pictures.

"Bright is your day when you sow, in the dimmist and most difficult ways, into tomorrow's sunset rays.."

Hong Kong in pictures.

Hong Kong.

An amazing trip full of adventure, good food, little sleep, shopping and fun.

I'm so grateful I got to go! Hong Kong is such a mix of so many different cultures. It was an awesome weekend. :)

My wonderful traveling and adventure buddy. Saphrin.

A friend of mine who lives in Hong Kong. Ada was wonderful to show us around. :)

Hong Kong money is amazing. It's water resistant and is full of cool designs you can only see when you hold it up to light. Saphrin and I were fascinated. :)

Saph and I on a bus ride up to "The Peak". HK is made up of three islands, HK main, New Territories and the Kowloon Peninsula. We stayed on Kowloon, which is were there is the most night market and best shopping. :) So we took a ferry over to the HK island, a bus to the Peak station and a trolly up to the top of the Peak. A beautiful view of Hong Kong...

The ferry we took over.

One of the views from the top of the Peak.

Honk Kong celebrates Christmas so, it was Christmas time in Hong Kong. :) It kind of reminded us of home. We loved it!

Saphrin, me, our starbucks and the beautiful view from the pier. My favorite thing about HK was definitely the pier!

Jackie Chan's hands. :)

So along the pier they had the "Avenue of Stars". Hand prints for the famous people that came from Hong Kong.

My beautiful girls.

From the pier.

A cool building. :)

We found this Starbucks on the pier that had this cool balcony that looked over the pier. So we spent our Sunday morning there.

Typical street in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong they drive on the right, just like in Europe. The taxi's were classy. I liked them. :)

So it was a wonderful couple days. A cultural experience for sure and Saphrin and I enjoyed every minute of it. :)

the whole world.

..I don't even know where to start. God and the many ways I see Him work everyday continually amaze me.

Did I ever mention how much I LOVE being a teacher? 

And how grateful I am for the opportunity I get every day to love? To teach. To learn. To hug them and to kiss their cheeks. To give them high fives or winks when they try extra hard. To challenge them but always be their biggest fan. 

I. love. it. so. much.

Everyday I'm reminded of the impact and place I have in my kid's lives.

And everyday I'm amazed that I, of all the more qualified people in the world, have been chosen for this. 

For this school. For these kids. For this beautiful city. For these precious people. For this day and this time in history. For this call.

This week has been absolutely wonderful. Looking back on the past 3 and 1/2 months, these weeks kids are some of the ones I've definitely gotten the closest to. I savored every minute of this past week and Friday came altogether too soon...

But here it is and I just said goodbye to some of Taiwan's most precious. The tears ran down their cheeks and my heart was breaking more with each tear. I held them and didn't want to ever let go. 

"God? Are you sure this job wasn't made for someone stronger them me? Maybe someone who doesn't feel so deeply? Maybe for someone who doesn't really love?"

"Priscilla, for such a time as this."

"But God? What if they don't get love when they go home today? 

What if they don't have anyone to tell them how precious they are? So many of them don't go home to real love...it's all about earning it. What about those?

What about the ones who wore the same shirt everyday this week, because they're too poor to buy another one? 

What about the ones who come with bruises on their arms and parent's that put them there? 

What happens to them? 

What about 10 years from now, God?

Will they know You? Will they be far from You?

Father, so many questions....so much pain in letting them go.

Can I do this, God? Can I keep loving?

What about trusting that You'll take care of them?

What about that?

Can I do that, God? 

....Are you sure?"

After the goodbyes were said and the tears were cried this morning, I asked these questions.

I searched for answers only Father God could give.

And so often like God does, He answered.

But it wasn't in the way I thought I needed or wanted.

I didn't get a description of each of their next few years.

I didn't get a promise that I'll ever be able to see them again.

I wasn't assured that they would go home to love.

But in the quiet all I could hear was something I've heard so many times before.

"He's got the whole world in His hands...

He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the little children in His hands..

He's got the whole world in His hands.

He's got the whole world in His hands.."

Thank you, God. 

Thank you for being big. Thank you for always being God. 

Thank you for your love that pursues and beckons the ones You made.

Would you pursue these kid's hearts? 

Would you call them to You?

Would you place people in their lives that know You?

Would you place in them a discontentment with anything but YOUR love?

And Father? 

Can you wipe away their tears and kiss their cheeks when I'm no longer there to do it?

Amen.

---

This afternoon I get on a plane that will take me to Hong Kong for a long weekend. Saphrin and I decided HK would be a good place to explore...so we have tickets there with our names on them. :)

It'll be wonderful. I'll post pictures when I get back!

I guess you can say it's our way of coping with Thanksgiving being next week. Since Taiwan doesn't celebrate it, it's a normal work day for us. Maybe we can find some Turkey in HK somewhere. :)

Until next time. <3

hope.

"But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope;

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

His mercies never come to an end;

they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

'the Lord is my portion', says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in Him.'

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

Lamentations 3:21-26

big, dark eyes.

Good afternoon, friends.

It's been way too long, I'll admit. I'm realizing just how fast even the past almost three months since I've moved here have gone and thinking about how fast the next 9 will go! I'm asking God so often to help me savor every single moment of every day. I don't want to miss anything. :)

I'm amazed at how life seems to only get more full. Full of so many gifts. An awesome Chinese teacher. Friendships that will last. A wonderful Church that welcomes us into their community. Even on the Sundays when there is no translation and I catch maybe 20 words as the Pastor speaks, I still feel so encouraged just being around those precious people. Roommates I learn from everyday. And precious children that have forever ruined me for ordinary love. Children that teach me about the Kingdom of God and what it means to be a giver. And the life I see in their dark, beaming eyes every week, despite their pain and the emptiness of their lives, beckons me to a greater passion for life. Since I live at the school with my kids, I see so much and get to know these kids like I never thought I could in one week. Oh the stories their eyes tell.

This is my beautiful Anni. This little girl taught me so much about being strong; about letting people in and giving what you have to everyone around you, even if it's so little. Anni's mommy died last fall and her daddy works in taipei. She's one of 6 kids and her aunt and uncle take care of her. Her life seems so incomplete to me, and yet this beautiful little girl brims with joy and contentment. She's so ready to give and she loves loving on me and everyone around her.  She's so ready to make your day bright, even if her day wasn't. She doesn't know what she does. She doesn't know how she's changed me and taught me about giving love. But she has...and maybe someday i'll get to tell her. I want to give love like that.

That's just one in the around 300 students I've been able to teach and learn from over the past 11 weeks. I can only imagine what God has in store for the next 9 months. If you pray, pray my heart will stay tender. That I won't get so into the routine of what we do every week that I miss reading those stories each of their eyes tell. That I'll continue with this desire to be their friend and not just be their teacher. That I'll keep loving. Even when it hurts the most.

---

So life here keeps me on my toes. My school stays busy and even when we're sick, us teachers never really get a break unless it's the weekend. I was able to negotiate some of my hours though so I don't have to work so many nights a week, which has been a huge blessing and an answer to prayer. My roommates and I are able to spend more time together outside of school and just have more room to breath. We're all realizing the importance of pacing ourselves with nine more months to go and our teaching load and number of students each week doubling next semester. It's a little different since we live at our school...it's like we never really leave work. :) But we're learning how to balance it all and God has been so good to give us favor with our Boss. And as he gets to know us better and as we learn how to communicate with him, it only gets better. Being the homebody that I am, there are times when my roommates have to pretty much drag me out of the house. But as soon as they do, I'm always grateful. It always energizes me and helps me to not get burnt out with everything at school.

Teaching is going so good! I'm learning so much and it never ceases to amaze me how very different every class that comes through is. And along with different students, comes different ways of learning and different needs. Adjusting my teaching every week to my students for that week can be a challenge, but it's a challenge that makes me stronger as a teacher so I'll take it. I read a quote a couple weeks ago that say "As soon as a Teacher stops learning, she stops teaching". It's so true...

About three weeks ago, I went to Hong Kong for a couple hours due to a visa renewal. Pretty much, I was deported. It was an adventure. :) I was gone from my school for 26 hours total. Spent about 4 hours in the Hong Kong airport, flew back and spent the night in Taipei. Everything is good now and my school promised to stay a little more on top of the visa extension process next time. It was a fun little detour in my week. :)

I have to run to teach my night class. I promise I'll stay more on top of updating! And I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days. :)

Thanks for the prayers. They really do make a difference. :)

Be blessed!

beauty in the ordinary.

Hi friends.

I'm sad to admit that I've been quite the unfaithful blogger as of lately. :)  Life here as been full and when I've had the time to write down my thoughts, I've hardly known where to start. My heart is so full of God's goodness and faithfulness to me here!

I can't tell you how content I am here. With every passing day, I feel more at home. More alive. More confident. More expectant of what my Jesus will do. And more overwhelmingly grateful for being placed here. I went to Taipei a couple weeks ago and I found myself missing Hualien. Taipei is so exciting and loads of fun! But I was so excited to get back when I got on my train home. It just feels so right here! And as much as I love exploring new places, I'm a sucker for being home. :)

It's Wednesday night here and the week has gone by so fast so far. I've loved this week and I love my students for the week. Their eagerness to learn is rare and so wonderful. They've been a blast to teach. One of my 4th grader boys this week has told me everyday at least once, "Teacher, you are beautiful!". And he says it with the biggest smile he can give. :) And another one of them practically purposed marriage to me in the lunch room today. :) It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. I have so many adorable memories of things my students have done or said this week. All 32 of them are precious. And pretty dang good Chinese teachers too. One little boy especially has taken it on himself to teach me as much Chinese as I teach him English. And even if I repeat after them exactly making sure I'm mirroring their tones perfectly, they still laugh or smile because I'm off on something. But they're patient teachers and more then willing to work with me. ;)

I love teaching. I really, really love it. :) And everyday I ask myself why I love it so much, only leaves me in awe of a passion God has put me that I sometimes can hardly even understand or explain. When I walk out of the classroom after a class period, I'm overwhelmed that God would use me in this way. That He would chose me, for such a time as this, for His Kingdom. I have the opportunity to impact these precious kids and to impact them big. Because the Father's love for them is so much bigger then me. The potential I have in each of their lives as a result of the place I am put in is incredible! And not because of who I am, but because of who Jesus is and how He's chosen to use me. It's humbling and an overall beautiful gift. :)

Last week when Friday rolled around and the goodbyes I'd have to face that day where looming in the back of my head, I sought the God who gave me the desire and ability to love those kids. I prayed and longed for Jesus to be my strength as I watched every last one of the kids I had spent a full week loving and being loved by, get on that bus and go back to each of their separate lives. Having no idea if I'd ever be able to see those gorgeous smiles again or hear the excitement in their voices when they'd beg for me to sit at their table in the lunch room, the pain was almost too much to bear. Last week's kids were so special to me. But I think I'm beginning to realize that I'll probably say that at the end of each week. :)

(they love my hair) :)

The hugs (oh the many hugs), the cheek kisses, the goodbye tears and the "teacher, i love you"s flooded the hour before they left. 

In one of the morning class breaks during their Chinese class, I walked down the way to the classroom. Before I could step inside 

though, a flood of students came and threw their hands around my waist. Each one of them was in tears. As I hugged each one, I 

gave one of the Chinese teachers I work with a confused look with hopes that she'd explain the sudden outburst. She explained to me

that the teachers had talked in Chinese class about the short hours they had left here with usand how they should show their gratitude 

to each of the teachers who had taught them this week. She said as soon as the students were faced with the reality of leaving that 

day, most of the class burst into tears. I stood their, brushing the tears off their wet cheeks and loving on them.As I waved and blew 

kisses as they did the same through the bus window as they drove away later that day, I was amazed at how deeply they love. Some 

of them come from homes with parents who care more about their grades then they do their child. Some of their parents tell them 

they must cheat on a test of it means they'll get a better grade...but they of course can't get caught doing it.And so many of them 

come from homes where you have to somehow earn so much of the love and affection you get from the others in that home. 

Especially your parents.

When I was here in January, God showed me so clearly why He had called me here. He's called me here to love with a love they 

can't earn. A Jesus love that is a gift you can in no elicit or gain on any merit of your own. A love that's perfect...that looks on the 

unlovely and cares about the broken. That sees beauty in the ordinary and potential where everyone else sees disaster. Isn't that how 

Jesus loved? No one else saw in someone what Jesus always saw in an individual. No one looked at insecure Peter and called him 

"the rock" on which the Church would be built on. But Jesus did. He spoke destiny where most people spoke judgement and He 

imparted life where most saw no life worth imparting.

I'm learning the beauty of love. Of course I've always known love was beautiful....but never in the way I've come to know it since I 

moved to Taiwan. And every week I'm amazed at how these precious children, who some of which have hardly known what it's like to 

be truly and deeply loved, can love with everything in them. It's not uncommon for a student to run up on the first day and say with 

all smiles, "Teacher! I love you!". They don't stop to think about it. They just love. Even if they have little to no guarantee of that 

love being returned. And then there is me, who is blessed beyond measure with such beautiful love surrounding me. And yet I so often 

see the ashes before I see the beauty in someone. I withhold love because I might not see a good enough reason to give it. And when 

it's a situation where the love I give might not be returned, I make sure I'm up for the challenge before truly giving that love. Oh how 

much I have to learn from these kids...

"Let me love and not be requited. Let me learn, oh Lord, You are my reward.." (watchmen nee)

As i smiled and looked once more at their beautiful faces as they drove away, I had one thing on my heart. As my heart cried out for 

them I asked Jesus to pursue their hearts with His love. That's what they'll remember from this day on. They might not remember a 

word of English they learned this week, the teacher that taught them those words or anything else. But the love of the Father that 

was revealed to them in that week is what will forever change their lives. They are gifts I am given to teach and to love and as I give 

them back to the Father as they leave every week, I trust that the God who gave Himself for them with a love that is so beyond what 

I could ever give will guard, protect, pursue, captivate, compel and awaken their hearts everyday they're given. That's the faithfulness 

of the God we serve. How amazing is that? :)

extraordinary love.

"...and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us,

and establish the work of our hands for us;

yes, establish the work of our hands."

Psalms 90:17

I wrote this verse out a couple of days ago and posted it on my mirror in my bathroom. It's my cry...my heart...my prayer. I've realized in a whole new way over the past several days how fruitless even my best efforts can be if Jesus Christ isn't the One I rely on.

I heard a quote once that said "relying on God has to begin all over again everyday, as if nothing yet had been done."

Father God must be my sole motivation and my complete confidence in order for me to truly be all that I can be here.

And so often for me, it only takes me getting on my knees and humbling myself before the Creature of the universe and asking for more of HIM. And yet there are times when this simple act of humility can be so hard. While I might tell my Father I need Him, am I able to say with the Psalmist that "there is nothing on earth I desire besides You"? When I allow my pride to blind me from seeing my undeniable need for my Jesus, everything else gets foggy in the process.

This morning I read in my devotional that the minute you become conscious of the difference you are making, that difference begins to diminish. Because yours eyes are no longer looking only to Jesus, but now they are conscious of you.

Oh how I long for eyes only for my Saviour. For a heart of humility that awakes every morning being completely confident in who my God is, and in nothing else.

"....yes, establish the work of our hands."

---

Life here in Taiwan continues to challenge and call me on in so many ways. I'm falling in love with these people more everyday. I'm only discovering Hualien to be more and more beautiful! I walked outside of my room last night to take a look at the stars before I went to sleep, and I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the sky. God, in His love, sent me to a place where I have mountains which speak of His incredible majesty and power. He sent me to a place where I also have the beach so close to me, which to me speaks of the beauty and intimacy of God and the wonderful way He cleanses our hearts. Hualien City is also one of the only places in Taiwan that you can see stars because most of Taiwan is too polluted to be able to see the stars at night. And the stars are one of my favorite things about the sky because each one shines so differently and Jesus knows each by name. Just as He knows my name, my deepest desires and everything else that makes me special. And He has destined me to shine with the uniqueness He's placed in me...just like those stars.

I continue to be blessed and overwhelmed by God calling me here to Hualien. God could have chosen so many other places in Taiwan for me to call home for this year....and yet He chose the most beautiful part of Taiwan. Just for me. :) Oh how He loves us.

---

Camp ended today (friday afternoon) and saying goodbye to the kids was hard! That's definitely one of the hardest things about being here so far. Opening up your heart and loving on these precious kid---and then sending them home not really sure if you'll ever see them again...

Three kids especially stuck out to me this past week from the camp. I came to love them and they will always be in my heart. One of them was a little boy and he reminded me soooo much of my little brother, Malachi. He was spunky and smart and had a smile that could brighten up your day in a second. Another one of them was a little girl who's English name is Jean. Her English was the best in the class and she was hungry to learn. She told me how much she wants to come to America and her eyes lit up when I told her whenever she gets older, she can come see me. I gave her my email so I'm hoping we can be in touch! She's a precious girl and I even got to talk about Jesus a couple times with her. She knew who He was but only because she had heard from someone else about Him. As I watched her walk out when she got picked up today, I prayed that God's love would meet her everyday in some special way throughout the rest of her life. The third one was a boy who's English name was Bryan. Even though by looking at him you would assume something different, he was definitely one of the brightest in my class this week. He had this desire to learn like I've never really seen in a kid before. It inspired and challenged me. He was a blast to teach. Oh I'm going to miss those kids...

This school I work at is different from most in the way that we have brand new kids every week. It's an intense week long English Institution. The kids will come on Monday morning and leave Friday afternoon, live in the dorm and have class during the day. I know God has awesome things in store for this school. God even showed me some specific stuff the other night as my roommate and I prayer walked the campus. We can't even begin to comprehend right now what He will do this next year and I'm so blessed to be a part of it! 

Loving and then having to let them go at the end of each week hasn't gotten any easier and I can only see it getting harder as God continues to show me how to love more everyday. I read a quote the other day and put it on my wall in my desk, so everyday I could be reminded of this.

The quote said, "We must grow in love and in order to do this, we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts-the way Jesus did. Do ordinary things with extraordinary love."

I must love with everything in me and trust that God will put back together the pieces of my heart that break when I see them go. And whenever I think about the tremendous opportunity I have being here to be able to reach soooo many precious kids throughout this year, I get excited. How could I not show them every bit of love I have to give, even if it hurts? I have to love...I will always choose to love these people. Because that's what Jesus did. He loved even when He experienced more hurt then I will ever know. How can I decide anything different?

So here's to loving...passionately and dangerously. Because that's why I'm here.