(For those of you who haven't figure it out, almost all the unsigned posts in this blog were written by me, Joshua Chen. It was my intention to keep all my posts anonymous, but apparantly my writing content and style were too obvious.)
As Taiwan trip came to a conclusion, I can say I had very mixed emotions. Happiness, from all the wondrous things God had done, but sadness also at the realization that it’s all over. Though the things we did were powerful, the bonds we shared with each other shall be eternal. While I miss the amazing VGM program and the awe inspiring Saturday altar call, the people I grew closest to in Taiwan will be the ones I long for the most. I have met so many amazing people, all with incredible stories and a strong love of God. Their stories have inspired me and have influenced me to live a life filled with God. In the short two and a half weeks time, God united us together as one, to help in His ministry. Then, we all went our separate ways, possibly never to meet again until heaven. These next several people I list are a few of the many who made a strong impact on my life and I’ll list them in alphabetical order because I can’t figure out any other way to order them.
Jack- I entered the first week’s camp two days after everyone else, yet I was extremely warmly welcome anyways. Something about Jack stood out to me though, out of all the people, God’s love seemed to be overflowing out of him. I don’t know how we managed to get to know each other that quickly, but by the end of my first day, we could joke around and hug each other like we had known each other for years. Jack was a mentor to me that week and still continues to be. He was probably one of the oldest co-workers, having just graduated from college. Funny thing is, he barely understands any English. That night before STM was supposed to leave; Jack and I spoke for an hour or two about life. He shared his testimony to me and it was powerful. He’s only the person he is today because of God. We talked about other things, but what I’ll remember most is that it is possible to live a Godly life. Despite circumstances and hardships, God still loves me. I need to follow His example in everything I do. Jack, to me, was an example of what God could do if you let Him. After we left to go to the second camp, Jack went up to Taipei with us for Sunday worship the last week, even though the drive was a couple hours long. Sitting in the airplane, Jack was the last person I talked to on the phone, up until the flight attendant told us to turn our phones off seconds before the plane started moving.
Martin- Martin was one of my co-teachers the second week of VGM bilingual camp. Through the week, I realized Martin and I were quite similar. We were similarly tall, and loved sports. He even told me to throw baseballs at him as hard as I could as he was a high school catcher. However, what will be the most similar about us is the experiences we’ve shared. Somehow, God destined us to be partners. We shared the gospel to our students together. I would attract them because the students liked talking to some foreign American guy and tell them all I could about God. I had to speak in Chinese though and I struggled with some vocabulary. Every time, Martin would just pick up where I couldn’t continue and share exactly what I had intended. God used us together to preach the good news as neither one of us would have ever been able to do it alone. The most powerful experience we shared is the last Saturday’s altar call. Before it began, I pulled him outside with me to pray. We prayed; him in Chinese, me in English. We prayed for all the students, especially for Vicky and Joe, and then we broke down crying, touched by God. We re-entered the room and stood in the back as the altar call began. We prayed our hearts out and waited, waited for Vicky’s hand to rise. One call passed, then two. No response from her. We prayed even more intently. Finally, her hand raised slowly on the third call. We broke down crying again as we prayed, “Thank you God” in our respective languages, over and over again. We had seen a miracle. As we parted later that day, and again when he visited us right before STM went to the airport, I was greatly saddened. He might be the only person on earth who knew exactly how I felt, having experienced the same thing. I don’t know if I’ll ever see him on this world again, but we’ll certainly have some nice life stories to tell in heaven.
Rita- Without a doubt, Rita is her own very unique person. She’s had an incredible impact on the STM team, especially Andrea and I, and we still keep in regular contact. I don’t know why, but seeing Rita makes you happy somehow, though a possible factor may be watching her laugh so hard she can’t stand up. Rita has the capability of comforting you when you need it and joking around with you when appropriate. She is also incredibly accepting of who God made her to be, despite some pretty troubling times. Just looking at Rita, you can see on who lives her life entirely for God. She uses her past as a comfort for others, instead of allowing it to be constant pain. When I needed Godly advice, she happily provided it to me, even though she had to stay up until 2 AM because of time zone differences. I am very grateful for all she has done, both for me, and the rest of the STM team. (I could go on and on about Rita, but I won’t.)
Yutting- Her life story was an absolute encouragement to everyone. Yutting was one of the co-workers from the first camp. She grew up in the village we went to the second week and attended the very school we stayed and worked at the second week. When she was in middle school, she attended one of VGM’s camps. What she learned that week stuck with her as she became a Christian. What an absolutely remarkable thing it was to meet her. The common problem with short term missionaries is that we rarely get to see the fruits of our labor, yet, there she was, living proof that what we were doing was not in vain. Throughout my stay in Taiwan, her story encouraged me to share the gospel every chance I get. I had no idea where the next Yutting would be, nor who him or her would be, but I knew that what I was doing really had an effect. There was a tangible goal, something to work towards because of her. We were really blessed to have Yutting there with us. As if her story by itself wasn’t enough, God also placed her among us to impact us through what she did. In essence, she acted as our STM translator on stage. In partnership with her, I was able to go onto stage, to share God’s love. She was also one of the members of the first week’s team that visited us the second week. That visit brought much needed encouragement during a stressful time for some of us. I still keep in contact with Yutting and am very grateful for everything she’s done for us.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
My thoughts back home
I'm thankful for giving us (STM) the opportunity to reach out in Taiwan this summer. As the other team members have shared, God truly was with us the entire journey.
I received warm welcome from friends back home. Some said, "Already back?, you just mentioned you were leaving and now you're home..." Although it may seem like a pretty short trip for some, I have to say we worked hard during these 3 weeks for a great purpose. We accomplished and experienced so much that I don't know how to begin sharing. Many people have asked "How is Taiwan" and "What exactly did you do there?" but I really don't know where to start..
We did have challenges with team personality dynamics, sticky humid weather, bugs, and times of isolation, but at the end, we seemed to do well, as they were minor issues on such a mission trip. But thinking back, I wished we prayed more as a team, which I think we lacked. And I found myself not a late night owl as most were. I consistently got up at 5:30 or 6, having quiet times to myself, listening to ipod, and praying after a nice cold shower. Knowing that challenges would appear, it was not too much a surprise, but the challenges did put me down at times.
Seeing what God did through STM and Taiwan coworkers was amazing and undescribable in words. I have learned that trusting God and not ourselves brings overflowing results. As what Josh shared about his student Vicky, and my student Wendy and 2 others, I was without words when I heard they came to Christ. Surely it was God who knocked on their heart and they accepted. All by His power. In the first week, I was nervous to start praying during lunch but at the last day, I stood in the front and took out the "colorless book" and started to share. A student even walked up to hear me better. I felt so happy inside for being able to share. For the second week, I had prayed for more courage regarding sharing Gospel, and God answered prayers.
I hope I can go on another mission trip again soon, see where God wants me and when God wants me to go.
-Ruth
I received warm welcome from friends back home. Some said, "Already back?, you just mentioned you were leaving and now you're home..." Although it may seem like a pretty short trip for some, I have to say we worked hard during these 3 weeks for a great purpose. We accomplished and experienced so much that I don't know how to begin sharing. Many people have asked "How is Taiwan" and "What exactly did you do there?" but I really don't know where to start..
We did have challenges with team personality dynamics, sticky humid weather, bugs, and times of isolation, but at the end, we seemed to do well, as they were minor issues on such a mission trip. But thinking back, I wished we prayed more as a team, which I think we lacked. And I found myself not a late night owl as most were. I consistently got up at 5:30 or 6, having quiet times to myself, listening to ipod, and praying after a nice cold shower. Knowing that challenges would appear, it was not too much a surprise, but the challenges did put me down at times.
Seeing what God did through STM and Taiwan coworkers was amazing and undescribable in words. I have learned that trusting God and not ourselves brings overflowing results. As what Josh shared about his student Vicky, and my student Wendy and 2 others, I was without words when I heard they came to Christ. Surely it was God who knocked on their heart and they accepted. All by His power. In the first week, I was nervous to start praying during lunch but at the last day, I stood in the front and took out the "colorless book" and started to share. A student even walked up to hear me better. I felt so happy inside for being able to share. For the second week, I had prayed for more courage regarding sharing Gospel, and God answered prayers.
I hope I can go on another mission trip again soon, see where God wants me and when God wants me to go.
-Ruth
Transcript of Sunday Sharing
If I had to use one word to describe the trip, I would say “indescribable”. How would mere words be capable of describing the works of our almighty God? I have seen God work miracles, God answer prayers, and God do the seemingly impossible. I saw Him do this not only once, but countless times, over and over again. I can safely say that through this trip, God has not only changed the villages we served in, but God has changed me and each and every one of us members of the team. The mission team went to Taiwan with the VGM organization to run two bilingual camps, each with a different set of Taiwanese college students in different villages. Both villages had a Christian population of less than 1%, with many residents having strong anti-Christian beliefs. We intended to show God’s love though actions only, with minimal straightforward gospel sharing. We went out to plant seeds, in hopes that they would grow at later points in the students’ lives, but God blessed what we did and made some of those seeds sprout much earlier than we could have ever expected. The VGM program contains four days of actual camp, with and optional program on Saturday. The first four days were supposed to contain minimal gospel message sharing, but God had other plans. VGM strongly discourages public sharing in large group settings for fear of parental protest. If they occurred, the protests would forbid the church from ever being able to run the camp again. Yet, God wanted us to and we did and he rewarded us greatly. On the last Saturday’s altar call, I saw the most touching thing ever in my life. All my fellow co-workers were in tears as slowly, students began to raise their hands to turn their lives over to God. These were the same students who entered as strong opposers of Christianity, living in families, hostile to our beliefs. Yet, God can soften even the hardest hearts. There was one specific student of mine that stood out. She entered as a typical student, everything seemed normal. The first day, she protested lunch time prayers and also declared herself an adamant believer in the family's idol worship; unsurprising considering that was the mentality of most people there. Yet, as the week continued, God worked in her heart. She slowly opened up to us as she shared the family problems she faced, including the abuse and parental issues. She began to really take in what we said about God, that God loves each and every person. The last day, Saturday, after she received Christ, she remained at school long after everyone else had left. For more than an hour she stayed behind, talking to us. The week had been so powerful she didn’t want to leave, declaring it the best time of her life. She wasn’t the only one with those feelings. The Bible says that the angels in heaven would rejoice for every person that returned to God. Let’s just say that the angels were rejoicing for quite a while that day for the 15-20 students who received Christ. In this trip I have learned quite a bit about God and myself. He truly does answer prayers, whether it’s right away, or a long time in the future. He also requires humility when serving Him. When I lacked humility, God instilled it in me during this trip by making me sick. Most of all, God really does love each and every person and can turn even the most anti-Christian person back to Him. Just leaving Taiwan, the words of Jesus repeated over and over in my head, “It is finished,” but while the trip may be over, everything is not finished. What I have learned will stay with me back home and well there are more unbelievers in Taiwan, more unbelievers in the world.
If you would like a more detailed description of what we did in Taiwan, we kept a blog: Hoc5vgm09.blogspot.com
We’re still going to update it for a couple more weeks even though our trip is over, so keep checking. Thank you and please pray for the new Christians in Taiwan!
If you would like a more detailed description of what we did in Taiwan, we kept a blog: Hoc5vgm09.blogspot.com
We’re still going to update it for a couple more weeks even though our trip is over, so keep checking. Thank you and please pray for the new Christians in Taiwan!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Last Words about the trip...
Before we left on this amazing trip to Taiwan, our team read a book called “How to Listen to God.” The main idea was prayer. It wasn’t until this trip did I realize how important prayers were…or if God ever answered them. Truthfully, until now, I wasn’t really sure if God ever answered my prayers. The book told us how we must listen to God. Patiently, gratefully, and attentively are the ones that I experienced on this trip. On the start of this trip, I had prayed, asking God to help the kids attending the camp to open their hearts to Him, so that they may learn His words. I had heard from one past story that one child dropped out when his/her parents found out it was a Christian type camp. I prayed that everyone would stay and enjoy the camp. Thankfully, all the kids stayed and were interested. There was a happy feeling in me whenever a kid asked me about God or question they had about church, Jesus, or God. There was one boy in the first group I had who was very cute and outgoing. His family worshipped idols (just like most of the people there…) during the home visit, I was really scared that the mother wouldn’t listen to us, so in the car I was praying silently that the visit will go smoothly (also because it was my first home visit that week.) When we (Taiwan co-worker and I) arrived, the mother looked very nice. We chatted about the boy and his cheerful, happy personality in class. His mother then shared about the boy’s personality at home. It was totally different then how we described him. He explained that he can’t be himself at home; there was always a barrier somewhere. That’s when we told her a little about God. When we mentioned about God, her faced changed a little. She almost looked a bit nervous. That’s when I was like, “Uh oh…” But gradually we started explaining to her a little more about why we visited the family her face changed to normal. I was like, “thank god…!” His mother took in everything we said, and we made a strong bond with the boy as well. During altar call, I saw him raise his hand, which really touched me. I saw many others of my group kids raise their hand as well. I saw that through God, these kids chose to listen.
As for me personally, this trip changed me a lot. As quoted from other team members, “Andrea had definitely opened up more since the first time we met her.” I believe this is true, and this is what has helped me bond with the Taiwan coworkers so well. I think I bonded extremely well with the Taiwan coworkers. Many of them prayed for us during the mission, which was heart-warming. To me, there was one coworker that really stood out. To be honest, at first I thought she was kind of weird, but later I got to know her. She was a kind hearted person who really cared for others. She was also the one that got me out of my turtle shell so that I can be more comfortable around other people. I learned to become the person reaching out to people rather than the one waiting to be reached. I felt that I learned a lot on this trip. And when I say this is a trip I’ll never forget, I really mean it. I’ll never forget the people, the kids, the camp, everything. But most importantly, I’ll always know that God answers our prayers. Maybe it takes a week, or a year, or maybe longer…but God will always listen and will answer.
~AW :D
As for me personally, this trip changed me a lot. As quoted from other team members, “Andrea had definitely opened up more since the first time we met her.” I believe this is true, and this is what has helped me bond with the Taiwan coworkers so well. I think I bonded extremely well with the Taiwan coworkers. Many of them prayed for us during the mission, which was heart-warming. To me, there was one coworker that really stood out. To be honest, at first I thought she was kind of weird, but later I got to know her. She was a kind hearted person who really cared for others. She was also the one that got me out of my turtle shell so that I can be more comfortable around other people. I learned to become the person reaching out to people rather than the one waiting to be reached. I felt that I learned a lot on this trip. And when I say this is a trip I’ll never forget, I really mean it. I’ll never forget the people, the kids, the camp, everything. But most importantly, I’ll always know that God answers our prayers. Maybe it takes a week, or a year, or maybe longer…but God will always listen and will answer.
~AW :D
Friday, July 24, 2009
Please Pray for My Students
Vicky
Vicky entered the camp as a very unwilling participant. I believe she only came to see one of her friends. Every day, we asked each student to write down some thoughts in a booklet, and Vicky would write how boring the camp was because she couldn't find her friend. She protested lunch time prayers and also declared herself an adamant believer in the family's idol worship. The first few days, she seemed reluctant or scared to come talk to me, and as a result, I didn't really see any opportunities to share the gospel with her. However, slowly the Lord worked in Vicky's life, transforming her heart. Thursday night, we visited her family at their home, where all seemed well on the surface. We entered to the very common sight of an idol, to be welcomed by the family. The family seemed very normal, mother, father, baby sister, and grandparents living there. Everyone seemed happy. However, the next day when one of my Taiwan co-worker partners finally was able to have a deep converstaion with her, she revealed some pretty serious family problems. Vicky returned the next day for the optional Saturday program. Observing her body language showed her slightly bored at times while many game testimonies, other times it showed her intently listenting. Finally, when the altar call began, she had to make a decision, turn her live over to God, or continue along her current path. I don't know what God used from us that spoke to her, but she was visibly moved and touched during the altar call. That same Taiwanese co-worker and I were both crying and pleading with God in the back for her to make the right decision. The first call goes by, no response from her. The second, still nothing. Near the end of the third, she finally raises her hand, ever so hesitantly. My partner and I both start crying heavily, continuously repeating "Thank you God". We had just seen a miracle transformation and one more sheep return to the shepherd. Despite her acceptance in Christ, she still faces a very challenging road. Her family problems still exist and their reaction to her new found faith is unknown. I ask everyone who reads this to pray for her. Pray that the seed we planed and sprouted will not be stolen by Satan's temptations. Pray that Vicky would grow to be a strong Christian, spreading the love of God to the village, that it may spread like wildfire. Pray for her protection and family problems. Thank you God for this wonderful miracle You've let me witness.
Vicky entered the camp as a very unwilling participant. I believe she only came to see one of her friends. Every day, we asked each student to write down some thoughts in a booklet, and Vicky would write how boring the camp was because she couldn't find her friend. She protested lunch time prayers and also declared herself an adamant believer in the family's idol worship. The first few days, she seemed reluctant or scared to come talk to me, and as a result, I didn't really see any opportunities to share the gospel with her. However, slowly the Lord worked in Vicky's life, transforming her heart. Thursday night, we visited her family at their home, where all seemed well on the surface. We entered to the very common sight of an idol, to be welcomed by the family. The family seemed very normal, mother, father, baby sister, and grandparents living there. Everyone seemed happy. However, the next day when one of my Taiwan co-worker partners finally was able to have a deep converstaion with her, she revealed some pretty serious family problems. Vicky returned the next day for the optional Saturday program. Observing her body language showed her slightly bored at times while many game testimonies, other times it showed her intently listenting. Finally, when the altar call began, she had to make a decision, turn her live over to God, or continue along her current path. I don't know what God used from us that spoke to her, but she was visibly moved and touched during the altar call. That same Taiwanese co-worker and I were both crying and pleading with God in the back for her to make the right decision. The first call goes by, no response from her. The second, still nothing. Near the end of the third, she finally raises her hand, ever so hesitantly. My partner and I both start crying heavily, continuously repeating "Thank you God". We had just seen a miracle transformation and one more sheep return to the shepherd. Despite her acceptance in Christ, she still faces a very challenging road. Her family problems still exist and their reaction to her new found faith is unknown. I ask everyone who reads this to pray for her. Pray that the seed we planed and sprouted will not be stolen by Satan's temptations. Pray that Vicky would grow to be a strong Christian, spreading the love of God to the village, that it may spread like wildfire. Pray for her protection and family problems. Thank you God for this wonderful miracle You've let me witness.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
7/18 Reflections on the Most Powerful Day of My Life
John 19:30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
Why does the God of all creation never cease to be amazing? Despite the knowledge that he who can transform an entire pagan Roman Empire to a Christian empire, can resurrect a nation thousands of years after it was destroyed, and can completely touch and change every single life, can do all things, the sight of every precious person that returns to the Lord still never ceases to be absolutely incredible. Yes, I previously talked about what a success our trip would be if just one “sheep” returned to its shepherd, but what happens if the impossible occurs and numerous children of God return to Him. I think I may have seen the most touching sight of my life on Saturday. The VGM program works by opening a 4 day bilingual camp from Tuesday to Friday, with an invitation for the students to return Saturday to see us possibly for the last time. The goal is the show God’s love throughout the week mostly through actions and explicitly share the gospel on Saturday. Entering into the week, I knew it would take a miracle for just one life to be transformed by God. Let me tell you, by the end of the week, I saw somewhere between 15 to 25 miracles. The focal point of the Saturday program was the altar call. As the students closed their eyes, Martin (one of my teaching partners for the week) and I quietly moved to the back of the room to pray. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so hard in my life. We just stood there, praying our hearts out for our students. I knew God’s presence was definitely in that room on Saturday. One of the Taiwanese co-workers doing the altar call spoke so inspirationally and powerfully that only God could provide such words with such conviction. He made four calls, each more powerful than the one prior to it. Slowly I saw more and more students raise their hands. People, co-workers and students alike, were crying everywhere. Martin and I just stood there, waiting, watching one specific student. We both saw the changes God made in her life the short amount of time we were there, but we prayed and prayed that she would accept Christ. Near the end, she did. I almost screamed and yelled “Thank you God!” when I saw her hand rise. When everything was said and done, the village we served at gained several new Christians, and the kingdom of God just got a little bigger. This girl I was talking about was extremely reluctant to come on the first day. She protested lunch prayer and declared herself an adamant believer in the family idol worship. More importantly, she broke down and turned her life over to Jesus on the last day. She saw what each and every one of us STM or Taiwan co-worker had and desired the same. I saw another camp member, a middle school boy, completely changed. He also entered as a firm believer in idol worship. Yet, with the transforming power of Jesus Christ, he left as a young Christian. I can say that he was the last member of my group that I’d expect to receive Christ. God truly is the same God who changed Emperor Constantine, post WWII leaders, and each and every Christian. As the team left, the words of Jesus ran through my mind, "It is finished." Yet, the work of the Lord is never finished until the next coming of Jesus Christ. As I return to the US, everything will be different, but the stakes still are the same: eternity in heaven or hell. I have the knowledge of the saving gospel, and share it I must, so when Jesus returns, I can confidently say with Him, "It is finished."
Why does the God of all creation never cease to be amazing? Despite the knowledge that he who can transform an entire pagan Roman Empire to a Christian empire, can resurrect a nation thousands of years after it was destroyed, and can completely touch and change every single life, can do all things, the sight of every precious person that returns to the Lord still never ceases to be absolutely incredible. Yes, I previously talked about what a success our trip would be if just one “sheep” returned to its shepherd, but what happens if the impossible occurs and numerous children of God return to Him. I think I may have seen the most touching sight of my life on Saturday. The VGM program works by opening a 4 day bilingual camp from Tuesday to Friday, with an invitation for the students to return Saturday to see us possibly for the last time. The goal is the show God’s love throughout the week mostly through actions and explicitly share the gospel on Saturday. Entering into the week, I knew it would take a miracle for just one life to be transformed by God. Let me tell you, by the end of the week, I saw somewhere between 15 to 25 miracles. The focal point of the Saturday program was the altar call. As the students closed their eyes, Martin (one of my teaching partners for the week) and I quietly moved to the back of the room to pray. I don’t think I’ve ever prayed so hard in my life. We just stood there, praying our hearts out for our students. I knew God’s presence was definitely in that room on Saturday. One of the Taiwanese co-workers doing the altar call spoke so inspirationally and powerfully that only God could provide such words with such conviction. He made four calls, each more powerful than the one prior to it. Slowly I saw more and more students raise their hands. People, co-workers and students alike, were crying everywhere. Martin and I just stood there, waiting, watching one specific student. We both saw the changes God made in her life the short amount of time we were there, but we prayed and prayed that she would accept Christ. Near the end, she did. I almost screamed and yelled “Thank you God!” when I saw her hand rise. When everything was said and done, the village we served at gained several new Christians, and the kingdom of God just got a little bigger. This girl I was talking about was extremely reluctant to come on the first day. She protested lunch prayer and declared herself an adamant believer in the family idol worship. More importantly, she broke down and turned her life over to Jesus on the last day. She saw what each and every one of us STM or Taiwan co-worker had and desired the same. I saw another camp member, a middle school boy, completely changed. He also entered as a firm believer in idol worship. Yet, with the transforming power of Jesus Christ, he left as a young Christian. I can say that he was the last member of my group that I’d expect to receive Christ. God truly is the same God who changed Emperor Constantine, post WWII leaders, and each and every Christian. As the team left, the words of Jesus ran through my mind, "It is finished." Yet, the work of the Lord is never finished until the next coming of Jesus Christ. As I return to the US, everything will be different, but the stakes still are the same: eternity in heaven or hell. I have the knowledge of the saving gospel, and share it I must, so when Jesus returns, I can confidently say with Him, "It is finished."
Welcome Back
The team (except sheen) arrived at SFO on Tuesday evening and welcomed by their families.
Welcome back, HOC5 VGM-STM!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Update from 2nd Week
From Scott C. :
Dear All,
It has been a very fruitful week for the VGM team. NTU co-workers has been putting in a lot of effort there for quite a while and the school stuff know them well. About 30+ students showed up at the church for the farewell event. Most of them were really touched by the witness of them and responsive to the calling.
The VGM Team is leaving for Taipei on a tour bus. Why a big bus? You may wonder about it. Well, it is about the same price with a smaller shuttle bus. Also, they can give free rides to Taiwan co-workers.
So they will be coming back around 8:00 p.m., Tuesday.
Friday, July 17, 2009
A sudden notion
Well, when I was praying tonight with my group, this suddenly popped into my head.
Jesus told us to "follow him and be fishers of men." However, I think that there are two things behind this. One is the fisher, the other is the utensil, or the fishing pole. This continues on my last post where sometimes, God wants us to be the pole in which the fisher can catch men. We need to realize when this is to happen or God will throw it pretty bluntly at you.
-Sheen
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
7/15 Reflections on the Beginning of the Second Camp
July 15
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
First impressions really can be deceiving. Pretty much all that I initially thought about the local team and this camp were completely incorrect. Not only do I feel a lot more comfortable and welcome, I'm also beginning to really connect with a few of our local co-workers. Part of the reason this blog's getting updated less and less is because I'm spending a lot more time with them. Compared to last week's team, this team is different in that we bond through games. Pretty much after the students leave, a couple of the guys play some football together. Not only are our co-workers brilliant students from the best Taiwanese University, but they're also very atheletic. Some who've played football with me know how I throw and how far I can throw. I pretty much threw one as far and hard as I could and one of my teamates caught it in some rediculous fashion. There are also several baseball players here. Apparantly this region the team's serving in has some of the top baseball programs in the world. Some teams from this area have won world championships. For the first time in a long time, I am able to throw baseballs as hard as I want without fear of injuring someone. Here, I've learned that sports are pretty much a universal language where anyone can play together if they wish. Night free times are filled with card games. After the meetings, prayers, and worship, we sit around enjoying ourselves and the company of others through the use of playing cards. I really like it here right now as games and sports are pretty much a language I love. To sum it up, I really like this team, but what about the students we are here to teach? This area's pretty different and the program in turn has to be run slightly differently. The gospel cannot be shared during lessons, but lunch and non-school hours are fair game. I found it quite cool of God to allow one of my students to stay behind after class. My three partners and I spoke with him for half an hour after class on religion. He spoke about his family's idol worship, whereas I tried explaining the flaws of worshiping a non-living object and sharing about Jesus Christ. Somehow, God continuously prompted me to speak. Of all the Taiwanese partners I had around me, I did the talking. Looking back, I keep asking, "Why me God?" My Chinese is average at best and my knowledge of Chinese culture is mediocre, yet God wanted me to speak. For some reason, God wanted me; I guess it was to show His power so I could be constantly reminded that I am here only on God's strength. I am constantly in a sleep deprived state, yet the energy always comes when needed. When I have to speak, the words always come or a translator is always nearby. None of us here would ever be able to do anything alone. We'd all probably collapse from exaustion or be super frustrated at the lack of visible progress. Yet because the work here is all for the Lord, according to His plan, God always provides. I just pray that as we return from this wonderful place that we be able to continue trusting in God, even through the seemingly impossible. However, God is all powerful and nothing is impossible for Him. As we live through life, I ask that God would allow us to have the right mindset in everything, always thinking, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
First impressions really can be deceiving. Pretty much all that I initially thought about the local team and this camp were completely incorrect. Not only do I feel a lot more comfortable and welcome, I'm also beginning to really connect with a few of our local co-workers. Part of the reason this blog's getting updated less and less is because I'm spending a lot more time with them. Compared to last week's team, this team is different in that we bond through games. Pretty much after the students leave, a couple of the guys play some football together. Not only are our co-workers brilliant students from the best Taiwanese University, but they're also very atheletic. Some who've played football with me know how I throw and how far I can throw. I pretty much threw one as far and hard as I could and one of my teamates caught it in some rediculous fashion. There are also several baseball players here. Apparantly this region the team's serving in has some of the top baseball programs in the world. Some teams from this area have won world championships. For the first time in a long time, I am able to throw baseballs as hard as I want without fear of injuring someone. Here, I've learned that sports are pretty much a universal language where anyone can play together if they wish. Night free times are filled with card games. After the meetings, prayers, and worship, we sit around enjoying ourselves and the company of others through the use of playing cards. I really like it here right now as games and sports are pretty much a language I love. To sum it up, I really like this team, but what about the students we are here to teach? This area's pretty different and the program in turn has to be run slightly differently. The gospel cannot be shared during lessons, but lunch and non-school hours are fair game. I found it quite cool of God to allow one of my students to stay behind after class. My three partners and I spoke with him for half an hour after class on religion. He spoke about his family's idol worship, whereas I tried explaining the flaws of worshiping a non-living object and sharing about Jesus Christ. Somehow, God continuously prompted me to speak. Of all the Taiwanese partners I had around me, I did the talking. Looking back, I keep asking, "Why me God?" My Chinese is average at best and my knowledge of Chinese culture is mediocre, yet God wanted me to speak. For some reason, God wanted me; I guess it was to show His power so I could be constantly reminded that I am here only on God's strength. I am constantly in a sleep deprived state, yet the energy always comes when needed. When I have to speak, the words always come or a translator is always nearby. None of us here would ever be able to do anything alone. We'd all probably collapse from exaustion or be super frustrated at the lack of visible progress. Yet because the work here is all for the Lord, according to His plan, God always provides. I just pray that as we return from this wonderful place that we be able to continue trusting in God, even through the seemingly impossible. However, God is all powerful and nothing is impossible for Him. As we live through life, I ask that God would allow us to have the right mindset in everything, always thinking, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
randomness
Well, I'm pretty far behind T_T. So I'm just gonna write about what I feel like.
So, for the second time so far, I led singing during worship. I think that God really does do miracles, even though we may not always see them. For over a week, I've had a cough but when I do worship, I don't cough. This is also apparent during the skits, when I cough during practice, but rarely during the actual performance.
Well, I feel that God has really humbled me so far this mission trip. So for last week, everybody else went to other people's houses but us. I was kind of mad at first, well, not really kind of. All we did was eat shaved ice with two students on the very last day. I thought that it was only gonna be a one time thing but I was wrong. Even on the third day of the second week, we still haven't went to a kid's house. This was when I realized that sometimes, we are to be the ones that lure in the kids, but not actually minister to them. Like for the past few weeks, all the kids have liked me and stuck to me, but it seemed that I haven't shared the gospel to a single kid. God has really told me that we have to follow his plan even though we don't know it. It is like the cliche of the blind leading the blind, except that the blind leading the other won't run into any hazards.
-Sheen
So, for the second time so far, I led singing during worship. I think that God really does do miracles, even though we may not always see them. For over a week, I've had a cough but when I do worship, I don't cough. This is also apparent during the skits, when I cough during practice, but rarely during the actual performance.
Well, I feel that God has really humbled me so far this mission trip. So for last week, everybody else went to other people's houses but us. I was kind of mad at first, well, not really kind of. All we did was eat shaved ice with two students on the very last day. I thought that it was only gonna be a one time thing but I was wrong. Even on the third day of the second week, we still haven't went to a kid's house. This was when I realized that sometimes, we are to be the ones that lure in the kids, but not actually minister to them. Like for the past few weeks, all the kids have liked me and stuck to me, but it seemed that I haven't shared the gospel to a single kid. God has really told me that we have to follow his plan even though we don't know it. It is like the cliche of the blind leading the blind, except that the blind leading the other won't run into any hazards.
-Sheen
Monday, July 13, 2009
7/12 Picture of the Day
This would be the insect we're talking about. No, don't laugh at us for keeping it in a box as a pet. Amazingly, God uses intruiging things to encourage us, even "pesky" insects. Creation speaks of God, what we call, general revelation. I have no clue why, but Jason and I both found the presence of this insect quite encouraging. To read more details on what we thought, read my blog about this day.7/11 Picture of the Day
Quite an emotionally up and down day. Starting from the morning when the students started arriving, to when they left. Then we had our final lunch where we had fun, to when we had to say our very emotional goodbyes. Then there was the anticipation of what the next camp would be like, and a slight disappointment when we actually reached our new camp. Nevertheless, God will use whatever emotion we're feeling for His greater purpose. This picture was taken at lunch. If I were to upload every picture everyone took of today, it would take hours to load. Needless to say, lunch was a very fun time.
Because Josh threatened to throw me off the balcony...
Ugh. This is only my second post on this blog…Josh threatened to throw me off the balcony if I didn’t post...Anyways, I guess I’ll just write a super long essay about the last week…Hahaha...just kidding! But really sorry I haven’t posted much, but here it is:
So last week was cool. The camp was great, and the kids were really CUTE! I was telling Josh that my group of kids was really cute and stuff and he was like, “Why are you calling them cute? You do know that they’re only like 2 years younger than you…” Then I was like, “Yeah, well, all the girls from the first and second group were all saying how cute I was.” Then he just shrugged…haha. Yeah it was pretty awkward yet funny at the same time. I was in Group 2 with Jacob and Costco (real name Joseph). But for some reason every time I walked into Group 1’s classroom, a group of girls would come up to me and be like “你很可愛!”Yeah. Anyways, my group was really great, although they didn’t talk much, they were still pretty cooperative. It was really funny because we had to pretend that we couldn’t speak or understand Chinese. It was really hard. Josh, Jason, Sheen, and I were guessing who would fail first, and guess who? Sheen. It was also fun at the same time because we could understand what they were saying. The last day we have to perform something as a group. Our group danced Super Junior’s Sorry Sorry to Joy Joy Joy Joy. That week pasted by really fast, yet at the same time it was a long week. Maybe because we had a lot of activities planned. That’s basically it for the camp part of last week.
The rest of the time I was probably high off something, oh wait let me guess: Coke. Yeah I get high off Coke, something everyone now knows. Apparently, it happened to me even when I was little. Another weird thing: Vitamin B saps my energy. It was suppose to help raise your energy levels. But I guess I’m weird. Everyone was like, “Andrea don’t eat vitamin B!!!” But at that time it was really tired because the day before I slept at like 4am. So I was like one vitamin wouldn’t hurt. So I ate it. At that time Sheen was like,”Oh no, she’s going to be jumping off the walls!” Wrong. I just sat there. I became even more tired. That’s okay because Josh gave me COKE! Haha. Anyways, it was fun last week. I also spent half the time poking people, well, mostly Rita, but oh well. Funny, funny, funny. Leaving was really sad…): I cried in the car. Haha, not in front of everyone. Then I fell asleep for like 40 min, woke up to Jason poking me really hard…ow.
Yeah, ok I skipped a lot of events. But I’m going to talk about the new place. We are currently staying at the school because the church is too small to fit everyone. The school is pretty big, actually half of the school is new and the other half looks ancient. Girls sleep in the old looking part of the school, while the guys sleep in a classroom in the newer part of the school. Well, the girls have AC. Everyone sleeps on the floor. And there’s like one shower for everyone…everyone. Yeah, so I like wake up early to take a shower, when no one is awake. Oh, in the girl’s room there was a lizard running around the room and a cockroach apparently. Bugs are everywhere…there are beetles, huge spiders, red/black ants, moths, mosquitoes, and more. Aside from that I met my group and the new coworkers. I’m in Group 3 now with Jessie, Daniel, and Howie. The kids we’re teaching this week is older than last week. They’re only like a year or the same age as me! It’s kind of boring right now because we (STM) are already familiar with the program, and the other coworkers are not. So they are preparing and we’re just sitting around. The first day we basically just introduced ourselves, and they started working. We played a short game. Wasn’t very interesting. But for dinner we went to the Night Market. Jason, Josh, Sheen and I sat in the trunk. On the way to the Night Market, we saw like little jungles and forests in the middle of nowhere. It was really weird. Then there was this big land of nothing, then BAM a random, semi-Victorian house right in the center. Anyways we got there and I ate noodles, stinky tofu and grass jelly. We played a ring toss game, which we failed at. Actually Josh was pretty good. It was harder than it looked. We won this squeaky toy and a tiny doll…which no one wanted. Sheen broke the squeaky toy. We had so much free time…we (Josh, Jason, Sheen, and I) walked around the track and the school. The food is actually pretty good. (: Let’s see….oh yes, night time. I don’t really know why but the girls sleep SUPER early: 11pm. And the guys sleep at like 2am (according to Josh.) Well maybe 2 is a little late, but 11 is kind of early. So I would usually sit with someone and talk or star gaze (can’t star gaze by myself because I’m not allowed to be by myself at any time…except the bathroom.) That’s basically how I spend my night till like 12 or 1(oh right, I’m under a rule given by an annomyous person, that I have to sleep before 1:30am (: ) This morning I rolled over my phone and watch, which stabbed my back. I woke up to find my blanket somewhere else, and me laying on the watch and phone. Anyways, that’s basically it. I’m sure by the time the camp starts we’ll know this new group of coworkers better. Oh and for the record: I drank coke today! (Which Jason, Josh, and Sheen kept guarding me from…)
I hope this wasn’t too long…well…ok, maybe it was. I’ll write more later~
AW
So last week was cool. The camp was great, and the kids were really CUTE! I was telling Josh that my group of kids was really cute and stuff and he was like, “Why are you calling them cute? You do know that they’re only like 2 years younger than you…” Then I was like, “Yeah, well, all the girls from the first and second group were all saying how cute I was.” Then he just shrugged…haha. Yeah it was pretty awkward yet funny at the same time. I was in Group 2 with Jacob and Costco (real name Joseph). But for some reason every time I walked into Group 1’s classroom, a group of girls would come up to me and be like “你很可愛!”Yeah. Anyways, my group was really great, although they didn’t talk much, they were still pretty cooperative. It was really funny because we had to pretend that we couldn’t speak or understand Chinese. It was really hard. Josh, Jason, Sheen, and I were guessing who would fail first, and guess who? Sheen. It was also fun at the same time because we could understand what they were saying. The last day we have to perform something as a group. Our group danced Super Junior’s Sorry Sorry to Joy Joy Joy Joy. That week pasted by really fast, yet at the same time it was a long week. Maybe because we had a lot of activities planned. That’s basically it for the camp part of last week.
The rest of the time I was probably high off something, oh wait let me guess: Coke. Yeah I get high off Coke, something everyone now knows. Apparently, it happened to me even when I was little. Another weird thing: Vitamin B saps my energy. It was suppose to help raise your energy levels. But I guess I’m weird. Everyone was like, “Andrea don’t eat vitamin B!!!” But at that time it was really tired because the day before I slept at like 4am. So I was like one vitamin wouldn’t hurt. So I ate it. At that time Sheen was like,”Oh no, she’s going to be jumping off the walls!” Wrong. I just sat there. I became even more tired. That’s okay because Josh gave me COKE! Haha. Anyways, it was fun last week. I also spent half the time poking people, well, mostly Rita, but oh well. Funny, funny, funny. Leaving was really sad…): I cried in the car. Haha, not in front of everyone. Then I fell asleep for like 40 min, woke up to Jason poking me really hard…ow.
Yeah, ok I skipped a lot of events. But I’m going to talk about the new place. We are currently staying at the school because the church is too small to fit everyone. The school is pretty big, actually half of the school is new and the other half looks ancient. Girls sleep in the old looking part of the school, while the guys sleep in a classroom in the newer part of the school. Well, the girls have AC. Everyone sleeps on the floor. And there’s like one shower for everyone…everyone. Yeah, so I like wake up early to take a shower, when no one is awake. Oh, in the girl’s room there was a lizard running around the room and a cockroach apparently. Bugs are everywhere…there are beetles, huge spiders, red/black ants, moths, mosquitoes, and more. Aside from that I met my group and the new coworkers. I’m in Group 3 now with Jessie, Daniel, and Howie. The kids we’re teaching this week is older than last week. They’re only like a year or the same age as me! It’s kind of boring right now because we (STM) are already familiar with the program, and the other coworkers are not. So they are preparing and we’re just sitting around. The first day we basically just introduced ourselves, and they started working. We played a short game. Wasn’t very interesting. But for dinner we went to the Night Market. Jason, Josh, Sheen and I sat in the trunk. On the way to the Night Market, we saw like little jungles and forests in the middle of nowhere. It was really weird. Then there was this big land of nothing, then BAM a random, semi-Victorian house right in the center. Anyways we got there and I ate noodles, stinky tofu and grass jelly. We played a ring toss game, which we failed at. Actually Josh was pretty good. It was harder than it looked. We won this squeaky toy and a tiny doll…which no one wanted. Sheen broke the squeaky toy. We had so much free time…we (Josh, Jason, Sheen, and I) walked around the track and the school. The food is actually pretty good. (: Let’s see….oh yes, night time. I don’t really know why but the girls sleep SUPER early: 11pm. And the guys sleep at like 2am (according to Josh.) Well maybe 2 is a little late, but 11 is kind of early. So I would usually sit with someone and talk or star gaze (can’t star gaze by myself because I’m not allowed to be by myself at any time…except the bathroom.) That’s basically how I spend my night till like 12 or 1(oh right, I’m under a rule given by an annomyous person, that I have to sleep before 1:30am (: ) This morning I rolled over my phone and watch, which stabbed my back. I woke up to find my blanket somewhere else, and me laying on the watch and phone. Anyways, that’s basically it. I’m sure by the time the camp starts we’ll know this new group of coworkers better. Oh and for the record: I drank coke today! (Which Jason, Josh, and Sheen kept guarding me from…)
I hope this wasn’t too long…well…ok, maybe it was. I’ll write more later~
AW
Sunday, July 12, 2009
7/10 Picture of the Day
This picture pretty much sums up what we're feeling. Too many late nights writing responses to the students in their camp booklets. We're all tired, but happy and excited. This is Chester, popular guy of the local team's college fellowship. Watch him for a little while and you'll probably see why he's so popular.
Update from 1st Week
Update from Scott C.
I just talked to my wife, Sheila. The team is now in the second mission field and will stay in the school gym, instead of the church.
I am so thankful how God arranged the first week. Tainwan co-workers were well prepared so that our team could have an easier time. The weather was not as hot. The play, "Jesus cries", went smoothly and generated a lot of curiosities from the students. The students, 30+ out of 70+, came to the church on the last day. These were junior high students. So it was really a fruitful week.
The team were just so wonderful. Sheila did not have to do much and really enjoyed herself.
They are working with the second Taiwan co-worker team. They are from National Taiwan Univ.. Smart, .......
So let's all pray that God grows the seed of gospel planted in those students and harvest them in the right time. Please also pray for the well beings of the team.
7/12 Reflections on Leaving the First Camp and Going to the Second
Malachi 3:6 “I the LORD do not change…”
Immutable: The theological term for God’s unchanging nature. As we left our amazing first week, we were all extremely sad and emotional. The incredible bonds we shared with them surpassed all we could have ever hoped for. However, everything except eternity must come to an end. We had to say our goodbyes and part from a team where we had joined together in partnership with God to do amazing works. Then we left. The hour long van ride from the first location to the second was filled with uncertainty, sadness, and anxiety. Upon arrival, we felt ignored here. Which of course is understandable because compared with the first place, anywhere would feel less sociable. We also felt a little annoyed at the lack of preparation on the local team’s part and the lack of communication between the teams. Sometimes during the meeting, we had no clue what was going on and what was expected of us. Overall, we were really uncertain of things to come. Yet, in these moments of uncertainty, we must continue to trust in God for He is immutable. The God of the first camp is here also. He remains God of all, creator of all. As I woke up this morning, God sent this reminder in an unlikely form. He sent an insect to sit on the floor next to where we sleep. Yes, an insect of all things. While a talking donkey would've been nice, I guess we'll have to settle for the insect at the moment. The thing may have been disgusting to me at other times, but at that moment, I saw the beautiful creation of God. The insect looked perfectly aerodynamic, with its head like the head of an airplane; its wings seemingly perfectly designed for flight. Jason commenting that it was shaped like a bomber plane. The creature was a testimony to the presence of an almighty Creator. God is there, always watching out for us. His character never changes and He loves us so very much. As the team faces uncertainty, we must remember God and the amazing works we just saw last week. However, this lesson applies in all areas of life. I pray that this lesson may not ever leave my heart, the lesson that the God of all creation doesn’t change. He is a constant and He will constantly be there for every one of us. We must not forget that our Savior, “the LORD [does] not change.”
Immutable: The theological term for God’s unchanging nature. As we left our amazing first week, we were all extremely sad and emotional. The incredible bonds we shared with them surpassed all we could have ever hoped for. However, everything except eternity must come to an end. We had to say our goodbyes and part from a team where we had joined together in partnership with God to do amazing works. Then we left. The hour long van ride from the first location to the second was filled with uncertainty, sadness, and anxiety. Upon arrival, we felt ignored here. Which of course is understandable because compared with the first place, anywhere would feel less sociable. We also felt a little annoyed at the lack of preparation on the local team’s part and the lack of communication between the teams. Sometimes during the meeting, we had no clue what was going on and what was expected of us. Overall, we were really uncertain of things to come. Yet, in these moments of uncertainty, we must continue to trust in God for He is immutable. The God of the first camp is here also. He remains God of all, creator of all. As I woke up this morning, God sent this reminder in an unlikely form. He sent an insect to sit on the floor next to where we sleep. Yes, an insect of all things. While a talking donkey would've been nice, I guess we'll have to settle for the insect at the moment. The thing may have been disgusting to me at other times, but at that moment, I saw the beautiful creation of God. The insect looked perfectly aerodynamic, with its head like the head of an airplane; its wings seemingly perfectly designed for flight. Jason commenting that it was shaped like a bomber plane. The creature was a testimony to the presence of an almighty Creator. God is there, always watching out for us. His character never changes and He loves us so very much. As the team faces uncertainty, we must remember God and the amazing works we just saw last week. However, this lesson applies in all areas of life. I pray that this lesson may not ever leave my heart, the lesson that the God of all creation doesn’t change. He is a constant and He will constantly be there for every one of us. We must not forget that our Savior, “the LORD [does] not change.”
7/11 Reflections on the Last Day of Camp and Church Day
July 10-11
Luke 15:3-7
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
As the camp comes to a conclusion, everything is bittersweet. Saturday is the day where we invite the students to come to church for a gathering. All week, our goal is to get the students to come to the Saturday event. At the same time, with the event comes the inevitable goodbye from the students and the local team. The last day of camp went pretty well. The main event was the STM question and answer time designed to share a little about us to the students and make them want to see us for the last time at the local church. As we answered each question, we tried to share God's love with them at the same time. What we've realized these couple days is that every opportunity is precious. We may not get that opportunity to share with them ever again, so we must take advantage of every one we get. As Friday came to a conclusion, we left with many of the students thinking about what we've taught and what is to come. I personally decided to write half to full page long letters to every of my students that wanted one in English that included the gospel message. I wrote them in hopes that as they spend the time to translate "what an American had written them", they would read and re-read it, and possibly stay with them. The students all left as Friday ended and the anticipation for our big event began. A lot of prayer went in to the next day's events as we hoped to put the church on the map for the village. As Saturday morning rolled around, approximated 35 middle schoolers showed up. To put it in perspective, at the only church within the village, 20 people attend service every Sunday. Yes, only twenty church going Christians in quite a large village. Needless to say, the pastor was quite pleased that so many people came. Saturday morning activities were purely personal interactions with the students, along with a skit and hymn singing. We all hope that some may attend Sunday service and may continue along the path towards being a strong Christian. The VGM bilingual camp program may be frustrating for some though as we're only here to sow the seeds. We won't see the seeds grow, nor will we see the fruits of the harvest before heaven. Despite this, we're all willing to come out here anyways. The parable Jesus tells about the one missing sheep out of 100 whose shepherd goes out and searches for anyways. However, this not only applies here on this mission’s trip. As we return, many of us find it extremely hard sharing the gospel to the people around us. Yet, we are called to do so. Despite the time consuming process of showing God's love, we are called to invest the time in it anyways. Evangelism isn't an option of being a Christian, its mandatory. What are we going to do in light of this requirement, remember what Jesus did for each and every one of us. Every human needs this Good News, and we must share it, no matter how long it takes for He says, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
Luke 15:3-7
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
As the camp comes to a conclusion, everything is bittersweet. Saturday is the day where we invite the students to come to church for a gathering. All week, our goal is to get the students to come to the Saturday event. At the same time, with the event comes the inevitable goodbye from the students and the local team. The last day of camp went pretty well. The main event was the STM question and answer time designed to share a little about us to the students and make them want to see us for the last time at the local church. As we answered each question, we tried to share God's love with them at the same time. What we've realized these couple days is that every opportunity is precious. We may not get that opportunity to share with them ever again, so we must take advantage of every one we get. As Friday came to a conclusion, we left with many of the students thinking about what we've taught and what is to come. I personally decided to write half to full page long letters to every of my students that wanted one in English that included the gospel message. I wrote them in hopes that as they spend the time to translate "what an American had written them", they would read and re-read it, and possibly stay with them. The students all left as Friday ended and the anticipation for our big event began. A lot of prayer went in to the next day's events as we hoped to put the church on the map for the village. As Saturday morning rolled around, approximated 35 middle schoolers showed up. To put it in perspective, at the only church within the village, 20 people attend service every Sunday. Yes, only twenty church going Christians in quite a large village. Needless to say, the pastor was quite pleased that so many people came. Saturday morning activities were purely personal interactions with the students, along with a skit and hymn singing. We all hope that some may attend Sunday service and may continue along the path towards being a strong Christian. The VGM bilingual camp program may be frustrating for some though as we're only here to sow the seeds. We won't see the seeds grow, nor will we see the fruits of the harvest before heaven. Despite this, we're all willing to come out here anyways. The parable Jesus tells about the one missing sheep out of 100 whose shepherd goes out and searches for anyways. However, this not only applies here on this mission’s trip. As we return, many of us find it extremely hard sharing the gospel to the people around us. Yet, we are called to do so. Despite the time consuming process of showing God's love, we are called to invest the time in it anyways. Evangelism isn't an option of being a Christian, its mandatory. What are we going to do in light of this requirement, remember what Jesus did for each and every one of us. Every human needs this Good News, and we must share it, no matter how long it takes for He says, "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."
Saturday, July 11, 2009
A new week, a new beginning...
Here we are, in another village called Jia-Yi, going south from where we were last week. The middle school looks like the White House. We all reminded each other that we are going to start fresh, like we just got off the plane. God is the same God, and He's everywhere we are. The sleeping environment wasn't as easy as last time, as I laid on the hard wood floor swept a few hours ago. There were a row of red ants outside our door and mosquitos flying everywhere. The room smelled like mosquito repellent, but I managed well. It didn't really bother me as I knew that being in a mission trip, I needed to be flexible. Flexibility is going to be the "word of the week" for me. Also there is only one shower for the girls. Good thing cold showers were enough as it was sticky humid hot no matter what time of day it was. More to share later.... we are going prepping again and getting to know the team todayso pray that today will be a positive day for everyone. Thanks!
-Ruth
7/9 Reflections on the Middle Two Days of Camp
July 8-9
Mark 8: 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
The middle two days are also known as STM (our team) busy days. We have a schedule of all the day’s activities, along with who’s responsible for doing it and yesterday’s read: “STM, STM, STM”. Needless to say, we had pretty hectic and busy days. However, it was a lot more rewarding than tiring. We were able to share testimonies and show God’s love to the students in many ways. We were also finally able to break our no-Chinese policy and actively communicate with the students. The scheduled activities for these two days consisted of “station games”, skits, and “sing and play”. Station games consisted of each STM member leading a station where English was required to complete the station. To add to the entertainment value, both Sheen and Jason dressed up, Sheen as a “cute” (according to the girls) clown, and Jason as superman. There were also two skits, one about the prodigal son and the other about Lazarus being raised from the dead. Sing and games consisted of us singing Christian children songs with fun energetic actions and the students playing along with us. We really experienced the blessings of God these couple of days in being able to share God’s love. As we served and taught these students, we in turn learned numerous lessons about the character of God. In these remote villages, it’s hard for the people to be Christians. We’re here teaching the students to go on a counter-cultural journey, to go against everything they’ve been taught, and follow the love of Jesus Christ. In making a decision to follow what a bunch of students from America and a university, they will “lose” their life as they know it. They will almost definitely face harshness from their family or friends. Possibly risk getting thrown out of the house or beaten, but even with this understanding, we hope they may make this life changing decision. Upon reflection of what we’re asking them to do, we also see things in ourselves that are hypocritical. Our constant unwillingness to let go of simple Earthly things for a much better tradeoff and our refusal to submit fully to God’s will seems foolish in light of eternity. Things are so much easier when it’s someone else who has to do it, yet, the message we speak of applies to all. I pray to God that we may not be one “who wants to save his life”, but instead, unconditional, complete followers of God. What do we have to do to accomplish this, the Bible says so very clearly that we must “lose” our “lives for [Him] and for the gospel.”
Mark 8: 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
The middle two days are also known as STM (our team) busy days. We have a schedule of all the day’s activities, along with who’s responsible for doing it and yesterday’s read: “STM, STM, STM”. Needless to say, we had pretty hectic and busy days. However, it was a lot more rewarding than tiring. We were able to share testimonies and show God’s love to the students in many ways. We were also finally able to break our no-Chinese policy and actively communicate with the students. The scheduled activities for these two days consisted of “station games”, skits, and “sing and play”. Station games consisted of each STM member leading a station where English was required to complete the station. To add to the entertainment value, both Sheen and Jason dressed up, Sheen as a “cute” (according to the girls) clown, and Jason as superman. There were also two skits, one about the prodigal son and the other about Lazarus being raised from the dead. Sing and games consisted of us singing Christian children songs with fun energetic actions and the students playing along with us. We really experienced the blessings of God these couple of days in being able to share God’s love. As we served and taught these students, we in turn learned numerous lessons about the character of God. In these remote villages, it’s hard for the people to be Christians. We’re here teaching the students to go on a counter-cultural journey, to go against everything they’ve been taught, and follow the love of Jesus Christ. In making a decision to follow what a bunch of students from America and a university, they will “lose” their life as they know it. They will almost definitely face harshness from their family or friends. Possibly risk getting thrown out of the house or beaten, but even with this understanding, we hope they may make this life changing decision. Upon reflection of what we’re asking them to do, we also see things in ourselves that are hypocritical. Our constant unwillingness to let go of simple Earthly things for a much better tradeoff and our refusal to submit fully to God’s will seems foolish in light of eternity. Things are so much easier when it’s someone else who has to do it, yet, the message we speak of applies to all. I pray to God that we may not be one “who wants to save his life”, but instead, unconditional, complete followers of God. What do we have to do to accomplish this, the Bible says so very clearly that we must “lose” our “lives for [Him] and for the gospel.”
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