Thee abnormal Adventures of Jeff Kelly

There is an impeccable difference between the Philippines and Taiwan. My eyes do not burn from the rampant pollution in Taiwan because there isn’t any. Instead of giant mountains of garbage there are actual mountains complete with national parks; I am stretched to find a single piece of litter thus far.  As I stepped off the ship for the first time here, I could here a pin drop. No loud buses, jeepneys, or cars without mufflers. Here in this country, scooters rule the road. I would venture to say that the ratio of scooters to cars is 4-1 and bicycles even higher.  There’s a silent eerie vibe to the air here, while everything is written in Chinese characters, I mean everything.  Good luck finding a bank, restaurant, or anything else unless you just so happen to speak mandarin Chinese.  My friend Jeremy and I wandered off the ship looking for a nice park to relax at and talk about the time and ministry that happened in the Philippines.  A picturesque river cuts through the heart of Kaohsiung called the “Love River”, lined with purple lights and clean streets. Locals paddle around peacefully in their kayaks. If I had to compare this city to one in America I would go with Portland Oregon.  The prices of things do take some getting used to though after the Philippines. For starters one cannot buy cell phones, DVD’s, or a 1^st born child on the side of the street for fewer than 3 dollars like the Philippines.  Never the les Taiwan seems to be cheaper than most places in the U.S. The Peaceful, submissive ambiance adds a certain value to this place that is hard to describe.

Clean, Beautiful, Downtown

Downtown at Night

The Christian Church here is warm, hospitable, benevolent, and gracious.

Punctuality is very important in this culture; we were told 3 weeks ago that today we would be picked up at 940 am. As we were greeted by our hosts and ushered into their van, the clock struck 9:40 am; literally, we all shared a laugh as this is quite different from the Philippines.  The two host drivers didn’t speak any English at all, luckily I had the name of the Church we were scheduled to attend written down on a piece of paper in Chinese characters to make sure we made it to the right church.

A drama during a visitation to a local church

Greeted by our host ad pastor Ms Chang, we introduced ourselves and discussed how the service was scheduled to unfold.  I was not going to preach today but a friend named Kyle Maio from Canada was.  Ms Chang was fluent in English having spent more than 13 years in the U.S. living and attending Moody Bible institute, her translation was fast and fluid.   The congregation was all smiles as I thanked them for allowing us to worship the Lord with them in their Church.  As I was told a few days prior, you can never be too polite or courteous with Taiwanese people.  The information that I had received concerning the church just a few days earlier had told me that the church was full of mostly younger people, maybe 20 something’s, this turned out to be very far from the truth.  The long narrow chapel, on the 3^rd floor of a strip mall store front was lined on both sides with Christians over the age of 60, mostly women.   All the same Kyle challenged them not to just get involved with missions but rather to find God’s peace and power right where they are and then follow his lead.  Worship was rather interesting as we tried to follow along with the traditional Christian songs, the problem for us was that their was no words but only Chinese characters projected onto the wall.   Usually I can sound out other languages and at least make an attempt to follow along with the pitch and tones, this was a impossible. How does one sound out a symbol they have never even seen before? I decided to make up my own lyrics based on how I felt and praise God that way.  The point of worship is to praise God, not necessarily with song or words.  I was much more honest, singing from my heart and what I was going through at the time than what someone else had written down years ago, and ironically this was a whole better worship experience altogether.   I stood up again and thanked the church for everything they had done for us, reiterating that even though we were from a totally different culture, language, and place we still appreciated the fact we could worship and learn from God’s spirit together in the same building, being united in the body of believers.  After the service we were invited to the floor below for the after church lunch buffet and of course we kindly accepted.  The tables were bursting with Sushi, chicken, Octopus, noodles, soups, yellow watermelon, dumplings, and much more, as we were given chopsticks we were told to dive on in.

Fellowship with Chinese Believers at a local Bible study

Here in Koashiong, Taiwan the most common form of exercise and transportation is the bicycle.  I’ve been thinking about buying a bike for quite sometime as a means of getting around the ports we visit and also to help with the lack of exercise in my life while on the Doulos.  Here the air is fresh, the roads are hardly crowded and bikes are treated with the same respect as cars; everyone yielding in a common homogeneous swarm.

My new friend

The freedom a bike gives you while living on this ship is unbelievable; the fact that you can leave the ship and get around for free, with no language barrier restrictions or view limitations is superb as well.  While a taxi is convenient, you miss out on the smells and sights of a city, all the while being trapped in a moving box.   Your bike is open, you get a true taste of a city or culture for that matter, with the great liberty of moving at your own pace, going your own direction, all the time singing and talking to yourself with out a care.

I found a used Bike store today and after trying out 6 different bikes, testing them for durability, style, and comfort, I settled on a green gem for under 20 U.S. dollars.  I found a ledge on the outskirts of town overlooking a brown sandy beach and read for hours, my own leisure the only thing dictating my future.

Easter Sunday Dinner with Local church members

Easter Sunday

The church was small and crammed, as we entered the pastor and elders were gathered in a circle praying for the service in Chinese. We made our way over to the front of the church and put our belongings down where we thought would be a good place.  The men on the team wore suits to honor the Easter tradition and made small talk as we waited for further instructions from the church leaders.  The church reminded me of the house of churches in China I have heard so much about.  Tables were lined up through the “sanctuary” in the shape of a cross, later to be used to hold food.  Again nobody spoke any English we brought our own translator and introduced ourselves to the early members gathering for the service.  It was hard for me to keep a fresh attitude about Easter and the greatest story ever told. Maybe because ever since I can remember I have gone to church n this day, so I have heard a lot of teachings about this day, feeling like I have heard everything there is to hear about this particular subject. I know how great Easter is and the significance of the day, but with the ship being open for business and even sending us out to do “work” its hard to relax and reflect on the importance of this day.  Its during these special holiday’s that I really miss my family, the relaxing time spent at home with Mom and Dad over a great Easter dinner, just enjoying each others company.  I miss the Ham Mom prepares along with the potatoes and asparagus, she asks me, “what vegetable I would prefer to enjoy on this special day”?

We do a great drama as a team about basic salvation and how Satan introduces sin in our lives dividing us from Christ.  Our team leader speaks about the application of this in our present day life.   After the service we are divided into fellowship groups, each with a translator in a round table discussion which mostly concerned questions about the Doulos.  I wanted to hear about their lives, where they work, how long they have been following Christ for?  I keep reminding myself how unique this ministry actually is. “God gave me grace and patients” we have great fellowship; learn Chinese words, mostly for the food names that we were scarfing down. Before we left the church the pastor insisted on us taking a gift with us, unaware of what it was we politely thanked him and agreed on taking the gift. He disappears for a few minutes and brings out a gigantic watermelon from his office. We were all thinking what are we to do with this huge fruit? Our team leader volunteers to carry it, almost breaking his back, and we split It open for the ships company to enjoy.   This was an awesome Church team and great Easter day that I thanked God for the opportunity to be a part of, I feel blessed.

A Tasty delicacy at the Night market

Since my last update, much has changed in my life as well as my role on board the Doulos.   Recently I have had the privilege of Joining alongside a Swiss brother named Alex and assist him in the Carpentry Shop on board.  Before joining the ship Alex worked as a carpenter and Architect in Switzerland and brings much knowledge and experience to the position.  We have had great talks and I have learned so much about design and wood working because of him, I praise God.

My design for a life boat box

As I’ve come to realize working as a carpenter on board there is never a dull moment or lack of work to be done.  Being busy with projects and repairs keeps us busy making the day fly by but I can’t help but receive requests from nearly everyone I see whether during working hours or after.  This test has taught me how to form healthy boundaries in my life and trying to please everyone is not healthy.  This has been a very demanding job where I’ve been learning to yield Gods peace and Joy no matter what is happening around me.

Alex and I after designing and building 3 Boxes

Dinner

I have never felt such connection from the verse In the first chapter of James which reads, “Consider it pure Joy mybrother whenever you face trials of may kinds, for those trials will shape your character and test your endurance”.  This new role has definitely been a test of many things, including character and patience.  After going through the trial I can honestly say that I am a better man, I praise Jesus for never leaving me, even when I cannot feel him.

A break after Work

A fast moving City