To those of you who were waiting for a typhoon update, I apologize for the late blog post.
The typhoon actually didn't hit us very hard in Hualien. We heard some super heavy rain at times but it was on and off throughout the day. Some of our members were even able to get outside and go to 7-11 for coffee in the morning! (I guess we weren't actually locked in that well because Uncle Tom was able to take out the metal bars. Lol!) Anyway, the typhoon detoured and headed southeast. There has been some heavy damage in Tai Dong, which is south of Hualien, so please pray for the people there.
Since we were stuck inside during the typhoon and no one else could come in, we decided to have a little fun as a team! After morning devotion and breakfast, we spent most of the day playing a game called Rummikub, but we took a little break to open up the EV Dong Hong Salon! Lydia gave Tiffany a trim while Angela did everyone's eyebrows. #AngelBrows
In the evening, some of us went to a family visitation. The students we visited were two brothers named Sean (Praise) and Orange (Angel). These two kids are notorious for being very energetic during class and they played with us very roughly when we were at their house. We came back to the church with bruises and bitemarks! This is not a family of believers, but we found out that when Sean and Orange went home, they started saying that they should pray before meals. They also asked to pray for the typhoon. Praise the Lord that they have learned the importance of prayer! They also wanted to look up the songs that they learned with us :) We ended up helping them with their homework at the visitation, which was very touching to their mom. Orange has been diagnosed with ADD, so she was moved when she saw him working so diligently. Originally, they had not planned to join us for church on Sunday, but we are praying for them to change their mind because it is obvious that Sean and Orange want to come.
Although a super typhoon may not seem like a blessing at first, we're glad we were able to rest and relax a bit and bond as a team before the second week begins. It was also a prayer answered for the weather to be calm enough for us to go to the visitation at Sean and Orange's house.
_______________________________________________________________________________SATURDAY, JULY 9
We woke up early (for a Saturday) this morning for our devotion about how Jesus Christ is the one thing that bridges us to God. There is no way we can achieve that on our own. It was a humbling time and a good reminder of how much we need Jesus.
After breakfast, we got ready for a day out with the TAs! We took a tour bus to see some tourist-y sights in Hualien!
Our first stop was Lin Tian Mountain (林田山). We roamed through some nature and past some buildings and saw a lot of intricate wooden carvings!
Next up, we went to the Guang Fu Sugar Factory (光復糖廠) to eat ice cream! :D
After the ice cream, we visited a cow farm called Rareseed Ranch (瑞穗牧場). On the way to see the cows, we saw an ostrich!!
When we were done at the cow farm, we went to find noodles (玉里麵) for lunch. While we were there, we saw some European-looking men standing outside. After talking and laughing about it for a while (and a little bit of interaction), we decided to talk to them. Turns out, they are from France! Their names are Paul, Samuel, and Benoit (Ben), and they are in Taiwan to volunteer at a Catholic church. How cool is that?! I think it's amazing how God brought us all together to meet.
Next, we went to the marker of the Tropic of Cancer (北迴歸線). Apparently Taiwan is one of the countries that lies ~23.4° north of the Equator!
And here's the view of the Pacific Ocean from the Tropic of Cancer marker!
Lastly, we stopped at a Mochi Factory (阿美麻糬) since mochi is Hualien's specialty. We got to try a bunch of free samples there! Yum!
After that, we went back to the church and played Rummikub and Jenga with the TAs. We then ate pizza and pot stickers for dinner with them!
These past two days off have been really rewarding. We got to explore Taiwan, spend time together, and try new things together. However, the weekend is coming to a close and we must get back to business. There isn't much time left and we must use our time with these students to reach out to them and share Jesus with them. One more week to go!
PRAYER REQUESTS:
- For us to prepare well for this coming week
- For us to sleep earlier and get more rest
- For us to be more prayerful about our students rather than trying to figure out how to handle them on our own
- For the families to see changes in their children at home, and thus change their hearts towards the church
Thank you all so much for your prayer and support!! <3
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