"For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."
-Romans5:6

Life... So precious <3

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... clearly it has been a while since I last posted. And even though my summer is over,:
1. I am continuously thinking about it... since it has affected my life so much
and 2. I WANT TO FINISH THIS BLOG!!! (partially since I promised my housemates that I would start a tumblr after I finish this... and I just want to finish what I've started... even though it won't be a complete picture of my whole summer... ) But I basically have many posts that are in the drafts folder... and now I'm finishing them up. So here it goes...

(REWIND TO THE END OF MAY... unfortunately I don't remember the exact day... possibly May 29 o_O)

I was with Ruth and we were coming back from the grocery market... or swimming pool, and Ruth parked her car. I was waiting for Ruth at the entrance of her apartment main entrance... we walked in... and I was in front of Ruth... and I turned the corner. I saw a few things:
-the security guard at the door
-an old man (in his 80s-90s) half lying on the ground
-... and blood

I was in shock after I turned the corner, but Ruth immediately gave me her stuff, which I took and went to help him. After recovering from seeing blood, I quickly put down the bags and got tissues, got a trash can/bin... and started praying like none before. I didn't know how to best help, so I did what I was told. Ruth took over for the security guard as he went to call 119 (the emergency number in Taiwan), and she took the tissues/towels I gave her and she started pressing down on his head. What I saw saddened me so much. Basically, this sweet old Taiwanese man had a gash in his head that was like a centimeter deep and like 3 centimeters wide... it was so... sooooo big. Not to mention, there was a lot of blood flowing from his head... this was probably the first time I've seen THAT much blood come from someone else's body. He was so helpless. So tired looking... so innocent. Ruth was trying to speak Chinese to him, but he wasn't answering... the security guard was trying to speak to him, but again, he wasn't responding. He was only looking at our lips... I was so scared... I was praying that he be alright... that God save this man... that he stay awake and alive until the ambulance came. We also were helpless... we could only do so much to save him. While waiting for the ambulance, we kept trying to talk to him to keep him awake... kept pressing the wound with a towel to keep the blood from coming... and we tried to figure out how in the world he got hurt.  It was so strange... there was a trail of blood drops, but there was no spot where he could have hit his head. We could only come up with the theory that he had been grocery shopping (since he had a bag of taro bread in his hand) and came back... walking to the other side of the complex, he tripped over this small bump protruding from the ground that prevents rain from spilling over and going into the elevator (Hannah found out... it's called a THRESHOLD!), and he fell. Falling, he hit his head on this small corner on the lining of the side of a wood closet... but we're not sure exactly how he lost so much blood... yet how the blood splurt out in a line... it was so 搞不懂 (gao3 bu4 dong3)... I just can't understand it. But basically, the ambulance came and we all tried to help him onto the cot, but it seemed like he was in IMMENSE pain... remember, he's like late 80s-90s... and it was just so sad. We tried asking him where his ID was so we could get him into the hospital... and possibly find his family. IT WAS EXTREMELY SAD, because he was living by himself... and so we couldn't contact anyone... anyone to be with him... to be with him in his time of fear and desperation. (However, we found a neighbor that did know him semi-well, and she went with him.)

So after he was taken away, Ruth and I started to clean up the blood... and asked the security guard to keep us updated on how he was doing. When we went up to the room, we put our stuff down and just kind of sat... and then Ruth suggested we pray. So we prayed for him... and his physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. After, that, we just started talking about what we did during our day, and then she got a phone call. She sounded super concerned and started talking about ways to help someone. I looked at her as she finished her conversation, and she sighed. She told me that her husband called her to tell her that there was this homeless guy in front of Morrison Academy in Taizhong, a Christian private K-12 school, saying that he was going to commit suicide. Shocked, I asked her what Mark, her husband, was doing there... and she said that the school had called SEND to come and talk to him... because apparently, he was asking for prayer too. Confused, I kept listening. She said that he was staying in front of the building causing some sort of ruckus. We talked about how he probably wasn't going to hurt himself, but he was seeking the attention of others... and the love of Christ. So we just continued to talk and pray, and then she got a phone call around 30 minutes later. Basically Mark talked to him about what he was going through, shared the gospel/parts of the Bible with him, and prayed with him. And then he gave the man some money to go back to Kaoshiung or something... and Mark had a suspicion that he just wanted money. I mean he did see him get on the bus and make sure he was okay when he left... but I don't know what his true intentions were. And I guess that's never for us to know... but I do seriously admire Mark and the patience, care, and generosity that he showed to the stranger. In the desperation of a man looking/longing for more, he encountered a person who could truly demonstrate God's love... addressing not only his physical needs but, more importantly his spiritual needs through Jesus.

I remember when I went back that day, I kept thinking how weak and helpless we are as humans. And it's not just physically weak, but it's morally weak (like it says in the latter part of the verse, we're also "ungodly"...) because of our sin, we are so in need of our God who is just so loving and perfect in every way.  And so Christ died for us... and how gracious is He who gave us something that we don't deserve at all. After seeing the old man who got so badly hurt and the man who said he would commit suicide, I realized 1. how precious life is and that it should not be taken for granted on any day, and 2. we need Christ... always. And luckily for us, in His death, we have gained "eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5: 21).

"that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, amont whom you shine as lights in the world[...]"
-Philippians 2:15

SHINE-Y EXCITEMENT!

So before I end up writing this after the conference, here's a short post on SHINE 2012!!! :D Here's the story of how I found it:

On Monday, I was desperately looking for churches to attend while in Tainan because I hadn't settled on any so far. I had a "safety" church that I could attend the first Sunday I would be there (7/1), which was a church that my mom was familiar with, Dong1 Men2 Shen1 Church (東門聖教會). But I also wanted to see other ones. Typing in "churches in Tainan" in Google, and found a few churches after some digging... Living Water Christian Church (I found it amusing because I attended a church called Living Water Evangelical Church) and Dayspring Church. I went to the LWCC website and started browsing around. That was Monday... then that night I lived at my grandmother's house and didn't have internet, so I just waited until Tuesday to do more research on the church. THEN on Tuesday when I looked at their website more closely, I found that they had this youth conference basically the exact time I'd be in Tainan. The conference was 7/3-7/6 and I was there from 6/30-7/8... how amazing is that. So I looked for the phone number and I called the church and asked them if it was still possible to sign up. Remember, this is 1 week before the conference... and it's no small conference.

Before I move on, here's a little video for SHINE 2011 as an example: http://blip.tv/lwcc-tainan/shine-2011-4390907 (I don't know if the speaker will be in English this time also... though that'd be nice :D) And here's a little blurb about this SHINE conference (and apparently it's a movement too): http://www.lwcc.org.tw/index.php/student-project/shine
ISN'T THIS SUCH A SUPER AWESOME CHANCE TO PARTAKE IN A CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE IN TAIWAN?! It'll be my first experience like this... I get to praise and worship God amongst a large... no a MASSIVE group of Taiwanese people!

Anyways, so after I called, they asked a little about me/my background and told me that they might put me in a small group depending on if they had space... and during that day, I really prayed and hoped that I'd get to be part of this conference. And I waited like 2 days before I called back and told this new lady that I was hoping to attend the conference, but she told me that they were all booked... though she said that it was possible for me to attend all the night sessions which were available to the public. But I asked her again because I wanted to confirm with the guy I talked to before. So she said she'd call him to confirm. After a few minutes, she called back and told me THAT HE HAD ALREADY PUT ME IN A SMALL GROUP! I  was overjoyed I started sweating... or maybe that was because it was just hot... but I was excited ahahaha. After "registering" over the phone, she told me a little about the conference and that there was an orientation on Saturday night (luckily I was going to Tainan Saturday afternoon, so I could make it).

But basically I arrived in Tainan at like 4 and then after a quick dinner with a family friend and his daughter, I went to the orientation. Imagine this:
-There are people hanging outside the church doorway.
-People are also walking in and out... it's bustling with people.
-There are people registering/checking into the orientation.
-I walk into the church for the first time and people are greeting me with smiles and a girl hands me a pamphlet for the night's events.
-Some girls at a desk ask me if I'm going to attend SHINE. After replying with the affirmative, they ask me who my small group leader is. I don't know, so they start looking for my Chinese name on a list that spans like 12 pages spread out across a desk.
-They find it (sigh of relief) and they give me a name tag and tell me to go to the 10th floor.
-(elevator music... kidding, there was none) The doors open and there are a whole lot of young people walking around and chatting... and this one guy asks me who my small group leader is... and I don't know... still. He finds my name on a sheet with everyone's name on it and looks for my group's leaders.
-He finds her and points in some direction (mind you, I have no idea what she looks like or what her name is)... then all of a sudden this really happy and smiley girl comes over to me and excitedly greets me, warmly patting/grabbing my shoulder to lead me to where our group was sitting.

But seriously, that room where their youth service was held was really packed with people from high school and college (not sure if there was middle school). First there was a time of worship, which was actually really powerful, which makes me even more excited for SHINE. They were all very passionately singing every song... people were clapping, raising their hands, closing their eyes, praying, and really enjoying the worship that they were singing. It was pretty interesting since there were English and Chinese lyrics, so I would switch between the two (singing Chinese when I knew the words ahaha). But the penultimate song we sang was actually Hillsong's Majesty, and that was really sweet; since I knew that song, it was enjoyable to sing beside my Taiwanese brothers and sisters. Afterwards, there was a speaker, the pastor's wife, who spoke about the focus of SHINE: Jesus: the Ultimate Fascination. She was talking about how the young people in Taiwan are fascinated by so many other things that catch their attention... but Jesus is our ultimate fascination. :D Excited to hear more these next few days... afterwards, there was a lot of prayer and a time of offering and then we split into our small groups. In the small groups we introduced ourselves, AND I LOVE MY GROUP... they... definitely have their own personalities... ahaha in a good way. I think I will laugh a lot these next few days. :D

Ultimately, besides the fact that I should sleep now so I have energy for the first day of the conference, I feel really blessed to be able to have this opportunity to see how these young people worship our God... and learn about how precious and amazing He is... and, like Philippians 2:15 says above, become a blemish-less children of God that SHINE as lights in this world despite the messed up things that happen around us in our societies. :) PTL for these next few days and I pray that I get to make lasting friendships with these girls I will be spending lots of time with...and that the Holy Spirit move mightily amongst the youth in this conference...and that great things will happen... and that we worship Him in our daily actions... and that everyone stay safe! :D Can't wait to post about it after the conference!

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing."
-2 Corinthians 2:15

THE REAL AROMA CAFE

Now I am back in Taizhong... yes, it has been a long time since I've updated, and for that I am very sorry. But while in Taipei, I actually had the chance of getting to visit the REAL Aroma Cafe... not once but TWICE! :D On Friday, June 15, Mary Ann and I went to visit the Aroma Cafe.

Every Friday night, they have this coffee house where people can just come in and join in on a conversation-mixer question, which involves everyone there. When we walked in, it was very welcoming... and very American. It was interesting to see an American style cafe with relatively Westernized food in Taiwan. But it is REALLY interesting and awesome that the founders chose food as their field of ministry. I knew that you can take whatever you have and give it to God, but for some reason I didn't think that ministry could be done with food. Although I guess I never thought about it before, but shopping/selling clothes can be made into one's ministry... like how Forever 21's founders/owners put John 3:16 on the bottom of their unmistakable, brightly yellow colored shopping bags.


One of the founders of Aroma told me about their calling to start a church in Ximen. He said that him and his wife, Chris and Jamie respectively ahaha, had been to Ximen on a short-term mission and knew of the need in Ximen for churches. Then a few years later, after they graduated college, they moved to Ximen in hopes of starting a long-term ministry...which developed into a cafe, since it would be hard to support a church in the shopping, entertainment, youth-populated area like Ximen. But I think I just found it so amazing that they, the owners and people working there, have this vision that combines "3 separate, but intertwined ministries: the church, the coffee shop, and short-term teams from the states as well as interns that come periodically throughout the year" (from Chris' email).


It made me realize that you don't have to be a seminary graduate or a missionary or a pastor to have a God-relating ministry... anything you do, if given up to God for God's purpose and will, can become a ministry that can help lead others to Christ. And I think I've been realizing that more and more as I travel Taiwan.


(Really quick, there is another story of these two accountants that were married in the states from 2 other Asian countries, Hong Kong and Vietnam or Singapore...I think, that immigrated to America. They really didn't want to leave America, since they worked so hard to get there; but upon listening to God's surprising and seemingly random calling to go to Taiwan, they ended up working for a missions organization and a Christian school... with their accountant skills. I know, right? You would never think accounting could be brought back to God, but they told me that accounting/dealing with money is one of the areas that missions organizations are lacking the most... which makes sense, because they all want to go to like... Goldman Sachs or something of the like.)


Anyways, I thought that I should share a little bit of what I'm learning here, and I think that the cafe was a sweet (literally and figuratively) reminder that we are the aroma of Christ, and we need to spread the gospel and God's love to those around us. :D

"I will be glad and exult in you;

I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”

-Psalm 9:2

Aroma Cafe?

SO… I am finally in Taipei (and I am extremely apologetic that I have not been keeping up, but I will make up for that by finishing all my drafts by the end of this week). And I praise the Lord that I was able to get around by myself and the public transportation, aka the MRT, is actually extremely tourist/foreigner/non-Taipei person friendly.

But yesterday night, I looked at the clock and decided it was time to eat dinner. I had no idea where to eat, but I remembered there was a Mos Burger while exploring the area. Since I’ve never eaten Mos Burger before, I made that my backup. Strolling down the street with only my phone, keys, and 400 NT$ in my pocket (for some reason I thought I’d eat quickly and go back to the room), I saw a cute cafe… and read the sign: Aroma Beans Cafe.

Before I continue, there is a little pre-story that must be told. Basically Ruth (from Taizhong) told me of this one cafe in Taipei that was started by a few Christians that wanted to reach out to the city through their stomachs… giving them nourishment of the body and spirit. :D So I decided to visit it while up here in Taipei. A few days ago, I looked up the address of the cafe to see how far it’d be from the place I was staying at. AND TO MY SURPRISE, it was LITERALLY right around the corner… like it would take 2 minutes to walk to. At the time, I was really worried about getting places in Taipei because this is only my 2^nd time here (my first was when I was in middle school). Being nervous about transportation in this busy city, it was a HUGE relief that one of the places I wanted to visit was right around the corner! So I was really happy and praising the Lord.

Now back to yesterday, I saw the cafe and got really excited, because I forgot that the cafe was right around the corner. So I looked inside, but was slightly confused since the store didn’t quite look like it did in its facebook picture. But I decided to go in anyways. The waiter seated me, and I started looking at the menu. After seeing the menu, I became slightly skeptical that this was THE AROMA CAFE… those dang “beans” tricked me into thinking that this was the right one… just kidding. But even though it was the wrong cafe, the food was still pretty good and cute :D. I actually ate dok (Korean rice cake) with curry… that was a new mix.

After coming back, I looked up the Aroma Cafe again and realized that it was actually in a different part of Taipei. But STILL! Praise the Lord, because now I DO know how to use the MRT here AND I’m going to go with Mary Ann on Friday night when they have their Friday Night Coffee House, which is when they open up their place for a relaxed environment of talking about the gospel and getting to know other people and their testimony. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?! So I’m super excited to be able to go with one of my cell group members there! It’s like we brought part of our cell group to Taipei! :D I praise the Lord that I’ve learned to praise Him in ANY situation… and that alone has made my life so much more joyful. 

"Take the world, but give me Jesus.

All its joys are but a name; 

but His love abideth ever, 

through eternal years the same.

Take the world, but give me Jesus.

Sweetest comfort of my soul;

with my Savior watching o'er me,

I can sing though billows roll.

Take the world, but give me Jesus.

Let me view His constant smile;

then throughout my pilgrim journey,

Light will cheer me all the while.

Take the world, but give me Jesus.

In His cross my trust shall be;

'Till with clearer, brighter vision,

Face to face my Lord I see.

Take the world, but give me Jesus. (x4)

Oh, the height and depth of mercy! 

Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption!

Pledge of endless life above!
(x2)


Take the world, but give me Jesus. (repeated many times)"

-Take the World, But Give Me Jesus, Ascend the Hill


Instead of a verse, I think this song is the best remedy of reminding me how much the world needs Jesus. It's so crazy how messed up the world can be... the other day, some newly-made friends, Hannah, and I went out to eat in Hsinchu... and that was super awesome (yay for the first time at TGIF!!!). But after, I think I saw the saddest, most depressing, and heavy movie... EVER. It wasn't sad like the typical drama movie where something happens to someone and the atmosphere turns into this dreary, rainy day with everyone really solemn. No. This movie was really sad in the sense that, after watching the movie, I felt so burdened and heavy-hearted. I had like 1% of an idea of what the movie would be about, but I had no idea it would've been anything like I saw... I think Hannah and I only looked at the screen like half the time. This movie will remain title-less for the sake of... humanity.


To summarize, the movie was about a few kids who wanted to have this crazy part to prove that they weren't losers. So, when it was his parents anniversary, the main character's friend, who is possibly the worst person and friend ever, convinced him to host a big party... and people kept inviting people who invited people who invited people, and by the time of the party and hence forth, they realized that there were WAY too many people (by the end, there were around 1500 people). Throughout the whole movie, there's just a lot of profanity, drugs, alcohol, violence, many derogatory terms/images, and just about every worldly thing... all in 1 movie... all in, basically, 1 party (the whole movie technically only spans around 3-4 days). From the beginning, you see these kids that are still in high school following what the world thinks is cool... though not even. It's what the world sees as a false outlet, planning to leave the stresses of their lives but actually being held bondage by those exact things. As they start this path, the viewers can just plainly and very obviously see the mistakes that are happening and how INCREDIBLY MUCH it's going to hurt them down the road. It's not even the way-in-the-distance-later-in-life "far down the road" that they're getting hurt physically and emotionally.. it's like 2 steps down the road. I think a lot of us, walking away from that movie, were thinking: "Was it worth it? Was that one night of absolute craziness and drunkenness and highness and complete stupidity worth it? Was it worth everything that your parents owned (since everything got burned down or broken), the safety of SO MANY PEOPLE, the health of everyone there (I'm pretty sure their one of their livers had to have died), and your future/education/reputation/personal life story? Do you think people will remember you after graduation?" Sigh, couldn't they have used all that money to buy or do things that last and are fun too (i.e. board games... or go to a theme park, etc.)? 


Rawr, that movie just bothered me a lot... it was just very disturbing 1. in what they were doing, 2. in the terrible ending, where their punishment should have been so much more severe, and 3. that someone would make a movie like this. But all those distressing things put together made me just want to run to God and just pour myself out to him: thanking Him for loving people so messed up as us sinners... thanking Him that he not only loved us from Heaven, but came down to the people who hated and despised him (and were considered his enemies because of the sin that we have)... thanking Him for the death that he didn't deserve, which he took in our stead... and praising Him that He overcame death and sin and all the things that bound us to the world. And just through Christ can we be cleansed as white as snow... and so much more. 


:D Take the world... but give me Jesus. Just read the lyrics of the song again. How much more amazing and lasting and comforting and enjoyable and worthy is it to pursue after God... and love Him because He first loved us? For everything I praise the Lord... including the increasing realization of how much sin is in the world and in myself. Through that continual realization can I be able to continue to desire to surrender myself to God because:

"Oh, the height and depth of mercy! 

Oh, the length and breadth of love!

Oh, the fullness of redemption!

Pledge of endless life above!"