Day 9 - Worship, Part 2 (English)
12:30 pm: Amy made us a yummy, mostly American meal. Trying some local fruits was a blessing (wax apple, pear apple). She had even made chocolate chip cookies. The ingredients here are slightly different, so the texture and taste of certain things don't quite match what we're used to. But it was nice to have something more like home.
While writing my morning blog, Jon came in and asked if I would play the piano for him to sing "I can only imagine" at the end of the evening service. I had played it at UA for Tracy Roach to sing a couple of years ago, so I agreed. Jon and I left at 2:30 to ride a taxi over to the church. Before we left, I asked Jon if there was anything I could do to help with the worship service. He had already asked me to do the communion meditation, and now to play the piano for his song. He said, "Not unless you could play bass for the songs." I laughed it off!
While we were at practice, Sandy looked out the balcony and saw a god parade. Using binoculars, she could see tall puppets, people dressed as super tall mascots, fireworks blasting, and drums keeping the beat. Sandy thinks they are stupid to watch people worship something made by a man. Jon thinks it's disappointing to see religious people devoting themselves to such an empty ritual. Amy just thinks it's sad.
When we arrived at the church, we rearranged the seating in a more intimate setting, with candles, tables, and groups of 4 and 5 seated around the tables. Jon determined that they were out of grape juice. He headed to buy some, but I volunteered to go buy it by myself. So Jon pointed out the window to where the grocery store was located. He told me exactly where in the store to find the juice. I asked him the word for grape juice (putowjr) and pronounced it a couple of times. He said, "Try not to talk!" Ouch.
3:15 pm: Grabbing the grape juice was no big deal, and I was actually proud of myself to pull it off. When I got back, I sat and listened to Chad (keyboard), Scott (guitar), and Jon (drums) play through the songs. I just couldn't help wanting to participate. The bass was beckoning me, sitting there in the stand. I remembered Jon's words and worked up the courage to ask for permission to play. Now, I've never played the bass in my life, but I understand the basics of it. I know which notes are which strings and knew all the songs. They gave me permission, and that was all the encouragement I needed.
5:00 pm: Sandy got there right as the service started and when I told her what I was about to do, she couldn't believe it. She took this picture to prove it:
It was great to sing some of our favorite songs: Heart of Worship, Here I Am to Worship, Create in Me a Clean Heart, Meet with Me, Lord Reign in Me, and a few others. Chad did a great job leading and I thought we sounded pretty good, actually. Maybe the missionaries were just being nice to me, but Chad did say that if I ever moved here, I could play bass every week! It's tempting, let me tell you.
One nice thing about their worship service is that they leave space at the back of the room for the kids to express themselves in worship. Anna wanted to play an instrument in the band, so I gave her an egg and she shook it while she sang.
Left to right are Cherry Messimer, Anna, Molly & Angie Pagel, Bethanie Pagel, and Caitlyn Edwards. After singing, the kids went upstairs for classes (taught by Angie and Bethanie Pagel) while we had the sermon, more singing, and communion time.
Scott Pagel preached about heaven and led into us doing "I can only imagine." After a few more songs, I gave a communion meditation from John 4:35-38. They did communion in an awesome way. Pitchers of grape juice were at the front, with large plastic cups and circular loaves of bread. Alex had fallen asleep on Sandy's lap, so I went to the front and poured two cups and brought back two circles of bread. After everyone gets done, they sit around the tables and fellowship.
What a blessing to share with our friends (old and new). The kids were great and the experience was memorable. Sandy cried again during the worship, and we had a few warm goodbyes before leaving.
6:40 pm: Jon really wanted us to see the night market, and this was the last chance to do it. The plan was for Amy to take the kids back to the apartment while Jon walked us through. But Adam and Joshua really wanted to spend time with their dads, so the five of us went off walking. The night market is similar to the day market, only louder, smellier, and stranger. Scooters drive through the walkways, and all sorts of knock-off merchandise is for sale. Can you tell which brand this wallet is ripping off? Look carefully.
David bought a tie for 100 NT ($3.15) and we looked for Hello Kitty houseshoes for Anna. No luck. Here's a sample of the interesting stuff we turned down:
Gelatinous giblets with with fresh lime:
Roasted corn on a stick:
Colorful fish in a cup:
The sights, smells, and sounds were certainly forceful. We kept the boys close and kept moving.
7:45 pm: Adam was looking forward to another trip to McDonald's, so we made our fifth trip in 6 days. Adam and I have grown fond of the apple pies, which are different than in America (fried instead of baked, very crispy and tasty). Sandy had corn soup, which was very good. I tried their fried chicken. Chinese people really like chicken, so McDonald's serves it. It's ok, but their burgers are better. It basically costs about $1 for a wing/leg piece. The corn soup and pies are $.60. A chicken sandwich is about $1.25. One thing to get used to about McDonald's in Taiwan is that they request you to separate your trash before you throw it away. Most restaurants here clear the table for you (no tip required, either!) But McDonald's is Western enough that they expect you to clean your own table. But it's more work than in America. There's a tank for dumping in your extra ice and drink. There's a container for food scraps (they feed them to the pigs). Then there's a place for recyclable waste (the cups, fry containers, and sacks). Finally, a section for general waste. Here is Adam trying to sort it all out.
8:15 pm: The kids got ready for bed and waited anxiously for the final installment in Jon's "Fabulous Five" stories. Every night, he has told them the story of the fabulous five (Jumping Joshua, Super Sean Skywalker, Amazing Adam, Unbelievable Anna, and Groovy Alex the Great) and their attempts to stop The Evil Dr. Eyeblack and his evil henchmen Shagubi and Radubi. In tonight's episode, the fabulous five find out that Dr. Eyeblack has plans to work in both Taiwan and America, so the team will need to split up. Jon told them that Joshua and Sean would have to stay in Taiwan and Adam, Anna, and Alex would have to return to America to keep it safe. The kids loved Jon's animated style and creative plots. He promises to send e-mail updates to the fabulous five.
8:45 pm: Sandy wanted to see Allen and Cherry Messimer's apartment, so Amy walked us over there while Jon stayed with the kids. We walked 10 minutes in a light rain before approaching their beautiful new apartment complex. Five buildings of 12 floors each house approximately 500 people. This is the apartment where Casey and Molly Bell will live when they arrive in a couple of months until they find their own place. After seeing the apartment, I told Allen I would let everyone know that they are living in the lap of luxury. The place is beautiful with its own exercise facility, theater, courtyard, game room, reading room, artwork, flowers, 3 story parking garage, and so much more. Two security guards watched us on over 40 security cameras, all feeding into three flat panel monitors. Amazing. We found out that they got a sweetheart deal on their rent because the landlord wanted Christians to live there. God is good!
It was encouraging to see Allen, Cherry, and Kirstie getting used to life in Taiwan.
10:15 pm (9:15 am Sunday in Missouri): We walked home in the mist. That part of the city seemed peaceful. Jon says they have no worries about crime. I saw my first policeman, who had pulled someone over. There was honestly not one person I encountered in the 10 minute walk who made me uncomfortable or the slightest bit fearful. Still, I felt better accompanying the ladies instead of sitting at home while they were walking the streets.
After arriving home, we talked about evangelism, people to pray for here in Taiwan, and generally dreaded tomorrow, the last day. It's not going to be easy in any way.
Tomorrow: Day 10 - The longest day
While writing my morning blog, Jon came in and asked if I would play the piano for him to sing "I can only imagine" at the end of the evening service. I had played it at UA for Tracy Roach to sing a couple of years ago, so I agreed. Jon and I left at 2:30 to ride a taxi over to the church. Before we left, I asked Jon if there was anything I could do to help with the worship service. He had already asked me to do the communion meditation, and now to play the piano for his song. He said, "Not unless you could play bass for the songs." I laughed it off!
While we were at practice, Sandy looked out the balcony and saw a god parade. Using binoculars, she could see tall puppets, people dressed as super tall mascots, fireworks blasting, and drums keeping the beat. Sandy thinks they are stupid to watch people worship something made by a man. Jon thinks it's disappointing to see religious people devoting themselves to such an empty ritual. Amy just thinks it's sad.
When we arrived at the church, we rearranged the seating in a more intimate setting, with candles, tables, and groups of 4 and 5 seated around the tables. Jon determined that they were out of grape juice. He headed to buy some, but I volunteered to go buy it by myself. So Jon pointed out the window to where the grocery store was located. He told me exactly where in the store to find the juice. I asked him the word for grape juice (putowjr) and pronounced it a couple of times. He said, "Try not to talk!" Ouch.
3:15 pm: Grabbing the grape juice was no big deal, and I was actually proud of myself to pull it off. When I got back, I sat and listened to Chad (keyboard), Scott (guitar), and Jon (drums) play through the songs. I just couldn't help wanting to participate. The bass was beckoning me, sitting there in the stand. I remembered Jon's words and worked up the courage to ask for permission to play. Now, I've never played the bass in my life, but I understand the basics of it. I know which notes are which strings and knew all the songs. They gave me permission, and that was all the encouragement I needed.
5:00 pm: Sandy got there right as the service started and when I told her what I was about to do, she couldn't believe it. She took this picture to prove it:
It was great to sing some of our favorite songs: Heart of Worship, Here I Am to Worship, Create in Me a Clean Heart, Meet with Me, Lord Reign in Me, and a few others. Chad did a great job leading and I thought we sounded pretty good, actually. Maybe the missionaries were just being nice to me, but Chad did say that if I ever moved here, I could play bass every week! It's tempting, let me tell you.
One nice thing about their worship service is that they leave space at the back of the room for the kids to express themselves in worship. Anna wanted to play an instrument in the band, so I gave her an egg and she shook it while she sang.
Left to right are Cherry Messimer, Anna, Molly & Angie Pagel, Bethanie Pagel, and Caitlyn Edwards. After singing, the kids went upstairs for classes (taught by Angie and Bethanie Pagel) while we had the sermon, more singing, and communion time.
Scott Pagel preached about heaven and led into us doing "I can only imagine." After a few more songs, I gave a communion meditation from John 4:35-38. They did communion in an awesome way. Pitchers of grape juice were at the front, with large plastic cups and circular loaves of bread. Alex had fallen asleep on Sandy's lap, so I went to the front and poured two cups and brought back two circles of bread. After everyone gets done, they sit around the tables and fellowship.
What a blessing to share with our friends (old and new). The kids were great and the experience was memorable. Sandy cried again during the worship, and we had a few warm goodbyes before leaving.
6:40 pm: Jon really wanted us to see the night market, and this was the last chance to do it. The plan was for Amy to take the kids back to the apartment while Jon walked us through. But Adam and Joshua really wanted to spend time with their dads, so the five of us went off walking. The night market is similar to the day market, only louder, smellier, and stranger. Scooters drive through the walkways, and all sorts of knock-off merchandise is for sale. Can you tell which brand this wallet is ripping off? Look carefully.
David bought a tie for 100 NT ($3.15) and we looked for Hello Kitty houseshoes for Anna. No luck. Here's a sample of the interesting stuff we turned down:
Gelatinous giblets with with fresh lime:
Roasted corn on a stick:
Colorful fish in a cup:
The sights, smells, and sounds were certainly forceful. We kept the boys close and kept moving.
7:45 pm: Adam was looking forward to another trip to McDonald's, so we made our fifth trip in 6 days. Adam and I have grown fond of the apple pies, which are different than in America (fried instead of baked, very crispy and tasty). Sandy had corn soup, which was very good. I tried their fried chicken. Chinese people really like chicken, so McDonald's serves it. It's ok, but their burgers are better. It basically costs about $1 for a wing/leg piece. The corn soup and pies are $.60. A chicken sandwich is about $1.25. One thing to get used to about McDonald's in Taiwan is that they request you to separate your trash before you throw it away. Most restaurants here clear the table for you (no tip required, either!) But McDonald's is Western enough that they expect you to clean your own table. But it's more work than in America. There's a tank for dumping in your extra ice and drink. There's a container for food scraps (they feed them to the pigs). Then there's a place for recyclable waste (the cups, fry containers, and sacks). Finally, a section for general waste. Here is Adam trying to sort it all out.
8:15 pm: The kids got ready for bed and waited anxiously for the final installment in Jon's "Fabulous Five" stories. Every night, he has told them the story of the fabulous five (Jumping Joshua, Super Sean Skywalker, Amazing Adam, Unbelievable Anna, and Groovy Alex the Great) and their attempts to stop The Evil Dr. Eyeblack and his evil henchmen Shagubi and Radubi. In tonight's episode, the fabulous five find out that Dr. Eyeblack has plans to work in both Taiwan and America, so the team will need to split up. Jon told them that Joshua and Sean would have to stay in Taiwan and Adam, Anna, and Alex would have to return to America to keep it safe. The kids loved Jon's animated style and creative plots. He promises to send e-mail updates to the fabulous five.
8:45 pm: Sandy wanted to see Allen and Cherry Messimer's apartment, so Amy walked us over there while Jon stayed with the kids. We walked 10 minutes in a light rain before approaching their beautiful new apartment complex. Five buildings of 12 floors each house approximately 500 people. This is the apartment where Casey and Molly Bell will live when they arrive in a couple of months until they find their own place. After seeing the apartment, I told Allen I would let everyone know that they are living in the lap of luxury. The place is beautiful with its own exercise facility, theater, courtyard, game room, reading room, artwork, flowers, 3 story parking garage, and so much more. Two security guards watched us on over 40 security cameras, all feeding into three flat panel monitors. Amazing. We found out that they got a sweetheart deal on their rent because the landlord wanted Christians to live there. God is good!
It was encouraging to see Allen, Cherry, and Kirstie getting used to life in Taiwan.
10:15 pm (9:15 am Sunday in Missouri): We walked home in the mist. That part of the city seemed peaceful. Jon says they have no worries about crime. I saw my first policeman, who had pulled someone over. There was honestly not one person I encountered in the 10 minute walk who made me uncomfortable or the slightest bit fearful. Still, I felt better accompanying the ladies instead of sitting at home while they were walking the streets.
After arriving home, we talked about evangelism, people to pray for here in Taiwan, and generally dreaded tomorrow, the last day. It's not going to be easy in any way.
Tomorrow: Day 10 - The longest day
posted by Central Christian College of the Bible at
9:33 AM
