Be Prepared.

Let me guess, that title makes you think: 

Or maybe it makes you think: 

Well...I'm talking about the latter. 

And before you tell me that i've lost it, and gone the way of the rest of the militant doomsayers of America, let me attempt to convince you that some (at least) of what you have been hearing is closer to the truth than any of us is comfortable with. 

Mark 13:7 and 12 say:'And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet...Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.'

Luke 21:11 states: 'And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.'

Let me start with this: 

In Oklahoma, this past year, there have been 1,061 earthquakes. In the past month, 108. Since September 17th, there have been 29 earthquakes, and four of them were today. 

(earthquaketrack.com/p/united-states/oklahoma/recent) 

Yea, they're all minor quakes, but that's an awful lot of quakes for one state in a year. 

Literally an hour ago, there was a 4.9 earthquake near Petropavlovask-Kamchatskiy, Russia, and a 5.0 near Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador.

There are others, but I'll let you find them. 

Point being, there's an awful lot of earthquakes happening around the world today. 

So, earthquakes, yea. What about famines and pestilences? What about fearful sights and great signs from the heavens?

Famines:

North Korea has stated that famine will be no more, but the likelihood of that happening is very small considering the state of their government. 

South Sudan, Africa is deep in famine, many thousands of people starve every day because of the intense civil war that has been on going since the nation declared independance three years ago. Most of Africa in general suffers from a lack of food. 

Somalia is deep in the black well of famine. 

Ethiopia is staggering under the weight of poverty. 

Famine is a real and serious thing. 

Here in Taiwan--a first world country might I remind you--children come to school, their clothes ragged and carrying a lone pencil. Their only meal that day being the lunch served them. 

That's famine too, just a very...covered up type of famine. 

Pestilences: 

California is firmly in the grasp of wildfires--again. 

Serbia was hit with a massive flash flood only six days ago.

Kashmir, Inda was struck with flooding in July. 

Hurricane Odlile struck Mexico's Baja California peninsula September 18th. 

Ebola in Africa is slowly devistating entire nations...

I think you might be getting my point. 

Do I even need to go into Mark 13:7? 

We hear every day about the war in the Middle East, Russia taking over the Ukraine, China's threat to the US...

ISIS is the new hot topic of the media today, and terrorist threats are freaking out the Pentagon and White House more than they would care for the public to know. 

Alright, alright, I'm sure you're tired of me listing the many different things going on in the world today--so here's my question for you: 

Why?

Why is this happening? 

You want the answer to that? 

Come back tomorrow. :D

(I have more research to do--it's a complicated subject, and I'm not about to give you the wrong information.) 

So for today, 

Shalom, 

Yeshua be with you!

~Marissa 

Undlitr Shoot June 2014

Wow, can't believe it took me so long to post about this!

Those of you who have read my blog have probably noticed that in the box where I describe myself, I say I am working on a film. 

Well, we finished the shoot in June of this year, but I have been so busy working and getting ready to leave the country, that I forgot to post about the shoot. 

Anyone excited to see some random pictures? 

(lol, I am. ;D) 

Basically these are some pictures from behind the scenes. Various different shoots, and on different days, but all very interesting in my opinion. 

June 1:

This was our first day officially working on the film. Here we're sorting the costumes, and making all the actor's suffer drastic costume pain from trying everything on a thousand times. We tried the tattoos for the first time that day, and ended up with a few very scary elves running around my producer's house. (Her poor mom!!) Well, i should explain the picture I suppose. Clockwise from back right, we have Jonathan McNeil staring as Noraieu when he was younger, Jerusha Coleman staring as Les`shil`na's decendent's wife, Mikaylee Bales as our amazing and talented tattoo artist, me the director, (and on this particular day, suffering from wisdom teeth loss), and last but definately not least, Samantha McNeil as our producer and the one who basically kept me on firm earth the entire month. She's amazing. 

June 12:

This was our second shoot, in the background, is the younger Coleman brother, Thomas, (hope i got his name right, there's a lot of them) staring as Lesshil's younger self, and a stand in for his brother, Hudson, who managed to forget that we were shooting that day, and ended up in Oregon when I needed him. The young man did amazing, and I can't begin to say how much I enjoyed working with him. 

Surrounding the camera are the director, producer/cinemaphotographer, and my young Noraieu, getting a good view of how things work behind the camera so that 'young Noraieu' can get it right. 

June 12 cont: 

Here, a shot of Jackie McNeil as my second cinemaphotographer, who did an amazing job shooting film for me, and I have to say, her shots were over the top beautiful. 

June 26: 

Last day of shooting. I would say this was the hardest day of all, the location was modern, and we were going for mideval, which doesn't mix very well. On top of that, I did a horrible job of scripting the scene, and in the middle of the shoot, had to rewrite it because there was too much dancing around on the set. This handsome shot is of Josiah Murphy, my older Noraieu, and he was exceptional. (Sorry about the picture being blurry, seems there's something wrong with my editing system.) Acting the Elvin King of Myremount, we crowned him with spoon handles, and his throne sat beneath a russian shawl that my sister brought back with her years ago. (not exactly what a lot of people would do in a film, but that's just what happens when you're on a budget!) 

Well, that's all for today! Hope you enjoyed it!

Shalom, 

Yeshua be with you this week!

~Marissa 

Why Church?

On people and church. 

For this post, I'm totally blaming Matthew...fellow teacher here in Taiwan. A question he posted on Facebook caught my eye, and started the gears turning in my brain again. 

So here goes:

Question: Why go to church in Taiwan? (and my added questions) Why go to church at all? What is the reason you go to church?

I wondered that very thing when I was considering coming to Tawian, and this is my conclusion:

Church.

Is it about you? About what you get from it each time, and how you feel? 

Well...I don't think so. 

Yes, going to church can be a way for you to grow, and a way to be spiritually fed each week, but that's the easy way. 

Many young people today, (me included) tend to think that they can go to church, be spiritually recharged, hang out with a few friends, and go home. That way, there is no need to read the Bible, or study on your own, because you were emotionally recharged that Sunday, and you're doing 'fine'.

But is that what God say's about our spiritual lives? 

1 Thessalonians 5:17 states: 'Pray without ceasing...' In other words, don't stop focusing your life on God. 

In that case, it isn't the Church that is supposed to be your 'spiritual food', but your every day walk with Him. 

Essentially, I believe that the point in going to church, whether in America, Taiwan, China...etc, is that we are there to bless others. 

To reach out in any way we can to help other humans, so that Jesus may shine through us. And believe me, we don't need to speak the same language to connect. 

There is always a way if you look for it. 

Church is about others. About Jesus, about what He would do. About how we can be God's vessel  so that He can touch other's lives through us. 

That is what the Church means to me, and why I go. For others, not myself.

So today I leave you with this challange: 

Why do you go to church? Do you go anticipating being a channel for God's love? To reach out to those who are hurting, broken, and in pain? Or do you go for yourself?

Shalom, 

Yeshua be with you this week!

~Marissa 

Second week in Taiwan

Wow, sorry everyone, it's been crazy over here. 

So, finally! I'm going to post about what I've done so far...and maybe post a few pictures too.

Maybe. ;P 

Alright, here goes: 

After orientation, which was good, exausting, and a blast at the same time, we rode the HSR (High Speed Rail) to Chiayi City, and met my office workers for the first time. (there is a picture of everyone on Facebook if you want to see us all.) Because this weekend was the Mid-Autumn/Harvest Festival or as the locals call it, the Moon Festival, we had an extra day off. 

"The Mid-Autumn Festival is an official harvest festival celebrated by Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese peoples.^[1][2] The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar and Vietnamese calendar, during afull moon, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar, within 15 days of the autumnal equinox.^[1] The holiday is also celebrated in Korea [Chuseok] and Japan [Tsukimi].

Mainland China listed the festival as an "intangible cultural heritage" in 2006 and a public holiday in 2008.^[1] It is also a public holiday in Taiwan. Among the Vietnamese, it is considered the second-most important holiday tradition."

[taken from Wikipedia.com]

(Which would have been a lot of fun to really see, but I got sick and ended up stuck in the house for the weekend.)

Anyway, while I didn't get to see the locals celebrate the Moon Festival, I did hear the fireworks being shot from all the local temples in the area. (There are a lot of them.) It is...loud, and obnoxious, and pretty impossible to hear anything of it but the American Fourth of July. (wow, did I just say 'American'?!? I think I am pretty American, but Taiwan has been rubbing off on me. ;P)

This week is our office week, so all I have to do is sit in the office, type this up, and relax. I am really enjoying this week, let me tell you!

I believe though, that you have all had more than enough of me rambling all over the page about all this stuff, and want to see some pictures. 

Alright, alright, here you go!

:D

Those are both taken from my hotel room in Taipei Taiwan, at about 7am in the morning. 

Dr. Chen's health class, and my notes + scribbles. I was getting sorta sleepy, and started drawing so i could pay attention. I love Dr. Chen's health class, because he knows so much about health, and what is good for you and what is bad for you, but the unfortunate thing about that day, was that it was close to the end of the week, and I was having a hard time sitting still. Too much sitting took a major tole on my temper that week. Ugh. 

One of the Taipei night markets. They are even more amazing than I thought they would be. And the prices! Most clothing here is under $20 US, and that's even considered expensive here! (that's about 300 NT) Anyway, it was a blast, and I could never say how much fun it was to shop and only spend 100 NT in one day! (That's just over $3 US) 

My first experience with a traditional Chinese dinner. It was really amazing, and hilarious, because ont of the teachers from a previous year who had come back, ate the duck's brain. Sooo funny! 

Last look at Taipei till October! The country may be smoking hot, and miserable for a Westerner to live in, but the mornings are so worth all the nastyness. It is SUCH a beautiful country!!

Still the same day as the previous picture, this was my last day at the HTC building for the orientation. (was i EVER so glad!!) It is just me and Gabriel sporting our Indian/Taiwanese style bloomer...pant...skirt thingies. 

We arrived in Chiayi!! It felt so good to be home, this picture is thanks to Samuel Chen, one of the teachers at our school. (he's also the one who can fix all my computer issues when i inevitably break something! Yay!!)

My first experience with Anime. :D

My first attempt at cooking. Incidentally, I was still sick when I made this, so I put so much garlic into the recipe that I believe I smoked my ears out. (they have REALLY strong garlic here. burnt the roof of my mouth with the garlic, not the heat, the first time I ate the stuff.) It was really good though. 

 

My Birthday lunch yesterday!! It was a blast, I didn't have to pay...lol, almost the best part but not quite...it was also Fae's, (the girl in the red dress in the picture with the two ladies cutting the meat.) Fenny's and Samuel's birthday this month so we all went out and had amazing food. (oh, and I ate a bunch of leggy shrimp that everyone was surprised that I liked. :D What can I say, I'm full of surprises.) 

Oh, and we went shopping at the night market in Chiayi last night, and let me tell you...I found literally no clothes with Chinese on it, just some very funny English. The first dress, I have no idea what it says, and the shirt that Fae is holding cracks me up totally. 'I love you in your outside' which I believe meant that the cat would ruther the fish be out of the bowl. It is just too funny!!

Anyway, that's all I have for now, no more pictures to show, or things to talk about, so until next time!

Shalom

Yeshua be with you this week!

~Marissa H.