Jason--My Thoughts on Taiwan

I love this place.  I am not that fond of the whole beach thing, although it was a great experience.  The people here are amazing.  They are very service oriented and honest with your money and possessions.  If you forget and leave something somewhere you just go back and get it.  If it isn't in the same place you can just ask someone who works there and they have waiting for you.  If you try to pay to much they just give it back.  They are very prideful and will lie to save face. (So I'm told).  You can really see the start of the western influence.  They are beginning to allow the poison of stuffitis to creep in.  The people here have a great respect for us westerners but yet think that we are dumb.  However, the ways they think we are dumb are the ways they are allowing in to their society very slowly.  All in all they are people just like us.  They are dishonest in certain areas but yet have so much good within them. They generally think of gods as a bad thing.  They worship gods to try to keep them happy.  They are very ritualistic and legalistic with that.  My heart aches as I write realizing that I passed hundreds of people last night that do not know the peace that passes all understanding.  When Holly and Trena and their husbands (Reagan and Ken) spread the gospel they are faced with trying to push through this notion that God is not just and he is just a short fuse waiting to be lit so he can explode into anger.  Very sad!  It is sad for them but I also realize that often times I have and still do look at the Almighty God in the same exact way.  Very sad!  I will try hard to make it a point to share with others how loving God is.  I guess we could move here (tempting) but I know that there are so many people that I come in contact with on a regular basis that have these same problems.  I guess for now I will try to convert Cameron first!