THE BOTTOM LINE

It is pretty common for people to ask us what the “secret’ is of SUCCESS in ministry or missions. Now I have to admit that this is a pretty daunting item to think about. However, I have thought about this question and have a few things to share.. I do have to say that probably the answer for SUCCESS in LIFE as a CHRISTIAN isn’t any different than speaking about ministry or missions.

Now, of course, we all know that any SUCCESS is found in God himself, so our relationship to God, Bible study, and obedience are all a given here. My thoughts concerning this are running a little different.So what is THE BOTTOM LINE? Is there anything that WE actually do to make a difference? Well we could come up with a lot of ideas, but here are a few my thoughts.

As many of you know, recently, one of our close friends, Giok Lan Che, passed away. Her Celebration of Life service was last Saturday. Robert and I were not able to be there in person in Taiwan, but sent a video to share our love for the family. As we looked at photos and videos, there were many emotions and thoughts that flooded our minds.

RELATIONSHIPS are everything, not just in Taiwan, but in life. And I have to say as a missionary that building those relationships means that you draw near to people . . . you become FAMILY. So when there is a wedding, funeral, party or whatever kind of important family event, if you are invited or have the opportunity to attend, then you’re there to cheer and encourage. Oh, it doesn’t mean that you know the bride or groom or even the person deceased, but you know the family. It’s not about the “red or white envelope” with money enclosed that is given to bless the family —- it’s about the relationship. You are there and the bonds that tie you together are continually strengthened.

Just in the last 3 years of ministry in Taiwan we attended funerals for the deaths of 6 co-workers, joined in weddings, birthdays and visited hospitals to celebrate new births as well. So what difference does it make? I love you and you love me. I scratch your back and you scratch mine. I work hard to help you, and you work hard to help me. It’s a partnership.

We EARN the right to be called FRIENDS. It is a blessed privilege. AND we must say that we feel very privileged to have the right to call these precious people FRIENDS and FAMILY. THEN, it’s through these relationships that God raises up partners in ministry . . . strong binding ties that last forever. People with relationships join hands and hearts to follow in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Continue to pray for the Chhoa family as they grieve the loss of their mother, grandmother and great grandmother. May God continue to use this family to bless others.

We also feel blessed to partner with YOU. Our love and prayers go out to each of you.

IMPOSSIBLE?

Reaching some people seems impossible! People who are caught in consequences of bad decision making, addictions or “good people” who refuse to trust in a loving God and accept Christ —  These compose a host of people whom family and friends are praying for around the world. We could all make long lists of people whom we grieve for, pray for and long to see them experience a “spiritual makeover.”

Last fall we celebrated this story, but we wanted to share the journey with you.  We met Mr. K and his son J several years ago. J had been led to our church youth group by one of our friends, Mr. T, who owns a local storefront restaurant. Mr. T’s sister and church friends had prayed for him for YEARS. As a man part of gang culture and the underworld, he had been through . . . well you name it. And one day he desired to leave all of that behind and he came to Christ. Now that was a miracle. Oh his life has not been easy. As a single parent he has raised two sons and a daughter — absolutely not easy. And God used him to reach out to J and encourage him. Parents were concerned about his school studies, but finally gave permission for him to attend. Consequently, his father also connected with Mr. T and the church and both came to Christ and were baptized. Mr. K was also a trained leader in our small group.(picture above)

The mother’s situation was not easy. One of several daughters in her family, she was the ONLY one who had not become a Christian. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. L begged her to stay true to the Buddhist/Taoist faith. In their belief system, when parents die, the children continue to worship, pray and make offerings to see that the parents are cared for well in the after life. This parental request was a tough one because “filial piety” (revering parents and ancestors) is fundamental to Chinese culture. You’ve just gotta do this . . . and do disobey parents in this kind of circumstance is so very difficult.

We made plans to go and see Mr. and Mrs. L, but the timing didn’t work out. We talked about possible avenues, but most importantly we prayed for them AND for Mr. K, J and Mrs. K. Some time ago, a Hokkien evangelist from SE Asia came to our church. At that time Mrs. K’s sister from America was visiting and shared with her once again. On that day she went forward and gave her heart to Jesus. HOWEVER, baptism is the public defining moment to let the world know your decision, and she really wanted her parents to also come to Christ. Tough, right?! So she delayed baptism. We continued to pray. Well, it was not long after this that Robert was diagnosed with cancer and we returned to the US.  BUT we continued to pray.

Around Thanksgiving of last year, we received word that both Mr. and Mrs. L wanted to accept Christ, and all three, the mother, father and daughter would be baptized at the Christmas season. A miracle! No way to really explain it or make a plan on how to replicate this kind of result. All is in God’s hands for sure. BUT MY TAKE AWAY is in two parts:  1) Keep praying and 2) Never ever give up on loving people.

Life is messy at times for all of us, but what an adventure! Today Mr. and Mrs. K, their son, J, and Mr. and Mrs. L are all part of the church family – the family of God. Sweet memories. Continue to pray for this family and other families that are unnamed and unreached in this community and other Hokkien communities through Asia and the world. Impossible? Just take off the “i” and the “m” and it becomes possible. Pray for God’s courage for Hokkien believers — no, actually for all of us to hang in there, keep our eyes on God and continue loving people.

CELEBRATING LIFE

Living cross culturally without a doubt enlarges our world and allows us to experience so many different  world views. Illness and death definitely usher in many different traditions and allows us to grow even more in our understanding of people and their culture.

As we shared, recently our dear friend, Giok Lan Cheh, passed away and we asked you to pray for their family. This is always a challenging time for any family, but we would like to invite you to join us and walk alongside the Chhoa family as they celebrate the life of their mother, grandmother and great grandmother.

In Taiwan culture, the family is responsible (with direction from the funeral home) for caring for their loved one  following their death. The process includes cleansing, dressing and placing this precious person in the casket .This is also a very sacred and precious time for the family . . . not easy by any means. The Christian funeral and Taoist/Buddhist funeral are VERY different. For non-Christian funerals people are hired to carry out many different kinds of rituals to cast away spirits and attempt to pray the loved one into the next world in hope of a better life. However, for believers this is a time of comfort and assurance AND grief for the family as they say good-bye.

Giok Lan Cheh has a large family. Following tradition, they dressed in black and the clothing often indicates the relationship the person has in the family. The Bible is read and often a song is sung, depending on the family preference. The body then is taken to the crematorium where another short time of prayer and sharing is led by a pastor.

As the funeral directors lead, the family and friends follow the casket as it is taken and placed in the furnace. The cremation takes a bit of time, so the family returns later to place the ashes in an urn.

At a later time the Chhoa family will have a celebration of life service and the urn will be placed in its final resting place, usually in a section of the cemetery designated for Christian. This is an opportunity not only for the family to grieve but also celebrate and respect their family member as they say their goodbyes.

Continue to pray for this family as they travel this journey in the days ahead. Giok Lan Cheh will be missed.

Thank you once again for your prayers.

SWEET MEMORIES

Last week we shared thoughts about retiring missionaries . . . lots to think about for sure. From week to seek we have tentative plans on what to share with you, but LIFE has many twists and turns that often take precedent and grab our attention.

This week one of our dear friends went to be with the Lord. Giok Lan Cheh is the mother of several of our co-workers, and she has been our friend for many years. She came from a non-Christian background, had a large family and faced overwhelmingly tough challenges . . .  BUT today her testimony shouts loudly that her son and five daughters all accepted Christ and are involved in ministry.

She and her family were the core group to start and grow the Hok Tek Baptist Church in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. She was a prayer warrior and generous in every way. Even as she suffered with physical challenges, she wore a beautiful smile. Even though it is temporary here on this earth, goodbyes are tough. She will be missed.

Giok Lan Cheh’s death is a reminder to all of us that we all WILL face difficulties in life. Life has all kinds of ups and downs.  Pray for this family and church family as they journey down this bitter sweet road. Pray too for all of our Hokkien believers and co-workers knowing that they too will face difficulties in the days ahead.

It is with SWEET MEMORIES that we all remember Giok Lan Cheh. WE ARE FAMILY!