Happy Easter

Happy Easter!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday  celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

Easter was strange.

 Abnormal.

 Not bad, mind you, just totally unlike the 46 previous Easters. 

In the past, my favorite part of Easter Sunday has always revolved around a Sunrise Service. As a child, my church celebrated with an actual sunrise service.  Shortly before dawn, dressed in boots and jackets, we would traverse the hill behind our small country church. As the first rays of the sun popped over the horizon, we were already singing and praising. Totally awesome!

Unfortunately, it set a very high bar of expectations. 

But, fortunately, the church of most of my adulthood, Faith Assembly, always had a Sunrise Service. Well, almost a sunrise service. The sun was actually rising as we drove to church. Close enough, though. 

Yesterday, lacked this element. So what did we do to celebrate Easter?

1. We colored eggs.Saturday afternoon I walked to the market where I handpicked  three dozen eggs (By the way, eggs are not refrigerated here.) I put them in a basket and the nice vegetable stand lady weighed them and charged me 130NT. Not having access to the American Egg Coloring Kits, I pulled out our handy food coloring. While Jacob and Ben helped a little bit, Abbi did most of the eggs.

2. So without Sunrise Service, what were we to do at 7:00 Sunday morning? Watch the OSU Buckeyes play in the NCAA Tournament. Really? Live basketball Easter morning? Yep... Too bad the Bucks lost.

3. Our regular church Service started at 10 am. We sang, took communion, and shared a meal together.

4. Ark Fellowship- This is the youth group that our family has been helping with twice a month. Carl decided to teach about Easter, a holiday in which the students knew absolutely nothing. We shared our colored eggs and explained how Jesus gives us new life. 

5. After the youth group, Our family, along with coworkers Michael and Anna (and their four children) and Sharon went to a beautiful art museum and shared a traditional Chinese family meal-- rice, savory fish (cooked whole), chicken, tofu, cabbage, and other vegetables. YUMMY!

6. To end our first Easter away from home, we skyped with our home church back in Ohio. Between their Sunrise Service and Sunday School, our church family gathered around a computer and for over an hour we conversed with friends. What a joy to see their faces and hear their voices! 

 Now, while this was not our typical Easter, the day was special considering the reason for our celebration!

My favorite 2013 Easter memory... On Friday, one of my students asked a great question. Just as Veggietales Easter Carol was beginning, Max came running up to me. "Mrs. Dingus, I just don't get it. What does the Easter Bunny have to do with Easter?" Great question, Max. 

In a country where so many fakes (idols/ancestor worship) hide the truth (Jesus), my answer needed to be simple and straightforward.  What a joy to share the truth of Easter with tomorrow's leaders of Taiwan, United States, Canada, South Africa, and Australia!