Daily Life

Here are some pictures of my daily life here in Taiwan. :) Enjoy!

first, here's the link to a video one of our staff on base made of his walk to work. I walk the same roads, and I thought it might be fun for you to see my walk to work in the morning.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/video/video.php?v=177507237726 friends celebrating a birthday (top L to bottom R)
Martin-SBS student, Miranda-DTS staff, Stephen (missionary not w/ YWAM), Jeanine-DTS student, Becky-SBS student (b-day girl), Lydia-here on her shool of evangelism outreach, Ruth-language team


teaching English to Kindergartners at the elem. school in the mountains nearby

I made dinner for some SBS students - we got creative with our dessert - roasting marshmellows over a candle, with chopsticks. :)

some of the paperwork I have to do for my visas

our neighbor burning money, hoping his prayers rise to the ancestors and gods along with the smoke

Lecture in our classroom

prayer with the week #7 speakers on the last day


helping a student mail a letter back home (notice the iowa shirt)

The last few weeks

Hello Blog-readers, supporters, and prayers out there! I know it's been awhile since I've written about life in Taiwan, and I wanted to update you on what's been going on.

It's been a busy few weeks that have flown by all too quickly. Our students are doing well. Learning and growing, and some of the team dynamics are getting better. Students are working through personal problems, and things God is changing in their hearts, and they're working through conflicts with each other. God is moving!

We are in full swing these last 3 weeks of Lecture Phase, getting ready for Outreach! Our school is splitting into two teams for outreach. I am co-leading with a wonderful lady from Singapore; Rachel. We are taking half the students for two months on outreach where they will be full-time missionaries. They will be living out everything they've learned these last 3 months.

We will be taking our team first to China. For security purposes I can't tell you where, or who we will be working with, and the like. But we will be (mostly) in a city setting, teaching English, and building relationships with individuals we meet. Then in January we will take our team to India. We'll fly into Mumbai, and then move to a smaller city nearby. We'll be based out of that city (Punah), but each week we will travel to a few different villages. In India we'll be doing lots of preaching, teaching, and evangelizing. This month will be a good challenge to all of us, as we aren't used to getting up each night and preaching a full half hour-45 minute sermon, as well as doing music and sign dances, skits, etc.

God has worked a wonder in the finances of this school. India is MUCH more expensive than the countries we typically travel to for outreach. But God has been faithful, and the students and staff who still needed funds for outreach have been proved for. But continue to pray, as we must keep our budget very tight so that we have enough for our month in India. God has also been faithful in my finances, though things are more expensive than I originally thought they would be. In reality, each school is costing me around $3,000 (not including meals), and I thought it would only be around $2,000-$2,500. Pray that God would continue to lead people to share what God has given them, with me for the end of this school and the next. I know God has called me here to disciple our students, and show Christ to the world. And knowing that, I trust that He will provide for all my needs while I'm here. Thank you for being a part of that!

here are some quick prayer requests:
- that God will prepare the hearts of the students for what they will experience on outreach
- that God will prepare the hearts of the people we will encounter on outreach
- that God will prepare the staff (3 out of 4 of whom are 2st time staff), to lead these outreach teams.
- that God will provide for the school financially, and give us leaders wisdom as to how to best use our resources on outreach
- that God will use these last 3 weeks of lecture to challenge and grow the students, and even call them into the life He has for them
- that God would work out visa issues for some of us still having trouble (Praise God!! My visa issues are nearly resolved. We found a way around something in the process, so I can get my China and India visas in time for outreach)
- that God will give me clear direction for what's next after DTS. I know He's calling me to do an SBS-School of Biblical Studies (a very intense 9-month biblical studies school), but I still am not clear if He wants me in Cambodia or Taiwan.

more visa hassle

I wanted to update you guys on my visa situation. As of now, I'm here with a 60-day, single-entry, visitor visa. That visa is valid no longer than Nov. 10th. I've gone to the hospital to get the health check-up done; that was a story on its own; a crazy afternoon of getting blood drawn, giving a stool sample, getting a chest X-ray taken, getting a skin test, and other various things done to my body. However, the results from the hospital won't be in until Nov. 4th. And, I've recently come to find out that after I get those results it still takes 2-3weeks for them to mail me my physical ARC (Alien residence card) card. I simply don't have that much time left. I thought this was another case of needing to leave the country again, however, by the grace of God we've found a way to work around the system.

So, TODAY I'm headed into Taipei City. I'm going to the ARC office to get my current visa extended. This will give me time to get the test results, and still have the 2-3 weeks leeway that the Immigration office needs, to mail me the real ARC. Yes, yet again, this means more money. But thank the Lord, I'm doing well with my finances. I'm not covered through both this school and the next; but I do have my finances in line for this school. And, God continues to remind me of His faithfulness as He provides when unexpected things like more Visa red-tape come up. This is only by the grace of God that everything worked out so that I was in the same place as another staff member, at the same time. And that when I went to Hong Kong the 1st time I was given THIS type of wrong visa.... any other type this wouldn't be possible for!

Please pray for God's favor as I go to the office today. It's somewhere I've never been before, and I'm going alone. Pray that God will send me to the right teller/worker; someone who will show me grace and favor. And; all in all, just pray that God will allow me to stay in Taiwan without having to leave the country again. Thanks in advance for lifting me to "the throne of our gracious God!!" (Hebrews 4:16)

pictures from Taiwan

I realize that I owe you all a good, in-depth blog post soon. Actually; it's overdue, but since it's already 11:48 pm... tonight I'll just post some recent pictures. Enjoy!


Miranda with Elizabeth (student), Phoebe (staff), and Zoie (student) eating squid mouth at the River Road night market.

YWAM friends at our house for Becky's birthday dinner (L Top to R bottom: Martin-SBS, Miranda-DTS staff, Stephen-MK from Brazil, teaching english in Taipei, Jeanine-DTS, Becky-SBS, Lydia-here on "school of evangelism" outreach;she's here for 2 months, Ruth-Language Learning Team, John - Becky's dad from Canada)



water we DTS women hiked up to 2 weeks ago (following picture is from same day)

We start our grills with hair-dryers here in Taiwan. (DTS school leader's wife, April, starting our fire for Taiwanese-style BBQ)

Students Matt and Jeanine attentively listening to our week #4 speaker talk about the nature and character of God (2 weeks ago)



traditional Taiwanese BBQ - the main way Taiwanese celebrate Mid-Autumn/Moon festival. The plate on the right-hand side contains Tofu skin, fish paste, fish balls, mushrooms, etc.), and yes, that's a squid on a stick in the front there. (2 weeks ago)

Many of you have asked about the flooding in Southern Taiwan. Here's a picture that a missionary from our base gave to me. Taken about 2 months ago when some of our missionaries went down to help with relief efforts.

He takes my breath away

So.... if you have yet to fall in love with Him... our God is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! He just stinking IS!! I was grading one of my students' journals today at a coffee shop, and reading through part of Mark, and praying, and just spending time with the Lord. I was talking to God about something that's been on my heart and mind all week, and I finally wrote my prayer out to God (helps me process what I'm saying to Him, and helps me go back later and see how He's answered specific prayers). Towards the end, as I've written this nice, semi-formal letter/prayer to God; I got fed up with myself. And said, alright God, you know what's on my heart and mind, so who am I kidding? It's not like you'll only hear the words I say out loud, and not hear the words I'm screaming in my mind. So, I wrote what was really on my heart, and pleaded with God. Being completely real with Him, sharing my insecurity in not trusting him completely w/ this certain area of my life, and asked for a sign. I real, tangible, specific, big sign. I said, "God, you know me, and so you know it needs to be really clear."

I ended, and was about to head back home. But just as I was leaving, another YWAMer, and new friend of mine came in for coffee. We chatted momentarily, and then she discovered something. We both gazed out of the window, in awe at this incredibly beautiful rainbow God had just painted across the sky. She went back to her reading and praying, and I slowly walked outside. The world around me was a blur, and God was speaking LOUD and CLEAR. This was by far the most vivid, full, colorful, and totally complete rainbow I've ever seen. And the sun was already set! God was Saying, Miranda, you remember Noah? You remember how I protected Him, and then gave him a vivid promise through something really tangible? Well, here ya go Noah Rockhill. My breath was literally taken out of me, like someone punched me in the stomach. The Taiwanese couple walking next to me heard me gasp, and actually looked back to make sure I was physically alright. God amazes me; and never ceases to surprise me at how quickly, how incredibly He answers prayer. It was the confirmation I needed exactly when I needed it (if not sooner). Remember His promises..... remember who He is.

WOW!

website

Here's some more information about our base here in Dan Shui, our base website is www.ywamtaipei.com

and our specific DTS website (new) is www.dtstaipei.com

blessings from DanShui,
miranda kay

dreads

Well, my latest endeavor here in Taiwan will begin in about an hour. I'm putting dread-locks in one of the students' hair. Yikes! I'm nervous and excited, and I'll let you know how it goes.

This first week of classes/activities went very well. All of the students are adjusting to each other, and the fast-paced lifestyle of DTS. They've begun reading the books for their first book report (Is That Really You God? by: Loren Cunningham). And they've all begun ministry at the ROCK coffee bar that YWAM runs here in DanShui.

Thanks for your prayers. The students who have been on the fringe, so to say, are doing much better...... getting into the group, talking to people, intently listening to the speaker's teachings, etc. It's incredible to see what God's doing in the hearts of the other students as well. Your prayers are heard, and felt from afar. God is moving in this city. It's wonderful. His truth is penetrating the hearts of the Taiwanese, and changing their lives.

In a few hours I'm taking some of the students into Taipei City, to the largest night market in Taiwan; Shilling Night Market. But for now, I must run to the office and get some saturday afternoon things done. :)

Blessings to you all. Dream big; God is bigger.
Miranda Kay

up for the challenge

Well today was the first official day of class for the new DTS.... and we made it! :) We ended up with ten students; six guys and four girls. The students I wrote about before are here, and settled, but we also have Stephen (from LA, but is Taiwanese and speaks good chinese), Szh Fan (the boys have given him the english name of "Matt") from Taiwan, and Lee Yo Rou (the boys have given him the english name of "jake").

Each student is VERY different from the rest; all have different life stories, family stories, and places that they are in life. The girls are the spiritual leaders, as a whole. But that doesn't mean our guys don't love Jesus. But please be in prayer as the majority of our guys come from difficult backgrounds, all 6 guys are 20 or younger, one is re-doing DTS, and one isn't even a Christian yet... (I'll explain that in a later blog). They're digging right in from the start; this week's teaching is on Hearing God's Voice and the Fear of the Lord. Today was mainly the first. Our base director Don Gillman is teaching this first week. Wonderful stuff. Thank you for caring and for praying for me and the rest who are involved in the school. The following are some specific prayer requests I have for this week.

Please pray for the students;
- that the one who isn't a Christian yet will come to understand Christ's sacrifice for him, and what his role in alife devoted to Christ looks like...... and that the ones who haven't been walking with God recently will be shaken up by Christ; radically changing the way they live out of the overflow of their heart's desire for more of Him!!!!
- that they will learn to love each other inspite of their differences, and include each other in their daily lives/activities
- that they will be bold in the way that they share Christ through their lives and words in the ministries they work in

and for the staff;
- that we will love the students out of the overflow of our love for Christ, and that it would be unconditional love
- that we will wait on the Lord on behalf of our students; and when God speaks, that we will be obedient and bold in speaking into their lives.
- that the students will see Christ at work in our lives, and desire a deeper walk with Him because of that.

visa visa (said in the little ceasar's "pizza pizza" style voice)

I'm back in Taiwan with.... a visa. Not the right one, but a visa. and thank you Jesus, I won't have to go back to Hong Kong to get the new one. I just have to get a health check thing done here in Taipei at a certain hospital, sometime in the next 2 months and then get the visa switched over from a 2-month visitor visa to a year-long ARC (alien residence card). :) More to come about Hong Kong, and the beginning of school. We start bright and early tomorrow.... and I didn't get much sleep in the airport in Hong Kong last night; imagine that, with bright lights on the whole time,and a terribly uncomfortable table/chair to sleep on, and the PA system going off every 15 minutes to remind me of all the ways to not get swine flu. :) Ok, so all of those things are true, but God did grant me small increments of rest, for which I was very grateful for. And I made it through today... but alas, I'm exhausted. But, as I said in my last blog... God is strong in my weakness; and that's true for my physical weakness too. So; I'll trust Him for tomorrow, and know that He is my portion..... physically and otherwise.

Thanks for your prayers. I'm alive, and well, and have a visa of some sort. =)


ps- for those of you who don't understand the title... don't worry. It's just Miranda being tired and punchy..... and knowing Abby will appreciate the joke. :)

pressing into grace

yes, i go to hong kong in a few hours.. and for those of you praying.. THANK YOU.... I'll let you know when I'm back in Taiwan, (very) hopefuly with an official residency in Taiwan (crazy.. I'll be a resident). :)

But... for today. God is strong in my weakness. He's been pounding this into my head for some time, but I've never gotten it. And I still don't, I'm sure. But, I get it more now than ever before. I've always desired strength. I was the tom-boy, i was strong, i could lift it, move it, throw it, hold onto it.... typically. And it made me mad when I couldn't. And in the same respect; I've been doing that with sin. I'm strong enough... or I should be,right?

WRONG!!! God has told me time and time again through His word and through situations that I'm not strong enough. I can't do this. I've tried; a long time. It never works, so why do I think that next time it will? I'll magically be able to overcome things on my own......and when I have Him... why in the world would I want to (do it alone)???

In Chinese they'd call me fong-szzh (crazy). I have the creator of the universe; why do I try to take on that role? He wants to do this for me; why don't I run straight to Him and thank Him for His desire to live in and through me? He doesn't want to be a part of my life, even a big part....He wants to BE my life, my strength, my portion. And I'm beginning to let Him. And it's amazing; So freeing.

So; I'm pressing into the heart of the Father. Pressing into grace.

Nitty Gritty Info-fitty

Ok, so yes, another lame title.... like I've said before; maybe God will grant me an abundance of creativity by the end of the year, so the blog titles won't be so odd... we'll see. First off; THANK YOU for your prayers this week. Quite a few things have happened that have been direct answers to prayer, and I know that's not a coincidence. Most of them have been conversations; three with students who are coming this week, and one with Kevin, the guy I blogged about in my last post.

Second; I wanted you to know who I'm working with, and who we're mainly ministering to. The following is a bit of information on each of the people on staff for the Fall 2009 DTS. And following is info about the students coming to the Fall school. Their pictures will put a face with a name, and I've added a picture on the left-hand side of the blog with all the students on one picture, and all the staff in another... so they're always there, when this post is long gone into the depths of the blog archives. :)

STAFF :

Brent and April : Brent is the school leader, and is the only man on staff... pray for him....! :) April will be helping as she can, with the school and staff; but she's in the process of pioneering a ministry that works with prostitutes in Taipei and Dan Shui, so she has her hands full.. They will not be living with the school in our house. They're from America (family.. he's from a dairy farm in PA...we've already shared farm stories. woohoo!)
Rachel : This is her 2nd school staffing, she did DTS directly before she began staffing. She's in her 30's. She's from Singapore, and she's extremely organized. Oh, and she doesn't like fans or AirCon (what they call air conditioning here). Oh yes, and she dyed the tips of her hair green the day I moved in... she's crazy and we love her. :)
Phoebe : From Taiwan, and has been involved with YWAM Taipei for 5.5 years, but this is her 1st time staffing DTS. She's 29, and is dating a Canadian, so she's learning to like hockey. Her father is struggling in the hospital with medical issues related to diabetes.... PLEASE pray for him. He's a Christian, but her mother's not. The first time this happened (the diabetes hitting him all at once), her dad came to Christ, so we're all praying that God will use this time to bring her mother into the Family!
Lily : She's from Taiwan. She's one of the most kind people I've ever met. She is in her 30's, and just finished her DTS. This is, therefore, her 1st time staffing. She and I get along very well; our personalities are quite alike. She calls me "Asia girl." I love her :)

STUDENTS -
Jeanine: A beautiful woman in her 30's from the Dominican Republic. We've talked a couple times already and it's been a blessing. She arrives tomorrow at 6am.
Danny : Oh Danny.... if you live in this house for one day, you'll hear that; probably multiple times. :) We love him, but he's a handful. He's 18 (and loves to tell you he's a man), he's from Paraguay but has lived in Taiwan for 6 years, so when he doesn't understand my English I try it in Spanish, and we're usually ok. :) He didn't graduate from the last DTS, so he's doing it over... not very typical, but Danny's not a typical guy. Pray for him.
Elizabeth : She's 19, and her parents are friends with the base director. She's gotten herself into some not so great stuff, so pray that this will be a time of true healing for her. She's from Virginia, and God also blessed me with a great conversation with her last night. :)
Emily : She's part Hawaiian and part America, but has lived her whole life in Okinawa, Japan; her parents are missionaries there. She's 18, and we have mutual friends from here on the base. We've had a couple of wonderful talks also.
Timy : Timy's from Pennsylvania. He's 19, and has asked more questions about DTS than anyone ever thought possible. We've had a few good talks as well, and he seems like a great guy; God's gunna shake him up. :)
Leo : Leo is a very new Christian, but very excited about DTS. He's only 16, but God has done a work in his (non-christian) parents' heart and they're ok with him taking a year off of high school to do DTS. He's from here in DanShui, and is just a peach of a guy.

Thanks for praying for us all. God hears. Blessings to you as you continue to pursue the heart of the God who loves you more than life!

please pray

Just a quick update from here in DanShui. Today's been a bit of a tiring day; a great beginning to a seminar this morning, and a long staff meeting this afternoon (where we only got one of the three planned things accomplished.... go figure). It was frustrating too, I'm already finding myself getting frustrated because of language barriers.... if only every little phrase of staff meetings didn't have to get re-said in another language. Sigh, but that's my own pride and selfishness and impatience talking. Pray that God will continue to humble me, and help me to realize much of my frustration comes because I'm simply impatient.

Despite the crazy day, I was just rejuvenated a few minutes ago when I talked to my friend Kevin. Kevin is a boy that is studying at the largest University here in Dan Shui. He was in an English club (more of a class) that I taught along with two university professors, when I was here two years ago. Anyway; he and I have kept up, via the internet off and on since I left Taiwan last time. And, in talking to him tonight he said he would like to come to the ROCK to see me tomorrow night. He is nervous; because he has lost a lot of his english since we left, because there is no one to practice with. But I'm praying that his fears are calmed, and that I am able to speak to him about why I came back to Taiwan. He is not a Christian and doesn't understand the concept of grace like Christ gives. Please pray for Kevin; that we will be bale to communicate well (with the help, I'm sure, of one of my taiwanese friends), and that through him I will be able to re-connect with the group of students that I got to know two years ago, and that I can share Christ's love and salvation with them!!

To the King,
Miranda Kay

worshiping Him in thought...and more

"let now your church, shine as your bride. That you saw in your heart, as you offered up your life..." Let that sink in....

We serve an incredible God, and I just say that this morning? Man.... I love him! :) And I'm learning more all the time about worshiping Him with my thoughts. I always thought of it in an anti-negative way. Let me explain; I saw worship God with my thoughts as simply NOT thinking about "the bad stuff", if that makes sense. But it's so much more than that. It's about my thoughts being FIXED on Him. Not wavering on His truth. But as usual.... I'm getting distracted from what I really wanted to write; go figure. here's what I really meant to write about.... from my journal yesterday...

... Another revelation, or realization I had today came when my best thoughts and most profound thoughts typically come; when I'm almost asleep. But it was so good, and I knew I'd forget it, so I rolled over and wrote it down quick. Maybe my equilibrium makes me think better when I'm laying down... who knows. : )

In any case, I realized one of the differences between life at home and life here. At home life seems to get in the way of God. Here, life is about God. There, I have to push things out of the way; work, relationships, everything, to get to God, to make room in my life for Him. But here, he's everywhere; He's an intricate part of everything; my relationships, my work. He's in what we study, what we talk about, what we listen to (mostly... with the exception of a country song every now and then. haha), he's in the places we go (again, mostly), He's everywhere. He IS life, he's not some little side-dish that we decide to put on our plate every so often. This is the way life was meant to be!!!! I love it!

I know that this isn't how it should be... I'm simply saying it's what I've realized. I'll let you know how I change that when I get home. But for now... praise God that life is how it should be. :) We serve an incredible God...... I feel like I've been saying that a lot lately; but it's so amazingly true!


here are some pictures I've taken in the last week; enjoy!

the ROCK - the free coffee shop YWAM runs on the busiest street (a night market) in DanShui, where I spend time each Monday and Wednesday night; ministering by building relationships (and teaching minimal english) with the Taiwanese.
Phoebe and I at the staff BBQ Friday night three of my new favorite women - Abigail (Malaysia), Rachel (singapore), and Koala (taiwan). rachel is my roommate and fellow DTS staff


my new little brother; Danny (Paraguayan, and Taiwanese)


please pray for this place... it's near recently dubbed "my spot" where I enjoy spending with the Lord, looking out onto the DanShui river. this is the community of outcasts in DanShui, many have handicaps of all sorts; and have been labeled "crazy"...many are beggars.

so tired!

it's 2:34am.... and I'm tired, my eyes are dry, I'm still hot, and my brain is fried.... I should sleep... how's that for a blog? :) Group culture demanded that I watch a movie (beginning at 12:45am, when I was already drained) with the other women of the DTS staff. And now I'm retiring to a plastic mattress..... sounds wonderful. (that wasn't sarcasm) Thanks for your prayers.. a real blog will come; tomorrow most likely.

another day, another blessing

Today we had "Base Day," a day where the entire base - staff and students get together for a day of fun, relaxation, and fellowship. We were at a really neat pool complex (which of course, they simply refer to as "a pool"... it's much more than that), that is actually fed by a mountain spring. Anyway, I was walking up and down a pebble-made path, rocking baby Kiya in my arms. She eventually fell asleep in my arms, and as I watched her sleep, the topic of the last chapter I read in Crazy Love hit me. The chapter is about the fragility of life; the meaningfulness of the here and now.

Yes, it's good to make plans, it's good to look at the details of life, it's good to "know what you're doing," and it's good to be educated. But is it the end goal of life to have a masters degree, or to make six digits, or to have accomplished the "plan" you mapped out for your life when you were a senior in high school, for what college, what degree, what line of work, what country, what ministry, what evangelistic tool you'd use the most.... these things are good, but they're not what it's about. It's about the fact that you (or I) might not make it to the end of this blog. Not something we think about all the time; but shouldn't it be? shouldn't we be making the most of not just every year, or every month of our life.... but every moment? And yes, I sit here, on the computer typing in this moment, and maybe I shouldn't... but it's the motives behind the things we do. Shouldn't we be loving people to Christ, through our actions, and if needed, our words? The grace that's saved us, shouldn't we be showing that to others? The fact that we have the incredible hope and joy and "safety" if you will, in knowing we get to spend the rest of the rest of the rest of our days, after life on Earth, with CHRIST..... that doesn't change the fact that many in the world don't have that hope, or joy, or safety. and if we take a few seconds out of every day to look at the people God has placed around us; I think that lack of hope, joy, and "safety" will become incredibly apparent.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, or scare anyone with this post.... just something I think God's trying to teach me now, and I thought I'd share it with you. sin=death. We have sin, we get death. Christ= hope. We have Christ, we have hope....... go live it!! =)

today

another great title.... maybe I'll get creative in the next 12 months. :) Well, it's 11:30pm, and still 78.5 degrees...(Fahrenheit).... insanity! today included.....

being woken up by someone I'd talked to once... telling me the airlines was on the phone.

waking someone else up so they could give the airlines my address in Chinese

catching up with my friend Robert. We were classmates in DTS here in DanShui 2 years ago, and he just finished staffing 2 schools. He's leaving on Tuesday for home (Okinawa, Japan) but coming back in March to do SBS (school of biblical studies).

talking to my parents for a few minutes.

getting my bags..... taiwanese men are amazing. the deliverer brought both bags (at once) up 5 flights of stairs.... they WERE NOT light!!! (that's almost as insane as the heat)

watching my ice-block frozen water turn to luke warm water over the course of 12 minutes... no joke

talking to the grandparents (on both sides)

more catching up with Robert, and my new friends Danny and Leo (Danny will be a student in the 1st DTS I'm staffing)

getting money out of the ATM since none of mine is exchanged

going to the grocery story so now I can cook for the next few weeks

having a clerk at the grocery story literally shove another clerk out of the way so he could be my cashier, so he could practice his english... and impress me (or something like that. I felt terrible for the other clerk. :/

reading Crazy Love by: Francis Chan.... I recommend it to anyone who loves Jesus, and desires to know Him more, and desires to see the church of Acts be restored now!

reading through James again.... classic faith

going to the school leaders house, and taking forever for all of us to decide what to do... we rented an old clint eastwood movie, and i fell asleep.

looking around and smiling..... because I'm back in Taiwan.

what a wonderful day!!! :)

Hey blog readers. Goodmorning from DanShui! I think I promised something specific in my last blog..... maybe what I did yesterday - not sure. But, instead I'll keep this short, and let you know that God has provided once again, and I got a call from Malaysia Air this morning, saying my bags were HERE in Taipei, and they will deliver them in about 2-4 hours from now!!! Hooray! I get clothes, and shower stuff, and... shoes that aren't clonky boots, and...ah (long sigh of relief). :) God is good... all the time (yes... I believe that will be a re-occurring theme this year, as well it should be).

Also, here in a couple days, Taiwan will begin a new month; one that's traditionally "ghost month". When evil spirits, and the ghosts of their ancestors are feared/thought to haunt them even more than usual. It's definitely a time when fear rules the people's hearts and homes, and when Satan can take over people's thoughts and minds in powerful ways. Thankfully Christ is in the hearts of many here in DanShui, Praise God for that! But please pray with me that God's peace would reign in the hearts of Christians, and those that they come in contact with. Pray that the comfort, and peace of Christ would be very evident in the lives of those of us who know Him, and that we would share that with those who don't. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers; I love you all, and will update you soon.

Miranda Kay
James 5:6b.... keep praying for DanShui with me

92.3 degrees.... no wonder it feels so hot!!!

Here's the longer update. :)

As I sit with just a screened door separating me from this warm DanShui morning, I’m grateful, surprised, and humbled. Yet again God has provided, at the same time as He has humbled me (I love how He’s able to mesh those two together so often). :) I’m grateful to be in DanShui at all, and on time of all things…even if it is without any money or luggage. Surprised, because I was very certain that I’d miss my last flight, and have to take the next flight that went from L.A. to Taipei (leaving LAX 13 hours after my original flight was scheduled to leave). And humbled, because He’s reminded me, yet again, that He is truly in control.

Before I even got on a plane I had issues... both of my bags were a bit overweight, so I took a big purse out of one bag, and put stuff in it, and threw a shirt and pair of B-ball shorts into my backpack, and sent a couple things home. Both bags were fine then. Little did I know that 24 hours later, I'd thank God that my bags were too big; He was providing a way for me to have clothes for the next few days until my bags get to me. (you'll read about that later) Other than delays… my flights were wonderful; smooth, comfortable, and great people. My first flight was delayed by 2 hours. But, thankfully, my second flight had been delayed also, so it left at 11pm, instead of 9:40. The next part was the fun… or shall I say, crazy part. We sat on the runway for over an hour in Minneapolis (2^nd flight). After about 20 minutes they informed us that they had boarded us, but didn’t have either of our pilots. And, of course, they were the only ones with access to the cockpit, and therefore the Air Conditioning. Needless to say, the packed airplane was full of unhappy travelers, 100% of whom had already been delayed from this flight (and many, from other flights too). So…. Pilots arrive from Denver, get to our plane, and we take off…. Very late. We get into LAX at 1:10am….. the flight to Taiwan leaves (not boards… leaves) at 1:40am… and it was running early, by almost ten minutes. Now, I can jog…. Not sprint very well, but LAX is HUGE, and the international terminal was outside and “about a 10 minute walk” as one security person told me when I asked how to get to an international flight. Oh joy…. As if I have ten minutes to just stroll outside in the nice California air to get to the security and eventually gate for my next plane…which happened to be two football fields (at least) away from where the International gates started. I mean of course, why would it be close or anything? :) Anyway, after much ado….. I was literally the last person on the plane. But thank the Lord, they waited. They told me my luggage wouldn’t make it to Taiwan, but at that point I was so out of breath and so amazed that I had made it, and tired (it’s 2am…4 am Iowa time), that I didn’t care.

Anyway, all of this to say that I’m thankful to be here, and grateful that God provides, and reminds me that it doesn’t matter if my “stuff” is here…. It’s ME that He wants in DanShui… the rest will come. =) Thanks for your prayers – they got me here. Oh, and about the money…. The money exchange place in the airport wasn’t open yet (we got into Taipei an hour early….. at 5:25), so I only have 400 NT that I have from the last time I was in Taiwan, 2 years ago. Again… just one of God’s provisions; I have a couple days worth of money simply because I was planning on coming back again, 2 years ago…. How cool). Our God is amazing, and I’m so glad He’s in control and not me!

The sounds of a typical DanShui morning surround me (along with the American music coming from my computer); a jack hammer working on a building down the street, birds chirping on the balconies of hundreds of apartments around town, and a baby crying as she and her mother make their way down the seven flights of stairs from their home above ours to the ground level….. ah, I’ve missed this place. It’s so wonderful to be back!! Again, thanks for your prayers and thoughts over the last 24 hours of travel. More soon. Don’t worry… I’m sure I’ll miss Iowa soon enough. =)

-Miranda Kay-

ni hao

I'm Here!!!!! More to come soon... thanks for your prayers; they sustained me, and got me here despite some interesting moments. God is good. :)

PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness. Well, for 2am, I'm certainly more wired than I was when I wrote that last blog. I know, I said the last one would be... well.... the last one. But.... I just talked to Brent, the school leader, in Taiwan, and got some amazing news!!!!!!!!!! The visa that I applied for is a one-year alien residency visa/card (ARC). And, he said they JUST got the paperwork back in, and so i can get the visa! Praise God!!!! It was supposed to take about 12 weeks to process, and it got done in about 8 weeks. I still have to fly to Hong Kong, but...... I now can go before the school starts, so that I don't miss any time once the students arrive, and I am like 97% guaranteed that I will get the visa! This is such a huge answer to prayer, and something I never expected to happen so quickly. Thank you Father!

I don't know why you say goodbye I say hello

Well, I suppose I do understand the answer to this title (and a great song)..... because, for many, this week seems like one of so many goodbyes. And though it's only goodbye for a little more than a year; it's still significant. But, I realized tonight that amidst the hugs, handshakes, prayers, and goodbyes there are an equal amount of hello's on the other side. In a short three days I'll be saying hello to dear friends that I've missed and prayed for for nearly two years now, and to many new brothers and sisters in Christ. And the thought of the hello's makes the goodbyes much easier. God has promised to complete the good work he began in each of us; and I believe that each season of our life needs to be lived in light of that promise. I can rest assured, knowing that God has called me to a life of ministry in Asia for this next season of life, and that as long as I remain faithful to that which He has called me to, He will take care of the rest.....what a blessing to have faith in that; to be able to trust a God who never lets us down. I may not understand everything He's doing, but I know He knows best..... praise God!!!

Two days away from my departure, and things are coming along quite well. Things are being packed, goodbyes are being said, passport photos being printed and the like. Thank you to all who've wished me well on my journey, and especially for your prayers. Last week our family visited extended family (from both sides) in Illinois and Michigan. As we were together with one side of the family (all the aunts and uncles, and a couple cousins), they took time to pray for/over me. What a blessing to have family (on both sides) that I know are praying daily, and who support the idea of my mission work! I sat in a room filled with people who love me deeply, and was amazed at God's incredible grace as I was overwhelmed by the prayers sent up on my behalf. We serve a God who's so worthy of our gratitude, and I'm becoming more and more aware of that as I grow closer to Him.

I've found out still more about some specifics from Brent (the Discipleship school leader) about our school. We have two other female staff (a third might be joining); a woman from Singapore (who speaks fluent Chinese and English), and a woman from Taiwan (whose English is ok). Both are in their thirties. The woman from Singapore was on staff of the last DTS, and the Taiwanese woman is a first-time staff like me. So, the make-up of our staff will be diverse and interesting, but I'm very excited!! :) Also, a random side-note, I found out that I will be cooking much more than I expected. The meal schedule is a bit different than it was when I was a student, and we now only share breakfast together and one dinner (or... supper as NW Iowans call it) per week together; the rest we're on our own. So, I've been digging through lots of cookbooks to try and find recipes that I think I can find ingredients (or similar items) for in Taiwan. I'm sure I'll be updating on the crazy foods I eat, and what random ingredients I have to substitute for normal American ingredients.

Well, that's about it. Two days, and lots of stuff to do. But God continues to grant me energy, endurence and excitement to get through each day. I'll see you on the other side..... of the ocean that is. :)

the taste

So, as promised; here's an update on the Taste. It went so much better than I could have hoped!! God is good, and we had about 50 people there; give or take a couple. And much more money was raised than I spent, which is good. :) The kids enjoyed the coloring pages, and word searches that I was able to make specifically for the Taste. The cooks were amazing, and easy to teach - I could not have done it without either of them; nor the other family members who helped set up, and tear down, and what not. :) I shared a bit of more in-depth information about what I'll be doing next year, and we had a fun time playing a trivia game I created about Taiwan, and Asian culture. It was great seeing some people try chicken feet too - they were brave!

And, with some updated info from Taiwan - My support is about 75% of the way in.... maybe a bit more. As of 5 days ago, or so, we had 7 students, and a few more are projected to be added to our numbers within the next 4 weeks until school!! As I continue to get closer to my departure date, and as I find out more things that have changed since I left; I continue to get more excited about this next season of life!!

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support over these last days in America. I covet them greatly - and am thankful that God continues to stir my heart for Taiwan, and the Asian people, and He has been amazingly faithful in preparing my heart for this year!

two weeks to go

Well, I'm two week away from landing in Taiwan. School starts Sept. 11th, and this morning I got more information from the school leader; Brent. From the information I just got, my support is almost fully in; which is amazing!! God is so good, and has continued to show His faithfulness in so many ways.

We have seven students; having gained two more this week, and as far as I know, we're fully staffed as well. My visa is still being processed over in Taiwan, and I'm assuming it won't, in the next two weeks. That will mean that one month after I get to Taiwan I'll have to fly to Hong Kong at least overnight, and try to re-get the visa... we'll see.

We're in Michigan for the next week or so, seeing family that I haven't seen in years, and taking some time to relax and simply be together, before I leave. It's already more than I could have hoped; and God's teaching me a lot through some books I've begun reading. One's the memoirs of a boy soldier from Siere Leon. And I just last night began reading the life story of A.B. Simpson. And the biography is written by none other than A.W. Tozer. :) Well, time to be with grandparents; it's a blessing to be with a grandfather who's lived through so much this year. God is good, and continues to sustain Grandpa and the rest of us.

I'll update about "the Taste" in a few days.
Blessings from Michigan.
~Miranda Kay~ <><

the taste

Come get a

TASTE OF TAIWAN!

What: a night of food, games, music, and pictures from Asia

when: Sunday, August 2nd 5:30-7 pm (but come and go as you need)

where: Dover Avenue Alliance Church – Fellowship Hall (417 3rd Ave. NE, Orange City)

Why: to hear more about what Miranda Rockhill will be doing in her year as a missionary in Asia, and to get a feel of a culture we don’t interact with everyday

in Northwest Iowa

Cost: FREE (a free-will donation opportunity will be available)

just in case you haven't heard about this :) (sorry, yes I know I'm beating a dead horse for most of you... but it will be a great time for the whole family, and I'm just hoping I get to share some culture and what I'll be doing next year, with everyone. See you there!

ticket!!!

Just thought I'd give a quick update. Tonight I'm excited because I purchased my plane ticket for Taiwan. :) I leave Aug. 19th, getting into Taiwan the morning of Aug. 21st (their time). Last night I got to talk to one of my best friends from my DTS, which was wonderful. Always a good thing to get up to date with a good friend.

Things are coming along really well for the Taste of Taiwan. Less than two weeks to go! God is continuing to blow me away with his faithfulness; especially in the area of financial support. It's like each time I go to raise support; I forget how faithful He's been in this area of my life (and my missions work) over the years. I trust that it will come in....but He always seems to do something to just remind me of His wonderful presence through the blessing of speedy support-raising. One third of my support is already in; and I'm just now sending out actual, physical letters. That's incredible!

The butterflies are slowly but surely becoming apparent; especially this week, as things are getting set in stone. Good and bad, nervous and extremely excited all flooding my heart at once. Anyway, thanks for caring and for praising the Lord with me tonight for his faithfulness and blessings.