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posted by Donald on 06/4/08

Well, just an update here!

I continue to be amazed at the beauty and efficiency of Mandarin Chinese–Characters in the Bible continue to come alive with meaning. Recently in Genesis was the bittersweet story of Hagar. Here are several words that stood out (as best as I could decipher them):
* Maidservent = woman + to cause to happen (woman efficient in work)
* Bottle = skin + pouch (container used in the Middle East)
* Wilderness = spacious + countryside/wild (more than just countryside)
* Well = opening + water + well

And in Matthew 5:16:
* Good works (translated “behavior”) = good + conduct + attribute (To conduct oneself uprightly until it becomes an attribute)
* Heavenly Father = heaven + up + -ly + father

Thank you Dad and Mom for training on how to look for and apply principles rather than settling for surface knowledge forgotten after a test.

1 Comment » | posted in Family News

posted by Donald on 05/29/08

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23). On a day that might have been used otherwise, this verse made me think that it might be more wise to take some time and study. I needed to bring together the things I was learning about spoken and written Mandarin.

Up to that point I had been able to listen to spoken Chinese, read and memorize Scripture in Chinese and simply take notice of the Chinese characters I saw by the roadside. However at the same time I was realizing more and more how valuable it would be simply to understand the Chinese radicals: 207 “characters within a character” that can portray its meaning or phonetic pronunciation. They often double as complete words themselves and so account for about 20% of the first 100 most common words, 10% of the first 1000, and 4% of the first 3000. I had spent what time I could getting familiar with the list in the dictionary and making a chart that could include all of them on a two-page spread. Along with each one that doubled as its own word, I put some of their simplest English equivalents, their abbreviated forms and their frequency number. Writing it in my own format was enjoyable and a giant step in comprehension: it helped me begin to think in Chinese.

Then came yesterday. In one afternoon I almost completely remade my radical chart. This time I excluded radicals that don’t occur as words (65 of the 207) as well as a few that are less frequently used, included all the radicals that do occur as words and then went on to include a comparison of the now-standard-in-China Simplified Characters. Most importantly, I wrote down for the first time the phonetic pronunciation for each one. Rather than seeing strange characters, they’ve come alive with meaning. I can almost see them the way I see my students at school: This one has a particular face and his name is _____. Seeing them, or beginning to see them, that way was rewarding. I definitely don’t know Chinese yet but at least it’s not a foreign language any more!

“My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off” (Proverbs 24:13, 14).

4 Comments » | posted in Tidbits

posted by Donald on 05/22/08

“Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee” (Genesis 13:17).

This command to Abraham from so many years ago came to life for me recently. On May 2nd, not long after reading this in my daily Bible-reading, the invitation came to join the new work in the southern part of the island next year. What an opportunity to “walk through the land in the length of it”!

The following week (May 4-10), I had my first day off and took the chance to visit the team in Yuli, which is on the east coast. Lucas, Nathan, Charity, Sarah and I had been there once before (previous post) and had wanted to return but the chance never came. Even on Tuesday, as I began my solo journey on a bus to Taipei Main Station, I wasn’t sure exactly what I would do in Yuli this time. Others from Nantou were planning to visit Green Island Thursday and I thought for Wednesday it might work to team teach with Jonathan at one of his schools as I had before. But I was in for a surprise.
Taipei Main Station is where you can switch from bus to train (or metro or even High Speed Rail for twice the cost!) There, I found my departure platform early and decided to make a call to let Jonathan know when I would be in. And he had good news! Wednesday was a holiday which meant he was unexpectedly free the whole day.
Looking back, I’m very glad that we took the opportunity to go to Green Island that day. Not only did we sight a few new sandpipers but we were able to encourage one another in the Lord and later pass on everything we learned to the three from Nantou for their trip.
On Thursday it was my honor and joy to teach with Jonathan at two outstanding schools and then join him for dinner with a godly Taiwanese family. This led to the opportunity to visit their dental clinic the following morning as well as the memorial for John Eric Hope from the previous team there. We prayed at the train station and I left greatly encouraged.
There are two more things I should mention. Before reaching the Green Island Visitor Center on Wednesday, we prayed and asked the Lord to provide us with someone who knew English and could tell us about the birds in the area. The gentleman we met not only knew the birds of the area but the best times to see them. On the way home a Taiwanese anthropologist that we shared a taxi with had heard of us somehow and said that this individual was actually the director for the East Coast National Scenic Area–a good person to know! Secondly, the 45-minute ferry trip was my first time on the ocean. Walking around on the boat might be described as playing tag in the West Virginia hills blindfolded. There were flying fish to be seen as well as some seabirds but I found them impossible to identify with the binoculars I had. However . . . on the way home on Friday I found a pair that were both lighter and more powerful. It was something I had been looking for and another reminder that Jehovah Jireh had overseen the trip.

But what about this week? Jonathan called on Saturday to say that another opportunity had come up: a teacher there in Yuli was inviting us to visit Kenting National Park on the extreme southern tip of Taiwan. I knew it probably wouldn’t be possible but I decided ask and see if someone else could go in my place. No one could. Nathan and Trevor volunteered to take my teaching days though and Mr. Lyons was very encouraging, hopeful that something could work. That’s when I began to realize that this second trip would literally be a fulfillment of my verse!
At the same time Trevor realized he wouldn’t be available after all. This “death of a vision” was amazingly overcome however when Sarah volunteered and Mrs. Lyons was ready to take my place on Thursday. So a huge thank you here to Nathan, Sarah and Mrs. Lyons! With their volunteer spirit I was able to stay in Yuli from Wednesday to Sunday–and there was still time to practice chalk drawing before leaving Wednesday afternoon.

Once again the Lord’s blessed our time immensely. Thursday I was up early enough to identify my first Large Indian Pratincole. In the afternoon I joined Austin teaching at his school. Once again team teaching was my joy and privilege.

Friday and Saturday were our days in Kenting and I can hardly describe how much our hosts packed into such a short trip. Particularly memorable was the breakfast and lunch at “Mommy and Daddy’s” (Mmmm), the ancient city walls, sunset over the ocean and the natural fires. There were also some lizards, a Crested Goshawk, a Taiwan Barbet and . . . no Chinese Cobras–Is that fortunate or unfortunate???

Most of all I remember the lighthouse. It was a perfect illustration of the Chinese verse I had that week: Matthew 5:15. “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.” It is my enduring hope that to whatever corner I am brought there be fewer and fewer obstacles on my behalf to the light of the glorious gospel of Christ shining in and through my life. His leading, timing and strength for each situation are sufficient.

2 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by Donald on 04/23/08

More than a report on things here, I think right now a collection of prayer requests from different places would be most thought- and action-provoking for us all.

In Israel, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is being celebrated
Pray for the Christians there to be a bright light and for the unsaved to come to the knowledge of the Truth
Pray during this week that as they seek to please the Lord, even their enemies would be at peace with them

In Romania, Character First! Education continues to find a hungry audience
Pray that the Copu family would be strengthened with all might after the inner man
Pray that character standards would challenge students to think in absolutes

In Mongolia, the Basic Seminar is once again being shown
Pray for it to ignite love for the Word of God

2 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by Donald on 04/17/08

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13, 14).

This verse was a particular encouragement to me years ago when I first began to study God’s design for time. Otto Koning’s testimony was a great encouragement also. Giving God the first day of the week however is only a way of telling Him that my whole life is His and that I seek to live for no one else but Him.

One part of His reward is that we would be able to ride, so to speak, on the high places of the earth, not caught up in distractions that can quickly become a burden. One way this was fulfilled recently was when a few of us had the opportunity to go hiking in Yu Shan National Park. It is one of Taiwan’s six National Parks and encompasses Jade Mountain, Taiwan’s (and in fact one of Asia’s) highest points. It was a short visit. We did not even see Jade mountain. But on the Walami Trail we got as far as the “beware of bears” sign and enjoyed each other’s company! May we learn as early as possible to enjoy the path of the One Who said “Follow Me”.

4 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side