settling in...

another retreat picture

(:

things about taiwan...no good chocolate, not even hersheys. instead, we have:

lol...what?!? (btw, it doesn't taste anything like hersheys...or even chocolate for that matter...)

internet!

i finally have internet! skype with me!!! i'm serious. and webcam it (: i miss your faces/voices. haha.

work

to be honest, it's been grueling for me. i was delighted to find that work hours were actually 9am-5pm. but because it IS research, hours have been much longer (can't leave until we finish taking care of the yeast etc etc). the hours have been 7am-9pm, and also to 7pm and it's been draining both physically and mentally.

regardless, i am still extremely thankful for the job, the convenience of only walking 15 min to get to work, as well as the learning experiences that come from it.

prayer requests:

-roomates are pretty much moved in. but i'm usually so tired after i get home that i just lock up in my room. please pray that i would not be lazy in reaching out to them and that i would find ways to show them Christ's love.

-co-workers. that i reach out to them. i'm falling into the "work for money" and not taking opportunities to witness to the people i spend...more than half a day with.

-that i would use internet as a means of communication and necessity, not a means of wasting time. times of reflection and prayer had been good because internet/tv were not there to distract me.

and to end off, ms. karen liu's aunt:

yes, karen, you look much younger than she does.

Prayer Requests, Typhoon, Retreat, Bugs

Prayer Requests

John: He will be starting work tomorrow so please pray for him to work extra extra hard. He wants to be a good teacher in order to be the best witness he can at his workplace. Also, to build good relationships with his co-workers and boss. Lastly, a smooth transition into working life and for time management.

Matt: He will be going to Hong Kong for a week so pray for safe passage to and fro. Please also continue to pray for him to find a job and to trust in the Lord for it.

Bryan: Pray for evangelism here at EBCT. We go out to campus in the mornings of Mon/Wed/Fri, and ET will be starting in two weeks! Also, I finished my first Chinese class so thank you for praying for my studies. God has been graciously strengthening me and allowing me to study diligently.


Thank you for praying for the safety of EBCT during the typhoon. No one got hurt! Praise God!

Warning: Almost half the pictures are of bugs so don't look at anything past the "Bugs" heading if you don't want to see them. BTW, I hate bugs and insects, but the ones in Taiwan are so interesting and SCARY that I am compelled to take pictures of them (and show you).


Typhoon

Despite there being a typhoon last weekend, we decided to walk around outside and possibly grab lunch if McDonald's was open. Yes it was. We saw an uprooted tree, and MattL decided to be all dramatic and pretend the leaves were Persian forces.



Too bad the wind owned him just a little later.



On Sunday, we had a baptism service and two new believers got baptized! Afterwards, we took some group pictures. EBCB should have at least one on the back wall soon or maybe it's already up.

We are so cool.


We are so happy.


We are so kung fu.


Retreat

EBCT had a summer retreat this past weekend and Ben Saetang was our speaker. Our theme was "A God-Kept Heart", and the theme verse was Proverbs 4:23. We went up the mountains a bit so here was the view down to the cities.



This was a rabbit trash can next to the stairs that lead down into the main room. Yeah, it scared me too.






Here is a picture of the guys and girls.





Here is a picture of the tentmakers making a tent. Yes, that is a tent. Pretend please.



Here is our speaker Ben looking intently for bugs!



What a wonderful segue!

Bugs

These are some of the bugs we saw at the retreat site. Some of us went looking for them so don't worry, we don't deal with these on a regular basis. By the way, all these are what I think the names of the bugs are, not official ones.

We found this grasshopper in the guys room.


We saw a bunch of these little crickets. They jump in a curved path , it was really cool.


We scared this mosquito hawk shortly after taking the picture, and it flew into a spider web.

:(



Here is a dead cicada and Matt Lui's finger so you can see how big it is.


This is a shell of an earlier phase cicada chilling on John's face.


A millipede.


A small spider who found its lunch.


This was a MONSTROSITY of a spider. The legs were THICK, and it could run FAST. This one was hanging out by the piano in the main room. Just the day before, Matt Hauck and I just happened to have one run across the table we were sitting at at Xiao Fu. I saw a big blob of brown scurry QUICKLY across the table, and we both jumped out of our seats with the QUICKNESS.


When you think of bugs/insects, don't you normally think of strange, colorful ones like this couple?


Bonus
This is the intestine and coagulated blood dinner I ate after coming back from the retreat. It was good, but the thought of what I was eating grossed me a out a little.


Please pray for us!

* * * i a m p o s t i n g ! ! ! * * *

Don't worry, it's not the end of the world. but YES YES YES, this is Clara Gloria Chiu *gasp* (who?) the tentmaker who hasn't updated or posted since um.... January?!?!?!?!?!!

Hi everyone who reads this blog. I'm still alive, praise God! :) Actually, I've been alive all along, only you didn't know because you haven't heard anything from me. Bethany, are you proud of me, I finally did it!

Special Update on Typhoon: The center (eye) of the typhoon is currently in Taichung (center taiwan) and the range of typhoon is covering the enter Taiwan. There's no work and school today for all of Taiwan. The country is almost stopping... Therefore, Bible Study is cancelled for today. I'm trapped in and am determined to finish this post.

ANYWAYS...
(warning: This post is a little long becuase it's my first one in a looooong time. The future ones will definitely be shorter, I promise!)

><>Work<><

(1) My 3 in 1 Job I kind of have 3 jobs in 1.

1. I teach kindergarten kids (2-6 yrs old) in the "Oxford American School - Bilingual Kindergarten" where I teach 3 different classes (Koala, Snoopy, Melody claass) 4 times a week.
2. Then I teach at the "Oxford Language Center" where I am their after-school English program teacher at a "cram school" teaching five different classes ranging from 1st - 4th graders.
3. I also have six 1-on-1 private students where I have private classes with them once to twice a week. The students are: Angel(6th grade), Julie(8th grade), Kevin(7th grade), Steven & Eric(together,7th grade), Sophie (6th grade).

I teach all these under the same OXFORD LANGUAGE CENTER school... every week, I teach kids ranging from 2 to 12 years old, about 25- 31 teaching hours per week. It's a really big range, and it's a little tiring. But I'm starting to get used to it.

It is summer so when kids don't have to go to school, they take extra cram school / private classes. Below is my schedule next week @____________________@ 30 hrs of TEACHING + prep and admin work...I'll be at work from around 9:30am - 8/9pm except Wednesday!

(2) Kindergarten Graduation Ceremony - July 28, 2007
I was the co-MC for our kindergarten graduation ceremony with my boss. They had druming performances, plays, awards... really really elaborate and crazy! We all had to dress up!!!!! Kindergarten Graduations, did any of you had a KINDERGARTEN graduation? Very adorable and cute kids, I love them! <3

><>Church<><

1. Graduates' Celebration Party - August 11, 2007
   We had a party last Saturday for EBCT's 2 graduates: Sister Evon (grad from High School) and Brother Kevin (grad from College)!
   Below are some pictures. Mostly with sisters...

Can you see Sanny's tummy... hello baby hauck! Sanny's tummy is getting bigger and bigger~!




2. Random Spoon - August 5, 2007
   I was trying to put my spoon on my nose while eating at the "Orange Restaurant" where most people order the Thai Sauce Fried Chicken and Marinated Chicken Leg. EBCT people are soooooooo awesome! I have been laughing A LOT A LOT MORE since the 3 male tentmakers' arrival.
   

Prayer Requests

1. Endurance & Love - That I will be a good example at work, teaching and working with Christ's-like love toward my students, boss, and co-workers!
2. Seek First His Kingdom and Righteousness - That I place God first in my life and have glorifying God as the motivation for all my thoughts and actions.
3. Love in Action - That I go out of my way to love the saints at EBCT!
4. EBCT Summer Retreat (Aug 24-26) - We are going to a retreat next weekend and Ben Sae-Tang will be our speaker. Please pray for safety, preparations, sermons, people's hearts. Also, Sanny and I will be helping translate the message from Chinese into English. Please pray that we will be faithful to God's word in translation and that I will not be nervous!!!!!! >____________<

Typhoon

8/17 - 6 AM¹



8/17 - 4 PM¹

The eye of the category 5 typhoon was 320 km (200 miles) off the coast of Taiwan as of 0500 GMT (1 a.m. EDT), packing sustained winds of 184 kph (114 mph) and gusts up to 227 kph (141 mph).²

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As of right now, it is pouring and we can hear loud, ominous thunder. That did not stop Katherine, Yishan, and MattL from going outside to enjoy the rain though.

Taiwan will be smack dab in the center of the typhoon for the next two days. My family was coming to Taipei from Seoul to visit tomorrow, but their flight got cancelled. :(

Several people die during each typhoon from what we hear...please pray for our (EBCT's) safety and also that of the nation.

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1: http://www.tealit.com/typhoon.php

2: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSPEK20780720070817?pageNumber=1