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The High Places of the Earth, Part III

posted by Donald on 03/26/09

Yu Shan! Po Hau’s invitation and orchestration efforts all paid off on March 6 and 7 when he and his brother Po Song, three from Nan Jung Junior High School, four others and I met up for an intense two-day hike.

The first night was spent not far from the Tatung Vistor Center, and for the second night the Lord provided room in the Lodge just a few kilometers from the peak.
$Sometimes the trail was a stream. My plastic-bag-lined shoes did well, but not like the guide\'s reinforced rubber boots.$ $\"Gently down the stream\"$

“If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it” (Isaiah 58:13-14).

7 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land, The Bright Side

Thailand

posted by Donald on 03/19/09

God can work through a wide variety of situations in life to give us His bigger picture and turn our attention off of ourselves.

The first trip to the Orient in 2004 definitely left me a bit wiser. Staying in Taiwan for two consecutive years has stretched me even more. Then recently, living for a few days in the mountains of Thailand, visiting the markets, temples and schools there, I had yet another chance to see others from God’s perspective rather than my own. With each step I realize how selfish I’ve been! How blind to the needs of others! Content to find a “comfortable place” to stay rather than experiencing security in the furthest reaches of God’s best in meeting others’ needs!

$Chiang Rai\'s oldest Chinese school$ The King Car Education Foundation hosted our trip to Thailand. Instead of taking a simple winter vacation, “vacation-teaching” for three schools was arranged–as well as visits to three other rural schools. The days flew. Simple lessons with simple picture flashcards went a long way. (One thing that was interesting to see was how few pronunciation problems the children had. Maybe Thai is more like English than Chinese in that it’s words consist of multiple syllables, making it easier for them to both hear and blend longer letter-combinations into one word.) From the beginning we appreciated the attentiveness the students showed and I also began noticing that with less influence from “the modern world” they were deeply personable and emotionally mature. This greatly complemented their attentiveness.

As a whole, the Chinese of Northern Thailand are a notable group.

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Like the Chinese of Taiwan they had left China when the Communists took over. Since that time they have not only survived but become a blessing to the area. It was another example of character being the most valuable asset to success.

$We ate like kings and queens and didn\'t even have to do the dishes$

Trying the food, hearing a living history lesson from a soldier-turned-school principal, riding elephants, bird-watching, seeing the “Golden Triangle” where Laos, Myanmar and Thailand meet, and visiting the palace and the summer house of their king and queen all made for memorable highlights. But the brightest highlight was knowing that we were on the front line. The people in northern Thailand have a heart to learn English and we were the first native speakers to meet them! We found that behind the show of world events, media and technology, thousands of people want to learn English and hear the kinds of things that English-speaking people have to say. Reciprocally, their lives also are worth our interest and we not them are usually the ones with the resources to make the connection. That’s my motivation for writing this post: to let you know that if you $The view from an elephant\'s back$ can speak English and if you have a couple interesting ways of teaching English to others, much of the world would be glad to be your audience–just because of your native tongue.

Consider teaching English. The invitation is there. And if God calls us to the front line, we really shouldn’t be surprised.

2 Comments » | posted in The Bright Side

The High Places of the Earth, Part II

posted by Donald on 02/19/09

Almost a year ago was the post: The High Places of the Earth, Part I. In it I shared that as we follow God (giving Him the first part of our time each week) He leads us along the high places of the earth where we can be most useful and influencial. For me, visiting Yu Shan (Jade Mountain) National Park was a surprising way for God to apply that verse literally.

Last year we got to see Nanan Waterfall and part of the Walami Trail. Since that time interest has grown and I started looking into what it would take to climb Yu Shan Main Peak. About this time last year God slowly but completely healed my foot frown an ingrown toenail enabling me to start and maintain a jogging routine. Mountain-climbing can be more a test of endurance than strength so another prerequisite set by Dr. Chen was to climb some other peaks first. Another hurdle is the registration process. The Lord had another surprise which took care of both of these things: the invitation came from a respected teacher here at the school named Po Hau to take a practice climb at Da Wu Shan, the mountain near us which reaches about 3000 meters.

$Po Hao\'s brother made good climbing company$

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Then two weeks ago he extended another surprise invitation: Would you like to climb Yu Shan Main Peak with some other teachers and I? Thanks to him, I was able to prepare wisely. I feel it doesn’t even matter if I make it to the top of Jade Mountain. I’ve done my best so far and will continue to do my best in all areas by God’s grace. That’s fulfillling. A lesson I’m learning that stands out is that preparation and accomplishment are reciprocal. Because of a goal set far ahead, the practice is worth it but also because of the commitment exercised in practice, the goal accomplished is sweet to the soul.

8 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land, The Bright Side

Grave Thoughts on the New Year

posted by Robert on 01/3/09

I spent some time wandering through a graveyard today. It amazes me how walking through a graveyard can impact a person’s outlook on life.

My great great uncle Arthur Bland passed away on Tuesday and today was the funeral. Since he was a veteran of a foreign war, the burial ceremony was recognized with a three-gun salute, the folding of the flag, and a trumpeter playing the slow and haunting notes of Taps. Emotions welled up inside me and I could hardly keep back the tears.

Afterwards I meandered from tombstone to tombstone, reading the names, pondering the lifespans, and considering the lives of person after person. Each of these people had dreams, goals, and aspirations, just like me. Slowly the things that were really important in life came into focus as being really important. And the things that really weren’t so important didn’t look so important.

Here’s a good thought to keep in mind as I make my happy little New Year’s resolutions, "What am I doing now that is going to matter when my body is lying under a tombstone in a lonely country grave?"