Praise the Lord with us that the typhoon stayed out on the ocean and turned northward so that it did not affect our local weather and we were able to have our Sunday meeting.  It was even more special because it was the first time that there has been a baptism at our church.  KC declared his faith in Christ and was baptized on Sunday morning, August 23.  In addition to his family some of his good friends came to witness the event and celebrate with him.  It was exciting to have a total of 20 people attend (including us).  We need to continue to pray for KC as he seeks to put Jesus first in his daily life.

Having the Amazing Grace Alliance Church’s bright orange plastic baptismal tub at our house for a few days prior to our service sparked a number of conversations about belief in Jesus and explanations about the nature of baptism.  Today Lorne met someone who knows KC and there was another conversation about the difference believing in Jesus makes in a person’s life.  Please pray that we would have the right words to say as we interact with people about such matters.

We have submitted our response to each of the three schools stating that we will be available for this semester to teach English and tell Bible stories.  Although the stories are considered by some to be mythological, we believe such stories have special power because they are the Word of God.  Please pray that God will use the sharing of the stories to kindle faith in the hearers’ hearts.  We will begin in September.  If you would like to specifically pray for this, please remember to pray for our preparation time as well as the class schedule which is as follows:

• Thursday afternoons (September 10 – January 21) 1:30-4:00 PM at Fuhsing Elementary School – English teaching and Bible Storytelling
• Friday mornings (September 4 – January 22) 8:40-12:00 noon at Baozhong Primary School – Bible Storytelling
• Friday afternoons (September 4 – January 22) 3:05-4:00 PM at Chaocuo Elementary School – English teaching and Bible Storytelling

As I was driving the car this morning, I noticed that there are many trees in our town that are half green and half brown.  The recent storms have damaged the leaves and branches on the side that faced the wind.  The trees are recovering and continuing to grow.  New leaves are sprouting forth and the healthy areas are supporting the parts of the tree that need extra help at this time.  I wondered how Jesus might use those trees as an illustration.  I thought it is a good parable of how a healthy church functions.  But I also thought about the fact there are experiences we face that batter and bruise us.  They probably change us.  But God’s plan is for healing and growth to occur so that we can continue to produce fruit.  Our output may be affected in the short-term, but with God’s help we should be able to recover and have new strengths.  Maybe that is what Paul was talking about when he wrote:  “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but are not crushed.  We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God.  We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the lif of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies….That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.” (2 Cor. 4:8-10,16)

The summer schedule has been busy with camps, church activities, and personal family events.  We will be taking some days this week to have some quiet time to reflect on what has been happening and to prayerfully think about our coming Fall activities.  Jesus told us to love God with all our hearts, souls and minds and to love our neighbour as our self. We are encouraged by the C&MA in Canada to take time to evaluate our relationship with God to make sure that we are remaining healthy in all areas of our life. We will take some time to do that and to quietly do some planning for the next few months.  Our prayer is that we will return refreshed and ready to serve God as He desires.

I am also supposed to mention on behalf of an excited A-Ma (grandma) that Philip and Bethany are expecting our fourth grandchild in January.  A-Ma (pronounced Ah-Mah) is the Taiwanese word for Grandmother.

Praise the Lord we are winning the battle with jet-lag.  We are beginning to feel as if we have some energy for tackling the tasks at hand.

Praise the Lord that KC plans to be baptized on Sunday morning August 23.  This will be the first baptismal service for the Baozhong Alliance Church.  Please pray for him as he prepares his heart for this step of commitment.  Pray that the family and friends he invites will be willing to attend and witness his step of faith.  Please pray for God’s protection on him and his family.

Praise the Lord that the church sign was able to be repaired and it only cost CAD$1.25.  That’s right!  The shop that sews canvas awnings was able to fold and sew along the sides and put in new grommets.  The sign is already back hanging in its rightful place (photo).  We do have a decision to make though, whether or not to take it down and protect it when the next typhoon (tropical storm) arrives in about a week’s time.

Over the next two weeks many important decisions will be made about Fall ministry.  Please pray that we will know God’s will regarding the frequency of youth and children’s meetings, and our Sunday events.  Along with this we need to make decisions regarding whom on our ministry team will give leadership to the different aspects of the ministry.  Alliance Churches in Taiwan who have been involved in the past are deciding whether they will be able to continue to do so for another semester.

We are being asked to respond to invitations to tell Bible stories and teach English in the local elementary schools.  All three schools that we worked in last year have indicated that they would like us to continue.  We wish we had  an additional native English-speaker who could take on this responsibility.  Because we do not yet have such a person, we are trying to clarify whether we can continue the previous time commitment or will need to cut back.  Church ministry programs also are demanding out time.  Please pray for needed wisdom as we make these decisions.

John and Bev Tolbert will be visiting us for a few days this week.  They are working with our Canadian C&MA team reaching out to Vietnamese speaking people residing in Taiwan.  We would like for them to be able to make contact with some Vietnamese labourers in a local Baozhong factory.  Please pray that God will help us to make the necessary connections.

Since you last heard from us:

• Ethan married his sweetheart Jill on July 31.  It was a beautiful wedding and a great chance to be together with the family members who were able to attend.
• After the wedding, Lorne and Kathy-Lu (along with Philip, Bethany, and Elyssa) travelled to Prince Edward Island.  We visited the Anne of Green Gables home and the A.B. Simpson memorial.  Simpson who was the founder of the C&MA was born in PEI.
• We all returned safely to our homes.  Lorne and Kathy-Lu are stil struggling to overcome jet-lag from the trip.
• Typhoon Soudelor visited Taiwan bringing strong winds and rain.  The government declared a holiday from work and classes to keep us all safe.

Typhoon Soudelor, although classified as a medium strength typhoon when it hit Taiwan, set some interesting records:

• The highest recorded wind speed at the Taoyuan INternational Airport (Taipei) at 209 km/hr (130 mph)
• The greatest movement of the anti-sway damper ball in the Taipei 101 skyscraper tower – one meter.  Wind has never caused it to move that much previously.
• The greatest number of households to lose power at one time.  4.1 million homes, about one out of every four, was without power during the storm.  As I write on Monday evening, more than 24 hours after the storm officially left the island, some people are still without power.  (This includes Albert and Elaine Lu who have been without power for more than 48 hours.)
• The highest wave recorded to crash against the mountain was 17.1 meters (56 feet) and occurred in a cave in XinBei City.

Baozhong was sheltered from the worst of the storm by the central mountain range.  So in our area:

• The storm began with about 12 hours of gale force wind.  Because there was no rain, the wind picked up sand and debris and used it to sandblast everything around.  This devastated recently planted corn and peanuts.  In one sugar cane field we saw that the leaves were gone leaving only the veins from inside the previously attached leaves.  Many trees were snapped off by the intense winds.
• The church sign, which was made of plasticized canvas, tore loose.   Thankfully it can be repaired.
• The sheet metal roof over the fourth floor balcony of our house (which is also the church building) came loose in the wind.  We have contacted our landlord to help deal with this so that it does not fall and injure anyone.
• We held our Sunday morning small group service without power.  We moved the chairs close to the windows at the front of the building so that we could see to read the Scripture.  We were still able to worship.

These things might sound like large challenges, but they are not very big when compared to what some other people are experiencing…..Seven Taiwanese died, five are declared as missing, and more than 400 were injured during the storm….The people of Myanmar are suffering much worse as they struggle with flooding and need help.

Praise the Lord with us for a good week of Elementary Summer Camp!

• There was suitable weather each morning for the students to play badminton–it stopped raining and was cooler than usual meaning that it was great for playing badminton.  Thank-you God for answering prayer.
• We were pleased with the number of family members who came to see the program on Friday.  The students performed well and there was an opportunity for Albert to use his Taiwanese language skills and share briefly about the peace that Jesus gives us.  Some students that have not previously attended the weekend children ministry expressed interest to do so when it begins again in the Fall.
• The team from Calgary Southgate Alliance Church were well-prepared to teach sports, crafts, and games.  The children were captivated by the Bible stories told using drama.  The theme song written by one of the team members reinforced the truths that were being taught each day.  Pray with us that the children will trust Jesus, experience freedom from fear, see needs supplied, receive healing, and have hope.

We are grateful to be able to take a week of vacation time so we can travel and attend our son Ethan’s wedding.  We are looking forward to seeing all our children and welcoming Jill into the family.  The wedding will occur on July 31 in Halifax.

Sign of progress:  We are rejoicing that those in the neighborhood can now find our church building more easily.  However the church is people, not the building, and we are sensing that God is doing some special things in people’s lives as they meet Christian believers in the community.  We are thankful for those who gave to help provide funding for our first sign. (photo attached)

The typhoons brought needed water to Taiwan.  One turned to the south and the other to the north of the island.  This resulted in only the last day of the camp in Chungli being cancelled.  The Westside Calgary Alliance Church team was able to come and be with us for Sunday morning service and we enjoyed some sightseeing in the afternoon.

The first day of youth camp has finished.  We had more than 60 students attend. We are thankful for the program and the talent that the team from Calgary is providing. We are also blessed to have some Taiwanese helping us.  Please continue to pray that God will use the camp to help students to understand and desire to believe in Christ.

Note to Self:  Weather Warnings do not always coincide with life’s plans.
The photo is from the local weather website.  It shows three tropical storms all coming toward Taiwan.  Such storms push hot air masses in front of them resulting in record-breaking temperatures here in Taiwan this last week.  If the storms strengthen, they will be called typhoons.  If extreme wind or rain is anticipated, the local governments may make the decision whether to cancel work and classes. If they choose to cancel, everything shuts down and we brace for the storm.  Taiwan needs the rainfall that tropical storms bring but we all dislike the danger and damage that result from extreme conditions.

Upcoming activities that could be affected if the storms change direction slightly and make a direct hit on Taiwan include:

• The Taiwan Alliance Church Union is having its annual family camp July 5-7.  It is unlikely to be affected very much as it will be finishing as the storm begins to influence that area.  Please pray that the camp will be beneficial to those attending.  (Lorne and Kathy-Lu are not attending this year so that they can focus their energies on the summer camps our church is sponsoring.)
• The short-term team from Westside Calgary Chinese Alliance Church (WCCAC) is in Taiwan and will be leading a youth camp July 6-10 (helping the Life Alliance Church in Chungli City).  There is the potential for wind and heavy rain beginning Tuesday afternoon and lasting through the rest of the week.  Please pray that the weather will not prevent students from learning what God desires them to learn this week.
• Albert and Elaine Lu will be moving on Thursday, July 9.  At the moment there is only a 5% prediction of wind and rain for that day.  Please pray for safety and protection of their belongings from getting wet.
• The WCCAC team will be arriving in Baozhong on Saturday, July 11.  A team recreational outing is planned for Sunday afternoon (12th) and they will lead the youth camp July 13-17.  It is too early to predict whether the tropical storms will have an effect, but we ask you to pray that the storm will not have a major effect on the activities and what God desires to do.

Praise the Lord that we were able to have two air conditioners repaired and accomplish many of the other things that will make the short-term team stay more pleasant.  It will be crowded though, with 14 people joining us to minister at the youth camp and everyone living at our house.  Please pray that everyone will experience the sufficiency of God’s grace as we live and work together.

The last day of school for this school year is tomorrow (Tuesday, June 30).  Some junior high and senior high students are writing exams these two days, but most other students have completed their studies and will have special class activities.

We were thankful to have the best attendance ever at our children’s event on this last Saturday.  There were 16 students, plus two moms with two younger children who attended.  The children made shape cookies and heard the story of Daniel in the lions’ den.  Many of the children are looking forward to when the club time starts up again in the Fall.

The house that is rented for Albert and Elaine to live is only about a ten-to-fifteen minute walk from our home.  We will be helping paint some walls to help them get ready for moving day in less than two weeks.  Please pray for them as they handle many details related to setting up their new home and all the work of packing and moving.

We are thankful that the schools have been very willing to provide classroom space, video projectors, sound systems, keyboards, etc.  for us to use during the camps.  Many details are in place.  Our focus is now on preparing our home for the large number of people who will be sleeping here.  The first camp starts two weeks today.  Please continue to pray that the hearts of the students will be open to hear the truths presented.

We enjoyed spending time out in the community this last weekend attending the two Dragonboat Festival events.  (Some of you will have seen photos on FaceBook.)  We ate the traditional bamboo leaf wrapped dumplings and were able to meet some parents of our students.

This is our last week in the classroom for this semester.  We praise God that we have had this wonderful opportunity to interact with the children and to tell them Bible stories.  Please pray for us as we take the break from teaching to evaluate our time commitments and pray for God’s leading for making commitments for the Fall.

Praise the Lord that there are 82 students registered for the Summer Youth Camp (July 13-17) and 56 students registered for the Summer Children’s Camp (July 20-24).  Please pray for the two teams from Calgary who are making final preparations to come and staff these camps.  Pray that God will give the students open hearts to receive the truth that is presented.

Lorne is excited to be meeting with KC for Bible studies.  Please pray that God will continue to encourage him and help his faith to grow.

Praise the Lord that our son Ethan has found employment, pending final security checks, at ATB Financial in Calgary.  He begins in his new position in early July.

We have a heavy rain advisory for our area.  One storm with wind and rain passed through yesterday evening.  This morning we noticed that a field of almost ready to harvest rice is flattened.  It made me think about the fact that maturity by itself does not make us invincible when the storms of life hit.  We need to rely on Christ.  When we find things flattened, Jesus is still with us to pick up the pieces.  Isn’t that wonderful news?

Thank-you for praying for us as we attended the annual field conference.  We sensed God’s presence and instruction throughout the week.  The coworkers from the USA were able to complete their decision-making and there were moments of fun for everyone.  The photo is of those who participated in the conference.

A local family visited our church’s small group meeting on Sunday.  It was exciting to have visitors.  Please pray for us as we get to know each other better.  Our goal is to help each other to walk in obedience to Jesus.

This week the schools will hold their graduation ceremonies. It is also the Dragonboat Festival on Saturday, so Friday is a holiday.  Our town has special community activities planned on the weekend because the name of our town sounds similar to the Chinese words for “wrapping dumplings.” The dumplings eaten on this festival are made with glutinous rice and wrapped in bamboo leaves before steaming (or boiling).