Category Archives: What’s Happening?

2019 April 22

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Seder Reflections

On Good Friday, last week, we joined with other Alliance churches near us for a special evening service.  The short-term team from Calgary led us with Biblical reflections regarding the various aspects of the  Passover meal (also called the Seder).  This is the meal that Jesus ate with His disciples prior to Jesus being betrayed.

During that Seder meal Jesus gave us what is now called the Eucharist or Holy Communion.  We use it to reflect on the salvation provided through Christ’s sufferings.  Knowing the deeper connections in Scripture is helpful as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper on a regular basis.

Good News!

Praise the Lord that the infection cleared sufficiently so Warren could have surgery on his feet last week.  Please pray that as his physical condition improves that he will continue to turn his heart toward faith in Christ.

Summer Plans and Needs

Thank-you to all who have responded about opportunities to share while we are in Canada.  Weekends are now fully booked, and some weekdays too.  If you wish to connect with us and have not mentioned it, let us know!

Please continue to pray for God to supply a car for us to borrow while we are in Calgary (July 4-30).  The insuring of a possible car for us to use in BC during August is being investigated.  Thanks for praying about these needs and sharing possible solutions with us..

2019 April 15

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Wishing You Resurrection Joy!

“Jesus is risen!”  When those words were first spoken they created hope mixed with confusion.  Jesus’ followers did not know whether it was true or an elaborate hoax.  They did not know whether to be excited or terrified.

Today we have the advantage of looking back on the many ways the message was verified as being true.  Many of us have personally experienced the joy that a relationship with the Risen Christ brings.

That is why we wish you Resurrection Joy as we celebrate Easter this year!

Good News!

Since our report last week Warren returned to hospital.  Because of the additional care, he is much improved.  Lorne was able to accompany Albert on a visit to see him last Saturday.  We are continuing to pray, as we care for Warren, May and their daughter Una.

 

Our Easter Week

Mon (15)  Kathy-Lu and Lorne went exploring on their day off!
Tue (16) Painting the future church nursery; Prayer Meeting
Wed (17) Helping a colleague shop for a car, etc.
Thu (18)  Storytelling at Baozhong Primary School
Fri (19) Joint Good Friday Service with other C&MA churches
Sat (20) Preparation for the Easter Distribution
Sun (21) Distributing Eggs and tracts followed by our Easter Celebration

2019 April 8

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(Photo credit: Ikea)

Planning

We live in a world where planning is important.  There are people who like detailed plans, and those who prefer just a few guidelines.  There are contingency plans, budget plans, building plans, teaching plans, holiday plans, etc.  Each serves its own purpose.

Right now we have plans to pass out coloured eggs and tracts on Easter morning.  Our hope is that someone, or many someones, will be open to accepting the invitation to come to church with us and celebrate Christ’s resurrection.  We want opportunities to talk with people about Jesus’ resurrection.

We are planning to have special ways to honour mothers on that special day in May.  We are hoping some mothers of church members, and friends of church members will join us that day.

People are planning a church outing for a Saturday in May.  It will be a chance to go as a church family and do a recreational activity together.  It is a chance to invite people who don’t usually attend church to come and have fun with us.

Please pray for those who are involved in the planning each of these events.
Please pray that some people will have open hearts to accept the invitations given.

2019 April 2

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Prayer is Foundational

Last week our schedule reflected the value we put on prayer.

  • Prayer with the Short Term Team early in the week
  • Travel to Taichung on Friday to pray with the Alliance pastors from Central Taiwan
  • Prayer with Canadian Alliance International Workers on Saturday morning
  • AND, we are writing to you to ask that you will join us in praying

Why is prayer so important?  We value it because the God who hears us has power and a willingness to answer prayer.  No matter where we are we can pray for workers to be sent.  We can pray that those who lack access to hear the gospel may finally hear.  We pray for open hearts ready to receive the gospel message.

We frequently bring seemingly impossible situations to God, with as much faith as we can muster, and wait to see what He does.  And He is faithful to answer!

Thank-you for being a part of the prayer team!

An Answer to Our Prayers

We have been praying for Warren.  His situation seemed hopeless, but we prayed asking God to give him another opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel.

His aunt took his clothes from the hospital and went to inquire of her god on Warren’s behalf.  The answer was that he would die the following day.

HOWEVER, our God holds the keys of life and death.  Warren has now been released from hospital, needing a lower level of care as his recovery continues.  He will receive the needed care at the nursing home right here in Baozhong.

We are praising God for this miracle, and are praying that Warren will surrender his life to Christ.  God has the power to set him free from his alcoholism.

Praise and Prayer

  • Taiwanese people have already begun the annual task of tending the graves of departed family members.  The official Tomb Sweeping Day is on April 5.  Many Christians will face pressure to participate in ancestor worship, and endure outbursts of anger when they refuse.  Please pray for understanding conversations that honour God as Christ-followers talk about such matters with their relatives.

2019 Mar 25

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Doing Life Together

We are doing life together with the team in the photo.  Each day we have times of worship and some time in the Word.  We pray for each other and for the churches we are associated with.  Prayers are also being offered for those who do not yet know Christ.

Today we spent time hearing about what God is doing as He leads toward the starting of a new Alliance church.  Through prayer, partnerships, research, and more prayer, a plan is slowly being developed to start a work in Chiayi County.  God the Holy Spirit is at work so that more people can hear the gospel.  Christ has uniquely gifted Albert and Elaine Lu to be a part of what is happening in this new initiative.  Many decisions (selecting a neighbourhood, outreach focus, etc.) will be happening as additional planning steps are taken.

This short-term missions team will be with us until Wednesday, March 27, when they will depart for their home in Canada.
Praise and Prayer

  • Praise the Lord that Warren’s condition has improved sufficiently that he has been transferred from ICU to a regular hospital room.  Please pray that God will work leading him toward faith in Christ as he recovers in the hospital.
  • Taiwanese people have already begun the annual task of tending the graves of departed family members.  The official Tomb Sweeping Day is on April 5.  Many Christians will face pressure to participate in ancestor worship, and endure outbursts of anger when they refuse.  Please pray for understanding conversations that honour God as Christ-followers talk about such matters with their relatives.

2019 Mar 11

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Scratching Her Tongue

We find ourselves suddenly helping to provide care for the two-year-old  daughter of a church member.  We are practicing our “grandparenting skills.”

When she visited on Sunday, she wanted to eat some banana.  But it was not as sweet as she desired and the texture was not what she was expecting.  The result was that she stuck out her tongue and scratched it with her fingers.  But that did not stop her from wanting another mouthful of banana.  Two-year-olds are so cute!

Please pray as we provide care when needed for this young girl.  Please pray for her family members who are experiencing some very difficult times.

 

Praise and Prayer

  • Please pray for God’s mercy for Warren.  He is having a medical crisis.  He needs a touch from God.
  • Pray as we make final preparations for the arrival of the short-term team on March 18.
  • Please pray for God’s comfort for Rev. Isaiah Kao.  We worked with him in Taichung many years ago.  His wife Grace transitioned to glory this past week.

2019 Mar 4

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Capacity

This past week we found ourselves in the unenviable situation of suddenly needing to replace our oven.  Suddenly we were confronted with choices about capacity.  Different brands and different models offered us different options.  As you can see, we opted for one with a larger internal capacity.  It also provides some features that were not on our initial wish list.  Arriving home we found that the electrical capacity in our kitchen was not enough and we needed an electrician to come install another outlet.

This has caused me to do some reflecting about spiritual capacity.  Last Sunday I mentioned that both Scripture reading and Prayer are indicators of our level of discipleship.  It is easier to say if we have read our Bibles, sometimes harder to determine whether our prayer life is operating at the level it should.  But both activities provide a glimpse of our spiritual capacity.  Are we talking to God?  Are we listening to Him?

As Jesus encountered people, he commended some for their faith.  They had a capacity to trust Christ in the midst of difficult circumstances.  I doubt any one of them felt their faith was enough.  How much faith is needed to be healed or to have sins forgiven?  And yet, Christ was merciful and met needs even when the faith capacity was not abundant.  He extends grace when the faith is small like a grain of mustard seed.  It is his sufficiency that is the determining factor in meeting needs, not ours.  And yet, He asks us to have a part through expressions of trust.

May God give us faith to keep asking for His work in our lives.  May we keep asking for healing, for forgiveness, for courage, for “enough faith” to keep asking.

 

Praise and Prayer

  • Kathy-Lu is attending a retreat.  Please pray that if will be a time of refreshing.
  • Please continue to pray that God will work to change Warren’s heart helping him overcome his addiction to alcohol.
  • Pray for wisdom as we choose Bible stories and English teaching materials for the semester.
  • Taiwanese believers are being invited to join in praying for C&MA church planting efforts in Chiayi, Tainan, Taoyuan, and Yilan.  May more people come to faith in Christ as a result of the new churches that are bring started.

2019 Feb 25

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Put On Christ

Our friends have returned to Taiwan from the US and are living in the traditional house inherited from his mother.  As is typical in homes here, there was an altar for traditional worship with a picture of the traditional god.  Being Christ-followers, living in the house with this constant veneration of other deities bothered them.  Their solution was to hang the picture seen above that reminds them that they have put off old ways and put on the new creation provided by Christ. (Gal. 3:27)

Romans 13:14  “Let every part of you belong to the Lord Jesus Christ. Do not allow your weak thoughts to lead you into sinful actions.”

Let’s pray that God will help us along with  Taiwanese believers to live out the truth of these verses.

Praise and Prayer

  • Please pray for the teaching of Biblical truths to help people believe and become more like Christ.
  • Our friend requests that God will help her husband to find freedom from alcoholism.  Pray that their young daughter will be safe.
  • Thursday (Feb 28) is the Peace Memorial Holiday.  Pray that Taiwanese will find peace in Christ.

2019 Feb 18

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Leadership Training Sessions are Completed

We’re back in Baozhong and wanting to work on the preparations for teaching English, Bible Story-telling, and connecting with people.  Unfortunately that is going slower than planned because of the flu.  Please pray that we will give ourselves grace to take time to recover and for us to trust God to be able accomplish in a timely manner everything He wants us to do.

A Family Prayer request.

Our daughter Elyssa, who will be married in July, has been experiencing health problems.  After a number of months of investigation she has received a diagnosis from the specialist.  Treatment will happen on March 1.  Please join us in praying that God will heal her, even using the planned treatment to do so.

Trip to Canada

We will be back in Canada and are willing to schedule some weekday meetings to share about global ministries in Taiwan.  (Sundays are all booked.)  Please feel free to write us with invitations and suggestions.  Here are the dates we will be in different areas:

  • Aug 1-9            BC Lower Mainland
  • Aug 10-16        Vancouver Island
  • Aug 19-31        BC Lower Mainland

Transportation needed:  If you know of a car we can use during the month of August, even for part of the time, please let us know.

Praise God!

The Resident Certificate that we have all been waiting for since last August finally arrived in the mail.  We praise God this process is completed and our coworkers can put their whole focus on language learning and planning for future ministry.

2019 Feb 4

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Happy Lunar New Year!

The New Year vacation has arrived.  We join the Taiwanese in welcoming the Year of the Pig and wishing everyone a Year full of God’s Grace!

God is Answering Prayer!

We’ve been praying for 2-3 new families to join our church this year.  Recently the Ting family has started attending.  Please pray for us all to grow together in love and for each one of us to go deeper in our relationship with Christ.

Summer 2019 Trip to Canada

We are excitedly planning to be back in Canada for the summer months.  Elyssa (our daughter) will be marrying Carl on July 27.

Taking advantage of being nearby, we have already scheduled some visits to church groups.  But there is time in the schedule for you and your group.  So, if your group is planning an event for during the summer months, we’d love to meet with you.  It can be a time to hear your news and let you hear ours

We welcome your invitation!  (Many weekdays and Saturdays are still available.)

  • Jun 30         Heritage Alliance Church (Abbotsford BC)
  • Jul  7           Southgate Alliance Church (Calgary AB)
  • Jul 11-30      Personal Vacation
  • Aug 8-9        North Ricmond Alliance Church
  • Aug 11         Nanaimo Alliance Church
  • Aug 18         Victoria Chinese Alliance Church
  • Aug 25         Heritage Alliance Church (Abbotsford BC)

Where will we stay?
We are looking for low-cost options for places to stay.  If you know of  someone who may be able to help for some of our stay in the following areas, please contact us:

  • July 1-31            Calgary Area
  • Aug 1-9              Abbotsford (Or nearby)
  • Aug 10-16          Vancouver Island
  • Aug 19-Sep 2     Abbotsford (Or nearby)

Transportation needed:
If you know of a car we can use, even for part of the time, please contact us.