“Queen of the Dark Chamber” is the first musical I have ever been in. I was really nervous when it was time for casting, but in the end my nerves calmed down and I was able to recite my part. I was cast as Sister 3, a member of the Tsai Family that lived in the Qing Dynasty. The musical is focused on the seventh daughter of the Tsai Family called Christiana Tsai, played by Tiffany Lam. Back then, many members of the Tsai family were very much into opium and gambling, and as a result they lost a huge amount of money.

As the musical goes on, the peaceful setting of China changes as the warlords come about rampaging the villages in search of valuables and the head of each family. Most of the Tsai family was Buddhist, and they were all in shock when their seventh daughter changed religions and believed in Jesus Christ. Through the different scenes, you are able to see how God protected them from many dangers.

This is a true story, and it is an honor to be able to perform it.

Jessica Loo
Team 5

In the VOICE camp, we stayed at the Training Center, which is situated in Oklahoma City. The decorations of the Training Center makes it feel like home. There are several facilities in it; such as the basketball court, auditorium, dining room, etc.

Every morning, we have team devotions at ‘Team Space,’ then breakfast at the dining room. We spend most of the time in the auditorium, listening to the Basic Seminar and electives.

In the evening, we will have team prayer at the place where we have team devotions. I have stayed at this Training Center for a week, and I have already gotten used to the life here.

I think the surroundings here are very peaceful and calm. It is not like those fascinating cities, such as Hong Kong or New York. Instead, this is a really suitable place for people to study.

Dawn Yung
Team 5
Photo by Nichole Simpson

We went ice-skating last Saturday. It was quite interesting even though I have gone ice-skating many times in Taiwan. After ice-skating, we celebrated Christmas and had a big meal.

Sunday, after church, the host family took us to their house. It’s twenty minutes between church and the house. The children in their family are homeschooled. They have three daughters and one son. We really had fun there. We played basketball, volleyball and went swimming.

His son is a big fan of John Wayne and he gave the DVD of John Wayne as a gift while I was leaving. I hope that they can come this Saturday.

Last Sunday, we went to church with our host family. The host family that entertained us is the Greg family. Mr. Greg took me to the church early. When we arrived at their church, we saw a very beautiful building. Before worship service, we had an hour for small group. A woman taught us about David in the Holy Bible. The topic in worship service was “Dealing With Defeat.” I liked the pastor because he spoke slowly, and I could understand what he said.

After church, we had the lunch with the Greg family in a Chinese restaurant. I was so happy that I could eat some food that was like the food in Taiwan. After having the lunch, we went to the house of the Greg family. It’s very beautiful and clean. They have two pets. One is a small dog and the other is a big dog. I liked the room of their daughter because most of the color in her room is pink. Oh! Pink is my favorite color.

After taking a break for a while, Mr. Greg took us to a terrible place. There was a small plane crash yesterday. After we saw the terrible view, Mr. Greg took us to a personal airport. He showed us his own small plane. We were surprised. He wanted us to fly and he let us experience the feeling of taking off by ourselves. It is misfortuned that there was some problem with plan. Mr. Greg was depressed because he disappointed us.

He took us to taste many foods and shared his experiences about teaching flying. Eventually, he took us to the shopping mall. We were very happy and bought many things.

After shopping, we went to church again for the second worship service. After church, we had the dinner at the pizza inn with Greg family. We gave our gift to Mr. Greg and Mrs. Greg and i prepared some cute doll for theirchildren.

After dinner, it’s time to say bye bye. their children hugged us and all of us felt very sad because they are so beautiful and cute. I was very appreciative. I am thankful for the Greg family. I had a good day. See you in Taiwan.

Jason Tseng
Team 1

Today we go to the Memorial. There is a good place to take photos!

This summer is a very important moment in my life. Because I graduated from college, my life is beginning. I can’t waste time on meaningless things. I know I need to change before I go into this wild world.

Basic Seminar is a helpful class for my spirit. Even though I think I read Bible every day and I know a lot about God, the Basic Seminar is a new experience for me. It challenges me to live like God is real. I pray to God to give me energy so I can take the class powerfully.

Peter Hsieh
Team 3

“Chalkboard Art” by Jamie Gu