Freshman Rock!

One of the many things I love about Morrison, is the essence of community.

Not just the recognition that we are a community, but the cultivating, the on-purpose building up of community. I am not speaking of just the staff and the parents, but that of the students. 

At the beginning of each school year, the first two weekends are busy. The first with the BYOP (Beginning of the Year Party- very original, huh?) and the following week- the class retreats.

Each class, gathers together, to hang out, to bond. I know this may seem strange when you consider that the majority of these classes have been together for years, and years and years, and in some cases, since kindergarten! But every year brings new students, new challenges, and new maturity.

Our first year here, these retreats were cancelled due to a passing typhoon, that never actually came. Being new, we didn't understand the significance of this loss. 

Last year, Ben's senior class spent the weekend in Taipei. 

This past Friday evening, Jacob as a freshman participated in his first class retreat. Being the "babies" of high school, their retreat doesn't actually last overnight. Just Friday evening.

Since the class is still small (only 31 students) and many are staff kids, meaning their homes are on campus, a progressive dinner was planned. Five courses, five houses.

Loving soups as I do, Carl and I volunteered to do the third, or rather soup course. 

So leaving my classroom at an unheard time of 3:45pm, I rushed home to an amazingly clean house. My husband may be better at cleaning than me. 

Carl, besides cleaning, had started one soup in the crockpot. I made a second on the stovetop.

The house smelled delicious. And even though she herself had a retreat to attend, Abbi begged for a small sample of each. Both passed her taste test!

By 6:15, everything was ready. Now, we just needed Jake and his classmates to show up. Thinking they would most likely arrive by the front door, I remembered the preceding course was on the same floor as ours. The apartment, however, was in a different section accessed by a different elevator. The quickest and easiest access between the two apartments, was to cut through another freshman's apartment. But, I wondered, would they realize this?

The answer was yes, because shortly thereafter, the back door flew open and in single file marched thirty teenagers. They filled every chair and all available floor space. 

It was crowded.

 It was noisy.

It was wonderful!  

 

In addition to eating, each home played a game. Ours required teams of three to stand on a piece of newspaper for three seconds. After each round, the paper was folded in half. What ensued was tons of laughter, screaming, and thudding. Luckily, the apartment below was the last stop of the dinner and understood the noise emitting from their upstair's neighbor. 

Thirty minutes was all it took to turn one clean apartment into a disaster, two middle-aged parents extremely worn out, and one cupful of soup leftover to split between the before mentioned parents.

But, it was well worth it!

Ghost Month

After my first experience in Taiwan, I never viewed Halloween the same. 

It was because of Ghost Month.

For the first time, my childhood ideas of cute Casper like spirits were dashed upon the reality of the fears of Taiwan's Ghost Month. Never again when hearing the word ghost, would I get the image of a child clad in a white sheet.

Ghost Month, observed the seventh month of the lunar calendar, runs from August 14 to September 12. During this festival, many believe the gates of hell are opened and all of the hungry ghosts are released into the world in search of food, money,  and entertainment.

A "hungry ghost" is a being that has been sent to the underworld to suffer an eternal state of hunger for their misdeeds or for not having a proper burial. Once a year, they are set free from hell and are given the opportunity to satiate some of their cravings and perhaps gain some good karma for a reincarnation into a better life with the help of their family members.

Since living on campus this year, Ghost Month has not impacted our daily life as much. I have not woken up to smoke billowing through an open window as my neighbor burns "money" to appease the ghosts.  My neighbors here do not put out tables laden with food to satisfy the "hungry" ghosts. 

As you can imagine, fear is the driving force. It may sound funny to us, but the fear is real, life changing and life controlling.

To help you understand, the following is an excerpt of an article referring to Ghost Month.

In Taiwanese culture, the seventh lunar month of each year, roughly around August in the Gregorian calendar, is Ghost Month. According to legend, during this month, the gates of the afterlife are opened, and ghosts roam the living world. To appease spirits, people often burn spirit paper money and set out food and drink offerings. People also avoid doing certain things, such as swimming or getting married, during this time.

Here are 10 Things you might not have known about Ghost Month:

1. Born in August? No Birthday Celebrations Allowed!

According to custom, celebrating birthdays during Ghost Month is considered taboo, since spirits will be drawn to the ruckus. It also offends spirits when you celebrate life in their presence, so maybe it’s better to just keep the celebrations to a minimum. Just be glad you were born at all though, because…

2. Couples go into hibernation 

That’s right. Weddings, engagements, breakups, moving in together, anniversary dinners, honeymoons, and babies (yes you are “strongly advised” against giving birth during Ghost Month!) are all taboo during Ghost Month. Sorry couples.

That is, unless you’re a spirit. Because then…

3. Ghosts get married instead

 
During Ghost Month, the relatives of those who passed on before marriage hold “weddings” for spirit brides and grooms, due to the fact that dying before marriage is considered one of the worst tragedies in Taiwanese culture.

So, why not get hitched in the afterlife instead?

4. 220,000 tons of money go into the afterlife

In order to appease spirits, Taiwanese often burn money to transport it into the afterlife. The money burned isn’t real currency, but it’s believed to hold actual value in the spirit world. It’s estimated that Taiwan burns about 220,000 tons of spirit money annually.

5. The economy dies too

Due to the numerous taboos surrounding Ghost Month, including one where you shouldn’t make any large financial/business decision, the economy often plummets during this time. Car sales, housing sales, and business deals, ranging from wedding bookings to corporate merges, all nosedive during this time.

6. Empty concerts seats are a good thing

Along with money and food offerings, traditional concerts and shows are often held for the ghosts’ viewing pleasure. Traditionally, during these shows, the first row of chairs is always left empty for the spirits. It’s believed if you sit in those seats, it might invite a spirit to come and possess you.

7. Water is not

Swimming, walking alongside rivers, buying fish tanks, even taking out wet clothes for drying at nighttime is considered unlucky during Ghost Month. This is because water is believed to be a very “yin” element, meaning spirits are oftentimes attracted to it. On the other hand….

8. Fire = The New Fed-Ex

Turns out, money isn’t the only thing that gets burned. Paper houses, complete with paper furniture and paper plumbing, are also burned as a way of sending things to the afterlife. Similar to the money, the houses are meant to materialize as actual houses in the underworld.

9. Ghosts get hungry too

Ghost Month is also commonly known as Hungry Ghost Month. It’s said when the spirits come from the underworld, they’re all starving due to the fact that anything they try to eat turns to fire on their lips. This is why you’ll often see tables out on the street during Ghost Month, covered in food offerings for the spirits.

10. Ghosts remember good deeds

Food isn’t offered and money isn’t burned just because people are scared to face the wrath of the supernatural. It’s also believed that if you treat a spirit right, with paper money offerings, food and entertainment, they will bring you good luck in the coming year.

How the the lies and deception  began by satan must sadden the heart of God!

Please pray for Taiwanese Christians, especially those who are alone in their faith among family members. Pray for my students who may come from unbelieving homes. These are the realities of their lives. Pray their eyes will be opened to God's love and truth!

Tomorrow, Friday August 28, marks the half way point of ghost month. Many Taiwanese will be offering sacrifices. Many will participate in bai bai (worship). It is heart breaking, because the One True God loves them and sees them, and yearns for them to turn to Him.

Another Day, Another Dollar

Not really.

Teaching at Morrison isn't a job.

Teaching at any missionary school is a calling, a ministry.

It goes way beyond teaching my students to read, write, and add. It's equipping them to impact their world for Christ. Yes, that sounds lofty and quite far reaching for second graders, but the journey has to start somewhere. It means seeing beyond their reading level or their inability to sit still during a math lesson. Each child has been created by God, who in turn deeply loves each of His unique creations. Besides loving them, He also has a hope and future planned for each one, even those who came to Morrison never knowing that a man called Jesus existed.  

This, my friends, is a game changer. 

Every morning, my mission field comes to me. 

I am not only to teach them academically. God calls me to discipline, encourage, guide, lead, care for, but most of all, love His children.

Even when they don't know He even exists.

Even when they can't sit still.

Even when they can't get along with their classmates.

Even when they are unteachable.

Every day God blesses me with opportunities to model His love, His patience, His wisdom, His JOY!

I am blessed.

And humbled.

Second Graders on their best behavior!

Second Graders ready to learn! 

Well, maybe not!

Yep, I Was Right

Through out the many goodbyes of the past couple months, there was one that loomed heavily upon the horizon. And as equally heavy upon my heart.

This week, that goodbye was no longer off in the future. It was here!

Back in July, Ben asked me to make an apple pie before he left. 

While I have made some pies in the past, I am no expert. 

That title belongs to Dana Poff, our pastor's wife back in Ohio and, more importantly, my friend. She can whip out a pie as effortlessly as a fish swims downstream. Perfectly formed crusts and sweet delectable fillings have pleased the palates of many.

I am not Dana. But I love my son, so made a pie, I did.

Ready made crusts are not an option. Crisco is not readily available, either, so a recipe using butter is required. I love all the counter space in our new apartment. I had plenty of room to roll out the crusts.

While I worked on the crust, Carl pitched in preparing the apples. Apple pie is his favorite. 

I think he developed this favoritism while consuming his mother's yummy apple pies.

My crust never looks pretty. I know practice makes perfect, and while the family would like me to practice more often, I think my waist would greatly suffer.

While not perfect, it was delicious and very satisfying.

It was the best way I could think of to spend my last day before school  began. 

The first day of school was Ben's last day with us.

The effort was worth making a lasting memory!

And, yes, I was right. It was the hardest goodbye of the summer. 

Typhoon Day

As many, if not most, of you know, Taiwan was battered this past weekend by a very large and intimidating typhoon.  

First of all, let me assure everyone, we are fine. 

Unfortunately, many others, especially those on the east side and in the mountains, are not.

Typhoon Soudelor was a monster. 

While out in the Pacific, it grew into the strongest storm so far this year.

Satellite Friday afternoon

Along the coast the storm surge was incredible.

As the sun set Friday evening, everyone was apprehensive.

As I went to bed Friday night, the typhoon was still off to the east. Waking up at 4 am, the howling wind and rattling windows, announced its arrival. It was hard, but I eventually went back to sleep. All was eerily quiet when I woke up later that morning. Were we in the eye already?

Many in our building lost their internet service. Several houses on our campus were without electricity. One coworker lost the tin sheeting on her roof.

By Saturday evening, almost all these constructional panels were gone. As we sat at our dining room table, we could hear as each one lost its battle with the wind.

All morning and into early afternoon, the question was where did the typhoon go? It shouldn't take 7 hours for the eye to pass over. At one point, the sun was even shining. I started thinking the mountains had taken all the wind out of the typhoon. But I was wrong. Around 4pm the wind started up again. All evening, the wind howled, but from the opposite direction.

This morning, driving to church required dodging and going around fallen trees.

After church, I walked around the campus.

Among the limbs and leaves, I found some of the missing tin roofing.

While Taichung dealt mostly with wind. Some parts of the island received 51 inches of rain in 24 hours! As of now the death count is low, just three. A mom and her twin daughters were swept out in the storm surge.

While it was big and ugly, we survived Typhoon Soudelor! Thank you for the prayers!