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    I just finished a pleasant run through the woods with beautiful blanket of fallen leaves on ground. The rain has made the colors especially brilliant this day.  Now back in the warmth of my cozy room I am listening to Chinese music quietly and am in the mood to write. This mood may have come on me due to the run but I think it was because I finished watching Pride and Prejudice, which has put me in a melancholy mood. Thus, making it the perfect day to write about my life happenings over the month of October.

    I will only write about the highlights of this month, that is, the highlights that I know of since the month is not yet over.

    Miss Karen Chen and Mr. Luke Kalberg were wed on October 16, 2008.  A group of us decided to make road trip out of the ceremonious event, which started in Michigan. Megan, Amanda, Joel, Zach, and I took off on Friday morning and started heading south, east towards New York. I was the driver for the first part of the trip. That’s probably the explanation for getting lost in the wretched state of Ohio. Also, that would be the reason that I was no longer the driver through the rest of Ohio. J “Follow the signs that say south/east” That is what I heard through my mind as I was driving. I was following the advice of my fellow travels. Maybe now would be a good time to throw in that we had no “real” map or atlas only a map quest map and directions.  Ok, so I get kind of lost then I with the help of some back seat and passenger seat drivers we got back on the right trail.

    The good thing about Ohio was the gas prices. I think we filled up for $2.79. Whewy!

    We finally made it New York (honk honk) My family always honks when we get into new states. I had to break everyone into that new tradition. ;P  We were about 40 miles from where we would be staying for the weekend when we saw IT… IT was a sign that read  “Niagara Falls 35 miles” A few of us piped up that wee should go see the falls. Three of us had never been there before and we were ONLY 35 miles away. 

“Go that wa… Hey! Wrong way! I thought we were going to the falls!” Driver: “We are going to the falls,” Backseat drivers: “Well, the falls were back that way!” 

    After a little detour we made it back on the highway… I mean the “thruway”. Ok, so we on the right track to the falls.

   We made it to the falls and I was so excited to see them. Actually it excited me just to see the current in the river that lead to the falls.

    The falls were great. “Beautiful! Wow! Oh, my word! God is amazing! Ooooo look, you can see Canada! Time for a group picture…” “Lauren, I dare you to go ask those Asian people in Chinese to helps us take a picture.” Me: “NO WAY! You go ask. Your Chinese is better than mine”

     As we left the falls we switched out drivers. For the “getting out of the city driving” we needed a man for the job. Zach took over driving.

     “Hey guys, what way do we go to get out of here” Backseat driver: (aka. Me) “Ummm… got left up there at that road. I know that is the one we came in on” (even though it is dark I know where I am … it’s not like I took us the wrong way in Ohio or anything.)  Zach turns and we soon realize that we are in the Canadian immigration line. It was too late before we realized that we could not turn around. NO!!!! All of us did not have our passports so this might be a hassle to get in and back out again. We pulled up and paid the toll for going over the bridge and then we had to go through immigration.

   Officer: “Can I see your passpsrts?” Zach: Well, we actually didn’t want to come in the country. We took a wrong turn and just want to turn around. We don’t have our passports” Finally after we got her to believe us she let us in and told us how to get out. After a series of a couple more wrong turns we finally made it to the US boarder.  I think that was the shortest amount of time that I have ever gone in and out of immigration. The officer of the US boarder was really kind and let us all in without going through interrogation.

   After that fiasco we got back on the road and headed south/east. I think. We finally made it to our destination around 11:30. It was great to be there.  The Ludlow family hospitably took us girls in for the weekend.   It was great.

    The room we got to sleep in was a really cool attic that they remodeled into a girls dorm. The only problem with it was the ceiling on the angle as the roof of the house. I saw stars a few times over the course of the weekend thanks to my lack of memory of the shortness of the ceiling.

   The morning of the wedding dawned. All of us girls spent time getting ready and towards the end of the time I realized I had forgotten a couple items that I really needed for the wedding. With curlers in my hair a good friend of mine suggested that I run to Walmart with e curlers in my hair. I took the advice and we both went to Walmart. I actually forgot about the curler that is until I got into the intersection of Walmart. Drivers started to look peculiarly at me…”Megan! I can’t go in!!! This is so embarrassing.” Megan : “Lauren, this is New York I am sure people do this here. Besides no one will ever see you again and  you won’t know anyone here.”  Me: “Ok, I think I can handle this. Megan! Every step I take closer to the store my heart beats faster.” Megan: “Lauren, don’t worry! I am with you. Stay by my side and it will be fine,”  A few more weird glances in my direction. Me: “Megan! Make sure you go down all the back aisles. I don’t want any main aisle ways!”  I found what I needed and then took off to the next section of the store. “Megan, Megan?!?” Ahhhhh!!! Where was Megan? It seemed like hours before I heard her voice calling my name. In reality it was about 5 seconds. I saw her about 500 yards away. Maybe it was only about 30 feet. Reunited. “Megan, don’t leave me again!” Megan: “You need to follow me!” Me: “OK!!!”  We finally checked out and got back to the car. Phew! That was over.

    The day of the wedding was beautiful! The colors were absolutely gorgeous. We made it to the church and I beheld one of the best weddings I have ever gone to. Karen looked stunning. *sigh* It was wonderful. God was totally honored during their special day.

    I loved seeing the Chen family away from Taiwan. I mean I love seeing them there too but I had never seen them on American soil before… Nevermind! Tim’s “toilet paper farewell dance” was a great sight to behold. 

    On Sunday we went to a families house that held a “post wedding party” for the bride and groom and out of town guests. It was a nice time to talk with Karen and the rest of the family. Even though it was a short amount of time. My goal in life is to be just like Karen Chen. I mean Kallberg ;)

   Our trip home was quite uneventful… Oh, in Pennsylvania I started to smell something really strange and started to wonder if the car had a problem. After smelling it for quite some time I realized it was the all the grape vineyards we were passing. Ha! I think my smeller is a little off. Oh yeah, there was that one time that we stopped at a rest stop to look at a map and Megan kept asking me what time it was. I was asleep when she was asking me so I answered in a not so nice way. Sorry Meg! I think some other stuff went on at that rest stop that I don’t really know about or maybe I am choosing to forget.

   We finally made it home at 2:34 am. For some reason it took two more hours coming home that it did going there. Maybe that had something to do with taking business 127 instead of the main highway. ;)

    There you have it. That is my rendition of our trip to New York.

                                                                                 Mrs. Kalberg and I

 

   

















The happy new couple!













 After the long line we finally got to say hi!






















Megan and I. "What time is it?!?"                                            





















Here is our traveling group











































































brrr!

      Wow! I can't believe that a whole month has
almost passed since my returning home from Taiwan.
Oh the memories that flood my mind when I think of that wonderful place.
I have to say even in the sometimes sadness of being away from Kinmen
and the people I love there, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this
is where God has me. The first week home God showed me the reason for
being here and I am looking forward to see how God continues to show me
more how He wants to use me during the time of life.





   This past week my family and I went on vacation to Lake Michigan.
It was a great time to just sleep, lay out on the beach, eat, eat, swim,
sleep, lay out on the beach and play a little tennis. The place we stayed
at was across the street from a Bible camp where we were able to sit in
on the teaching sessions. Not only was it a week of physical refreshment
in was a week of spiritual encouragement.


Our vacation home




               Soaking in the rays





 Foooooooooooorrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeee!!!








 One night we went go carting












                 Lydie Loo





          Lukester I LOVE YOU!
 







                    ~ Awwwwww~








                      My best friends


                God is the best artist!







 
  Do you think he will bite?


    Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Help!
 

   

 A couple months ago I was at my Pastor's mother's funeral. I have been to many funerals in America but I had never been to one here before. I guess that a normal Taiwan funeral does not have the body of the deceased in sight. This was not  a normal funeral. This was a Christian funeral and the family wanted people to see  the difference between Christians and Buddhists. Well, I was sitting there waiting to go and plat my violin when I saw this man who worked at the cemetery looking in the window. He looked so depressed and enslaved to alcohol. My heart really ached for him. I immediately felt prompted to pray for him that God would save him from his bondage and turn him into a mighty man of God. It was really strange, I don't usually have such strong feelings towards just random people that I see like that. After I left the funeral I couldn't get that man off my mind. If fact I thought about him all night and felt prompted to pray for him. Two days after I first saw him I went grocery shopping and saw him in the store. He still looked and smelled like he had been drinking. I prayed once again. Since the first time I saw him I have thought about him almost every day. And I have seen him on average every week. Why has God given me such a strong burden for this man?!? I don't know! All I know is that I can't NOT think about him. A few days ago I was looking at some pics of the festival that I went to. I saw a picture of my student and started scanning the rest of the photo to see if I knew anyone. I was totally shocked to see the man that I have been praying for standing behind my student. I think God works in mysterious ways. I don't know why He has given me a burden for this man but I can't deny the fact that He has. I hope that someday I will see this man in heaven praising Jesus.  He is the man standing behind the little boy and he is holding cymbals.