writtensoul [dot] net

At the end of my missions trip to Manila last summer, I wrote down one of my prayers and stuck it in my Bible.  Here’s a piece of it.

My God, I confess that I turn a blind eye when I buy clothes or food, not thinking about the wages of the people making the clothes in sweatshops.  Give me discernment to know where to shop and where to buy things to better support them rather than supporting companies which [do the opposite]…help me to steward my money wisely, give generously, and use it to the support the poor in their situation.

One of the verses that really stuck out to me was James 5:4 – “Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you.  The cries of the harvesters have reached the Lord Almighty”.  There were a lot of things that God taught me that summer, but one thing that I really took home was how to better steward my money to further God’s kingdom.

So, how does this have anything to do with being a Steazer? And what is a Steazer anyway?

continue reading »

I am leaving tomorrow to return to the States.  So, I figured I’d make a list of the top 10 things I’ll miss about Taiwan.

continue reading »

I remember my first introduction to bubble tea was when I visited my brother for the first time in Houston.  I was amazed at the list of different fruity flavors I could choose to mix with black or green tea and large black chewy tapioca balls (called boba or bubbles).  When I returned to Maryland and Nashville where the bubble tea scene is severely lacking, I was disappointed in the lack of selection and the outrageous prices.

Little did I know that there is so much beyond even the best bubble tea shop in Houston.  Oh, so much more.  Here in Taiwan, you almost literally can’t go an entire street block without walking past a tea shop.  In more crowded areas, usually even more than just one tea shop.

continue reading »

On Saturday, Deborah and I went on a day trip to San Xing (a nearby town in Yilan County) which is about a half-hour drive away. We weren’t sure what we were getting ourselves into after they picked us up from our apartment, but the next thing we knew we were stopping at a grocery store and buying a fisherman’s net and a pack of eggs.  We had no idea what we were using these for but we didn’t ask questions.

continue reading »

Lately, I’ve been checking out a lot of new coffee shops.  When I’m not in school, I like to study Chinese.  Unfortunately, if I’m anywhere near my computer or in my bedroom, I get absolutely nothing done.  So, I’ve been trying to find some good coffee shops where I can study Chinese and sip on some deliciousness.

continue reading »