Monday, June 29th was our final Chinese tutoring lesson for a month and a half. With camp, TMF (Taiwan Missionary Fellowship) camp, and Noah's visit coming up, we won't have time for it. So we pressed pause on that.
Samuel took these photos of Porky. Our voice for Porky is calling him, "so cute," the same way that our tutor Michelle says it.
Terry went to a staff meeting and then to the hardware store with Pastor Nanson to get some more parts for the Nine Square in the Air game he has been building. The boys started playing basketball at the courts next door b/c they discovered the older men they met last week run a basketball "camp" 4:30-5:00. So the boys leave early and come back late absolutely drenched in sweat. It's so incredibly hot and humid here. 
Evie went on a coffee date with a friend to discuss writing and author-ing.
On Tuesday, June 30 Terry and I went to Costco with Nanson. Here they are comparing their near-identical shoes. Terry was admiring Nanson's Sketcher shoes a few weeks back, and so Nanson offered to pick up a pair for Terry (we paid him back later.)
We had eaten all of the meat I bought three weeks before, so it was high time for another trip. Plus, we wouldn't have time for a Costco run the following week due to English Camp.
Noah sent us this photo the previous night. We miss our big boys. Both of them.
While we were gone, Evie mixed up her remaining lemon cake into cake pops. Once we got back, she dipped them.
Terry proceeded to go back to the hardware store with Nanson again. Terry borrowed Nanson's car to bring the freshly cut pipes to our garage, where he labeled them.
The kids read the remainder of their books while Terry went to a camp meeting with Ann. Ann is the camp director from afar in California, but she and her husband Peter planted LKIC and she grew the camp into what it is now. At this meeting, they discovered that they had still had much to do for camp.
While Evie and a friend were working out and the boys were playing basketball again, I was making dinner... or attempting to. I ran into a snag when, for the life of me, I could not open a jar of tomato paste. The house was empty. So I did what I had to do. I used Google Translate to ask our front desk man, Kai, to help me.
I had basically bruised my hand trying to get it open, it was that stuck. It was even hard for Kai, so he asked a construction worker for help. I was going to pass it to the new guy, when I gave one more attempt and it opened! Community living for the win.
While I was at the front desk, I picked up a care package from a friend that included some very much needed medications, like my favorite liposomal vitamin C.
After dinner, the kids went across the street to watch Toy Story 5 with friends.
On Wednesday, July 1st, we woke up to this photo from Noah 😅🩷
Terry got up early for a run and then met a guy from church so they could touch base. He took videos of the kids biking home from the library, because they passed right by the coffee shop he was at. The kids got a new haul of books and played Harry Potter Clue with some friends. Samuel was psyched to win.
That evening, we had the camp youth leaders (YoLPers) over for one of the final camp trainings.
We had Pizza Hut together and then I made some chocolate chip muffins to share. (I had finally caved and bought a muffin tin).
We had a few others join us before we were done.
Everyone enjoyed playing with or just observing Porky. He's very entertaining.
On Thursday July 2nd, the kids and I talked to Noah while Terry was in meetings and working on Nine Square. My big boys!!!
The boys went over to the park to help Terry put Nine Square together in the shade under some trees. Unfortunately, they got eaten alive by a bunch of bugs, and the pipes kept falling out of place.
I worked out and was sitting out front cooling off when Samuel came home, followed by Evie's friends, who came to work out with her.
Terry came home to have an English lesson with Justin. The boys went to the basketball camp, but it sprinkled and began to rain so they came home again. The English camp team from the US arrived that afternoon and we celebrated the fact that we don't have to be in the dorms for camp this year 😂 It's really nice to have our own comfy place.
On Friday July 3rd, Terry got up and made waffles before he had to leave for most of the day for camp meetings. It's that time!
At home, we talked to Noah and watched a Wingfeather episode with him. Evie went shopping and started baking up her newest inspiration - graham crackers. A missionary friend visiting the States had sent her a photo of them having s'mores and Evie realized we must have them too. But there are no graham crackers here! She found a recipe and got to work.
I got to work deep-cleaning the house and found two precious lost things that Porky that apparently played with - Evie's macaron tape and Samuel's fidget sword toy from Christmas. Then I worked out, probably for the last time til after camp. Evie went for a run.
Terry had been in training all day and hadn't had time to get more parts for Nine Square. So, before a team dinner, he biked to the hardware store again and then biked to the hotpot restaurant inside of the mall next to our apartment. He's in the bike lane along with scooters and a truck 😆
When he arrived he was dripping...
... so he stood under the AC vent to cool off. It's so hot here.
Hot pot involves choosing and boiling the broth and then adding your choice of veggies and meat to cook at your table. It was yummy.
Evie sat with one old friend (Gabriel, who was here last summer) and three new ones.
We met Gabriel's mom, Yunny, this time, which was fun.
Saturday July 4th , was a big day of training at Morrison. Terry left at 7 am to help Nanson transport supplies to the school, and we got there by 8 am. Evie and her song team buddies were ready to go.
Everyone was put into the groups they will be in when students arrive on Monday. Some people might recognize Albert from last year. We love Papa Albert!
Samuel's table.
Ezra's table.
We learned the songs and their motions.
Atta-boy, Samuel.
Evie had been practicing at home, so when it took time for the sound to get connected she (and the team) led us through the motions from memory.
Here's Albert and Aaron showing the delicious bento box lunch options. Aaron is Caroline's son, who came from the States to help this year.
Terry taught the crew several games they could play with students when there was a lull. This one was called Extreme High-Fiving. You throw a pingpong ball into the air for your partner to catch, and the two of you see how many high-fives you can get in before your partner has to catch the ball. I think ten was the winner. This was Ezra and the new emcee, youth pastor Toby from the bay area church. They were really good.
Samuel and Johnathan were also really good. So were Evie and her partner. It's all that previous youth group game experience.
Terry and Caroline explaining the end-of-week performances.
Vivi, Ruby, and Mei, all CBM missionaries like us. It's all hands on deck this week.
Caroline at Albert and Evie's table.
Terry still had a few screws to put in to make Nine Square more stable.
Samuel helped him match legs together.
And then they set it up! Terry used some smaller pipes in order to make it lighter and easier to transport... but this also made it flimsier. He's bummed it's not perfect, but it'll work for camp. He will keep adjusting it to make it more stable.
After training was over, we hung out with the team by walking to Linkou's Old Street. We shopped at Stationary 101, which we fondly remembered from last year. Everybody got something.
Terry got some large paper for the teams to write highs, lows, and buffaloes (random things) onto everyday.
Samuel on narrow Old Street.
We biked home at nearly 6:00 pm, and it was still so hot. The first thing we did when we arrived home was shower. Man, it's hot.
After dinner, it was finally time for s'mores! We used our gas burner to brown the marshmallows.
How good does that look?!
Happy 250th birthday, America!! Sorry we missed your birthday! I'm thankful for the pictures and videos friends and family sent, especially of the Mount Rushmore fireworks.
Sunday July 5th, was church with the team. Evie and Mpho were accidental twins (nearly)!
Terry led the Kahoot quiz that Evie had made for the team to teach them about Taiwan. She modeled it after a quiz an intern made last year and did a great job. It was fun.
Afterwards, we went home to prepare for the week by resting and having our family pizza night!
