Dear Brothers and Sisters:
We will like to thank you for your generous grants and prayers for Taiwan Mission Team at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship (BCF). Because of your support, the whole team could go to villages in Taiwan and continue God’s work on those middle school students, which we call kids, in 2006. I am also grateful that God chose me to go on this mission and let me experience his abundant blessings during this trip. Here, I will like to break them into two parts and share them with you:
Seeing the need of these kids and people in Taiwan
During the entire trip, we deeply experienced what the Lord has revealed us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12)”. Every activity was blessed and went smoothly and was better than we expected. We all tried whatever we could to relate to those kids and to bring them before the Lord. Every time, when we were about to claim the victory, it seemed that the spiritual warfare would descend before us from somewhere.
For example, a heavy rain came on the following-up day and stopped kids from coming the Gospel meeting at the first camp. We only had 12 kids to come that day. Additionally, that rainy day also destroyed an out-door Gospel meeting held by WuChang Church. We were invited to perform the Gospel event at afternoon and to pray and walk around their community. Because of the rain, they moved the meeting inside the church. Thus, most participants were our brothers and sisters. Pray-and-walk was also affected, but some brothers and sisters still went with faith.
At the second camp, the all activities on the forth day had to be canceled due to a typhoon. But, all workers of the body in this camp were able to get together to worship Him, to proclaim God’s arriving Kingdom and His victory in ShanTou, and to lift our burdens to Him. Once again, we brought those kids and people in that village before the Lord by our prayers. To our amazement, God answered our prayers and turned the whole situation around on the next two days. In the typhoon day, we, as God’s soldiers, were sent to visit some kids, who were in need of concerns and His Good News and blessings. One of students was able to hear Gospel and decided to accept Him into her life. After visiting, the whole of us were able to get to know more about those kids’ backgrounds and their needs. Additionally, the whole of us could get to share our thanks to the Lord with each other. On the following-up day, God brought most of kids to school safe. We were grateful for His fulfillment.
The villages and communities we went to were surrounded by temples. Local people strongly believe in local religion and worship idols. Some of them do not even believe what they are worshiping can bring them any good, but they still follow people to do what they do including worshiping idols. This climate has rooted into their lives. Therefore, they are driven to worship those idols blindly. These kids are now living under this kind of dark force. Apparently, not only do these kids need our concerns, but the whole nation is in need of our prayers. This nation has been under the dark power for long. What we can not accomplish, it is possible in God’s will. Let us not only pray for the follow-up of local churches to these kids, but also pray for this nation. Pray that Lord can have mercy on these people and forgive them, for they do not understand what they are doing against Him. Pray that the Holy Spirit could continuous working on these kids’ hearts and preparing them until His harvest time to come. And, pray that God keeps sending His servants to this nation, and even rise His servants in this nation to save His chosen ones.
Experience God on this trip:
Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28).” At the second camp, most of students attended our Gospel meeting thought it was the real typhoon day. When we saw the terribly heavy rain in the morning, we turned to God immodestly and prayed for students’ safe arrival. Because of the misunderstood report, the typhoon day was reported about a day earlier, the following-up day was then on the real typhoon day. But, if it was not because that typhoon, we would not have bound together before the Lord and prayed Lord’s will to be fulfilled. If God had not sent us to visit some kids, that girl would not have accepted Him and we would not have got to know these kids more and to know their needs. Additionally, we would not have had sharing together our thanks to the Lord.
Through that sharing, God healed me. As Bible says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice (Isa 42:3)”. In 2005, Kuan-chin had serious hard feeling with local workers and BCF workers in ShanTou. BCF workers joked at me that I was supposed to be local student workers, not BCF worker. Therefore, I had hart time being between two of them, and thus, identify crisis happened to me. I also had really bad impression on local student workers because few of them excluded me and one was trying to isolate me from two different teams. Their attitude toward me really hurt me though they may not mean it. But, that really decreased my interest of this mission for the next year. That was why I had difficult time deciding whether I should go on this trip for this year because I had knew I will have to cooperate with the same group of brothers and sisters again. Besides, I may have bad impression on some of them. Because of God’s encouragement through His word, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2Co 12:9)”, I submitted and went. I am really grateful for God’s making me go. Otherwise, I would not have shared with those brothers and sisters that my impression on their fellowship has changed (people hurt me last year did not attend this year’s mission). This year, BCF workers were specially paying more attention on avoiding the identify crisis problem, I had a very good time teaming with them and sharing with them every morning and evening.
When I was sharing with my God mother about this trip on the phone, she reminded me that God was healing me. She felt I was experience His healing power again. I really agree with my God mother. After I went back from the first trip of this mission, I told myself that there is no way I will go on a trip like this again, because I was emotionally and spiritually hurt. At the time, I felt I was embarrassed, and brothers and sisters around me were making me useless. Though they may not mean to, their actions and words had hurt me. This year, God made me do a lot of work during the whole mission. I was neither isolated, nor excluded. I experienced how the whole of us could work just like a body when we all focused on Him and His will. However, God used His way to humble me, and then, raised me again.
Through this trip, God also showed what He has told us, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor (1Co 4:7-8).” Because of previous experience, we knew what we were supposed to prepare before the trip. We had every thing prepared including verses, hymns, skits, props and so on. I thought as long as we did a good job performing God’s message and showing God’s Love to kids, they would follow our expectation to come before Him and accept Him just like what we saw last year. Especially, we really did a good job interacting with kids, and we saw kids’ good responses this year. When I was thinking we deserved seeing the same result like last year, God humbled my heart again and again. The heavy rain and the typhoon weather on following days, respectively, made me realize this was all His work and His mission. My overconfidence was not even capable of transforming these kids’ hearts. But, He loves His people so much that He wants to show us His glory, His existence, and His work through His own mission. And, we were blessed to be chosen to witness for His work and His power. How He could turn the whole situation around when we simply humbled before Him to worship and to praise Him. How He amazingly touched and softened these kids’ harts when we brought them before Him and gave them to His hands instead of carrying them as burdens.
As what Job said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:5-6)”. Unabashedly, I had thought how much I could do for these kids and God’s mission. On the contrary, I was not even capable of predicting how the weather might be. I should not have deserved this opportunity to serve Him if it was not because of His grace. Additionally, I would not have had any change to experience His power and His amazing work without your prayers. I would like to thank you again for your trust, patience (for this report), and your support.
God bless you.
Kuan-chin (Gina) Lin
Email: ginalin80@gmail.com
09/16/06
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1Pe 5:8)”.
We will like to thank you for your generous grants and prayers for Taiwan Mission Team at Blacksburg Christian Fellowship (BCF). Because of your support, the whole team could go to villages in Taiwan and continue God’s work on those middle school students, which we call kids, in 2006. I am also grateful that God chose me to go on this mission and let me experience his abundant blessings during this trip. Here, I will like to break them into two parts and share them with you:
Seeing the need of these kids and people in Taiwan
During the entire trip, we deeply experienced what the Lord has revealed us, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Eph 6:12)”. Every activity was blessed and went smoothly and was better than we expected. We all tried whatever we could to relate to those kids and to bring them before the Lord. Every time, when we were about to claim the victory, it seemed that the spiritual warfare would descend before us from somewhere.
For example, a heavy rain came on the following-up day and stopped kids from coming the Gospel meeting at the first camp. We only had 12 kids to come that day. Additionally, that rainy day also destroyed an out-door Gospel meeting held by WuChang Church. We were invited to perform the Gospel event at afternoon and to pray and walk around their community. Because of the rain, they moved the meeting inside the church. Thus, most participants were our brothers and sisters. Pray-and-walk was also affected, but some brothers and sisters still went with faith.
At the second camp, the all activities on the forth day had to be canceled due to a typhoon. But, all workers of the body in this camp were able to get together to worship Him, to proclaim God’s arriving Kingdom and His victory in ShanTou, and to lift our burdens to Him. Once again, we brought those kids and people in that village before the Lord by our prayers. To our amazement, God answered our prayers and turned the whole situation around on the next two days. In the typhoon day, we, as God’s soldiers, were sent to visit some kids, who were in need of concerns and His Good News and blessings. One of students was able to hear Gospel and decided to accept Him into her life. After visiting, the whole of us were able to get to know more about those kids’ backgrounds and their needs. Additionally, the whole of us could get to share our thanks to the Lord with each other. On the following-up day, God brought most of kids to school safe. We were grateful for His fulfillment.
The villages and communities we went to were surrounded by temples. Local people strongly believe in local religion and worship idols. Some of them do not even believe what they are worshiping can bring them any good, but they still follow people to do what they do including worshiping idols. This climate has rooted into their lives. Therefore, they are driven to worship those idols blindly. These kids are now living under this kind of dark force. Apparently, not only do these kids need our concerns, but the whole nation is in need of our prayers. This nation has been under the dark power for long. What we can not accomplish, it is possible in God’s will. Let us not only pray for the follow-up of local churches to these kids, but also pray for this nation. Pray that Lord can have mercy on these people and forgive them, for they do not understand what they are doing against Him. Pray that the Holy Spirit could continuous working on these kids’ hearts and preparing them until His harvest time to come. And, pray that God keeps sending His servants to this nation, and even rise His servants in this nation to save His chosen ones.
Experience God on this trip:
Bible says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Ro 8:28).” At the second camp, most of students attended our Gospel meeting thought it was the real typhoon day. When we saw the terribly heavy rain in the morning, we turned to God immodestly and prayed for students’ safe arrival. Because of the misunderstood report, the typhoon day was reported about a day earlier, the following-up day was then on the real typhoon day. But, if it was not because that typhoon, we would not have bound together before the Lord and prayed Lord’s will to be fulfilled. If God had not sent us to visit some kids, that girl would not have accepted Him and we would not have got to know these kids more and to know their needs. Additionally, we would not have had sharing together our thanks to the Lord.
Through that sharing, God healed me. As Bible says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice (Isa 42:3)”. In 2005, Kuan-chin had serious hard feeling with local workers and BCF workers in ShanTou. BCF workers joked at me that I was supposed to be local student workers, not BCF worker. Therefore, I had hart time being between two of them, and thus, identify crisis happened to me. I also had really bad impression on local student workers because few of them excluded me and one was trying to isolate me from two different teams. Their attitude toward me really hurt me though they may not mean it. But, that really decreased my interest of this mission for the next year. That was why I had difficult time deciding whether I should go on this trip for this year because I had knew I will have to cooperate with the same group of brothers and sisters again. Besides, I may have bad impression on some of them. Because of God’s encouragement through His word, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2Co 12:9)”, I submitted and went. I am really grateful for God’s making me go. Otherwise, I would not have shared with those brothers and sisters that my impression on their fellowship has changed (people hurt me last year did not attend this year’s mission). This year, BCF workers were specially paying more attention on avoiding the identify crisis problem, I had a very good time teaming with them and sharing with them every morning and evening.
When I was sharing with my God mother about this trip on the phone, she reminded me that God was healing me. She felt I was experience His healing power again. I really agree with my God mother. After I went back from the first trip of this mission, I told myself that there is no way I will go on a trip like this again, because I was emotionally and spiritually hurt. At the time, I felt I was embarrassed, and brothers and sisters around me were making me useless. Though they may not mean to, their actions and words had hurt me. This year, God made me do a lot of work during the whole mission. I was neither isolated, nor excluded. I experienced how the whole of us could work just like a body when we all focused on Him and His will. However, God used His way to humble me, and then, raised me again.
Through this trip, God also showed what He has told us, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor (1Co 4:7-8).” Because of previous experience, we knew what we were supposed to prepare before the trip. We had every thing prepared including verses, hymns, skits, props and so on. I thought as long as we did a good job performing God’s message and showing God’s Love to kids, they would follow our expectation to come before Him and accept Him just like what we saw last year. Especially, we really did a good job interacting with kids, and we saw kids’ good responses this year. When I was thinking we deserved seeing the same result like last year, God humbled my heart again and again. The heavy rain and the typhoon weather on following days, respectively, made me realize this was all His work and His mission. My overconfidence was not even capable of transforming these kids’ hearts. But, He loves His people so much that He wants to show us His glory, His existence, and His work through His own mission. And, we were blessed to be chosen to witness for His work and His power. How He could turn the whole situation around when we simply humbled before Him to worship and to praise Him. How He amazingly touched and softened these kids’ harts when we brought them before Him and gave them to His hands instead of carrying them as burdens.
As what Job said, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42:5-6)”. Unabashedly, I had thought how much I could do for these kids and God’s mission. On the contrary, I was not even capable of predicting how the weather might be. I should not have deserved this opportunity to serve Him if it was not because of His grace. Additionally, I would not have had any change to experience His power and His amazing work without your prayers. I would like to thank you again for your trust, patience (for this report), and your support.
God bless you.
Kuan-chin (Gina) Lin
Email: ginalin80@gmail.com
09/16/06
“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1Pe 5:8)”.
posted by Gina @ 11:07 PM
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