Our computer got a virus, so there is no computer (and therefore no internet) at home. So I'm writing this from college. Which is why it will be a very short update.

College is going well so far. Honors Seminar is strange in that it's such an undefined topic. Honors Government is frustrating because of my raving liberal nut proffessor, but at the same time I don't mind too much because he's got a well organized class, and has laid out the pathway to an "A" pretty clearly. Honors Music Apprication is fun (the professor is cool) and doesn't seem like it will take much work. General Cell Bio. is fun to read (the textbook) but the professor isn't all that great. "Read the first couple or three chapters" he tells us for the weekend. Or "Science is what scientist do." Huh? Is it two or three chapters? And you can't use the word your defining in the definition (duh!)

Still, I'm having a good time and understanding stuff...course it's only the first week, so we'll see what I have to say about 8 weeks down the line.

For now that's all. Love y'all, bye.

Baseball is REALLY boring.

Mind numbingly boring.

Like, I mean, BORING.

Howdy there again folks. I've been home for three two weeks now! It's amazing really...feels like I've been home longer than that...and Taiwan really seems another life away. I am enjoying being with my family more than can be said. Being at the dojo is wonderful...my kata and fighting need a lot of work, but it's just great to be there. Drinking Swan's milk is of course awesome. And I've started working at Gym City again, which is really fun...I'd kinda forgotten how much I missed working there.

At the same time, I REALLY, SUPER miss Taiwan! I miss Chinese (a LOT!) And I miss how I had everything back in Taiwan figured out! I'm having to go through setting everything back up for life in the states...bank, phone, college, car insurance...even where I hang my clothes! Not to mention the team...esp hanging out with Drew. And of course all my friends in 金門.

Chera has been visiting us for the past week. We've been having a hoot with her. A few days ago we went to see Over the Hedge...I liked it. Nothing really original in the plot or anything, but it had fun and interesting characters, so it was still an enjoyable watch.

I took a CLEP test on Friday so I can get out of taking Freshmen Comp. Since it's with an essay I won't be getting my score back for a few weeks. If I did good on the multiple choice answer part of the test then I'll get 3 credit hours for Comp I. If I also get a good score on my essey then I'll get 6 credit hours for Comp I and Comp II. Tuesday I went to TCC and took the Chinese test, which I passed with 100 points. So I'll be going into the intermediate class during the second half of the semester.

Ok, I've got to go to bed now. It's almost 11 o'clock. To Samuel living in 金門 that would mean almost nothing, but to the Samuel at home with Dad wanting everybody in bed at a decent hour, that means it's night-night time.

I’m back home! YEA! It’s really awesome being back home…and really strange. Everything is in English! Everybody is fat! (really fat) All the kids speak perfect English…and none of them stare at me as I walk past.

I’m having a hoot being with the family again. Yesterday I went with BJ and Anna to Eggberts and had lunch and then we went to the theater, met up with Ethan and watched Pirates 2: Dead Man’s Chest. Wow…that was really cool. I can’t wait for the next one. Then we went to karate class, which was really cool. It was awesome to see all the folks I haven’t seen in so long. And man, I’ve got a lot of work to do in karate to get my kata and fighting back up to the level is used to be at. Today and tomorrow we don’t have many big plans…then Thursday I’m hoping to go into Tulsa and take my Chinese test….(pray for that!)

Getting home was interesting. I got in on a flight from Taiwan to LAX on stand by. I asked them about my flights on to Tulsa and they said “no time! Just go to the Delta desk at LAX and they will get it worked out for you!” So I ran (literally) to catch the plane and when I landed in LAX there was no flight for me. Delta didn’t want to mess with my ticket because it was from China Airlines. China Airlines didn’t want to mess with it because it was for a Delta flight. I had to run back and forth between their counters about eighty million times. But finally I got a flight for the next morning. They wouldn’t pay for my hotel that night (drat) but really, paying a total of $85 in order to get home two weeks early isn’t a bad trade off.

Ok, I’ve got to go now. Bye y’all!

About this time last week I was getting really frustrated with the ABC's and King Car...I went running and was listening to my "running" mix on my ipod...this song started playing. It discribed my situation so well that I listened to it like three more times.

So here it is. Parts that apply to me are in bold.

By Myself---Linkin Park


What do I do to ignore them behind me?
Do I follow my instincts blindly?
Do I hide my pride / from these bad dreams
And give in to sad thoughts that are maddening?
Do I / sit here and try to stand it?
Or do I / try to catch them red - handed?
Do I trust some and get fooled by phoniness,
Or do I trust nobody and live in loneliness?
Because I can’t hold on / when I’m stretched so thin
I make the right moves but I’m lost within
I put on my daily façade but then
I just end up getting hurt again

by myself [myself]
I ask why, but in my mind
I find I can’t rely on myself

[myself]
I ask why, but in my mind
I find I can’t rely on myself

I can’t hold on
To what I want when I’m stretched so thin
It’s all too much to take in
I can’t hold on
To anything watching everything spin
With thoughts of failure sinking in

If I
Turn my back I’m defenseless
And to go blindly seems senseless
If I hide my pride and let it all go on / then they’ll
Take from me ‘till everything is gone
If I let them go I’ll be outdone
But if I try to catch them I’ll be outrun
If I’m killed by the questions like a cancer
Then I’ll be buried in the silence of the answer

[by myself]
[myself]
I ask why, but in my mind
I find I can’t rely on myself
[myself]
I ask why, but in my mind
I find I can’t rely on myself

I can’t hold on
To what I want when I’m stretched so thin
It’s all too much to take in
I can’t hold on
To anything watching everything spin
With thoughts of failure sinking in

How do you think / I’ve lost so much
I’m so afraid / I’m out of touch
How do you expect / I will know what to do
When all I know / Is what you tell me to
Don’t you (know)
I can’t tell you how to make it (go)
No matter what I do, how hard I (try)
I can’t seem to convince myself (why)
I’m stuck on the outside

How do you think / I’ve lost so much
I’m so afraid / I’m out of touch
How do you expect / I will know what to do
When all I know / Is what you tell me to
Don’t you (know)
I can’t tell you how to make it (go)
No matter what I do, how hard I (try)
I can’t seem to convince myself (why)
I’m stuck on the outside

I can’t hold on
To what I want when I’m stretched so thin
It’s all too much to take in
I can’t hold on
To anything watching everything spin
With thoughts of failure sinking in

I can’t hold on
To what I want when I’m stretched so thin
It’s all too much to take in
I can’t hold on
To anything watching everything spin
With thoughts of failure sinking...




*grins* But that's all ok now...'cause God pulled me out of that situation. :) Now I should probably go talk to Fuga and see what he's done about my ticket...

Wow. God is truly amazing. Sometimes I get a little bit annoyed with the statement "God did something I could never have even imagined." 'cause I'm like "oh come on, surely you could have at least imagined it!"

But God has done something that I truly never could have imagined. Perhaps those of you who have not worked with King Car will not totally understand this next part, but those of you who have most certainly will.

God has worked things out so that left the ABC camps before the scheduled time and if things work out as far as re-scheduling my ticket, I will even be going home early. And yet I still have a good relationship with King Car. I am leaving with their consent and even support.

This is truly impossible. This simply doesn't happen. Perhpas sometime I'll write out the story of what happened in ABC camps and why it was that Ginger and I needed to leave and how God worked everything out for us...but not now. Now I'm going to go have lunch.

And tonight I can sleep without worrying which ABC is out getting drunk...

I'm leaving.

This place I love, these people I love...tomorrow I'm leaving it all. Today has been rather strange...I'll be walking down the street and suddenly it will hit me...this is probably the last time I'll walk down this street for a long time. A friend will wave at me and I'll wave back, wondering if I'll ever see that person again. I went to the candy store today to get some prizes for camp and there was Banana, one of my students from Sunday school. I bought him some candy too...who knows when I'll have the chance to do that again?

I went to church after camp today and said goodbye to Joy and Samuel and Lin and Kuyu. That was tough...really tough. Then I just went into the church and sat there for a while. I know it's just a building, but that place means a lot to me. Then I had to go say good bye to Lucy. I stayed at her place for about and hour and then had to leave. As I walked away she yelled after me "Samuel! The fog is big!" (long story...BJ will probably get it though)

I stopped by my favorite fruit stand and bought an apple on the way home and said good bye to the owner. There's so many small friendship like that that I have here that make it so hard to leave. I got to thinking about it the other day...I literally know several thousand people here on this island.

The closer I get to leaving, the greater my longing for my home back in the States becomes. I can't wait to get to the Tulsa airport and see my family. I can't wait to drink Swan's Dairy milk. I can't wait to bow into the dojo at BattleCreek.

Tired.

Hating King Car.

Missing Andrew, Lucas, Megan and Rebekah.

Wishing Andrew was leading this camp and I was just a follower, like we usually do.

Not wanting to leave Kinmen this Saturday.

Wanting to go home as soon as I do leave Kinmen.

Pray for me please. Pray that I keep my focus on serving the people I'm leading.

Random thoughts of a guy who should be in bed:

--One of the coolest compliments you can get is when somebody who has good English chooses to speak Chinese to you. Recently Kiwi (who lived in the States for many years and has almost perfect English) had several conversations with me in Chinese. *grins* Then tonight Annie, a math teacher who lived in England for many years, held a very long conversation with me in Chenglish. *big grin again*

--Aboriganals really got all the good looks. Seriously.

--There's some kids who lived near the Jr. high that love to say "hello!" to any of us that walk by. It can make your day to have 4 or 5 three year olds running in your direction yelling "hello!" and giving you a high five.

--A little further down the same road is a group of kids who love to arrest me. One time they asked me where I was going and I told them I was going to steal a pizza. Ever since then they all come running when they see me and shoot me and yell at me and yell for the police. Last week they tied me up with a rope they had near hand and tried to drag me into their house (I didn't really want to go into their house, so I slipped out of the rope...it wasn't exactly tied tightly).

--BJ, did I tell you that they've torn down the termite building at church? And started construction on the new one? :)

--Gossip may not be right, but it certainly is interesting at times.

--I had super with Claudia and Normal on Friday night. It's really fun to hang out with people who are obviously in love but they can be in the same room without being totally wrapped up in each other to the point that nobody else can talk to them. Norman and Claudia are a really cool couple and I'm going to miss hanging out with them.

--Some jokes only make sense in Chinese. Picture this: smelly fish vender falls on top of flower expert. She says "Wow, you smell so beatiful!" He replies "You are so...so...hello." In Chinese that's halarious. In English it doesn't make any sense.

--I want to fight. I haven't been fighting enough lately. I can't wait to get home and get back into karate!

--Mr. 張, the coolest teacher I've ever worked with, says he's going to retire in a year or two. Drat. I was hoping he might still be teaching when I got back from college. 'Course he's been teaching for something like 40 years, so I guess if he wants to retire he can.

--I just had a good talk to Joh E about plans for large group during camps. He had some really good ideas and it was good to just talk my plans over with somebody as well. I feel like I've got a better grasp on what it is I'm going to be doing now.

--I'm experiancing more fear over going back to the States than I ever had about coming to Taiwan. I think culture shock is going to be really big this time...after only six months I had a lot of culture shock last year. Oh boy.

--Reviewed our summer sceduale with Ginger last night. Looks like we'll have at least one day a week (or most of a day) for resting. Thank you God!

--Last Wednesday I had to say good-bye to my Wednesday night high school class. That was really, really hard. Lots of crying.

--It looks like I might actually be able to fit all my stuff into my suitcases. Wow.

--Nothing feels better than going to Lucy's and getting a mesage. Nothing.

--For the week I'm doing camps in Kinmen I really, really hope we can get our boxed lunches from Monkey's. I'm going to miss that place a lot when I leave.

--Susan is going to be at the High School dorm next year. It's really strange to think of the dorm without her.

--I'm excited about Chera being in Oklahoma when I get home. But I hope I'm actually alive enough at that point to get to visit with her.

--Tomorrow is my last day at 金湖...is that a good thing or a bad thing? I'm not sure. I'm certainly not going to miss teaching there, but there's some really, really cool kids at that school. I'm going to miss classes 501 and 504. I'm not going to miss 502.

--I'm going to bed now. Good night!

Deep Conversations with a 5th grader

5th grade girl: "Oh my, Samuel has chest hair!" (for your information, I was wearing a polo shirt and the top two buttons were undone...I was not walking around school without a shirt on) "Chest hair is disgusting."

Me: "No, it's really handsome!"

5th grade girl: "I think it's disgusting. But lots of girls think it's really manly."

Another 5th grade girl: "Why do foreigners have so much chest hair anyway?"

5th grade girl: "It's 'cause they're more closely related to monkeys."

Me: "We didn't come from monkeys!"

5th grade girl: "Yes we do!"

Me: "You really think we came from monkeys?"

5th grade girl: "If not, then where did we come from? What, did God create it all?"

Me: "Of course!"

5th grade girl: "Well, if God created it all, then what about hobbits?"

EasyWay girls are STUPID. Apparently God spent so much time giving them good looks that he forgot to insert their brains.

Last week during Chinese class Joy decided to buy drinks for us. So she used Rebekah's phone to call and order. About HALF AN HOUR later they call and ask "where are you guys again?" Now this is rather strange, considering that their drink stands is with TEN FEET of the Jr. High.

"You don't know where the Jr. high is?" Rebekah asked in amazment.

"Oh, I know that. But how do I get in?"

" You don't know where the entrance is?"

"No."

Now this is also supprising, considering that she could follow the big sign that says "Jing Chun Jr. High school, this way" with an arrow pointing in the right direction. Apparently this was too hard for her to understand.

So Rebekah gives her very detailed instructions, THREE TIMES, on how to get to the entrance. She then has to give detailed instructions several times on how to find the dorm (it would seem that "next to the gym" was stretching her mental abilities and it took awhile to sink in).

HALF AN HOUR later, she finally shows up. And of cousre, she has no change. The total was NT$215, and we were having a little trouble coming up with exact change, so I offered her $220. And the idoit had the nerve to refuse!

Or perhaps she couldn't do that math to figure out I was giving her five NT. Yea, that's probably it.

Ok Mom, remember that song "Fairy Tale" that you like? Here's what happens if you plug it into an online translator...lol.

Fairy tale - Wang Kuangliang
How long forgot to have has not heard to you to me to say again you most loved the story I had thought very was long I to start to fluster is I is mistakenly any
---------------------------
you to cry to me to say perhaps in the fairy tale all was I which deceived people is impossible is your prince you can understand from you said will like me later my sky star all shining
---------------------------
me to be willing that angel which turned in the fairy tale you to love to open both hands to turn the wing to protect your you to have believed we could like in the fairy tale story happiness and are joyful are result
--------------------------
I must turn that angel which in the fairy tale you loved to open both hands Turns the wing to protect your you to have believed we can like in the fairy tale story happiness and joyful are result
--------------------------
I can turn that angel which in the fairy tale you loves to open both hands to turn the wing to protect your you to have believed we can like in the fairy tale story happiness and are joyful are the result write our result together

ROFLOL! That's just too funny for words. Below I've written my own translation, which makes a little more sense. :)

I've forgotten how long it's been since you told your favorite story to me.
I thought about this for a long time, and began to panic. Is it that I've done something wrong again?
You were crying when you told me that the fairly tale was all a lie, and that I couldn't possibly be your prince.
Perhaps you don't understand that from the day you told me you loved me, the stars in my sky have been shining brightly.

Chorus: I wish* I could change into the angel from the story that you love, and open my arms as wings to be your gaurdian.
You should believe that we can be like the fairy tale, and have a "happy ever after" ending.

*second time "want" third time "can".

And finally, here it is in Chinese.

忘了有多久 再沒聽到你 對我說你最愛的故事
我想了很久 我開始慌了 是不是我又做錯了甚麼
# 你哭著對我說 童話裡都是騙人的 我不可能是你的王子
也許你不會懂 從你說愛我以後 我的天空星星都亮了

我願變成童話裡 你愛的那個天使 張開雙手 變成翅膀守護你
你要相信 相信我們會像童話故事裡 幸福和快樂是結局

Repeat #我要變成童話裡 你愛的那個天使 張開雙手 變成翅膀守護你
你要相信 相信我們會像童話故事裡 幸福和快樂是結局

我會變成童話裡 你愛的那個天使 張開雙手 變成翅膀守護你
你要相信 相信我們會像童話故事裡 幸福和快樂是結局 一起寫我們的結局

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA!

Girl, I really miss you. Often when we're all together as a family it seems like somebody is missing...there will always be an empty spot in our home. But I'm sure you're doing a lot better up there. I love you and happy birthday!

PS Had you lived I suspect that my birthday card to you would have been late. So I thought it fitting that this message also be late. ;-)

from http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/06/09/molester.execution.ap/index.html?section=cnn_latest

Oklahoma is 5th state to OK death for repeat molesters
Legal scholars doubt law is constitutional

Friday, June 9, 2006; Posted: 11:36 p.m. EDT (03:36 GMT)

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (AP) -- Oklahoma on Friday became the fifth state to allow the death penalty for certain sex crimes, although legal scholars questioned the constitutionality of the new state law.

Under the measure signed by Gov. Brad Henry, anyone convicted twice for rape, sodomy or lewd molestation involving children under 14 can face the death penalty.

South Carolina's governor signed a similar law on Thursday allowing the death penalty for offenders convicted twice of raping children younger than 11. Louisiana, Florida and Montana also have laws allowing the death penalty for certain sex crimes.

Defense attorneys and death penalty experts said the laws defy recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have scaled back the death penalty's application.

Barbara Bergman, president of the Washington-based National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said Supreme Court decisions have made it clear that the death penalty is reserved for someone who has taken another life.

"I'm not saying that raping a child is not a horrible crime, but no one has died," said Bergman, who was part of the defense team that avoided the death penalty for Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols following his 2004 conviction on 161 murder counts.

David Brook, a law professor at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, said the measure might actually put a child rape victim's life at risk.

"The last message you want to give an offender who has the life of a child in his hands is you might as well kill the child because he's already got the death penalty," said Brook, who runs the Virginia Capital Case Clearing House, which assists lawyers in death penalty cases. "This is a very stupid message."

No one convicted of a sex offense has been executed since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment 30 years ago, though one inmate is on death row in Louisiana following his 2003 conviction for raping an 8-year-old girl.

South Carolina's new law is named for 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, a Florida girl who was kidnapped, raped and suffocated last year by a registered sex offender.

"Jessie's Law is about sending a very clear message that there are some lines you do not cross, and that if those lines are crossed the penalties will be severe," said South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.

---------------------------------

This brings up several issues about which I feel rather strong.

1 The phrase "repeat child molester" should be something of a joke. After the first time they ought to throw out the key. Same goes for rape.

2 Rape or molestation is a horrible, aweful crime, yes. But I'm afraid I have taken a different side on this issue. I am opposed to death penalty for anything other than murder. While rape is horrible, no life was taken. Some might argue that emotionally it can be compared to murder, but I would hold otherwise. A rape person can still laugh, can still feel the wind, and still enjoy life. It's certainly difficult, but it is possible to move on. There isn't any "moving on" after you die. There's no counciling that's going to bring you back to your loved ones once you are dead. So I hold that rape is not on a level with murder.

In addition to that, I don't see that we have the right to use capital punishment for rapist. As my understanding of the covenent with Noah goes, God said that "whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed."

3 "I'm not saying that raping a child is not a horrible crime, but no one has died," said Bergman, who was part of the defense team that avoided the death penalty for Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols following his 2004 conviction on 161 murder counts."

Remember how important it is to maintain a good reputation. This lady just made a totally true statement that I in fact agree with. But her assosiation with a murderer renders even her TRUE statement to actually give support to the opposite side.

Ok, I'm going to bed now. Night.

Pastor Samuel and his kids (this picture about a year old).




Places, people and situations I miss summed up very well in this picture. I hate teaching elemterary. I miss Jr. high.

No time to post (I'm leaving for school in 15 minutes) but I thought I'd share this picture really quick with y'all. If you ever get the chance to go to Kenting, go! It's awesome.

I AM: A forigner. I know I should do the spiritual thing and write "a Christian" first, but seriously, that's how I'm viewed over here most of the time and it kinda gets to you after a while.
I WANT: To see my family! To speak Chinese like a native. To speak English like a native (I don't anymore)! To go see the students at 秀才. To buy a super archer coat. To see Jay, Larry, Josiah, Mr. Murry, Jason, Mrs. Murry, Alica, Mr. Garza, Brittany, Mr. Burrnett, Mark and many other karate friends. My phone to stop having problems. Half of the students (or more) in 601 to die.
I WISH: I could stay in Kinmen next year.
I HATE: That call-in talk show host that my bus driver likes to listen to. Faith Hill. John McCain.
I LOVE: My family! Chinese. Swimming. Strawberry 冰沙's. Classes 602, 604 and 504. Watching Ginger's mom teach (she's darned good at it).
I MISS: MY FAMILY!!!!!! Karate. Sparring with siblings.
I FEAR: Dead bugs.
I HEAR: Rain. It's been raining for way too long.
I WONDER: Why I don't hear anything else. Tomorrow is a holiday: are all the kids in bed already?
I REGRET: Not paying attention to God and coming to Taiwan 6 months before I did.
I AM NOT: Wearing tie-dye. For once.
I DANCE: Every once in a while. One of my classes at 金湖 has a couple girls that are always trying to get me to dance, but they will never dance with me.
I SING: At random times during class. The kids think I'm weird.
I CRY: Seldom. But I am touched easily by a touching song. (that sentance sounds strange.)
I AM NOT ALWAYS: Awake. I keep a weird sceduale.
I MAKE WITH MY HANDS: Leather tooled gifts. Juggling. Chinese characters (at about 600 of them right now!)
I WRITE: Chinese. I haven't written anything serious in English for a long, long time.
I CONFUSE: Tuesday for Wednesday. This morning I woke up and thought I was going to my Wednesday school.
I NEED: To take a shower.
I SHOULD: Unpack. Start laundry.
I START: Camps on July 1st.
I FINISH: My time with IBLP on Aug. 10th. The date cannot arrive soon enough.
I TAG: Mom.

I wish I could say that I took this picture myself. But I'm afraid I don't even know who took it. I handed my camera to some 4th graders and after it had changed hands about 20 times I got it back with this picture on it. Isn't it good?



So we went to 嘉義 and taught at a school for three days. It was a school with only kindergarten, 1, 2 and 3rd grade. Me and Kristin and Bethany taught 2nd grade. The first thing we saw on coming into the classroom was this.



These are the kids we taught (some of them). They were a hoot. But at the same time I'm glad I don't teach any younger than 3rd grade. I think I do better with older kids (I REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY MISS MY JR HIGH STUDENTS!!!!!!!!!)



During lunch break the kids enjoyed using my water-erase markers. I had everything from "Handsome guy" and "elephant" to "beautiful woman" and "old pervert" written on me by the time they finished.



I had a very good time. I got to torment innocent children



And hang out with Daniel.



And of course Megan took it all in stride.



Super cool 1st grader.



Sunrise at 阿里山.







Did I mention that it was beautiful?



Only down side was that we had to get up at 3 am.





Ok, this post has been five days in the making because of various problems with getting the pictures up. But finally here it is!

"白目啊! Some people are very 白目!"
---Joy in Chinese class today.

Back from 嘉義...had a great time, hope to post more later.