Happy Campers

What a great life! After spending ten days enjoying the beauty of Thailand and teaching English to the Thai kids, I completed another week of teaching English at an English camp in Taipei.

Performing a skit

While the camp was exhausting and there were more than a few times when I just wanted to sleep instead of keep track of nine kids, it was a rewarding experience. First of all, I was so impressed by the Taiwanese children's English ability. I was able to converse with most of the kids at the camp which was strange for me because I am used to the very low English levels in Kinmen. I was also very impressed by the respect that most of the children possessed for each other and the teachers. 

Each day the kids were required to write a "journal" entry (in English) into their camp books. What they wrote was so real, so genuine. Their entries included the friends they made that day and some of the activities they participated in. They would write about how much they enjoyed the day usually ending their entry with "Today is very happy!" 

One of my favorites from the camp was named Darren. He's ten years old and stuck to me the entire week like a magnet. The little guy had great English and was always trying to help me with whatever I was working on at the time. One morning, I didn't have any chopsticks handy so I used a straw to eat my breakfast. For the rest of the week, Darren used a straw to eat breakfast. Every time we would go from the classroom building to the main building he would ask, "Teacher, may we run [to the other building]?" He was always SO excited when I said yes. I'm going to miss that little guy. 

And now I find myself at the end of another chapter, albeit a short one. I'm so excited for this coming semester, especially because it begins with my sister, Vange, coming to visit me!! I can't wait to get started on so many new projects and goals! God blesses His children so much more than they deserve. 

Here are a few verses I read yesterday that I thought were appropriate:  

"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that they man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." ~ II Timothy 3:14-17