India #2

Taiwan airport, 8/17/07 8:37 pm (5:37 am 8/17 PDT)

We arrived this morning, looking for the free half day tour and trying to discover where to go. We cleared immigration (as we later found out we shouldn’t have), and got the lay of the land. Ate breakfast (chicken and rice, and a lovely brown hard boiled egg that I gave to Josh)…and while we did that, the tour filled up. We decided to brave a tour on our own, and found an express bus to Taipei 101 tower. The clerk told us there was a typhoon coming, and flights were going to be cancelled. The base of the tower was basically a gorgeous, high end luxury mall. Hayley took the camera and seemed totally at ease, walking away from the group. She took a few really nice shots, including this one!

We went up to the tower, which was pretty cool. Hung out, ate lunch (fruit in cups, more noodles), walked to this square/park in front of the city hall. We had fun tossing the frisbee around, even as the skies opened and drenched us. Back at the airport, we were told we shouldn’t have left the secure area of the airport. For a 17 hour layover!! Oh well. Baggage was still there, she said.

We hung out by the food court, played games, and talked. Pat Landis told some of her amazing life, growing up in the Philippines as a missionary kid and being held as a prisoner of war by the Japanese for two years (at the ages of 9 to 11, mind you), after being in hiding for a year before that. An amazing woman. “I’ve had a great life! I’ve loved it!”

Now, after a good debrief/prep for the shock of India, we’re dozing at our gate…which is decked out in Hello Kitty gear everywhere. Hayley’s asleep beside me. I’m tired, and trying not to expect too much or force myself into feeling a certain way. Jesus, I love you. I trust your leading. I release you from MY expectations. Bless us, change us, shape us. Work positively in Hayley.

(Posted from Mumbai YMCA, on 8/28.)