A Miracle!

We met J when he came to Taiwan on a mission team from Southeast Asia.  Many words could be used to describe him:  upbeat, passionate, evangelistic, humble, giving, joyful. successful . . . Well, you get the idea.  He even returned the following year to team up with us as we worked in the earthquake disaster area in Taiwan.  Always eager to go, he also later committed to partner with a team going to Africa.  He, as usual, was excited about the trip. However, when he arrived he realized that he had forgotten his malaria medicine. Most of us don’t realize how devastating that can be for some. Unfortunately J contracted malaria while he was there and was not expected to live. He was in the hospital for a long time, and finally the doctors gave the family the grave news that they did not expect him to live.  Even his internal organs were diseased and not functioning properly.  So the family was told to prepare for his death.

However, J’s wife and mother (and others) never gave up praying.  They prayed for a miracle and that’s exactly what God did — he healed J.  He just woke up. When he came out of the coma, there was no damage to his organs.  Now how do you explain that?  Well, know one tried to explain anything.  It is one of God’s special stories, and J is a very special person. As J recently shared with us, he talked about the journey duringthat he experienced during that challenging time.  He was aware of conversations around him, and he experienced some very demonic challenges from Satan.  However, he hung on to his desire to follow Jesus and return to his family. Today J is heavily involved in ministry to people beyond his people group.  He has faced death and lives to tell people about the freedom that Jesus has brought to him and his family.

We serve a God who loves us so very much.  Pray for Hokkien people like J who are willing to not only carry the message of God’s saving grace to their own people, but to other people groups as well.  He understands the cost . . .

Let me introduce you . . .

We recently had the privilege of eating with friends in the open market in one of the rural areas of Taiwan.  The owners of the noodle stand, Mr. and Mrs. N, are so gracious.  They are the only Christians working in this open market area.  With beautiful smiles on their faces they shared some of their journey with us.  From the open market to high rise office spaces, Christ has placed his angels throughout communities to pass on the love of Christ to Taiwanese people.

This family works long hours and dishes up very tasty noodles that are a traditional food item in Taiwan.  Of course, eating anything with friends spices up the food for sure.  It was our privilege to share this time with them.

With God’s word hanging at the front of their noodle stand, this family hopes to bring light into the darkness of people’s lives.  Pray for this husband, wife, son and daughter as they mingle in this busy open market.  Pray for their son who is currently in the military as he has opportunity to live out his Christian witness among military personnel.  Also pray for their daughter who is still in school  Students are often very receptive to learn more about Christianity.

Any time of the day you go, you will find a line of people waiting to order.  That have a good name in that area.  Taiwanese has a special phrase that says, “Chiah ho, tau sio po!” (When you’ve eaten something good, share it with others.) That’s true of God’s love too!  Pray for Taiwanese people to share the Good News with those around them and beyond.