keeper - A song that contrasts the viewpoints between a man who manages the locks, preferring the security of love and relationship at home to that of the sailor who is bound to the life of wandering at sea. The locks mentioned in the song are those of the St. Lawrence Seaway, including the Welland Canal in St. Catharines, Ontario, where my wife grew up. I have seen the ships moving through those locks. An impressive sight!!

3. The Mary Ellen Carter - In the song, the Mary Ellen Carter was a ship that ran aground in a storm and sank, then was resurrected by those who refused to give her up for lost. The song is an allegory for those who are tempted to give up in the midst of life's struggles and setbacks.

4. Tiny Fish For Japan - a song about the Canadian east coast fishing industry falling on hard times, when the local fisherman could only catch smelt for canning and shipping to markets in Japan. One really feels the sense of loss and frustration in this song.

5. Witch of the Westmorland - The only song in this list that wasn't written by Stan Rogers (that credit goes to Archie Fisher), Stan nevertheless does a great interpretation of the majesty and mystery in the lyrics of this song.

6. Harris And The Mare - for some reason this song moves me deeply each time I listen to it. One of my all-time favorite SR songs. There is tragedy in this ballad of how a young man defends the honor of his wife, and one deeply senses the emotion in this song.

7. The Field Behind The Plow - though Stan was raised on Canada's east coast, the story is told of how he spent some time with farmers on the prairies, and within only a few days was able to write a song that captured the essence of what a farmer's life was like. I've worked on farms enough in Canada's "mid-west" to attest to the fact that Stan "nailed it" on this one.

8. The House of Orange - This was the last song ever written by Stan before his death in 1983. It is his only "political" song, decrying the violence of war, in this case, as it related to the tensions between the nationalist and unionist segments in Ireland.

9. Forty Five Years - A song that celebrates faithfulness and longevity in a monogamous marriage relationship (well, Stan puts it much more poetically than I).

10. Macdonnell On The Heights - Stan recounts the Battle of Queenston Heights (War of 1812) led by Major-General Isaac Brock. Residents of (and tourists to) Queenston, Ontario, are very familiar with "Brock's Monument", but are less acquainted with the name of John Macdonnell, Brock's aide-de-camp (camp assistant), who, after seeing the General fall in battle, led a charge up the hill to break through the American lines and gain victory for the British. Macdonnell also lost his life in the skirmish and his remains are interned at the monument with the General. Stan's song attempts (and succeeds) to give Macdonnell the memory he deserves.

Well, that's my list of my 10 favorite, though I would have to give special mention to songs like White Squall, Giant, Fogarty's Cove, Barrett's Privateers, and Song of the Candle. If you are a fan of Stan's music, what are some of your favorite songs? If you have never heard of Stan Rogers before, I hope this will help to introduce you to a talented "statesman" of Canadian folk music.

McDonald's: The Same, Yet Different

2008-05-29T01:15:00.003-04:00

Since its beginnings, the McDonald's fast food chain has built its presence (and business) around the world. The first McDonald's restaurant in Taiwan opened in 1984. When my wife and I lived here in the early '90's, there were 53 McDonald's outlets on the island. Today there are around 400.

Of course the McDonald's menu varies somewhat, depending on what country you're in. In Taiwan, for example, the only "beef" burger you can get is the Big Mac, or the plain jane hamburger. No Big Xtra, no Quarter Pounder. On the other hand, you can get a "rice burger", where, instead of a bun, the meat is contained between two "paddies" of sticky rice.

The one thing that always amazes me about the McDonald's in Taiwan, however, is that, unlike in the West, patrons are not discouraged from lingering, sometimes for hours, in the restaurant, reading a book, doing their homework, making a sales pitch for life insurance, or, as I've seen in some cases, taking a nap. This would never be allowed in a McDonald's in the West. I remember being chased out of a McDonald's in Winnipeg once. We had finished our food, and I guess were considered to be loitering, when the management asked us to leave.

The other day I was at our local McDonald's with my daughter. Within spitting distance from our table were four other patrons set up at tables with their laptops. The sign on the McDonald's door says no picture taking, but I couldn't resist surreptitiously snapping off a few shots.

Motorcycle Nostalgia Leads to Spiritual Discussions

2008-05-27T03:30:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I went to meet a missionary friend at a local McDonald's for coffee. He and I get together every week for mutual encouragement, accountability and prayer. As I parked my scooter out front, I noticed a motorcycle that was the same model that I had when I lived here 15 years ago. It was in good shape. As I was admiring it (and reminiscing), I sensed someone standing behind me. It was obviously the owner of the motorcycle, and I explained to him why I was looking at it.

Light conversation eventually led him to ask what I was doing in Taiwan. As soon as I said I was a Christian missionary, he said, "Wonderful! I have lots of questions about God I want to ask you."

He had a friend with him as well, so the four of us sat around the table, drinking coffee and discussing God. After about 45 minutes of this, a young Taiwanese gal at the next table leaned over and said, "Pardon me for listening in, but I have some questions about God and Christianity, too. Do you mind if I joined in?"

Since that meeting, we have met with the two gentleman further, and they have come to the Taiwanese church we attend. The older fellow (whose motorcycle I was admiring), especially seems to have a lot of spiritual questions and is seeking. The young gal we met the first day lives in a town nearby where a new church is starting, and she has been in touch with one of our coworkers there.

Sometimes God will bring people into your life that are seeking, and all you need to do is encourage and help guide along what the Holy Spirit is already doing in their hearts. Our prayer is that these three people will all find the Creator God and find the joy of His purpose for their lives.

What's The Weirdest Thing You've Ever Eaten?

2008-05-18T11:55:00.002-04:00

Missionaries love to tell stories about the strange food they come across (and sometimes are obliged to eat). I've been invited out by the Taiwanese to numerous restaurants and meals in homes. Here are just some of the more strange things I've eaten:

Turtle
Squid (okay, maybe this one's not so strange)
Snake
Pig & cow stomach (tripe)
Pig's brain
Rooster testicle (in soup)
Stinky Tofu (fermented tofu deep-fried in rancid hot fat)

I have yet to try Bull Penis. Just watch the video, is all I can say.

If you live in Taiwan (or even if you don't), what are some of the "memorable things" you've had the pleasure to digest?

News Story Makes Me Laugh - And Cry.

2008-05-09T08:45:00.011-04:00

An article in the China Post today caught my eye. The brief story, Too Many Unwanted Deities Discarded in Suao, describes how a local temple in a fishing port on the east coast of Taiwan, has been receiving idols from local worshippers that want to rid themselves of the ineffective gods. A line in the article made me laugh when I first read it: "Local faithful never hesitate to dump the deities who fail to make their wishes come true."

As a believer in the Creator God, and a follower of His Son, Jesus Christ, the word "faithful", to me means to continue holding a belief or persist in a course of action regardless of present circumstances. God is a faithful God, and as His child, I seek to be faithful to Him, even when He may seem distant (which I know from His Word that He never is) or when He doesn't seem to hear my prayers (which I know He always does).

At first it surprised me to see this rather oxymoronic statement in the article about the Suao land-god worshippers. But then, it shouldn't surprise me. Idol worship, in any form, is all about creating what the worshipper wants, and when he decides he doesn't like it, and it no longer serves his needs, he just as easily abandons it, exchanging it for something else, just as he originally exchanged worship of the Creator for worship of the created thing (and in so doing exchanged the truth for a lie). c.f.. Romans 1:25

In the end, these articles evoke more sadness and grief than the initial chuckle. It is yet another stark reminder that the majority of people in Taiwan (indeed, the world) are lost and hopeless without Christ. Finding a faithfulness in Him renews our spirit to in turn be truly faithful to the One who created us!!

Where Have I Seen This Before?

2008-05-08T02:58:00.010-04:00

Recently I noticed the following logo on the side of a Presbyterian church building here in Taiwan.

I immediately recognized that I had seen that logo someplace before, long ago. Anyone who has grown up, or currently lives in rural Manitoba should be able to recognize it as well (though it is not limited to that locale). I became familiar with it as the logo for the Swan Valley Credit Union (the logo can be seen at the bottom right corner of the following SVCU site). The SVCU, by the way, is where I opened my first ever savings account, at the tender age of 10.

I did a Google search and located other versions of the logo:

As you can see, these are all related to Credit Unions in various places of the world. At first I thought I might have discovered a case of copyright infringement, for which Taiwan is famous. However, when I went into the church and asked someone about it, they did confirm that it was indeed a Credit Union, operated by the church.

It may seem like a small thing to blog about, but the Credit Union logo left an indelible impression on my mind in my younger years, and it was a pleasant surprise to find it close to home, half a world away.

Blood Flavored Candy? What the...??!!!!

2008-05-05T20:00:00.004-04:00

One of the great things about living in a foreign country is the strange things you find on a daily basis. Crazy English, unusual flavors, makeshift ingenuity, etc. Taiwan has an abundance of such things. Take for example this package of hard candy I found in a 7-Eleven the other day. Granted, the product has been imported from Japan, but it still makes one raise an eyebrow.

I can understand the "Banana Yogurt", "Mango & Apple", and the "Pink Lemonade". But "Blood Orange Soda"? C'mon!!! As the package states, "Colorful", yes. "Lovely"? Not as much. Then there's "Ume & Honey". I didn't know what this was till I learned that Ume is a Japanese apricot. And yes, I know that the "Blood Orange" is a species of orange that has "blood colored" flesh. It still looks weird written on a candy package. I'd give it a "Fail" in terms of product marketing. Most Westerners would probably not know what a blood orange is, and I'd think "blood" would be one of the last words you'd want to use to sell a pack of candy.

What "China Blue" is, I have no idea. Sounds like it could be anything, from the name of a song, to a film about blue jean sweatshops in China (which it actually is, if you do a quick Google search).

By the way, I'm sucking on the Blood Orange candy as I write this, Tastes "orangie". Not detecting any blood, though.

File this one under "Things That Make You Go 'Huh?'."

Anniversary Ends the Way Wedding Day Began - With a Trip to the Hospital

2008-05-04T07:48:00.017-04:00

Added together, I've lived in Taiwan for over 5 years, but till last night had never had the experience of being transported by ambulance to a hospital emergency ward. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself.....

Anyone who was at my wedding 22 years ago (May 3, 1986) will surely remember that, other than marrying the love of my life, it was not a particularly good day for me. At 2:00 a.m. that day, I began vomiting violently. "Was I allergic to marriage?", I began to wonder. At 4:00 a.m. my best friend, and best man, drove me to the hospital. After receiving Gravol from the nurses by every means possible (injection, orally, and by enema), I stabilized enough by 6:30 a.m. to call my bride to be. "Where are you?", she asked. "In the hospital", I replied. Well, I did get married that day, but not without the help of a chair, which was needed half way through the ceremony, and a bucket strategically hidden behind the piano (which, fortunately, was not called upon).

Fast forward 22 years. Last night (Saturday, May 3, 2008)) Eileen and I got a babysitter and went out to a Chili's restaurant here in Taichung with another missionary couple in SEND who are also having their 22nd anniversary in a couple weeks. The dinner went well (best ribs in Taichung I've ever tasted). After the meal however, as we were just window shopping with our friends, I felt a bit light-headed, and felt like I had just a bit of indigestion. Didn't think much of it. However, shortly after we got home, my whole body started tingling and going numb. I broke out in a cold sweat and I felt extremely weak. I laid down on the floor 'cause I thought I might be involuntarily headed in that direction soon anyway. I yelled for Eileen who was downstairs, to call for an ambulance. She called the couple we were with (Bobby speaks perfect Mandarin, and we had just dropped them off so Eileen knew he would be up and available) and he made the "119" call (no that's not a typo: to call for emergency services in Taiwan, you dial 119, not 911). Both he and the ambulance arrived in less than 5 minutes.

I was scared for those few moments, and was praying fervently (as was Eileen) that I was not having a heart attack. I took some comfort in that I didn't feel any tightness or pain in my chest, and I seemed to be able to breathe okay (for the most part). With help from the ambulance attendants I was able to walk down the stairs and out to the proverbial "meat wagon". I noticed several of our neighbors had come out to see what the commotion was about. In no time we were off to the hospital. Eileen stayed with the kids and my friend Bobby came with me.

At the hospital they did some blood tests, a chest x-ray, and an ECG. They put me on an IV drip. It took about 45 minutes for them to get the results for the blood tests. The diagnosis? HYPOKALEMIA, or low potassium levels in the blood (electrolyte imbalance). They put a second IV bag on, this time with a potassium supplement. Within 15 minutes I was feeling better. They discharged me at about 4:15 a.m.. Bobby and I took a taxi home.

The doctor couldn't say exactly why I had the attack. All of the research I've done on the internet since has given causes for the condition that don't seem to apply to me. He said I could possibly have another attack, or maybe never. He encouraged me to eat foods rich in potassium, which of course I am eager to do.

The more interesting part of this experience was spending a few hours in the emergency ward of a Taiwanese hospital. While there, I saw them bring in people with various other ailments. Bobby and I passed the time trying to diagnose each one by just observing them from across the room (not recommended if you're a medical professional). One woman seemed to be in some sort of respiratory distress, but apparently was doing alright till they tried to take blood. Much weeping and wailing ensued. Not a fan of being poked with needles, I assumed. Another fellow came in on a stretcher, in a somewhat delirious state. His wife was dressed to the nines, but dutifully wiped the vomit from his face whenever he threw up. He kept flailing his arms and legs around and at one point unintentionally kicked his wife. Apparently she lost patience and took a swipe at him with her arm. My diagnosis: excessive alcohol consumption with a side of "wife neglect".

At one point they also wheeled in a young gal that was very lethargic. Her boyfriend was by her side. They were close enough that Bobby could hear the doctor talking to them. Apparently she had taken over 40 sleeping pills in a suicide attempt. Guessing by the tattoos on her arms, Bobby figured she didn't have any parents, or had run away from home. When she came around after a bit, she started weeping bitterly, her boyfriend trying to comfort her as best he could. Bobby told me that the hospitals in Taiwan don't report suicide attempts to social services, so there would be no follow up, and she would probably just end up trying again.

My brief bout with Hypokalemia was a "momentary and light affliction" compared to what others endured that night (Bobby saw one guy come in with blood all over his chest, probably from a knife fight), but it did give me opportunity to see a part of life in Taiwan a tourist wouldn't normally see. The longer I live here the more I am witness to the crises and tragedy that visit so many Taiwanese families. I prayed for the young girl that had taken the overdose, and for all those that need the hope of a Saviour in this land.

You All Look Alike To Me.....

2008-04-21T09:51:00.011-04:00

Last week I stopped by the pet store where we bought our hamsters. I needed some more hamster food and bedding. As I was paying, one of the gals at the cash desk noticed the family picture in my wallet. "Can I see the picture?", she asked. I pointed out my wife and 3 children. She immediately pointed to Erin and said, "Oh, I've seen her in here before." She then called one of her co-workers over and showed the picture to him. "See", she continued, "you've seen this girl in here before, haven't you?"

"I can't say", he replied. "All these foreigners look the same to me."

How often have Westerners thought (if not said) this of Asians? After living in an Asian country for several years, I can testify that such statements (from Westerners or Asians) stem only from a sense of what is unfamiliar. I believe that we tend to unconsciously generalize that which is foreign to us. Certainly there are some traits common to each unique race, but after spending time living in a particular foreign culture, you soon become aware of the many differences and distinctions. The Taiwanese, for instance, come in all shapes and sizes, just as Westerners do. One initially looks at the Chinese/Taiwanese race and sees only black hair. However strange you may find it, though, I've learned that there are many different shades of "black". There are also wide varieties of nose, eye, and face shape. It doesn't take too long before you realize that they certainly don't all look alike.

Along these same lines of thought, I have encountered a strange phenomenon whenever I've returned to the West after spending some time in Taiwan (and I'm sure I'll experience again the next time I go back to Canada). That is, for the first several days and weeks after arriving back in the West, I find myself frequently looking into the faces of Caucasians and saying to myself. "I know that person!", or, "That guy looks identical to....", though all these people are complete strangers to me. I suppose having not seen many Caucasian faces for so long, my brain once again "generalizes" the images, blurring the fine distinctions that I would normally see in the people of my own race. I'm not sure how else to explain it.

Have you had a similar experience? How do you perceive it? How would you explain it?

It's Not The Heat. It's The Humidity!

2008-04-17T01:04:00.004-04:00

I know there are much hotter places in the world than Taiwan (India, the Philippines, and Death Valley, CA come to mind), but anyone who's lived here can testify that it gets pretty hot in the summer. On the other hand, most people in Taiwan find the winters cold here. Being a Canadian, raised in northern Manitoba, I find them comfortable (in T-shirt and shorts). The summers however, have taken some getting used to.

As I write this (mid-April), it's technically not summer yet, but it's starting to feel like it. For instance, right now it is +30 C with 63% humidity (which is not bad, actually). In the summer months (July-August) it'll go to +35 C for daytime highs, and the humidity will hang around the 80-90% range. At night the temps will only cool by a couple degrees, so there's no relief there.

Being an island surrounded by ocean, Taiwan is perfect quarry for such weather. Here one can truly say it is the humidity. Where else could one take a shower, dry off with a towel, and still be soaking wet? One can work up a sweat by merely breathing. It's not unusual for people to have several showers a day (a necessity) and change undergarments just as frequently (highly recommended).

The humidity affects other things as well. If you own any expensive camera equipment, it's best to keep your lenses in a dry box, as it won't take long for mold to grow on the glass. Cuts and scrapes on the skin take a lot longer to heal than they do in drier environments. Forget about trying to use down pillows and comforters. And I don't know the physiological explanation for it, but the humidity somehow really does zap your strength/energy (at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it).

They say you do eventually get used to it. Maybe so, but I've never felt comfortable walking around in wet clothes. If you do want to be comfortable in your home, expect to pay a high electricity bill for running the AC's (I often wonder what our Taiwanese neighbors think when we start running the AC's in April, when they typically won't turn them on till July! "Wimpy foreigners.").

Driving Culture - East vs. West

2008-04-07T07:37:00.005-04:00

I've lived long enough in Taiwan to not just notice the obviously different driving habits between the East and West, but to have also pondered why we do the things we do when behind the wheel of a car (or the handle bars of a scooter, whatever the case may be). Thinking about why people in different cultures drive the way they do can reveal some interesting insights into our cultural values. Here are some of my thoughts about the differences between driving in Canada (and the U.S.) and Taiwan (although I will put forth the disclaimer that these musings are based in personal observations and reflection only, and not anything remotely resembling scientific study).

First of all, a Westerner visiting Taiwan will immediately notice that the Taiwanese don't seem to have as much "respect" for traffic rules and regulations as Westerners (apparently) do. One will frequently observe drivers in Taiwan treating red lights at controlled intersections as though they were "stop signs", coming to a stop, but then immediately proceeding through the intersection if the way is clear (or sometimes even if it is not). Or, they may not stop at all, only slowing slightly before scooting through the red light. You can also frequently see drivers making left turns from the right hand lane, and right turns from the left lane. And although most streets have clearly marked lanes, the joke in Taiwan among Westerners is that, in reality, a lane seems to be where you are at any given moment. However, before judging too quickly, one must remember that the "car culture" in Taiwan is not as old as it is in the West, and that people drive according to "necessity", often taking red lights as mere "suggestions" rather than laws to be obeyed. I believe that some of the differences observed can be attributed to the way the Chinese view authority (in this case the Ministry of Transportation and enforcing local traffic officials). Without going into the historical reasons why, suffice it to say that when it comes to things like traffic rules, en-stated by a faceless government authority, the Chinese tend not to see things as "black and white" as the Westerner, and there is no shame in actually breaking a traffic law, but only in getting caught. Consequently, many more Taiwanese are willing to take that risk.

Another interesting habit that Taiwanese drivers have, which especially frustrates my wife, is their tendency, when approaching a main road from a side street, to just, again, slow only slightly, and merge into the flow of traffic. Or, if traffic is busy, to at least "get one's nose" out far enough so as to force the flow of cars on the main road to "yield" over far enough to let them in. Westerners are accustomed to this at on-ramps onto a freeway, but not from side streets or lanes connecting onto a busier city street. I think the Westerner is trained from early on to give greater respect to the larger road. Vehicles on smaller roads have less rights than on bigger roads. For the Taiwanese, I don't think this is the case. They see all roads as more or less equal. Big or small, they are all just "pathways" to get somewhere. They approach intersections with a more "give and take" attitude, regardless of who is already on the bigger road. Westerners in this case think, "I am here on this big road, traveling at this speed, and you will have to wait for me to safely pass before you pull out. That is the order of things." The Taiwanese however, think more like, "I want to turn onto this road. You obviously see me, and I can see that you have some room to move over, so there's no reason why you shouldn't let me in."

A final example of the different driving habits here vs. the West have to do with what we have come to know as "road rage". Road rage has become an increasing problem in the West (especially in some states in the U.S.). In Taiwan, with the number of cars being what they are, all "competing" for a space of limited road real estate, one would think that the occurrence of road rage here would be quite high. In fact it is rare. I've pondered why this is. Aside from commenting on how it is important for the Chinese to "save face" in personal conflict (which probably has something to do with it), I think the main reason there are few instances of road rage has to do with how the Taiwanese view what we would call "personal space". In the West, when we take a vehicle onto a road, our sense of personal space does not only include the car itself, but an undefined area surrounding the car as well. The "defensive driving" campaign of recent decades has taught us to allow a "safe zone" on all four sides of the vehicle. For many, this includes areas of free space that may extend several meters around the vehicle. Hence, if someone is thoughtless enough to "cut in front of us" or pass us too closely, we are immediately offended, even if there was still several feet of empty space between the vehicles and the likelihood of a collision quite small. Our attitude in these cases is one of, "How dare you enter my space?!" We take it as a personal violation, and so, a common reaction, when violated, is to want to get even. Thus, the anger escalates quickly.

In Taiwan however, the sense of personal space is much smaller. So small in fact, that I would say it only extends to the outer surface of the vehicle's metal skin. Drivers here stake no claim in any "personal safety zone" or space around their own vehicle. They are accustomed to having to drive through small alleys and lanes on a daily basis, maneuvering by parked cars with only inches to spare on either side. The idea is just not to make contact (although this ideal is frequently surrendered in the interest in getting through, as an all to common sight in Taiwan is vehicles with the paint scarped on the side - even on many newer luxury cars). So, when a driver has someone sail by him with only 18 inches between the vehicles, no offense is taken. Drivers don't lay claim to that space in the first place, so that space is never violated, no matter how close someone gets (unless there is actual contact, and then it's a whole different story altogether).

These are just some of the differences in attitudes between drivers from the East and the West. Different realities, different cultures and thinking, and different habits, sometimes frustrating for the foreigner living in Taiwan, but much more tolerable when you understand why things are the way they are.

Two Branches of Christianity?

2008-03-30T07:21:00.010-04:00

So Eileen and I were waiting at the ferry pier in Danshui the other day. Some friends had taken our kids across the river for a biking expedition, and we were waiting to join them on a sunset visit to Fisherman's Wharf. We were too late to get on the same ferry so we had to wait a few minutes for the next one.

While waiting, we got talking with the young attendant at the gate. After some small talk, he asked us what we do in Taiwan. When we told him, we were Christian (evangelical) missionaries, he asked us what "branch" of Christianity that was? We thought he was referring to whether we were Catholic or Protestant. "Actually", he said, "I was wondering if you were with those guys that ride bikes and wear white shirts". Oh, you mean the Mormons! We clarified for him that we were not with the Mormons. "What's the difference?", he asked. We told him that our faith was based on Jesus Christ, while the Mormons follow the teachings of some whacked-out, long dead, magic glasses-wearing American who thought up a bunch of stuff himself and has unfortunately led a lot of people astray. Okay, we didn't exactly word it like that, but we did make it clear that Mormonism is not based on Christ, but is basically just another religion that does no one any good.

It seems that's what it always comes down to. You can believe in Christ (who is God), or you can believe in religion, which is nothing but man's attempt to reach God. It's no good saying you are an atheist, because that's just saying that you really only believe in yourself, and follow the "religion of me". I've always had a problem with labeling the Christian faith as "Christianity" because that sort of conveys it is just another religion, among many, in the world.

A lot of people have a problem with Jesus Christ being as exclusive as he is, but he doesn't need to apologize for that. When you are God, the Creator of the universe, that does kind of put you in a category all by yourself. The question isn't why is Jesus Christ so "exclusive" of other faiths, rather it is, "how can we fathom a love so great that God offers us a free gift that we don't deserve?", that being, the promise of gaining victory over death and spending life eternal in praise and worship of Him who gave us life in the first place!

Light In The Darkness

2008-03-16T12:07:00.011-04:00

This weekend I was invited to preach in a small church in Chingsui (pronounced "CHING sway"). Chingsui may have once been described as a small rural town 20 years ago, but is now a bustling city of about 300,000, just 30-40 minutes' drive (depending on traffic and who's driving) west of Taichung. I am familiar with this church through having visited it numerous times over the past 17 years. In the summer of 2004 we had a team from our church in London, ON do an English ministry through the church. Last summer I taught English to Taiwanese students in 2 different public elementary schools in the area. All of these summer's outreach ministries were coordinated through the church.

The city of Chingsui has been described often by both missionaries and national pastors that have worked there as a very difficult place for the gospel. Spiritually, all of Taiwan could be described as a "dark place", but in Chingsui, things seem to be a deeper shade of black. The area truly is a stronghold of the enemy. Cultural and religious habits run deep and strong in this area of Taiwan, that has developed from it's most early rural beginnings. People are not open to new ideas, ANY ideas that threaten their social and religious values that have been passed down for hundreds of years, generation after generation.

What the people of Chingsui don't realize is that, like any culture that has not been redeemed by Christ, traditions and religious practices may bring a sense of security, and perhaps even comfort, but provide little in terms of real hope for the future and the experience of what Christ called the "abundant life".

An example of this presented itself to my senses as we were leaving the restaurant where a couple people from the church had invited me for lunch. Set up in the alley near the restaurant was a temporary tent where an extended family was holding funeral rights for a recently deceased loved one. Mourners were dressed in their prescribed garb. One mourner (whether a blood relative of the family, or a professionally hired "mourner", I'm not sure) was mic'd to a PA system and was repeatedly wailing in Taiwanese, "A-Kong, A-Kong" (grandfather, grandfather), "Li chai-iu* li-khui goan?" (why have you left us?).

I had seen such displays before, but this time something really gripped my heart. "These people really do not have any hope", I thought. How can they know and experience the new life and hope found in Jesus Christ? It will not be by simply preaching the good news at them, but faith will come through hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17). The work is done by the the Spirit of the living God, convicting the world of sin, righteous, and judgment (John 16:8). Missionaries are just the messengers. The real power to change a person's life (literally) is the truth of the gospel, and Christ works through that gospel to draw people to Himself.

I am here in Taiwan for people like that mourner, who might one day sing praises of thanksgiving to her Creator for giving the promise of eternal, resurrected life, instead of having her mournful, questioning cries echoed only by silence in the darkness. If Chingsui is to one day lose it's reputation as a "dark place", it will only be when God's blazing light of truth chases away that darkness and gives instead the promise of what we all long for - life with Him forever.

Pray with us that God might hasten that day's coming.

I Fell Down

2008-03-14T05:02:00.002-04:00

So a couple days ago I took my first spill off the motorcycle. I was going through a quiet intersection (no lights) and didn't see another guy on a scooter till the last minute. I panicked, hit the brakes too hard and the back wheel slid out. I went down pretty hard on my left side, but only ended up with some surface abrasion on my forearm and a badly bruised left ankle. It was pretty swollen for the last two days so I thought I better get it x-rayed. Fortunately it was not fractured at all.

Millions of people ride motorcycles and scooters in Taiwan every day. Traffic here follows it's own rules, and it's easy for a foreigner to quickly assimilate into the "flow" of the traffic, literally and metaphorically. That can be both a good, and bad thing. Good in that the quicker one learns the accepted "rules" of the road, the better. Overly cautious riders can be just as much a hazard to other riders as anything. On the other hand, if one becomes too comfortable with the road, that cautious edge can be lost altogether, and that can be very dangerous. It's never a good idea to take ANYTHING for granted when driving in Taiwan traffic.

A lesson I learned once again this week, fortunately at minimal expense.

Welcome

2008-03-14T04:40:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my new blog. Time for something new and fresh. My other website at http://web.mac.com/tairod has been up for almost 2 years. It has tracked our progress and adjustment to living in Taiwan. However, Blogger is easier to update on a regular basis, and I've been looking for a format to just write short entries about life in Taiwan, or whatever.

So thanks for checking in. Feel free to visit regularly.