I didn’t go to a movie on Tuesday because I was celebrating Carla’s birthday, so instead I will post Mark’s latest newsletter.
The Taiwan Times
By Mark Wolfram
Reporting on God’s Mission in Taiwan
February 2011
20 Now 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen
Ephesians 3:20-21
Greetings everyone! God is great, and he works in many ways, often ways that we don’t even see or understand. The comforting news is that what he does is greater than we can even imagine. Serving here in Taiwan has been a great opportunity for me to witness God at work, and truthfully I have a lot of different stories I could write about for this newsletter. However, I have already eclipsed the “February” timetable, so I am going to fill you in a couple of pieces of news, and then give you break down of the mission trip I took to Australia.
New Semester
On February 14, we started our second semester. I don’t have any changes in my schedule, but I was excited to get back into the classroom. The 7th grade Bible classes have been working through a unit on Old Testament stories including Noah, the Tower of Babel, David, and Daniel. My English classes are also going well, with short stories, small group discussions, and various projects. My 10th graders have started reading some simplified summaries of Shakespeare plays, including Romeo and Juliet, Taming of the Shrew, and Hamlet. They read the stories in small groups and then take turns preparing items to help facilitate a group discussion.
Youth Camp
We were also blessed to have the China Evangelical Lutheran Church Winter Youth Camp on February 27-28. There were a lot of people who put in a ton of work to plan this retreat, and praise God for the blessing it was. Over 70 youth attended from churches throughout Taiwan, and we had 117 people participate in some capacity. I will write in detail about this in my next newsletter. Please pray for all who attended, that God would use the event to grow faith in the lives of those who do not yet know him.
Short term service trip
The teachers here in Taiwan began preparations for a short term service trip to China. On this trip we will be going to small villages to gather information about health and educational needs that they have. We will report this information to a Christian organization in China, who will use it to create projects to meet the needs of the people. There will be two groups of American teachers from Taiwan who will be going to China at two different times. Please pray for the logistical preparations, as well as our hearts as we set out to serve. More information on this will be written in a future newsletter.
Next Year
Finally, I want to inform everyone that I am going to be extending my service in Taiwan for another year. This past year has been full of new challenges and joys, and I feel God calling me to continue my new position as CMS Liaison for another year.
As with any time I have extended, there is always the need to fundraise. However, I have some very exciting news on that front. I was informed this weekend that I am already fully funded for next year’s service. Truthfully, I was surprised to hear this news, but as we know, God works in ways that are more powerful than we can imagine. Praise God, and thank you all for the role you play in making this ministry possible.
While I have met my fundraising goals, I still want to come and share with you more about what God is doing in Taiwan. Please contact me if you are interested in having me come and share about the mission work. My final schedule is not yet set for the summer, but we can begin communication about what dates could possibly work.
Also, we are still looking for teachers for next year. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please contact me.
Prayer Time
- Pray for the people at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Kadina, Australia. May God help them to share the good news with the people around them.
- Pray for all youth who attended the CELC Youth Camp, that they would grow in faith in their savior Jesus.
- Praise God for the good news about my fundraising goals. Pray for others members of the team who still need to meet fundraising goals.
- Pray for my students, that I may be able to share the Gospel with them clearly and that God would work faith in their hearts.
Thank you all for your prayers, support, and love in Christ!
Mr. Mark Wolfram