Taiwan Food

A few weeks ago, I thought it would be interesting to make a list of all the food I've eaten in Taiwan that American's would think is "gross". Most of it was good, some was ok, and some was "I've eaten this once in my life, and never again!" In no particular order, here it is:

Squid
ostrich
Shark
shark fin
octopus
Pig blood cake
Duck blood
Stinky tofu
Shells
Sushi
Snake
Sashimi
Pig intestine
Chicken feet
Chicken bottom
Duck head
Frog
Jellyfish
Sea cucumber
Clam lip
Pig tendon
Abalone
Black chicken
Fish eye
cactus

Major Changes

I can't believe it's been almost two months since I last posted on this blog. I started out by trying to post once a week....hasn't gone as I planned :(. I've just been lazy and busy! So...this will be a compendium of all the news of the last two months.

Major Events:

1. Passing thesis oral defense & finishing thesis
2. Graduating & "official" graduation procedure
3. Living with (future) in-laws
4. Getting ready to go back to the US
5. Fun times with Whitney. 

The thesis oral defense went well...I missed some stuff in the presentation, but I later added it to the presentation. Getting the final approval from my professor, however, was a lesson in patience. The school had some unique format requirements that Microsoft Word DEFINITELY didn't like! But...it's all good now. God is good.

Graduation was a very special day. Whitney, her mom, and her grandma all came to the graduation. There were several different events - the GMBA graduation in the morning, official graduation in the afternoon, and a really nice celebration dinner in the evening. It felt kind of weird to not have my family there, but I was still VERY happy to have my dear there to share the day with me :). The official graduation process made me VERY thankful for Whitney, as several of the instruction papers were only available in Chinese. Getting everything right took a few days, and I'm glad I gave myself some extra time. 

Living with Whitney's mom has been another lesson in patience. However, it has helped us understand each other a little more. As the grandparents (and aunts and uncles) live next door, I have gotten an education in traditional Chinese ways of living, and some of the ideas and ways of doing things that Whitney grew up with. Some of those things we'll adopt in our own life - other things we won't - but at least I'm more aware of her environment. I'm sure the same thing will happen in the next few months, as we go the US together...

It's amazing to think that I'll be going back to the US in less than a week! After being in Taiwan for almost two years, life in Long Pond, PA seems almost like a dream....a dream that will become reality very soon. Both my family members and I have changed...a LOT, and it will be strange to land in the middle of their already-busy lives. So many things are different. I really feel like I haven't stayed connected enough with my family, but talking on the phone every few weeks doesn't really do much! I haven't seen any pictures of my dad's house. I can't wait to introduce Whitney to my family, and show her where I live, and what I like to do.

However, the last month has seen us do a lot of fun stuff together. We went to Leofoo Village, an amusement park here in Taiwan. We've also gone to Yilan, to visit Frieda (a former student). We also went to Whitney's middle school reunion. Mostly, however, we've just relaxed. Life has seemed to move at a slower pace than it did during the school year. It's a very weird feeling for me, who is very task-oriented, and who often measures the success of a day by how much "stuff" I can get done.

I haven't started to look for jobs very much, as I can't start work for two more months anyway... Also, my dad wants me to come back to the States, and there are some people he wants me to talk to. All I can do is pray, and knock on doors. I'm just doing my best :)

God is definitely teaching me patience. As

I haven't started to look for jobs very much, as I can't start work for two more months anyway... Also, my dad wants me to come back to the States, and there are some people he wants me to talk to. All I can do is pray, and knock on doors. I'm just doing my best :)

God is definitely teaching me patience. As Whitney and I learn more about each other, we're learning about more things that we'll have to discuss and compromise on in the future, once we live in our own place, and have our own life. Even more opportunities for patience coming up!!!

Counting down the time...

2 more weeks of classes...my  thesis oral defense is on Friday...counting down the days. Whitney is graduating on June 11; I'm graduating on June 25. Other than that, not much is happening. I'm still looking for work, still praying and thinking about what's going to happen after graduation, after the trip to the US. I know God will make the way clear...He's done it many times before, but I'm still thinking about it, worrying about it, and wondering what I can do to force the next step. I have so much still to learn...

Yet another week (closer to graduation)

Time is going faster....May is already half done, which means that I'll be home soon! I can't believe that 21 months in Taiwan has past. It's (almost) over. Done. Finished. Never to be recovered. It has been a great time... a time of learning and growing. I have also met the most amazing person in the world! (who actually agreed to marry me!)

I know I'm waxing philosophical, but this past week wasn't too eventful. On Monday, I went to a class in which they discussed one of those personality tests. I didn't learn too many new things, but it was good to get confirmation, as well as a written evaluation on where I am, and an action plan for the future. I hope to be able to use this in the future as I work with others, and am aware of my strengths and weaknesses - to focus on helping in areas that I'm strong at, and delegate the other things to other people.This afternoon I met with my pastor for lunch, and it was good to relax, and talk about a bunch of stuff, from Chinese to God.

I'm now thinking and praying about the possibility of starting a business here in Taiwan. It's kind of a weird place to be, as my plans for the next year are in limbo. However, it's definitely been a time of faith (although I'm not sure if my faith is actually growing) and waiting on God to make things clear. I've seen God work in so many ways before, and show me what He wants me to do, that I KNOW He will continue to show me what His will is. I just pray that I'll have the eyes to see it. With both Whitney and I praying and thinking, I know God will show His will. God's promised that He will lead us, so He will...

More and More

Yet another two weeks have passed. A lot has happened, and the pieces are starting to come together. First of all, my professor ok'd my thesis, which means it's now in the hands of the thesis reviewers. I just pray I don't have to change TOO much. It's definitely more like a market report than an actual thesis, but I think it's (somewhat) professionally done ;)

Whitney went to the AIT last week, and was approved for her American visa, which means that she can go with me in July! It's going to be good...and strange to be back. I can't wait to see my family, though! I miss them a LOT! Since I left the US, my one home has become two; two years of school have been completed, as well as an MBA; and I've met my life partner.

God has definitely been in it all, though. Even though there have been  difficult times throughout, there have also been good times. Many of them. I'm so thankful for all that He's given me (especially Whitney), all that He's done, all that He's taught me.

Now I'm thinking about what's next. There are SO many opportunities, plans, and ideas floating around in my head. I'm just praying that God would make the way clear, that He would show Whitney and I WHAT He wants us to do, WHEN he wants us to do it, and HOW it should be done.

First of all, though, is finishing school, and visiting the family....

Ups and Downs

God definitely puts us through things, and in places that we don't want to be, and all we can do is ask Him to teach us whatever it is He has in mind.

First of all, I finished the rough draft of my thesis, which is a huge deal. I just pray that I don't have to change too much when it comes to revising and editing once professors start looking at it critically. SO...I kind of took it easy on Friday and Saturday - did a little research for a possible business idea, but nothing too much.

Today, however, was a day I don't want to repeat. Ever. I never thought I would go to a funeral on Easter. I especially never thought that I would go to a funeral for a two year-old. Even though her family is Christian, and are confident that they will see her again, it's still just so painful that a girl so young should be taken from her family. The only thing left to do is to give God all of the grief, all of the questions, and all of the pain.

This brings up the question that humans have asked over and over, and for which we have never quite found a completely satisfactory answer. How can a good and loving God allow pain and sorrow to His children. While good things do come out it, and although He DOES sustain His children, it's just so darn HARD.

Here's a thought: If God the Father didn't save Himself from incredible sorrow, and His Son from incredible pain, should we, as His children, expect any different?

Life passes quickly

I know...I'm terrible...For some reason, I thought about my blog yesterday, and realized that I haven't blogged for almost two months! These last two months have been crazy...and extremely good! Last Sunday, of of the most important things of all of life occurred, when Whitney agreed to become my wife. Even though we've only been together for 8 months, I know that she is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.

I am so blessed to have Whitney in my life. She's sweet, thoughtful, kind. patient...she loves learning, and is always ready for a new adventure. She puts up with my crazy ideas, and is ok

Other than that, not too much is happening. The most important and time-consuming project this semester is definitely my thesis! I've been spending hours and hours on research and analysis, and Whitney and I can't wait for my divorce from my  "little wife". Thankfully, I'm actually enjoying this project, and haven't dreaded doing more research every day.

Two other classes that I've been taking is "" and "Business Ethics" and "Competitiveness of Asian Economies" More than just blah about Ethics, the teacher is trying to teach us decision making processes, as well as the "MISI" method of describing a problem() If I can make this a part of my life, I think it will help me. In the Asian Economies class, we discuss a case study each week, focusing on Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and China.

Case studies are probably the single biggest thing that have helped me learn the most in this MBA...a different way of looking at a problem. Some of my case studies are conducted by professors that really want us to dig deep in the story...what is the real answer? Most of the time I don't understand the real ideas, but when I do, it's such a great feeling!

The biggest thing that God has been teaching me is about pride. I heard from a couple different people that I often insist on being right, and don't quit until others agree with me. Fiancées are wonderful for that sort of thing ;). Other than that, I've been learning about patience - I'm finishing school in 2 months, and have no idea what's after that, other than a 2-month trip to America. If I talk to a company now, and tell them I'm not available until the middle of September (5 months from now), I'm not sure how likely it is that they'll want me :P.

I have a rough idea of what I want to do, but have no idea of what GOD wants me to do. Ideally, I'd work in Taiwan for a year, then go to Australia, where Whitney would start school, and I'd change jobs. I don't want to work in Taiwan long term - the work culture here is not how I want to live my life. I want my family to be more important than my work - not the other way around!

I have no idea how God will work this out...I just know that He will - He's led me so far, and I believe that He will keep on showing me what He wants me to do!

Life...Keeps on Moving

Since I last blogged, a LOT has happened. The direction of life has changed, and I'm just following God. First of all, the trip to the Philippines was AMAZING. I got to meet people, and see things I'd never seen before, such as Subic Bay, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We also spent time in Manila, and also Tagatay City. I was shocked when I saw a sign that mentioned Tagatay City was a Character city... (The Christian group I used to work for, IBLP, had a program to teach character to government people in different cities.)

After 4 days in the Philippines, I went to Brunei. The entire trip from my hotel to Whitney's aunt's house was crazy...first of all, I met a friend of Whitney's in the Philippines, who showed me how to get to the airport, using a taxi, 2 buses, a jeep bus, and a tricycle (motorcycle with sidecar). It was so cool to do something "local"...not just looking at the city from a tour bus.

After 2 plane rides, and a SUPER long day, I was SO ready to see Whitney. HOWEVER, when I got to the airport at 10pm, it was empty... nobody was there to meet me! Apparently, the plane arrived a half hour ahead of schedule...and I was rather freaked out! I had Whitney's phone number, and if nobody showed up, I would have some way of contacting her. Thankfully, I didn't have to use it, and it all worked out...

We spent about a month in Brunei...relaxing, learning about each other, and having fun. I saw a few lion dances, set off firecrackers, and ate some GREAT food. We saw some of the famous stuff in Brunei, went hiking, and saw an entire town...built on top of a river! We bounced between Whitney's two uncles' houses, which was kind of weird, but it worked...for a month.

The last night of the trip was the best. We were in Malaysia, and had satay meat and rice, drank coconut juice at a place right next to the water. It was BEAUTIFUL.

When we got back to Taiwan, we spent two days at the Flower Expo, a day in Danshui, and two days in Taichung. The Flower Expo was amazing, and incredibly beautiful.

When I last wrote, Whitney and I were thinking about going to Australia next year. That's changed, and now we're thinking of spending a year in Taiwan or the US first. We're just waiting for God to tell us what He wants. I'm learning a little bit of how big God's promises are. He has promised that he will provide all our needs. Right now, He's given me work, so I can save up for the plane tickets, and he's given me a WONDERFUL dear to share my life with.

I know that when I graduate, even if he doesn't give me a job right away, He will still provide me with food, and a place to live. I don't know what I'm going to do, or where I'm going to live, but I know God does. The job market in the US is tight, and I think it's hard to find a business-related job in Taiwan, but no matter. I just hope I can say the same thing when things are a lot tighter!

Marching on...

Time is marching on...I am almost done with my last paper of the semester. All that's left of this entire MBA is two elective courses and a thesis! The thesis outline is coming together, with my professor helping me firm up the outline and giving me some other papers to use and follow.

I am SO ready to be done with this semester! 5 months is a long marathon! I couldn't imagine doing this for two more years! My girlfriend will be back in Taiwan in 4 days, in Brunei in 7 days. I'll be in the Philippines in 9 days, and I'll be with her in Brunei in 12 days! Wow...this winter break is going to be insane, but SO good! It will be wonderful to spend time with her and meet more of her family. Hopefully, I'll learn some more Chinese, and help Whitney with her English. When we get back, we'll be going to be going to the Flower Expo, skating, and hopefully we'll have a few days in Yilan.

I'll bet that by the time this is all over, I'll be looking forward to the break known as school ;). Next semester, I'll have 2 electives and the thesis! Other than that, I'll be spending as much time as I can on the next great project: finding a job!

For some reason, I really want to go to Australia. After Whitney and I both finish school in a few months, we'll have no commitments, no connections, and no reason not to travel to someplace new. The more I observe, and the more I learn, the more I'm convinced that I don't want to live in Taiwan long-term.

However, life isn't about what I want ~ it's about what God wants. If He makes it clear that He wants me to stay here and teach English for the rest of my life, I will learn to be content with that. However, for some reason, I don't believe that He led me to do an MBA in Taiwan for 2 years, just so that I could teach English... Oh well - we'll see. All I can do is trust in the Lord...

Keep on swimming, keep on swimming, keep on swimming, swimming, swimming

Well...I keep promising myself that I'm going to write a blog post, so I'm going to DO it! Midterms are now over, and the big project is working on my thesis outline, figuring out the specifics of what my project is going to be. I have a rough idea, and as I do more research, I'm continually honing it, figuring out exactly what I'm going to do.

Right now, the topic will be discussing open vs. closed business models, as applied to Google and Apple for smartphones. Google is generally open - wants to work with lots of other companies. Apple is generally closed, and wants to control (most of) the system itself. I'll be analyzing the companies, and comparing them with other stories in the past, like Microsoft vs. Apple, or Betamax vs. VHS. If this paragraph makes no sense to you, it's ok ;).

As my Facebook status indicates, I'm officially in a relationship...it's weird (but so good) to write that on the web. God has given me an incredible girl named Whitney Wu - suffice it to say that we're both feeling very blessed (though I'm definitely the one who is more blessed).

As part of this whole thing, I'm REALLY learning trust and sensitivity, and I now have a whole new motivation to really listen to God, and find out His will and His way. Having a special person in one's life is a completely new experience for me, and I hope I never get over the feeling of how incredible and special it (and she) is!

At the same time, I'm sobered by the realization of what a huge challenge and responsibility this is - for both of us. I've heard many times that marriage (and child rearing) are both the most challenging and most rewarding things that a person can do.

All I can do is to trust God. I know I can't do it, and have no idea where to start. I can only trust God, trust Whitney, and trust others who have done this before. "Trust in the Lord... and He will direct your path."

A new view of God

First, the update on life...


One midterm is done, one more to go, which means that we're more than halfway done with the semester. The required courses are done, leaving me with two electives and a thesis to finish next spring. My thesis is coming along, and I have an awesome professor as an advisor, and a rough idea of a topic. Right now, the topic is talking about how developers, users, and systems interact, as applied to the smartphone market, specifically Android vs. iPhone. Why do programmers develop for one platform rather than another? For example, why do people buy iPhones instead of HTC? Also, once I have an idea of what people think, I'm going to compare it with past technology competitions (ex. Apple vs. Microsoft, AOL & Earthlink vs. open internet, etc).


I'm not sure if you understand all that, but I'm still finalizing it myself :p. 


God has really been blessing me, and I've been enjoying this semester. I've been learning a lot, and I think that this whole thesis-writing is (or will) helping me learn how to think better, and become more thorough.Well....I was reading Oswald Chambers today, and what I read made me stop and reread 3 times!

 "We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “. . . the Lord led me . . .” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.

We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.

Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him."

From what I understand, if we are in communion with God, (assuming we're following the Bible and other authorities), we can do whatever we want, trusting that God will say 'no', and give us some sort of a check if we do something outside His will? Does it mean that we won't go through dry spells, where God isn't talking at all? 


When we DO go through dry spells, and are faced with a situation where we need guidance, does it mean that God doesn't care, that either one we pick is His will? How does this idea fit into real life?

Another Update

School is now in full swing. Although I'm only taking 4 classes, I'm super busy - I'm part of our class's student council, starting to work on my thesis, and talking a lot with special friends. I'm doing a Bible Study on Wednesday nights, which has been a HUGE blessing - we're going through Hebrews, and it's been so cool to see different things connect in ways I've never seen before. AND I'm teaching 10 hours/week, which has been good, because I'm now focused on saving up for my plane ticket home next summer. Another major project this semester is a business plan competition. Right now, my team is still in the idea process. We've got less than a month to find the idea and put a proposal together! However, there are a lot of possibilities

Last weekend, I went to Penghu to visit a friend. It was so good to get out of Hsinchu, relax, and talk and connect. Penghu is so different from Hsinchu...it's a lot smaller, slower, and has a more relaxed lifestyle. An awesome place for a vacation - NOT a good place to live.

The main thing I've been learning (again) is the need for patience - for God, for myself, and for others. I've been learning that I need to let God control me, and to not let me control me. I've learned about repentance and forgiveness, and how God always does things better than we could imagine...

First week of class

The first week of my third semester is OVER. I'm taking 4 classes this semester. I wanted to take 5, but oh well...I guess there's a reason for it. I'm also busy with other stuff, and there will always be other stuff to fill time :p

 The main project this semester is finding a thesis topic and starting to work on it. I'd like to find a topic that's somehow related to something I want to do. HOWEVER, I've realized that I really don't know WHAT I want to do - so it's kind of hard to find a research topic! I know I want to stay in Taiwan and work with people on the international stage, but that's about it - not really sure HOW I'm going to do that...

This summer has been very eye-opening, in that I've learned more about what I don't know than what I do know~ I just hope God's using this to make me more reliant on Him, and that I'm learning something through all this.

One classmate has started to work on organizing a GMBA student organization similar to a normal business - teaching the team different business skills along the way...so hopefully I'll be able to learn some business skills along the way :) I'll be helping with the IT part of the "organization" - I hope I can learn what I need to...

I guess the main thing I've been learning this summer is humility...I realized that I don't know as much as I thought I did, and so I feel rather unprepared for what's next. However, the difference is that usually, I can break tasks down into manageable pieces. So far, I don't even know where to start. That's where the grace of God comes in...

Plugging along

August is now over, September has begun. Time for school to start - with the schedule, classes, and busyness that goes along with that. One more week until classes start – hopefully by then, I will have been able to catch up on at least a little sleep, but I don’t think that will really happen… :p

I haven’t done too much traveling this August – I went to Yilan and Taipei, and then spent some time exploring Hsinchu last week. (OK, I guess I have traveled a little bit)

God has really shown me a lot about honoring Him and putting Him first – about patience and grace. He’s shown me a little bit of just how far I have to go -  how I need to trust learn to trust Him and others more.

I guess it’s true that we learn the most during the hardest times…right now, it seems like I go from one situation to another….Here, in America, family, friends, work… It’s so true… “Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Busy Summer

Wow…another month has slipped by, and I’m that much closer to finishing the summer! This month, I spent a weekend in Tainan (the oldest city in Taiwan), as well as a weekend in Penghu, the island group that I visited in April. Other than that, I’ve been keeping busy with work – research and English teaching.

I’ve been really blessed to meet some wonderful people, and am looking forward to keeping in touch with them. Christine, a friend from Tainan, has helped me learn a lot of Chinese, and Whitney, a friend I met in Penghu, actually has family near Hsinchu.

Tainan is a really really old city, and you can tell…many things are hundreds of years old, from a different time and totally different culture. It has gone through stages with different influences, including China, Japan, and the Netherlands. It has a lot to see, and is a fun city to wander around in. Christine was an excellent tour guide, and brought me to temples, museums, and snack shops (the most important part). I had a lot of new (delicious) food, and thinking about my trip is making me hungry!

Penghu is a beautiful place! It is a great place to visit, and just relax. I had a professional tour guide to show many different places! Even though I had gone there in April, and Penghu isn’t the biggest place, Whitney managed to show me all new things, and we went to the double heart fish weir (kind of trap) and took a ride all the way along 203縣道, the road that connects all the islands. I had a foot massage for the first time in my life (it was WONDERFUL), and we had a barbecue with a bunch of friends.

Other than a trip to Yilan next weekend, traveling is done with for the summer. This means that it’s time to start planning for Chinese New Year!

After a dry and difficult time this past spring, God has really started to open doors for me. I have more work opportunities than I know what to do with. One American couple I met last year has decided to come back to Taiwan. When I said goodbye last year, I didn’t know if I’d ever see them again! One other thing is happening, but I’ll save that for another post….

Enjoy the pics, and keep God first!

Tainan:

View Full Album

 

Penghu:

View Full Album

Summer Happenings…

I guess I’m getting better – two weeks for this update (rather than a month!) It turns out that my summer isn’t as relaxing as I thought it would be, but it’s still good :) I think I’m almost as busy as I was last semester, but with a lot less stress. So far, the summer has been filled with LOTS of traveling, working, and hanging out with friends. Last weekend I went to Hualien with Daniel, a friend from Sweden, who went back home this past week. Next weekend, I’m going to Tainan (台南) the oldest city in Taiwan, to visit another friend, and the last weekend in July will find me in Penghu, an island that I visited in April. It’s so cool that I’ve been able to meet friends all over the island, and have been able to visit and explore with “native guides”.

Saturday afternoon, I went to Hukou, a town in Hsinchu county, to visit the teachers who were getting ready for camp this summer. It was weird to be back to the school they’re at, and not be super busy working on stuff. Although camp was a TON of work, I met friends that I still keep in touch with. Hopefully, I’ll get to visit them a few more times before camp ends this summer, but we’ll see.

Last night, I got a message from a friend who was in Taipei for the week (she’s usually in Kaosiung, 6 hours away)….sooo, since I had the day off, we hung out in Taipei, went to the National Palace Museum, and just talked and had fun.

I think I’m going native…when I was in Taipei today, I stopped at a bookstore and got a bilingual Bible. I figure if the colonists used the Good Book to learn how to read, so can I! Chinese has definitely been one of the biggest tasks I’ve ever set myself to do, but it’s coming along, slowly… All I can do is learn one word at a time.

I was thinking about it last night….how very DIFFERENT it is here from in the States. When I was in school (from 5th grade through college), I really didn’t have too many friends. There were some people I hung out with, but I really didn’t feel like a part of anything. Since I’ve gotten to Taiwan, I have more friends than I know what to do with! My weekends are full – visiting different places, and hanging out with tons of people – who are all super different from each other, and super awesome! I’m not sure what the difference is, but something has happened!

I’ve included a few pictures from the Taroko Gorge in Hualien, a truly incredible place. Pictures just don’t to justice to the true size of this thing – 2 huge cliffs that come straight down, with a tiny road in between. Crazy roads with hairpin turns and super long tunnels without ventilation (interesting experience while on a scooter)…

 

Have fun and keep God first…

View Full Album

An update

Considering that it’s been over a month since I last updated this blog, I figured it was about time. I guess the word that would best describe my recent life is “insane”. It seems like I’ve been going form one final, paper, or report to another…

Finally. Done. My last class was last Tuesday, with the paper due this Tues. A little bit of English editing, and it’s done. (I never thought I’d put my mother’s insistence on correct grammar to so much use! I’ve been able to help a lot of classmates with different things that they’ve been working on, which has been nice.

Since classes finished, it’s been kind of weird to be able to do stuff I’ve been too busy to do when school was happening. I got out and did some exploration on my scooter – I’m going to Taipei tomorrow for the first time in 2 months, and am going to Yilan next weekend with a friend.

However, the end of the school year has meant that people are leaving…a few people that I’ve gotten pretty close to are going back – one couple to America, and another guy to Sweden. I guess all good things must come to an end, but it’s still no fun to say goodbye to friends

This summer is still a big question mark. I’ll be working on my internship 3 days a week, will be tutoring at least one night a week, and am hoping to find more, and getting some traveling in when I can. About all I know is that it won’t be very relaxing…

Here’s something I’ve been wondering about:

If “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.(Proverbs 13:12)….however “…those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)” So…is it good to wait or not? Will it renew your strength or make you sick? What does it mean to wait on the Lord?

 

These are some pictures from my wanderings last weekend…

View Full Album

Insanity

Wow…even when you think you can’t do any more, God gives you more, ensuring that you’re stretched beyond what you think you can do and be. I guess this is God’s guaranteed way of driving you into His arms, showing you His love, and strengthening your relationship with Him.

Every part of my life is now completely out of control, but it’s definitely been forcing me to pray, trust, and rely on God (which is a good thing). Funny how that works.

It feels like I’m on a treadmill, hanging on for dear life, and praying that I don’t get thrown off before June is over. Some of my classmates need their grades before the semester is over, which means that the professors have agreed to finish their courses a little earlier, which is a good thing. However, they all want the students to do the same amount of ‘stuff’, which is a bad thing. I guess you can’t have it both ways….

I went to Danshui yesterday with a bunch of friends from church, which was awesome…It was my first day off in two weeks, and I really appreciated the chance to get some good conversations that had nothing to do with classes. :o).

God is good… "I Can Do All Things Through Christ Who Strengthens Me" ~ Philippians 4:13

Windows Live Tags: relationship,classmates,Danshui,friends,church,classes,Christ,Philippians

Blogger Labels: relationship,classmates,Danshui,friends,church,classes,Christ,Philippians

A never-ending lesson

Sometimes, we feel as if we’ve learned a lesson, only to find out that there’s more to be done…I guess we’ll never really finish until we get to Heaven.

After I found out that I had an internship at ITRI, I found out that I need a work permit to do it. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, as the permit would be “in process”, and I’d be able to retroactively apply the permit to any time I’d already worked. However, ITRI is part of the Taiwan government, and as such, is a bit stricter on permits and all that sort of thing.

Anyway, I haven’t yet found out definitely whether or not that’s going to be a problem, or what I should do. All I can do is wait, and try to get some definite answers.

---

A few weekends ago, I went to Penghu, a small island of the Taiwanese coast. GORGEOUS place. I’m definitely hoping to get back there this summer. I met a lot of cool people, had a lot of fun, and got even more behind on sleep (but it was TOTALLY worth it :p I saw the best fireworks show of my life, rode on more boats, and visited more tiny islands than I ever have before.

---

I finally got a new lens for my camera, so I was able to get some good shots…I didn’t realize how much I missed photography. I’m really hoping that I’ll get some time this summer to do some exploring and shooting. I just haven’t had enough time this semester, though from what the senior students say, next semester will be a LOT easier compared to this year. If nothing else…NO MORE MATH (provided I pass economics).

---

Lately, God’s given me lots of opportunities to encourage people, and I’ve really been praying that Christ would shine through me. Other than prayer, and offering to pray with them, I don’t know what else to do…after all, what else could I do that’s more powerful than prayer, anyway?

It’s kind of neat, as this has been something that I’ve been praying about ever since I came to Taiwan. As the need is so great, it’s neat to see the opportunities that have come my way…all of which I totally wasn’t expecting.  

---

School has been getting tougher and tougher…the two months until the semester ends are looking longer and longer. However, then end WILL come, I WILL pass (totally by the grace of God),  and life will go on. If nothing else, I’ve learned endurance, and stick-to-it-ivity. 

Pics from Penghu:

View Full Album

Windows Live Tags: lesson,Heaven,internship,ITRI,Taiwan,government,Penghu,island,Taiwanese,GORGEOUS,life,photography,MATH,economics,Christ,prayer,School,endurance,fireworks,boats,islands

Blogger Labels: lesson,Heaven,internship,ITRI,Taiwan,government,Penghu,island,Taiwanese,GORGEOUS,life,photography,MATH,economics,Christ,prayer,School,endurance,fireworks,boats,islands

Life…God…Trusting vs. Control

This is going to be one of those random posts that combine a lot of different things because I’m too busy (lazy?) to post more often. The good news: I finally found an internship – I need it as part of my MBA program, and wasn’t finding ANYTHING – talking to everyone I know, but nobody with any links to opportunities for students.

On Tuesday night, I had class with Professor Tang, the head of the GMBA program. He asked if everyone had found internships. All but 6 people had – (me being one of the 6). Needless to say, I was feeling rather bummed. Walking home after class that night, I was praying, and I realized that I had been worrying….I knew that God was the one who would provide the internship, but I was thinking about how I needed to do my part…I prayed “Ok, God. I’m done. I don’t know what else to do, who else to talk to. I don’t know what I’ll do if I can’t find an internship, but there’s nothing more I can do. I had an appointment the next morning with a lady at ITRI (a government scientific research institute here in Hsinchu). This appointment had been canceled twice already, and I was thinking that I was just being put off indefinitely. When I got there, however, I was offered an internship doing patent research, and a possibly the chance to work with a company implementing a new product. We’ll see…

So…ya….I’ve had that lesson before, but I’m always realizing just how slow I actually LEARN! Can’t blame the Israelites too much…I’m the same way!

In other news…School is starting to get a bit overwhelming. Another fun part of this whole ITRI thing is that I’ll be working 2 days a week, starting in May. Sooo….I have even less time than I did before! I can’t wait until the semester is over! I just need to get through 2 ½ more months, and then I don’t have to think about it for 2 months!

I have NO idea how people make it through life without God! It’s tough enough, and I’ve got a Friend, a Brother, and a Dad who help me get through every day!