Many Years Of Thankfulness

Let me introduce you to SIRRUB. Robert gave him to me when we were at Baylor about two years before we married, so he is 47 years old. He has been EVERYWHERE with me and has seen a lot. So at this Thanksgiving season, he wants to give us his perspective on just a few of the ways that God has blessed us.  He has been asking me to do this forever!

Well SIRRUB what do YOU think?

Well, I definitely see things from a different perspective. I have been in and out of suitcases, have survived Esau, the dog, and have lived in about 22 different dwellings through these years. I have seen the best of times and times that were tough. But here are are a few thoughts off of the top of my head that I know you are thankful for . . .

You both grew up in Christian homes      

God brought your lives together at Baylor                                                                                                                                                                                                                               The opportunity for you to serve as a couple in ministry                                            

For your three children, precious gifts from God                                                           

For the God’s grace through good and challenging times as a family                      

Serving as pastor and pastor’s wife and the precious friends          

Partnering in international missions in East Asia, Southeast Asia and beyond  

For strength to endure earthquakes, typhoon floods and family losses

For the many things you have learned from co-workers through the years

For the precious sons-in-law and daughter-in-law God has given you  

For the awesome nine and one on the way grandchildren

But I think the most precious for you two is God’s gift of salvation!

Well, SIRRUB, I think you’ve done a pretty good job. We could go on and on about all the retreats, missionary friends, co-workers in ministry, trips, church planting experiences . . . and well we don’t want to get crazy here — no time. At this Thanksgiving time, we want to say a special thank you to God for HIS provisions in our lives and for all of YOU.  We hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving.                        

 

 

 

Typhoon Morakot – Five Years Later

Typhoon Morakot (according to Wikipedia) was the deadliest typhoon to impact Taiwan in recorded history. It formed early on August 2, 2009 as an unnamed tropical depression and the large system gradually intensified as it traveled westward towards Taiwan. By August 5, the storm was upgraded to a typhoon. Typhoon Morakot caused catastrophic damage in Taiwan, leaving 681 people dead and others missing, and roughly NT$110 billion ($3.3 billion USD) in damages. The storm produced unreal amounts of rainfall, peaking at 2,777 mm (109.3 in), surpassing the previous record of 1,736 mm (68.35 in) set by Typhoon Herb in 1996. The extreme amount of rain triggered enormous mudslides and severe flooding throughout southern Taiwan. One mudslide buried the entire town of Xiaolin killing an estimated 500 people in the village alone.

This week, five years following this terrible disaster, we had the opportunity to travel with a retired missionary, Dr. LeRoy Hogue, and Taiwan friends from the Christian Mountain Children’s Home in Liouguei, Taiwan (southern Taiwan) to better understand the devastation they experienced and see the progress that has been made.

Words cannot explain the degree of destruction that this area experienced. We talked with people who struggled through that time, and they praised God for the strength they have had to rebuild and move forward. HUGE amounts of rock and sand poured down from the mountains and have changed the landscape of this area. Many lives were lost, and steps have been taken to try and have better emergency procedures to face crises like this in the future. We are so grateful for the support from missionaries and people like YOU who assisted in so many different ways during this most difficult time.

This area is a beautiful area with beautiful people. Many of the people are aboriginal people who make their living in the mountains of Taiwan. Praise the Lord that many of them are believers. Pray for the government, churches and families as work continues to rebuild roads and bridges throughout this region. The terrain is challenging, so rebuilding doesn’t necessarily come quickly. We thank the Lord too for our orphanage in this area that does such a fantastic job with God’s grace and mercy.

Pray for the leaders at the orphanage as they continue to work in Taiwan.

Pray for the children and youth at the orphanage to grow strong in Christ.

Pray for government and local agencies as they continue to rebuild.

Thank God for believers throughout this area who have ministered and continue to work.

Praise God that there is hope in Christ to face life’s challenges and move forward.