Staying busy

Well, it has been quite a while since I've updated, probably for a couple reasons. First, I usually use my computer time to e-mail and skype, and secondly because sometimes I feel like there's not much new with the babies. Each day is different to us, but probably wouldn't be as exciting for anyone reading about it! However, I have had some exciting experiences over the past couple weeks.

4th of July

We had a fun 4th of July... took a bike ride, ate some great American food, dressed the babies in red, white, and blue, and took pictures, ate Bing (like an icee, but better), and the kids had some sparklers/ fireworks. A day that I didn't think would be any different from other days here, turned out to be fantastic!

The Temple

Some of us took a bike ride up to the temple that is nearby a couple weeks ago. It was a beautiful temple, but just reminded me of how lost people are and how much they need Christ. There were people all around us who were there to worship the idols and offer sacrifices to them. I was reminded while there how much hope I have in God. At night, they sometimes set off fireworks here to scare away the evil spirits. These people are living their lives in fear, but I have hope in Christ Jesus and I don't have to live in fear!

The view from the temple was beautiful! No picture can do it justice!

Lights Show

The other night we gathered up a bunch of them babies and went down to the lake to see a lights show. They played music during the show and some of the babies were just fascinated by the water lighting up! Not sure how often they do this (maybe every night?) but it was a nice evening and we enjoyed getting out for a little bit. Afterward, Shr Baba came out to the lake and led devotions. There were a few other people sitting around the lake and watching what was going on. I'm just praying that maybe they listened to the message Ted was sharing.

Taroko Gorge

Shr Baba (Ted) likes to take everyone who comes to visit to a place called Taroko Gorge (a National Park). On the way there, we stopped at this church, which has been dedicated to a woman who shared the Gospel in a cave(also shown below) at the risk of her own life. The time we spent in the cave (which was only about 5 minutes) was probably my favorite part of the whole day! Sometimes I forget the cost some have had to pay and what others have gone through to share the Gospel!

After visiting the church/cave, we headed onto Taroko Gorge. It was beautiful! Such a great reminder of how great our God is and how creative He is! We had a wonderful day out with some wonderful food (some sort of crepe thing with egg for breakfast; noodles, pineapple, and mango for lunch; snacks in between). I really missed the babies and was excited to get back to them after a full day of being gone! What am I going to do after I leave here! I think I'll be going through baby withdrawal!

Rafting

We also had the opportunity this week to go white water rafting. I don't have any pictures because if I'd had a camera, it wouldn't be any good anymore after getting wet, but thought I'd share a little about the experience. Picture this: our guides wearing Mickey Mouse life jackets and helmets with mouse ears sticking out! It was pretty great! Definitely wish I'd gotten some pictures of that! The water was pretty calm (I'm guessing. Since this was my first rafting experience, I don't know that for sure, but it seemed pretty calm). Only one person fell out. One of the other boats flipped. I did a full flip inside the boat. Fun times!

Earthquake

Woke up at around 3:45 the other morning to the whole house shaking! Yep, there was an earthquake. I guess it was a 5.4, which is pretty big for this area (or so I was told). It only lasted about 10 seconds and I wasn't positive it really happened (because I was still pretty groggy) until the next morning when others were talking about it. I guess there has been another one since I've been here, but I missed out on feeling that one.

Devotions

I love devotions time! Even if I don't understand what is being said, I look forward to it! My favorite time is the singing time. I love to hear the kids worship God in their own language! The other day, they memorized the following passage for devotions:

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me

and lead me in the way everlasting

~Psalm 139:23-24

I love the message of the verse, but I was also struck by the fact that they were memorizing it in another language. It made me think about the people who don't have the Word of God in their own language, or the people who have only a few copies in their language. The longer I am here, the more I realize that I am blessed to be an American, as most people know at least a little English and most places have English writing. It's easy for me to learn about God and His Word, but it's not that way for everyone.

Prayer Requests

-Pray for a few babies who have been sick. Please pray for their health and that no other babies get sick.

-Pray for paperwork to come through quickly, so that families can get their babies home soon!

-Pray for a friend I've met here whose sister has lupus and is not doing well

-Pray for continued strength, health, enthusiasm, and unity among the volunteers

-Pray for the many people in Taiwan who do not know the true God. Pray that we can be a light while we are here, even with the language barrier.