Happy new year to all tigers and the rest of us

Chinese New Year is a time for family, like Christmas and Thanksgiving combined. This year it was the 14th, same as valentines. I think valentines pretty much got skipped in Taiwan this year :-). This morning I can hear the firecrackers going as businesses reopen. That and the rain. The one week almost everyone really has vacation and it has been cold and wet! Right now it's raining, 10C/51F, and 94% humidity. Inside it's nicer: 17C/63F, 66% humidity, and not raining. I think I'll stay inside for now.

Speaking of family, it's been a while since you've gotten an email update from Laura. As usual, I'm excerpting from a personal note she wrote, so if you've already seen this, you know who you are! The rest of you--she loves you too! She wrote this on Chinese New Year's eve. Happy New Year!

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 The last couple of days I have not been feeling too well, and Steve has gone camping (tent camping--which is something he has never done before in Taiwan, but a friend with equipment invited him to go!)  This has turned out to give me some time to catch up on some things…so I'm glad I can finally write to you!

            Yes, graduation is coming up for Sarah (May 16)! Since Sarah is graduating with a degree in psychology and linguistics she has decided to pursue grad school…and this whole school year is being swallowed up by that pursuit!  In the fall she was researching schools and filling out applications.  This semester she is going to interviews …which makes it hard for her to keep focused on her studies.  So we are watching and wondering where she will be next year.  She has quite a few interview offers, and so far one acceptance:  Tx A&M. (Keep her in mind, she's at an interview now and has several more this next week.)

Graduating is a tough transition…I remember that it was a lot of fun to be a student at Rice, and much less fun to work a 40 hour week after I graduated! 

            Rob is still studying English and a lot of History classes…but doesn't have a career plan.  Joey is still studying mech E, and we are delighted that God has provided a summer job at UCCS in the lab of a prof who is designing a space sling. (This just fell through. The prof can't hire him because he's not a UCCS student.)  I guess we'll learn more about that later!  We are also delighted that he will be in CS for the summer, since we are thinking we will be there for the summer this year.

            May the Father be with all of these "emerging adults" and give them hearts that seek him as they transition from one place and school to the next role!  May He give them grace to take up increased responsibility by relying on him, and the wisdom to know how to live for him in an increasingly complicated world!

            Steve and I are doing well.  At the beginning this restoration program was a very painful thing for us, but as time goes on, and as Steve has humbled himself and embraced the process it has been a real blessing from my perspective.  This year (since our return in September) has been unusual in so many ways…our first year of having a real empty nest in Taiwan.  Also, some of the assignments that I once filled are now filled by others.  I'm glad to give most of them up (such as retreat planning), but I miss teaching the English bible study that I taught before I left.  I'm open to trying new ministries….so far I've tried leading jr church (I'm on rotation) and helping at VBS, I'm doing some book-keeping for church, and still on the school board, and I meet with lots of women and listen and pray.  And I even have time to show hospitality.  And to be a little involved with Steve's restoration…discussing his books and reading some parts with him.  I feel I could be doing more…but am also thankful for a time to slow down after so many years of feeling always busy to the max.  This is the first year I have actually cleaned my house (at least part way) for Chinese new year!

And, thanks again for your financial support.  

We send our love! Laura

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PS A Taiwan friend found this blog entry describing Chinese New Year. It tells you more than I know anyway!

http://wandering-taiwan.blogspot.com/2010/02/gong-si-fa-tsai.html

The very first year we celebrated Chinese New Year, some folks who had lived in Taiwan told us mandarin oranges (juzi, now perhaps my favorite fruit, similar to tangarines or clementines but larger) would be an excellent gift. We should however be careful not to give 4 as that was unlucky. Well, with our five year olds in tow we made it over to King Sooper, where a helpful employee pulled some molding oranges out of the back. I found six that looked okay and bought them. (I recall they seemed expensive to us at the time.) Unfortunately at home I found two more with mold, so having forgotten what I heard at Sunday school (shocker, I know,) guess what we brought. Not only a miserly gift but a terrible one. Still it was graciously received as was evident when they showed us the picture years later with the four oranges sitting on the table. Thankfully they were brothers and sisters, so the homonym of the chinese word for "4" with the one for "dead" hopefully held no power. One thing you can count on, though. That would not be my last mistake in Chinese culture!

Also, we've got a new family picture! I'm not including it because of size, but you can see it and download it at http://picasaweb.google.com/TEAMspinella/LatestFamilyPicture#5439758359141149186. There are lots of other pictures there, including of the camping trip Laura mentioned.

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>