Hey everyone, wanted to throw a quick update with some pictures. The last 3 days, my dad and I have been traveling via bus and train around the whole island. Literally. The orange was day one, and we stopped all along that we checked out some of the most amazing rock faces and tunnels I have ever seen. It was in a place called Taroko National Park. I believe this is where a lot of monks lived. It was unlike anything I had ever seen, and is so hard to explain. But rock faces surrounded us on every side, hundreds of feet up, and rivers rushing below. It looked like it was from a movie! My dad told me that when he was my age him and his friends biked all the way up into this region and camped. He also had the cops chase him because of his long hair! Wow, have times changed. It was so hard to capture the grandness of these canyons because we were so close to them, pictures turned out looking like close ups of rock walls. But I tried to snag a couple, including this amazing overlook and this beautiful temple and waterfall.
TAROKO
The next day we travel via bus and train for six hours to Kenting, which is the national park that spans over the most southern tip of Taiwan. It looks like what I would imagine Hawaii would be like. It is almost identical to Jamaica, for those who have seen it there! Imagine looking forward to bright blue water, beautiful beaches, and then behind you are massive steep mountains. I believe the area is under a good bit of protection so a lot of the land has been untouched and remain really beautiful.
My dad and I walk down to the beach form our hotel and enjoy a beer during the sunset. Everything is perfect except for the fact that we're not getting along too good right now. I've got to share about this part cause, really, was one of the main reasons I started writing the blog. I have tried to express this feeling, but it has many layers. But overall, when it comes to him right now, I feel like a tiny ant that has come face to face with a boulder. Things seem so impossible, immovable. There is definitely some deep unrest, deep questions, deep pain that continues to arise as we spend time together. I want to paint a full picture but also feel like I need to reserve the details at least at this juncture. In some ways to do that would be to focus on the wrong thing. I am realizing that my eyes in the last couple days have been set on the lack. On what is wrong. On what I might be falling short in and on my dad's failures. I am being challenged, led, by what I believe to begin to seek the better path. How do I honor this life, how to I honor my dad not as a failure but as a human being, and most of all, how to I honor God? I have a sense that God is building patience into my heart, for my dad, myself and everyone. I am being given deep insight into the reasons behind a man's ways. In more ways that I want to admit too, I see myself in my dad. Anyways, after all the arguing I continued to pray and I felt like God was leading me to change my position. I felt like I was supposed to listen. And that's what I've been trying to do. And regardless of what is happening, I am learning to worship, pray, and talk to God deep in my spirit. He's the closest thing to me.
The next day, we got in a van and toured Kenting National Park. We saw some amazing sites. Not much to say about these other than that it was truly amazing.
It's a short one guys! I'm on the move today. But thank you for following along continuing to pray. Honestly, I'm pretty tired. I miss connection, I miss my friends. I've spent a long time alone and am just missing the fun of being with people who know and love me. But I've only got two more days here, so I am praying that I will finish strong, and not miss anything God wants me to do here because I'm too distracted by what is next. It's currently 9:11am here, and is actually thanksgiving day for me, but not you yet :) Someone have some Turkey for me!
Love you, Andrew