SPANISH FORT — In 1984, A 26-year-old woman boarded a plane in Tapei, China and landed 24 hours later in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Lefen Spriggs’ first impression of the United States was that it was “huge” and she wondered where all the people had gone. The population in the U.S. seemed scarce compared to Taiwan, she said.

She began studying English in seventh grade in Taiwan and she said she gained an advantage when she moved to the U.S. Spriggs became a U.S. citizen in 1992.

“I had some American friends from the church, so I practiced before I came here,” she said.

She said that moving to the U.S. was a “leap of faith.”

Born in Taiwan, Spriggs moved to the U.S. to attend the University of Morgantown in West Virginia where her sister was enrolled. Spriggs had earned a degree in English literature from a school in Taiwan but she decided she wanted a degree in business administration.

When she first moved to the U.S., she was very lonely as she didn’t know many people, but she came to love the tranquility of West Virginia. While she was still in college, Spriggs considered moving to California to work with her cousin.

Then, the unexpected happened, she said.

“I fell in love before I finished school,” she said.

On a visit to Tennessee, her sister introduced her to a chemical engineer who worked at Texas Instruments. Kevin Spriggs offered to show her around Johnson City. They had a lot of chemistry, she said.

“We were so comfortable when we were with each other that we fell in love,” Spriggs said.

They eventually moved to Spanish Fort and will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year.

They have two daughters, Amy, 19, and Victoria, 17.

At Tillman’s Corner First Baptist Church, there is a Chinese fellowship which Spriggs attends. English classes are also offered to people of many nationalities, she said. These include Korean, Japanese, Iranian, Taiwanese, Mexican, Chinese and South American students. She volunteered to help teach English classes.

She said speaking English is a lot different than teaching English, Spriggs said. Some of the students do not know any English, whereas others may know some, she said.

“I really love English. Since I married Kevin, I have more ability to practice and use English and now I am not so afraid,” she said.

Her hope is to teach English as a missionary one day.

Fellowship and visiting with people is basically a great way to share ideas and learn about history, she said. Many of the members in her Chinese church have older relatives visiting from overseas. Since many of the visitors’ children are working, and the visitors cannot speak English, Spriggs acts as a tour guide for the area. “They tell me the stories of their lives and about their history,” she said.

When Spriggs was in ninth grade, a teacher advised her that she needed to improve her calligraphy skills.

As a result, for the last two years, she has learned to improve her Chinese calligraphy using a fan brush with a bamboo handle, which is a very old traditional form of art. Spriggs said writing Chinese calligraphy gives her a connection to history and makes her feel at peace when she does it.

“I also like to collect recipes, but I don’t like to cook,” she said with a chuckle.

Spriggs likes good food, hiking on trails and walking on the beach. Her favorite place to travel so far is the Canadian Rocky Mountains, but she has also visited the Bahamas, Virgin Islands and Macau, China.

Spriggs grew up in a close knit family in Taiwan where even cousins often visited together, so family is important to her, she said.

Her father died when she was only 11 years old, and her mother, who still lives in Taiwan, is turning 80 this year. She has one brother and five sisters — one of which now lives in Mobile.

Her family still owns a grocery store in Taiwan which has been in their family for generations. Her family in Taiwan always pitched in to help each other, like education or housing. Spriggs usually takes the 18,000-mile trek to Taiwan every two to three years.

Spriggs is very curious about other people, so to learn about their history, she asks a lot of questions.

“I like to see people in a different dimension,” she said. She is proud of Spanish Fort for its good schools and beautiful environment, she said.

Spriggs said she is very content with her life in Spanish Fort.

“It is because of my faith in God. So, I kind of like to enjoy life and to follow God’s will and I find that is very joyful. Faith is very important to me,” she said.