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posted by Donald on 10/17/08

Oh no! Another post without … pictures! Did you notice? Just a straight column of text! There are several reasons for that: 1) I wasn’t expecting to post about this subject and thus didn’t take any relevant pictures; 2) A rain storm took the power out at school, affecting the computer I was using to download the pictures I had for another post; and 3) A post with no pictures can be used to illustrate a point. Pictures and no pictures is the difference between Chinese and English. English is simple in that each “character” has a sound, you line up the sounds, pronounce them straight through and the resulting word brings to mind the desired picture. What isn’t so simple is that the English pronunciation doesn’t always line up with the English letters. Children learning to read lines and lines of English can be daunted by the task–especially on long paragraphs like this one. While it’s more tedious and takes patience both to learn and write, having pictures for words can be a lot more easy to remember, understand and use. To read Chinese, rather than going from pronunciation to a memorized picture, one goes from a picture to a memorized pronunciation. A couple times in the past few days people asked me if I thought Chinese was hard to learn and I found that my answer was ‘No’! Arguably, it’s the easiest language to master. Yesterday I had a memorable talk with one particular student and her teacher. This 8th grader had represented Nan Jung at a huge academic competition and among 20 participants from around the county she took third place. She had memorized five separate essays in English (thousands of words) and quoted from memory the one that the teacher chose at random. Since I’ve found memorizing in foreign languages to be helpful I asked them for some tips and the three of had a very fun discussion about the subject. Among the words of wisdom were: 1) Repeat, repeat, repeat . . ., narrow down on the vocabulary you don’t understand, and, thirdly, make associations with sounds or pictures that you are already familiar with. It will be worth it all if this blank-looking post can remind you of that last simple point. So anyway, remember that the next time you want to remember something! (I might remember this post for a long time.)

3 Comments » | posted in Tidbits

posted by Donald on 10/3/08

September 30.
In Israel, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated. People rest from work and the ram’s horn sounds during a special memorial service.
In southern Taiwan an unusually large flock of 126 migrant ibises are sighted in a field: white with long curved black bills, black heads and black tails.
And in Choujhou, a farmer bends over another field. He doesn’t wear a Chinese hat: his graying hair is easy to see along with his white shirt as he works slowly down the rows of his garden. He is lanky and agile; his arms are the color of light brown chocolate. In his right hand he wields a curved knife, cutting away weeds that crowd the edges of each row.
He is an inspiration to watch. I wonder “What will he do when he reaches the end of the row?”
After completing some more personal projects I returned to the window. He was much closer to the row’s end, making the repetitious strokes with regularity and care. At last he reached the end–and turned the corner finishing off the edges. And then he stood up. And turned around.
With a brush of his sleeve he wiped the sweat off his brow. He swung his hands a little bit almost in glee and though I couldn’t see his face I could discern a sense of great satisfaction.
We all have the same privilege: to live and work in co-operation with God’s creation designs and glorify Him with the harvest.
“What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboreth? I have seen the travail which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised therewith. He hath made everything beautiful in its time: also he hath set eternity in their heart, yet so that man cannot find out the work that God hath done from the beginning even to the end. I know that there is nothing better for them, than to rejoice, and to do good so long as they live. And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy good in all his labor, is the gift of God. I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it; and God hath done it, that men should fear before him” (Ecclesiastes 3:9-14, ASV).

5 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Donald on 09/25/08

Looking back over another week, I sense a new appreciation for God’s great mercy: acceptance or favor that is not earned or deserved. On Sunday He brought me across the lines of a hymn that I had forgotten about, saying simply:
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea.
There’s a kindness in His justice which is more than liberty.
Monday was my day to teach in the Bank classroom. The students from Chao He Elementary School were attentive. They enacted deposit and withdraw scenarios, made bank books and even had time for a math game using the money counter. Though there is much more that could be taught about the bank I’m reminded by my own merciful Master Teacher that dynamic teaching can identify with students at any level before bringing them to the next.
On Tuesday, a typhoon kept us from our normal teaching schedule. The Lord turned this also in our favor allowing but a light shower and giving us a day to catch up. Great time for journaling and language study! Wednesday was a full day in the airport classroom. During the first class I forgot how to operate the sound system but the Lord was merciful and sent along another teacher at the right time to help me out. From then on it was never a problem. This morning and yesterday we’ve seen potential illnesses fade away as the Lord provides strength. And overall I am most grateful for our hosts. God has blessed us with teachers and leadership at Nan Jung who not only make sure that we feel at home but are interested in working with us to give every student a fresh interest in English. They lend advice, let us attend their classes from time to time, and invite us over on the lunch break so our language skills can mutually improve.
It’s an ideal situation. The Lord is good.

4 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Donald on 09/18/08

While we’re already into our third week, we’re actually only beginning to “take off” with a full-fledged teaching schedule.
Yesterday and today students from Nan Jung (our host school–pronounced Non Rong) came for a total of seven 45-minute periods and next Monday students from an elementary school will be the first regular outside guests to come through. It promises to be another good year and I’m reminded of Psalm 19:5, a verse that came to mind during a jog earlier this week: “[The rising sun is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” There’s a long flight ahead but the Lord has been our strength giving us cause to rejoice at the beginning of the race as well as afterwards.
Though Austin had only taught the airport classroom a few times before, he enjoyed “taking the stick” for today and conducted four successful flights in the Airport this morning. I’m really looking forward to doing the Market class with him some day. I feel our Fashion Store lesson plan is at last where it ought to be as well. Today I practiced some different things for the peerless Mr. Brown Cafe and of course it brings a particular degree of satisfaction seeing satisfied students walk out of the newly opened branch of Mega International Commercial Bank.
As our small crew flies on into and above the clouds, through day and night over uncharted territory, we rejoice that the Lord has seen fit to bless our efforts so far and we return the credit both to Him and those He is using through their tremendous encouragement and prayers. Thank you all!
Praise the Lord

3 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports, The Bright Side

posted by Donald on 09/10/08

It is Thursday. The time in Choujou is 8:55am. My location is the English Village office in the corner of Nan Jung Junior High school, at a computer in front of a window facing eastward towards America and towards home and towards New York City.
Memory is a tremendous blessing from God: not completely tame; often taken for granted until it is lost. I am very grateful for some time this morning to remember. Several on the team have relatives in the military and it’s good to remember them. It is good to remember President Bush and his life message of resolve. I also remember, last year, talking to an English Teacher from Kentucky who taught in a classroom next to us. This September eleventh I am thankful for the chance I have to reflect on the country and Creator that I am representing to Taiwan, a younger repulic. Americans overseas can have a lot of influence on students who hear about but rarely see who we actually are. I represent America to them. That is a serious position. I hope that they will see in me that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are found in being a giver, not a taker; battling for the right, not settling for what is normal.
It is nearing 9:15, our first class period for today, and I’ll be teaching in the shopping center classroom. The American ideal will have to take on simple words and a feeble human frame! Nevertheless, I am grateful for the opportunities that come in many small ways to represent a free country. May we all resolve to remember what it has taken to build a foundation for greatness. And freedom is similar to memory by the way: easy to take for granted until it is lost, not tamed to individual definition, and a special and wonderful gift from God.

3 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports, Politics