We're just finishing a 3 week vacation in Colorado. Well, mainly vacation, but it's kind of nice to actually call it a vacation instead of wincing every time someone calls a ministry trip vacation! I thought I ought to write an email update while I'm here in case some of you haven't been getting email updates that I send out from Taiwan. It's a little hard to get through email spam filters these days. So if you're getting this, but didn't get email updates the last few months, let me know. Last month's update was "back to the beginning."
No matter which side of the world we're on, people always ask us if we like it. And we do like it. Taiwan is good. Colorado is good. This world is good--not like it will be when we leave this world, but the father gives us grace for every day, the natural world is his creation, and the world people build is the reflection of his creatures' abilities working together--flawed, but still awesome in its own way.
So we're enjoying Colorado for a few days, seeing some family--the ones who could come to Colorado while we're here, walking the woods and meadows, riding the trails, buying American clothes, and visiting the local Y for raquetball. We leave again Wednesday morning for Taiwan.
Here are some things on our list:
Remember our family, spread around the globe.
Remember the TMF conference we'll return to next week in Taiwan, a gathering of people in international ministry from throughout the country.
Remember the summer. Steve is prepping for a licensure exam in the fall and an intensive course he'll be teaching in November. Sarah is tutoring and exploring ministries in Taiwan. Laura's main job for the last 20 years--coordinating this family, is still not finished.
Remember the fall. Sarah returns to Rice University in August. Joey and Robby are applying--she's sold Rice pretty well. They need to continue their academics, retake SATs, and more.
Remember the master. There are two events that bracket everything we experience--the master's death that changed everything and the master's return, which will finish what he started.
With not long till the far side*, Steve & Laura, Sarah, Joey and Robby
*I think there's a double meaning there!
Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 40454, TAIWAN
011.886.4.2236.6145, of 4.2236.1901, fx 4.2236.2109, cell 9.2894.0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.360.6485
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60189, 800.343.3144 <www.teamworld.org>, <www.team.org.tw/spinella>, <www.team.org.tw/ccg>, <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TEAMspinella/>,
<spinella@alumni.rice.edu>, <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>
