So over the past few days, I've really come to gain a testimony that there is a plan for each of our lives and that every decision you make can play a role in determining that path.
For instance, I really didn't realize how troubling it would be for me to not understand what the majority of people are speaking and not having the ability to read a simple map. I'd already developed insecurities in communicating with people and performing simple tasks that I normally wouldn't have to think twice about. That being said, many of the other exchange students who are studying at NCCU and those I have come to know speak French as their primary language. Had I not chosen to take French the past three semesters for my degree, my anxiety would probably be overwhelming after feeling like I had two languages that I would have felt incompetent with. While my French is nowhere near the level that my newfound friends are speaking, I find comfort in understanding bits and phrases of the conversations occurring around me.
On Friday, I finally mustered up the courage to introduce myself to a group of girls talking with one another in the common area. It turns out that they had only met each other just days and hours before as well. We all went to see Taipei 101 together... and we got lost. We took the bus in the wrong direction and had to find a way back to the other side of town. After several bus transfers, we ended up on a super crowded bus and ended up securing seats after a few stops. A few minutes into our journey, two of the girls I was with offered their seats to an older couple who had gotten on the bus and were standing up. The couple refused, but, noticing that they were speaking English, asked them what they were doing in Taiwan. They explained that they were exchange students at NCCU and the four of them talked for a few minutes. The wife then asked them if they would be free that night to come over to their house and eat a traditional Taiwanese meal. At this point, my friends explained that there were four of us, and the couple became even more excited. We accepted their invitation and the wife gave us her phone number and address. We parted ways and promised to see each other soon.
After discussing the that possibility of being kidnapped, while possible, was worth the risk, we took a taxi to the address we were given. When we got there, we saw that they had invited other family and friends; at one point, there were 15 people in their living room and the food was delicious! Anyway, the wife later explained that since her sons were all grown, she and her husband get lonely and now she feels like she has 4 new daughters :]. She also explained that the two of them traveled all over the world and since they had always been received so graciously in the countries they visited, they wanted to pay it forward and extend that same hospitality to those who are visiting Taipei. She's now invited us to come with her to a hotspring and other fun activites in Taipei. Case in point, because of the numerous turn of the events that got me on that crowded bus, I may have never met a woman who needed us just as much as we needed her.
Every time I stop and think about each day's events, I am filled with gratitude and peace in knowing that I am where I'm supposed to be right now. From meeting my wonderful new friends from around the world to learning more about the beautiful Taiwanese culture to finding opportunites to share the gospel to my new friends, I am in often left in awe when I realize how much the Lord had prepared me for this experience.
Next time, I'll share pictures and summaries from our outings to Taipei Zoo, one of the Beitou hot springs and Shi-Lin Night Market. For now, it's off to a night of dancing after a long day at orientation! :]
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