Between Smiles and Silence

#2025-1230C

Except for the first and the last images, the photographs on this page are not “animal photography.”

So what are they, then?

Are they worth preserving?

Anything that is not an animal must belong to either scenery or people. As for the scenery: while walking uphill, we came upon houses that looked as though they had stepped straight out of The Lord of the Rings—Hobbit homes, complete with round windows.

As for the people, we happened to meet a family from Singapore—Mr. Zheng, his wife, and their daughter. After exchanging greetings and a brief conversation, we learned that they were originally from mainland China. Mr. Zheng’s ancestral home is in Henan Province, while his wife’s family comes from Jiangxi. They told us that obtaining permission to travel to Taiwan had not been easy.

Indeed, given the current situation across the Taiwan Strait, the atmosphere feels tense. Even today (Tuesday, December 30), the Chinese People’s Liberation Army is conducting the so-called “Justice Mission—2025” military exercise, encircling Taiwan…

“How precious peace is,” I said to Mr. Zheng, “and yet, at times, peace seems especially hard to come by.”

At that moment, our exchange was accompanied by warm, mutual smiles. Still, inwardly, I could not help but feel a quiet heaviness. Even now, all I can do is pray in silence, asking the Lord to watch over us. Beyond earnest prayer, I have no other choice.

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