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posted by Donald on 09/25/08

Looking back over another week, I sense a new appreciation for God’s great mercy: acceptance or favor that is not earned or deserved. On Sunday He brought me across the lines of a hymn that I had forgotten about, saying simply:
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea.
There’s a kindness in His justice which is more than liberty.
Monday was my day to teach in the Bank classroom. The students from Chao He Elementary School were attentive. They enacted deposit and withdraw scenarios, made bank books and even had time for a math game using the money counter. Though there is much more that could be taught about the bank I’m reminded by my own merciful Master Teacher that dynamic teaching can identify with students at any level before bringing them to the next.
On Tuesday, a typhoon kept us from our normal teaching schedule. The Lord turned this also in our favor allowing but a light shower and giving us a day to catch up. Great time for journaling and language study! Wednesday was a full day in the airport classroom. During the first class I forgot how to operate the sound system but the Lord was merciful and sent along another teacher at the right time to help me out. From then on it was never a problem. This morning and yesterday we’ve seen potential illnesses fade away as the Lord provides strength. And overall I am most grateful for our hosts. God has blessed us with teachers and leadership at Nan Jung who not only make sure that we feel at home but are interested in working with us to give every student a fresh interest in English. They lend advice, let us attend their classes from time to time, and invite us over on the lunch break so our language skills can mutually improve.
It’s an ideal situation. The Lord is good.

4 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by James on 09/25/08

Did you know that skunks are very confident but not very courageous?

The night was warm for September. The singing chorus of crickets and dew-covered grass helped to muffle the sound my footsteps. Cautiously, I moved from the shadows of the forest into the moon-lit field, scanning for any signs of occupation. A few minutes of searching… and there it was! About 25 feet in front of me a skunk was browsing contentedly. It was easily identified as a stripped skunk by the white stripes running the length of it’s back. It was only about the size of a house cat, weighing less than 10 pounds.

Largely a nocturnal creature, the skunk sleeps during the day and hunts at night. It will often travel six miles in one night, homeless until the winter months when it finds a place to hibernate. On that particular night, I was able to find the skunk so easily because I had bumped into it earlier on my way back from work. This was the first and only time I had seen it in this location, so I ran home to grab my camera to see if I could photograph it.

As I got my camera ready, he didn’t seem to mind. He must have found himself a good place for dinner with lots of insects, grasshoppers or potato beetles to feast on. Or maybe he was after a shrew or mouse.

Of course, shooting in the dark is kind of hard. Try holding a flashlight in the right direction while looking through the viewfinder of an SLR with a 300mm lens using manual focus without a tripod! It’s very difficult to get the focus just right; and you can tell in the pictures below. But eventually I found a way to do it and started shooting.

The powerful flashes from my speedlite kept up at a steady rate. I didn’t have to worry about it spraying me because I knew I was a safe distance away. The skunk wasn’t stamping its feet, the first sign of danger, or raising its tail or clicking its teeth. Along with growling, these signs would be tale-tell warnings that I was too close. It never even stopped to look up. It’s eye-stinging, clothes-stinking spray is accurate up to 15 feet so because I was farther away than that, I felt very safe.

So, why is a skunk confident but not courageous? If you think about it, the answer is actually very simple. Because of it’s powerful and accurate weapon of self-defense, it can go just about anywhere without fear. And that is one of the reasons why it is such a docile creature; it is confident. It is confident in it’s ability to control what goes on around him. However, because of it’s confidence, it will go anywhere. Like into the middle of the street. Or, more seriously, into a cage. Skunks are easily ensnared because they are not wary of traps.

In contrast, courage is doing confident things with wisdom. Courage is foreseeing what is ahead and acting in a way that prevents a worse thing from happening. The prudent man foresees the evil, and hides himself: but the simple pass on are punished. (See Proverbs 22:3.) Thus, a courageous person will stand up for what is right even when nobody else does. A courageous person thinks of others before himself. Sometimes, courage ends in death. Courage welcomes suffering that comes from doing right. So, let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. (See Galatians 6:9).

9 Comments » | posted in Photography, Politics, Possessing the Land, Tidbits

posted by Jonathan on 09/19/08

Sept 7: Grandma Brannon’s 80th Birthday: What a cause for a celebration! Saturday afternoon the Staddon home was bustling with many diligent workers in preparation for the party. We were grateful for everyone who came to help decorate and prepare food.

Sunday morning during church Esther and Mom surprised Grandma by playing the special music in honor of her birthday. Then Sunday afternoon children, grandchildren, and others gathered at our house to celebrate this momentous occasion. After opening gifts and cards she read 80 slips of paper on which were written notes of appreciation for things such as: a) The cheerful way she puts others first, b) Optimism towards life, and her delicious cheese cake. We all enjoyed the tasty dinner, snacks, cake and ice cream, and especially the time together before going our separate ways.

6 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Donald on 09/18/08

While we’re already into our third week, we’re actually only beginning to “take off” with a full-fledged teaching schedule.
Yesterday and today students from Nan Jung (our host school–pronounced Non Rong) came for a total of seven 45-minute periods and next Monday students from an elementary school will be the first regular outside guests to come through. It promises to be another good year and I’m reminded of Psalm 19:5, a verse that came to mind during a jog earlier this week: “[The rising sun is] as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.” There’s a long flight ahead but the Lord has been our strength giving us cause to rejoice at the beginning of the race as well as afterwards.
Though Austin had only taught the airport classroom a few times before, he enjoyed “taking the stick” for today and conducted four successful flights in the Airport this morning. I’m really looking forward to doing the Market class with him some day. I feel our Fashion Store lesson plan is at last where it ought to be as well. Today I practiced some different things for the peerless Mr. Brown Cafe and of course it brings a particular degree of satisfaction seeing satisfied students walk out of the newly opened branch of Mega International Commercial Bank.
As our small crew flies on into and above the clouds, through day and night over uncharted territory, we rejoice that the Lord has seen fit to bless our efforts so far and we return the credit both to Him and those He is using through their tremendous encouragement and prayers. Thank you all!
Praise the Lord

3 Comments » | posted in Family News, Ministry Reports, The Bright Side

posted by James on 09/12/08

While walking home after work these past few days, I’ve been surprised at how quickly evening approaches. It’s hard to believe that summer is almost gone. But before it leaves completely, let me post a few of my favorite summer portraits.

The way some flowers line up on their stem allows room for creativity in how you focus your image. This was the best of many perspectives.

It’s amazing just how fascinating the thin leaf of a Tiger Lily plant can be! You just have to capture it in the right way, and at the right time. I was up at 5:00 in the morning for this photo shoot.

Day Lilies bloomed relatively late around here this year. These I shot in early July but they were still around for a while afterward. The different perspective is what makes this image more than just a picture of flowers.

This is another picture of a Day Lily that I really liked. It took a few trys to get the focus just right, but the result was worth the effort.

There is nothing like taking a hike in an old-growth forest after a fresh rainfall. As soon as I saw this old stone bridge in Hocking Hills State Park, I knew a good picture was on the way.

Believe it or not, these little Daisies were growing next to a big, ugly, blue dumpster. The beauty of photography is being able to take out all distractions and focus on what is normally overlooked.

The days are shorter and the nights longer. Meanwhile, the temperatures gradually fall. Summer is past and I feel the thrill of the changing seasons; I’m looking forward to capturing God’s creation this autumn!

8 Comments » | posted in Photography