Hello
friends and family!
We are almost reaching the halfway point here in East Asia. We are getting more comfortable here, but are constantly reminded how different the culture is than in North America.
Busy street full of food vendors
A delicious dish of Wontons
Not many people know English so we have been trying to learn some phrases in the local language. Our vocabulary, while limited, has been a great help to us. We have been enjoying trying to communicate, but it still can be frustrating at times.
Us and our new friend
We all have been stretched out of our comfort zone, doing things that often don’t come naturally to us, such as teaching kids and talking to people. We have been spending our evenings at a foreign language club. We talk to people and if they bring up religion, we have the opportunity to share our faith. Though challenging, this has been a favourite part of our time here. Many of the staff and customers have become believers as these conversations take place.
Chad going through the alphabet at the training centre
Chad and Luke have also been helping out at a local restaurant that focuses on outreach to its staff. This has been an awesome experience to understand how different forms of outreach work and to learn from those who have experience in the field. Julia and Laura have been working at a preschool. It has been difficult to communicate because of their limited English. However, we have been blessed by the joyfulness of the children and how cute they are.
Laura listening to a child read a book at the English training centre
We look forward every day to trying new food and exploring the city. Thank you to everyone who has been talking to the Father for us. Please continue and may the Father be with you!
Sincerely,
Team East Asia
