it's cold outside

It's been a while since my last update. I decided to start this blog instead of emailing everyone so that I wouldn't bug people with the emails and also so that I could include little tidbits and thoughts from Taiwan, like a mini journal of sorts. The past few weeks have been pretty good for me. I feel like I'm finally settling in here at my apartment and with my rooommates. We have been having a great time cooking, eating and watching movies. It has been getting pretty cold over here, the temperature was in the 50's during the day earlier this week; very cold, especially with the icy cold wind in your face. Unfortunately my scooter was also stolen last week. But thankfully another missionary here is letting me use hers until I find another one because she rarely rides it.
These past two weeks I substituted for my roommate Kevin at his school. I really like working there, the kids are great except for one, and the job is much more like a teaching job back in the states rather than the cram schools they have here where each class is very fast-paced. The hours are also great. I'm still praying that I'll find a job like that one. I am also considering working part-time for an ESL magazine they have here, editing/writing articles, and recording dvds for a magazine targeted for people wanting to learn english.
Ministry-wise, Banner Church decided to end their English service this week. They said that it was not serving the Taiwanese people the way it was planned to. In it's place, they are starting an "English Club" where the foreigners and Taiwanese people can just hang out, go out for activities and just talk and practice their conversational English. My roommate Kevin and I are kind of excited for this new opportunity. We have been having great talks about ways we could minister to the people here. One of which I'm excited about, is playing music at a shopping plaza that reminds me of Third Street Promonade. We also have lots of ideas about what to do for the English club. Exciting times. Pray that things will work out.
Thanksgiving was great! I had 3 big meals spread out over two days. We had a big dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and the whole shebang on Thanksgiving day at our apartment. Two days later other missionaries hosted a Thanksgiving lunch and then that night the church had their annual Thanksgiving Dinner at a nice hotel.
That's what's been going on in a nutshell. I really appreciate all of your messages and prayers. Sorry if I take a while responding to some of them, but I will do my best.
God Bless,
Wes