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My Taiwan Family

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By Sarah
In June I had the privilege of feeling unconditionally loved.  I left Taiwan in 2003 but a piece of my heart will always be there.  This summer a part of the love I felt for Taiwan came back to me to visit for a couple days.  
First, a little background.  One day while I was at the church building, a man came walking in that reminded me so much of my dad.  When I told him so he replied something like "but you're American & I'm Chinese."  I showed him a picture of my family & we agreed he was the Chinese version of my dad.  As such, he made sure that I was taken care of.  His family fed me and he took me to play tennis on my p-day.  (A missionary's day off -- well, part of the day.)  When I left Taiwan he gave me a beautiful necklace and also told me that the man I married would have to have certain qualities.  We have kept in touch through emails & Facebook all this time.  (Henry even added me as his "daughter" on FB.)  When Dan & I went to my mission companion's wedding in DC in 2012 we visited his son, Joe, and his wife, Sandy and had a great time.  So, this year, when Joe told me that his  dad -- my Chinese dad -- and his wife were coming to visit him in America, of course the first thing I wanted to do was buy 6 plane tickets to DC!
Alas, my husband and my dad just couldn't take a week off work right then and I just couldn't take 4 small children to the nation's capital by myself even though I really wanted to take Michelle to see the Giant Pandas at the zoo and take Danny to the Air & Space museum while visiting my Taiwan family.  Eventually I had to write that I could not come and I was so sad that they could come half way across the world & I couldn't make it half way across the continent.  However, Joe called up & said he was buying 3 airplane tickets so Henry & Susan & he could come out to visit us.  I was so excited!  I felt bad my Mandarin has turned to mush but luckily Henry & Susan both speak some English and Joe makes for a great translator when we ran into trouble.
I tried to think of something we had that DC didn't have, so we took the family to see the Rocky Mountains.  Although Henry & Susan had never met my husband and 4 children & hadn't seen me for 11 years, they simply poured acceptance on my spouse & love on my little ones.  It was a perfect example of unconditional love.  If you know me well, you know I am not the crying type.  Yet, it's hard to see this computer screen through the tears.  When I feel or remember love that pure I cannot help but cry with full on crocodile tears streaming down both cheeks.  I have often said that serving a full time mission was the best decision I ever made.  This is just one example of why.





I wish there were stronger words to express my gratitude for this wonderful family.  I do hope to see them again -- in less than 10 years -- and that Joe can convince Sandy to come with him to visit us next time.  (:

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