Look who I got to meet!

Look who I got to meet... and hug... and talk to for like three minutes. :-P

Yes, oh yes, the one and only Nick Vujicic. It was pretty exciting and I felt pretty special that I got to go back stage to his dressing room to meet him.

Nick is a huge inspiration to so many people around him. He is making a huge impact on the people of Taiwan as well as many other countries in this world.

Thank-you Nick, for being who you are and giving God all the glory. You're life is an inspiration to me as well as the rest of the world.

Luv always - Lonny

I Heart LeeAnn

This kid wanted me to write my name on his face ...and I added "I <3". 

luv always, ~lonny

happy fathers day!

Dear Dad,

Happy Fathers Day. You're my favorite dad!!! I love you forever and ever.

Love, Lonny <3

Say What?!

If you draw on my face, I get to draw on your face.... say what?! 

Candy Corn - Frozen Ants - High Heels - King Kong Barbie - Mustaches and Square Eyebrows

In Taiwan, I think at times we get desperate for little pieces of home... That little thing that reminds us of what is back in the good ole USA. For me, the other day it was candy corn.... I had forgotten about that candycorn. In fact, I was sure I had thrown it away! But no, there it was in the freezer. Why was it there? well because last fall, ants had decided to enjoy my candy corn and in an attempt to kill the ants I put the whole thing in the freezer. I was excited to find my candy corn and only slightly dismayed to find frozen ants in it. It was pretty amazing... But I was able to brush off the ants and eat some candycorn. :) I don't know if I was desperate or what, but it sure tasted good. A little piece of home PLUS some ants. :) 

Today we took a walk with the kids. We do this walk every week, so I know what all the walk entails. It's not really that far. Downhill there and uphill back. My shoe choice for today was not of the norm... at least not of the norm for the Taiwanese. I wore these nice, new, comfy, wedge heels. My feet actually didn't hurt during the walk and I was quite comfortable the entire time. However, the other teachers told me I was "amazing" for taking a walk in such shoes. I told one teacher "I will just get muscles in my legs" and she replied, "No, you don't want muscles, you will become King Kong Barbie". I couldn't help but laugh at that... Mandy (the teacher) went on to explain that girls in Taiwan with muscles might be called King Kong Barbie and that is NOT a good thing. :-P

Ahhh and this little boy was my favorite for today... he did a great job singing and was rewarded with a mustache. However, he asked for square eyebrows too. And I couldn't help but give him what he ask for. He totally made my day. 

Thats all for now... I might ramble back over here in the near future and update you on my life.

But for now... Thanks for reading ~Lon

[ mustaches ]

I love my boys.... Actually, I love all boys!!! They are just my favorite.


Today, as a reward my boys got mustaches drawn on their faces because they were SO good. And they did an amazing job singing too!

My boys~

My boys English performance from last week. 

They had talent and I love them!!! 

Enjoy ~ Lon 

Sam came to school~

Sam came to school today.  He didn’t run up to me with open arms, he didn’t hug me, he didn’t in fact even greet me. He sat in his spot on the ground with the rest of the kids and pretended not to notice me.

I was looking for him, looking at each boys face to find Sam.  “Where is he?” I asked the other teachers. Why couldn’t I just pick him out of the crowd? “He’s there. In the plaid vest.” A teacher said to me.  I looked and there he was, with a new haircut and the hardest look on his face. He was pretending not to notice me.

I went over to him and tried to talk to him. He smiled for a second and then hardened his face. I didn’t get much but a “hello” from him. I didn’t know what I really expected maybe just a little bit of a warmer greeting.  It was as if he had rebuilt the hard wall around his heart even higher and stronger and he wasn’t going to let anyone in… not this time. And I had less than six hours with him.

I told myself I had time, he would warm up, maybe come around by the end of the day. I watched for an opportunity, a time that I could just play with him. It was after lunch. A couple girls and him were juggling tennis balls. “Teacher, can you?” I was like “sure…” I’m no pro but I can juggle tennis balls a couple times in a row before I drop them. J I juggled the balls a couple times, the girls were impressed but Sam just looked on with a bored expression. Then he juggled the tennis balls and put my poor attempt at juggling to shame. I asked him to come with me, I wanted to show him a picture from the week he was here at school. But he wouldn’t come. He started running, and I ran after him. I almost caught him…almost. But I didn’t and he thought that was pretty funny.  And that was it… that was as much as I got to play with him.

The rest of the day went pretty fast. I was busy, the kids were busy and before I knew it it was time for the closing ceremony. The closing ceremony for follow-ups is a little different. Each school comes up on stage, the teachers give them a bracelet and take a picture. I gave Sam his bracelet and I got a hug. Not a hug like the time he hugged me when he told me goodbye a couple months ago. But it was a hug nonetheless. We took a picture as a group and that was that.

It was the end of the day. Time to go home. The kids all lined up, got there final instructions then started to file down the walk toward the bus. Sam’s school was last and he was the last in line. All of the kids rounded the corner of the building and I grabbed Sam’s arm. “Sam, wait! Will you give me a hug goodbye?” I asked. None of the other kids were there to see and I got a hug from him… still not like the hug I remember so well from a couple months ago. But those walls around his heart had crumbled just a tiny bit. He hugged me and I told him “I love you, Okay?!” He nodded and said, okay.  I asked him to send me e-mails (he had sent me a couple e-mails) and he said okay. Then I let the him go and we both ran around the corner to catch up with all the other kids getting on the bus.

Sam slipped past all the teachers and other kids and got on the bus. I watched him as he walked toward the back of the bus. As he got to the back of the bus the bus started to leave. He got to his seat in the very back looked out the window and stuck his tongue out at me. Not in a rude way but a totally adorable cute Sam-like adorable way that made me smile. I stuck my tongue out right back at him as waved as the bus pulled away.

As I walked back into the school I felt a sadness for Sam. Whatever kind of life he is going back to is a life that makes him build that wall around his heart. I know a little bit of his life. He will go back to being physically abused. So maybe he needs that wall around his heart, but I hope and pray Sam keeps the little bit of love that he received in his heart forever and maybe one day he’ll let Jesus in.

So today I was reminded once again. It is going to take God. It’s not me and it’s not the other teachers at this school. It’s God working through us. It is my prayer every day that God can work and show love through me. But I have to be willing…. So as I walked back into the office I said to God “God help Sam receive love somewhere, somehow. And God, thanks for reminding me that you are showing your love through me.”

I’m on my way back to see my sisters, writing this on the train. Almost ten hours of train riding for me, but oh so worth it.

Thanks for reading and I hope God shows you His way is more amazing than your own way. Just like He did for me.

Song - Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer

~Lon

Sam is coming!

You know, I am amazed at what God does. He turns something that I'm okay with into something I am really excited about.

This week a friend is coming to visit my sisters and I. All the way from the states, but for only a week. I was trying really really hard to get the week off of school. I had worked it out to get off Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I was okay with that but not happy with it. I wanted Thursday and Friday off. It turns out this week is follow-up week. That is when the students that have been here previously get to come for just one day. Then I learned, that we have follow-ups ONLY on Thursday (Monday and Fridays follow-ups were canceled). Thursday, right smack dab in the middle of the week. I asked once for the whole week off and was told no. I asked a second time after learning I only had one day of work anyways, explaining that I would be five hours away and to come back for one day right in the middle of the week really shortened my time and I was told no again. I was going to try a third time today. I felt like why should I take a five hour train ride for six hours of school. It seemed ridiculous!!!

BUT...

Today I learned Sam was coming. SAM! Sam is coming Thursday. Sam will be here?! are you kidding me?! Of course I'll be here Thursday. I have to be here for Sam. When I learned he would be here I decided that I definitely didn't need to asked for Thursday off again. God knew what he was doing, and I'm pretty darn excited!!!!

[ Sam and I ]

So here's to a wake up call to myself. Ask God what he's doing before I try to settle for what I think is good when God can make it amazing. Yes, I'll miss a day or two with my sisters and friend. But I have the rest of my life to see them. I may never see Sam again.

Now, I'm just praying that I really do see him on Thursday. He better not get sick :-P.

See you soon Sam....

~Lon <3

Sam~

The school that I work at is called "The Character English School". Kids come from all over Hualien County for one week of thorough and loving character teaching. Eleven of the fourteen teachers are Christians, I am very blessed to have such a great working environment.

Sam came this week. Sam, that handsome little boy I fell in love with when I saw him. He is tough, seemed to have abit of a hard heart and rough around the edges. He totally tugged at my heart.

The first day I had Sam in my class. Before I went to class one of the teachers said to me "careful with him, he was bullying some kids out on the playground". So, in class I watched him.  He was very particular with his penmanship. Everything he wrote was written small and perfectly (as perfectly as a ten year old can get). He was good in class, I thought he seemed ...sweet. There were no signs of him wanting to fight with the other kids or even to fight with me. I thought maybe he had just been in a fight on the playground ...maybe he didn't really bully the other kids?!

After the class was over he came up to me and ask me to play "paper - scissors - stone". But he wanted to play it abit more aggressively than I was used to. He wanted to play where the winner gets to take their right hand and pull back the middle finger of there left hand on the losers forehead. So basically you use your hand kinda like a slingshot. I thought to myself "ahhh how much could this kid hurt me". So I told him "sure, lets play". We started to play, I won the first couple times and got to "flick" his forehead. "This really isn't such a bad game" I thought to myself. Well then and he got to flick me. Mannn he was good! By the second and third time he won I made him flick the side of my head because my forehead was red just from his first flick. :)

So, that was the first time I played with Sam. I requested that I have him in my small group and got him! During the week, I played paper - scissors - stone with him, helped him in class and basically loved having contact with him. I of course treated him the same as the other kids, but he was totally my favorite!!!

After I had hugged Sam and he hadn't returned the hug, one of the teachers told me: "He wants love, but he just doesn't know how to let it in".

"He wants love, but he just doesn't know how to let it in"

About halfway through the week I found out that Sam is abused at home. I guess all he knew was violence. I kinda halfway joked with the other teachers "no wonder he's so good at paper - scissors - stone". But my heart broke for him. I hoped and prayed that he would really receive all the love that was given to him this week.

Today was the last day. We had English performance, each group of kids sang an English song they learned this week. Then the English Teachers sang Amazing Grace at the end. Before we sang the song we explained to the children what grace was. We explained that grace can be like a gift given to each person in this world, no matter what happens we are given the grace to try harder, to do better. We are given the grace to live a life of good character and we must never give up.

Performance was over and it was time for the final ceremony. This is when the kids receive their certificates and get there picture taken.

I looked over, and there sat Sam. He was trying his very very hardest not to cry, but he couldn't seem to help it. As I watched and gave him an encouraging smile, I thought to myself, I think he felt loved this week. <3

It was time to say goodbye. I hugged Sam a few times (this time he hugged me back) but the last time he hugged me was by the bus. He was headed to the bus but first came to me and gave me a hug. I felt his hand go in my coat pocket but I didn't think much of it, I just hugged him back. I was gonna miss him. As he went to the bus, I put my hand in the pocket that I had felt him put his hand in. There I felt it. A piece of paper, and I knew he had put it there.

After he left, I read it. It was simple, straight to the point and totally melted my heart.

Teacher LeeAnn:

Thank you! I ~ Love ~ you ~ !!!

This to me was huge. Who knew we got through to him. Who knew God got through to him.

He left, knowing he is loved. I hope he remembers that.

I can only pray that as he goes back to his home which is not a good situation that what he learned this week has impacted him. He could do great things with his life.

Sam in many ways changed my life this week. Not many kids get to my heart. Oh, I do love them all, I do sympathize for them, I see how hard there lives are, but in my mind I know I can only do so much and leave it up to God. But Sam... he got in my heart this week and I will be forever changed. For that I am thankful.

I love you Sam. I just do. :)

I never write. But today, I just had something to write... so here it is.

Thanks for reading. ~Lon

Me. Thinking. I. Should. Write. A. Book.

I'm thinking about writing a childrens picture book... it would just be sooooo great! :-P. I just need some pictures.... Put it together and wham! it'd probably be a best seller. 

Lonny had many sisters 
but only a few brothers. :(

Lonnys Mom is quite a romantic. 
and this does make her Dad kinda frantic. 

There's Missy Moo, Hanny Who, 
and little brother Jonny Poo. 

Bre is very very tall, 
and Brooke well she is very small. 

Tiffany now she is sweet 
but Teemo, yeah... he's got quite the feet. 

Lets not forget about Emmy-Lou 
and Christopher (who could pass for a jew).

But the glue that holds this family together...it's Lonny! 
Just cause, man, she's funny!!! 

Lonny does love her family to pieces. 
Her love is un-ending... it never ceases.