"He sends forth springs in the valleys; They flow between the mountains..."

-Psalm 104:10

This was my swimming pool last week. :) God is amazing!- July 5, 2012

Well, its my last week teaching English for a little while. 

In the last three weeks we have taught two Family Camps and had one office week.  The camps are pretty much the same as what we do the rest of the year, except these camps run Saturday-Wednesday instead of Monday-Friday (and the parents of the children are here Saturday and Sunday). The kids that have come in the last two week also have had pretty high English levels, so it has been quite interesting revamping the lessons. Tomorrow I get to teach "Green Eggs and Ham" <3 I love Dr. Seuss. :)

Its pretty fun, but I am SO ready to come home for a little bit! 

What to do about missions?

For those of you who have a heart for missions and ministry. Please, take a look at this article: Why You Should Consider Cancelling Your Short Term Mission Trips. Make sure you read through the whole article, and don't judge it one way or another by its title. I feel the need to put a disclaimer on this article... because short-term missions changed my life. When I was twelve I went on a short-term trip that God used to change my outlook on life. After seeing where and how people lived (malnourished and in cardboard houses, etc.) I came back with a new view towards the blessings that I have been given in life. But my view of missions was also shaped by parents who fostered a heart for others and for missions in their children. 

On the other side I do agree with the point this article makes, and it is important for us to make sure that the work we are doing is beneficial. More than anything we need to be raising children/ young people who are focused on reaching out to the people around them with the gospel. We also need to be praying that God sends more and more people long-term into the places of harvest (those who are ready for the gospel); because its the people who see you day after day, year after year who are most impacted by the things you say and the way you live your life.

"We want to get things done quickly. We prefer microwave ministry to the slow cooker. Ministry that can be done quickly is not messy and does not cost much."

One Day...without shoes.

Yeah, what I do is pretty cool.
Today, at our school a bunch of the students and teachers went without shoes in order to raise awareness for the children around the world who go without shoes everyday. One Day Without Shoes is an initiative of the Toms Shoe Company. Toms not only sells shoes, but for every pair you buy they donate a pair of shoes to a child in need. I didn't think that going without shoes was all that bad until it came to walking down to the bakery and going for tea. The roads really hurt your feet! And by the end of the day my feet were pretty sore. 

This morning in Bible study my teammate spoke on gratefulness, and asked each of us to make a list of a bunch of things we are grateful for. It was really interesting that this topic came up on the exact day that we were putting ourselves in "someone else's shoes". Seeing the poverty that many people live in day to day and all that they must go without has really caused me to realize how many blessings I have.

 I am so grateful that the Lord continues to show me how blessed I am,

 and how much I have been given in order to bless others.

"If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" -Matthew 7:11

Food and more.

As promised. I have finally uploaded a few pictures that portray pieces of my life here. It is so wonderful to meet and love all the little children who walk through the doors of our school. I am so blessed by my co-workers and Team members. Last week my roommate made a delicious home cooked meal of: Chicken Marsala, candied carrots, and noodles! After, we are finished eating though its a little bit of a pain to wash the dishes...as you can see below we wash all of our dishes in the bathroom sink. Its not the most efficient, but it definitely works. This month has been a little difficult because the water pump hasn't been working very well; but praise the Lord we have people who can come and fix the issue. I included a few pictures of some of my favorite foods here as well. And finally some pictures of what a typical class looks like. 

Cream Corn Soup.

Yummy boiled dumplings! These are one of my favorite foods here.

Washing dishes.

Coffee!

My roommate made this delicious meal.

A class I taught, learning their song for the week, "This Little Light of Mine".

A classroom of wonderful students.

And this was week one.

So, this post is a touch old. I'm not sure how I forgot about it, but I thought you may enjoy reading it. Its from the beginning of March. Life hasn't changed too much from this. I'm still adjusting to life here and working on loving God and serving the people right where I'm at. Some days are better than others. One thing that is difficult about living in another culture is developing meaningful conversation. I feel like I have little to none of it, and that makes life a little more frustrating. Prayer is much appreciated in this area! My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you back home! May the Lord continue to bless you as you "bloom where He has planted you".

Classes.This has been quite the week of classes. I began teaching my own classes this week. Getting inside the head and body of a teacher is tough work! It has been an incredible learning experience for me. A lot of the children this week come from difficult living situations (either single parent homes, or orphanage type situations). It is a little bit more difficult to hold their attention in class and get them to stop talking. But they are very sweet children, and I am so glad I have the opportunity to teach them and know them.
Chinese.Chinese is going well. I am beginning to catch on to some of the words. My roommate helped me learn some of the key phrases at the beginning of the week and my WHOLE team has been so helpful with everything! They are amazing. Everyday I try to use it a little bit more than the day before, although probably no as often as I should. I have to admit, I am a little reserved for fear of saying it wrong. :( It is so difficult to get the correct tones in the Chinese language. It is a very good thing people are so forgiving.
Culture.As far as figuring out more about the culture goes. This week I attended another church. It was very nice, and it felt so much like home. I think it was because when we were ready to leave we kept running into people to talk to or be introduced to, haha! After church we went to the market and got some stuff for Tacos! And had a blast making Tacos and spending time with friends.

Blessed Beyond Measure.

God has blessed me beyond measure. Yes, I have days where the light at the end of the tunnel just does not seem visible. Days when I just can not seem to feel his powerful presence, but at that moment He is there all the more. Psalm 37 has always been a very powerful chapter of the Bible for me. And this week the Lord has really impressed the following verses on my heart.

"The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand."

I find it very interesting that throughout my life different parts of this chapter have become very real and applicable. I have been thinking about future plans lately. I know many of you have experienced  the stress and confusion these thoughts bring. Thankfully, God has the tendency to "knock on my door" and reminded me of his incredible glory and the fact that He alone has established my steps. He has it all set in order, he knows what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen. He looks at me and says, "My child, what are you worrying about. Don't you trust me? Stop doubting/ troubling yourself with plans too great for you, and believe".

It is amazing how important God's timing is. Time and time again I am reminded through powerful testimonies and through scripture how God provides for you by sending everything from matchbox cars to full-ride scholarships. We know that God truly does cause all things to work together for good to those who love God, and are called according to His purposes. Sometimes trusting Him is the hardest step in that equation. Not only does He establish all my steps, but when I fall (because we all know that each and every one of us will and does fall) I won't go crashing to the ground in a huge heap. God is holding my hand! The creator of the universe. The One being that all of creation glorifies. HE HOLDS MY HAND! How wonderful is that. I may fall, but the misery will only be enough for a lesson I am not going to be cast to the ground or tossed aside. Yahweh is holding my hand and because of this I don't need to fear falling, or failure. This may happen, but "my God's got my back" and He has my steps all mapped out. It is so freeing to know that I do not need to worry about the future, because God knows the plans He has for me and He will make me prosper. All praise and glory to my Savior.

I went down to the beach today. It was slightly cloudy and I didn't want it too downpour on me, so I only stayed long enough to breathe in the sea air and snap a few pictures. I thought maybe you would enjoy a "glimpse" of the place I live. 

“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.” 

― Mother Teresa 

Why I love what I do.

This is one of the reasons why I love what I do...

Tonight after a long day of teaching and being with ten and eleven year olds; one of my teammates and I went into the dorms to sing with the children. {On our campus there is a dorm that houses the children while they are with us at camp for 5 days and 4 sleeps.} We usually do this on Thursday evening because the children will be graduating from our Character school and returning to their homes the next day. This evening we were not going to go. It had been a long and trying day and I'll admit, I was ready for bed. So we decided not to go, but changed our minds. Plans were quickly reversed and we went to sing to the children. The last song we sang says,

"Goodnight, goodnight.

I will see you in the morning.

Always remember that I love you.

The sun soon is coming,

The day will be dawning.

So goodnight, goodnight. 

J.... will take care of you."

We have an incredible opportunity to let the students know exactly how much we love them and care about them. And hope they will grow up to be young men and women of outstanding character, with the ability to make the right choices.

[Many of the children this week come from single parent homes or from a home for children (either orphans or their parents can no longer care for them), so it is such a blessing that we are able to love them, hug them and sing to them. And hopefully they will take some of the lessons from this week with them as they continue on their journey.]

#1- I love what I do because (although not always with words) I have the ability to share the love of The Father with these beautiful and wonderful children.

...A Picture Trail from Week One...

First Meal.

Milk Tea. Amazing. (:

Downtown Hualien.

Hot Pot.

"Let the little children come to me...and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 19:14

Let the adventure begin!

Hello everyone!

After a long trip by: plane, train, and car; I am now in Taiwan. There are so many new and crazy things to learn and do. The other teachers I work with are very generous and are allowing me to observe the classes for this week. One of the transition (probably the most stimulating/ difficult for me) is beginning Chinese lessons, these began on Monday. The lesson was quite interesting, and at the same time SO very overwhelming. At times I feel as though I am lost in a sea of Asian faces and words. Even the other English teachers already speak some Chinese so its slightly disheartening, but I'll get it. I know I will.

Throughout this whole trip, the Lord has certainly been my strength. Getting through the jet-lag was ridiculous. I hardly slept for three days. My little sisters also gave me a nice cold before I left so when you combine the two it is NOT a good combination. ;) I have not powered through these first few days on my own strength, but these last few days have been such a blast!

As far as the weather, (just in case you're all wondering) it has been anywhere from 63-73 F and it is quite humid here. The sun was out today in the morning and it was just beautiful, it does rain a lot though. Today we experience 2 minor earthquakes, they were neat to feel though. One of the other teachers said it is not uncommon to feel them (they are mostly just a rumble in the ground and a loud noise).


The next time I post I would like to post some pictures of some of the adventures I have been on so far. I have explored the city a little bit with the other teachers. They are all incredibly warm and welcoming and so helpful! I'm sure there will be plenty of adventures to come in this upcoming week from the sounds of it, so I will keep you all posted!


Lots of Love for Taiwan!

Lauryssa 恩慈

Goodbye America...

My Dear Friends and Family,

Many of you are already aware of the change that has taken place in my life in the last three weeks. However, for any of you who may not have heard (or who are confused) I would like to enlighten you in regards to my life situation. ;)

Three Mondays ago I was asked to travel to Taiwan and stay there for the next 6 months. While there I will be helping children learn English at an English/ Character school. Many people have asked, "What about school?" or "I know you talked to me about your plans for the spring, how did things change so fast?" The choice was simple. It was one of the easiest decisions I have ever made; I have the time, no heavy ties or commitments at this time, and I have the training (TESOL). As far as schooling, I am in an online program so it could have easily come with me; however, I have decided to postpone it until I return. This way I will have the time and energy to adventure and serve the Lord in whatever ways He needs me too! :) It was simply one of those times when "you just know".

I talked with my parents, prayed about it and slept on it for the night and the next day I called the organization back to inform them that I was definitely willing to go. After several different conversations that day, I realized that I had the blessing of not only my Church leaders; but also my family, church family and my friends and coworkers. I am so blessed by the people the Lord has placed in my life and I couldn't have asked for a better support system.

I have been in contact with the organization just about daily in anticipation and preparation for this adventure to continue. I do not know the exact date of departure, but when I find out I will definitely let you know. I hope to keep my blog updated throughout the trip, in order to keep all of you current with my adventures. :)

I thank you all for your prayers in advance! The Lord is SO good and I have seen His hand at work in my life many times in the last 3 weeks.

In Christ,

Lauryssa

(Photo Courtesy of one of my friends, while she was over there.)

"Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One who is leading it." 

~Oswald Chambers