EVEN THROUGH THE VALLEY . . .

First of all we want to thank you for your prayers for MR. LIM, a new believer in our church who was baptized last December.  His story is unique.

As a result of family dysfunction and hurt, Mr. Lim was estranged from his family for many years.  That was a tough issue for him to handle.  For the last five years, Mr. Tan, one of the men in our church, tried his best to share Christ with him and bring him into the fellowship of our church.  Last year, Mr. Lim discovered that he had liver cancer and it was already very serious.  Really for the first time, he was willing to listen to people around him and he made the decision to accept Christ.  We could tell the difference.  He was baptized last December and it was really a happy time for him and our church family as well.  He was a member of our small group that meets on Friday evening from about 9-11 pm.  That group provides the opportunity for those who work to be able to attend a small group.

Things went well for a while, but the cancer continued to spread. Mr. Lim had already retired, but was currently working as a security guard to bring in income – however very quickly he was too weak to continue.  With none of his family around it was a challenging time for him, but Hok-tek church reached out with loving hearts to be his FAMILY.  There was no money and no family — but Hok-tek in every way that you can imagine sacrificially met those needs.  It wasn’t an easy thing to do BUT it was the RIGHT THING.  At the very end of his stay in the hospital, a more professional care giver was required and the church also took care of that need.  We fervently prayed for the reunification of his family.  On one occasion Mr. Lim’s sister came. That too was a strained relationship, and even though he could say very little, he told her he was sorry. That’s a BIG deal for that sister.  His former wife and two daughters did not respond. We were very concerned about final arrangements following his death; however, God also provided for that.  One of the daughters responded saying that the family would handle matters after his death.

That is also a HUGE answer to prayer because according to Taiwan law, nothing could have been done without the family taking care of things.  Mr. Lim passed away on March 25.  Before he passed away, we had a brief celebration of life service with him at the hospital.  That was a first for us, but an appropriate response since we would most likely have no access after his death.  We thank God for the Hok-tek Baptist Church and for their service.

You know, God really is amazing.  During the time that the care giver was assisting Mr. Lim, Mr. Tan and others also had opportunity to share with her.  She is now interested in connecting with our church and learning more.  No doubt she was impressed by what she saw — the LOVE of JESUS.  Pray for this care giver to have an open heart and for the Hok-tek Church as they continue to share.

Even through the VALLEYS in our lives, God is FAITHFUL.  Please continue to pray for Mr. Lim’s family that someway, somehow, they will come to know the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

JESUS — THE GREATEST MOBILIZER

We have shared it before.  As we are busy with LIFE, God absolutely leads us into people connections and ministry opportunities. Well, last weekend was no different. From the very beginning of this church we have seen people come to know Christ as Lord and Savior, enter the church family, some actually fall in love, and now three couples in the church have married.

Five out of the six people among these three couples have come from non-Christian backgrounds, and accepted Christ. Now these three couples have established a Christian family and are actively involved in leadership in our church.  How exciting is that?!  God is indeed, without a doubt, the one who makes it all happen.

So the wedding last weekend was not only fun, it concluded with a banquet for about 350 people, and many of the people who attended are not Christians.  (Matthew 28:19-20) As we go . . .

From the start of the wedding ceremony in the worship center of the church on to the restaurant location for the banquet — each location provided wonderful opportunities to mingle and also share our faith.  It was filled with JOY and what a wonderful thing to share family happiness in a world with so many hurting families.

 

Once again, Jesus — without a doubt — is the greatest MOBILIZER and brings people together for HIS glory.  Please continue to pray for us as we seek to be LIGHT in a dark world — and as we seek to share God’s love with this generation. Thanks once again for partnering with us in PRAYER so many other ways.  It means everything!  To God be the glory . . .

♦ COMMUNITY WALKING ♦

We have a weekly practice of Prayerwalking — not a new thing for sure—but it’s something that opens our hearts and our eyes as we journey through the huge district where our church is located.

Actually, our leaders are praying about the possibility of starting a new work in this district of Kaohsiung within the next year or two. So as we WALK and PRAY  – not making a scene but asking God to speak to us . . . we’re just trying to understand what’s out there, and asking God to teach us as we travel through these neighborhoods and business areas.

Each time we go out we have some definite takeaways and things to consider.  We’re always taken back at the number of temples in the area and the many people we see burning spirit money in front of their home, business or at the local temple. They’re doing their best to keep their ancestors happy and evil spirits at bay. We pray for God’s power to deliver them from bondage and usher them into an abundant life of knowing Him as Savior and Lord. We do have to stop and say a big thanks to the Lord for MORE churches than we have had in the past. WE’RE GROWING! So that’s an important thing to notice and people are talking about it!

We see a lot of new buildings going up right in the middle of old communities, so the old and the new live side-by-side. From time to time we run into Christians, and we also have opportunities to share our faith. From the bottom of our hearts we want to say a HUGE thank you for all of you who support ministry overseas with your prayers, your giving and your going. Without this team effort it would not be possible for us to be here!

In 2012, Taiwan was listed as the 7th most densely populated country in the world. Prayerwalking gets us out into the community among these people and once again reminds us of the needs and opportunities that surround us. Join us in prayer for the Cianjhen District (Taiwanese: Chiân-tìn) 前鎮區 — for a SPIRITUAL AWAKENING in 2015.

☺ A TYPICAL DAY? ☺

I am often asked what a typical day looks like for us. Well, that definitely is a tough question to answer. I’m not even sure what a typical day is since our lives are filled with all kinds of opportunities and activities that change frequently. So I thought you might be interested in what our weekend looked like last week. Was it typical? Well, it often happens, but it’s just a view of some of the things that fill our journey.

On Saturday, we had the privilege of celebrating the engagement of two of the young adults in our church, 蘇世豪 ♥ 鄭宜珺 (Sū shì háo and Zhèng yí jùn).  Check out a video from their engagement ceremony and banquet – just click HERE.

We are also coming to the end of the New Year celebration for 2015 which concludes with the Lantern Festival. This is a fun time throughout the island with lots of public displays and competitions for the best lanterns in all kinds of categories. There are also some games and riddles connected with this celebration.

On Sunday following our worship time, we had another great time together. Our church always prepares activities in the park next to our building for each of the holidays on the calendar. This is just one more opportunity to share God’s love in creative ways. So that’s exactly what we did. Before each holiday we divide the responsibilities up among our small groups and put a plan together. It was a wonderful occasion to connect once again with people in our community.

So what’s the bottom line as we look at this weekend? What are our take aways? Well, the wedding brings two Christian young adults together from non-Christian families. What an opportunity to share God’s love in this celebration! Are we using this opportunity? You bet we are! Then of course the Lantern Festival event was surrounded by people who do not know Jesus Christ. More connections . . . We continue to enlarge our tent every chance we get and connect in creative ways that allow us to share God’s message of love and salvation!

Below are a few photos. Now was that a typical weekend! You might say so, because typical is just what God brings along the journey . . .