Chinese New Year is Approaching

Here in Taiwan they celebrate Chinese New Year. The Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, so the exact date changes each year. This year it falls in the middle of February. Because Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday of the year here, the Chinese students have almost a month off of school. Also the people have many New Year traditions similar to our Christmas traditions. One of those traditions is to clean out your home and put red signs on the door frames of your front door. The Chinese church that we attend gave us one of those signs. (See sign on the right of Hunter). The sign says, "The Lord gives peace." What a true statement!!! Please join us in praying that the Chinese here in Taiwan will come to understand that true peace and joy can only come from the one and true God. The yellow and red sign to the left of Hunter was made by Milly in her Chinese paper-cutting class at school -- her new elective class. The Chinese character means "spring." At Chinese New Year, people hang this character upside down. The reason -- the words for "spring is arriving" and "spring is upside down" sound alike!