Taiwan!

Right now it is 7:48 pm here in taiwan and 7:48 am back in the states. Its crazy how you can fly into the future. If you are reading this from America you are living in july 27th but I am living in july 28th. Im like a time traveler! A very very deliriously tired/jet lagged time traveler who has not slept yet. Im trying to make it till 9 tonight so I can sleep through the night.

Jenna and trav-dad are at work (They work evenings) so I have decided to blog in order to occupy my time and stay awake for another hour and 13 minutes.

I think my favorite part of my flight was when we landed in Anchorage Alaska to refule at 4 am. We all got off the plane and a little tiny stand opened up for us so we famished travelers could also refuel. In this tiny concession stand was a vast array of breakfast foods. They had everything from bagels to cereal to breakfast sandwiches. One menu item caught my attention and my mind quickly returned to kindergarten when I was given the "which one does not fit with these" worksheets for homework. In the middle of the plethora of assorted breakfast items was a plate full of GIANT hot dogs. Now Im not sure who eats hot dogs at 4 AM unless you are in college and have not gone to bed for night yet but I found this strange. Suddenly, I glanced at the sign and realized they were not hot dogs at all but REINDEER DOGS! Yes, Santa's little helpers all ground up and served for breakfast. Who eats reindeer? I thought eating deer was bad enough. Who wants to eat bambi? But now Alaskan children are being forced to eat prancer, dancer, dasher and rudolf. Had I not been so ridiculously tired i may have tried one just to say I once ate a reindeer in alaska at 4 am, but my stomach didnt feel too settled about that idea.

Once I got to Taiwan the first thing I saw as a big metal trashcan. I realized I was at a loss as I had not brought any small animals to "deposit" into the large metal quarantine box. I laughed so hard as I read the sign that kindly asked to make a deposit of all animals into the trashcan looking bin, along with plants and insects. I imagined three small rodents and a poodle all scurrying around the bottom of the metal trashcan, but I didnt look.

I ate a don bing today. my first Taiwanese food. It was a green onion pancake with a fried egg wrapped up in it. I was sceptical at first... but it was surprisingly yummy. I think i will like the food here.

On many of the houses there are red glowing lights at night. Jenna told me that the red light is where people believe their own personal god resides. They go out and worship it and burn incense to different idols many times through the day. The red light is good luck or good karma or something and I guess the gods are attracted to it. It is sad to see so much idol worship. I dont think they worship idols much more than the gods of materialism or success and power that we worship in america... but there is something sobering about watching people bow to metal gods that will not come through for them. My heart feels burdened and wishes they knew the one true God that all other gods bow to. I wish they knew truth and could be set free by it. There is so much oppression here. Jenna told me there is a young man they often pass on their way to work. He has a mental disability and they let him go outside sometimes. When they let him out of the house they chain him to a wall, like hes on a leash, so he cant run off. He just sits in his front yard in chains. I can not think of anything more oppressive. My heart breaks for this man. He desperately needs freedom. But whether someone is chained to a wall or chained to an idol its all the same. Christ came to proclaim freedom for the captives.

As burdened as my heart feels... there is almost something refreshing about how in your face the oppression is here. Its not masked behind quite so much deception like it is in America.You dont have to sort through quite so many lies to see the oppression thats beneath it. Its out in the open. Its everywhere. And all i can do as i walk down these streets is silently pray.