two years ago

Two years ago  . . . on January 15, 2008  . . . a very dear friend of ours, had lunch with Lawrance and asked him to consider asking me out.  That night he did.

We know that our Loving Heavenly Father is the ultimate matchmaker, but we are BOTH so very grateful to our friend Corrina helping (ok, begging) Lawrance to consider Amanda as a potential partner.

You see, Corrina was special.  Unlike many other people I’d share my longings to be married with, Corrina wouldn’t promise me that “one day I’d find someone.”  She never spouted out trite phrases in an effort to comfort me and then change the topic.  Nor did she, as some actually did, tell me that I was better off single because I had more freedom and could do as I pleased.

Instead, Corrina would look at me and say, “I want you to be married too.  Marriage is so good.  You’d love it so much.”

She delighted in her own marriage and felt free to share that delight with me a hurting single.  It wasn’t bragging.  It didn’t hurt me more.  In fact, it was truly comforting because she was longing for me right along side me.  Empathizing.

After one night of some deep empathy and tears, I openly asked Corrina for help.  “If you know anyone who you think might make a good husband for me, please introduce us.”

Her reply that night (Jan. 14, 2008) was “Amanda, I think you need to go to a bigger church.  Go out, meet more people.”  But that night after I left, her heart was heavy as she prayed to God for me asking for wisdom in how to help her friend.

The next day . . . totally unplanned, she bumped into and then had lunch with Lawrance, and half way through, she suddenly thought “ah ha, it’s you!”

The rest is history.  Blissful, beautiful history. :)

Us with Corrina, our matchmaker, after our Taiwanese ceremony

offensive toothpaste

Anyone who has been in Taiwan (and several other Asian countries) for any length of time has seen “Darlie” toothpaste, which is still named “black man” in Chinese (hēi rén, 黑人).

It used to be named “Darkie” in English, but when Colgate acquired the company in the mid-80’s, after protests from civil-rights activists, they changed the English name to “Darlie” and the face of the man on the front changed as well, but the Chinese name remains “black man.”

Darkie Toothpaste Over the Years by sinosplice on flickr

This is a very common and well-liked toothpaste brand in Taiwan.

So, when Lawrance and I were out looking for a souvenir for me to take home to our sweet nephews I didn’t think twice when I first saw the pencil case below.  There where all kinds of knock-offs of different bottles and tubes–toothpaste, ketchup, chocolate, and so on–that had been converted into pencil bags with pencil sharpeners hidden in the caps.  So creative!

But, when I looked again at the Darlie knock-off I actually gasped.  Do you see it? The character has been replaced with a photo of Obama and Darlie was changed to “Change.”  Lawrance tried to get a photo while I talked to the store owner and actually took a video, so the photo is captured from a cell phone’s video, so it is a bit unclear.  But, on the actual pencil bag the the image is clearly Obama.

I was shocked and speechless.

apo

Us with Lawrance's Apo

Lawrance with Apo

I’m so used to using the euphemism “gone to be with the Lord” to talk about someone who has slipped from this world into eternity, and it pains me that I can’t to described a loved one’s recent death.  The sad reality is that when Lawrance’s grandmother, his Apo, died Wednesday she didn’t know the Lord.

This my first time to deal with the death of a loved one who didn’t trust in Jesus for salvation. The hope I can usually cling to at times like this is strikingly absent.

We went back to the homestead yesterday to the viewing (which will take place all week), and Lawrance will go to the funeral next week on Tuesday and Wednesday (without me since I’ll be in the States).  The funeral will most definitely be very religious and full of worship but none to the most high God.  Please pray for Lawrance and his family too.

Most funerals in Taiwan use white as the color of death, but for Apo they are using red since she died at 88 years old (89 by Chinese calendar).   Red at a funeral signifies that there is joy that she lived to such an old age.  Five generations (her and her husband count as the first) are listed on the red death announcement that will be given to friends and family.  She has lived a very hard life and worked very hard for her family.  She lived her entire life in Meinong, and in those 88 years witnessed much change to her town and her country.

She deserves to be remembered, respected, and honored but not worshiped.  Again, I ask that you pray for Lawrance this week as his family gathers to worship their deceased loved one.

laura story

Laura Story is a new-to-me artist, and I am loving her Great God Who Saves cd.
In addition to loving the style of music she writes and plays, perhaps another reason I like it so much is that I can relate SO well.

In fact, I think Laura has been peaking into my journal!  I mean seriously!!  The lyrics in her songs often capture EXACTLY what I’m thinking and feeling.

Here is my current favorite song that gets played over and over:

My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused. I see the things You do through me as great things I have done. And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me and hold me as my Father and mold me as my Maker.

[Chorus]:
I ask you: “How many times will you pick me up, when I keep on letting you down? And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abound?” And you answer: ” My child, I love you. And as long as you’re seeking My face, You’ll walk in the pow’r of My daily sufficient grace.”
At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged, knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job. For who am I to serve You? I know I don’t deserve You. And that’s the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on.

[Chorus] +You are so patient with me, Lord!

As I walk with You, I’m learning what Your grace really means. The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary.  So, instead of trying to repay You, I’m learning to simply obey You by giving up my life to you For all that You’ve given to me.

[Chorus]

You can hear several of her songs on her MySpace page.

another wedding

No, no, not another one for us.  We’ve already had two–that’s enough for one lifetime! :)

Yu-Hong and Cindy

Lawrance’s brother, Yu-hong and his long time girlfriend, Cindy are tying the knot before this Chinese New Year.

We’ve been encouraging them to get married for a long time–they started dating a few years before us.  Within the last week they’ve planned to have their engagement ceremony on Jan 24th and their wedding ceremony Feb 7th.  Lawrance’s mom was like “what is up with my sons and their fast weddings?”

We took three months from the time we decided to get married to the time we actually had our wedding; they are doing it in just weeks.

Two major ceremonies in two different cities, hundreds of guests and less than a month of planning!  Plus all the other details that must be attended to to make both families happy.  Wow . . . I don’t envy them at all.  However, I am SO happy they have decided to get married.  They make such a great couple.

In fact, Lawrance and I were so confident that one day Cindy would be family that I invited her to be in our Taiwanese wedding even though I didn’t know her very, very well at the time.

Yu-Hong and Cindy at our Taiwanese Wedding

Why the rush for before Chinese New Year?  Well, it’s more auspicious.  You see odd numbers are bad for marriage–everything should be even (2, 6, 8–but of course not 4, a homophone for death).  Even numbers are good for marriage–even numbers symbolize that the two will stay together.  After Chinese New Year, Yu-Hong will be considered 29 and Cindy 31.  29 is especially bad (as are all years ending a decade).

There are so many levels of culture to this that would make a non-Taiwanese person’s head spin.

1. YuHong is actually, right now according to his date of birth and Western counting, 27 (an odd number).
2. His birthday is Dec 25th.  So, he will not be 29 according to his date of birth until Dec 25, 2011.
3. But, you have to factor in an extra year for time spent in the womb.
4. Then, you must remember that you get a year older during the Chinese New Year–not on your birthday.

Years ago, I would have thought and thought about this, and the illogicality of it all would have bothered me, but now I think “well, I’m happy for them.  Marriage is good.”

The only sad part of this good news is that . . . I won’t be there.  I’m leaving a week from today to head back to America for three weeks.  So, I’ve instructed Lawrance to take lots of photos for me. :)

Update: Yu-hong and Lawance’s grandmother passed away on Jan 12, so Yu-hong and Cindy’s wedding will be postponed.  To counter the “bad luck” of getting married in a bad year, they had to consult with a fortune teller to help them pick a very, very auspicious wedding date. So, the lunar calendar date of Feb 2nd was chosen–2/2–a good day for couples.  Ironically this is April 4th–4/4–on the Gregorian calendar.  Ironic not in an amusing way, but in a sad way as it reveals just how futile man’s thinking can be.

welcome to our new blog!!

Lawrance and I are excited about our new blog . . . well, at least I am.  I’m sure he wishes I’d take care of the ever growing mound of laundry rather than mess with plugins and widgets.  :)

I think that I have nearly all our boxes unpacked at our new home here on the world wide web. :)

There are still a few things I need to do after I’ve finished grading finals and tackled that mound of laundry:

1. delete some of the imported posts
2. clean up some of the important imported posts that came over with funky formatting
3. on important posts fix the links that point to the old typepad blog
4. create our about pages
5. clean up the categories
6. bring over the rest of our engagement/wedding blog stuff before our typepad account closes

But, most of the pixels have settled, and we are ready to start blogging from our new home.

Thanks for joining us!!  And please remember to update your links and grab the new feed!

a new year, a new blog

Lawrance and I have started a new blog called "Wuhoo!"  Lawrance picked out the name, and I love it because it includes our last name as well as incorporates a feeling of joy.

Before my year-long contract finishes with Typepad in mid-January, I thought I'd move all 920 blogs and 2745  comments to our new blog. I know that means I lose lots in the realm of being connected and seo-whathaveyous, but since that's not so important to us, that's ok . . . and, currently, all internal links are broken because they will soon point to a soon to be missing blog.  So, some maintenance and tweaking is still needed.


I love the concept behind following an unknown path, and I've loved having this little corner of the web to myself, but it's time for a change.  So . . . we're making a change.


The wuhoo! feed is new, so if you'd like to continue getting updates from us in your feed reader, you will need to visit us at wuhoo! and grab the new feed.  We would also appreciate you updating any links to us you may have on your blog/site.

And, of course, even though we aren't quite settled in yet and even though the pixels are still flying due to us still being the process of "setting up house," we'd love to have you come over, take a look around, and say hi at our new "wu family blog"--Wuhoo!!