Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 32    August 21, 2017   

This week we are working on planning where we will focus our time, efforts, and resources for this year.

We have asked our church people to pray and we are asking you to pray that we will have wisdom as we start the process of planning what regular activities we will have in the church schedule and what special events we want to hold.

We need to have a clear sense of what God wants us to do.  We are surrounded by needs.  Everywhere we look are opportunities.  We need God’s guidance to choose the things for this Fall, for next Spring.

The seventh month on the lunar calendar is a time that is dreaded by many Taiwanese.  Traditional teaching is that the gates of hell are open during this time and the spirits of the departed can roam causing mischief.

Many worship-related things are done to appease the ghosts throughout the month.  There are special worship rituals to present food to the spirits on the 15th day (Sept. 5), a day also known as the “hungry ghost festival.”

Christians face tremendous pressure to participate with family and work communities as they request peace and seek to prevent bad luck or disasters.  Christian believers need courage to take a stand and declare that they only worship Jesus, the Prince of Peace.

Please pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pray their offers to petition Christ to give peace will be accepted by those around them.  Pray that because of this witness people will become curious and desire to explore belief in Jesus.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 31    August 14, 2017   

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 30    August 9, 2017   

We are late sending our update this week.  Thank-you for those who noticed.  WE ARE OKAY!

Life has been busy with moving, unpacking, meetings, doctor appointments, etc.  It was our newsletter that was postponed.

We praise God for the help we received from the church and friends in the community for moving on Saturday.  They worked hard!  And everything was moved by noon.

We will need to replace or repair a few items that did not survive the trip on the truck.  But overall it went quite well.  And, after unpacking a number of boxes and suitcases, the house has hints that it will one day soon feel like home.

We have agreed to volunteer on Thursday afternoons at Fuhsing Elementary School.  We will go to meet the new principal next week and will discuss with the school administrators what we will offer the students.

Many other decisions are pending.  Please pray that we will know God’s leading regarding whether or not to agree to requested commitments.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 29    July 31, 2017   

Two small typhoons (technically the second is classified as a tropical storm) have rolled through Taiwan.  Our area did not experience much wind, but the fields are all flooded from the rain.  Some areas of Taiwan have had severe flooding.

Our main focus, other than Tuesday and Wednesday, is on moving to our new home.  We are thankful for progress made:

• air conditioners purchased and installed
• fridge purchased and delivered
• hot water heater purchased and installed
• water purifier purchased and installed
• leaking water pipe connections related to above two installations have been repaired
• additional kitchen cabinets purchased and installed
• help from a friend with the initial cleaning
• a friend willing to loan us a truck to use on Aug. 5

We think that our new house is likely dry, but we are not sure as we are locked out at the moment.  Maybe water invaded an electrical connection somewhere.  The lock on the screen door is hampering us getting to the locked steel door on the back of the house.  So, we are trying to figure out a solution.

We have a long do list and only a few days to do it.  We are trusting God for endurance and strength.

While we realize that the move needs to be our current focus, in our hearts we want to be engaged in caring for people around us.  It is impossible to do both.  Completing the move and becoming settled in our new home will enable us to put our focus where we would like it to be.

Thank-you for your generosity!  We appreciate you taking precious time to pray for us and the start-up of the church.  Thank-you for those who contribute to our support and to our special projects.  Without your participation we could not be able to be here telling people about Jesus.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 28    July 24, 2017   

Thank-you for praying for Kathy-Lu’s health this last week. God answered your prayers with an adjustment in the diagnosis.  The subsequent treatment has produced results and Kathy-Lu is much improved.  We will see the doctor for a follow-up visit on Tuesday (25th).

Kathy-Lu still needs your prayers as she continues the recovery process.

The lease is signed.  We have the keys.  Excitement and hope are in the air.

BUT there is a lot of cleaning, some painting, some purchases, and some planning that must happen before we can actually move in.  We anticipate that it will take 1-2 weeks for all this to happen. There are a few years of dirt on the floors, walls, and exterior balconies.  Some pealing paint will need to be scraped and new paint applied.

Not all of our current furnishings will move to the new house.  Some things are needed at the church building and will remain there.  That is why air conditioners, a fridge, a clothes washer, and other things will need to be purchased.

These items are considered a personal expense.  We are permitted to receive assistance through designated gifts to our Outfit Fund.  We appreciate those who have already contributed toward the set-up expenses by donating to our Outfit Fund.  It is not too late if you want to contribute.  Designated gifts can be given online.

Please join us in praying that this house would become a haven of peace, love and joy.

Thank-you for your generosity!  We appreciate you taking precious time to pray for us and the start-up of the church.  Thank-you for those who contribute to our support and to our special projects.  Without your participation we could not be able to be here telling people about Jesus.

As we have watched the news reports, including social media, we have heard about the danger and the devastation the wildfires are causing in British Columbia.  Front line workers know that in order to stay safe such things need to be confronted systematically without panic.  Even when the pace at which decisions must be made increases to frantic, we still need to pause and ask the God who never panics for help and for wisdom.

While not on the scale of the wildfires, we also had our moments of potential anxiety this week.  The discomfort that Kathy-Lu had been experiencing for a number of days increased to the level of excruciating pain on Thursday.  After praying and waiting to see if God was going to do the instantaneous miraculous, we determined that she would not be able to wait for the scheduled doctor appointment on Friday morning.  We drove to the emergency department of a nearby hospital (20 minutes).

We were thankful that it was not busy and she got immediate care.  After an xray and blood tests they sent her home with medication and the instructions that if it was not better in three days to return again.  The diagnosis was gastritis.

As I write this, we are planning for another doctor visit.  The pain and discomfort is not at the level that it was last Thursday, but it is still very high.

Please pray for God to heal!  Pray for wisdom for us and for the doctors.  Pray for an accurate diagnosis if God desires to use the medical establishment to bring the healing.

Thanks for praying.  The landlord agreed to accept our request for a lower rent rate than what they were asking.

The house is located about a five-minute walk from the church building.  We will not sign the lease until Saturday because when we walked through the unit the landlord noticed some things that needed fixing.  They want everything in order before the papers are signed.

They are repairing or replacing some doors that were not working, installing screens on the sliding glass doors on the second and third floors, and purchasing basic kitchen counters, fan hood and a gas cooker.  What a blessing that they have been willing to spend about 5 months of rent money to do these improvements.  We see God’s hand of blessing in this.

Did you know that financial gifts to our support help to provide the funds to rent our future house?  Gifts given to the C&MA  that are designated to our support or are designated to the Global Advance Fund make money available for us have these basic necessities.  Thank-you for your generosity.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 26    July 10, 2017   

Thank-you for praying.  We have so much for which to thank God:

• Great weather each morning of the camp – no rain, no wind, just perfect for badminton.
• Badminton equipment was found!  It got accidentally left behind when the bus was loaded, but no one took it and it was able to be shipped to us.
• 45 students attended, most did not miss even one day.
• Everyone stayed safe, there were no injuries.  God even provided the means to purchase medication that a short-term team member suddenly needed.
• The students learned well, and were able to sing the songs and perform the short play at the end of the week.
• Throughout the week a total of 37 students indicated that they wished to pray and receive God’s gift of salvation.

Most of the children who attended camp come from the area around the Fuhsing Elementary School.  Most will have difficulty getting transportation to the church building to attend Kids Club.  So we are praying to find a way to have a follow-up Kids Club nearer to where they live.  We don’t know where.  We don’t know when.  We don’t know how.  But there is a need for these children to learn more about what it means to be a Christ-follower.

Things we are praying about include:

• House Search:  We continue to look for a suitable house to rent in Baozhong.  Please pray that the network of people helping us will be able to find something soon.
• Job Search:  Elyssa, our daughter, is looking for work in Calgary.  Please pray for God to provide.
• Hurting People:  God is giving us opportunities to minister to people who are experiencing life-changing events.  Please pray that we will be able to help them to find stability and strength in Jesus—most do not yet have a desire to believe in Jesus.
  • A friend whose elderly mother passed away.
  • A lady whose father is in the hospital with terminal cancer.
  • A market stall owner who is having hip surgery.

Thank-you for your involvement in the experiences mentioned above.  Your prayers and your financial support are important.

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 25    July 3, 2017   

We said good-bye to Albert, Elaine and family last Friday.  They have arrived in Toronto and are settling in to the start of their home assignment year.  Please pray for refreshment and for God to speak to people as they share about the needs in Taiwan.

The photo shows the short-term team arriving at our church.  They shared testimonies during the Sunday morning service.

Today (Monday) the Elementary Student DVBS camp began.  There were 43 students the first day.  We also had a couple of mothers stay to observe.  It went very well!

Please pray that the message of the gospel will be clearly communicated through the team’s creative presentations and personal interactions.

We are thankful the typhoon that developed has missed us.  Sorry Japan!  It’s your turn to experience the wind and rain.

Things we are praying about include:

• House Search:  We continue to look for a suitable house to rent in Baozhong.  Please pray that the network of people helping us will be able to find something soon.
• Job Search:  Elyssa, our daughter, is looking for work in Calgary.  Please pray for God to provide.
• Women’s Bible Study:  There is a group of ladies who were friends of Elaine and doing Bible Study with her.  Please pray for Kathy-Lu as she texts, visits, and talks with these people and other ladies.  The hope is that the Bible Study will continue and have more people added to the group.
• We are thankful for a number of young people who are volunteering at camp this week  Please pray that Louis, Derek, Hector, and Judy would grow through the experience and learn more about following Jesus.

We are able to be in Taiwan telling people about Jesus because of your generous gifts and your prayer support.  Thank-you for supporting the Global Advance Fund (C&MA in Canada).

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 23    June 19, 2017   

This past Sunday Lorne shared from John 15.  Jesus is the True Vine.  Relationship with Jesus is the foundation of a healthy Christian life.

But relationships with people are also important.  Sitting and drinking tea with the opportunity to talk about all sorts of topics is part of the way that business transactions are handled.  While visiting with the auto insurance agent before selecting coverage, I was able to share some of the gospel because he had seen a billboard with our C&MA logo on it.  He was curious what the “wine glass” (actually a laver for washing) and the “milk pitcher” (actually an oil pitcher) signified.

Relationships are also built as people cook and eat together.  Albert and Elaine hosted the crowd pictured above to help us to connect with some people they know.  It was a very successful, boisterous evening.

Other conversations and situations  create unique opportunities to talk about the source of our “abundant life.”

Please pray that God would help us to use such conversations to share the good news of the gospel with other people.

These are some of the things that are happening in our lives that you can remember in your prayers:

• Praise the Lord for a comfortable car to drive.  The paperwork was processed more quickly than anticipated and we have been using the car for several days.
• Taiwan continues to experience extremely heavy monsoon rains.  There are several more days of torrential rain being predicted for this week.
• The C&MA international workers from North America and Australia are meeting for the annual Field Forum (Field Conference).  This is designed to be a time of renewal, fellowship, and strategy discussions.  Pray for all who will travel to and from the conference.
• Next weekend will be busy!  We will have less preparation time and will be leading the following events.
  • Friday evening Men’s Bible Study
  • Saturday afternoon Children’s ministry
  • Sunday morning Service followed by a meal and a church farewell for the Lu Family.

Thanks for standing with us in prayer.
Thanks for your partnership!  We appreciate each and every one of you!

Mondays with the Whites 
Volume 22    June 12, 2017   

This past weekend Lorne attended graduation ceremonies at two different Bible Schools.  His goal was to support and encourage graduates he knows.

The photos above are of Pastor Joshua YuYang Lee graduating from our C&MA college.

1. Receiving his degree.
2. The ceremony commissioning him to do pastoral work in the C&MA.
3. The prayer of blessing over him and his future ministry.
4. Joshua expressing thanks, telling stories of his study experience, and sharing his heart.

Thank-you for continuing to pray for him as he moves to Baozhong in late June and begins serving at the church on July 1.

We are excited to report that we were able to find a 2011 Toyota Corolla Altis to purchase.  The car has less than 40K kilometers.  We feel very blessed and know that God has guided in the purchase.

The final payment was transferred today and Lord willing we will pick up the car tomorrow.

Thanks for your partnership!  We appreciate each and every one of you!