Four years living overseas
Today marks us having lived here for 4 years. After today we will have lived in Taiwan for four years and --- months ---- days. It seems so strange that four years have passed and how much has changed and then again not changed. Four years ago we were very unsure of what we were doing going through jet lag and trying to figure out the language and what and where everything was that we needed. Today we are still trying to figure out the language and thankfully we have figured out where to find most of the things we need.
Four years ago we arrived with a three year old and a 18 month old. Now we have a 7, 5, and 3 year old. Seems so hard to think that we came here with our kids so small and had a baby while we were here.
This week was a hectic week because we remembered on Wednesday that our ARC (alien registration card) were about to expire this week. In order to stay in the country and not have issues we need to keep our passports current and have our arc always current and the proper paperwork in place so that we can stay in the country. It's always a bit uncomfortable and because of it we are always aware that this is not our home.
This week as we frantically ran around trying to get our paperwork, our pictures and all the minor details in place so we could apply for a new arc. Oh my goodness the pictures were the biggest headache of all. We were the show once again as we struggled to fit our kids to fit on the picture and the picture place was not made for kids. So we tried having the kids stand up or sit on a box. Then we had elderly gentlemen outside of the photo booth wanting to take our kids to show them off and tell everyone that they are little dolls. Throughout the process I realized that we are aliens living in a foreign land and that this is how we should feel where ever we are living. This world is not our home and even when we seem to understand everything that is going we need to realize that earth is not our home and that one day we will be going to heaven and we will finally feel at home. There should always be this sense of discomfort and this longing to go back home because we should long to go be in our heavenly home.
I've lived now in two countries where I was an alien and both times have helped me to remind me that this is not our home and we will finally be home in heaven. Also living in a foreign country has helped me realized that some of the things I think are normal things are not normal. Also things that I think are strange and weird for my host country are very normal things. Sin is not normal and God hates it...it's why he had the Jews in the Old Testament sacrifice so that they would be aware of their sin and realize that they could never sacrifice enough and that a perfect sacrifice was needed so that we could have fellowship with God. Jesus was that perfect sacrifice and made it possible so that again we were able to have communion with God the Father through Jesus the Son. So daily I need to keep away from the worldly desires (sin) that wages war again my soul! It's not just non believers but it is Christians that need to be aware of sin and to keep away from it.
Four years ago we arrived with a three year old and a 18 month old. Now we have a 7, 5, and 3 year old. Seems so hard to think that we came here with our kids so small and had a baby while we were here.
This week was a hectic week because we remembered on Wednesday that our ARC (alien registration card) were about to expire this week. In order to stay in the country and not have issues we need to keep our passports current and have our arc always current and the proper paperwork in place so that we can stay in the country. It's always a bit uncomfortable and because of it we are always aware that this is not our home.
This week as we frantically ran around trying to get our paperwork, our pictures and all the minor details in place so we could apply for a new arc. Oh my goodness the pictures were the biggest headache of all. We were the show once again as we struggled to fit our kids to fit on the picture and the picture place was not made for kids. So we tried having the kids stand up or sit on a box. Then we had elderly gentlemen outside of the photo booth wanting to take our kids to show them off and tell everyone that they are little dolls. Throughout the process I realized that we are aliens living in a foreign land and that this is how we should feel where ever we are living. This world is not our home and even when we seem to understand everything that is going we need to realize that earth is not our home and that one day we will be going to heaven and we will finally feel at home. There should always be this sense of discomfort and this longing to go back home because we should long to go be in our heavenly home.
I've lived now in two countries where I was an alien and both times have helped me to remind me that this is not our home and we will finally be home in heaven. Also living in a foreign country has helped me realized that some of the things I think are normal things are not normal. Also things that I think are strange and weird for my host country are very normal things. Sin is not normal and God hates it...it's why he had the Jews in the Old Testament sacrifice so that they would be aware of their sin and realize that they could never sacrifice enough and that a perfect sacrifice was needed so that we could have fellowship with God. Jesus was that perfect sacrifice and made it possible so that again we were able to have communion with God the Father through Jesus the Son. So daily I need to keep away from the worldly desires (sin) that wages war again my soul! It's not just non believers but it is Christians that need to be aware of sin and to keep away from it.
Comments
Post a Comment