Sugar Refinery Visit

We were privileged this past week to accompany the staff of Fuhsing Elementary School to tour the sugar refinery in nearby Huwei Township.  The Taisuco plant was built more than 100 years ago, and the pictured smoke stack is said to be that old.  Many years ago, Baozhong had a refinery located on the northern side of town.  When Taiwanese operations were consolidated, the original 42 factories were reduced to the 3 remaining ones.  The one in our town was one that disappeared.

On the field trip, we learned about the discovery of sugar, the development of a new strain of sugar cane, transportation of cane using rail and truck, and the complete process used in the production of both molasses and granulated sugar.  It was interesting to learn that the fibrous waste product is burned and used to generate electricity.

The process of producing cane sugar requires cutting, shredding, pressure, heat, and distilling.  The result is the desired product.  Having a pastoral heart, couldn’t help myself in thinking of spiritual parallels.  God uses a variety of environmental and experiential processes to create in each of us the likeness of His Son Jesus.  That is His desired product.

Praise and Prayer

• The Ukulele Classes begin on Saturday, January 23.  Kathy-Lu will be one of those assisting at the 10 classes for this session.  Please pray that the 11 students who registered will all come and will be faithful in attending.  During the break time in the 1 ½ hour class, the students will have a snack and hear a Bible story.  Hopefully there can also be some significant interactions with other family members.

Population Decreasing

The number of people living in Taiwan decreased in 2020.  It is a historical first.  The number of deaths exceeded the number of births.

The aging population and low birth rate are concerns for those collecting taxes and those providing societal benefits.  They are also a concern for those desiring to see the kingdom of God come and God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Winter weather has arrived.  There is a cold surge that has caused temperatures below normal across SE Asia.  Snow has fallen on some Taiwan mountains. Some roads and some schools have had safety related closures.  Like many people, we are using space heaters in our home and are hoping for milder weather to arrive soon.

There is a reported higher number of deaths among the elderly and those with heart conditions during the cold weather.  We see a number of newly erected funeral tents around our town.  Of concern is, how many had the opportunity to hear about Jesus while they were living?

Thank-you for your support and participation in helping people to hear about Christ.  Our founder, Albert B. Simpson, wrote a song to motivate believers to join those who are proclaiming the gospel to those who have never heard.  You can find it here.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord!  Registrations for the ukulele class mean we have a full class!  We may even have some on a waiting list, in case someone changes their mind.  Thanks for praying about this!
• Please pray for a friend and his family.  He has cancer and the reports from the doctor are forcing them to make difficult decisions.
• Although the semester at the elementary school concludes on January 27, we are not scheduled to teach again until next semester.  Please pray as we select Bible stories and activities for next semester.

Starting the New Year with Music

As we were asked to sing 我用信心抬起頭 (I Use Faith and Look Up) I realized how comforting the words were to my heart.  It is good to be reminded that our faith is in the God who cares about us regardless of the circumstances.

Sometimes music speaks to us in a special way.  That is one reason we are desiring to have a ukulele class for elementary students (poster).  Currently there are three registrations.  We need a minimum of five students.  Please pray for God to provide enough students, and that the students and their families will have their hearts touched by the words of some of the songs that are learned.

Here’s a translation of the lyrics of the above mentioned song for those of you who struggle to understand Chinese.  You will find it below the Chinese and Pinyin lyrics.

Praise and Prayer

This year, the President of our Taiwan C&MA is casting the vision: “Claiming Our Historical Vision, Unblocking Bottlenecks as We Advance.”  As the year begins he will be sharing with everyone how we will work together: (1) everyone preaching the gospel, (2) every pastor and elder shepherding the church members, (3) everyone waiting for Christ’s Second Coming.  May God help our church to wholeheartedly participate.  May we press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Old Ways, New Ways

Taking a tour at the New Palace Western Museum, we were surprised to see the display in the photograph.  The slides that are placed in the viewer are all Bible story pictures that were used by missionaries who wanted to tell others about the God of the Bible.

We now have computers, video projectors, and other resources that we use, but the purpose is unchanged.  We continue to want to tell people about the God of the Bible.  That God is like no other.

As we read Isaiah 57 and look around us, we see the need of people to hear the message of love from the God of the Bible.  As we look at the news, and listen to reports of the pandemic,  we are aware that people need the peace that is promised by the God of the Bible.

Thank-you for your partnership in prayer, giving, and personal participation throughout the past year.  May God help us to help people one-by-one to discover life in relationship with the God of the Bible.

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for students to register for the new set of ukulele classes that will start January 23.
• Please pray for healing of those suffering from physical pain, including migraine headaches.  Some of our Taiwanese church leaders struggle to overcome such pain.
• We praise the Lord for faithful supporters  like you.  Your sacrificial giving means there are sufficient funds to pay all the bills.  Because you gave, people have heard about God’s love.  There is still time for a year-end gift if you are able.  Please designate it to the Global Advance Fund.  Donations as we finish the year will help support the sending of new workers to places around the world in early 2021.

As we told the second part of the Christmas story in the classroom this past week, we had fun watching the students.  One young boy, who was hearing the story for the first time, had exclamations of surprise.  During the discussion after the story, Pastor Joshua asked the students about the reason for celebrating Christmas.  The answer in all three classes was “to get presents.”  It was an excellent opportunity to talk about Jesus being God’s present to mankind.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit will help them understand and receive God’s most precious gift.

If you have a few minutes, why not write and tell us what someone’s response was when you talked with them about the Christmas story.  We’d love to hear!

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for students to register for the new set of ukulele classes that are scheduled to start January 16.
• Please pray for the Christmas Carolling at the night market on Christmas Eve.  Our church will be joined by the Village Gospel Mission Church for this event.  A bag with candy and a tract will be given to people who stop by to listen.
• We praise the Lord for faithful supporters  like you.  Your sacrificial giving means there are sufficient funds to pay all the bills.  Because you gave, people have heard about God’s love.  There is still time for a year-end gift if you are able.  Please designate it to the Global Advance Fund.  Donations as we finish the year will help support the sending of new workers to places around the world in early 2021.

A Surprise Visit

This year, a recurring theme in songs and talks about Christmas is that it is not about Santa Claus, but is about Jesus.

So, we were pleased that the surprise visitor to our church Christmas Program was not Santa, but rather Sheriff Woody.  (The pastor of Taipei Church dressed up as this animated movie character.)  The children and parents all loved it!

“Woody” led us in singing songs about Jesus being  the greatest gift, and of course ‘Silent Night.’ In Chinese the carol is translated as “Peaceful Night.”  That is also the term that is used to describe Christmas Eve.

Praise the Lord for a happy, fun-filled event.  And the students did very well playing after their three lessons.  A new ten-week class will begin on December 26.  We are hoping many of the students will choose to continue learning to play the ukulele, and continue relationship with our church.

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for students to register for the ukulele classes
• Please pray for those who are pressured to work overtime prior to the end of the calendar year.  Pray that they will be encouraged even though they cannot attend services.
• Pray that the students at FuHsing Elementary School will understand that Jesus is the greatest gift that they can receive.
• Pray as we advise FuHsing Elementary School and provide resources for a school Christmas Celebration that the principal is planning for Dec. 24.

Water

Water is a topic of conversation these days.
I would not have thought to mention it in our newsletter if a water shutoff notice had not been posted for our neighbourhood.  The town is repairing water mains.

But the real reason that water is a topic of conversation is that 2020 is the first year since 1964 that typhoons has not hit Taiwan.  This is a concern as typhoons provide water to fill the reservoirs.  December through April is usually Taiwan’s dry season when little rain is expected. ^ref  Low water levels mean that people are talking about conserving water.

Please pray that God will provide the needed water for Taiwan’s people.  Pray for farmers who may have their livelihood affected by water rationing.

Thankfully, there is no shortage of ‘living water” that Christ has promised.  Please pray that Taiwanese will drink and be satisfied as Jesus has promised.

Praise and Prayer

• Please pray for the recital and Christmas Rally on Saturday evening (12/12).
  • The students and their families are invited to stay at the church building for dinner after class.
  • Pastor Joshua will share that evening.
  • The church members will sing “The Most Precious Gift“
  • Pray that God will use His Word to touch people’s heart.

• Please pray for Lin Mama who is recovering after being hit by a car.

Sweet News Treats

• There are 14 students registered for the Pre-Christmas Ukulele Classes.  Some of the parents stayed and participated too! (Thanks for praying!)
• A new health advisory requires that starting December 1 we will again wear masks and have temperature monitoring at public venues.
• Next Sunday after the service we will be decorating the church in preparation for Christmas.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord for elementary students coming to learn to play the ukulele.  Pray for relationships to develop and for God to grow His kingdom in Baozhong.
• Praise the Lord for our days of rest.  Pray for us to have wisdom and know the Spirit’s leading as we talk to people about Christmas.
• Please pray for peace and harmony to be restored in our friends’ marriage.
• Please pray for healing of stress-related sickness for another believer.
• Pray for people to come to know the Christ of the Bible, not just the folklore traditions about Jesus.

Advent Adventures

This year, Baozhong Alliance Church is using the Advent Season to reach out and connect with our community.

On November 28, December 5, and December 12, ukulele lessons will be offered for elementary students.  The three weeks of lessons will be conclude with a recital and Christmas sharing on the third week.

Plans are to offer ongoing ukulele lessons on Saturdays for those wanting to continue learning.

Thank-you for praying for these efforts to build relationships with families in our community.

What Do You See?

The above photo of Sail Rock (船帆石)  is a well-known landmark in the Kenting National Park in southern Taiwan.  The name was given because of its likeness to the sail on a boat.

However, some people look at the same stone and  believe it looks like someone’s head.  Similarities to different famous people have been suggested (Richard Nixon, Queen Elizabeth II, etc.).  They have suggested naming the stone according to their opinion.

Some people take a similar approach toward God.  They elevate their opinions and arrange their lives accordingly. However, as Christ-followers we must accept that the Bible clearly describes Who He is and how His actions flow out of His unchanging character.  Belief in an opinion of God is not the same thing as belief in Him.

Please pray that Taiwanese people will be able to move beyond having an opinion about Christ, to truly understanding Who He is.  Pray that they will want to believe in Christ.

Praise and Prayer

• Praise the Lord that the injured MK is recovering well.
• Praise the Lord that contracts have been signed for our mobile phones.
• Please pray for planned Christmas Outreach activities.  Ukulele classes are planned, concluding with a special program for the community.