ANSWERED PRAYER

Thanks for journeying with us in prayer.  We asked you to pray for local Taiwanese believers as they recently gathered to PRAY for the people on the island of Taiwan.  In southern Taiwan, the cities of Kaohsiung and Pingtung both held prayer meetings with more than 1,000 people in attendance in each meeting.

PRAYER is essential and fundamental.  When God’s people PRAY,  things happen.  In PRAYER people come together with one heart to partner with God under his power and leadership. People also come together to hear what GOD has to say.

PRAYER is unstoppable and a powerful weapon to be used against demonic forces.  PRAY for Taiwan as they pray for revival among churches, and a spiritual awakening among the people there.  Pray for demonic forces to be overturned and for the eyes of the people to be opened.  Pray for help for those who are in slavery to addictions.  Pray for the people of Taiwan to find hope in a world of confused values and directions.  Pray for pastors to have wisdom as they preach and teach their members.  And pray for a massive movement of Christians to reach out in love to the communities around them.

Finally, PRAY for the believers of Taiwan to also have a passion to take the Gospel to those outside of Taiwan who have never heard of the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.  PRAY for courage as today’s believers seek to make a difference in their families, churches, communities, society, nation and beyond.

THANK YOU for praying with us.  The journey is so sweet.

KEEPING IT REAL

God is a safe place to hide,  ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in sea storm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Psalm 26:1-3 

At 1:47 a.m. on September 21, 1999, the island of Taiwan, located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, was shaken by a 7.3-magnitude earthquake. Its epicenter was located in Nantou County in central Taiwan, but serious damage occurred across the island. More than 2,400 people were killed, while more than 11,000 others were injured and thousands of buildings were destroyed or damaged. Roads buckled, bridges collapsed and landslides diverted rivers, causing the impromptu formation of lakes. There was not enough freezer capacity in the country’s morgues to hold all the bodies.

We worked with many Christian team members in disaster relief. While in Central Taiwan we were escorted to the epicenter.  I was not prepared for what we saw.  Crumbled houses

destroyed schools, and hurting people were all around us. Tent cities were quickly built to house the homeless. Mountains formerly covered with trees were bare. Two mountains that had originally been about 5 miles apart had come together as a result of the earthquake. Seeing that left an unforgettable image in my mind, and reminded me of this passage in the Bible.  I never really believed that mountains would move like this, but it stirred me to think of a lot of things regarding LIFE and FAITH. Earthquakes are a physical happening, BUT life also has a lot of unexpected EARTHQUAKES along the way.

During these last 32 years in ministry a lot has taken place.  We have experienced illnesses like several bouts of food poisoning and also Dengue fever — lived through the shock of ourselves and our children involved in accidents — hurt over extended family tragedies, — grieved over the loss of a granddaughter, parents and friends — faced numerous disappointments — and grappled with  the reality of Robert’s cancer.

I recall that former IMB president, Dr. Tom Eliff, following the death of his wife made the statement:  How could it be good, if it feels so bad?  In John 10:10 Jesus promises us an abundant life, but no place in scripture tells us that there will be no pain or difficulty.  In Psalm 23: 3 we read, He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. However, I love the way the Chinese Bible translates it because, FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE, this phrase, appears at the front of the sentence.  It really caught my eye.  Life is challenging, and I continually need to be reminded that I need to PRACTICE FAITH.  It’s so easy to say what I believe, but when the tough times come, I need to keep on believing and not turn my eyes from following after Jesus.  He is in the restoring business, and I’m so glad.

So in the spirit of KEEPING IT REAL, I do want to be transparent . . . missionary life, just like any life, is real and filled with the best of times and the worst of times. As the scripture above says, we continue on because of HIS courage and HIS strength.  He is there to lead us and guide us. I do pray that everything in life would be FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE.

Taiwan still faces many issues as a result of the 1999 earthquake and annual torrential rains. Every year there are landslides and mudslides. These are often life threatening for the people located in these areas. Actually, this year, 2016, has been filled with an unusual amount of earthquakes across the island.  The RAINY SEASON is also coming, and summer brings with it the threat of typhoons. None of us know what the future holds, but pray for the people on this island to be prepared to reach out to those in need. Pray especially for the Chinese Christian Relief Association (CCRA) as they continue to minister in disaster relief across the island of Taiwan.

MOTHER’S DAY 2016

Mother’s Day for most of the world is a BIG celebration. This is certainly no different in Taiwan. Churches know how important FAMILY is in God’s kingdom and they use a lot of creativity to express love during this holiday. Gifts are often distributed during worship celebrations, which is also often true in American churches. However, the creativity goes far beyond that. We have seen very special luncheons, bus trips, well you name it and I’m sure that someone in Taiwan has tried it.

Why is it so important to celebrate this holiday? Well, of course we want to honor our mothers. That’s what the Bible teachers, right?! Mothers in Taiwan generally speaking are the ones that really lead from the “home fires” and also handle the finances for the family. So honoring and being filial to mothers is the right thing to do. However, it also provides an opportunity to show love to the extended family during this time. Most of the people in Taiwan are not Christians, and through special celebrations like Mother’s Day, we have a wonderful opportunity to love on families in Taiwan.

The Hok-Tek Baptist Church in Kaohsiung, Taiwan always plans for something special for this holiday. This is a photo of the mothers in the Hok-Tek church. Every mother has a story. This year we are missing Giok Lan Cheh, who recently passed away. We miss her.

Some of these women are Christians.Some are currently serving in Christian leadership roles. Some are NEW Christians. Some are living very dysfunctional lives. Some are facing very difficult challenges. Some have tough health issues that impact them. Some are struggling with adult children failures and addictions. Some mothers themselves have addictions. And some grieve over broken or failed marriages.As in any situation, people are unique and every person has a special story to be heard.

Join us in praying for these women. We may not know their name BUT God does. Pray for each of them to be touched by the power of God to experience HIM deeply.