Ending the Happy Way
Today was amazing! After a short nights sleep, (well for me anyway) the team got together to practice a Chinese song. At 9:15 we loaded up onto the bus and headed toward church. During the service, Tim translated for us. It's funny how accustomed I have become to hearing everything in both Chinese and English. It has become almost a part of life. After the offertory our team sang "Ye Su Ai Ni" (translation: Jesus Loves You). It was so beautiful hearing the voices as well as the harmonies rise together! We stayed longer to fellowship and eat lunch. Finally, we had to say "good bye" to Simon's parents, as well as 2 of my interpreters and several others we met.
Again, the bus carried us to another destination, downtown Hsinchu. Here we were able to shop for 3 hours in the rain as well as get to enjoy the city. 4:45 found a weary group of youth headed back to the seminary. Some rested, some packed and some hung out as staff secretly decorated the cafeteria for the farewell party.
At 6:30 we were let in and were surprised by our awesome companions singing, "You are our sunshines, our only sunshines." After an awesome meal of pizza, we played several games. First, we signed big hearts for the members of the team. Then all the guys and girls separated and make lists of "10 things guys/girls like about girls/guys." Then Madelyn, Nate, David and I read them out to the group. Next, our accountability groups completed against each other on a "survival" game. Each member wrote down 1 thing they could not have survived the trip without and then using those items we had to figure out how we would survive against starvation, a typhoon, savages, and then 30 years later to leave the island.
Lastly we also had to do a rendition of "You Are My Sunshine". Our team incorporated each "staff member" into our performance. It was so much fun! Then we all shared what God taught us on this trip or what was most difficult for us with the team. Lastly we enjoyed watching an awesome slideshow that Alana put together. (Thank you girl!).
Well to top it all off, several of us pulled an all-nighter and are now preparing to leave the most awesome place on earth for--home.
Katie Reeves
