(Not like for a job application- the continue kind)
So. Hi.
It feels strange to be writing a post for this blog after so long. Strange to think it's been two years since I stopped updating. A lot has happened since then.
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| Foreshadowing! |
I'm writing this post because I recently went back to the States for a brief visit, and while there more people than I could keep track of asked me when- or if- I would be writing my next update. It was flattering, really; I didn't expect many people to care enough to miss this simple record after it had been down for so long. I promised I would write more, and so I will. I am.
How to compress two years of life into a bite sized blog post? Impossible. There's simply no way I could do it justice if I tried to chronicle everything in the way I used to do. And, to be honest, I don't really want to. There's a lot I couldn't share anyway; it's difficult to tell half a story without making it sound limp, unless you start embellishing- and then what I've written is a novel, not a blog.
I'll summarize. The reason I stopped updating was because I went to Mainland China. As many of you likely know, a great many things are banned in China, including all Google services (which power this blog). I decided it would be too difficult to continue the blog in those circumstances, and so wrote that retrospective on my time in Taiwan. I made many friends in China, some old friends, some new, and was able to do good things for a large number of people. After some time, a little more than a year, I began having problems. These problems were affecting my health, physical and mental, and after careful consideration and prayer I decided to wrap things up and return to Taiwan for a break. I wasn't sure how long I would remain in Taiwan, but the initial plan was to stay long enough to get recovered, prepare a bit better this time, then go back to China.
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| There were many reasons to go back to China... |
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| Not least of which are located around here. |
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| Also, China is beautiful. |
Even with my intent to return, however, I was agonizing over this choice. I enjoyed many things about China, and there was lots of work to be done- even if I left only briefly, it might negatively influence the outcome of many plans. This isn't to say that I'm so great I was critical to success; I'm not trying to inflate my own importance, merely saying that my company didn't have many people, and losing even one was a big deal. As things worked out, though, the choice was taken from me. I left China more quickly than I had intended, and it's not clear if or when I can go back.
So, I'm back in Taipei. Honestly, I'm happy to be here. It's good to be back, to see all my friends and to have a healthier, more balanced life. I've been busy since coming back, too, busier than I was before I left! I've been enjoying more methods of ministry and have had the chance to visit a variety of far-flung fields. And of course, working for money keeps me busy too, although I've recently ran into a bump in that area... maybe that will be the topic for a future post.
By the way, guess which one is China:
(It's the big one.)
Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I hope to continue encouraging you through this blog. I think I'm not going to keep any kind of schedule, but instead write on various topics and events as they come up in my life. As you read them, try to imagine yourself here. And as always, you can ask any questions you like by using the comments feature underneath each blog post.
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| Good to be back! (Although we moved out of this hall already) |
