An Outing with Mike Chater and His Daughter

#2014-0715

Jean and I have had another wonderful day today!

In the daytime we accompanied Catherine Lee's friends Mike Chater and his daughter Harriet, who came from the UK and are traveling in Taiwan.

We took them three (including Catherine) to Sun Moon Lake. We firstly went to the Peafowl Park beside the lake (日月潭孔雀園), then we took a walk along the Water-Frog Trail (水蛙頭步道), and after that we got to Xuanzang Temple (玄奘寺) -- Up there in the side yard of the Buddhist temple, we could have a nice bird's-eye view of Sun Moon Lake!

Then, on the way back from Sun Moon Lake, we visited Taomi Village (桃米生態村). We had lunch there at the Adobe House (土角厝餐廳 called "Tu-Jiao-Cuo" in Mandarin or "Thô͘-kat-chhù" in Taiwanese). After lunch we came to the Paper Dome (紙教堂), which is a church building constructed using paper tubes as structural elements. [For more information, click and see the articles: "Paper Dome" in English, "紙教堂" in Chinese, etc.]

We were lucky to have a chance of seeing a concert there at the "canopy activity area" next to the Paper Dome. It was a 30-minute performance presented by the wind band of Hsi-Hu Senior High (溪湖高中 located in the middle of Changhua County). It reminded me of those "good old days" when I was still working at NNCS . . . .

Finally, we all returned to St. James' Church. And we attended St. James' Preschool 40th Graduation Ceremony (聖雅各幼兒園第 40 屆畢業典禮) at Taichung Dadun Culture Center, which started at 6:30 p.m. -- Oh, what a wonderful day! All of us are so busy and so happy today! And what's more, Mike and Harriet [who are Catherine's friends from the UK] have now become our friends also!

Our 1st stop: The peafowl park 

at Sun Moon Lake

Seeing how many frogs on the water, you'll 

know how deep the water is -- 

There are 9 frogs in all.

We have plenty of water today!

 Welcome to Sun Moon Lake! -- 

Mike Chater and his daughter Harriet, 

our special guests from the UK

We're walking along 水蛙頭步道 

(Water-Frog Trail)

Seeing Sun Moon Lake from 水蛙頭步道 

(Water-Frog Hiking Trail)

Taking a rest and having some refreshments 

at 玄奘寺 -- Xuanzang (Buddist) Temple

.                       Photoed by Catherine Lee

.                       Photoed by Catherine Lee

After lunch we took Mike, Harriet, and Catherine 

to 紙教堂 -- Paper Dome, in Tao-Mi Village.

The Paper Dome -- photoed by Catherine Lee

Catherine Lee taking a picture (above) and the 

picture shared below (copied from her FB)

.                       Photoed by Catherine Lee

We happened to be in the place where a 

performance given by the wind band 

of Hsi-Hu Senior High (溪湖高中)

Luanne Chiu, me, Bishop Lai, and Mike Chater 

at the gate of St. James' Church, Taichung

Both of us are "lay readers" in our own churches!

A Farewell Prayer

#2014-0713

FAREWELL PRAYER

Priest/Leader: Lord, you have called Lauren MacLean to another place, another task.

People: We are sad to see her go, but we recognize that just as she has been your gift to us, so now she goes as a gife to another group of your people.

Priest/Leader: We pray for each other now, as our once parallel roads of pilgrimage diverge.

People: Thank you for all we have done together, learned together and shared together.

Priest/Leader: We pray for Lauren as she explores, and clarifies, and puts into action the call that takes her onward from here.

People: May she continue to grow in your grace and in the knowledge of your love, so that she may be a blessing to many.

Priest/Leader: We pray for the communities to which Lauren goes, that they may value her, support her, learn from her, and encourage her.

People: We pray for ourselves as we stay, that you will keep us faithful to the vision we have shared, and that you will continue to show us what we should do, and how we should be.

Priest/Leader: As we part, we affirm that it has been your Spirit who has brought us together in the first place, your Spirit who has enlivened our fellowship.

People: Your Spirit goes with her, and your Spirit stays with us; Your Spirit who keeps us all together in the world-wide family of your Church. AMEN.

Gaomei Wetlands (高美濕地 --- 親子遊)

#2014-0711

Gaomei Shidi (高美濕地) zai Taizhongshi Qingshuiqu xice, shi Taiwan xi-haian de yichu shengtai-baohuqu (生態保護區). Xiangguan zixun ke liyong wanglu souxun -- liru: zai (1) Gaomei Shidi Luyouwang (高美濕地旅遊網), (2) Wan Quan-Taiwan Luyouwang (玩全台灣旅遊網), huo zai (3) Taiwan - Heart of Asia zhong, dou neng zhaodao yixie jieshao.

Gaomei Shidi de yingwen jiaozuo Gaomei Wetlands. Buguo, Yingwen Weiji Baike (英文維基百科) litou de ziliao zhi you duanduan jihang, hai mei shenme kantou! -- Zhe dao wusuowei, yinwei "Xing wanli lu sheng du wanjuan shu." (行萬里路勝讀萬卷書; You can learn more by traveling a thousand miles than by reading a thousand books.) Huanyanzhi, "Xing de yuan, zhi de duo." (行遠知多; He that travels far knows much.) Women jintian zongsuan "zuo er yan, buru qi er xing" (坐而言不如起而行), daizhe Xiao-Mifeng zoule yitang Gaimei Shidi.

Xiao-Mifeng wan de hao gaoxing ne! Cong xiamian zhexie zhaopian, ni dagai ke kan de chulai, women jintian xiawu de "Gaimei Shidi qinzi-you" shi feichang youqu, feichang zhide huiwei de!

上圖：弧邊招潮蟹

(又稱 網紋招潮蟹)

上圖：雲林莞草 和 小白鷺