Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

Advent:  A Good Busy

Hello everyone! November has come and gone and we are just about to get into the thick of things with December’s Christmas preparations.  Right now it is the season of Advent, which means we are preparing for the arrival of Christmas.  I absolutely love Advent, even though it is one of the more busy times of the year.  In fact, I was just having a conversation on Friday about how the Christmas season is a “good busy”.  I say that because under all of the skit practices, music practices, parties and outreach events, the central message is one of great joy and hope.  We have these celebrations and activities to share in the jubilation that God sent his son to our world.  As we prepare for Christmas, we complete all of those items on our list to help celebrate this fact and to share the life changing message of Christ with other people.  May God continue to remind us that he is with us.

Advent at Friday Night Bible Study

In the four weeks leading up to our celebrations at Salvation Lutheran Church, we have been observing Advent at Friday Night Bible Study.  FNBS has 5 different levels of classes:  Little Lambs Class for Elementary students, a Bi-lingual class for beginner English learners,  Junior High class, a Senior High class, and an Advanced English Adult Class.  Each class has been taking their angle on themes of preparing for Christmas, and I would like to spend a little time introducing the lessons for the Adult Advanced English Class.

The first lesson was taught by Petrea, and this lesson studied the role of angels and the proclamation to Mary that she would give birth to God’s son.  Ben taught the second lesson and focused on the shepherds.  The lesson examined who the shepherds were and what they did at Christmas, but it also related the idea of sheep to the fact that Christ is the Passover Lamb, blameless without defect.

Last Friday I taught a lesson looking at the Wise Men, and the gifts that they brought.  Several people knew that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.  We went further though and discussed how each of these gifts can remind us about who Jesus is.  Gold shows that Jesus is our king, frankincense shows that Jesus is our priest, and myrrh reminds us that Jesus came to die for us.  We then looked up Bible verses to show how Jesus fits each of those descriptions.

Please pray for this Adult Advanced English Class.  May God continue to strengthen the faith of the believers in that class, and may he bring to faith those who do not know yet know him.

Prayer Update

Thank you very much for your continued prayers for Noel, Andrew, and James.  I would like to share an update on the situation.  A few weeks ago, Noel went back to the doctor and discovered that her tumors were gone.  Praise God!  Doctors continued to have tests and examinations, and then this past week they gave her a clean bill of health, so she will be able to join us in Taiwan this Christmas.

In addition, James Rush was able to make it out to Taiwan and fill in for Noel’s classes.  He has been a great addition to the team, not only in easing the teaching load, but also with the new energy and excitement that he brings.  Praise God for him and his willingness to come and serve.

New Website

This semester, CMS requested that the American teachers work together to make a website introducing the work and lives of the missionaries here in Taiwan.  The school wants to link this website to the official CMS website, and hopes this new English website will be beneficial for people here in Taiwan, but also people in America.  The whole team has and will continue to work together on this website, but Graham Guenther has volunteered to work with the school on managing the site.  I would like to invite all of you to check it out.  It’s not finished yet, but feel free to browse and get a feel for it.  The website has videos, general information, and a blog (which will be updated by several members of the team).

The address for this website is:  https://sites.google.com/a/cmsh.cyc.edu.tw/foreignenglish/home

To see the blog, click on “What’s Happening”, or go to:  http://lcmsteamtaiwan.blogspot.com/

It’s Prayer Time!

1.     Praise God for Noel’s recovery, and ask for God to continue to be with her as she prepares to return to Taiwan.

2.    Praise God that James Rush has been able to come to join us.  Pray for him as he teaches Noel’s classes this semester.

3.    Pray for the students of the Adult Advanced English Class at FNBS.  May God continue to work on their hearts to create faith.

4.    Pray for all of the Christmas preparations here in Taiwan.  May God give all of us missionaries strength, energy, and wisdom in sharing the Gospel.

A joyous Advent to you all!

Mark

Taiwan Times:
October Newsletter

Hey everyone! I know it has been awhile since I got a newsletter out, and you have my apologies. I will work to do a better job in the coming months. In the meantime, I wanted to give you all a quick update for this month.

The school year has gotten off to a fast and furious start. Some of my new duties have been to help coordinate the application process for the missionaries’ green cards and work permits. I also was able to coordinate the visit of Dr. Christine Ross, who is a professor of Christian Education at Concordia Irvine, and leader of the DCE placement program.

Christine was able to give us a couple of quick refreshers on teaching Bible classes to students, in addition to being able to answer our concerns and questions. On top of that, she is also seeking opportunities for placement of DCE interns. I thought her trip went really well, and I ask you to pray for God to open opportunities to bring Irvine students out to Taiwan for service.

As for teaching, my classes have gone really well so far. I continue to teach 7th grade English and Bible, in addition to 10th and 11th grade Advanced English. I absolutely love teaching my kids and getting to know them and share Christ through word and action. Please pray for my interactions with students and for my preparation and grading of school work. May God be glorified through it all.

The out of class activities have also gotten up and running. On-Campus Student Fellowship, Friday Night Bible Study, and Salvation Youth Group continue to be used to spread the Gospel with teenagers here in Taiwan. At Friday Night Bible Study, we are currently teaching about the book of Acts and God the Holy Spirit’s work as seen through the early church. This week I will be teaching a lesson on the conversion of Saul. Please pray for God to be working through these fellowships and Bible Studies to create faith in the hearts of the people here in Taiwan.

Finally, I would like to share about a special prayer request. One of our missionaries, Noel Schaff, has returned to America for medical treatment. The doctors recently diagnosed her with cancer, so she will remain in the US for surgery and potential treatment. Andrew Schaff, her husband will also be going to the US to accompany his wife during this time.

Please pray for both Noel and Andrew. Pray for God to be with Noel and to heal her according to his will. Please also pray for Andrew as he comforts his wife and faces the trial with her. May God continue to be their source of strength.

In addition, pray for the teachers who are pitching in to help with classes. May God give us energy, focus, and may he be our strength.

Finally, pray also for a former Taiwan missionary, James Rush. He is considering the possibility of returning to Taiwan for a semester to help fill in with the teaching responsibilities. Details are still being worked out, but we hope and anticipate his arrival. Pray that God would work in that process, as James seeks to serve again here in Taiwan.

Thanks for all of your prayers and your financial support. As I shared in August, I am fully funded for this year of service, so praise God!. I know that I still have many “thanks yous” to write from this summer. I will not forget to write personal notes of thanks. But in the meantime, you are all greatly appreciated, and I thank God for you!

In Christ,
Mark

The Taiwan Times

By Mark Wolfram

Reporting on God’s mission in Taiwan

August 2010

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,”

Ephesians 2:19

Back on the island

Hello everyone. I am back in Taiwan, after a busy, but refreshing trip to the United States.  It’s always nice to be back home with family, friends, American food (especially BBQ), and so many other parts of my native culture.  Being here in Taiwan, it is easy to feel like a foreigner or alien.  The culture, language, educational system, and so many other things provide stark contrast from American life.  However, the above Bible verse reminds me that our true citizenship is neither in Taiwan nor America.  Rather, our citizenship is in heaven with God.  It does not come through a test or application process, but through God’s love as completed in Jesus’ death and resurrection.  We were outsiders to God, but have been made members of God’s family, no matter if we live in America or Taiwan.

The new year

Today we had our annual faculty meeting, to start the new semester, and tomorrow will be the first day of school.  This year I will be teaching 7^th, 10^th, and 11^th grade students.  Of my 10 classes, 9 of them will be English classes, and one of my 7^th grade classes will be Bible class.  In addition to the teaching I have begun some new administrative work as Concordia Middle School Liaison between the missionaries, the school, and LCMS World Mission.  This past month I have helped to organize and implement orientation of our 2 new teachers:  Graham Guenther and Rachel Sekki.  Praise God that they were able to make it over safely and have already begun adjusting to life in Taiwan.  In addition to orientation, I have also been working on organizing paperwork for work permits and green cards for the American teachers.

Fundraising

The trip back to America this summer was wonderful.  Praise God that I was able to meet up with so many friends and family members, in addition to travel to several churches.  I am elated to report that, God has provided the funds needed for this year’s service.  In fact, I am already 1/3 of the amount over what I needed, so this will be applied to future years of service.  Praise God for your prayers and financial support which have helped to make this possible.

I do want to let you know about one change for mailing in of donations.  From now on (for those of you who pledged support), please send any checks to the address below.

Baptisms

My first Sunday back in Taiwan was truly a blessed one, as we had three people baptized.  One of them was a CMS student named Jeff, who I have known both from classes and from Salvation Lutheran Church Youth Group.  Along with Jeff, his mother and his brother were also baptized.  It was such a joy to welcome new brothers and sisters in Christ, the very first Sunday I was back in Taiwan.

Teachers needed

I know I have written it in the past, and talked about it this summer, but CMS is still looking for 4 teachers for this school year.  The positions are all for elementary level English and Bible teaching.  Even though the semester starts on Tuesday, we have had teachers join mid-year in the past.  If you or anyone you know are interested, please contact me and I would love to give you more information.  Even if you don’t know of anyone, please pray that God will provide the even more teachers to help share the love of Jesus with the students here in Taiwan.

Prayer Time:

1.     Please pray for the start of the new school year for me and all of the teachers as we start back into the teaching routine.  Please pray especially for Graham and Rachel as they adjust to a new culture and new responsibilities.

2.    Praise God for my fundraising goal being met and exceeded.

3.    Pray for my Chinese language acquisition.  I will be using it more and would like to be more intentional and focused with lessons.

4.    Pray for more teachers to come and serve here Taiwan.

May God’s love and peace be ever present in your daily life!

Mark

Last Wednesday I had my annual meal with Mark. He was back in the States for a few weeks and will be returning to Taiwan soon to begin his new post over there.

One of the peculiar imbecilities of this world is that for the last 3 years Mark has won the Roundball Prophets NCAA tournament pool. The first year he won I considered it to be more or less blind luck. How does a guy that doesn’t get to watch hardly any college basketball best some of the sport’s premiere experts. The fact he has managed to do it 3 years in a row, well it is just frustrating and as Mark put it “a little embarrassing”.

What wasn’t embarrassing is that I got to present Mark with his trophy for being the best college basketball prognosticator that I know.

Perhaps it is no coincidence that his blog is entitled “Live Like a Champion Today!”

Folloiwng the trophy ceremony, Mark and I had our annual picture.

2010

In case you are curious aobut how much we’ve changed since last year:

2009

We had our meal at Hickory Park this year. We discussed many of the most important issues of the year: The hiring of Fred Hoiberg. Conference realignment. Why Facebook is a necessary evil. Why he should take the word “tavern” back to Taiwan. What is more impressive in person: The Great Wall of China or the Taj Mahal. Mark’s new position in Taiwan. The presentation he has been giving at different churches from around the state.

It was great catching up with Mark and I am already looking forward to next year’s meal.

On Saturday Baier and I “helped” Nader movie to his new swanky pad. We really did next to nothing. Our job was to watch the professional movers move his stuff and make sure they treated it with the tenderest of care.

As we moved his stuff into his new swanky pad I realized two things.

1. Nader now has a sweet fireplace.
2. The best thing to put above a sweet fireplace is a picture of true American heroes.

Therefore I arranged a quick photo session and sometime in the near to not so distant future the picture below will be hanging over Nader’s fireplace:

We’ve all seen a Rambo movie in a movie theater!

Makes me kind of wish I had a fireplace now.

The latest from Mark’s mission work in Taiwan.  On a personal note, Mark is back in the United States for a few weeks and we will be having our annual meal in the next couple of weeks.  There will hopefully be a in focus picture of us on that night surfacing here in the near future!

LCMS World Mission

1-800-433-3954

www.lcmsworldmission.org mission.info@lcms.org

The Taiwan Times

By Mark Wolfram

Reporting on God’s mission in Taiwan

June 2010

Power of God’s Word

⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, ¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.   Isaiah 55:9-10

God’s word works and does what God wants it to do.  We don’t always know when or how, but the Bible tells us that we can trust that God’s word will do what it sets out to do.  This newsletter today focuses on how God’s word is working in the lives of people here in Taiwan.  First and foremost by bring them to the waters of holy baptism.

God continues to be working in the lives of the people here in Taiwan, through many and various ways.  Right now, the most exciting aspect is how God is using baptism to bring Taiwanese people into his kingdom.  In previous newsletters, I had written about a Kevin (7^th grade student) and Jack (an 8^th grader) who are taking baptism classes and will continue over the summer.   The last time I talked to Jack, he said that he should be baptized sometime in July.

Additionally, in the end of June I had the chance to talk to Pastor Alex of Salvation Lutheran Church about baptism classes at our church.  He passed on some great news, that I would like to share with you all.  Currently there are 4 people taking classes, who will then be baptized in the middle of August.  They are as follows:

1.     Jeff, and his brother and mother.  Jeff just finished his 7^th grade year at Concordia Middle School.  He attends youth group at Salvation Lutheran Church, and his mother and brother come to the Saturday Kids Camp at Salvation Lutheran Church.

2.    Jessica.  She is a Taiwanese woman, who has come to our Friday Night Bible Study this year.

In addition to these four people,   Pastor Alex also said that this summer there are several new people that will begin baptism classes sometime in July.  They are:

3.    Jonathan and Rachel.  Jonathan is an English man, and Rachel is a Taiwanese woman.  They started attending church this past spring, and are both newer Christians.

4.    Lenzy, who just graduated from middle school and will start 10^th grade at a new high school this fall.  She has attended our Friday Night Bible Study and Youth Group.

5.    Jackson, who finished mandatory military service this past year, and is now working and studying English.  He is coming to the class to learn more, but Pastor is not certain if he will finish the program.  Please pray for God to continue to work in Jackson’s heart.

Short Term Missions:  Advocate 341

During the first two weeks of June, we had special visitors Doug Larson, Jacob Larson, and Garrett Wolle.  Doug and Jacob had come out last year to do music ministry to the students at Chia-Yi Girls School, and this year they returned with a new friend, Garrett.  Together the trio formed the group Advocate 341.  Their name shows the purpose of the group, to advocate, or speak out as 3 guys 4 one purpose.  Their purpose is to speak the message of the Gospel of Jesus.   While in Taiwan, they performed a free concert at a local shopping center called Nice Plaza.  Over 300 people attended the concert, and Salvation Lutheran Church helped to pass out information about Bible Studies and fellowships for those that attended.

In addition to the concert, the three guys did ministry to students at Chia-Yi Girls School and Chia-Yi Boys school.  Here they went to music classes to sing songs, and share about the love of Jesus through their music.  They helped to build relationships with the students and invite them to on-going ministries at Salvation Lutheran Church.  Nearly 50 girls from the schools or concert came to at least one of these activities at our church.  Praise God for the relationships that were built and the opportunity that Doug and the boys had to share the Gospel with the people here in Taiwan.

Pray that God would continue to keep the students connected to him and the church.  Pray that the Holy Spirit would work faith into the hearts of those who heard the message.

Financial Support

Want to support the ministry here in Taiwan?  I am still working on fundraising for the coming year.  Currently I need to raise $5,000 for my next year of service.   I am elated to announce that the first goal of 25% has been met, and thus I am officially extended for next year.  My next goal is to meet the 70% I need to return to the field at the end of the summer.  To meet this goal, I need to raise $1,700 by the beginning of August.  If you would like to contribute financially to the ministry in Taiwan, please send a check to:

Missionary Support

LCMS World Mission

1333 S. Kirkwood Rd.

St. Louis, MO  63122

On the memo line for the check please write “Mark Wolfram account #50152”.

Or go online to my prayer card and make a donation over the Internet.  http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=8521

In addition, I hope to see some of you this summer as I speak at several churches in Iowa.  I will be speaking at the following churches this summer, so if you are in the area, please stop by.

1.    July 11 Trinity Lutheran Church in Mallard

2.    July 25 First English Lutheran Church in Spencer

3.    August 1 St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sioux City

Praise God

God always hears our prayers and answers them in his time and in his way.  This month I am especially excited to relay that God answered prayers regarding new teachers.  We have two new teachers who have signed up for service in Taiwan next year, their names are Graham Guenther and Rachel Sekki.  Both of them will come teach at the Middle School.  Please pray for Graham and Rachel as they prepare to come to Taiwan and serve.

It’s Prayer Time

1. Pray for all of those who are taking baptism classes or will start them shortly.  Specifically pray for Jack, Kevin, Jeff’s family, Jessica, Jonathan and Rachel, Jackson and Lenzy.

2. Praise God for Graham and Rachel who will come out to teach in Taiwan next year.  Pray for him to guide, protect and prepare them for service in Taiwan.

3. Pray for all of the students who heard the Gospel from Advocate 341.  Pray that God would continue to work in their lives and help them to be connected to his word.

Hot off the presses! The latest issue of The Taiwan Times.

The Taiwan Times

By Mark Wolfram

Reporting on God’s Mission in Taiwan

May 2010

²⁰Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

Baptism Classes

Greetings everyone!  I have a couple of updates to start this newsletter.  First, I had written earlier about my 8^th grade student Jack, who started taking baptism classes.  This month I found out that he is continuing to take them, and is set to be baptized in July.  Since I will be in the US, he told me that he could take some pictures for me to see.  I was really excited to hear this.  Also, during our conversations, Jack told me of another student who is in 7^th grade, who is also in his baptism classes.  That student’s name is Kevin.  I teach Kevin for a small group conversation class, which rotates throughout the year.  As a result I have taught him for 3 months worth of classes this year.  Praise God that Kevin will also join Jack in the waters of holy baptism, and receive God’s free gift of the Holy Spirit.  Please pray for both of these students as they get ready to be baptized this summer.

Liaison and Short Term Mission Team

Second, I had written earlier about a change in my job requirements for the coming year.  Beginning in the fall I will be a part time teacher and have part time administrative responsibilities as the CMS Liaison, becoming a communicator between the missionaries and the school and LCMS World Mission staff.   Beginning in the middle of May, I had the opportunity to start to fulfill some of those duties as CMS Liaison, and it has been great starting to get a feel for what my job will be like in the fall.

One part of the new job will be to coordinate short term mission teams who come to Taiwan.  Tomorrow, I am really excited to be able to help with the short term mission service of my good friend Doug Larson, and his son Jacob, and his son’s friend Garrett.  Doug and the boys will come to do outreach at local publics schools, namely Chia-Yi Girls Senior High and Chia-Yi Boys Senior High.  In addition, they will assist the American missionaries with our On-Campus Student Fellowship, Friday Night Bible Study, and Youth Group.  One highlight of their mission work will be when they play an outdoor concert at the local shopping center and department store.  This free concert will be a great chance to reach out to people in Chia-Yi and invite them to activities at our church.  Please pray for Doug, Jacob, and Garrett as they travel to Taiwan and serve in ministry here.

New Teachers Needed

We are currently looking for new teachers to serve next year in Taiwan.  As of right now, we are losing five people from our current staff, and have yet to replace any of them.  Please pray that God would raise up people to serve in the mission field here in Taiwan.  Furthermore, if you know anyone who would be interested in serving as a missionary as an overseas teacher, please contact LCMS World Mission, or me.  God has really blessed my time out here in Taiwan, and I would love to share information about the job if anyone is interested.

Fundraising Update

I am also continuing to work on fundraising for next year.  Praise God for the contributions that so many people and churches have made.  God continues to work in this process, and I know that he will be faithful to provide the funds that are still needed.  I currently need to raise $5,848 for next year.  I am elated to announce that the first goal of 25% has been met, and thus I am officially extended for next year.  My next goal is to meet the 70% I need to return to the field at the end of the summer.  To meet this goal, I need to raise $2,575 by the beginning of August.  If you would like to contribute financially to the ministry in Taiwan, please send a check to:

Missionary Support

LCMS World Mission

1333 S. Kirkwood Rd.

St. Louis, MO  63122

On the memo line for the check please write “Mark Wolfram account #50152”.

Or go online to my prayer card and make a donation over the Internet.  http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=8521

Thank you for your prayers and your consideration of financial support of the mission work here in Taiwan.

In addition, I will be back in America from July 3 until August 7^th.  I would love to come speak at any church or group that is interested and fits the schedule.  I currently have two Sundays that are not booked, July 4^th and July 11^th.  Please let me know if you are interested.  Even if I can’t make it, I would love to send you a DVD and some information about the mission work here in Taiwan.

Prayer Time

1.    Please pray for Jack and Kevin, who continue to take baptism classes.

2.    Please pray for my transition to the new job of CMS Liaison.  Pray that God would give me guidance, wisdom, and strength to best serve him.

3.    Pray for Doug, Jacob, and Garrett who will be arriving to share the Gospel here in Taiwan.  Pray that God would bless their efforts and that they would be able to help plug students into the church and activities that are on-going throughout the year.

4.    Pray for more teachers to come and serve as missionaries in Taiwan.  Pray for God’s will to be done.

5.    Pray for my fundraising and for all of the missionaries here in Taiwan who are needing to fundraise for next year.  May God provide the support that is needed.

God’s peace,

Mark

Phil showed this video during his sermon last week and I liked enough that I would like to share it. (Of course, if you subscribe to this journal via RSS Feed or email, you will have to go to the website to watch the video.) 

The Taiwan Times 

By Mark Wolfram 

Reporting on God’s Mission in Taiwan 

April 2010 

Good Friday and Easter 

  
Good Friday and Easter were two wonderful opportunities to share the Gospel during the month of April. On Good Friday, Salvation Lutheran Church had special service, which featured a dramatic reading of the trail and death of Jesus. I read the part of Pontius Pilate. The great thing about this service is that we were able to incorporate many friends from Friday Night Bible Study, some of whom are not Christians yet, but keep coming back to learn more about Jesus. It was great that they were able to come to the Chinese service and hear about how Jesus loved them so much he died on a cross for their sins. I pray that God will use that service to continue working in the lives of students and friends from Friday Night Bible Study.
 

Of course, the most important part of the story is Easter, when Jesus showed his mastery over death, sin, and the devil. For Easter, we had a church full, including many children, who came with a parent. The church incorporated a special Easter celebration with the Saturday kids camp, so several children attended for special activities, including an Easter egg hunt after church. Of course the best news is that they and their family were able to hear about Jesus’ resurrection, and the new life that is given through Christ.
 

Changes 
Next year, I am blessed to be having a change in my position here in Taiwan. While I will still be a teacher here at CMS, my teaching duties will be dropping down to half-time. The other part of my job will be to serve as a liaison, communicating between and helping to meet the needs of the American teachers, Concordia Middle School, and LCMS World Mission. In addition, I will help to organize and facilitate the use of short term missionaries that come to Taiwan. I will be taking this job to help compensate for the fact that our coordinator, Matt Wasmund, will be moving from this field. I will not take over supervisor responsibilities that he has, but rather will be working on coordination and communication. 

I know that this job will be a big transition and will bring many new challenges and a lot of hard work. I am excited about serving in this capacity, and look forward to the growth for both me personally and for the ministry here in Taiwan. I would really appreciate your prayers for the Wasmunds, Concordia Middle School, the American teachers, and me as we all make this transition together. I pray that God will be glorified through it and it would be used to further his kingdom, even at the expense of personal desires and wants.
  

Fundraising 

  
I also want to continue the dialogue about fundraising for next year. As I wrote in my March Newsletter, I am needing to raise $9,500 for the coming year. This year there is a new policy concerning extension of missionaries. In order to enter the extension phase, a current missionary must raise 25% of his or her fundraising goal. At this point, the missionary is officially recognized as extending.
After being extended, the missionary cannot return to his or her field until 70% of the fundraising goal has been met. Thus in my situation, I need to raise $2,375 to enter the extension phase, and then $6,650 to be able to return to Taiwan. 
God has always been faithful with fundraising, and through your help both through prayers and finances, I am confident these goals will be met. As always, I appreciate your prayerful consideration of helping to support the ministry here in Taiwan. 
My summer dates are not set yet, but I would love to come and meet you to share about the ministry here in Taiwan. If you are interested, please email me and we can be in contact over the next month.
Even if a visit is not possible, I would be love to send you a movie and some information the mission work here in Taiwan. Include a mailing address in an email, and I can definitely send that to any individuals, churches, or fellowship groups. 
If you feel called to support in this regard, please send a check to: 

Missionary Support
LCMS World Mission
1333 S. Kirkwood Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63122
 

On the memo line for the check please write “Mark Wolfram account #50152”. 
Finally, we are still looking for new teachers for next year. If you know of someone who would be interested in teaching overseas and serving as a missionary, please contact me or LCMS World Mission. It is such a blessing to work out here in Taiwan, and I would be happy to explain the situation more and answer any questions that someone might have.
Please continue to pray that God will prepare people to new teachers for next year. 

It’s Prayer Time 

1. Pray for the Wasmunds, Concordia Middle School, the American teachers and me as transitions take place for next year. Pray specifically that God would give me the wisdom, guidance, strength and patience need for the coming year.
2. Pray for my continued Chinese learning. This will be a big component of my new position and pray that God will help me to continue to improve and work hard to study Chinese.
3. Pray for new teachers to come serve next year in Taiwan.
4. Pray for the teachers who will be leaving Taiwan and are currently seeking employment in the U.S.
5. Pray for my 8th grade student Jack, who is preparing to be baptized sometime in the next couple of months. Praise God for his faith, and have him bless Jack.

And we know that in all things, God works for th egood of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 

Romans 8:28 

God’s peace, hope and love be with you all! 

Mark 

The Taiwan Times

By Mark Wolfram

Reporting on God’s Mission in Taiwan

Next Year

Greetings to all of you from Taiwan.  First, the big news is that I have decided to return to Taiwan for another year of service.  God continues to bless my time here, and I look forward to next year and some changes that it might bring.  This means that I will again start to work on fundraising for next year.  I thank you all for your support through prayers, encouragement, and finances.  I know God has blessed me with an incredible support group back in the U.S. and God has used you to help continue the mission that is happening here in Taiwan.  If you do feel like you want to contribute to God’s mission here in Taiwan, I will include information at the end of this newsletter.

India Mission Trip

In this month’s newsletter, I would like to write about a short term mission trip I was involved with back in February.  Over Chinese New Year, I had the privilege of traveling to India for 2 weeks.  The first 9 days were devoted to mission work in the south, and the final 5 days I was able to go up north to New Delhi for some site-seeing.  I traveled in a group of 10 people.  Matthew, Kevin, Anna, Petrea, Beka, Heidi, and myself are all missionaries serving in Taiwan.  We were joined by two Taiwanese friends, Judy Yang who teaches at the elementary cram school, and Christy Lu, who is a friend from Friday Night Bible Study.  Finally Andrea Bolignini, who serves as a missionary in Hong Kong, completed our group. 

While in India, we were able to meet up with Dave and Beth Hoeppner, who are currently serving there to work on English Bible Curriculum Development.  Dave and Beth were a tremendous help with every day needs and coordinating service opportunities.  The trip was an amazing experience both in terms of ministry and culture.  There is no way to full encompass all that happened in this one newsletter, but I will touch on the highlights of the trip.  I’ll start with some quick cultural facts about the country.

Much of the ministry coincided with English learning, which in itself is common in ministry throughout Asia.  However, unlike most Asian countries where learning English is often used for international communications, Indians learn English to open lines of communication within their own country.  Due to previous occupation by the British, English is common place in India.  But, each state or province also has their own language that is the primary language of that area.  So, in India the urgency to improve English opens up doors and communication with the other states in the country.  We worked assisted with English learning with deaconesses, pastors and seminarians, and with elementary students.

Deaconess Conference

One of the primary purposes of this trip was to lead an English conference for deaconesses who attended the Indian Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELC) Pastor’s conference.  Most of these deaconesses were pastor’s wives who had made the trip to the conference with their husbands.  We helped them practice and learn English over three days by leading them in song, Bible study, and other activities.  Some of the songs we taught them include God is So Good, and To You Oh Lord.  All of the activities helped to provide much needed English practice, and still helped us all focus on God and his love.

One activity we did was making witness bracelets.  Using thread, the ladies looped and tied yellow, black, red, white, green, and purple colors to make a bracelet that is colorful, but also tells the story of God’s love.  Below is a guide to show what each color represents:

Yellow: God made everything perfect

Black: People sinned, and now we all have sin

Red: Jesus’ blood, which was shed when he died on the cross

White: We are forgiven

Green: God gives us faith and we grow closer to him

Purple: Royalty, God is king now and forever, and we are his children

The ladies enjoyed making these bracelets and chatting while we created them.  I pray that they will be a tool that they can use to witness Christ’s love to people they meet in India.

Pastors and Seminarians

We also had a lot of interaction with the pastors and seminarians in southern India.  Again, many times we interacted with them to learn more about their ministry, or to help them practice English.  Sometime this involved fun activities, including eating meals together, going to shops, and even playing cricket.  Cricket was a personal highlight of mine, as it was my first time playing the game, and even though I didn’t always know what I was doing, it was fun to get out there and have fun.

God provided us with a great chance to help in their ministry when we went to their Gospel Centers.  Every Friday, the seminarians spilt up into teams and go to different homes and villages in the city and the surrounding area.  Our group also split up into pairs and were able to go to the 5 different centers with the seminarians.  I went with Judy Yang and we went to a rural village outside of the city.  The village was extremely poor and animals wondered around on the path running through the village.  The homes were made of straw or hay.  There were 3 seminarians with us, and we helped them to tell a Bible story, sing some songs and play a game.  The children were very energetic and full of smiles, and it was a great chance to tell them that Jesus loves them.

As we interacted with the seminarians, we had the chance to learn many stories about how these men of God came to faith and how God is using them in the ministry.  Some even shared stories about persecution that they are facing in India.  One man, Stanley Joseph was a particularly friendly and helpful fellow.  He specializes in children’s ministry, realizing that they are the future generation of the church.  Stanley shared a story about persecution he faced, when he attempted to show a video about Jesus to some people in his home state.  As they watched, the people grew angry and threw rocks at the screen.  They then tried to throw rocks at Stanley and his friends as they tried to leave in their car.  Stanley also told us that a new law had been passed in his state, in which Christians who were in a non-Christians home and trying to evangelize, could legally have one of their hands cut-off if they were caught doing this.  Please pray for the pastors of India as they minister to their congregations, and the seminarians as they study and work at Gospel Centers. 

English Medium School

English teaching opened up another opportunity to witness the love of Christ.  On the seminary campus is a private school called the English Medium School.  This is a school for elementary students, and all of the classes are taught in English, to help build

the children’s base at a young age.  It is only in its second year of being open, but enrollment greatly increased from the first to second year.  We went to the school two days, and lead an assembly each day.  At the assembly we sang songs and performed a couple of skits for the students.  We also broke into pairs and traveled to the classrooms leading the students in more songs, reading Bible stories, teaching about Chinese New Year, and helping them to perform a skit. 

Each day, we also had the chance to meet with the principal, Dr. Johnson.  He is a strong man of faith who is on fire for the Lord.  He talked with us about the school and its mission to educate the youth, love them, and teach them about the love of Jesus.  He shared one story that really stuck with me.  The school has one student who has a disability in her legs, and therefore cannot walk.  Dr. Johnson told us about when the parents first came to the school. 

The girl’s family was a Hindu family, who had even named her after one of the Hindu gods.  When they came to the English Medium School they were desperate for help.  Their daughter had been denied entrance into the other schools in the area because of her disability.  They felt as though they had nowhere to go, and feared that her condition was some sort of punishment.  Dr. Johnson, told the parents that his school would take her and they would love her.  He also told the parents that she was not a curse or punishment, rather her condition was a blessing.  It was a blessing that God would use to show his glory.  It would bring the family closer together, and be used for God’s purpose. 

The child attended the school last year, and is now in her second year at the school.  Once, she had to go to the hospital for an operation.  Dr. Johnson told us that her parents were worried and scared, but that this girl had faith in God.  Before entering the room for the operation, she asked to have Dr. Johnson pray with her.  The operation went well, and she continues to attend the school.  Dr. Johnson said her faith in Jesus is strong, and that the family now views it as a privilege to take care of their daughter.

These are just three examples of ways in which God is working in the lives of the people in India.  Honestly, I could write more stories and share more examples that God presented to share the Gospel in India, but I feel as though I have written a lot already.

It’s Prayer Time

1. Please pray for the pastors, deaconesses and seminarians in India who are sharing the Gospel and face persecution. Pray that God would keep them safe and bless their efforts to share his love.
2. Pray for Stanley Joseph as he completes seminary this year and will be a pastor next year. Pray for God to prepare him and to use him to further God’s kingdom.
3. Praise God that I will be returning to Taiwan for another year of service.
4. Pray for an upcoming moving project that my fellow missionaries and I are working on. It is a modern retelling of the Prodigal Son.
5. Pray for my students, that I may boldly share Christ with them in my words and actions.
6. Pray for new missionaries to come to Taiwan next year. We are replacing several teachers and pray for God to fill those spots.

Financial Support

If you would like to support the mission work out here in Taiwan, I need to raise funds for next year.  I do not have an exact figure yet, but it will most likely be similar to last year’s which was $9,500.   If you feel called to support in this regard, please send a check to:

On the memo line for the check please write “Mark Wolfram account #50152″.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration of this matter, and for your prayers and encouragement.  May you all have a blessed Easter!

The Taiwan Times

by Mark Wolfram

Reporting on God’s Mission in Taiwan

February 2010

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!  The month of February provided a time for travel and relaxation, as Taiwan celebrated its biggest holiday, Chinese New Year.  I was blessed with the opportunity to go to India on a short term mission trip, with a little extra time spent in the country for vacation.  It was an amazing experience that I am excited to tell you all about, however I think I am going to save it until next month. In this newsletter, I would like to share with you a few shorter stories that have taken place in the last month or so.

Barber Shop Ministry

While doing presentations this summer, I know that one person I specifically mentioned was my barber:  Sue Hway.  She often asks questions about church and talks about how she would like to be a Christian someday.  Her husband and relatives all practice the traditional Taiwanese folk religion.  I know that many of you have been praying for her, so I wanted to give you an update on the situation, and show the power of prayer as God continues to work in her life.

First, praise God that he puts many people in her life to witness His love to her.  About 7 or 8 weeks ago, I was in getting my hair cut, and Sue Hway commented that she has many customers who are Christians.  Two specific people she mentioned were Pastor Alex from Salvation Lutheran Church and another woman who attends Bread of Life Church in Chia-Yi.  My conversations with Sue Hway are all in Chinese, so this presents a little bit of a problem.  While I am able to use my Chinese on a functional level, I lack precision and command of the language to always be able to communicate with her in a clear way.  But praise God that he has put other Taiwanese people in her life who come as customers but also testimonies to God’s goodness.

While we were talking, she mentioned that she had began to pray.  I was very excited to hear this and inquired more about the situation.  The lady who attends the Bread of Life Church in the city talks with her about faith, and prayer while getting her hair cut.  This lady had given Sue Hwaye a prayer book, and began talking to her about prayer, and how Christians pray.  Sue Hwaye said that she had begun praying since early December.

I was very excited to hear this and asked her if she wanted to attended church.  She said that she was too busy, and that she had to have her shop open on Sunday mornings.  I then asked her if she had a Bible, which she said she did not.  As I left, I remembered that I had a Chinese-English New Testament in the trunk of my scooter.  I gave it her and suggested the Gospel of Mark as a good place to start reading about the life and work of Jesus Christ.  It was an amazing opportunity that God gave me to share God’s word with her.  I told her if she had questions about what she was reading that she could ask me, or Pastor Alex if she needs a better explanation in Chinese.

Two days ago I went back get my hair cut and asked her about how she was doing.  She said that she still prays every day, but has not had time to read the Bible.  Please continue to pray for her.  God is definitely working in her life, but pray that she will be connected with His word and will come to faith.  Your prayers have made a difference over the course of this year, so keep it up prayer warriors.

8th Grade Baptism

In early February, our 8^th Grade Bible Class curriculum began studying the life of Jesus.  The students study more Old Testament stories in 7^th grade and the first semester of 8^th grade.  However, beginning 8^th grade through 10^th grade, the focus shifts to the New Testament.  Our first lesson of the new semester was Jesus’ baptism and temptation.

After completing the lesson, one of my students, Jack, came up to me and told me that he wanted to be baptized.  I was really excited and surprised by this, as I had never had a student say this after a lesson before.  I asked him some more questions, and found out that he attends the Lan Tan Lutheran Church here in the city.  I told him about the great gift that baptism is, and encouraged him to talk to his family and pastor.

After class today, Jack came up to me again, and said that he would start school on Sundays.  I was confused by this and asked him to clarify a little bit.  Eventually, I figured out that he will start classes on Sunday in preparation for his baptism.  Praise God.  Jack didn’t know how many weeks the classes would take, but he was starting them next week.  Please praise God for Jack’s faith and pray for him as he prepares to be baptized later this year.

It’s Prayer Time!

1.     Pray for Sue Hway.  Pray that God would continue to connect her to His word and work faith in her.

2.    Praise God for Jack’s faith.  Pray for him as he takes baptism classes.

3.    Praise God for His guidance and safety on the excellent trip to India.

4.    Pray for me and the other missionaries as we start the new semester.  May God give us renewed strength and energy, and bless all of us as we work together and share the Gospel.

5.    Pray for me as I consider where God would want me to be next year.  I am prayerfully considering a return to Taiwan, or pursuing a teaching job in the States.

Happy Chinese New Year, and may God bless you all,

Mark

The conclusion of Mark’s 12 Days of Christmas.

Day 10

The tenth Christmas blessing that my Lord gave to me:

10 Small Group Students

I know I have written in a previous newsletter about my small group students. They are a group of 10 eighth graders, who meet with me most Tuesdays at lunch time. We always have time to sing songs, read a little from the Bible and pray. Honestly, it’s pretty simple, yet I think they enjoy the time, and it is a chance for them to learn more about God.

On December 18th, we had a small group party to celebrate Christmas. At the party we ate pizza, sang Christmas Carols, watched Charlie Brown Christmas, and read the Christmas story. It was a nice atmosphere to relax, have fun, and remember why we celebrate Christmas.

Prayer requests:
1. Praise God for these students and their eagerness to continue to learn about God outside of the classroom.
2. Pray that God would keep working in their lives, helping the students to know who he is. Also, pray that God would use me as his instrument to help the students know more about him.

Day 11

The eleventh Christmas blessing that my Lord gave to me:

Church Kid’s Camp Party

Every Saturday at Salvation Lutheran Church, children from around Chia-Yi City come to the church’s Saturday Kids’ Camp. Here they sing songs, read Bible stories, and have specialized club activities. Also, every year the students of the kids camp have a Christmas celebration, where they perform songs or skits and get gifts from the church.

Usually the Christmas bash is done at church, however, this year the format changed. The kids went to an orphanage in the city, where they played games, sang songs and performed for and with the orphans. Also, when they received their Christmas stocking from church, children gave stockings to orphans as well.

For the party, the American teachers performed our Lost Son drama. I also, played guitar to help the Kids’ Camp English Club sing Peace Like a River. In addition I played guitar and sang with the youth group as we performed Angels We Have Heard on High using English, Chinese, piano, violin, recorders, and tambourine.

All in all it was a great celebration for the kids who attend the kids’ camp, and a good way to share the message of Christmas with the orphans.

Prayer requests:

1. Pray for Salvation Saturday Kids’ Camp, that God would bless all the preparations and hard work of the teachers who lead activities.
2. Pray for the children who attend the kids camp, that they would keep coming back and God would continue to work in their lives.
3. Pray for the students at the orphanage. Pray that they understand Jesus’ love and that they would have more chances to hear about what he has done for them.

Day 12

The twelfth Christmas blessing that my Lord gave to me:

Christmas Caroling

I know I have written about it in previous Christmas newsletters, but a highlight at Christmas time is always grabbing the guitar, and leading a group of students and teachers in Christmas caroling. This year I had the opportunity to go Christmas caroling twice, once for the Friday Night Bible Study Christmas Party, and again with students who live at school.

For the Friday Night Bible Study Christmas party, the large group of us went to a local department store and sang outside the front doors. Many people who were walking by stopped and listened or watched as they passed. After singing 3 songs there, we split into 3 groups of approximately 30 people a piece. Each group took a different path, stopping at various shops and businesses along the way. Songs that we sing for caroling include Angels We Have Heard on High, Joy to the World, Away in a Manger, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night (with a Chinese verse), and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. When I am leading groups, we usually sing two songs and then close with a verse of We Wish You A Merry Christmas. This year, caroling destinations for my group included Starbucks, 7-11, two different tea stands, and my barber’s house. My barber later commented that she loved the sound of us singing and was very glad we stopped at her house.

The second chance I had for Christmas caroling was with the students who live at school, many of whom attend OSF. We went caroling on the night of Wednesday December 23rd from 8:30-10:00pm. (This was the same day as the students’ song competition and tree decorating). For OSF Christmas Caroling, we split into two groups and went first to the business outside of our campus. Then we came back and sang to the other students and teachers who live at school. The evening always closes with us singing at the married teachers housing, where many of the families give candy and treats for the students who come out caroling.

I don’t know what it is, but I just love being able to grab my guitar and walk with students up and down the streets, singing praises to God. It is really neat for both the singers and the listeners. It helps us build ties to the local community and provides an opportunity to share the message of Christmas with those who work and live near us. We always handout a card or paper with a Bible verse explaining why we celebrate Christmas. In addition, the people in the community near school enjoy and anticipate our visit every year. I know of three different businesses that began asking a couple of weeks before Christmas, when we would be arriving to sing. Also, one of the local tea stands recorded the caroling group with a digital camera, and they occasionally use this recording as a screensaver on their computer. Praise God for this opportunity he has given us to celebrate Christmas and share the good news.

Prayer requests:
1. Thanksgiving for the chance to sing Christmas songs in the local communities.
2. Pray that the people who heard the songs would be curious to learn more about Jesus and his love for them.
3. Thanksgiving for a wonderful Christmas season, filled with the love, peace, and hope that only comes from Jesus.

P.S…..And…if I had to do a 13th day of Christmas I feel very blessed to have both Cyclone and Hawkeye victories in their bowl games. Hooray for the state of Iowa!!!!