After having been in Taipei for 7 months, I went back to the U.S. at the end of May for a 2-week mission orientation held in Staten Island. The most unexpected and missionary experience was the communal laundry. One night at the beginning of the 2nd week of our orientation, while one group was getting dinner ready, and another was setting up the dining room, another group was in the laundry room getting laundry done for 20 people with 4 washers and 4 dryers. After 5 hours, everyone had clean clothes again.
I took a 2-week vacation after the orientation; traveling to Boston, Toronto and Nantucket. All the moving around must have gotten to me because towards the end of my vacation, I actually forgot and left my AA-battery charger in Nantucket. Now I have to find out whether it is more cost effective to have it mailed to me or buy a new one. I hope this is not the beginning of a new pattern of mine.
On June 30th, I arrived back in Taipei. It is nice to be back, but a third of my congregation has also gone on vacation. In the next couple of weeks, a few more will be leaving for their summer vacation. I look forward to the middle of August when many of them will return. In the meantine, I treasure the time that I have to make preparations for the new year in the fall. Please keep me and the congregation in your prayers.
