July 2006
It is with mixed emotions that we begin this letter.
As you may remember from previous letters, our fellow Taiwan missionary
and friend, Malcom Feistel, was diagnosed with colon cancer a year
ago...
May 2006
Although still not as “popular” as
Christmas, we praise the Lord that attendance at Easter services has
steadily improved. This year there were a good number of first-time
visitors as well as some who only show up on special days. March 2006
After five weeks of training sessions, a special
ceremony was held at Lighthouse Baptist Church on Sunday evening, March
26 as a part of our regular evening service. Six students received
certificates of completion (for this phase of training) with another
who was unable to attend receiving hers later...
Feburary 2006
Chinese New Year is often a joyous time with family reunions and happiness.
For Christians, however, it can be a very difficult time as there are
many ceremonies and events involving idol and ancestor worship. This
year, it was thrilling to hear many of our folks give testimonies about
standing firm and not worshiping idols as well as witnessing to family
members...
January 2006
We are happy to report that the
Lord blessed the Christmas services at Lighthouse and Daya
Baptist Church. Once again the buildings were filled to capacity
and we could still think of others who promised to attend but
didn't make it. It was especially encouraging to have a good
number of first time visitors including whole families and
adults attend...
November 2005
This year instead of our regular church anniversary
service, we decided to have “Friend Day” and challenge our people to
invite as many people as possible. We also asked you to pray for this
outreach and, praise the Lord, there were nine first time visitors
as well as others that had not attended for a while...
October 2005
It has been several months since we have seen anyone saved in our services.
This is a little discouraging and at times causes us to question our
ministry... September 2005
With VBS, youth camp and other summer activities
behind us, we thank the Lord for the blessings He gave and look forward
to a busy fall. In addition to our regular ministry, we also have some
extra responsibilities to share with you... August 2005
Vacation Bible School at Lighthouse Baptist is
one of the highlights of our summer activities each year. Children
and adults in the neighborhood look forward to it because they want
to see our theme and the fun we can have in developing it for the children...
June/July 2005
We have just returned from a fun and blessing-filled week at youth
camp. We praise the Lord for the teens that were able to attend this
year. We had fifteen from Lighthouse and thirteen from Daya go for
a total of about eighty campers from six churches... May 2005
In Taiwan , Mother's Day is a very important holiday. Taking advantage
of this, Lisa and the ladies at Lighthouse hosted several activities.
The first was a special afternoon tea held during our Wednesday Bible
club time. It was well attended by kids, moms and even a grandmother...
April 2005
After several years without any contact from Lighthouse Baptist Church
's landlord, he suddenly contacted us for a meeting. We thought it
would be to discuss raising the rent since it had gone unchanged for
nearly five years. However, much to our surprise, he announced that
he would be selling the building... March 2005
Much has happened since our last prayer letter. First, Andy had to
return to the US quickly because his mom had emergency open hert surgery.
We thank everyone who prayed as she went through the quadruple bypass
operation successfully and is now at home recovering... February
2005
One
of our girls at Lighthouse Baptist Church wrote the following article
about New Life in Christ recently. We've tried to translate it the
best we could without losing some of her “flavor.”...
January
2005
Thank you for
your prayers for our short trip to the US . Our main purpose was
to attend a wedding and take care of some needed business, but it
was also good to see family and friends and to visit a few of our
supporting churches. We were encouraged and refreshed by those who
not only have been praying and giving but also faithfully serving
the Lord while we do the same in Taiwan...
December 2004
While
preparing for this year's Christmas services, we reflected
on Christmas when we first came to Taiwan . Eleven years ago
celebrations were sparse and you had to search hard to find
anything suitable - unless you were into shiny purple trees
and decorations that didn't seem to match...
November 2004
Thank you for praying for
our sixth anniversary service at Lighthouse Baptist. More than
eighty-five people attended including a group from a sister
church and several unsaved students from our adult English
outreach and ladies' meeting. The Lord even provided a special
speaker as Bill and Dorothy Merritt, former missionaries in
the Philippines now working with SMORS...
October 2004
We are preparing to celebrate the sixth anniversary
of Lighthouse Baptist Church next month. As we look back over the years,
it is a bittersweet reflection. Our database of names in categories
of adult, teen, and children exceeds 800. What a thought to think that
many people have walked through the doors and heard the gospel!...
September
2004
In order to
reach those who are afraid of Christians and church, we have an
Adult English Class at both Daya and Lighthouse. The Lord has
blessed these outreaches and a few at Daya have already been
saved and one baptized through this ministry. Recently, Judy,
a lady at Lighthouse asked where she would go when she died...
August
2004
After many hours of hard work by many
of our people, both Lighthouse and Daya Baptist Church were transformed
into “castles” complete
with drawbridges and ready for an assault by a horde of excited
children. It was a fun and challenging week with VBS in the morning
and also in the afternoon, but we are glad that the Lord blessed
and gave us good and encouraging results...
July 2004
We also thank you for praying for our youth camp. The tragic death
of fellow missionary Malcom Feistel’s daughter left us unexpectedly
heading up the camp. This, coupled with Andy’s accident, caused
some changes in the original plan; but we didn’t know that the
Lord had even greater alterations in store. With camp less than a week
away, a typhoon headed toward Taiwan...
June 2004
On June 12 while attending a college graduation service for a church
teenager, we received a phone message that fellow Taiwan missionary
Malcom Feistel’s daughter, Susan Mallett, had tragically drowned
in waters off the southern coast of the island...
May
2004
This
Mother’s Day we decided to try something new at Lighthouse Baptist
Church. Since our children’s Bible class is on a Wednesday afternoon,
we invited the mothers to come and attend a special program. We did not really
know how this idea would go over, but prepared some games, a craft and a special
snack that the moms and children could do together.
April
2004
This spring
has been filled with activities. The Lighthouse Baptist Church hosted
two teacher training sessions on Sundays before the evening service.
Five area churches sent teachers and potential workers. Emily Lwo,
a single missionary from southern Taiwan; and BBFI missionary wife
Carol Feistel were our guest teachers.
March
2004
After
the Chinese New Year, it is always a struggle to get back to a
more normal routine.
This year was no exception and unfortunately some at both Lighthouse
and Daya have fallen away. Despite this, the Lord also gave us some
new “fruit”...
February
2004
Before
the Taya Bible Baptist Church actually started holding services, we held
a summer VBS in our apartment complex. Steven Lin (Lin Pei-hsuan),
one of the children saved that week, has been faithful in attending
church since that time nine years ago. This month we were excited
to see him follow the Lord in baptism...
January
2004
“The
Reason for the Season” was not only the title of this year’s
children’s Christmas play, but also the theme for the month
at Lighthouse Baptist Church. The majority of those that attend the
children’s Bible club, youth meeting, and ladies’ meeting
are unsaved...
November
2003
Celebrating
God’s Blessings - This was
the theme for the fifth anniversary service at Lighthouse Baptist
Church.
With great anticipation all the members worked together to decorate,
prepare music and food, and invite friends and family to attend...
October
2003
Earlier
this year we told you about Diane Wang, a member of Lighthouse
Baptist
from Xi An in Mainland China, who had us call long distance to witness
to her mother and younger brother. She had a real burden for them
to hear the gospel and be saved...
September
2003
Most
of the members at Lighthouse have been through a basic ten-week
discipleship
program. However, last year we introduced a more intensive thirty-week
course and several volunteered for it. It has been exciting to see
them ask spiritual questions and grow even more in the Lord...
August 2003
This year’s teen camp was held in Taitung on the east coast of
the island. After a five hour train ride, we arrived at the camp site
and were treated to clean, fresh air and beautiful scenery. This was
far different from what we normally experience in crowded and polluted
Taichung City...
July 2003
This year Vacation Bible School was a great blessing and encouragement
to everyone involved. We shared with you last month the struggles we
were experiencing because of SARS; but praise the Lord, that cleared
up just in time for VBS. God’s timing is perfect!...
May
2003
...Everyday the news in Taiwan is filled with reports about the spread
and fight against this deadly sickness. With more than forty deaths
and 345 possible cases, what once seemed like a distant problem has
recently closed in on Taiwan and spread a cloud of fear over the island...
April
2003
In our last prayer letter we told you that Jang Yien-mei, a member at
Lighthouse, had to return to Mainland China. We were sad to see her
go after only a brief time at our church; however, just before she left
she did something that revealed her heart’s desire...
March
2003
This month at Lighthouse has been a time of mission’s emphasis
with the theme “Send the Light”. Two special speakers brought
challenging and instructional messages along these lines. Currently,
the church supports one missionary couple in Thailand...
February
2003
According
to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, February 1, 2003 marked the beginning
of the Year of the Lamb. Prior to this, we held a special Chinese New
Year service at Lighthouse which was well attended by teens, children
and adults...
January
2003
Last November we shared the salvation of John (HuYau-li) with you. He
felt that because of his psychological problems God would not accept
him. We are glad to report that since his salvation, John has been faithful
in attending regular services and discipleship classes as well as helping
at Lighthouse Baptist Church. However...
December
2002
There are several things that make Christmas in Taiwan different from
the US. One is that there is not a great emphasis on gift–giving
because their traditional time for this, Chinese New Year, comes only
a few weeks later. Also, it’s school and work as usual because
Christmas is not an observed holiday...
November
2002
John (HuYau-li), a young man in his mid-twenties, has been attending
our services for quite a while. We have talked to him several times
about his spiritual condition; and even though he said he had been baptized,
we could tell he was lost....
October
2002
This summer we started an adult English class on Tuesday evening
at Lighthouse Baptist Church with the goal of befriending and reaching
unsaved adults. After a few weeks, one of the teens that attends our
youth meeting came and brought four classmates.
August
2002
This year
six brothers and sisters from Lighthouse Baptist Church in Hong Kong
came to help with our “Adventure Ship” theme VBS. We kept
them busy with a morning VBS at Taya and an afternoon one at Lighthouse...
July
2002
The week following VBS is our summer youth camp. The Lord has blessed
us with above average attendance at youth meetings so far this summer
and several have signed up for camp. Please pray for good weather conditions
(we have almost decided to call it “typhoon week” instead
of “camp week”)
June
2002
In
the immediate area of Lighthouse Baptist Church, there are two junior
high schools and a new high school. After two years of trying to get
into the older junior high, the Lord opened the door this month through
one of our teens...
May
2002
Taiwan is experiencing its worst drought in twenty-two years. Water
shut-offs for twenty-four and thirty-six hours have already gone into
effect in the capital, Taipei, and surrounding areas. Although the area
we live in has not done this yet, we are conserving water because our
reservoir is also getting low...
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