Visitors 客人

(Look guys, it's Taiwan again!)

Sometimes, it's good to get back to normal routines. While I was in America, my daily schedule was familiar, but in a strange way, like putting on clothes you haven't worn in a while- I remembered how to do all the things I needed to do each day, but it seemed to fit me differently than I remembered, and I wasn't quite used to it. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice trip; but I was still happy to get back to Taiwan.

While I was gone, the weather has gotten quite a bit cooler! The Taiwanese are having a harder time with the 'cold' than most foreigners, of course- it's just gotten to around 60 degrees at night, so we're not exactly arctic here- but it's a refreshing change from the humid heat of the summer.

It doesn't stop the ministry, of course!

The weather here has actually been really strange this year, and even now it's acting a little oddly, like it can't make up its mind. This Monday, while standing at Chiang Kai-Shek at our table, it was cold enough that I needed a jacket; the next day, it was 85 degrees, humid and sunny, which according to the locals is the hottest it's ever been in Taipei this late in the year. The weather all over the world has gone a little crazy, it seems!

Despite any weirdness, the congregation is still doing well. Some people left while I was gone, but we got a few new faces as well, and our spirits are high!

Smiling faces!

This time in anticipation of food!

My work was piling up for me while I was gone, unfortunately. My school has started a new policy- I've gotta give my students a test every single day now. They're not hard, just ten-question reviews on what we studied that day, but I can see from the results that not all the kids are getting the material... so although it's boring for them and annoying for me, I suppose it's good to have that kind of progress monitor.

It's good practice for me, too!

But of course, tests aren't interesting. Visitors are! We've had two very special people visit us in the last couple weeks. First, one rainy night two weeks ago, after a long day of work, I was walking home from the store laden with groceries and water, when I heard a familiar voice call out to me- "Dylan!" It was Jerry!

Jerry! (And Joe! But he's not news...)

Jerry was in town just for the one night, being transferred from his civil service assignment in Tainan to Taoyuan, a city just an hour away from Taipei, and instead of getting a hotel he thought he'd try to stay with us, which of course we let him do. He's doing well, although he's sad to have to move out of his new hall just as he was making friends, He stayed with us one night, which we spent catching up on things and playing card games, and in the morning joined us at a cafe for a little breakfast and letter writing service before catching the train onwards to Taoyuan. 加油 man!

The other guest we had- still have, actually- is a very familiar face:

Mason!!

Mason flew into town about a week ago on his winter vacation from school in America. Longtime readers of this blog will remember that he originally came to Taiwan with me around the same time, after I'd gotten us set up with a place to stay and stuff, but after having a really hard time finding work decided to head back to the States to finish the degree program he was enrolled in and come back once he's gotten that settled.

He says he's making good progress on that front- actually, if you want to hear from him directly, he's updated his own blog for the first time in like a year, mmmtaiwan.blogspot.com- and is really happy to be back in Taiwan, if only for a few weeks. He's been pretty active in the time he's been here, out in service with us, hanging out with the friends, and just in general enjoying a well-deserved vacation!

Also showing off his agility!

Mason came out with us one day while working at CKS, and while witnessing at the stand a man from Mainland China decided to show us how to catch some of the millions of pigeons that hang out with us with our hands. Both Mason and I managed to catch one, although our partner, Paul, showed us up with British class:

You just let them come to you, you see...

Mason had good timing. Completely without meaning to, he happened to come to Taipei just in time for our Circuit Assembly, the first one we've had since it changed to one day only. I wonder, can you tell if he had a good time?

(Hint: he did.)

It was a really good program, very encouraging and upbuilding. In total, we had a little over 1,900 people attend- we're North 2 circuit, which covers the cities of Taoyuan, Tamsui, Taipei and Keelung- and 24 people were baptized, including one sister from our congregation!

Not a bad, seat, either!

Of course, having the convention to attend made us all very busy, particularly us pioneers- we had the separate Pioneer Meeting to attend on Saturday, besides having cleaning assignments and working to set up the convention site, and then I myself was assigned to Parking the day of the convention. I remember Parking in America being a really boring, if quite important, assignment, as basically all you do is guide people into their spots and wait for the program to start. In Taiwan, it's a bit more entertaining, since most people here don't really know how to drive- or at least, it seems that way! We did well though, and no one was injured by any of the craz- er, enthusiastic driving of our brothers and sisters.

We also helped set up chairs!

All the work was totally worth it, of course, especially since I was assigned to Security during lunch and got to see the entire baptism procession.

Not quite as fancy, but no less encouraging!

Mason will still be here with us for a few more days, and we'll enjoy the time we've got; but then he'll have to get back to work, sadly. It's for a good cause, though, and hopefully he'll be able to come back more permanently in the near future.

So speaking of near future, this weekend there's going to be a couple events- one Running Man (a Korean comedy show) party, and then a jam session in a park! I'll see if I can't record some of it for you guys...