Wanhua Kids

I have internet again! Today, I got to take the train cross-country to arrive at my current location, a city in the middle of Taiwan. The train went along the route by the sea. It was so nice to travel out in the country - rice fields, palm trees, and veggie gardens ringed by mountains in the distance. And how lovely the flowers are here! I hardly recognize any of the plants, but things just grow and bloom and thrive like some remembrance of Eden, even in the thick of Taipei's concrete jungle. The produce is out of this world. *sigh* Then when I arrived at the train station, this cute little gramma was standing out back selling guava that she'd grown herself. (These are moments when I'm so happy my parents spoke Taiwanese to me growing up) I bought a couple and boy, were they sweet! If I move to Taipei, I will need to take a break from the city every so often.

I want to introduce some more of the folks I've met...this time, the little ones. Because Wanhua is a low-income district with lots of at-risk kids, OMF has been working to reach these kids and their families. Every other Saturday, the kids gather around when the OMF workers show up at the local park to play games with them and tell a story from Scripture. Some of the kids also participate in an afterschool kids club that OMF runs through one of the local schools. They've built strong bonds with the kids and some of the families. There's a kid I'll call Lady Di (I think I'll go with nicknames from now on instead of initials) who asked to become a Christian at a kids camp over the summer. Lately she's been acting up and there are signs that all is not well at home. More on her later. Then there's Chuckles, who lives with his gramma and has the most winsome, cheeky smile. I'll also miss Sparky, who comes running at top speed as soon as he spots us, shouting and laughing boisterously. He seems to have bonded especially with a guy I'll call Ansel, who's an intern with OMF. The kids really need male role models who'll take an interest in their lives. M says that Taiwan's young people have become a fatherless generation in the last few decades because of the high divorce rate, intense work ethic and changing economy.