Merry Christmas!

Our 4th year in Taiwan and our 1st Christmas here. Definitely different without the snow, but we are very thankful for all the blessings that God has given us.

Praying that all of you are enjoying love, joy and peace this holiday season.

With love,
Sandra, Ray, Kasper & Mayah

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Christmas, Family & Traditions

Merry Christmas everyone!

This is our first Christmas in Taiwan. It's actually been a very good reflective time for me. I think not being in North America where Christmas is so "obvious" has made me more intentional about Christmas this year. It actually has helped me to more consciously think about Christmas and the AWESOMENESS that it represents. How AMAZING that God became a human over 2000 years ago just to be closer to me....to us.

Growing up in a non-Christian home, Christmas is much more a time for family traditions than it is of Christ-centered traditions. As I've been surrounded by saints here in Taiwan, and observing different ways that their families celebrate Christmas, I've also been reflecting more about how Ray & I might want to establish traditions for our home. Especially as Kasper is becoming more aware of his surroundings.

Still not sure what that looks like, but we're starting small this year. We'll start with a telling of the Christmas Story. We'll see how that goes. Hopefully Kasper will get a little bit. Hopefully he won't just associate Christmas with 聖誕老公公 (Sheng Dan Lao Gong Gong - Santa Claus). He's been learning about Santa in pre-school.

In the meantime...here's a Christmas song that I've been finding very meaningful this Christmas...and a family picture (taken courtesy of Mrs K). Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and lots of love!

Language Woes

So I've been internally struggling lately, with what language I should speak to Kasper & Mayah with. Ray & I have leaned towards speaking Mandarin but as I try to trudge through Kasper's pre-school stories, and parent letters I realize that my Mandarin is really really terrible. How could I make that his primary language? But then I think again... Mandarin seems more useful than Cantonese, and English will just come naturally to him right? And so my internal debate continues.

I've also been trying to learn and teach Kasper various rhymes lately too. I feel like I need to inject more dialogue and stories into the boy to increase his language skills. Every day when I pick him up after school from daycare I sing him my standard 氹氹轉 (tum tum jun - spinning round and round), Jack & Jill, Eency Weency Spider while riding him home on my bike. I figure I have a captive audience. Hopefully the words will sink in SOMEtime. And in fact, I think they have. I've caught him mimicking the sound patterns of the rhymes while playing sometimes.

Meanwhile, his favorite words are still non-specific, generic words for anything: 這個 (this one), this or 好 (okay - which he often says even if it's not what he wants)

Sigh...I really wish God could give me more wisdom. It's probably what I lack most!