TEAMspinella: September 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Explore Taiwan

This is a couple of my creative friends showing you the real Taiwan in a new way. Way to go, Peter and Luke!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Shipping strategies from Taiwan to the US

There are various shipping strategies proposed for bringing goods back to the US from Taiwan. We are exploring these in order to make our own decisions and wanted to also get input from others, as well as make our research available to others.

Taiwan post office

The Taiwan PO offers a service called international express shipping. We found rates posted at http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/postal_f_6.jsp

The International EMS ("express mailing service"?) ships packages up to a certain size and a certain weight. The size is roughly 54x54x54 cm or slightly more, but one dimension can be up to 1.52m as long as the other dimensions are lowered correspondingly according to a formula. The weight can be up to 30 kg, but the charge is based on the greater of the weight or the volumetric weight (where the hypothetical weight is computed based on a volume formula. The minimum weight charged for our 54cm cube, for instance, would be about 26 kg, or higher if it actually weighed more than that.)

The cost drops slightly as weight (or volumetric weight) of package increases, but is 308twd per kilo for 10kg, 264twd per kilo for 20kg, and 236twd per kilo for 30kg. A figure to work with then is about 264twd/kg or $3.78/lb.

For $1800, we could ship 477 lbs or about 11 large boxes averaging about 20kg each.

For $1000, we could ship 265 lbs or about 6 boxes close to 50 lbs each.

Baggage and excess baggage

Airlines will generally accept extra checked bags for a fee within their regulations. United Airlines currently charges $200 each for up to 50 lbs or $400 for 50-70 lbs. Linear dimensions are l+w+h=62 inches. (Excess baggage is by the piece, this is the volumetric charge.) This is roughly a 52x52x52cm cube. This is at least $4/lb or 280twd/kg.

For $1800, we could ship 450 lbs or 9 large boxes (in addition to baggage allowances.)

For $1000, we could ship 250 lbs in 5 boxes or bags of 50 lbs each.

Air freight

I got a quote for air freight from http://www.crownans.com/ for shipment to IAH airport in Houston. (I chose this route because the Taiwan airlines fly there. It may not include handling charges in Houston?) While there are limits on volume such as listed for the Taiwan Post Office, air freight is rated by the weight. The rates are 150twd/kg plus about 15twd/kg in fees. This is 165twd/kg or $2.36/lb.

For $1800, we could ship perhaps 720 lbs or 15 boxes.

For $1000, we could ship perhaps 411 lbs or 9 boxes.

Ocean freight

Ocean freight in "less than container loads" lcl's is generally picked up, palletized (stacked on standard sized pallets for loading ease, then wrapped in shrink wrap plastic to protect it and keep it intact in shipping), and shipped to the US in the next container with space available. Once at a US depot, it must be processed through customs and either warehoused for pickup or delivered to the door. The charges after it arrives in the US are often separate from the charges for pickup, palletizing, and shipping.

The minimum sized load, by volume, is typically 3 or 4 cbm: cubic meters. A cubic meter is about 8 50x50x50cm cubes, so 3 cbm is the equivalent of 24 large boxes. The measurement of volume may be larger by a percentage due to the palletizing process. I think typically the boxes would be stacked on a 1000cm x 1200cm pallet, about 6" or 15cm high so that they do not extend past the edge in any direction. How efficiently and how even in height the stack will determine the volumetric percentage, but lets guess it's 25%. Since the charge to deliver from the US depot to the door can be quite pricey, say an additional $400, let's assume it is picked up at the door in Taiwan and delivered to the depot/warehouse in Denver for pick up. I got a quote along these lines from http://www.nacintgp.com/

$1800 for 3 cbm total cost, with a 75% useful yield, would be the equivalent of 18 large boxes. Weight allowances are very substantial. Let's assume 50 lbs/22kg per box for comparison purposes. $2/lb or 144twd/kg.

For $1800, we could ship (more than) 900 lbs or 18 large boxes.

For $1000, we would not be able to ship by ocean freight.

Request for comments

This research was done around September 17, 2010. Your comments are appreciated.

[TEAMspinella] Making the most

Laura says we should make the most of every opportunity. By that she means that you can ask that we might find ways to be good ambassadors to those around us in the days we have left here in Taiwan. This is very good advice, as we are seeking to "leave well," but we also have had to say more than once or twice already, "well, we're leaving." We have a lot of people here to love and to miss in the days ahead.

But in this case, there is another meaning to "making the most." You see, I accidentally sent out a test message that got published on our email update list. Some of you have already responded...so I thought I'd better go ahead and write an update.

When I said, "What happens when people send email to the group?" Sharon said, "I don't know..." Chuck said, "This." Barry said, "...I'd be interested to know..." Jim, who was obviously up in the middle of the night, said, "Everyone in the group gets the email." And that's exactly what happened!

You see, we've had a little problem. When many of you hit reply, we didn't get what you sent. Well, the good news is, as evidenced by the last paragraph, now we do! The bad news is, most of you got an unlabeled enigmatic message I didn't intend to send you. If more of you respond to that than respond to my usual meandering updates, maybe I should start limiting all these updates to 140 characters.

On my "to do" list this week are also 1) research and compare the shipping options for taking things back to the US. As Laura said, "I feel cheated that I brought all this stuff to Taiwan and nobody told me it was going to cost so much to take it back." I'll post the shipping report on my blog and facebook in case you want to look and comment. 2) Write a job description for a new counselor for CCG. Wouldn't it be great if the father replaced me with someone even better? There is definitely a felt need in the community here and also among our board and staff. The catch: Not only do we need a skilled, experienced Christian counselor, but we need someone who will raise funds to do this. I promise you this, there are definitely some opportunities here of which to make the most!

By the way, if you read this email, but you didn't get one with a blank header before, you're not in our "google group" TEAMspinella. That's the best place to sign up so that you keep getting these updates. If you want me to do that for you, let me know. Also if you want off our list, but can't figure out why you still get our updates, let me know that, too, and I'll do the research to get that done--hopefully, correctly!

I'm going to send this right away, hopefully before most of you on the far side wake up. Thanks for remembering us. And yes, we really are moving back to the US this year after spending 14 years in Taiwan. I'll be taking a new role with our organization as a "global member care consultant." And yes, we'll still need to raise funds to do that, too.

With love in him who keeps us, yours from the far side, Steve and Laura

PS Now if it's working correctly, when we send email to the group you should get it. When you send email to the group, we should get it.

Dr. Steve and Laura Spinella, Sarah, Joey, Robby
Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #18, 2F-1, Taichung 404, TAIWAN
011 886 4 2236-6145, wk 2236-1901, fx 2236-2109, cell 9 2894-0514
USA: 9685 Otero Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80920, 719.528.1702, cell 719.355.4809
TEAM, PO Box 969, Wheaton, IL 60187, 800 343-3144
<www.team.org.tw/spinella>, <www.team.org.tw/ccg> <spinella@alumni.rice.edu> <lauraspinella@alumni.rice.edu>

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[TEAMspinella]

What happens when people send email to the group?

Steve Spinella spinella@alumni.rice.edu Da Yi Street, Lane 29, #26, 2F-1 Taichung 40454 TAIWAN tel: +886.4.2236.1901 www.team.org.tw/ccg Skype ID:SteveSpinella

Thursday, September 02, 2010

[TEAMspinella] Good news, bad news

Short story:

Laura and I are flying over the Pacific on our way back to Taiwan right now. We have a real mix of emotions going on. We have decided this summer, with the help of a lot of input and reflection, to leave Taiwan and accept a new ministry role with TEAM based in the US. My new role will be as a global member care consultant. In this role I will be caring for people involved in TEAM's international ministry, especially at times and in situations of critical significance. But this new role will require us to move back to the US from Taiwan, leaving behind our community and ministries in Taiwan over these last 14 years.

More detail (and repetition!):

As you can guess, right now we're mainly thinking about how hard it's going to be leaving Taiwan, saying goodbye, stepping back from our roles there, and generally giving up life "on the far side."

We are excited about a new ministry challenge as a global member care consultant for TEAM, based in the US. We are grieving that this challenge is leading us to leave Taiwan after 14 years of intense, fruitful, and deeply connected life and ministry there. That's the good news and the bad news.

We're going to need ministry partners as much as ever as we transition to this new ministry platform. Will you help us fund this strategic ministry? Will you intercede for us? Of course, we are wanting to talk to you personally, not just by email, but we wanted to write now. Thank you for your patience as we have worked on this critical decision.

The new ministry is exciting because it addresses a critical need at a critical time. Global ministry is undergoing a rapid transforming change, impacted by many simultaneous shifts. Economically we are in a time of relative global peace, but transforming stress. Globally we are in a shift from a western preeminence to an Asian emergence. Generationally the larger generation of the boomers is being replaced, supplemented, or transformed by the larger generation of the millenials (teens to early 30s). Technologically we are moving from a generation of print and words to one of images and media, delivered just in time and just to some. These influences and many others are converging to create both incredible opportunity and incredible risk.

In the midst of this change, people are being depleted and things of great value are being lost. Our challenge is not to stop the change, but to redeem it. Global member care is not for the rejects and castoffs who can no longer make a difference, it is for all of us, who though we are weak, by God's grace can be ambassadors of mercy and care, loving others even as we have first been loved. Whether we are traveling to where people and teams are working, inviting people and families into our home, or coming alongside through skype, at conferences and retreats, or whatever, our job will be to empower, replenish, encourage, mentor, or whatever is needed so that people in TEAM stay, flourish, and contribute in the ministries around the world to which they are called. As we have opportunities along the way, we will do the same thing for others beyond TEAM, but our major focus will be TEAM.

In the days ahead, our role is first to strengthen that love for one another within TEAM's global task force, then to extend that care to those who are the networks and communities of that team, and finally to champion the transforming application of personal care in Jesus name to those who need it most, no matter how rapid the change or inconvenient the context.

But, as we explored the dynamics of our own contexts, it became increasingly clear to us this summer that this would require us to leave Taiwan. Entering the summer, we were looking for an option that would allow us to continue to be involved in Taiwan part of the time while expanding our focus. As we have done our "due diligence," consulting with strategists, counselors, global ministry leadership coaches, and our churches, this position with TEAM has emerged as the best step for us to take at this time. While we expect to be travelling, and even spending weeks or months at a time internationally, TEAM has asked us to base this ministry initially in the US.

For us, the best US place to return to as a base is Colorado. Not only will this put us near Laura's parents, who have been our allies and support since they moved to Colorado after we did in the early 90's, but it is the base from which we have come and gone during our 14 years in Taiwan. Because of this, it is also an "anchor point" for our emerging adults. As I think you already know, in addition to ministry, Laura and I are committed to being appropriately available to her parents and our emerging adult kids during these strategic years. We believe and pray that this role with TEAM will be a good fit with both our commitments to family and to international ministry. We went to Colorado originally (in the early 90's with mti.org) because it was a key place from which to serve the international ministry world. We believe that continues to be the case. In our new role we hope to leverage those strengths for the benefit of those we serve.

While we want to communicate excitement about the new possibilities ahead, we are definitely feeling the grief already of leaving Taiwan. We are on the airplane right now returning to Taiwan. It will be good to be face to face with those we love there, but also hard to say our goodbyes and leave well after more than 14 years in one place that we have come to love. In addition we leave key and fulfilling roles in the counseling center and the community there, and we wish to do all we can appropriately do to help those who will fill the gaps we leave behind.

With love in our Lord who keeps us, Steve and Laura

PS Know that we want your input as we make this change, whatever it may be. Also please remember us as we work with TEAM Taiwan, the Center for Counseling and Growth, and our larger Taiwan community to make this transition well. We want to leave without delay, but not in a hurry. We hope to do this between now and the end of 2010.