Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 6   February 5, 2018   

What does it mean to bless someone?  What do you say”  What do you do?

These are questions that we are reminded to ask ourselves each year as we approach the Lunar New Year Holiday.  As the Taiwanese prepare to celebrate what is also known as the “Spring Festival,” they also prepare written blessings that can be posted around the doorway of their home or business.  Prominent people in the community will also distribute their “blessing”  that is usually related to the Chinese zodiac symbol for the new year.

As we have done in the past, the church has designed and printed its own blessings.  On the back is a message that Jesus cares about individuals, families and communities.  This year Baozhong Alliance Church has prepared four different blessings for distribution.

•    福           Blessing
• 身體健康    Good Health
• 學業成功    Success in Studies
• 出入平安    Peace in Your Coming and Goings

Please pray that these pieces of paper will be a channel to help people find blessing in Christ.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 4   January 22, 2018   

One of the things that the C&MA in Canada values is providing access to the gospel for those who have not yet heard.  That is why we are trying to focus our ministry on a Least Reach People Group.

The Hidden in Plain Sight Ministry is seeking to provide Working Class Taiwanese people with an opportunity to hear and respond to the good news about Jesus.  That is why we are working in Baozhong Township.  That is why we are praying for Working Class Taiwanese people to believe in and live for Jesus.

The process of deciding where we will work after Baozhong has already begun.

• After consultation and discussions with Morrison Christian Academy (where missionary children go to school) they have agreed to open a satellite school in Chiayi City, closer to where we sense God wants us to work.  The new school will open Fall 2018.  Please pray for the recruitment of additional students from the surrounding community.  Please pray that building renovations and other planning will be completed on schedule.
• Discussions with our closest ministry partners have begun.  The Taiwan Alliance Church Union leaders and representatives from the Alliance Taiwan Field (USA-sent missionaries) are meeting with us as a Joint Church Planting Advisory Committee.  We are exploring opportunities for greater cooperation and partnership in the starting of new churches.  The hope is that future church starts will be planned and done together.
• Research about the population, existing church locations, road accessibility, government projections for population and industry growth, etc. is being done.  Please pray that accurate information about various locations can be obtained.  (Above map is one area being considered.)
• Presentations will be given to all the Taiwan Alliance pastors at the denominational strategy meetings in March.  Pastors will be given information and visionary ideas about future church starts over the next 5 or more years.  They will have opportunity to give input and also to start to think about their churches making a partnership commitment.

This is happening now because we are prayerfully considering whether Albert and Elaine should move to a new location when they return to Taiwan in July.  Please pray as these are big steps of faith.  We want to move forward in God-approved timing.  We want to work with God to provide more Taiwanese Working Class people with access to the gospel.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 3   January 15, 2018   

Last week at the elementary school and also at Sihhu Alliance Church (photo) there was opportunity to share with the children the story from John 3 of Nicodemus learning about being born again.  Please join us in praying that the students will understand and experience the second birth that Jesus talks about.

There was good attendance at the biscuit baking class.  We had a total of 11 participants including a husband and a one-year-old.  Please pray that creative events such as these will help to develop relationships and have opportunities to share about how Jesus impacts our lives.

• Praise the Lord that we had 14 in church this morning (11 adults and 3 children).  Please pray that God will use fellowship and the ministry of the Word to call forth faith in people’s lives.
• Please pray for good communication as the Church Planting Advisory Committee meets.  The discussion of how we will cooperate will influence the selection of locations for new church starts.
• We are preparing a report and planning is happening for the Spice Mix Conference at the end of January.  Please pray for all the various people involved in conference preparations.
• Kathy-Lu is privileged to be able to meet weekly with ladies at different places in their spiritual journey.  She needs God’s wisdom and enabling for each relationship and the discussion that ensues.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 2   January 8, 2018   

We value prayer.  It is important for our personal spiritual health.  It is crucial for all of us to do the task of taking the gospel to all nations in the way that God wants it to be done.

Thank-you for being one of the team members who regularly pray for the Baozhong Alliance Church work.  We look forward to reporting how God answers those prayers.

• Please pray for the Lin family.  They have recently started attending.  Pray that God will give wisdom as they work to overcome some challenges in their lives.
• We are thankful that our friend’s baby is healthy and she has been able to return home after her month of “resting.”  Pray for her to know how to raise both of her children so that they will learn to love Jesus.
• Please pray that the elementary students will remember the stories and teaching we have done over the last semester.  We are planning to resume teaching after Chinese New Year.
• Please pray that the Biscuit-making Class with sharing about how Jesus helps us in our everyday lives will encourage people to boldly live out their faith in Jesus.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 1   January 1, 2018   

While reading the Bible with Edgar today, I noticed Mark 3:29 that talks of sin with eternal consequences.  As we talked about what that means, I explained that decisions we make today will influence what happens long after this earthly life ceases.

Returning home, I did a little bit more research.  I noted that the above is in contrast to the experience of David.  Because of his decision to live in a relationship with God, as someone in tune with God’s heart, he was confident of receiving eternal blessings.  (2 Sam. 7:29; Psalm 21:6)

As we start a new year, it is good to be reminded to make choices that lead to eternal blessing and not eternal consequences.

Thank-you for giving to support us and the Hidden in Plain Sight Ministry throughout the past year.  God has supplied all that we needed through your generosity.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”  (1 Cor. 2:9)  This is the verse in Chinese on our New Year’s Greeting above.

• Please pray with us that God will allow us to see results of His work in our own lives and in the lives of those around us.
• Please pray that we will hear of God’s mighty works, and together with you be encouraged in our souls.
• Please pray that we will have faith to ask for and trust God to do great and seemingly impossible things.
• Please pray that we will love God each and every day of 2018, never allowing that love for Him to diminish.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 49   December 25, 2017   

It is Christmas Day!  It is a day that we have been waiting for.  Our waiting was not as long as people had been waiting for the first Christmas, but it gives us an idea of what some of them might have felt and experienced.  On that first Christmas the very best gift in all of history was received — Jesus Christ the Saviour.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 48   December 18, 2017   

We are frequently reminded that this is the season to celebrate.  So what are you celebrating?  Are you able to celebrate?

What we are asked to celebrate is that Jesus left a perfect place and came into a world that included pain, injustice, and inequity.  We often think of Him experiencing sorrow at the cross, but the incarnation story is one of Jesus making difficult, even humiliating choices in order to come as our Savior.  He understands loss.  He has experienced both a life and a death that was not fair.  He knew all that He would be facing before He left heaven to come, and He still came to be our Savior.

Because of that,  He “ understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin.  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. ” (Heb 4:15-16)

May your Christmas be full of special moments when you realize your Savior knows all about you and the things you are experiencing, but still chooses to be there for you.  He demonstrated that He is like that when He came that First Christmas.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 47   December 11, 2017   

Have you ever noticed how busy the people in the Christmas story are?  Mary is preparing for a wedding.  Joseph is trying to get things in order so that he has a life to invite Mary into.  People are hurrying to get registered for the census.  The shepherds are focussed on their work of caring for the sheep (farmers are always busy).

The arrival of an angel was not very convenient.  It was an interruption.  The message was one that gave them more to do.  But in the case of the three busy people mentioned, they made room in the schedule for God’s plan.  They were willing to be obedient.

I trust that even in the busy Christmas Season we will be ready to hear what God says to us and willing to obey.  May we never be too busy for God and His plan.

¹⁶ Let us, your servants, see you work again;
    let our children see your glory.
¹⁷ And may the Lord our God show us his approval
    and make our efforts successful.
    Yes, make our efforts successful!       ( Ps 90:16-17 )

Thank-you for praying as we prepare for each of the following activities:

• 12/23   安養院聖誕節 “Christmas at the Nursing Home” – Desiring to communicate love to those who frequently feel abandoned
• 12/23   Dress Rehearsal for 12/24 Event
• 12/23   Cram School Christmas Party – Telling the Real Christmas Story
• 12/24   Christmas Morning Service
• 12/24   奇妙聖誕節 “A Marvelous Christmas” – jointly sponsored with the Village Gospel Mission Church.  It is an afternoon-evening community-oriented event at the local Junior High School.  Lorne will speak, Pastor Joshua will give a testimony, and church members will be involved in the Christmas Pageant.
• Thursdays in December   Telling the Christmas Story in elementary schools

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 46   December 4, 2017   

Because you prayed, and many people helped invite, we had a room full of people for our first Christmas event.

“Re-nao” 熱鬧 is a Chinese word for a happy-noisy-boisterous environment.  Our Dec. 2 event exceeded the minimum in all those areas!  We had about 32 people having fun together learning about Christmas.

We had thought that the elementary school changing the date of the midterms would affect attendance.  But God gave us an opportunity to share about Jesus and how to believe in Jesus to to more than 20 people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus.

One mother and son came back the following day for the service on Sunday morning.

And……the tree looks pretty good too!

Please pray that God will help people’s faith to grow.

Whenever we ask you to pray, we see a difference.  Perhaps you’d like to pray about:

• weekly one-on-one Bible reading with a variety of people
• Chinese language classes (we’re still trying to improve)
• interactions with teachers and students in local schools
• weekly meetings with Pastor Joshua on Wednesday mornings
• Friday evening Men’s Bible Study
• Monthly visits to the Nursing Home
• Sunday morning worship service
• administrative things like tracking finances and writing reports

And don’t forget to pray about the special happenings this month!

• 12/23   安養院聖誕節 “Christmas at the Nursing Home” – Desiring to communicate love to those who frequently feel abandoned
• 12/23   Dress Rehearsal for 12/24 Event
• 12/23   Cram School Christmas Party – Telling the Real Christmas Story
• 12/24   Christmas Morning Service
• 12/24   奇妙聖誕節 “A Marvelous Christmas” – jointly sponsored with the Village Gospel Mission Church.  It is an afternoon-evening community-oriented event at the local Junior High School.  Lorne will speak, Pastor Joshua will give a testimony, and church members will be involved in the Christmas Pageant.
• Thursdays in December   Telling the Christmas Story in elementary schools.