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Dear Prayer Partners, I look to the north out my window past jumbled concrete, steel and glass high rise buildings leading my eyes onward up to the mountains. The air has been pretty clear the past few days in Taipei, or I would not be able to see trees sloping up to the grassy peaks in the distance. On more muggy days, the mountains would present just faintly outlined shapes through the haze. Though it might look like a crisp fall day, you get outside and it feels hot. This summer, God has really given us many blessings to think on. Judy's over her debilitating morning sickness, and now only faces shortness of breath and an extreme aversion to heat. She will huddle in our air conditioned apartment and occasionally go out after sundown. Our fourth child is due in November of this year. The girls 8, 6, and 4 are now blossoming in their home schooling that had been disrupted by Judy's months of nausea. Ashlyn has started first grade and is displaying the diligence and self-motivation that her mom was known for as a child. They keep their mom busy with many questions. And their dad is not left out as he receives many visits to his small office to show off their latest work. And they frequently say goodnight and good morning to their fourth sister, Saorsa (Scots-Gaelic word pronounced "sairsha"), but have to wait a few more months to actually see her. Yesterday I came home from a meeting to find a handmade card on my desk from our six-year old. The outside leaf had eyes and a big smiling mouth with a speech bubble in which was written, "this is a card for you Dad". Opening to the center leaf, you see in big letters, "Dear Daddy. I wish that Saorsa Is a good Little Girl. I love you. And one more thing I'm so Happy that you are Dad. I love you so much. love Charis" On the back face it says, "Bye Dad I love you," with two hearts. It gets you in the gut. Truly children are a blessing from the Lord. What I am most delighted about our daughters is their interest in Christ. Faith professed her own faith publicly at church last year. And we often get questions from the younger two about what it means to be a Christian. A new flurry of queries began two weeks ago when I had the privilege of baptizing an entire Taiwanese family, who are neighbors in our same apartment building. The next week at the church service, I taught the children's Sunday school class (including our three). We covered Ezekiel 36:25-27 to understand the picture of God's salvation painted by baptism and the Lord's Supper. The children also learned the song, "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus." So after Sunday school, right before celebrating the Lord's Supper, I had the children go up to the front and sing the song for the congregation. Thanks for all of your prayers for our family. The church plant family continues to grow, too. More than big events, most of the growth has come from individual Christians personally sharing with their friends, colleagues and family members.
This Saturday, I plan to share a Taiwanese song I wrote based on 1 Corinthians 15:21-22. It's called Sià-bián Goán, "Please Forgive Us." Here's a rough translation into English:
God, you are there, we are here Please forgive us...
When God created the good, perfect world Please forgive us...
Adam did not listen or follow God's Word Please forgive us...
The Second Adam, Jesus Christ
Received Your forgiveness
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Will you please continue to pray for our labors in Taiwan?
The work at times is slow, painstaking, and full of obstacles.
But God's grace is sufficient. May God give you joy this day.
In Christ, Joel, Judy, Faith, Charis, Ashlyn (& Saorsa)
taiwanchurch.org Support address:
Contributions through TCPP Please make checks out to "Taiwan Church Planting Partners" mark "for LINTON support" on the memo line and mail to:
Taiwan Church Planting Partners
Contributions through MTW
- make check out to "Mission to the World",
MTW
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