| The Adventures of a White Girl (and Guy) in Taiwan |
June 12, 2007—“I had a dream my best friend told me that he liked me (a lot) and moved over the ocean to be with me. Then I woke up. And he was there.” – a post by Erin (Lenihan) Chamness, ’04, on her blog, titled “The adventures of a white girl in Taiwan.”
Until a year or so ago, the title of 2004 MBU alum Erin (Lenihan) Chamness’ blog precisely summed up her life post-MBU.
Shortly after graduating MBU in 2004 with a bachelor of arts in religion and religious education, Erin packed her bags and began an adventure of a lifetime as she embarked on a teaching career in Taipei, Taiwan. Thus, her appropriately titled online diary, “The adventures of a white girl in Taiwan,” was born. Erin frequently posts comments and photos about the joys and struggles of teaching English as a second language in a country far removed both culturally and geographically from her childhood home in Missouri’s rural Ozarks. One of the devoted readers of Erin’s blog was a college buddy who would inevitably turn into much more. After graduating alongside Erin, Rick Chamness, who earned a bachelor of arts in religion while at MBU, moved back to his hometown of Kansas City to pursue an internship at a church there. All the while, he kept up with his college pal via e-mail and her frequent—and often witty—blog posts. His internship never took off; however, his relationship with Erin did—despite the 7,604 miles that separated the couple. The two began corresponding frequently. Before long, Rick made a decision to join Erin as an English instructor in Taiwan. “As I reflected and prayed about the situation, it was like God was saying, ‘See, I’ve taken you away from school, taken your anchor of an internship, now it’s time for you to travel for me,’” Rick said. Erin wasn’t convinced, though. “It wasn’t until I actually bought the plane ticket that she believed I was coming to Taiwan,” Rick said. Not long after Rick joined Erin oceans away, they fell deeper in love. The couple was married Feb.. 2, 2008. Now they face the adventure and obstacles of living in a foreign country together, teaching English and helping to share Christ’s love a world away. “You are reduced to the level of a baby because you can’t speak or read,” Erin said. “You resort to crude grunting, hand gestures and even sound effects. It’s hard because ordering lunch becomes one of the most difficult tasks of the day. It’s an unusual struggle to face, but at least my charade skills are killer now.” Erin says that though the language barrier has been a hurdle, it has helped the couple to approach their service work in Taiwan with an attitude of humility. “It is easy to fall into the attitude of ‘Never fear, your American missionary is here’,” Erin said. “But how could we expect to enhance the church experience with our vast Christian vocabulary and deep theological ideas when we couldn’t even order lunch?” The couple is making a continuing effort to master the native language. However, Erin and Rick have realized that language is all but obsolete in their relationships with the Taiwanese. “I had to learn to show God’s love through love,” Erin said. “During my first few years I learned more about Christ’s love and Christian fellowship through my Taiwanese Christian brothers and sisters. I learned serving others with physical acts of kindness and love was a far bigger ministry than talking at them.” In spite of the unique challenges that they faced, Erin and Rick have made connections with the Taiwanese that will last a lifetime. They plan to return home in the summer of 2009, but it will be difficult to leave the place that has been their home for the past three years. “However, our hearts are turned toward God’s desires, and we will follow his will for our lives,” Erin added. Thus, “The adventures of a girl (and guy) in Taiwan” was born.
Read more about the Chamness' journey @ xanga.com/eclenihan |
