Creating a Godly Heritage

The theme for the Taiwan Alliance Holistic Growth Camp (adult sessions) for this year was “Creating a Godly Heritage.” There were separate sessions for the children and the youth had their own camp that ran simultaneously at the venue.

The incoming typhoon did prevent a small number of participants from the southernmost part of the island from attending. But, as can be seen in the photo, a large number of us were able to be there. The typhoon did not impact the area where the camp was held in a major way. (Thank-you for praying for safety.)

The teaching sessions were well received. We were challenged to not only live a life of serving Christ, but to also transmit the vision and passion for serving to the next generation. The information presented will be helpful to both parents and those training disciples within the church.

Praise and Prayer

Surprise! It is Arriving!

When I became an international worker, I did not realize that I would learn to read maps like this one. They track the paths of tropical storms and typhoons.

We plan things, but like Proverbs 27:1 says, one never knows what a day will bring. It looks like we have an uninvited guest arriving. We don’t know the precise time of arrival nor how long it will stay.

That brings uncertainty to life. We do not know the status of church services on Sunday, the probability of needing to cancel one or more days of planned camps and retreats, etc. We must wait and trust the God Who is sovereign over it all.

Each day while the typhoon is nearby, we will be checking government announcements to know whether work and classes will be cancelled or not.

Although the storms can sometimes be destructive, the island we live on is dependent on them to provide water to fill the reservoirs. So, in the midst of the storm, we can still find reasons to express thanks.

Praise and Prayer

Historic Site

While on vacation we visited a historic church that was built in 1971. The Sun Moon Lake Church of Christ was built by Taiwan’s President and First Lady so that they could attend services while vacationing in the mountains. For many years the church was closed to the public.

The building was damaged in the 1999 Jiji earthquake and the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration became responsible for the property. After restoration, a private bidder was found to open the building to the public. Sunday services resumed. Pastors from nearby churches are requested to come and preach.

It was a blessing to meet a retired pastor, Rev You, who is there to greet visitors to the building. In addition to talking about the history, he talks to people about their religious beliefs. He is introducing people to Christ Jesus–the God who is alive and trustworthy.

It is exciting to discover creative ways that are being used to share the good news about Jesus with people who have not yet heard. Please pray that God will continue to give creativity to Christ-followers so that  the message of salvation can be told to more people.

Please pray that God will give us creativity to communicate God’s love in ways that will touch people’s hearts leading them to belief in Christ.

Praise and Prayer

Reminders

There are many things around us that remind us that God is ever present with us. For instance, this was hanging on the wall of a steakhouse where we stopped for lunch on our day off.

I am not sure what the intent of the person decorating the walls of the steakhouse was, but it was a good prompt to remind me that God is always with us, never changing.

What reminder about Who God is have you noticed in your life recently?

Praise and Prayer

Still Here

A common topic of conversation these days is: “I heard you are going to retire…” Some people want to know “when,” while others seem to be probing to discover whether we might be persuaded to retire in Taiwan.

Our response is that we are still here and will not be leaving until next year.

But our focus is not on our departure! Our focus is to use this time to be with people so that we can share the good news about Jesus with them.

We must use some of our personal time to sort, simplify, and plan about how to dispose of our collected belongings. But we do not want this to fill our remaining time in Taiwan.

Please pray that our walks in the community and appointments we make with friends will lead to conversations about life and eternal life. Pray that we will be a safe place for people to talk about such things. Pray for wisdom to know how to respond in each situation.

Praise and Prayer

Time Zones

A group call this past week made us think of time zones and their influence on our lives.

Due to miscalculation, we have received calls or made calls at times that were less than convenient. The use of daylight saving time, or not, further complicates matters. But, advances in technology have made connections across multiple time zones much easier and more economical.

As international workers, we have had to ponder the fact that God exists outside of time but works so that we see evidence of Him acting within our own time zone. Sometimes because of time differences, an event will occur on a different day than in your time zone. We are thankful that God can sort it all out the tie differences, permitting your participation in prayer. Even if a prayer is offered a few minutes after the event, the intent is in God’s wisdom fused together to bring glory to His name.

Thank-you for taking time to pray! We have a God who invites us to pray and answers those prayers.

Praise and Prayer

Turning the Page

We changed the page on the calendar yesterday.
The action marks  the passage of time.
The action brings with it expectations:

• Taiwanese people expect hot weather after the Dragonboat festival (May 31). So in many people’s thinking it is the start of summer. (We expect to use the air conditioners more.)
• The school year was completed for our missionary children, so they have started their summer holidays. (They expect to read books, play games and go on vacations.)
• We will finish this school year’s teaching English and telling Bible stories at FuHsing Elementary School on June 12. Only two classes remaining! (We expect that the time used in preparation and teaching classes will be used in other ways.)
• Graduation ceremonies are scheduled. (We expect to attend the Taiwan Alliance Theological College Graduation on June 15 and the FuHsing Elementary School Graduation on June 17.)

The rhythm of life shifts during the month of June. Some activities will stop and others will begin. It is a time to experience changes.

Here are some truths that will be helpful as we face those transitions:

• Times change, but  our God does not. He is always present.
• Circumstances change, but God’s love, grace, and mercy do not. They are always sufficient.
• Political powers rise and fall, but we have a hope that is an anchor during perilous times.
• Wars and conflicts escalate, but our God is a fortress Who protects us.
• Emotions ebb and flow, but our faith in Christ remains steadfast.

Do you have any to add to our list? Feel free to share them with us.

Praise and Prayer

Partners

The Apostle Paul frequently refers to his partners in the gospel. They were people who worked with him in the work of sharing the gospel. They were his coworkers.

Let us introduce two of our coworkers:

We have known Rev. Felix Wang since 2002. He was the “new pastor” at Tienmou Alliance when we attended there. Now his responsibilities include being the President of the Taiwan Alliance Theological College. He spoke on May 25 at Baozhong Alliance Church on Theological Education Sunday.

Beside him, is Rev. Joshua Lee. He graduated from the Taiwan Alliance Theological College. He is the lead pastor at the Baozhong Alliance Church.

Frequently when we are with valued coworkers, we forget to take a photo to memorialize the moment. The focus of our time together is on sharing God stories, mutual encouragement, and the work of the gospel in Taiwan.

Please pray for our Taiwanese coworkers. A denominational leader shared that many of the Alliance pastors are facing challenges. Those include health issues, financial restrictions, and a slow response to their efforts to share the gospel. Please pray for God to encourage them to be persistent in doing the work, to have creativity and courage to try new ideas, and that God would establish the work of their hands.

Praise and Prayer

School Selection

Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18,  Taiwanese junior high school students wrote this year’s senior high school entrance exam.

Although the law says that students study through 12th grade, they must spend months preparing to write this important placement exam. The results will be posted in a couple of weeks. The ranking on this exam will be used to determine which senior high school options are available. The most prestigious schools take only the highest ranked students.

We were praying for Josh as he wrote the exam. He hopes to score high enough to be able to study at one of the top high schools in Taichung City.

Because of the pressure on students to achieve high scores on such exams, they find it difficult to attend youth group meetings and church services.

Please pray that God will help our pastor’s wife, Ilaine, as she intentionally contacts students and seeks to disciple them into a personal faith in Christ.

Praise and Prayer

Mother’s Day

We wish all the Moms a very Blessed Mother’s Day!

We are thankful to report that people from the community as well as church members joined us for activities on Mother’s Day weekend.

A highlight was the Sunday School students singing that when Jesus is with us we do not need to be afraid.

We were blessed to participate.

Building Toward the Future

We continue to pray and ask God to build His kingdom in Baozhong Township and in individual’s lives. Please join us in continuing to pray about the following:

1. Baptisms: Join Lorne in praying that God will lead people to a deeper commitment to Him. We are praying for four more baptisms at our church prior to the end of the year.
2. Building Fund: We are thankful for those who are donating to the Baozhong Alliance Church Facility Fund. We want to help the church pay the down payment on their own facility. Our goal is by June 30, 2029 to raise $115,000 to help the Baozhong Alliance Church. Please join us in praying for God to provide.

Praise and Prayer