The Result

Isaiah did a great job... He made it into the final competition and placed 11th overall. There were 75 students to start off with and then they selected 19 to be in the afternoon final competition. They posted the result this evening.  They listed Isaiah as "4th Place" but then they wanted to encourage all the final participants. Thus, they had 1 -- first place, 3 -- second place, 4 -- third place, 5 -- fourth place, and 6 -- fifth place "winners". The students are listed in a particular order which we think is the actual ranking based on their overall score.  On that list, Isaiah was the 11th student listed.  Isaiah said he had fun.  Although he was not as pleased with his result since he was hoping to place in the top 7, he did try his best.  We are glad he made it into the afternoon final competition.  It was a very long day for him and Alan. I couldn't go as I was with Abby since she had her morning Pre-AP English class and then in the afternoon she went with the church youth group to a nursing home. 

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Be The Best You Can Be

Well, Abby had her English Reading Contest this afternoon and she came in first.  All week she has been practicing, reading the three articles, trying to say the words correctly and with feelings.  We were not allowed to go in to observe as we were told that the other contestants become more nervous with us there.  So, we were praying for her.  I'm so glad to know that she came in first.

Tomorrow will be Isaiah's Speech Contest for Northern Taiwan. The first part will be a prepared speech and the second part will be the impromptu speech.  You have to do well in the first part in order to be selected to go on to the second part.  I will let you know the result.  Whatever happens we just want him to try his best and do it for the glory of God.

A quote from one of our favorite coaches --


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Thanks for Being My Kids

Thursdays always go by much faster.

The kids had piano lesson in the morning and they have improved so much.  They select the songs that they like to learn and our sweet piano teacher, Christina, seem to work miracles as the kids learn one song after another.

This afternoon they had to go and get their braces adjusted. Isaiah's mouth now has a contraption of sort and Abby has braces on all her teeth.  The braces are really working.  They still have a few gaps as they wait for their permanent teeth to come down. 

In the evening, they both had to go to their cram school.  Abby was able to come home earlier so I didn't have time for my usual Thursday evening run. Oh well...

Now, it's raining outside and the kids are heading off to bed.

Tomorrow Abby will be participating in the English Reading Contest.  On Saturday, Isaiah will be involved in the Speech Contest.  Last year he didn't make it into the finals. So, we will see how he does this time.  He is presently in the shower, practicing his speech -- My Favorite Book.

I am so glad to have them as my kids.

 

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Being a Kid Again

I am teaching part time at Soochow University.  Tonight the students had to do a group project based on the lesson related to CHILDHOOD.  I asked them to lead and teach a childhood song, explain and play a childhood game and read a childhood story. 

It was such a fun evening. I am not sure how they enjoyed it, but I had a ball. We sang Incy Wincy Spider, Mary Had A Little Lamb, Hokey Pokey, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Old MacDonald, BINGO and This Old Man.  We played Big Wind Blow, Hangman, Red Light/Green Light, and 1, 2, 3, Wooden Man.  We read Clifford the Big Red Dog, The Tooth Decay, and Green Eggs and Ham.  The students took pictures and I'm sure some of them will end up on FB.  For 1, 2, 3, Wooden Man, the team decided to add one more rule -- when we stop, we had to put ourselves in a stylish pose...

What FUN!!!



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Isaiah's High School Education

I am already thinking about what to do for Isaiah's high school education.  It seems to be so far away but yet it is not.  In less than 8 months, Isaiah would be starting high school.

Here in Taiwan junior high school students are required to take a MAJOR exam in order to be placed into a senior high school.  If you don't score well, then you can look into going to a vocational senior high school or a private senior high school.  This test is very difficult, covering all three years of junior high school in five major subjects -- Chinese (including an essay), Social Studies, English, Math and Science (Biology, Chemistry and some Physics).  The students take three practice tests from September to February of their 9th grade year. In two weeks, Isaiah will be taking the second set of practice tests.  For his first practice tests, he did not do well.  We thought he did well, but not compared with what he needs to do in order to enter a high school that's in our area.  We also want to consider homeschooling Isaiah when he enters high school.  But how can he get a high school diploma if we homeschool him?  We need to find a local senior high school that will accept him and allow him to do part-time homeschooling while providing a diploma for him. This is a near impossible task.  I will start visiting different high schools to find out what are the possibilities. 

I still remember Isaiah as a pre-schooler. 

How I wish I could rewind the time and go back to those days.

Christmas 2002

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Alan's Basketball Tournament

Alan has been gone down south since Friday night. Needless to say, I have not slept well in these past three days.  I think I've slept a total of 18 hours in three days... I was walking and riding around in a daze today.  God sustained me. 

Alan will be back tonight. We were hoping for a 7-peat. BUT... Soochow Faculty and Staff Basketball Team did NOT win!  WAHHHHH... In fact, they lost by 5 points.  I will hear all about it tonight when we pick him up at the MRT Station right near our house. He did not get injured but said that he is sore.  He has been training by doing sprints for the past month, losing about 2 kilos in the process. I can't imagine how many kilos he has lost in the last 3 days. 

Here are a few pictures from last year --

They are showing the number 6!

And 101 is 2012! 

So, 2013 is 102!

 

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Hope for A Broken World

Today was the last Prayer Walk for 2013.  The focus was God's Light. 

 

John 8:12

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

We listened to a beautiful song by the group Selah, entitled, Hope for A Broken World, based on the verse from Isaiah 60:1 --

“Arise, shine; for your light has come,
And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iAdoc3tLbQ

 

As we enter into the month of December and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, may we be reminded of Who He Is and Why He Came!  May our lives shine for Him! 

Emmanuel -- God with us!

 

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