survival recipes & thrival notes

when i left for Taiwan 2.5 years ago, some dear friends put together a scrapbook for me to take along the journey. every page overflowed with art (well... the girls' mostly ^^) and thought (all!), with one special recipe and one note of encouragement filling up every blank square. in the end, it was compiled by my mom and packed into my suitcase the night before i flew out!

i read all the notes on the flight, of course. and cried. and those words have been really helpful to look back on throughout the two years i was there, especially when the going got rough, which was often. even now, though i am in a different place altogether, those messages are a blessing. they encourage me to no end. i am taught not just how to survive, but to thrive.

and i must also admit that i used almost none of those recipes the whole time i was in Taiwan.* :P the 3 main reasons being --

1. no oven available (all those delicious baking recipes... goodbye)
2. couldn't find the right ingredients (due to everything being labeled in chinese - why would they do that?! - or unavailability/outrageous pricing of products like cottage cheese, sour cream, icing sugar, creamed corn, etc.)
   
3. take-out was too delicious/cheap/convenient/fast to pass up. on almost every single meal. :D

in my present circumstances, however.... all 3 of those reasons have melted away faster than provolone on a hot cheesesteak.

so i will show my deep appreciation for all the hard work that went into putting this gift together by actually USING all the recipes!!!
(shocking, i know)

and, naturally, i will consume them too. shared with friends when possible. ;) they will help me survive quite well this coming semester. and, depending on how well i execute the recipes and how nutritious they are, i might thrive on them too.

the most powerful way God has used this gift so far, though, was definitely on a warm summer's evening this past June, a few weeks before i left Taiwan. i had invited a friend over; she was from China as an exchange student and had been regularly attending our English Bible studies but was not a believer.

upon entering my room, she spied the large scrapbook on my bookshelf and asked to see it. so i went through it with her and showed her all the different pages with your designs and notes and recipes on them. i explained that it was not an expensive item, but one of great value because it was given to me out of love from my church family, whom i in turn loved very much.

as she continued flipping through the pages, her eyes filled with tears. after a few more flips, she put the book down and wept openly, telling me that she wished she had people in her life who showed her the same kind of love, and whom she loved like that in return. she explained that she was a very cold and unloving person before coming to Taiwan for the exchange, and that she had hurt many people with her past actions. during her six months in Taiwan, she felt that God had given her a second chance to learn about love - how to love others and to be loved. at our Tuesday night Bible study gatherings, she explained, she started experiencing a rich kind of love beyond anything she had known before. she always looked forward to coming out, not just for the fun and learning, but especially for the fellowship.

sadly, she told me, since her time in Taiwan was over and she had to return home in two days, she was deeply afraid of losing what she'd found during her six months with us. in her hometown, she didn't know of any church or Christian gathering where she could find family and fellowship. that night, we prayed together for God to continue guiding her even in a different land and to provide for her emotional/spiritual nourishment in the days and months to come. when i asked her directly, though, she said that she did not want to become a Christian yet. we parted with still-heavy hearts, but hopeful spirits.

it has been 7 months now. i have emailed her to ask about finding a church, but she hasn't replied directly about that, and seems to be pouring her life into school. it is somewhat disappointing to see that whatever was sparked in Taiwan has seemingly not been sustained. but God is not done with her; of that, i am deeply certain. seeds have been planted. join me in praying that they will be watered, and that in time, God will give the growth. pray that the dry well of spirituality in China will drive many billions more onto their knees in worship & gratefulness before our holy, loving God.

so thank you again for your scrapbook contributions. they have reached farther than i bet you ever imagined. :)





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*the two exceptions were Josh & Shelly's recipe, and Karen's. more details to come!