Taiwan Journal
Tim Roehl
February 4-13, 2016
Prelude
Training based on the “fit and
flourish leadership” paradigm
and Grip Birkman profile that
Gail Davis and I led for OMS
senior leaders from around
the world has generated a
number of invitations to come
do team building on OMS
fields. Rod Williamson, our
Field Leader in Taiwan,
invited me to come to Taiwan
and serve the team there at
their annual retreat. After lots
of planning with Rod and
Mark and Michelle Dinnage,
as well as getting about two
dozen people to take the
profile, our plans came
together with this ten-day trip.
Another factor was the fact that I had to leave during the second week of CROSS Training, our OMS
three-week intensive to train our missionaries for cross-cultural life and ministry. Thankfully I have a
great team who was able to lead things while I was gone.
This journal combines posts from Facebook and other thoughts about this wonderful trip…
Thursday, February 4th
On my way to Taiwan...it's snowing lightly here in Indy, will be 60-70 degrees there. Guess I'll have to
tough it out!  Seriously, your prayers are needed and appreciated for these ten days of ministry. I'm
always interested to see what the Lord has planned that is not on my schedule! I want to serve others well
and honor Jesus. Thanks for praying!
Flights delayed...complete new itinerary...arrive 8 hours later…the adventure continues!
From Shirley: A funny thing happened on the third trip to take Tim to the airport
today (that's another story)...we adopted a doggie! We have to wait a day or two
to pick him up. What should we name him? (Update: we named him Kirby after
the famous Minnesota Twins player Kirby Puckett, which is a nod to his
“cousin” Herky, named after the University of Iowa’s mascot.)
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Saturday, February 6th
Made it to Taiwan about 6 am this morning after 25+ hours of travel...but found that my checked bag
stayed behind in Indy. This has not been a good Delta experience so far. Hope I will get my bag soon. A
little shopping and the loan of a couple shirts from Bill Gulliver and I'm good for a day or two at least.
After arriving at the north end of Taiwan in Taipei it was an hour and 45 minutes to get to the city where we
have one of our Morrison School campuses, met the Gulliver family for the four hour drive to the very south
end of the island where our team of about 30 is having their annual retreat. I'll serve them over the next few
days by listening and encouraging, growing friendships and leading team building times. Although I'm pretty
tired, I'm excited to be here and serve our good OMS folks!
It's also Chinese New Year over the next week, so there will be lots of traffic and fireworks. Should be fun!
Please pray for...my suitcase to arrive, physical energy and mental clarity, spiritual discernment and
anointing, God's blessing in everyone here!
Sunday, February 7th
You may have seen news of an earthquake here in Taiwan. Because I arrived eight hours later than originally
scheduled, I missed it...another God thing. No one from our team was affected by it, but prayer is needed for
those who were. Grateful for God's protection.
Monday, February 8th
Monday morning here in Taiwan! We are 13 hours ahead of Eastern Time in the US, so we are watching the
Super Bowl on Monday morning! Even in Taiwan, a Super Bowl party is important!
We had a great day together yesterday. I was able to sleep pretty well, which meant I was more coherent to
serve the team. We had a good "church/worship" time. I shared principles from my Psalm 81;10 year verse--"I
am the LORD your God Who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." I so love
passing along God's good promises!
We had about five hours of training time, which went well. We have about 30 adults and kids...a great mix of
young and old, veteran and new missionaries, teachers at Christian schools and church planters...we have
wonderful people on our OMS teams!
This is also a retreat, so there was time for rest
and replenishing activities like getting out to see
sights (I went to the National Aquarium with a
group--amazing), eating, visiting and playing
games. Just getting to know my OMS team mates
helps me appreciate them more and serve them
better. Our OMS team comes from the US,
Taiwan, South Africa, Canada and Germany—a
beautiful blend of backgrounds!
Uwe and Madonna Maurer family at National Aquarium
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Because of Chinese New Year here, we've been hearing fireworks all over the place at all times of day and
night. We had special Chinese foods and treats as well. One more thing...my suitcase has arrived in Taiwan! It
came to the main airport in Taipei on the far north end of the island, but has to be brought about 200 miles to
the south end where we are having our retreat. I hope to get it today. Thanks
for praying...after the Super Bowl, we'll do more training today. Pray for God
to bless each person in a special way and give us insights that help us be better
teammates with each other.
Tuesday, February 9th
My suitcase finally arrived! Everything appears to be OK.
Hooray!
The OMS team appreciated the Twizzlers that were in the
suitcase...I'm glad for everything else.
Buddhist ad on a bus
Wednesday, February 10th
Wednesday morning in Taiwan. We blended training/team time with retreat time with morning and evening
training and afternoon retreat sightseeing.
The OMS Taiwan team--over 40 with kids--serve in several places around the island. They only get together a
few times a year, so this is important relational time. It's obvious they enjoy each other. They've made me feel
welcome.
The team building time turned out very well. They engaged in the training materials (based on their Grip
Birkman profiles) wonderfully and then investing in each other relationally in meaningful ways. I've heard
words like, "enlightening, affirming, eye-opening, helpful"...that's encouraging to me!
Today I ride with a family up the beautiful east side of the island to the city of Hualien (Wah-lee-inn) to see
our ministry there. Though my time of leading training is over, I'm trying to see as much of the island and
learn as much about our OMS ministries as I can in my last two days here.
"Let's Be Team" processing
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"Nixon Rock" (notice the 'nose')
Ancient City Gate
Roadside view
OMS Taiwan Team Retreat 2016
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Friday, February 12th
Friday morning in Taiwan...now in Taichung, staying with JohnMark and Susan Brabon, who live in a 14th
floor apartment.
Yesterday I traveled with Rod Williamson, Taiwan field leader most of the day from Hualiean (Wha-lee-in).
Then our travel began...by car along the incredibly beautiful coastline, then a 1-1/2 hour bus ride to Taipei,
then an hour-long ride on the high speed rail (a smooth ride at over 150 miles per hour) to Taichung. Part of
the ride included going through an eight-mile long tunnel. Travel from one city to the other took nine hours.
Travel was slower than usual...EVERYONE travels during Chinese New Year, so roads, buses and trains are
crowded. (Yes, I meant to use caps to emphasize the crowded travel venues).
The travel with Rod was delightful. He grew up here in Taiwan and has led the field here for over a dozen
years. He and his wife Beth love their team and are loved by their team in return. Rod and I had a wonderful
wide-ranging conversation about life, ministry, Taiwan and even found time to do a video greeting to send
back to the States to bless Jeremy & Meredith Fulda, who are finishing CROSS Training at OMS HQ.
Food here has
been varied and
delicious. Rod
and I started our
day with the
Taiwan version
of a McMuffin
breakfast...with
sweet soy milk
instead of coffee.
Lunch was gyoza
(jow-za) fried
dumplings and
hot/sour soup. Tasty! We had two Taiwan snacks that were interesting: mochi
(mwah-gi), a rice gel ball with peanut powder inside...that was messy but great.
Then we stopped for chili
ice cream...yes, CHILI ice
cream! I had a bowl of #1, the mildest version, but a taste of
#7, the HOTTEST version! You can tell from the picture
what my response was like. Yowzer! My lips, tongue and
teeth burned for a half hour. The night before I had a burger
at "Moz Burgers"-- a Taiwan fast food joint. I had a
hamburger on a rice cake bun...that was a first.
Chili Ice Cream?! HOT!
Here in Taichung Mark and Michelle
Dinnage picked me up at the airport. As we drove,
we saw many sights: Red Chinese lanterns
marking the New Year, "Night Market" attracting
crowds of people, street vendors and many shops.
They've been wonderful to work with as we
coordinated the OMS team retreat. They've also
been gracious hosts. I've been well cared for here!
Chinese New Year Night Life
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Accommodations have been much like we would have at home. Everyone here wears slippers in the house
instead of shoes. As you can see in one picture, my American feet were bigger than most slippers! Glad the
one with my toe sticking out is a disposable pair.
Today we get to see more of OMS ministry at the Morrison School, which has about 900 students at three
locations in three cities. About 1/3 of the students are MKs (Missionary Kids), and the rest are children of
business and other professional people. The school is regarded as a very high-class place to get a great
education. We'll also get to see more Taiwan sights and maybe do a bit of shopping. Should be a fun day
before leaving for the airport tomorrow morning at 6 am.
This has been an interesting trip...I've been "in transit" by plane, car, bus, train and foot for about four days
total...and "in place" staying somewhere about four days. It's been a wonderful experience...thanks again for
praying for me. The Lord's helped me serve others and learn a lot. I'm grateful.
Chinese New Year
This is a special time of year for the entire nation. It blends religious, family and cultural traditions. Many
large cities are “deserted” as people travel back to their ancestral home towns, many of them small and rural.
Families visit the husband’s side one day, the wife’s side another day. Special times of family, fellowship and
fun all blend together. People light fireworks near their homes and businesses to chase away evil spirits.
They burn money and set out food to honor their ancestors and “provide” for them in the afterlife. The entire
week is a holiday for the whole nation. Because of that, the roads were very crowded and some businesses and
roads were closed. It was an interesting and telling cultural learning time for me. In some ways, it resembles
our American Thanksgiving and New Year’s traditions with a Confucian/ Taoist/Buddhist spiritual influence.
Taichung city view from 14th floor
Wifi on fancy bus
Beautiful Taiwan coast
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Saturday, Feb 13th
"Oh-dark thirty" on Saturday morning...and we begin my 24+ journey home. A couple hours to the airport
in Taipei, then waits and flights to Tokyo, Minneapolis and (hopefully catching an earlier flight on
standby)...home! It's been a wonderful 10 days here in Taiwan, even with Delta airlines glitches. One of
the (few) nice things about having your suitcase delivered three days late is that you learn how much less
you can get by with! Can't wait to be with my Shirley Roehl...and now also our little pup Kirby. Please
pray for safe travel home, good connections on flights, favor to get a standby flight and for ongoing
positive relational and results from my time with the great team here at OMS. A big shout out again
to Mark and Michelle Dinnage, Rod Williamson and the team who were so wonderful to work with here
in Taiwan. On the ground in MSP...one more flight to go...but I'm getting to spend time with Elise
and Tim Morris, Jenni Salomon, Mary, Phil at my brother Randy Roehl's home. Makes the 5+ hour
layover much better. Then, home to my girl Shirley Roehl!
Monday, February 15th
Monday...back in the office for at least part of the day...recovering from a 13-hour time zone difference
takes a little while. Waiting for me in my office was some fun artwork from the CROSS Training
folks...drawing courtesy of Diana Chance and nice notes from everyone in a Birkman theme. I've done
Grip Birkman training many, many times but never got delightful feedback like this! I'm now apparently
"Super BirkMan", got a thank you note in the form of a Birkman LifeStyle Grid and have a Lifestyle Grid
made of balloons. Thanks, everyone! It's nice to be home.
Welcome Home!
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