So I made it through check in and security very quickly, praise God! :)
The fog/smog is pretty thick this morning but I can see the outline of the beautiful mountains that surround the airport now that the sun is up.
Did I mention that there is a pretty good amount of white people here? haha It's kinda weird ... I was able to get one of the white people to pose for a picture for my blog. Here it is:
Here is the plane I'm boarding in just a few minutes ....
Well, I have one more short flight and then its on to TAIWAN! :)
See ya on the other side!
P.S. I failed to mention that when we stepped off the plane in HK this morning around 5:30, it was already approximately 86 degrees Fahrenheit. :)
I love airports in the middle of the night and in the early morning! :) I'm presently sitting in HKIA and watching it fill up, much to my dismay.
We flew in and I was the first one from econ off the plane! :) Woot woot! From there, I followed the signs to the appropriate places for transfers which took me to a tram. As soon as I got into the right place, I found a bathroom! I wanted to brush my teeth and put in eye drops!! I walked out feeling, and looking, more human. So, I'm skyping my family at present but I'm needing to take off and get in the security line which is SUPER long! Sooooo, more when I get to my final destination!
Thanks for all your love, prayers and support! :)
My Dinner and the aftermath! lol Nani, I hope you appreciate these food pics! :D
Be afraid!! Be very afraid!!
My Breakfast:
The cutest little bathroom for mommys:
Me, transforming myself back into a human!
P.S. Dear Miss Ella and Co., your cookies kept me going through the really long flight!!! :) P.P.S. My dear family, thank you for all accompanying me to the airport! I love you so much!
I bought luggage straps today that look just like the one in the above picture. (Two of them to be precise.) That was one more thing off of my list! Also, went to CVS and picked up a few more items that I was able to check off my list.
This afternoon was quite lovely as I went back to my former community college and visited with professors I dearly miss. They are so special to me! Being back on campus feels home-like, even with the new construction. I think I could traverse it blindfolded!
As a side note, I think I've eaten more white rice in the last two weeks than I have in my entire lifetime! That is not a bad thing, just a random fact because I was thinking about dinner. Since I'm on a side-note kick, have I mentioned that I love asparagus!?!?
So tonight when I got home, I was delighted to find that the skirts I ordered online had arrived! Cute cute cute! After all the excitement, I went to my room to start sorting my toiletries. Progress was made, but the project wasn't completed. I'll work on it more tomorrow. Today, I also started setting aside clothing that I am sure I want to take with me. That way, things will be easier for me when I begin packing it in like puzzle pieces!
Well, I need to hit the sac ... the next two days are going to be fairly busy. I'm hoping to have most, if not all, of my packing done my Wednesday night.
So I still haven't cleaned my backpack or ordered luggage straps or ordered a new battery ... BUT, I have even better news about this past weekend! We had a wonderful time at our anniversary services! It has been fantastic to see Bro. Price around these parts again! He has been sorely missed!
Saturday afternoon, we gathered and had a presentation about the history of our church. It was neat to see all the places that they used to be before God blessed us with the building we are in now. Then we enjoyed a great dinner and laughed listening to old stories. I gotta tell you, church stories are the best! Anything can happen there, and I do mean anything!! There were a few "cherries on top" of the evening and one of them was most definitely chatting with my favorite white-asians, the Brackens. :)
Today, or technically yesterday, was an action-packed day of celebration for the goodness of God to us and our church family. Each service we honored those who have sacrificed so that people such as myself could grow up in this church with the Truth.
Our worship service tonight was so powerful! I was awestruck as I watched Bro. Price take two laps around the pews without his cane and without his walker! Woohoo!! You talk about exciting! You should have been there! After that, his voice sounded stronger than it has since his stroke. I was just amazed at what God can do through our praise and faith.
Well this week holds many loose ends that are patiently waiting for me to tie them up ... and I need some sleep in order to do so.
My passport arrived today with my new visa!! It came a little early so I was pleasantly surprised. (Btw, I did not take the above picture. Many thanks to google.com/images.)
One more thing gets checked from my list, yet my list seems to keep growing in spite of my attempts to be productive. :)
Today I need to go to the store, deeeeeeeeep clean and sanitize my backpack and begin organizing my packing. Also, need to rush order a new battery for my computer.
God is so good! Yesterday, I was again reminded that we are commanded to, "Fear not." When we were talking with Bro. Price, he had a few scriptures he wanted to share and this was one of them:
"Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me him prisoner; but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Timothy 1:6-9
I just realized something as I was typing this out! I've often quoted the part regarding fear in this manner, "For God hath not given us a spirit of fear," but that's not what the Word says. It says God hath not given us THE spirit of fear. Then I got curious about the original meanings of the word, "fear" used in scripture so I went to e-Sword. It turns out that the word used in 2 Timothy 1:7 is δειλία (deilia [di-lee'-ah]) From G1169; timidity: - fear. God has not given us a spirit of timidity! Now verses about boldness and about being either hot or cold take on further meaning in light of that verse.
But then I started thinking about all the verses that talk about the fear of the Lord ... so I went back to e-Sword. :) This is what I found:
Psa 36:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David the servant of the LORD. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
פּחד (pachad [pakh'-ad]) From H6342; a (sudden) alarm (properly the object feared, by implication the feeling): - dread (-ful), fear, (thing) great [fear, -ly feared], terror.
Psa 96:9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
חיל , חוּל (chûl chîyl [khool, kheel]) A primitive root; properly to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively to wait, to pervert: - bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow (-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.
Psa 103:17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
ירא (yârê' [yaw-ray']) From H3372; fearing; morally reverent: - afraid, fear (-ful).
Psa 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
יראה (yir'âh [yir-aw']) Feminine of H3373; fear (also used as infinitive); morally reverence: - X dreadful, X exceedingly, fear (-fulness).
This is by no means a conclusive study as there very well may be other definitions to fear that I didn't find yet, but it's just what I found from quickly looking at commonly used verses dealing with fear. I was blown away by the different meanings that came behind the same English word! The most terrifying definition given from these verses came from Psalm 36:1 when speaking about wickedness. It uses words like, "alarm," and "dread." Psalm 96:9's fear was amazing! Twist and whirl! But in that same definition is also, "bear or bring forth." A lot can come from our worship and our fear of the Almighty God.
The fear of the Lord can also be defined as a moral reverence of God. This connects with not having any other gods before Him and with abstaining from profane language or using the name of Jesus in vain. We must remind ourselves that God is omnipotent and omnicious. His ways are above our ways and His thoughts above our thoughts.
Such a simple thing, but so exciting discovering more about God's Word. I'm sure I've heard many messages about the fear of God and about not fearing, but there is something about digging it out for yourself that makes it more personal than preaching. It's like God turns the black light on in my brain and now I can see what was always there, but not visible without Him having revealed it.
Well, my backpack and my errands are still waiting for me so I must bid you adieu ...
It's been quite a while since I've used this blog to post - almost a year actually. So much has happened between my trip to Taiwan last year and where I am at this moment in time. It took me about three months to feel like I fit back into my surroundings again. I was uncomfortable in my own skin and not sure how to jump back into the flow of life here. But, with the help of God and my wonderful family and friends, I did find my niche again and have been floating along since then.
This year, I've done a lot of growing, thinking and dealing with myself. While it has not been a cake walk, it's been a productive year in which I've learned a lot about myself and about trusting God through my inadequacies and insecurities.
In the early spring of this year, I was speaking with my instructor of Chinese Poetry at Davis and she asked if I had any interest in returning to Taiwan. Of course, I said yes. :) It just so happens that she knew of a program that was looking for international students. (what a coincidence ... NOT!) Anyhow, a few conversations and emails later, my professor passed along information to me and put me in touch with the ladies at the university. Filling out applications ensued.
When I first learned about this opportunity, I was walking on clouds. I couldn't contain my excitement at the thought of going back and the fabulous accommodations the university was willing to offer me. It took quite a while to hear back from the university about their decision. Meanwhile, I had the privilege of welcoming Alisha to the US for the first time. She came to visit me and we had a great time together. While she was here, I graduated from Davis, which was a surreal experience. My time there flew incredibly fast.
Finally I heard back from the university that I was accepted and would receive notification and important information in the mail shortly. I was pretty happy about that and anxious for the packet to arrive. And then reality sunk in, followed rather closely by fear. The university was in a totally different city that was many miles away from those I loved and the places in Taiwan that had grown to feel like home. I felt my stomach in my throat at the thought it.
For most of my summer off, I've been agonizing about this decision - to go or not to go. People would ask me what my plans were and upon learning of this new opportunity, would ask what I had decided. Friends kept asking me if I had finally made up my mind. I hated those questions. I understand it was because they care about my whereabouts and my future, but I didn't really want to think about it nor be asked about it when I felt so confused.
This last month I have been searching my heart and asking God to assure me one way or the other. I have been praying about this all along but didn't really feel good about either choice - going and potentially feeling isolated or staying home and having no plan whatsoever. Then one morning, I realized that a great deal of the emotions I was feeling stemmed from fear. I had thought my feelings of hesitation had been because going was the wrong choice for me. But then God reminded me that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind. From that moment on, my thinking on the matter changed completely. Also, I was reminded of the story of Gideon. Like Gideon, God had prepared a plan and a path for me, yet I kept asking for confirmation and peace because I was allowing my own fear and insecurities to cloud my perception and judgment.
This past Saturday morning, I officially announced to my family at the breakfast table that I had decided to return to Taiwan. I don't my announcement took any of them by surprise. ^-^ I felt pretty good about my decision, but I hadn't yet purchased a ticket.
Then last night, we had an awesome service! During prayer meeting before service, I began to thank God that He is my peace speaker and something broke in my spirit. Sometimes, I try to act tough and handle my feelings, so as to avoid transparency and vulnerability which can lead to hurt down the road. But during that prayer, I was reminded that Jesus will never embarrass me, never turn on me and He always understands me, even when I don't have the words to express myself. I am completely safe in His presence. I felt myself yielding and His strength being made perfect through my weakness. Bro. Brown's message was about being overshadowed by God and it seemed to fit my situation in an incredible way. He talked about how God may call you to a situation that you don't feel ready for, but He wants you to trust Him and be willing to place yourself into His plan. Alter service was the cherry on top, if you will. The peace that God began to give me before service was multiplied exponentially last night.
Which brings me to this present moment. This trip back to Taiwan has been personal for me as I've been discovering new things about myself that can sometimes hinder what God has in-store. It's been emotional for me as most of the time, growth means some pain and tears. Some things haven't changed. I'm still preparing to go to a city to which I have never been with people I have never met. But God hasn't changed either. He will be with me through each step of this journey and is already in Taiwan, waiting for me when I touch down in that airport.
I bought my ticket last night, (technically this morning ^-^) and am going to take care of my visa tomorrow (which is technically today ^-^) after we take Miss Froggy to the airport. Now I just need to start packing ...
P.S. Much heart-felt gratitude to each of you who have been uplifting me in prayer ~ It means more than anything.
