We are back in the country and back on the road. It was great to get to travel to Taiwan in December. I really enjoyed being back on the field, as much as I love America. Taiwan was similar to China, but different enough to surprise more than a few times. For the amount of time we had available in the country, we feel that we were able to accomplish all of the things we set out to do and more. It seemed to be the providence of God that we were able to attend a service for each of the missionaries we visited, and I believe we owe that to your prayers.
We landed first in Taipei and then traveled to the city of Taoyuan to visit two missionary works. The first was the ministry of M___ T___ and his family. Their church uniquely has a large children’s ministry, and we enjoyed getting to spend some time with the kids and the adults at their midweek service. The next day, we were able to spend some time with J___ F___ and his family. Praise the Lord that they have their midweek service on Thursdays, so we were able to meet his people and hear some great testimonies.
From Taoyuan, we traveled to the city of Hualien, which is on the eastern coast of Taiwan. There, we got to meet Pastor K___, a national pastor reached by the ministry of a foreign missionary. He has since started a church, and we got to attend one of his Friday services. While in Hualien, we also had the opportunity to visit Taroko National Park, which is considered to be the most beautiful place in all of Taiwan.
From Hualien, we traveled to Kaohsiung, where we were able to spend time with the rest of the missionaries in our schedule. Sunday was spent with K___ C___ and his church, where I was able to preach their evening English service. We were able to visit several of the church plants that Bro. C___ has started. Monday, R___ and I had the privilege to attend a Pastors’ Training Class held by Missionary J___ W___. In this class, we got to meet several pastors that Bro. W___ is training, and it was the greatest blessing for me. It was my favorite part of the trip to see exactly what we hope to be doing ourselves when we reach Taiwan and ultimately China, Lord willing.
The last portion of our trip was spent with S___ F___ and his family. These are missionaries I worked with in China, so it was a great pleasure to see what they are doing and to hear their plans for the future. The F___ were most definitely the biggest help on the ground for the success of our trip, and we thank the Lord for how perfectly everything seemed to go. All of our questions were answered, and we feel much more prepared to seek out God’s will for when we move to Taiwan ourselves later this year.
Blessings and Prayer Requests
R___ and the baby are doing well, and we are happy to announce that it is a girl. This was a shock to R___ and me, as we were certain it was going to be a boy. The due date is set for June, so please pray for God’s perfect timing with the delivery, deputation, and preparing to move to Taiwan.
We would also ask that you pray specifically for our finding a new vehicle. We need to upgrade to a van since our SUV cannot hold three car seats. We were ready to purchase a van next month, until the buyer backed out of the sale. Just a reminder that God is protecting us, to keep us in His will. Please pray that we find the right vehicle that will serve us well for the last leg of our deputation travels.
As always, thank you immensely for your prayers. Thank you to all of you who read our prayer letters, remember us, and pray for us.
Here for Him,
Missionary #6013
