You Know...

You know you are not in Ohio anymore when....

 you are sweating profusely while putting up the Christmas tree! 

Shorts and open windows are not the typical Ohio environment for Christmas decorating! Its cooled off a little since. Today, jeans and short sleeves are more appropriate. Unfortunately, the tree is still not done. Several of the light strands decided to go on strike, refusing to cooperate with the Christmas spirit. Carl spent an entire afternoon trying to negotiate a compromise, but the lights were unyielding in their opposition. So, they were granted their wish. The other strands were taken off and redistributed to accommodate their stubborn coworkers' absence. 

You know you are not in Ohio anymore when....

your peaceful, relaxing Sunday afternoon is interrupted by this.

Sunday Interruption

At first, I though it was just a passing god parade. It stopped, however, just below us and stayed. Not sure, but we think the owner of the business asked (or paid) the temple leaders to bring the god to the building to bless it. The whole affair lasted quite a while and was accompanied by lot and lots of firecrackers. 

Definitely, not an interruption I would expect in Ohio. Passing tractors, yes, an occasional passing ambulance, maybe, but a noisy god blessing, not likely! 

You know you are not in Ohio anymore when....

everyone in your community is asking about where to find candy canes! And when someone finds them, they share the location and price on Facebook. Don't judge, the struggle is real!  

There are many other examples I could share, but I think you get the point!

Ohio is in my heart, but loving the life God has given me!

My Heart Is Full

Deciding what to share on a blog can be slightly overwhelming. Some blogs come easily, but other times, I question myself. 

For me, this blog fulfills several purposes: to keep friends and family up to date on the Dingus family members, as well as share every day life living as an expat. I also hope that by sharing my thoughts and stories that someone somewhere in the world will be inspired to step out of their comfort zone or even better, make a decision to live life daily with Jesus.

Despite the separation from family and long work hours, I am so gratefully to be a part of this community. I have the opportunity to teach, disciple, and mentor the next generation. Who knows where God will take these students of mine or how He will use them to bless the nations of the world? 

Storybook Character Day!

This is such a privilege, as well as a responsibility that I don't take for granted. It is such a blessing to see God's kids growing both physically and spiritually.

The physical growth is easy to see. Especially since most students tend to measure their height in comparison to mine. And, yes, a few do pass me up by the end of 2nd grade.

The spiritual growth is often harder to gauge. Seeds being planted, those seeds being watered. It all takes place deep in the heart and souls of those sensitive to the moving of God's spirit.

Today this drawing of the Holy Spirit became visible!

I was deeply touched as one of my current students demonstrated obedience to the word of God through baptism. 

During the main service, each person being baptized was asked to share their testimony. While intimidating for most, my student joyfully stepped up to the microphone to make a confession of faith. He shared his choice to follow Jesus, as well as his love for God's word, which he faithfully reads every day.

While God has an amazing plan for each one of us, I am truly excited about where God will take this young man.

His love for his Savior and God's word sets an example for us all to follow. 

I see a faith and a love that far surpasses his young age; a faith and love for God's word that we all should strive to obtain. 

"Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15

Today,  my heart is full.

Week Without Walls

Thankfulness

Every time I get on Facebook, I see it.

People making a list for the things they are thankful for.

It reminds me that the calendar has advanced into the eleventh month- November. The month of Thanksgiving.

While there are many traditional Chinese holidays that touch on being thankful, there is no holiday quite like our American Thanksgiving. Of course, to many Americans, this holiday has simply become a celebration of family and food. Not bad things, but I hope, that at least in my heart, my family,  and my community the central message of this holiday hasn't been blurred.

Fortunately, even though we live in a culture very unlike our own, we still have the opportunity and the means to also pause, with friends and family.

While I am not participating in the thankful each day challenge currently on social media, I would like to share a few things I was thankful for this week.

My week didn't have a great beginning! Over the weekend, I had a major allergy reaction to celery, of all things. The rash was extensive and extremely itchy. But, this leads me to the first of my reasons to be thankful. 

Doctors and medicine. 

Although I don't always get Taiwanese medicine and the thought process that goes into their methods, I was extremely grateful for easy accessibility of medical attention and medicine. I walked into the village doctor's office, waited three minutes and walked out again five minutes later with the medicine I needed to rid my body of the offending substance. By Monday, I was sane again. Which is good since the second of my eye procedures was scheduled for Monday morning. Once again, while I don't understand their methods and reasoning, the laser procedure was completed successfully and at a minimal cost a fraction of what I would have paid in America.

Best thing- I CAN SEE CLEARLY AGAIN!

This is a great thing!

And, I honestly cannot put into words how thankful for modern medicine that allows me to continue functioning as a normal productive adult. God is so good!

On Wednesday, our school had a K12 chapel. Each year, the entire school body gathers to hear about the Christmas project. 

I am particularly thankful for this year's project. I think it is a need that our students can really get behind from the youngest kindergartners to the seniors preparing to head off to college.  Our goal is to raise enough money to support 7 babies and 7 college students for one year. The babies are the most recent children rescued by Heart of Africa from the streets and poverty of  Swaziland. The college students are from JiBei, one of Taiwan's smaller islands. A place where money to further one's education is practically nonexistent. What an amazing opportunity to share the blessings God has bestowed upon our community with those less fortunate. I can't wait to witness the creativity and determination that will take place over the next six or seven weeks as we strive to attain this goal!

I am also very thankful for the students God has given me this year!

While I have always been thankful for the children God has placed in my life, this year's students seem to have a spiritual depth or understanding of the deeper things of God. They go beyond the obvious to see the message, the truth of God's word. And, the best part, is I get a front row seat!

I also had an opportunity to be part of our fall sport's recognition. I am thankful my children were educated in an environment that sees them as a whole child, not just an academic, or athletic, or artistic being, but a combination of all these things and more. The opportunities they have been given far exceed what they might have had if we chose to ignore God's calling seven years ago.

This morning Jacob left with a group of juniors, seniors, and adult leaders for a week long mission ministry trip to an impoverished area of the Philippines. Last spring, Jake participated as junior, but this year he was chosen as a senior leader. This has given him a chance to exercise leadership skills in a way that he has never had to before. But, he and the other two senior leaders, did a fabulous job preparing the juniors to step out into ministry. 

Getting up at 5am on a Sunday morning isn't a natural thing, especially for a teen!

I have seen a depth, a maturity emerge from this son of mine, that I did not know was there. I am beyond thankful for those who saw that in him and took the time to nurture and develop it. This is an opportunity not many American teens are given. 

I am anticipating so many more reasons to be thankful over the next several weeks. I often overlook the obvious, passing up chances to pause and exercise gratitude for the many blessings of our creator God!

How about you?

What are you thankful for today?

The First of Many

Senior year.

Thirty-six weeks abounding with lasts; events that mark the ending of period of life that can never be revisited.

Don't mind me. I am suffering from the emotional scars of watching my youngest get ready to fly the coop. Proud of the young man he is becoming but, sad that our time left with him is dwindling away. As a MK, graduation doesn't just single a move into the next stage of life, it also indicates a move away from the parents; a move that often involves continents, not just cities or states.

Tuesday night was varsity soccer senior night.

I remember last year's celebration of senior soccer players. I knew in a year it would be Jake standing there. My head knew it, but my heart refused to think it even possible. 

I was standing on my tiptoes!

However, time marches on and here we are; the end of Jake's high school soccer career. Despite the twitches and tinges of sadness creeping into my heart, I maintained my composure.

Tears can't stop what God intended. He designed children to grow up and become independent. So despite my wanting to hold back the passage of time, I know that this is a good thing. 

So, I will celebrate the next twenty-six weeks of lasts. And,  prepare my heart for the many firsts yet to come!

For the Glory of God

Last week, I  requested prayer for Jake and his soccer teammates as they were preparing to travel to Hong Kong for a soccer tournament. 

They left early Tuesday morning playing games Wednesday through Friday to determine which teams would play for the medals.

This tournament historically has not gone well for our Mustang players. The competition is stiff; soccer is serious business in these Asian schools. Even when our teams have performed well throughout the season, they struggle to win in  conference play.

After their first win Wednesday, the door opened slightly. This was the first time in three years the team opened the tournament with a victory. The opposing team had come out on top the last two confrontations. Maybe, just maybe, they were going to be in contention for the championship game.

The seniors!

The next game gave them even more confidence in their ability to compete. Jake added a goal to ensure the victory.   

By Thursday, they were securely in the third place with two more chances to catapult themselves into the final. Their opponents on Friday were last year's winner and runner-up. 

As a parent, you want your children to always do their best. No matter what the sport or competition.

 Friday morning, as I contemplated the challenge ahead of Jake and his team, my spirit suddenly had a quickening. Now, I know that sounds strange, but when the Holy Spirit plants an idea in your heart, its hard to describe the feeling. I suddenly realized that I shouldn't be praying for the team to play their best game, but rather for them to play for the glory of God. 

All day that phrase kept tumbling round and round my heart and brain. By playing for the glory of God, they would play their best.  No matter a win or loss, they would be successful. Their focus would change from a temporary emotional status, to a relational eternal focus. The joy of victory or disappointment of a loss is temporary, but their relationship with God, the father, is eternal. 

Needless to say, my prayer changed. 

But the Holy Spirit didn't stop there. He led my thoughts to my own life. What would happen if I did everything I do in for the glory of God? What if my focus swiveled off myself and my roles as wife, mom, teacher? What if all I did became a reflection of God's presence shining out of me?

Constructive criticism would improve my skills instead of causing grief and anger.

Failure would become a springboard to success.

Fear would cease to cripple and control.

I would no longer need to work to look good in the eyes of man.

The list goes on and on. 

Everything I would do would be done to simply please  God.

I don't have to be the best. As long as I keep my heart focused on God, and strive to do all I do for His glory, all will be well.

I don't know about you, but that's a liberating idea.

By the way, Jake's team lost the last two games. They were competitive battles, but the other two teams took home the win. Despite the disappointing results the day before, our Mustangs played for the bronze position Saturday morning, and were able to bring home the bronze medal.

I am one proud mama!

Soccer Mom

I am a soccer mom.

But, not in the typical American way.

I don't own a mini van.

I also don't spend huge amounts of time driving my son back and forth to soccer practices and games. He walks.

I guess that's one advantage of living on a school campus. 

Nevertheless, I am a soccer mom because my son is a soccer player.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away when I was still a licensed driver, several of my children were in a community soccer league. That didn't last long.

Football, basketball, baseball, and track were higher on the list.

Until we moved to Taiwan, where Jake was reintroduced to the game of soccer.

Over the last seven years, I have enjoyed watching him grow and develop into the player he is today.

Early tomorrow morning, our Morrison Varsity Soccer team leaves for Hong Kong where they will compete in the ACSC (Asian Christian Schools Conference). 

They will be joined by teams from Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Guam. Please pray for safety for all the teams traveling. 

On Wednesday, the athletes will join together in a community service. 

On Saturday, the championship game will be played. Our team has yet to be victorious in this tournament. It would be great to see them bring home the trophy, but, even more than that, I pray that they will allow the love of Jesus to control their actions, emotions, and responses both on the field and off. 

Championships come and go, but character lasts a lifetime!

Happy Moon Festival

Or in other words...

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

One of the advantages of living outside the United States is getting to celebrate Taiwanese holidays, as well as the American favorites. 

Over the past six years, I have grown to love Moon Festival. Like many Chinese holidays, it is based on the lunar calendar.  The moon supposedly appears larger this time of the year than at any other time. Many legends surround the origins of this celebration.

In China, the story is told of of Hou Yi shooting down nine of the existing ten suns eliminating the discomfort of the extreme heat.

In Taiwan, a popular story that parents tell their children is about the rabbit in the moon. 

As is most holidays around the world, food plays an integral part. In this case, moon cakes set the stage. Moon cakes are a round pastry filled with interesting ingredients. I say interesting, because American palates are somewhat different than those of the eastern hemisphere. 



Never judge a book by its cover rings true every time I am tempted to partake of this scrumptious looking cake. Red bean paste, green bean paste, and pork are all possible surprise fillings. The one I tried this year had an egg yolk inside. 

Another popular food item is the pomelo. This is a delicious citrus fruit that reminds me of a mild grapefruit. Eating the fruit is only part of the tradition! 

It's not every day that your students come back from their Chinese class wearing fruit on their heads. 

Traditionally, parents put the pomelo rinds on their children's heads so they could easily be seen by the lady in the moon and therefore, receive a blessing from her. Nowadays, it is just a fun tradition.

While I have eaten moon cakes and tried the pomelo hat thing, they are not the reasons I love Moon Festival. 

Years ago, a barbecue sauce company aired an ad suggesting the best way to admire the moon during Moon Festival was to barbecue. The idea sparked a new tradition!

Families take to the sidewalk in front of their homes, or to a local park and fire up their little hibachi grills. Under the bright moon, they cook, eat, and enjoy each other's company. The smell of charcoal and fragrent barbecue sauce filled the air last Sunday and Monday evenings.

We enjoyed this tradition from the comfort of our balcony!

Timbula (fish paste patties), tofu, and pig's blood cake adorned my plate. Hard to believe that I once was a very picky eater!

While shopping for our barbecue food, we bought what we thought was a vegetable nicknamed Lady's Legs. Usually, long and skinny, we picked up a smaller variety. Or so we thought.

After leaving these on the grill for several minutes, imagine my surprise when I expectantly peeled away the outer layers and found this instead.

Not baby corn. Not full grown corn. Teenage corn-on-the-cob! And yes, I ate the whole thing, even the cob! Grilled red peppers, mushrooms, and clams rounded out my meal.

Naturally, the moon was our honored guest.

The family time was enjoyable.

The food was delicious!

The view was fantastic!

I can't think of a  better way to spend a Sunday evening!

In Search of Pad Thai

Carl has been fascinated with Pad Thai ever since his Nationwide days. Near his office, in the Short North, was a market. An old, Asian man ran a small take out eatery specializing in Pad Thai. Carl didn't eat out often for lunch, but when he did, this was one of his favorite places to go.

For the last five years, we had a favorite Thai restaurant that served a delicious Pad Thai- chicken for Carl; seafood for me. We went often enough that the owner knew us and knew exactly what we wanted to order.  For several years, this blissful relationship thrived.

Until one day...

We walked in and the owner sadly told us that he could no longer obtain one of the ingredients that made his Pad Thai so delicious. He went on to explain he was moving his business to an area he thought would provide more customers- a popular night market located next to a large university. He was changing the menu to accommodate the younger crowd.

That was such a sad day for us! It was the equivalent of the dreaded "Dear John" letter ending yet another delicious relationship.

But, never fear! Abbi helped us find another place that serves delicious Pad Thai, but it was different than our prior favorite. That got us to thinking about all the other places that serve Pad Thai. How many different kinds could there be? Which was the best?

Thus, the quest to find the best Pad Thai in Taichung began.

Our first stop was at Grandma's Thai.

I liked this place for its atmosphere and decor. Sadly, while somewhat delicious, its Pad Thai didn't measure up to our first love.

             Friday evening found us out again on the hunt.

Carl did the research, found another Thai place, and expertly drove  us through Friday evening traffic. Basically, I am just along for the ride!

I usually just hang on and enjoy the ride, but for some reason I decided to take out my phone and record our drive. It was an ongoing game of scooter versus bus. Watch here to see who won!

After arriving at the restaurant, we were seated and handed an all Chinese menu.

With the help of our trusty Google translate, we soon realize that this is not the place we were seeking. The proprietress came to get our order, but did not understand our questions. So she went and got another employee who spoke a little bit more English, but still could not understand. Finally,  a third person, a young woman, was brought to our table.

"No, this is not a Thai restaurant. Traditional Chinese food is served here. The place you want is down the street. I will walk you there." 

Could you imagine one restaurant employee in America walking a customer to another restaurant?  Not here in Taiwan. There are so many restaurants and so many customers that everybody doesn't mind sharing!

The place we wanted was down one block and across the street. While crossing through the intersection my forward progress was stopped suddenly. From out of what seemed no where, a woman grabbed me. Tightly hugging me, she spoke excitedly to Carl and I in rapid Chinese. 

May I remind you, I don't speak Chinese. In addition, it was now after 7pm so it was quite dark on the poorly lit street. For the life of me, I couldn't make out the face of the friendly woman. I just stood there dumbfounded as she excitedly repeated her words over and over.

Fortunately, Carl who has better eyesight and Chinese realized this was the mother of one of Ben's classmates. It all began to make sense. Their church was located nearby and as she and her son were driving down the road, they saw us. He pulled over so she could come greet us. 

Meanwhile the lady from the Chinese restaurant waited. "Were we Morrison teachers," she asked. Upon our yes, she excitedly shared how her brother often goes to our Taipei campus. Ends up, we know some of the same people. 

These chance meetings wouldn't be quite as unusual if we lived in a smaller city or were in the district in which we live, but we were  20 minutes away from the school in a city of at least 3 million people. I began to wonder who else we were going to run into!

By this point, I was starving. The dinner hour had come and passed us by. 

The Thai place fortunately had both Chinese and English menus and to our delight listed on both was Pad Thai.

We also ordered a lemon chicken dish and a green papaya salad.

 Was the food delicious?

Yes! Strangely enough, the chicken was my favorite. Odd since I barely ever eat meat at a restaurant.

Was the Pad Thai the best in Taichung?

Sadly, no. 

Our quest will continue.

T.H.I.N.K.

It's that time of year again.

It all began as a tiny spark- a desire to give our students a head start on becoming positive digital citizens.

The resulting blaze...

T.H.I.N.K. Boot Camp

No, it's not an actual boot camp. Just an intentional effort to get our students thinking.

And thinking they did.

They thought about :

T- Trustworthy

H- Helpful 

I - Inspiring

N- Necessary

K- Kind

Good life lessons whether you are on the internet or not!

One parent shared with me how she helped her child understand how her actions were not acceptable using the letters of THINK. 

That in itself makes all the time and effort that went into making this week special worth it.

This year something new was added to our list of special activities.

An extremely effective drama involving a couple of bad guys...

an innocent victim...

and two heroes who show up just in time to save the day!

Needless to say, this scenario well received.

By both the younger students, as well as the older!

Just another example of how learning doesn't always require pencil and paper.