by Mariah Glasper
When people ask me, “How was your summer in Taiwan?” I’m probably not giving them the answer they might like to have. The sentence that comes out of my mouth is, “It was hard—good, but really hard.” Was it supposed to be easy? No, I don’t think so. My time there was beautiful and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but also incredibly stretching. I was told I would have culture shock and that this trip would shape me in years to come, and that is all true.
When I first arrived in Taiwan, culture shock hit me instantly. I knew I was stepping into something completely different from what I was used to. Nothing was familiar to me. The language was different. The billboards were different. The smells were different. The heat was different. Everything was different. Different does not mean bad, but it definitely was not familiar to me at all.
On the plane, I was missing my family, friends and boyfriend so much. My heart actually ached physically. God was the only family I felt that I had with me, and I could not exactly give Him a hug. I came to Taiwan ready to learn, serve and experience something I had never experienced before, and I would leave with so much more than what I expected.
I was immersing myself in the culture by literally just being there. Blair Alderson, my internship partner and now friend, and I had language classes two times a week. While we were learning Mandarin, we were also in the city using what we were learning. It was mostly xie xie, or “thank you,” lol.
Being around people who spoke Mandarin on a daily basis gave me the opportunity to learn the language in a way that a classroom never could. If I’m making it sound all fun and easy, it was the complete opposite. There were plenty of moments where I had no idea what people were saying, like when a bus driver repeated the same words at Blair and me, yelling at us to get off the bus, or when older people wanted to talk to me and all I could say was “wo ting bu dong,” meaning “I hear you, but I don’t understand,” because they did not want to use Google Translate.
Even though those moments were frustrating, they taught me patience and humility. They also gave me opportunities to practice kindness and show the love of Jesus, even when things were difficult. I learned that the love of Jesus is a universal language that can be understood and felt, even when words fail. I learned that language isn't just about words; it's about connecting with people.
One of the most meaningful and precious moments to me was getting the opportunity to share life with children. Just being around many children this summer as a teacher, tutor and volunteer reminded me how important and powerful it is to feed God’s sheep. It was crucial for us to invest our time and attention in these kids. Whether we were practicing English, playing, having fun or simply spending time with them, getting to know them and interacting with them was such a special experience in my heart that will stick with me forever.
The funny thing is that these kids taught me some things, too. They taught me how to be patient and how to have fun in a place that was so different from what I'm used to. Even though I was there to immerse myself, I ended up learning just as much from them, if not more, than they might have learned from me.
Taiwan was so, so hard, and yet I learned so much. The Lord was with me through everything. I felt His presence and love the entire time I was there. God has grown me and the way I think about ministry. I am so thankful for my experience, and I know that God will continue to grow me.