Keeping in Touch . . .

Most of the time, we share with you stories and happenings as our partners connect with us from around the world. However, this month we have the privilege of giving you first hand reports of life in our Hokkien Harvest ministry.

We are so excited to reconnect with friends that really are like family. We have known them for so many years. What a privilege to be able to participate in two engagement ceremonies while we are here, and see these young adults take these big steps into their future.

On Monday, November 4 we head for SE Asia to partner with friends there in a number of locations. We will be in two different countries, speaking in churches and leading separate workshops.

Thank you so much for your prayers. As we make this journey, we ask you to join with us in prayer for a number of items.

1. Pray for these two couples who are newly engaged. Not all members in these families are Christian. We are praying for miracles.
2. Pray for ministry in SE Asia as we travel there. We pray for open hearts and opportunities to partner and assist churches and bring people to Christ.
3. Pray too for the HT church. They are seeking to solve land issues but have had a lot of difficulty in dealing with this matter. They desperately need God’s help in resolving this issue.
4.  Pray for a local pastor who is struggling with lung and other health issues.
5. Pray for a young youth pastor who is in the hospital for a month with serious health issues. Pray for his healing.
6. Pray for a young man, MW, who is a believer, but recently has dropped out of church.
7. Pray for Mr. HL who is a leader in our Baptist work and has recently been hospitalized for a very serious infection. He was just released from the hospital. Pray for his healing and recovery.
8. Pray for missionaries who have recently assumed ministry in Taiwan and are building relationships. Ask for the Lord to guide their steps as they partner with local believers.
9. Pray for local pastors who have also recently moved to new ministry positions in southern Taiwan. We ask the Father to open doors and unify churches to reach communities in this area of Taiwan.
10. Pray too for our churches here as they prepare for Christmas programs and ministry opportunities. Christmas is such a special time. Pray for open roads as churches, families and believers share during this holiday season.

 

Navigating Life

 

I’m sure you have probably heard someone use this phrase.

LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS WHILE YOU’RE BUSY MAKING OTHER PLANS.

Even the Chinese language has similar sayings that let us know we are definitely not in charge of life. This is also true for church ministry as well. We have our dreams. We plan out our schedules. We put our hope in people. We look forward to so many things. However, none of us know what the future may bring to us.

As we have returned to Asia, we celebrate the good things, the exciting things that we see around us. However, there are also things that we grieve. We grieve that fact that some people continue to live in unhealthy and dangerous situations, but are not willing to change or receive help. We also grieve that some people have stepped away from family and friends and are also on dangerous footing. We grieve the fact that some people are so very broken and their situations is very difficult to change. However, in the middle of all of that as along as there is life, there is HOPE.

These last few years have been a difficult journey for our family with many serious health issues. And yet, in the middle of all of that, I personally have committed myself to savor each day as it comes. Do worries creep in? Oh yes they do, but worrying about tomorrow will definitely rob me of experiencing TODAY and all that it can bring.

This is also true among our Taiwanese/Hokkien partners. We celebrate but continue to encourage – pray – and seek ways to make a difference in the lives of people.

PLEASE PRAY WITH US FOR:

1. a young family with 2 small children torn apart with dysfunction, divorce, debt and shredded family relationships.
2.  a young couple with several children who are struggling with family issues. Pray for new life for this family. Pray for them to be open to God as He speaks into their hearts. The grandparents are not believers.
3.  two couples who will have engagement ceremonies in the next week. Only one family is Christian.
4. broken relationships among co-workers.
5.  church leaders to follow Christ as they maneuver through church issues.
6.  one of our churches that is navigating serious land issues. It is very complicated and seems hopeless.
7.  unity and a spirit of grace and forgiveness in one of our churches.

HERE WE COME . . .

You know the words from the Hide and Seek game, right?! “Ready or not, here we come”! Well we are ready and eager to see dear friends once again.

If you are familiar with the Bernstein Bears, then you know that they are always ready and on the GO. Our world is filled with many hurting families, and that is also true among the Hokkien people.

Well, this is a good intro for our next trip. We are headed back to East and SE Asia and will be leaving on October 22. We return on November 25. Thank you so much for your prayers for Hokkien Harvest ministry.  As always, we ask you to pray that people will be drawn to Christ, and Hokkien believers will be set free to share their faith with those around them.

Especially prayer for Robert as he preaches in three different countries, and for two workshops to be held in two different countries in SE Asia.

 

We look forward to the journey, and also sharing photos and stories of God at work. Thanks so much for your encouragement and prayers.

1.  For us as we travel to have strength and good health
2.  For wisdom as we partner with our friends
3.  For us to understand how we can serve together
4.  For hearts to be open and drawn to Christ
5.  For Hokkien leaders to be blessed as they stay the course
6.  For resources to be provided for existing ministry
7.  For existing work to be encouraged
8.  For new work to be established

Blessings,

LOVE FINDS A WAY

What difference can one person make? What difference can a church make in another person’s life? Well here is just one of many examples. Years ago, a church loved on this little boy. They sought ways to help him and his family in any way that they could. We know him. We have watched him. We know the difference that love makes.

Today, he has his own fried Kueh Teow stall. Don’t ever give up on yourself or others. LOVE will find a way. It may be tough at times, but well worth the work and the wait.

Pray for this young man in every area of his life as he ventures forward. We are cheering for him.

It is true — NEVER GIVE UP!

REACHING THE NATIONS

Many of us grew up singing the song, Jesus Loves The Little Children. AND the rest of the song tells us that Jesus means ALL the children of the world — well adults too.

I remember many years ago when one of our co-workers asked us to partner with her in taking the Gospel to one of the islands off of Taiwan. Robert asked her, “And then what?” Well, she thought for a minute and then said that her hope was to start a church there. Well, once again Robert didn’t stop and actually asked the same question with different answers several more times. Finally, she said that of course we could all go to the other islands and have the people go with us to share Jesus in other places. TRUE STORY.

We are so proud of our Hokkien partners. Thank you so much for praying for them. You prayed for workers, new believers, a new building and now expansion into different languages. This fishing island in SE Asia, PK, is a beautiful testimony of God’s love. The ministry started in Hokkien, then added Teochew, and now is adding Mandarin. Using the same building, but reaching out and using whatever it takes to reach the nations inside of that island. This is something to shout about. Here’s just a glimpse of what’s happening in SE Asia.

 

JOIN US IN PRAISE AS WE THANK GOD FOR THESE BLESSINGS.

A new building

Co-workers

New believers

Multiple languages

Changed lives