NEW STUFF GOING ON

The GREAT COMMISSION is an urgent call to share God”s precious love with the world. We all know the message . . . from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and on to the ends of the earth, right?!

Well we are so excited to see our Hokkien partners sharing Christ with those who speak the Hokkien dialect, but what about those Samarian and Out There people? Well, Christ is at work in them and it is so exciting. Friends have shared their journeys into other continents where people have different languages and are not the same ethnic people. That’s what Jesus is talking about.

Just this week we received word that one of our partners has been researching the areas where they have ministry. One island, PK, is 35% Hokkien, and they have already established a Hokkien church there. However, 65% of the people are Teochew and now once a month, on the first Friday, they are also gathering together for worship in Teochew. They are growing as they reach out to these people. Click HERE and take a peek. Fantastic! In many areas across our world multiple languages exist in the same community. How smart to use the same building and resources but reach out to different groups in that community. The Teochew language is similar in some ways to Hokkien; however, it is also very unique. We do not speak Teochew, but many of our partners do. Now that’s teamwork! God doesn’t call us to keep this treasure to ourselves, right?! Way to go churcn! God has HIS people. We are proud of you.

Pray for this new ministry to flourish in Christ. Ask the Father to provide Harvest workers and resources needed to support this ministry. God is amazing and so creative. We just know this puts a smile on the heart of God.

Stay tuned and hang on because you never know how God is going to reveal himself among the nations. We have to admit, it puts a smile on our faces too.

HH in the spotlight

We could spend a lot of time introducing our Hokkien friends and co-workers across Hokkien communities. God has blessed us with many, but today we want to spotlight a pastor in SE Asia who has recently been called to a Hokkien church there. Pastor O shared with us that many Hokkien people are currently migrating from the country with the largest population of Hokkien worldwide, and settling in his country. As we talked he shared that in order to reach these merchants, market people and families with the Gospel, Hokkien must be used. Hokkien is their mother tongue and evidently many do not function well in Mandarin.

There are not a lot of Hokkien workers to reach out to these new immigrants, but God does have HIS ways. Pray with us as we support Pastor O in prayer.

 

We thank God for Pastor O and his commitment to follow God and reach Hokkien people. Pray that God will provide financially for Pastor O, his family and ministry.

Pray for open hearts among the people and for these Hokkien people to be open to accept Christ.  

 

Ask the Father for workers in the harvest to have all the resources that they need. 

 

Pray that Christian workers will be led to partner with Pastor O and yield to God’s call and leadership.

 

 

God’s ABUNDANT grace!

With tears in my eyes I share this wonderful story of God’s ABUNDANT grace. Years ago, a young man . . . just a teenager, was in a motorcycle accident and had serious brain trauma as well as other serious physical injuries. He was active in our church youth group and the only Christian in his family. He is also an only child. The doctors told the family that there was no hope and to let him “go.” It was during this time that our church for the first time practiced “fasting and prayer.” It was a desperate situation with no hope at all.

The cranium had to be partially removed temporarily because of brain swelling and injury. Of course the family was hurting and their friends and loved ones surrounded them with support during this time.

The healing process was slow but miraculous. The parents were so faithful to meet every need, and a special helper was hired to help with his care. Church leaders and his church friends have been by his side during all this time.

Six years ago this fall, we returned to minister in Taiwan. One Sunday morning the family rolled “T” in sitting in a wheelchair. He greeted everyone with the warmest smile and loved being in worship. He knows how to worship the Lord . . .

The family continued to come and of course the church family has always loved on them. Run forward one year from that entrance in a wheelchair and he is no longer sitting in a wheelchair, but instead is walking and participated in the Christmas drama at church. He was an angel – a real Christmas miracle. Click HERE to view. An ANGEL, now how appropriate is that! This week T’s small group came to his house to celebrate his birthday. Here’s a quick peep at the happenings around there.

We thank God for:

1. T’s precious life that was spared
2. His beautiful love and warmth
3. The faithfulness of family and friends

Pray with us that T’s father will make a final decision to follow Christ in baptism. For Chinese culture, baptism is a big commitment– it’s the final word to let others know you are now a follower of Christ. God is doing a beautiful work in this family. Pray for courage and understanding for the father, Mr. Tan. Pray too that God will continue to use this story to draw people to HIMSELF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tomb Sweeping

In the USA in years past we had Memorial Day in many home towns where we would honor our relatives who had passed away and have a time of fellowship with our family. In Taiwan, each year Tomb Sweeping Day is held and this year it is on April 5th. This is a time to honor those who have gone before us and clean grave areas, but it does extend beyond that into worship of ancestors as well. This is a very important concept in Chinese history, but also a challenging time for many believers.

Pray that Chinese Christians worldwide will find ways to honor their families and also bring honor to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We pray that God will reveal HIMSELF to people across Asia in ways which they can understand. We pray for a spiritual awakening among all people groups across Asia.

God is all powerful and all knowing, so we pray that during this holiday God too will reveal HIMSELF to Chinese people around the world.

TOPSHOT – People visit and tend to graves during the annual “Qingming” festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, at a public cemetery in Shanghai on April 4, 2016. During Qingming, Chinese traditionally tend the graves of their departed loved ones and often burn paper offerings to honour them and keep them comfortable in the afterlife. / AFP PHOTO / JOHANNES EISELE