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. :)