WHAT I SEE

The book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?, is a very simple read for children. Each time the animal is asked what it sees, it shares exactly what it sees in plain view. If life were so easy!!!

For the last year we have been in the US for Robert to undergo chemo treatment and follow-up. During that time we have done our best to keep you updated on happenings in Hokkien Harvest ministry around the globe. We do have a lot of people who share needs with us, so we are able to continue prayer updates on a regular basis.

HOWEVER, the closer we get to our ministry, that is in proximity, the more clearly we see needs that exist. Without a doubt, God continues to draw people to HIMSELF, and we are so excited to celebrate these victories and answers to our prayers. We continually share these victories with you through our social media and monthly updates. These days are exciting, but as all of us know, there are some issues that we are not able to share publicly. Some needs involve personal family problems. Some situations are related to personal physical issues. Some situations are quite serious and involve church crises. So, from a great distance, things can look fairly calm. I guess you can say that it is much like the ocean, calm above but always churning below. I really would love to sit down with each one of you and share the details, but that is not possible. Such is life. In Hokkien Harvest ministry there are some very critical issues that we cannot share publicly, but we greatly desire for you to join us in prayer.

We have families in crisis, relationships in danger, people struggling with addictive issues, church leaders who are in crisis situations and churches who just can’t seem to get on the same page to do ministry. That’s just a few of the topics that we have run into after returning to Asia.

Things are not always as they seem, but that is no surprise to God. You know what encourages me most is that GOD’S WILL IS GOING TO BE DONE AND NOTHING CAN STOP THAT!  Please pray with us as we come before the Father asking HIM for a Spiritual Awakening among our churches.

Please pray with us as we plead for mercy and restoration for families that are crumbling. Please pray with us as we beg the Father to bless our Hokkien Harvest leaders with wisdom and compassion as we forge ahead to bring honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We may not know all the details, but we WORSHIP a GOD who knows everything.

Thanks so much for partnering with us in the journey.

TODAY

We all know that LIFE has challenges, but yesterday was another reminder of how unaware we are of how quickly things can change.

Our church joined with many other Baptist churches from the southern part of Taiwan for an outing led by our Aboriginal co-workers in our area. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time. We shared lunch together, boarded the buses and headed for a Hakka cultural amusement area for some additional afternoon fun. Just as we were to leave we received word that one of our team members from Hok-Tek Church, Zhèng yí jùn (鄭宜珺), was in a car acccident and had been taken by ambulance to a small local hospital. She called us herself, but was not able to share a lot of details. However, we are so grateful that she was aware enough to call for an ambulance. She was in the car alone and no other vehicle was involved. She doesn’t really have clear memory about what happened. We are so grateful that on country roads out in this more remote and rural area,that God provided for her.

yí jùn was then moved by ambulance to a military hospital near their home in Kaohsiung. Saturday night they performed surgery to repair a bone in her leg. She also suffered head and chest injuries, but seemingly not as serious. The story is still unfolding, but we will keep you updated. Pray too for her husband Oliver, Sū shì háo (蘇世豪), as he and family provide care for her.

Once again, we had no thought of anything like this happening — beautiful day — great fun — but LIFE is often that way. Please pray with us for yí jùn. God has greatly blessed both of these young adults and also blessed us with a caring church. A number of our people quickly made their way to the hospital to support them and pray for them. Pray too for both of their families as they are not yet believers. We pray that God will work mightily in the lives of these people and share his love in a powerful way.

WE’RE BACK!

I’m writing this at 4:30 in the morning —- that’s what jet lag does for you. Thank you so much for your prayers and words of encouragement. We made the trip safely.

Because of an engine failure on an American plane from Japan which had to land in Alaska, we rescheduled our flight from DFW and traveled through Hong Kong arriving 2 hours later than scheduled. However, everything went well and we were met by loving friends at midnight. Now that’s commitment.

The church has been so gracious and as our daughter Lisa says, they aren’t just friends, they are like family. We are living in an apartment on the second floor of our church building with one bedroom, a bath, large kitchen, living room and dining area. They are so gracious.

Everything we could possibly need is in this area . . . bank, grocery store, restaurants, beauty and barber shops, 7-Eleven, McDonald’s and WONDERFUL readily available Taiwanese food. We are blessed.

Yesterday was our first Sunday back and our worship time was amazing. We were fortunate to have a special music group share. They are not able to see with their eyes, but their souls reflect a depth and maturity that is very touching. It was GREAT to see friends, and some have accepted Christ since we left. It doesn’t get better than that. We also continue to pray for those who have not yet made a decision to follow Christ. One of those is CSC. We met him on the subway before we left Taiwan to return for Robert’s chemo treatment. He had not been to church in a long time, BUT yesterday he JUST HAPPEN TO SHOW UP. He had no idea that we would be there, and it was definitely something that God arranged.

Yesterday was also a day to celebrate October birthdays, so Robert joined that celebration.
As one of our friends says, when you go out the door in Asia, there’s always a story, and we have a lot of them. Each person having a birthday was asked to share 2 wishes. Robert’s wishes were 1) that we would use this opportunity for God to use us with our friends. (The man standing next to Robert is CSC, and we have prayed for him to come to Christ for more than a year. 2) His second wish: Jokingly as in Taiwanese tradition, he wished to live to be 120 years old . . . a desire for long life.

Please pray that while here in Asia, we will be sensitive to God’s leading and have the opportunity to see more people come to Christ. We are also aware of some special prayers needs that we will be sharing in the days ahead.

A DREAM

To describe what life has been like for the last year would be very difficult in some ways. We have experienced all kinds of emotions. In one sense it is almost like being in a dream. We are not permanently settled yet and facing Robert’s cancer treatment and all of the medical issues was certainly a new journey for us.

When we talk about a dream, sometimes we refer to something we hope for — It’s my dream to do _____. Sometimes we are a little sarcastic and may even say — “dream on” referring to something that will certainly never happen. For us we have had dreams about our family and about our ministry and God has blessed us more than we could begin to put down on paper.

All that being said, today we, Robert and I, want to thank you for all your prayers, words of encouragement and thoughtful gifts. Family and friends have surrounded us during this time, and with all our hearts we say — THANK YOU. The Bible tells us to be thankful in all things. That’s easier said than done sometimes, however, one of our takeaways is definitely to LIVE one day at a time! Enjoy life and follow God. Allow HIM to flood our lives with HIS love, mercy and compassion. AND we desire to reach out and pass along that love and compassion to others.

Robert actually had three doctor appointments to complete this month. The GREAT news is that ALL three of them were great reports. Both of us had medical check-ups and ALL IS GOOD. Dr. Collins who has supervised Robert’s cancer treatment was gracious to have his photo made with Robert with thumbs up.

So, what does that mean? That means that on Wednesday, October 12, we leave the DFW airport and fly out to Taiwan to see friends and partner with coworkers in East and SE Asia for 3 months.We’ll arrive on October the 13th, exactly one year from the time that we left Taiwan to return to the USA for Robert’s cancer treatment. So we’re celebrating!

THANK YOU for everything. Words are definitely not adequate for us to share all that we feel. Please continue to pray for us as during this journey through Asia. Definitely stay tuned for our updates from the other side. Dream with us as to what God can do among the Taiwanese and Hokkien people of Asia during the remaining part of this year and into 2017. DREAM BIG!

FEAR

FEAR is something that everyone experiences. We are surrounded by all kind of circumstances, myriads of people, lots of ideas . . . you name it. Fear is a subject that could be discussed forever with no end.

Robert and I, Donna, are no different. We have faced many life issues — death of family members, cancer, health scares — and one that many don’t necessarily think about is CULTURE SHOCK. This is not shock about going overseas; instead, it is shock about re-entering the USA. Even though we have made annual vacation trips back to the US each year, it isn’t the same. In today’s world we face daily changes and challenges. As we have talked with people since returning to the US, people have shared all kinds of problems that they face. AND for us the transitional adjustments we are now facing are a new journey. AFRAID?

One year ago, Robert had cancer surgery and we quickly packed up and returned to the US for his chemo treatment. Talking about scary . . . navigating through uncharted waters . . . well it has been some journey for sure.

However, one take away that we have is this . . . OUR FAITH IS IN GOD . . . and TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME. If we aren’t careful, FEAR will absolutely swallow us alive. So, we are trying very hard to practice what the Bible teaches.

This week Robert will return for a check-up with his oncologist. We never know the outcome, but we cannot live in FEAR. We pray that no matter WHAT the outcome, we can be strong in our faith and allow God to live through us. Prayers are always appreciated.

Recently, I viewed this testimony . . . so passionate. I must say, no matter what you or I face in life, God WILL NOT abandon us. Whether we speak of current governmental issues, personal challenges or world crises —WE SHOULD NEVER GIVE UP trusting in the LORD OUR GOD. We pray for you to have a blessed week.