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posted by Donald on 09/4/08

Praise the Lord.
Tomorrow we will have been here one week. It seems much more like a month because of the many new people we have met here. We are near Ping Tung city and not far from Taiwan’s southern tip.
Our team consists of Wes and Juliana; Joanna, Kara, Hannah and Sarah; Austin and I. It’s quite a smaller team than last year bit it is large enough. We already have plans for each of our English classrooms roughed out. We’ve also started to get to know the teachers here at the host school. Vanessa is our main contact person; Principle Chen and her sister are our hosts and we’ve begun to get familiar with the English and sports teachers as well as students.
It’s great to be a part of the new work here and see the spirit the Lord has granted us as a team. As different situations come up, “Yee-ha” is one of the dry-homor-reactions that I’ve heard from Wes a lot as so many things come up and changes occur. I appreciate your overcomer’s attitude brother! Today is His birthday by the way! We enjoyed teaching a test run for each class, playing basketball with the teachers afterward and talking to students.
“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power …” (Revelation 2:25-26).

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posted by Daniel on 09/2/08

We could not believe it was already time to leave! The six days with the Van Essens had been full of fun and activity, and, as is the case any time you visit good friends of like faith, the time had flown by.
We were so thankful for the encouragement, fellowship, and hospitality the Van Essen family had shared with us, along with a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of Ontario.

But as we packed up the van and said our final farewells, we had one last adventure to look forward to. Just before crossing the border into the United States, we stopped to see Niagara Falls. As we approached we could hear the thunder of the water crashing over the falls in the distance. Drawing nearer, the magnificent view opened up before us, and we soon understood why this is such a popular tourist attraction. We made sure to  get a family picture since all 10 of us were there.

Our entire family being together and the drenching spray, cool steady breeze, and breath-taking view all combined to provide a spectacular climax to a fabulous family vacation!

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posted by David on 09/1/08

Mr. Van Essen works for MSC Canada. A school was closing down and donating its remaining desks, black boards and other equipment to this ministry. By 6:00 a.m. we were up and on the road and got a good days work in carrying the furniture and equipment from the 3 floors to the gym in the basement. This was a great opportunity for us to work together and encourage each other to keep going cheerfully even after many tiring trips up and down the 6 flights of steps. We were sure to be back in time for Mrs. Van Essen’s delicious cooking. They quizzed our Canadian knowledge over dinner. We learned that the national animal is the beaver, the tallest building in the world is the CN tower in Toronto, and the Prime Minister is currently Stephen Harper. It had been a good final day. Robert, James, Daniel, Jonathan, Timothy, and I had one final pillow fight in the tent before drifting off to sleep.

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posted by Michael on 08/27/08

On Tuesday of our trip, we took a morning outing to see the local Petroglyphs near Peterborough, Ontario. What I had expected to be only interesting turned out to be downright inspiring!

The petroglyphs are ancient carvings in rock, estimated to be between 500 and 1100 years old. Their origin is debated, but generally accepted to be from the native Algonquian Indians, who call them Kinomagewapkong, or “the Teaching Rocks”. At first glance they appear to be a confusing jumble of shapes, lines, and figures that one would suppose to be based on superstition. But thinking of the effort that one would have to take to deeply etch something in stone makes me think that it may be something more. Mom pointed something out to me that I had not noticed. There was a carving of a boat with eight figures in it, one was very large, three were shorter, and four were smaller yet. “Wow” I thought, “The flood in ancient records once again!”

There were also carvings of snakes, which are thought of as evil enemies coming from beneath. That obviously reminded me of Satan and those that belong to him. As Jesus said, “Ye are from beneath… of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.” (John 8:23 and 44 and also 1 Peter 5:8). The powerful thunderbird is thought of as the guardian of the people, creating lightning and thunder and wind. The fog is said to be his clothing, and when the fog is very thick, Thunderbird has come down to consume the enemy. In Scripture, David wrote of Jehovah being his fortress, deliver, refuge, and savior who came down from above with thunder and lightning, wrapped in dark waters and thick clouds of the skies, delivering him from his enemy that was too strong for him (2 Samuel 22:1-28). Jehovah also came down with lightning, thunder and smoke on Mount Sinai to deliver His law (Ex. 20:18).

Then there was the “Nanabush”. I read about it quickly and moved on. Later Daniel excitedly told me what I had not noticed. Why had I not seen it?! (more…)

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posted by Mom on 08/25/08

It was a pleasure to  attend church with  the Van Essen’s on Sunday. The openness and friendly atmosphere made it a special time! We enjoyed a walk and picnic lunch by a lock. Some of us had never  seen one before this vacation. We were fascinated to watch the boats enter the lock from the side of the  waterway where the water level was lower.  The gates closed behind the boats and the lock filled with water up to the level of water on the other side of the lock. The gates opened letting the boats sail out onto the higher water. The whole process took about 15-30 minutes.

Then the Van Essen’s took us to see the highest  hydraulic boat lifts in the world - The Peterborough lift lock.  The difference in water level was so drastic (65 ft) that the boat lifts actually moved up and down like an elevator! They were huge!

But it was more then just  site-seeing because the time spent getting there and back was filled with edifying conversation. What a blessing to spend time with such a spiritually uplifting family.

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