Thinking and Praying

Many of you have joined us praying for political stability in our region of the world. Some reports declared the tensions to be one of the “hot spots” on earth. We thought we would share what life is like at the moment:

• The budget for the military is a frequent item in our news feeds.
• Reports of military operations by nearby powers have become the norm.
• Daily we hear the test of the air raid siren at 9:30 am.
• We hear and see military jets flying overhead, wondering if they are on a training exercise or being sent on a mission to protect Taiwan from a potential hostile threat.
• Prayers for peaceful relations with geographic neighbours are frequently heard during church services.

Even though the above is a factual report on what it is like to live in Taiwan at this time, please be assured that we feel safe. We believe that God is in control and protecting Taiwan–Protecting us!

However, the news of military action in the Middle East, and the continuing war in Ukraine, are hard to ignore.

• On Saturday night, international workers sent by Taiwan to the Middle East issued an emergency prayer request. They asked us to pray for protection and health concerns.
• On Sunday, we heard that some of our colleagues sent from North America are sheltering in place or are being evacuated to safer locations. Once again, we are being asked to pray.

Would you join us in praying?

1. Pleaser pray for those affected by wars and instability.
2. Please pray for the families of those who are suddenly in a war zone.
3. Please pray that God will use the uncertainties of war zones to build the kingdom of God in people’s lives
4. Please pray for God to comfort those who need it and replace anxiety with His peace.

Praise and Prayer

• This month we will be travelling to different churches each weekend. Please pray for safety for us and others on the road.
• The task of sorting through accumulated papers and files from 35+ years of living in Taiwan has begun. We are making a list of furnishings and belongings that will be given to designated people at a later date. We will advertise our car later this month. Thank-you for praying that we will be able to bless people and have opportunities share about Jesus as we make this transition.

Eating Together

The Taiwanese culture loves to do life by eating together. Food and relationships are a perfect match.

We had the opportunity to have dinner with Pastor Joshua and Ilaine. We talked about life, ministry, and many other things. We also had the opportunity to pray together.

Each Sunday, after church service, the Baozhong Alliance Church offers the opportunity to eat lunch together. The habit stopped for awhile due to Covid, but everyone seems to be pleased that we are once again eating together.

The informal setting provides opportunity to care for and encourage each other. It is a non-threatening opportunity for people to ask questions about faith, church life, or to share about a life challenge.

Please pray that God will use the opportunities of eating together to strengthen His church in Taiwan.

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for a friend struggling with addictions to gain victory over the temptations to rely on substances rather than on God. Pray that God  will help him find healthy coping skills to deal with the challenges in his life.

Wishing Everyone a Blessed Lunar New Year!

The Lunar New Year vacation began last Saturday (February 14). Many families are travelling together or have already gathered at a family home. The new year will be the Year of the Horse. Many people will be striving for success. There is a traditional saying: “The moment the horse arrives, success follows.” That will encourage some people to take risks as they pursue fast results.

According to traditional ways of celebrating, house cleaning and preparation may continue through Monday, February 16 (Lunar New Year’s Eve). It is a time to purge old and broken items. The trash collectors are extra busy before they begin their holiday on Tuesday, February 17 (Lunar New Year’s Day).

The days of the new lunar new year are numbered, starting with Day One on Tuesday. Traditionally there are specific activities expected as the new year begins:

• Day 1: Many families visit temples to pray for health, success and prosperity. They may also walk in their neighbourhood, greeting others and sending good wishes.
• Day 2: Married daughters take their husbands and families to visit her parents.
• Day 3: This is a day for relaxing, sleeping in, and just taking it easy.
• Day 4: According to traditional religious beliefs, the family gods will return to the family home. There are special ceremonies to welcome them.
• Day 5: Traditionally this is the day that people will return to work. However, this year many will delay going back to work until February 23.

As families have become more prosperous, and as societal expectations have changed, there are many adjustments made to the above. Some are practical, trying to travel when roads will be less crowded. Others will be according to personal choice.

We plan to stay close to home this next week. Some friends have told us they will drop in for a visit on Wednesday. Otherwise we will quietly try to accomplish some tasks that have not yet been completed. (Those things will be done “quietly” because we do not wish to offend those who have other belief systems that forbid certain activities.)

Praise and Prayer

• During the Lunar New Year holidays, Taiwanese families will spend time together and sometimes travel.  Please pray for Christ-followers to have opportunity to testify to the hope that Christ provides.
• Please pray for those who experience loneliness during this holiday time. Pray for them to find comfort from Christ and Christ-followers.
• Disposing of household belongings is necessary prior to our departure in July. We are thankful that some of the English theological books have been shared with English-speaking pastors in the Philippines. Please pray that we will be able to bless others as we divest ourselves of remaining unneeded items.

Cactus Flowers

The cactus is flowering!

We thought is was a Christmas Cactus, but then last year it bloomed at Easter. And this year, it has chosen to bloom at Lunar New Year!

In case your are wondering, Lunar New Year’s Day is on February 17th this year. Most Taiwanese will enjoy a vacation from February 14-22. However, those in the hospitality and service industries will be very busy and will likely choose another time to have some days off work. (We will take one day of that as a holiday, and will work from our home office the other days.)

Like many other traditions, the manner of celebrating the Lunar New Year has changed since we first arrived in Taiwan. In those early days, people dressed up in their best clothes and often wore the colour red. The desire to continue that tradition has slowly changed over the years. For example, at this year’s denominational Lunar New Year Banquet, most were dressed very casually. Of course, we dressed like everyone else and fit right in.

At that banquet, we were honored for our years of service in Taiwan and given a special memorial plaque. It is pictured here. We are thankful to God for His enabling to reach this milestone.

Praise and Prayer

• We are thankful for safe travel and for fellowship at the Pastors’ Family Retreat.
• During the Lunar New Year holidays, Taiwanese families will spend time together and sometimes travel.  Please pray for Christ-followers to have opportunities to testify to the hope that Christ provides.
• Winter this year is warmer. When colder weather blows in, it is easy to catch colds. Please pray for protection from sickness.
• We were thankful to worship with the Sihhu Alliance Church in their new church building on February 8. Please pray that God will help them to make good use of the building to share God’s truth with those around them.

Counting Blessings

The camp concluded last Friday. It was a busy week, providing activities for 36 campers. Some highlights that we are thankful for include:

• There were 36 campers who attended.
• Although some leaders (including Kathy-Lu) experienced sickness, God provided sufficient strength to accomplish assigned activities.
• Some middle school students who had attended past camps (when they were elementary age) returned and asked to participate as junior leaders. Of course, we welcomed them!
• We had fantastic weather all week!
• There were many conversations between campers and leaders about the teaching content.
• There were about 20 guests who attended the Friday evening meal after the close of camp.
• Everyone departed hoping to see each other again at future camps.
• Camp Videos can be seen on YouTube:  Video #1     Video #2

On Sunday morning, the young man who chaired the worship service (photo) was a attendee at one of the first camps we held at FuHsing Elementary School. The camp and the testimony of his uncle helped him to understand belief in Christ. It is a reminder that the efforts to hold the camps is worthwhile.

Our hearts are filled with gratitude as we see young men like him now serving in various church leadership positions.

Praise and Prayer

• We will travel on our Monday morning to attend the Lunar New Year Banquet and the Pastor Family Retreat sponsored by the Taiwan Alliance Church Union. Please pray for safety, for times of laughter, and for mutual encouragement.
• We are approaching the Lunar New Year celebration. Most Taiwanese will have a week of holidays. Spending time with family and friends is a valued activity. Please pray for Christ-followers to have opportunity to testify to the hope that Christ provides.

Teamwork

The short-term team has arrived from Victoria Chinese Alliance Church. Already there has been laughter and prayer together as we get to know each other and prepare to serve as leaders at camp.

The team that is working together for this year’s January 26-30 elementary student camp is actually larger than in the photo. This was taken on Sunday afternoon when we were at the school to help those from Victoria to visualize how they will lead assigned activities. We also prayed together on campus. But there are many others, not in the photo, who are participating through prayer. We believe that is an important part of leading the camp.

There are now 35 students who have indicated that they will attend. Please join us in praying for:

• Good weather – we are hoping that the games (and sports) can be held outside.
• Good health – a couple on the team from Victoria have already experienced some health-related challenges.
• Sufficient energy – Those from outside Taiwan are a various stages of overcoming jetlag. Pray for strength and energy to daily teach the children.
• Lots of fun – although the goal will be for the students to learn, we want them to have fun doing so.
• Creativity – the teaching methods will likely be different than they experience in everyday school. Pray for effective use of creative learning.
• Willingness to learn – the students come from families with different value systems and dissimilar religious beliefs. Pray for open hearts, ready to receive the lessons being taught.

Thanks for being a part of our camp’s leadership team!

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for visits to three homes that will happen this week. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, Pastor Joshua and his wife, Ilaine, will take a few of the STM team members to visit people that the church is seeking to help. Please pray that the visits will encourage people and help them grown in a relationship with Christ.
• Friday evening, after the camp concludes, there will be a meal at the church building. Campers will be encouraged to bring their families and have a pizza dinner with us. Please pray for conversations that lead to relationship-building.

Renewal

This past week, Pastor Joshua and the pastoral intern, Allen, spent time reorganizing things at the church and painting walls. Both tasks were needed. Preparing for Chinese New Year (next month) was part of the motivation to do it at this time of year.

We and the church members expressed our thanks to them for their hard work. The fruit of their labours will be enjoyed by the church family as time moves forward.

Their work along with reflections for sharing in Hualien on January 18 prompted Lorne to think about taking time to reorganize his personal life–cleaning out the unneeded and receiving renewal in areas that needed it. That is also a practical work that we all need to do from time to time.

Although we might try to avoid setting aside time to do “spring cleaning,” when we do so the results are worth it.

Praise and Prayer

• We are praising God for a safe trip to Hualien. The time we spent with the church members was special. May God bless them and help them to live as light in their city located in eastern Taiwan.
• Please pray for the safe arrival of the short-tern team from Victoria Chinese Alliance Church. Pray for their adjustment to the time zone. Pray for them to work well as a team to help elementary students learn about having a relationship with Christ.

God’s Protection

We thank God for His protection!

Wednesday, January 7, we awoke to learn that during the previous night the home next to where Pastor Joshua lives caught fire. We live in row houses, so this has the potential of impacting the adjacent neighbours.

Pastor Joshua awoke during the night to discover that the second floor of his neighbour’s house was burning. He quickly aroused the family and got them to safety. They also contacted the local fire department.

Thankfully the fire was quickly extinguished and no one was injured. There was no loss of life. It is believed to be an electrical fire. Major repairs will not be needed, so painting and other repairs are happening quickly.

We thank God for His protection over us all. This was a good reminder to do so.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord! Registration for the Elementary Student Winter camp is now increased to 32 students. Please pray for the preparation for the elementary student Winter Camp, January 26-30.
• We will travel to Hualien, on the east coast of Taiwan next weekend (Jan 16-19). Please pray for safe travels. Pray the car will be dependable–it has been acting up with the cooler weather. Pray that our presence and our words will be an encouragement to the pastor and church members.

A New Year

Thank-you for praying for us as we completed 2025 and began 2026.

The year-end giving to the Baozhong Facility Project reports are just being finalized. However, our hearts are full of praise to God with gratefulness to you for the amount received. Last year’s goal was to raise 40% ($46,000) of the $115,000 desired. God has helped us to raise 48% of our overall goal, a total of $55,317. Please join us in expressing thanks to God and to those who have donated. Let’s continue to pray for God to provide generously for this need in 2026. (We will send out a more detailed giving report after we have confirmation that all donations have been recorded.)

We began the new year with a trip to Kaohsiung for a gathering of our Canadian C&MA team. There was delicious food, laughter, discussions about  how to raise turtles as pets, and an opportunity to share and pray for each team member. The missionary children enjoyed some recreational time together.

This year, we will have opportunities to visit different Alliance churches throughout Taiwan. We are being asked to share reflections on our 35+ years of Taiwan life and to encourage believers to press forward in life and ministry with Christ. Some are describing it as “passing the baton” prior to our July 2026 departure for Home Assignment and then retirement. For that reason, the schedule highlights will look slightly different than in the past.

At the end of January, we will join Baozhong Alliance Church in hosting a short-term team from Victoria Chinese Alliance Church. They will assist in leading an elementary student day camp. (The poster is above.) Registration is slightly less than in previous years, only 22. There is the capacity to host about twice that number of campers. Please pray that the students will come to have fun and learn about doing life in a relationship with Christ.

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for the preparation for the elementary student Winter Camp, January 26-30.
• Please pray for us as we prepare to share in churches throughout Taiwan. And, please pray for our safe travel to the various locations.
• Please pray for our January 7 Canadian C&MA International Worker Strategy Meeting. Coworkers focussed on church development will be reporting and rejoicing about what God did in 2025. Together, we will prayerfully set 2026 ministry goals. Please pray that we will have faith to trust God to accomplish great things to make Jesus known and increase the size of His kingdom.

Merry Christmas 

Praise God with us for a good weekend of celebrating at Baozhong Alliance Church. In Chinese, Christmas is 聖誕節。 It literally means “Holy Birth Day.” However, in a culture permeated with Buddhist and Taoist thinking, we emphasize the eternal existence of Christ–He precedes the founders of all other religions.

Jesus came from heaven, and chose to experience every aspect of human existence–waiting to be born, birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and finally death. His over-arching purpose was to provide salvation for mankind.

We praise God for opportunities to share these truths during our final Christmas in Taiwan. Next year we plan to be in Canada. (Of course, if Jesus returns we will be with Him in heaven!)

Thank-you for praying for us as we share the good news about Jesus with others.

THIS WILL BE OUR FINAL NEWSLETTER OF 2025

Thank-you for partnering with us in sharing the good news about Jesus with those who have never heard. We look forward to continuing our partnership in 2026!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for the efforts to follow-up with people after Christmas. May God add more people to His church!
• Would you consider a year-end gift to support global missions work. Here are some options available to you.