Settling in ...........

We haven't written much lately because life is falling a bit into place. Nothing too extraordinary to tell or show. The kids have been fighting colds and Jake has been running a slight fever. We have been warned that they might be sick more frequently due to a new environment. I certainly hope not. We do not have our trusted pediatrician over here to help us out.

Some of you have asked about the van and how it is handling. In general we are managing with it OK. I took it out the other day to Nanzih and it really gave me a hard time but I was eventually able to get into reverse. I went to a grocery store that is huge and I got lost inside the store. I know it sounds silly but the parking garage is many levels and so is the store. I could not get myself oriented. I just kept praying and eventually found the car. Needless to say, I am not eager to repeat that experience any time soon.



Rachel and Jake got a phone call to do some more modeling this weekend. I think they asked for Jake because the last time we went he was alot more excited to get his picture taken than Josh. The pay was pretty good and they like, it so we went. There are a few pictures of the experience here. Also there are pictures of us eatting dinner with our new friends the Muirs. They are from Saskatchewan, Canada. The kids get along really well and we like the parents alot too.






Prayer Concerns:
The closing of our house is scheduled for Friday at 9:00. Please pray that the deal goes through and we are relieved of the mortgage payment.

We are trying to settle on a church. Neither of us has ever had to choose a church so it is a big decision. The kids have already cast their vote and Matt and I are still unsure.

The kids get to model. On Saturday we drove north to Tainan for the kids to model for a local pajama add. The photographer ended up using Rachel in quite a few shots and Jake for a few. They made about 30 dollars an hour and they might have a chance to do it again. On the way Rachel got a kick out of Taiwan's version of traffic direction.










In these pictures our friend Regan Muir is "playing" the dad. We were amused that the photographer planned to superimpose a model's head over Regan's in the final shoot. That didn't do alot for his self confidence.

A Few Chapel Pictures~








Here are some pictures from Friday's Chapel. Rachel's class led the worship and acted out a skit about Noah. Here she is onstage with some of her classmates

Here is the elemenatry classes gathered for worship. Josh and Jake were proudly displaying their Tennessesse connections- Go Vols!!!!

Some Great News!!!!
This is the final results- what a well groomed family! The barber asked us to take her picture too.





Matt is recovering from the loss of his manliness. Jake is a "little" nervous about the straight razor.








Rachel's stylish hair do


We are happy to report that we have accepted an offer on our home, PRAISE GOD! We are so blessed to be relieved of this concern. Our closing is set for September 22nd and then we will be poised and ready to focus our complete attention on life in Taiwan. Thank you so much for all your prayers and also thanks to our West Morris Street friends for faithfully cutting the grass. I am sure it made a big difference in the home's presentation.

I am also including a few pictures above (please forgive thier placement I have not yet mastered these technicalities) from our first visit to the barber/beauty shop in Taiwan. Our Chinese teacher graciously agreed to accompany us overcoming the language barrier. Unfortunately she had to leave early before we unsuccessfully tried to convince the barber NOT to cut Matt's beard off. She was very determined. Rachel also got her hair washed and styled, Taiwanese style, great fun. In the future we might try to do the cuts at home but it was a neat experience.

Some pictures~

Just wanted to show you a few pictures from our new home. Our ability to upload to our computer from our camera has just recently been restored.

Here is the view from our back balcony towards the school. It is about a five minute walk.


Also from our back balcony, here is the view of the playground in our yard. There is plenty of play room from the kids

Here are some pictures of the school from the entry and then back looking at our building.

Here are a few shots of Matt's class.




Above is Matt leading after school activities.

Matt's After School Activities~

Yesterday was the beginning of Matt's afterschool activity program. The bad news is there were definitely a few glitches. The good news is the Morrison staff stepped up to the plate in an unbelievable way. Matt describes it this way: "there were all kinds of loose ends and everytime I turned around someone was tying them up without even being asked". The team spirit is strong at this school and it is really encouraging. Adjustments need to made but for the most part it is up and running and shouldn't take too much of Matt's time until the new quarter rolls around in October, then we start the planning process all over again.

Also on Tuesday the Morrison School Board officially convened at the Kaohsiung campus. The board consists of missionaries stationed throughout Taiwan. New staff had an opportunity to meet with them. This was a great time of fellowship and encouragement. The school board members welcomed us graciously and prayed for the sell of our home. Maybe if missionaries are now praying God will have to listen, right? Just kidding. It is a comfort knowing they are lifting up our need to the Lord.

We are planning to add more pictures of Matt's class and some of our new friends soon, stay tuned!!

A Few More Firsts~

Sunday night out
Sunday night we drove into Kaohsiung to visit a new church. We drove our own van and followed some friends from our building. The evening turned out to be really nice. We enjoyed the church service and then on the way home we stopped and ate dinner at a local restaraunt all on our own. This may sound silly but when you don't know the language or the driving etiquette it is a big deal. The food was great at the restaraunt. Our entire family loves beef stir fried with onion and peppers and most of us like beef fried rice. Even though we had a little trouble ordering, it was fun and cheap. We then stopped on the way home for a "Bing Tza", a frozen smoothie. They are made with fresh fruit and very delicious, also cheap. We were so excited to have a family evening out on our own. It was a taste of independence long forgotten back in the states.

Driving 101
Today, Tuesday, was also a first for me. I drove all the way to Nanzih and back with my friend Karen, about 20 minutes one way. Many of you know our van is a manual and very tempremental, especially reverse. We drove to the grocery store and drug store. It was an interesting drive to say the very least. Talk about being vulnerable around new friends...try stalling in the middle of a few intersections, it adds new meaning to the word. Fortunately Karen and the other drivers on the road were very patient and by the end of our outting I was doing well with everything but reverse. I guess I will just have to avoid the need to drive backwards at all costs!! There are some nice parking lots in Dashe and Nanzih and for now I think I will just pay the extra fee to use them. As you can imagine having the ability to get around on my own is pretty important to me. I thank God that the van looks like it might work out after all, if we can get it to pass inspection.

Prayer concerns:

Matt's first day to coordinate afterschool activities at school is today, Tuesday.

Caleb is struggling a bit to stay organized in his new intensely academic world.

We have an interested buyer for the house, "May God grant us the sell of our home"

Boulderhopping, Taiwanese Style

Today we were treated to a trip to the mountains by our School Superintendent, Tim McGill, and his wife Bonnie. The took us and the other new staff, the Aldag family, to a mountain stream about an hour away. This kind of outdoor activity is a family favorite, but what an adventure in a new country! The mountain area we drove to is home to the aboriginal people of Taiwan. This group is related more to Polynesian ancestors rather than Chinese. Thier appearance and art reflects this difference.


After a few washed out roads, we found a good place to picnic and play.
The kids enjoyed jumping off rocks into the cool water and building a dam. Unfortunately Charlie Aldag fell and hurt his knee pretty bad so the day was cut a bit short. Still, a good time was had by all and we hope we can find the way back by ourselves for another family outting.

Prayer Concerns:

Please pray that the afterschool activities Matt is coordinating go smoothly. They start up on Tuesday.

Our house is still not sold. We heard this week that the Indianapolis real estate market is the second worse in the United States, not very encouraging.

Meet the teacher night.

Tonight was had our "Meet the Teacher Night" at MAK. Matt participated as a teacher, meeting parents and explaining his 5th grade class. I attended as a parent. There were definite language barriers for both of us. The parents are so apologetic about their English language skills. We are so impressed considering our sad, sad attempts at Chinese. A highlight of the evening was meeting Rachel's new friend Winnie's mom. She was so excited to meet me she would not let go of my hand! It is flattering to feel so honored.

We learned from our kids teachers, mostly our new friends and neighbors, that our kids are adjusting fine for the most part. Just the normal struggles of starting a new school year seem to be evident. Josh's teacher did share that he will sometimes get teary if he senses his effort is not up to par. We are thinking once our family routine is set, especially bed time, this should improve. Caleb's schedule definitely reflects the middle school change. His classes are going to be tough, he will have to step it up a notch.


All seems to be going well for our kids both socially and academically.

Just the Two of Us
A wonderful couple in our apartment asked us out for dinner tonight. Very cool! It was needed break without the kids. Regan and Holly are from Canada and great people. It is weird however how similar Regan and I are. I mean a lot!! I thought I was the only one God made with my model. Anyway, here are a few pictures of this evening. Oh, the food was awesome!!!! Susan even liked it.

Please pray that God gives us strength over the next several days. Tomorrow concludes the second week of school, and we are all getting tired. Friday is also "Meet the Teacher Night" at Morrison. I am nervously preparing to meet my student's parents, many don't speak English or it is broken. Thank you!

Susan will fill in the gaps tomorrow about today, your evening. Thanks for your support.

Weekend Recap

In our last entry Matt reported that the container arrived. We are so glad to have our things with us. It sounds so silly but I didn't expect to be comforted by the arrival of my own stuff, kind of scary. At this point we will take whatever kind of comfort we can get, even if it is material.

As the truck pulled up to deliver our things in the rain, our faithful new friends lined up to help us unload. You can imagine what an encouragement it was for us to have that kind of support. We have been on the receiving end of so much help throughout this experience. I couldn't help but remember loading the truck with our dear friends in Indiana while unloading it with new friends in Taiwan. We only had two hours to unload but we got it done. Our neighbors upstairs ordered pizza for the whole lot of us. What a treat especially for the kids.



Sunday morning we went back to the Feng Shan Chinese Church. A group was visiting thier from Indianapolis

Most of the weekend was spent unpacking and assembling things. We are thrilled to report that our TV made it all the way to Taiwan in working order. We attribute this victory to the fine packing skills of Doug Bradburn and Dave Fryman, thanks guys.

The Container is Here!!!!!

The staff at Morrison was great in helping us unload in the pouring rain. More info and pictures to come. We have had to take the computer down until we get some room.

Later that night.......

After finishing our blog about the gecko late last night. Things went from bad to worse. The gecko we had seen reappeared and Matt and Caleb renewed thier quest to vanquish the unwelcome lizard from its new home. With plastic bowl and broom in hand the chase took them behind the bed in Matt and Susan's room. As Matt slid the mattress and frame away, not only did he spot our tailless friend but also made a new and even scarier discovery.......... a huge cockroach. As he announced his discovery Rachel and I swiftly retreated to her room and blocked the base of the door with various items for our protection. The critter was at least 4 centimeters wide, 8 centimeters long, with a leg span of at least 7 feet, or at least that is how it seemed. An hour later Matt and Caleb were able to claim victory over their worthy foes. Our apartment is free of nonhuman inhabitants.........for now.

You Make the Call

An awesome question..........In Matt's Social Studies class today he was teaching the difference between primary and secondary sources. After his very thorough explanation of each concept, a girl in the back of the class raised her hand to clarify the concept for herself. She asked "Mr. Strange, if a journal is a primary source and it is written in Greek is the translation of the journal a primary or a secondary source?" Needless to say, Matt was completely shocked. A 5th grader had actually synthezed the idea and processed it in a way that seems beyond her years. How would you have answered???

Prayer Requests
1. House still not sold but interest seems to have been picking up due to the drop in price.

2. The van we bought sight unseen failed inspection by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Since the van is pretty old we are unsure if bringing it up to code will be worth it. It is also very hard to drive and large for parking in tight Taiwanese spaces. We are thinking about selling and starting from scratch.

3. The work load is mounting for Matt at school.

Critter for a Roomate

You know you are living in a great place when the house pets are running all over the place without a cage. It's cool because we didn't even have to go to the local pet store to buy them. Yes, we are talking about the geckoes that roam the homes in Taiwan. This particular gecko has been around. We know this because Caleb tried to catch it in Jake and Josh's room two nights ago. You may ask how do we know it's the same gecko. Great question! We know because Caleb tried to catch one in Jake and Josh's room two nights ago. To Caleb's credit, he did apprehend it by the tail. As he was holding it up, the gecko fell to the ground. It's tail had fallen off. Needless to say, Caleb and everyone in the room freaked out. The tail was dropped and kept on wiggling for a few minutes on the floor. Sooo, the gecko we saw today in our room has a very, very, very short tail with a dark mark. Our neighbors assure us of the usefulness of these creatures. However, for us it is pretty creepy to think of sharing our living quarters with these lizards even though they eat a lot of other bugs. There is really no way to rid our apartment of them so its just one more thing to get used to, especially for Susan and Rachel.

On a more personal note........we seem to be holding up pretty well. Matt is slowly understanding the responsibilities he has as the elementary team leader. The biggest being organizing after school activities for all elementary children each Tuesday and Thursday. What a scheduling mess. We are also trying to help the kids adapt to school hours, homework, and new chores. After two months of chaos this is also challenging, but needed. Susan enjoys teaching her Bible class. We will keep you updated on further developments. Thanks for your interest and prayers.

Day 2 of M.A.K Classes

The heat and the humidity (24-7) reminds me of the song, "Sugar in the morning, sugar in the evening, sugar at supper time." Just insert heat and humidity for sugar and you will get the idea.

The kids came home today still excited about school. Homework is coming in at a managable rate at this point. No complaints from us.

I am enjoying my students. They are a bit chatty. I have come to find out that this is their reputation over the past couple of years. The students are bright and full of laughter. They are also very literal about what I say. I don't think this is because of a language difference. They just want to please or they are too bright for their own good. Susan gave the class a survey during Bible which she teaches. We learned that many of the students are Christians. But about a third are not. Please pray for her as she tries to communicate the gospel effectively. What an opportunity!

This evening, Susan cooked a meal that took us back to memories of Indy. We ate the basics: chicken, baked potatoes, and salad. However, in that meal, Susan tried a new chicken recipe from another mother in the apartment, potatoes are expensive so that was a treat. The salad is the only part of that meal that was inexpensive. The kids were so excited to have a taste from home, this also made Susan feel pretty good.

Finally, we have had two showings of the house in the last four days. Continue to pray for this situation. We are trusting Him and His perfect timing.

A Day of Firsts!

• We are official aliens in Taiwan. We received our A.R.C. (Alien Resident Certificate).
• Opened our postal account. In Taiwan, the post office is the place where we have our bank account. We even get an ATM card for this account. Very cool aye!
• Caleb ate noodles bought at the morning market.
• A short devotional at school to start the day.
• Susan and Matt teach the same class.
• First day of school for everyone

"Painful, exciting, and nervous. The dodgeball we played was sixth grade and up. It made the game rather interesting. Food for lunch was kind of weird." - Caleb

"It was fun and exciting meeting new people. I really liked P.E." - Josh

"I liked recess. This little kid and we were doing the Chinese cutting. I liked P.E. I liked the food for lunch." - Jake

"It was fun. My teacher is really nice. I had lots of fun. The kids are really nice. There are only two Americas in the class. I love art." - Rachel

The Lord is faithful in the big and little things. Susan was saying to me this morning that we needed to go to the store to buy some chips for the kid's lunches. Today we recieve box from the Strange's in Indy. Would you believe they packed it with mini-bags of chips. Awesome!

Prayer request: Our house has not sold

Shake Rattle and Role

Early this morning I was sitting next to Susan as she was chatting with her mother, a strange movement caught my attention. It felt like a LARGE truck driving past our building. The apartment floor started to move. But it did not stop. It was then that it hit me. We are experiencing our first earthquake in Taiwan. Woow! For about 5 to 10 seconds the apartment shook me slightly back and forth. Fortunately, there was no visible damage to the building or anything else in Kaohsiung. Earthquakes are quite common in Taiwan but most cause little if any damage. It really wasn't scary at all just a bit eerie. Susan said it felt like being on a boat. Poor Josh, just one more natural disaster for him to worry about. Earthquakes and typhoons, what is next a volcano??