Little Red Piggy

Our New Year Newsletter

2010-01-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year in 2010

Dear friends,

Time flies so fast. There are a lot of ups and downs in 2009. We are very thankful how God guided us walking through the valleys and hills.

Kevin was ordained at Zion Lutheran Church in Saskatoon on April 26, 2009. Kevin graduated and received a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon in May 2009 and began his first call as an ordained minister. Two weeks later, our whole family moved to Davidson (one hour south of Saskatoon). The population here is about 1,000 people. The church provides a parsonage for the pastor’s family to live in. It is a 3-bedroom house with front yard and back yard. It is just right next to the church. Kevin can walks a few steps to church every day and he likes that. He really enjoys preaching, leading Bible study and visiting people.
Alice supports Kevin in his ministry and gives him feedback for his Sunday sermons. Kevin says this makes for better sermons.

Alice returned back to work for Language Line Services since December 2008 after one year of maternity leave after Julianne was born in Dec. 2007. She takes care of Julianne during the day and works as an interpreter over the phone at home 4 nights a week. Alice is very thankful for this job because she enjoys working as an interpreter at home with flexible working hours. Cooking, doing laundry and cleaning is a daily routine for a full-time mom. She is hoping to find time to reconnect with old friends.

Julianne just turned two years old on December 21. One woman in the church baked a beautiful cake for Julianne. We celebrated her birthday at monthly potluck in the church. She enjoyed her cake and gifts. We hope she will pick up three languages. She learns English from Kevin, Mandarin from Alice and Cantonese from grandpa and grandma. Her favorite toys are mega blocks.

Alice and Julianne went to Taiwan to visit Alice’s parents for 3 weeks in October and Julianne got to meet her grandparents in Taiwan for the first time. Kevin didn’t come with us this time. Julianne picked up a little bit Taiwanese while she was in Taiwan and she really enjoyed Taiwanese food. It was a great visit.

We hope to reconnect with you. May God be the Lord of your household. May God shine his face upon you and be with you all the time. Amen.

Blessings,
Kevin, Alice and Julianne Sam

Happy Birthday, Julianne.

2008-12-23T18:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody,

This is Julianne Hannah Sam. I just turned 1 year old. Now I am not a baby anymore. I have become a toddler. The book "What to Expect the First Year" says that the sympton of a toddler is: "a my way or the highway mind set: I am toddler, Hear me Roar." I think it might be true. You can observe how I behave this coming year. My mommy and daddy will tell you more how I develop in 2009. I sleep 11 hours at night from 9:30 p.m.-8:30 am and take 2 naps during the day (1-2 hours each time).

Now I can cruise (walk around by holding the furniture) and crawl around the whole house. I am very energetic and active. That's the reason why I keep my mommy and daddy very busy. My mommy had to switch her full-time job as an interpreter to a part-time job, so she can spend more time with me. I am glad about that. My mommy calls me "sticky bun" because I follow her everywhere. When she goes to the washroom, I have to go in with her as well. I have separation anxiety. When I don't see my mommy, I feel anxious.

I am glad that I am 1 year old. I had a birthday party, but to my surprise, all my guests were adults. Hopefully, I will have more little friends attend my 2nd birthday party next year. Mommy and daddy bought me a cake. I didn't eat it because I am allergic to egg white. As you are seeing my cute pictures, you are very welcome to give me some feedback and comments. Thank you for viewing my blog.

Julianne with mommy

2008-10-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

Julianne with daddy

2008-10-15T19:08:00.001-07:00

In the camp

2008-10-15T17:36:00.000-07:00

Julianne is eating solid!

2008-10-15T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's great to meet Jane Lin in Vancouver

2008-10-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

Julianne is in the high chair

2008-10-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Look at me!

2008-10-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Julianne is in her little house.

Happy Birthday to Alice on Oct. 4

2008-10-13T20:01:00.000-07:00

We are moved back to Saskatoon

2008-09-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Kevin wrote: "It has been a month and a half since I (Kevin) finished internship in Prince Albert, Sask. I've had a very good experience in internship. We have moved back to Saskatoon where I will finish my final course, which will be completed by the first week of October. Then the next step is to prepare for my colloquy,which where I sit in front of an examining committee of 7-8 people who will grill me with questions to make sure I'm kosher for the job of being a pastor. I just hope I don't get too nervous and say something stupid. I'm very excited about all of this stuff coming up in the next few months, but in the midst of this anticipation, this will be an uncertain transitional period for us. I will soon be open to taking a call to ministry in the very near future--I hope. So at this point, we are uncertain where our family will be moving to next; perhaps we will remain in Saskatchewan or even move away from the province. Whatever happens, we will continue to trust in the Lord because we know that everything is in God’s hands." Please keep us in your prayers. Blessings to all of our friends.

Julianne is slowly getting bigger. She is about 14 pounds now, which seems to be a little on the light side but we are not big people either. But the important things is that Julianne is underweight or overweight. She just started to learn to say “Mama” last week. I (Kevin) can’t wait until she can say “Baba.”

[Alice to add here: ]

At home enjoying Julianne

2008-05-31T22:52:00.000-07:00

We really enjoy being with Julianne. These days, Alice is staying at home to take care of Julianne during the day. When I get home, I will spend time with baby too and help give her a bath. Holding and playing with baby gives me a lot of joy these days.

Julianne has really improved her tummy time. This is when she lays on her tummy. When she gets tired, we put her on her back. We can see that see is getting stronger.

I like to lift her up and help her stand. Her legs are getting stronger. When we give her a bath, Julianne likes to kick. When this happens, she splashes water all over the bathroom floor. Here’s a picture of her taking a bath.

She also likes to have some time alone inside her little “house”. She will lay inside and listen to some soft music. When she gets bored, she will let us know.

Baby Julianne's baptism

2008-05-31T22:07:00.000-07:00

Baby Julianne H. Sam was baptized on Easter Sunday. March 23, 2008 at Messiah Lutheran Church in Prince Albert, Sask. where I am interning. Pastor Dan officiated in her baptism. My parents came up to Prince Albert for this great occasion.

In this liturgical rite, what was said included a part I really like:

Pastor: In Christian love you have presented these children for Holy Baptism. You should, therefore, faithfully bring them to the services of God’s house, and teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. As they grow in years, you should place in their hands the Holy Scriptures and provide for their instruction in the Christian faith, that, living in the covenant of their Baptism and in communion with the Church, they may lead godly lives until the day of Jesus Christ.

Do you promise to fulfill these obligations?

Parents: I do.

Later….

Pastor: I ask you to profess your faith in Christ Jesus, reject sin, and confess the faith of the Church, the faith in which we baptize.

Do you renounce all the forces of evil, the devil, and all his empty promises?

Parents: I do.

Pastor: Do you believe in God the Father?

Parents: Yes… [1^st part of Apostle’s Creed]

Pastor: Do you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?

Parents: Yes… [2^nd part of Apostle’s Creed]

Pastor: Do you believe in God the Holy Spirit?

Parents: Yes… [3^rd part of Apostle’s Creed]

A sign of the cross was made on her forehead.

Pastor: Julianne, child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.

Our baby shower

2008-03-01T12:06:00.001-08:00

We were blessed by the women in Messiah Lutheran Church where Kevin in interning. They put on a baby shower for Alice and Julianne. We felt honored. We received lots of gifts too, including baby clothes, books and some baby toys. As Alice was opening the gifts, the women were passing Julianne around to each other in a circle. Too bad she slept the whole way through the party. Some people say that she is such a good baby because she never cries, but she does (see photo below).

Week 5 photos

2008-02-07T19:09:00.001-08:00

Day10 pictures of Julianne

2007-12-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

Julianne was born 5 lb. 13 oz. (2635 grams) and 18 inches ( 45 cm) in length—a little on the smaller side but that’s okay, she'll get bigger. Her facial features seem to be a little more defined since she Day 1. When babies are first born, I guess they kind of look odd. Now at Day 10, I think she looks a lot cuter than days 1-3. People say she has daddy's lips—I think so too, but she may have mommy's eyes.

Feeding Julianne is easier for me because I feed her with a bottle. I was surprised at how she gulped down a bottle of 70 mL milk. When she can drink 60-70 mL without stopping even once, it means she is hungry. She is feeding at about every 3 hours so her schedule is pretty regular right now.

Since we took Julianne home from the hospital on Boxing Day, it has been really exhausting because we don't get much sleep. But now we're taking shifts during the night. But following the holidays, after I return back to Prince Albert, Sask. on Jan. 2, Alice will stay at my parents place for another 2 weeks so grandma (my mom) can help take care of Julianne and cook for Alice while she recovers from her C-section. I hear it usually takes about a month to recover from these types of surgeries so it's great to have some parents (or grandparents) get involved in taking care of the baby. Well, this is the Asian-style communal family life where others get involved in taking care of the other family members. It also makes life a little easier.

Do you like her one-eyed picture below? She often does that when we pick her up to feed when she's still not fully awake or she is too lazy to open both eyes. She will open just one of her eyes to see who it is, then close it, and start drinking again. The one with her shifty eyes was a lucky photo-opportunity. She's a tough girl who is looking real serious--"Don't mess with me or else!"

Baby Julianne Hannah Sam has arrived

2007-12-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

We have just received one of the greatest Christmas gifts ever this Friday. Our baby daughter, Julianne Hannah Sam, arrived on December 21, 2007 at 9:41 a.m. at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. The operation-delivery went very well and Alice is recovering from her C-section. She will probably be able to go home on Monday. Baby Julianne was put into Neo-natal ICU so that the nurses can monitor her breathing more closely. She had a little trouble breathing right after delivery but she is steadily improving each day and no longer needs anymore supplementary oxygen. The nurses have been taking very good care of her. She is sleeping “like a baby” almost 24 hours a day. Her eyes have not yet opened and she cries every time she needs food and a diaper change. We have been able to feed her with milk formula Similac Lactose-Free. Alice is able to produce a little colostrum now (early stage of first-milk) so baby Julianne will be able to get some natural anti-biotics to fight off viruses and enzymes to help her digestion. (also see Kevin's Facebook album of baby Julianne)

Christmas and Charlie Brown

2007-12-06T21:09:00.000-08:00

Charlie Brown really does know what Christmas is about.

Advent season, Advent liturgy, and the Advent wreath

2007-12-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

The music for this litugy is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" from A Quiet Knowing Christmas by Jeff Johnson - www.ArkMusic.com

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival”. We celebrate the coming King, Jesus Christ, who is born into our world. This Sunday marks the beginning of Advent season. We will be lighting the Advent candle on the Advent wreath at Messiah Lutheran.

Dec. 21: our expected due date

2007-11-30T21:50:00.000-08:00

We now know that our baby's expected due date will be Dec. 21, 2007--just in time for Christmas. It actually feels more exciting than Christmas as a kid. Maybe a church would like to have a real live Baby Jesus for their church's Christmas drama-production?....maybe not.

We will be going back in Saskatoon for the delivery at Royal University Hospital. Alice will likely stay in the hospital for a few extra days and we'll stay in Saskatoon at our parents' place for a few weeks. I think Mom will help out with the cooking. I'll help out by taking care of Baby and getting lots of practice changing daipers. We are feeling more excited each day as the day approaches. We already have a lot of baby stuff either given to us, or from second-hand garage sales this past summer.

We just finished 4-weeks of pre-natal classes and now I feel like a student with head knowledge but no practical experience with babies. There were a lot of things I didn`t know, e.g., there were two types of mother`s milk, epidermal is an optional pain-killer where a tube goes through the mother`s spine. Ughh....I`m glad I`m a father and won`t have to go through so much pain as a mother. That`s why we celebrate Mother`s Day in May.

Alice will stop working on Dec. 15 and I`ll take a break from internship from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1. Then return to Prince Albert for Jan. 2.

Been having fun in internship

2007-11-16T17:57:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe that Alice and I have lived in Prince Albert for 3½ months. It has been a very good experience for me in internship. I’m getting to do all the pastoral duties like preaching (2x/month), leading services every alternate Sundays, hospital and carehome visitations, plus some home visits. These are regular things I do like clockwork and I'm having fun doing it. The more I serve here as Intern Pastor, the more I feel affirmed that pastoring is for me. So I praise and thank God.

My favorite thing in internship so far is preaching. I love preaching, the preparation and writing, and also the delivering of sermons. It has been really fun. In my weekly visitations at the seniors home, one lady I've been visiting each week was so kind. She had been collecting coupons for us, including coupons for baby diapers. Starting after the new year, I will also start a bible study for a seniors group at another seniors residence downtown. Hopefully, this group will be more stable because they have time. Please continue to pray for my work here at Messiah.

I’ve also started a youth group that meet every Friday night. It kind of died out some years ago because there was no one to lead it after a key youth leader left. Our youths in our churches need leaders. Without leaders, they are like young sheep that wander away, and sometimes wander completely away from the Christian faith.

The other ministry area that’s been on my heart is for young adults in their 20s and 30s. When I look out among the congregation, there are not many in this age category, maybe one or two. This ministry has been non-existent at Messiah Lutheran; therefore, I’m trying to start up a young adults group but we can’t seem to get people out so that we can meet regularly—so far it’s just been every 2 or 3 weeks. But I can only just try to be faithful and just meet with them and get to know them one at a time.

Dear friends, please continue to pray for my ministry work here at ministry.

Our Baby Girl

2007-09-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you probably knew that Kevin and I are expecting a new baby girl in January. By God's grace, we are able to have a baby in our late 30's. It has been 2 years since we got married. We feel so blessed by God to establish a Christian home from 2 person to 3 person. In the future, I (Alice) will post more news about the progress of my pregnancy and the growth of the baby. I hope that we can connect by emails, blog or facebook.

28 Elk in Waskesiu, Prince Albert National Park

2007-08-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Mondays are our day off so Alice and I went up to Waskesiu Lake located in Prince Albert National Park (about 45 min.) from the City of Prince Albert, which is only one of Canada's 43 national parks. We saw the most amazing thing. There were 28 elk grazing and laying on the grass in the open picnic area. It was a real sight to behold because I never dreamed of seeing this many elk in one place at the same time. Two of them were bulls, and about 8-9 baby elks, and the other 18 were females. If this were in an open field, it would have been a heyday for a hunter. They would have easily shot their limit, but again, this was in a national park. We’re hoping to head up there again before summer turns to fall and do a little BBQing.

We’ve moved to Prince Albert, Sask. and have already been here for 3 weeks. I have officially began my internship at Messiah Lutheran Church as Intern Pastor. I have set up my office, computer, and furniture. Things have begun rolling and ministry is off to a good start. We’re getting used to the new city and surrounding, the people, and hope to build new friendships and relationships with others here. Please pray for us that God will guide us and lead us.

Getting reading for our move up to Prince Albert, Sask.

2007-07-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

We are back in Canada now. We are feeling a little more relieved now that everything is more stabilized. Alice is feeling much better now and more energetic. I am also feeling like I am getting more things done. This week, we got most of our errands done. Now I am painting my parents deck so we can have a BBQ outside.

We are now in the midst of preparing to move to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan (pop. 45,000) to start my internship at Messiah Lutheran Church. Last week, we drove up to Prince Albert to look for an apartment and found a place about 5-6 blocks from the church. This is more convenient because I can also go home for lunch. We will move some of our stuff into our apartment on July 27. We will rent a small 10-foot U-Haul truck because we don't have much stuff. We are looking forward to getting settled into our new place.

I was told that Messiah Lutheran Church has an average of about 150-200 attendance on Sundays. It seems like an active congregation for a Lutheran church. I anticipate I will feel a little nervous but that's the excitement of a new place and new people.

Returning back to Canada sooner than expected

2007-07-05T03:08:00.000-07:00

We will be leaving Taiwan on July 8 (which is earlier than expected) due to difficulties with her pregnancy. Please pray for her. She was in the hospital this past weekend here in Changhua. It was good that we had travel insurance to cover the hospital expenses. She wanted to return back to Canada sooner so I called up the airline at 1 a.m. Due to our circumstances, Air Canada was kind enough to allow us to change our departure date back to Canada with a change fee. Please pray for Alice's health. The doctor gave her some medication and she is okay right now.

a department store with washrooms with different themes

2007-07-05T02:26:00.000-07:00

Last week, we went to another big department store in Taichung, Taiwan. This one is called Chungyo Department Store. It one was similar to Sogo but it wasn't as high-end so we didn't feel as intimidated, however, it is still considered a fancy department store, even in relation to North American department stores. What blew me away were that the w ashrooms with different themes (click on 下一頁>> under the picture to see the different floors' designs). That's way too cool... something a country-bumpkin like me has never seen before in Canada or the US.

Chung-Yo is a 15-floor store and they also have elevator hostesses. Man, I love the idea of elevator hostesses. That's what I call full-serve. I asked again if I could take their picture and this time they didn't say "No" so I got a snapshot…I guess persistency pays off (I'll put this picture on the blog later when I get a chance). As the elevator door closes, the elevator hostesses bow before the people as a gesture of thanks and respect. This comes from the Asian way of "giving face." This bowing also happens when the store opens and when the store closes. A group of workers will go outside of the store at the open and close of each day and bow to thank their customers. I didn't get to see this but it would be very interesting to have actually seen this. Bowing is a very Japanese thing to do so Chinese people don't do this here. This is not surprising since the store's Japanese style of merchandising and service was modelled after the chain store Shin Kong Mitsukoshi. Most people in North America have not seen department stores like this because it is a Japanese style of shopping.

What also blew me away were the numerous full-service restaurants and food court restaurants on the top three floors. There must have been 20-30 food court restaurants on one floor. I ordered an individual hot pot that that was heated underneath with a flame. I'm liking the Asian way of eating. It's so different from North Americanized-style Chinese food. And it seems cheaper to eat here in Taiwan than it is in Canada.
Here's a long review about Chung-Yo if you have time to read.

Bible studies on Wednesday and Friday evening

2007-06-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Since arriving here in Taiwan, I have desired to converse with others in English. Alice’s long-time friend, who is also named Alice (“Ehr-Jing”), helped to organize a group from her fellowship who are interested in attending an English bible study. They attend the Bai-ja fellowship that meets near the Changhua’s university. For the last 2 weeks, I have been blessed to lead a small English bible study with this small group of 4-5 believers. We have been studying the book of Romans on Wednesday evening and book of James on Friday evening. These two nights are like highlights during my week. I am excited to meet with them.

This group of believers have been wonderful. I am just getting to know them better now. They really love the Lord Jesus and have treated me with kindness and generosity. I admire their love for God and their willingness to study the word of God and to pray. I have felt so blessed through their spirituality and their encouragement to trust in the Lord. Each of them have a living relationship with the Lord God and I am greatly encouraged by their love, faith and desire to serve God. Despite our individual weaknesses and failings, I am sure that our mutual examples of love and service to God act to encourage one other.

On a technical note, I have learned that when we doing bible studies where people are using various translations and in various languages, it can be difficult for others to follow what each other are reading. Not only is there a difference in language but there is also a difference in wording. I have found that a more formal translation like the T/NIV, ESV, N/RSV are definitely easier when one is in this type of situation. It just seems to work better. Having a dynamic translation like an NLT or GNT makes it that much more difficult for others to follow. I have been using the fellowship’s NKJV here in Taiwan and it has served me well.

Bread of Life Christian Church

2007-06-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday, we visited a charismatic church called Bread of Life Christian Church in Changhua. It is probably one of the most attended congregations in Changhua, Taiwan. It is a congregation of the largest church in Taiwan, the Bread of Life Christian Church based in Taipei, which has over 170 congregations around the world including Torrance, California and Santa Clara, California . In Chinese, it is known as "Ling Liang Tong." This congregation here in Changhua, Taiwan has grown to three services on Sunday mornings. They have dynamic worship services. The sermon was about 45 minutes and Alice says that it had more of a biblical exegetical-teaching style. This seems to be the style of sermons here in Taiwan and Asia. I think this preaching style helps to build a believers knowledge of the bible better than the pastoral style of preaching. Done right, it can be a powerful style of preaching. This is the church that Alice first went to when she first became a Christian. This fellowship started with about 30 people in attendance but its attendance is about 400 each Sunday.

I have wondered why churches like this have grown so rapidly in Taiwan and Asia? Perhaps it is because of the freedom of the Holy Spirit in its worship? Perhaps it is their passion for evangelism? Whatever it is, it seems to be working because it is growing fast and more people are getting to know the Lord in a deeper way.

I also really like upbeat praise music. For one thing, an upbeat praise music helps wake me up in the morning if I'm not yet fully awake. The main reason I like worshiping God with an upbeat style of music is that it involves my emotions too. I naturally involve my intellect because I am a natural thinker. I have no problem involving my thinking ability but need some help to kick my emotions and feelings into gear. Personally, I think (or feel) that worship should involve both intellect and emotions. We all naturally tend toward stimulating our emotions in many areas so why not also in our worship? Most normal people listen to rock or upbeat music secular music and download music through their MP3 so why should Christians be so uptight about more emotional music in church? Too often, there seems to be an odd dichotomy in how we live and how we worship. Is this why some people see Christianity as odd or out-dated?

A great place for salad in a non-salad culture

2007-06-22T02:22:00.000-07:00

Chinese culture is generally a non-salad eating culture, therefore, I did not expect to find many places to eat salad. I had a strong desire to eat salad and more vegetables yesterday so Diane, Alice's sister, suggested that we go check out Noble Family Steak House here in Changhua. We went there to try their salad bar today and it was really good. The experience is different from the usual casual rough-house style dining on the local street corner. It's a good place to go to if you want western style cuisine. They do serve steak as their prime dish on the menu but one can always just go for the salad bar. It's an all-you-can-eat salad bar for about NT$140 (or Cdn $4). A steak dinner can range from NT$190-350 including the salad bar. Everything includes desert and even coffee. I found the environment to be very clean and comfortable (really). I'm sure I will frequent this place more often from now on when I want to satisfy my craving for salad.

Beautiful photographs of Taiwan

2007-06-22T01:17:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested in taking a look at awesome photography of Taiwan, you have to check out Craig Ferguson's blog at http://www.blog.craigfergusonimages.com. He has some beautiful pictures of the life in Taiwan. Click on the type of images you want to see and then choose "slideshow."

Our visit to Chiayi

2007-06-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, Alice and I went to Chiayi (1 hour from Changhua) to visit my friend Leon from my fellowship during my university days. He took us to the very new university campus called National Chung Cheng University. It is absolutely one of the prettiest university campuses I've ever seen. In comparison to the university campuses I've seen in Canada, e.g., Univ. of British Columbia and Univ. of Saskatchewan, I feel that the campus of National Chiayi University ranks right up there for beauty. The scenery is beautiful. The buildings are all brand new and about 10 years old. It's a much more attractive campus than National Changhua Univ. of Education.

In the evening, they took us to a Beijing style restaurant in Chiayi. I'm not sure if the food was authentic Beijing style but the way they served tea certainly seemed like it. The tea servers came around to our table and poured hot water into our tea cups with a kettle with a very long spout. That was just great to see. It was the first time I've been served tea this way. And way one is supposed to drink tea is to do it elegantly, with one hand holding the cup, and the other hand slightly holding open the cover. It looks so elegant on TV but feels awkward when actually done.

Leon's wife works at the city's biggest hospital, Chiayi Christian Hospital, which was started by American missionaries of the Lutheran Free Church. It seems that many hospitals here in Taiwan were started by missionaries (the one in Changhua was started by Canadian missionaries of the Presbyterian church). Thank God for missionaries. I still believe that our work and service to the Lord is valuable because it is bourn out of love for the people. On Sunday morning, we went with them to their church called DoubleBlessing, an evangelical Lutheran church. I enjoyed the service there even though I could not understand any of the sermon. I was touched by the Spirit's presence there. Praise God for his wonderful Spirit.

Sogo: a really fancy department store

2007-06-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we went to Taichung and we went to a big department store called Sogo. This is the fanciest and most classiest department store I have ever seen. I don't think the departments stores in North America even come close. It's a huge 15-level department store. What got my attention first was the elevator host/tesses. I wish I could show a picture of one of them but they wouldn't allow me to take their picture (company policy). They all wear white gloves. The female elevator hosts wear a white-pink uniform and the male elevator hosts wear a white shirt and grey trousers. They elevator girls look really cute, especially when they say: "Shaang lo, shaang lo." (Eng.: "Going up, going up”).

What makes the Sogo department store so special is the way they display their products for sale. Each floor is divided up according to the brand names. They sell all the biggest brand names from Europe, U.S., and Japan. The fashion here seems to be newer and more up to date than in North America. Sogo has 3 floors just for women's clothing: one for young ladies, one for missies, and one for ladies. When you pass by they will try to make a sale so a person must be careful and tell them firmly that you are: "just looking." For brand name fashions, their prices seem to be comparable to those in Canada and the U.S.A. This lavish and luxurious department store is such a contrast to the cheap no-name brands sold on the local street corner.

A "me first" attitude

2007-06-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

What I've begun to notice here is the difference in the people's attitude. As a Canadian, I'm use to people holding the door open for you. If they get to the door first and you are following closely behind, the proper and polite response in Canada would be to say: “Thank you.” Here in Taiwan, there is no such custom. In fact, people don't even hold the door open for you. Here, the attitude is: “Me first.” And I thought the attitude of people in New York City was bad. When you enter an elevator and it's already full, there is always someone who tries to sneak in the last second. The elevator, which feels like a sardine can, becomes even more packed. Here, drivers will steal your parking spot even if you were there first or had your signal lights flashing to indicate your claim. I actually saw one driver drive right into an unoccupied parking space with his car facing the other way. He wanted to stake his claim on the space even though the other car got there first.

Sometimes I wonder how people here have developed such an aggressive attitude. My theory is that they must fight to survive. When I walked by a market stand, they tried to sell to me. Even though I didn't understand what they are saying, I knew they are trying to sell me their products. They are likely commission-driven sales and are motivated by the extra commission they make. Life here seems very competitive. It makes life in Canada seem very relaxed. Everyday I'm here, I feel like I'm in a rat-race.

Driving in Taiwan is chaotic

2007-06-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

Drivers of cars own the road, and pedestrians have to watch out for themselves. There is a pecking order on the streets. Drivers of vehicles are king; next come moped-scooter drivers; then pedestrians. They are definitely nothing like drivers in Canada. In Canada, the drivers are much more considerate and law-abiding. If I drove a car here, I'd probably get into an accident within my first week of driving. I don't know if I could ever get used to driving here. It is not a very safe place to let your kid roam the streets. Navigating through the streets in Taiwan is not easy. It makes driving in New York City seem more civilized. I had my first experience riding a scooter or mini-motorcycle on a busier street. It was a scary experience. I feel like a car could run me over any time. The drivers here are not nice drivers. I have seen Taiwan drivers take the most daring moves on busy streets. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way, not even on university campuses. Here in Taiwan, the drivers kind of do whatever they want. It's so scary that it would make most Canadian drivers pull over and hail a taxi. I have learned that as a pedestrian, one must not make any sudden move because it might confuse the drivers. Car and moped drivers know how to "safely" manouver around a pedestrian within a few inches of coming in contact with them. People who grow up here don't seem to mind when moped or car drivers come within inches of hitting them. Pedestrians don't get freaked out when this happens. They just continue walking like it is supposed to be normal. They just simply continue on their way as if this chaos was normal. It surprises me how people are able to survive in this chaotic environment.

It doesn't seem like the traffic police are doing their job at enforcing the law here. There doesn't seem to be very many police on the road. Even if there were enough traffic police, I'm not sure if they actually enforce the law here. But according to a government press release, Taiwanese people are tops in the world in the number of traffic tickets issued. Taiwan has a big job to do to try to correct its own bad driving habits. Everyday I'm on the road whether as a moped driver or a pedestrian, I wonder if I am going to get hit or runover by a moving object. I hope that I can leave Taiwan accident-free. Everyday, I hear an ambulance on the streets. I would not be surprised if at least half of these hospital emergencies are traffic related. Someone who works at Changhua Christian Hospital tells me that there are 100 emergency beds in the hospital. There are five hospitals in Changhua. That is a lot compared to most Canadian hospitals. In a comparable sized city in Canada, Saskatoon only has three hospitals but nowhere near 100 emergency beds. I wouldn't be surprised if most of these emergency beds are taken up by patients in traffic accidents.

Thus far, I've only talked about what I don't like about Taiwan's traffic. But there is something I do like. Taiwan has traffic lights showing a green man walking which indicate "Go." This is pretty cool. It's better than a stationary figure. Taiwan also has a countdown that shows how many seconds are left before the light changes. This is a really smart idea because it helps to relieve some of the people's anxiety and impatience as they wait for the light to change.

Navigators campus ministry at National Changhua University

2007-06-13T01:21:00.000-07:00

Last week, we also visited a Navigators campus ministry located in Changhua. It is a campus ministry for the students at National Changhua University and is co-led by several volunteers, one of which is a long-time friend of Alice. Her friend, whom we'll call E-J, has been serving the Lord in this campus ministry and fellowship for the last 17 years. They also have a service at 10 a.m. on Sunday mornings. She invited Alice to share with the group of single young women about her experience as a single woman and to encourage them with how God provides. Later, they also gave me the opportunity to share with them my experience as a single young man and how God led me into ministry. Alice and I really enjoyed this time of sharing. We were really encouraged and honored by their interest in our lives. This group of young men and women are very strong in the faith and we can see that the Lord has done a great work in their lives. Their trust in the Lord is very evident. The discipleship has been effective in strengthening their lives spiritually. Thank God for the work of the Navigators in Changhua University (English). E-J and her husband invited us to their house for supper last Saturday evening and we had a wonderful time of fellowship. We wish to support them in their work with continued prayer.

A Presbyterian Church in Taiwan

2007-06-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Since we arrived in Taiwan, we have been to several churches. One church we visited was the oldest Presbyterian church in Changhua, which happens to be related with the establishment of the largest hospital in the city, Changhua Christian Hospital. It is situated directly across from the former location of the hospital. Since the new pastor has arrived about 1 1/2 years ago, this congregation has been growing and has experienced some spiritual revival. We went to visit this pastor yesterday and had a very nice visit . I shared with him that I was studying at a Lutheran seminary in Saskatoon and look forward to my ordination the year following my internship year. He did his basic theological studies at a Methodist seminary in Taiwan and also did a Masters degree in Comparative Religions in Birmingham, England. Later, I asked him if he found his studies in comparative religions (Buddhism) useful but what he told me surprised me a little. He said it has not been useful in his ministry. Even though it is good to have a knowledge of other religions, it is actually useless in the practical aspects of real-life ministry. So much for studying world religions in seminary. I was pleased to discover his heart for the people's spiritual well-being. From listening to his sermon a few weeks ago, what impressed me about him was his evangelical outlook. He believes in the discipleship of God's people. He shared with Alice and I that discipleship is very important in the spiritual life of the congregation. He mentioned that there are two things that no one in any congregation or church will ever disagree with, and these are: prayer and bible study. He said that as pastors, we should guide and lead God's people towards a Christian lifestyle that incorporates both prayer and bible study. He hopes to encourage every family in the congregation to establish a habit and spiritual discipline of daily prayer and bible study. This is like a family altar.

Last year, the congregation has begun a youth worship service. It began with about 25 people in October 2006, and now has over 40 people in attendance. The youth deacon showed us the facility that have for this youth service. They have converted a Christian bookstore located on the 2nd floor into a worship sanctuary dedicated for the Saturday night youth service. They have all the necessary musical instruments for a youth service, e.g., drums, electric bass and acoustic guitars, electronic keyboard, etc. This service on Saturday begins at 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. The first half-hour of the worship is just praise music and singing. The second half-hour is the sermon; and the last half-hour is group discussion/sharing/bible study. I hope to attend one of these services in the future.

In Taiwan, it is estimated that 5% of the population is Christian. Of this figure, 3% are Presbyterian. As I have observed the various churches in Taiwan, I have noticed that one of the more prevalent denominations still seems to be the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. I've always wondered why certain denominations/churches are more established in non-western countries or regions than others. It was the work of Christian missionaries generations ago that established these churches. Missionary activities are very important in the establishment of churches. The work of evangelical missionaries can effect change that can last for generations. However, the situation of the Presbyterian Church today is similar to that in Canada. The pastor shared with me that the dominant group of attendees are the more elderly folks. He feels that the church is aging and needs to reach out to the younger generation. All the Presbyterian churches and pastors in Taiwan realize the situation is not getting better and that they need to change. I admire the pastor's desire to disciple his flock. He has put together a book to teach the people about the sacraments of the church, i.e., baptism and communion; the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer and the church; discipleship; and how to live the Christian life. He is currently working on an advanced edition of the book too. I encouraged him to share this valuable resource with other Presbyterian pastors and churches in Taiwan. I wish all pastors in Taiwan were like him. As we ended our meeting with prayer, we encouraged each other to place our faith in the Lord.

Good eating in Taiwan

2007-06-11T00:51:00.000-07:00

The restaurants here in Taiwan are unique, probably not to Asia in general, but they are unique in comparison to North America. There are a range of restaurants. Some are fancy sit-down types with full service but many are casual self-service types similar to a cafeteria (Chinese: "jee-ju chaun"). This is the type where we've mostly been eating at. Most people in Taiwan today eat at this type of restaurant because it's fast, convenient and cheap. The newspaper here reports that about 40% of Taiwanese people eat out everyday for almost every meal. Increasingly, people are cooking less at home because they have busy lifestyles and cannot afford the time to cook. The low price of eating out or getting "jee-ju chaun" to-go is very common. One of Alice's brother's family eat's out every meal, including their young children. It's tempting to eat out because one ends up paying the same if one were to buy groceries and cook for yourself. Each person might pay Cdn$2-3 for a meal that comes with one serving of meat and rice, and three servings of vegetables. If one doesn't mind a little extra oil in the cooking, why would anyone want to do all the work of getting groceries and cooking, especially in 35 degree celcius weather? The food is tasty and delicious and better than my own cooking. Most westerners might find this type of cafeteria-style restaurant a little too casual, and the environment, even, unhygenic. If this type of restaurant was placed in a North American context, it might not pass the health-safety inspection test. Moreover, it's not the place where one might find good service either. Though it seems normal for Alice, I am learning to accept it reluctantly. (photo: 1) Alice's sister-in-law, Shu-Jun placing our order for lunch at a street vendor. That's really casual self-service; 2) Kevin, Alice, Jane (friend of Alice and Diane), and Diane (Alice's sister holding her baby girl) in a nice Japanese restaurant (with good service and good food).

English-language training schools

2007-06-10T23:56:00.000-07:00

When Alice was a young girl, she used to live close to downtown Changhua. As we were riding our little motorcycle through downtown, I noticed quite a few English language schools. They call them "cram schools" here. Some parents will send their children to these English-language training schools so that they can get a headstart in their English. Many of today's kids begin learning English as early as 6-8 years old. Ten years ago, they began learning at age 13 or 14. The children attend these cram schools after their regular classes are over at 5 p.m., which might take them to about 6 or 7 p.m. Then they go home for supper and do homework. We have it pretty easy in North America so I don't know why we complain so much. Today, there are many of these cram schools in Taiwan. People in Taiwan seem to really appreciate the value of learning English and this is evidenced by their parents who work hard so they can afford to send their kids to these English language schools. A few of these cram schools might have several native Enlgish-speaking teachers but most of them are taught by native Taiwanese teachers who have done ther education in Canada or the United States and have returned to Taiwan.

Alice knows a former co-worker here in Changhua who opened up her own English language training school and has done quite well for herself. However, today's cram school market is quite competitive here in Taiwan. There are many cram schools, even in the small city of Changhua. There are also many ESL teachers in Taiwan, especially in the City of Taipei. Many people have come from foreign countries to teach English as a Second Language. This is good experience for a lot of new university graduates. I wish I had done this after I first finished my undergraduate studies but this is kind of late for me now. I would have had great overseas experience. If anyone has a chance to become an ESL teacher overseas, they should definitely take the opportunity. It'll really broaden a young person's view of the world. By the way, native English speakers who come here to teach tend to be respected for their proficiency in English. (photos: 1) us at National Changhua University of Education; 2) Kevin standing next to Confucius; 3) Alice at Changhua University campus; 4) us in Lugang; 5) Alice in Lugang.)

Walking securely in Taiwan

2007-06-09T02:28:00.000-07:00

Last night we were at Alice's friends place for supper. They lived in a gated community, which is not very common in Changhua. It was a very nice house and looked even more modern than new Canadian homes. However, most houses here in the old part of the city are simple old 3 to 4 story attached homes. The streets are very narrow and they are lucky if they have a space to park their vehicles. Those who live on a busy street will use the front of their homes as a store front. These store fronts are secured by big metal garage doors at night, which gives added security.

Taiwan does not seem to have a lot of crime. In fact, there is less crime here than in Saskatoon. Even though this small city feels like a metropolis of 1 million, it's population is only 220,000. Many of Taiwan's cities feel busy because it doesn't seem to sleep at night. What makes this place feel bigger are its lights at night. Some of its store open till 9 or midnight for shopping or food. I guess its life is what gives it an Asian feel. A person could walk outside and still feel secure because crime is not a big issue here. The reason I think is because drugs and alcohol is not a problem here. A city like Saskatoon even has more crime than Changhua because drugs and alcohol is glorified in North America. I have not seen many commercials in Taiwan advertising alcohol. They do not seem to be as hedonistic as North Americans. I like this about Taiwanese people. However, I am not saying that they do not enjoy life or value personal pleasure. They do have their materialistic things. They like to drive their cars and enjoy their personal electronics like North Americans. (photos: 1) Alice and sister-in-law getting food; 2) view of street in Lugang. 3) a hard working man selling shrimp. I tried monkey shrimp for the first time. It's a different-looking shrimp than the usual.)

Monsoon season in Taiwan

2007-06-07T19:46:00.001-07:00

Taiwan is now in the midst of its monsoon season. We travelled for maybe 10 minutes to Alice's mother's place by scooter and we got totally soaking wet. I felt so wet afterwards that my shoes and shorts were soaked. I even had a heavy rain jacket on. It has been raining now for about 4 days. And it can get so wet that the rain feels like large pellets on my face. When the rain comes down, it really comes down hard. As I am typing this, I can hear the rain drop like rocks on the cement pavement. With my window open, the rain fall is so loud that it's difficult to hear the television. It's unbelievable that some people still travel by scooter in the middle of this rain. They really have guts to travel in this weather.

Lots to see in Taiwan

2007-06-03T23:06:00.000-07:00

This has been our first week in Taiwan and my first time here. Alice is glad to see her family again and I am happy to see all the sights, sounds, and smells of Taiwan. We living in Changhua City, which is located on the west side of the island. We are also blessed to be able to stay at Alice's uncle's new house where we have a large room and air conditioning in our bedroom. This is a necessity for being able to sleep at night because the temperature is really hot and humid. The house is close enough so that Alice can get to her parents place and her brother's place in about 5 minutes by scooter. Many stores are open till late at night and it's very convenient. You can get really good food as soon as you step out into the street. And the food is so so good. I've never seen, tasted or smelled so much food in my life. I am amazed at the abundance of wonderful and tasty food here. And another great thing is that it's really cheap. You can eat out on just $5-8 per day--depending on what you eat. We've tried lots of different local Taiwanese eateries and are gaining weight. Alice's brother's wife took us to visit Lugang a few days ago. It's an historic place near Changhua where there are shrines of Buddha set up for ancestral worship. Some of these shrines are 300-400 years old. These shrines are very colorful. We will try to blog about different topics so feel free to check on our blog from time to time. (picture: Lukang shops and Buddha on Mt. Bagua in ChangHua)

Driving in Taiwan's chaotic traffic

2007-06-03T22:40:00.000-07:00

The streets are busy with people, scooters, and cars going about doing their business. The amount of scooters in Taiwan is immense. There are almost as many scooters here as there are cars. When I first arrived last week, I was surprised at how both scooters and vehicles were able to travel on the same street without more accidents occurring than there are. The scooter is a very common form of transportation. Everyone here knows how to drive a scooter--even kids and little grandmothers. There are so many scooters zooming about the streets. They zig zag around in the traffic to get around other vehicles. They scuttle around like little mice and what amazes me is that the traffic seems to flow without anyone getting run over. I haven't seen any traffic accidents yet. When scooters want to make a left turn at a busy intersection, they don't turn on a left lane; rather, they turn on the far right lane on a yellow or even a red light because it's safer this way (or rather, less dangerous than the alternative). Tetraffic does not yield to scooters turning left. Driving is so chaotic. It really freaked me out riding on a scooter. I thought we were going to get run over a few times but the drivers here seem to treat this chaotic form of driving as normal. This is what I call harmony in the midst of chaos. Driving a car is considered a luxery for most people because parking is hard to find. If all the people in Chang-Hua drove cars, I don't think there would be enough room on the streets to hold all the cars. A place like this needs scooters.

One day in Hong Kong

2007-05-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

We packed our stuff on Saturday and flew to Hong Kong next early morning on flight 007 Air Canada. Upon arrival at Hong Kong's brand new airport, it was supper time so we went to eat Japanese noodles at Ajisen Restaurant at the airport. For those who know how to appreciate good noodles, we found a definite difference in quality between the noodles we have in Canada and the noodles in Hong Kong or Asia. It's amazing how much better a lot of things are in Asia. The electronics and the food are definitely better in Asia. The transportation system in Hong Kong is extremely well organized and advanced. The speed rail got us to Tsing Yi (in the New Territories) from the airport very quickly. The hotel we stayed at in Tsing Yi, Hong Kong was called the Rambler Oasis Hotel. If anyone is looking for a descent quality hotel on a cheap budget, the Rambler Oasis is it.

We went on a half-day tour of the city through Gray Line Tours. We wish we could have stayed longer than one day. I'm glad that we did go on this tour because there would otherwise be no other way we could have seen so much in just 1/2 day. The most interesting part of this tour was definitely the ride on the sampan at the Aberdeen Fishing Village. It was just amazing to see how people lived their lives in this part of Hong Kong. Their house boats were their home. They cooked in it, slept in it, lived a large part of their lives right in their house boats. To my knowledge, I think these house boats are for those who are too poor to buy a condo or rent an apartment. What made this interesting is that this is real life. This was a part of the tour we had to pay for but it was worth it. It's basically a cash business for these sampan drivers. These days, these sampans are no longer used for fishing. They make a living by giving sampan rides to tourists (charge is HK$55 or US$8 each person).

The tram ride up to Victoria Peak gave us a breath-taking view of the city. I have never been in such an extremely populated place before. The skyline is lined with tower after tower, and skyscraper after skyscraper. There doesn't seem like there is much land on which to build a city of 7 million people. It's just amazing they can cram so many people into such a little area.The city is really a cluster of islands with mountainous terrain. They build all these buildings on whereever they can find space. In HK, there is both rich and poor side by side. People like to talk about the rich society of HK but society that lives in poverty is never spoken about. About 40% of Hong Kong's residents live in crammed living quarters, maybe 400 sq.feet apartments. There might be up to 10 family members living inside a single flat. I don't know how they survive. Most of these apartment buildings don't even have a descent window view. The richest people in HK live on Victoria Peak. The priciest house is worth HK$500 million (Cdn$71 million). Another wealthy area is Repulse Bay. Its condo can cost up to HK$10,000/sq.foot (Cdn$1,400/sq.foot). HK has the world's highest number of Rolls Royces located in one place. Only the rich can afford to drive a car, even if it's a humble Toyota Camry.
(photos: 1) Aberdeen Hong Kong junks; 2) taking a ride on a junk in front of the floating Jumbo Restaurant; 3) junks at Aberdeen behind highrise apartments; 4) Alice and I on Victoria Peak; 5) the view behind us showing some of Hong Kong's skyscrapers.)

Going to Taiwan this summer

2007-05-05T06:22:00.000-07:00

Kevin says:
We will be leaving for Taiwan on May 26 to see Alice's family and will stay there for 11 weeks during the summer. This will be my first time traveling to Asia. It's funny that I'm Asian but have never been to Asia. We will stop over in Hong Kong for one day on May 27, then be in Taiwan on May 28. When in Hong Kong, we will go up mountain on the tram. It's a famous tourist site.

I have not yet seen her father and brothers. I am looking forward to meeting the rest of her family. I have met her mother and her sister, Diane, when they came over for the wedding almost 2 years ago on May 21, 2005. But have never met her father and two brothers. Alice's sister Diane is a nurse and her parents are retired.

When we are in Taiwan for 11 weeks, we'll try to keep busy by teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). We'll make some money and travel at the same time. I don't know what to expect to see in Taiwan but it'll be an exciting summer.

We will be moving to Prince Albert, Sask. for 1 year

2007-05-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

Kevin says:
I can't believe it has already been 3 years of seminary at Lutheran Theological Seminary. It still feels like I started seminary not too long ago. Now, Alice and I will be moving to Prince Albert, Sask. on Aug. 15 for my internship. I will be doing my internship at Messiah Lutheran Church there for about 12 months under the supervision of Pastor Dan Haugen. It was really great that I got to meet him last week when he flew down here on his plane to meet with me for a few hours.

This week, all of us interns just had a 2 1/2 days long Team-Building workshop with our respective internship supervisors/pastors (10 interns & 10 supervisors). It was a very fruitful time because we got to set up our Learning Covenant together, and I got to know my supervisor a little better. I'm really looking forward to starting my internship and getting my "hands and feet wet" with some real pastoral experience.

Alice will continue working her present job as an interpreter over the telephone. It's a very mobile job because she works over the telephone from anywhere. She is working very hard right now, about 40-48 hours per week to pay the bills so I feel very honoured and blessed by her. Without her hard work we would not be able to make it financially.

... just some news

2006-12-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

Alice says: This is the first time we blogged to communicate with you. We hope that we can stay in touch with you through the blog and email.
We have been very thankful for God's guidance and blessing in our marriage. I worked various jobs this year (public library, Census 2006 for Statistics Canada and Language Line Services as an interpreter). Next year I will continue working at home to answer phone calls as an interpreter. Meanwhile, I have been taking CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) training at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon. I am heading into the direction of chaplaincy in the future. Life is busy, but it is good. We have not seen some of you for a long time. I hope that you will enjoy this Christmas holiday season with your family and the loves ones.
May God's blessing be with you!!

(left): This is the picture taken during our honeymoon, May 2005. This is one of the scenic spots between Jasper and Banff, Alberta. You can see snow on the top of the mountain behind us. Time flies so fast, we have been married for one and half an year. We enjoy our life together as a couple.

Kevin says: This summer Alice and I went with the youth from church on a trip to Winnipeg for a national youth gathering. It was exciting to see so many teens having fun and learning that service to God can be exciting. This year, I have been teaching the teens Sunday School. I have also been pulpit-supply preaching (which is substituting for pastors while they are away). It has been a great experience and I'm getting more comfortable preaching in front of a crowd and have fun while doing it. Leading services have been so enjoyable and fulfilling. I can see myself preaching and pastoring a congregation in the near future after graduation. This seems to be the path that God has been leading me into. So far, seminary here in Saskatoon has been going very well. My 3rd year is half over, then we'll be on my internship for about one year. I have not spoken with some of you for a long time so I hope we keep in touch by phone calls, email, blog, or whatever. Have a Merry Christmas and a great New Year in 2007. May the peace of Christ, and God's blessings be with you all! :)

(left): this is a Chinese Cultural Center in Chinatown, Winnipeg, MB. A nice building?

(right & below): this is the mall called the Forks in Winnipeg we visited in the summer. We really loved this mall. It is an unique mall (farmer's market, craft shops, ethnic food and museum). ..we enjoyed our lunch at the Forks. We had Indian Roti. It's delicious and yummy.

Alice: This picture (below) is taken at Eva's house in Tiffin, Ohio. My friend, Eva is a music professor at Heidelberg College. Kevin and I drove all the way from Saskatoon to Toronto. We took U.S. route instead of the TransCanada #1. On the way, we went to visit my good friend, Eva in Ohio.