Something In The Air

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

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 classrooms 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

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

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

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

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?

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?