Bible studies on Wednesday and Friday evening

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.