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.