Unexpected News

The text arrived on July 3. It was one that we had been hoping would not come. The “National Science and Technology Center for Disaster Reduction” (NCDR) sent the message warning that a typhoon was developing. It is still a long way from Taiwan, but it is headed our direction. It will perhaps begin to affect Taiwan weather on July 9.

Typhoon weather conditions will not be good for moving the last few loads of items from our home. So, we will perhaps be asking people to come a day or two earlier than originally planned.

Usually we prepare for typhoons by purchasing additional food, storing drinking water, etc. That is not something we want to do just a few days before our departure from Taiwan. We do not want additional “survival supplies” on hand.

Typhoons can also interrupt airline schedules. This could be a concern if the typhoon moves more slowly than predicted and arrives closer to our July 14 departure date.

We believe that God is sovereign! He can reroute the storm. He can calm the storm. He can extend grace while experiencing the storm. We trust Him to work things our for the very best!

Please pray with us that God will direct our decision-making so that everyone remains safe and we are able to accomplish the needed tasks before departure.

Praise and Prayer

• Church members from Alliance churches around Taiwan are attending the July 5-7 Annual Holistic Growth Retreat. Rev. Felix Wang will be speaking about Divine Healing. There are also retreats for the children and youth that run simultaneously. Pastor Joshua is one of the speakers at this year’s youth retreat.
• Praise the Lord that Albert and Elaine Lu have returned to Taiwan and have found a house to rent in Taichung City.

Heavy Rains

Taiwan has had heavy rain as Tropical storm Mikkhala passed by the island. Flooding and wet weather conditions resulted in cancelled work and classes in some areas. There have been two reported deaths and widespread crop damage.

Although the area where we live did see some rain, we are OK. Like most homes, ours has developed some leaks, but there is no serious damage.

Needed

We will arrive in Abbotsford on the evening of July 14. We need to borrow a car for one week. If you know of a car that we can use, please let us know or contact the Heritage Alliance Church office.

We are also looking for housing in the Abbotsford area. If you know of a 2-bedroom apartment or a small house that is available for rent starting in July (or August at the latest), please pass the information along to us.

We appreciate any help that you can provide.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord! More progress has been made with sorting and packing.
• Praise the Lord that Albert and Elaine Lu will return to Taiwan this week. Please pray for their transition and that God wlll help them find suitable housing in Taichung City.

FuHsing Elementary School

We were invited to attend the June 18 graduation ceremony at FuHsing Elementary School. It was a wonderful opportunity to say farewell to the teachers and students.

They made a special presentation thanking us for our 14 years of volunteer work at the school. And, the whole school joined us for a photo.

We have special memories of teaching English, attending events, and holding camps at this school. We thank each one who has prayed for this community service ministry and want to express appreciation to those who came to be leaders at one of the camps.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord that we are making progress in sorting, packing, and disposing of household items. The impromptu visits that provide an opportunity to spend time with friends are extra special serendipities.
• Tropical storm Mikkhala is headed towards Taiwan. It is likely that Taiwan will receive some wind and rain from the storm on Thursday. Please pray for safety for all of Taiwan’s residents.

Baozhong Day

Friday, June 19, is the annual Dragonboat Festival. The day has an additional importance to our town. It is “Baozhong Day!”

One of the foods that is traditionally eaten on the Dragonboat Festival is a dumpling called a “zongzi.” it is a dumpling made from sticky rice and a variety of other fillings. It is wrapped and cooked in bamboo leaves.

In Chinese, to wrap zongzi is to “bao zongzi.” (the z has a sound similar to the English letter z.)

The pronunciation is similar to the name of our town: “Bao-Zhong.” (the zh has a sound similar to the English letter j.)

Therefore, it is time for a big party. The atmosphere will be similar to a county fair. Events are planned throughout the day, including flower-drum dancing and a special evening program. The sign in the photo is a warning to drivers to be careful during the morning “Town Walk.”

We anticipate that this will be our final time to witness the Baozhong community celebrations.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord that we were able to apply for an extension to our resident certificates. And, we were told that we can apply for our exit permits when we pick up our updated documents on June 24. We will not need to make an additional trip to the Immigration Office to do so.
• Although not teaching at the FuHsing Elementary School this semester, we have been invited to attend the June 18 graduation ceremony. It will be an opportunity to say good-byes to the teachers and students.

Fundraising Update

Please join us in praising God for the giving towards the Baozhong Alliance Church Building Project.

God is a generous God! And His people are generous people!

Thank-you to those who are praying for God to provide so that the Baozhong Alliance Church will own a building. And thank-you to all those who are giving generously to the project.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord for a great Field Retreat. There were times of laughter, times of prayer, and times of listening to God and His Word.
• The weather forecast is for rain. That is great news, as the Spring monsoon rains are arriving. Experts were beginning to question whether the May rainy season would happen this year.
• We received a notification while we were at our retreat informing us that the Lu family has been given medical clearance to return to Taiwan. They will arrive the end of this month. Please pray for them as they hurriedly prepare for moving back to Taiwan.

Celebrating

This last week we celebrated 47 years since Lorne asked Kathy-Lu to become a dating couple (boyfriend and girlfriend). We went to a local restaurant for Italian-style cuisine.

We have much to praise God for since that moment in time! God has been faithful and has blessed us as a couple.

One More Time…

We do not have a “bucket list,” but we are creating some good memories as we enter our final weeks in Taiwan. For instance, we went out for what is likely our final “Mango Snow-Ice Dessert.” It is made with fresh mango fruit, shaved frozen condensed milk, and topped with a scoop of mango ice cream. Yum! (These will not be available in Canada for future eating as far as we know.)

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord for the times of sharing, fellowship, and retrospection as we visit churches and take time with friends.
• The search for suitable housing in Abbotsford (or nearby) will formally begin in June. Please pray for God to guide our inquiries and provide for our needs.
• The Taiwan Field members are sent from Canada, USA, and Indonesia. We are involved in many different ministries. We will gather together June 1-4 for a Field Retreat. Please pray for times of spiritual nourishment, mutual encouragement, and rich fellowship.

Can We Visit?

We are scheduling Fall 2026 visits with church groups and ministry partners.
Our time together can be informal or can include a formal presentation.
We would love to meet in person to express our appreciation for your support over the past 35+ years.

(There is a possibility of a short visit to Greater Toronto Area in mid September if there is interest. Please let us know.)

Would you like us to visit? Please send your invitation

Retirement Thanksgiving Service

We appreciate the 75 people who attended the Saturday, May 23 Thanksgiving Service for our 35+ years of missionary service in Taiwan. We appreciate the emphasis on praising God together for what has happened. We felt honoured as the church gave us a leather wall hanging to commemorate the event and our time in Taiwan.  (More photos)

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord for the time of fellowship and celebration at the Thanksgiving Service last Saturday. We felt honoured and did our best to give all the glory to Christ Jesus.
• The search for suitable housing in Abbotsford (or nearby) will formally begin in June. Please pray for God to guide our inquiries and provide for our needs.
• The Taiwan Field members are sent from Canada, USA, and Indonesia. We are involved in many different ministries. We will gather together June 1-4 for a Field Retreat. Please pray for times of spiritual nourishment, mutual encouragement, and rich fellowship.

Retreat

Baozhong Alliance Church held its first church retreat on May 15-16. It is hoped that it can become an annual happening.

It was promoted as an opportunity to spend time with the two of us before we leave Taiwan. The additional goal of creating a lasting memory for the two of us was achieved.

We walked in the bamboo forest in the XiTou Forest Recreational Area. We drank tea and stayed at a resort near there, enjoying the lush green scenery. We also visited the FengHuangGu Bird and Ecological Park. Our final activity was to visit the ShuiLi Snake Kiln.

We are thankful for the opportunity to enjoy each site, and for the conversations about faith and life.

The first church retreat was judged as successful.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord that Pastor Xiao is recovering from her heart catheterization surgery. Please pray for the needed healing to occur.
• Please pray that conversations we had with people while on the retreat will lead to spiritual growth in their lives.
• Recently there have been some visitors attending worship services at Baozhong Alliance Church. Please pray that they will grow in faith and become active members of the church family.

Mother’s Day

We are in Baozhong to celebrate Mother’s Day! The church prepared flowers and a small gift for each mother who attended. We were able to take a few of the remaining items to bless mothers we know in the community.

Praise and Prayer

• We are preparing to attend the Baozhong Alliance Church Retreat – May 15-16. Please pray for safety and for good fellowship as we take an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of creation.
• Please pray for C&MA Pastor Ho who experienced severe burns. Pray for protection from infection and that the pain will subside.
• Please pray for C&MA Pastor Xiao who will undergo heart catheterization surgery on Friday, May 15.

Relationships

We attended the Family Rally last Saturday. A total of 47 people attended from seven Alliance churches.

There was a presentation about giving and receiving “love.” It was explained that we often try to demonstrate love and care for others using our own preferred way of receiving love.

• Providing financial stability and things that enable an easier life. This includes gift-giving.
• Making efforts to spend time together.
• Using hugs, holding hands, a gentle punch inthe arm, or another form of touch.
• Speaking words of praise and affirmation.
• Looking for practical ways to help and serve the other person.

These are all valid ways to express care for others. However, discovering the other person’s preferred way of receiving care (in a family or friendship relationship) will strengthen the relationship.

It was the first time that some attendees had considered their own “love language” and that it might be different from other people.

Jesus stated that love for each other is to be a recognizable characteristic of Christian relationship. Please pray that God will use the learning from that seminar and the interaction with others to strengthen family relationships and increase our testimony for Christ.

Praise and Prayer

• Thank-you for praying! The car was sold last week! God provided a buyer. (We are borrowing friends’ cars until we depart from Taiwan.)
• Mother’s Day is an important day in Taiwan. We have seen advertising for weeks about how to make mothers feel special. The Taiwanese value care for parents and older family members. Please pray that the ways that mothers are honoured will be one of the positive ways that Christians demonstrate their faith.