Category Archives: Christianity

Taiwan Times – February – 2011

March 16, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett

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 7^th 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 10^th 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

Anders, Black & White, Christianity, Mom

Hearts Beat High with Joy

January 31, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett

If you have always wanted to own your very own copy of Hearts Beat High with Joy, here is your chance!

Hearts Beat High with Joy

I have donated an 11×14 copy of this picture to the Sacred Heart School Carnival. This picture is matted and framed.

You can purchase it by winning its silent auction.

The Sacred Heart School Carnival is this Friday. From 6-8. It is at the Sacred Heart School in the Ryan Gym.

All the money goes to a good cause, so show up and bid, silently!

Christianity

Embarrassing Anti-Intellectualism

January 30, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett 1 Comment

Unfortunately a Doomsday Cult has put up this billboard in Boone.

They have made these calculations on their belief (yes, there are people who actually believe such things) that the world is only 14,000 years old.

Despite the fact that The Bible clearly states that “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36), these people think they have cracked some Bible Code and figured out that Judgment Day will occur on May 21, 2011.

The world will end on October 21, 2011.

I wish that I could put up a billboard next to this billboard that reads:

“Most Christians Aren’t this Dumb!”

But alas, there isn’t another billboard right next to this one to rent.

I applaud their freedom of speech and their ability to practice their freedom of religion, but I wish it didn’t reflect so poorly on the rest of Christianity.

I hope they aren’t too disappointed when they wake up on May 22 and they are still here.

Christianity, Mark

Taiwan Times – December 2010

January 5, 2011 Christopher D. Bennett

The Taiwan Times
By Mark Wolfram
Reporting on God’s mission in Taiwan
December 2010

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6

Christmas Celebrations!

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope and pray you had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Jesus, this child who has forever changed the world and our hearts. Here in Taiwan, my Christmas season is always filled with a plethora of activities, and this year was no exception. While it is impossible to capture all of the joy, excitement, and emotion on a piece of paper, I hope this update can give you a glimpse into the opportunities God presented to share his love this Christmas season.

Christmas at Concordia Middle School!
One huge blessing of teaching at CMS is all of the opportunities to share the Gospel to the students. Below are some of Christmas activities used to help reach them.

OSF Christmas
On Thursday December 17th, the students who live at school celebrated Christmas and learned about Jesus’ birth through singing Christmas songs, watching a drama performed by the American teachers, reading the Christmas story, and taking a Christmas quiz. The quiz presented questions about the first Christmas, fun Christmas facts, and cultural questions about Christmas in America. The students with the highest scores were given candy canes. If you want to take the quiz, it is linked in the official Team Taiwan blog, located at: http://lcmsteamtaiwan.blogspot.com/
The quiz is linked within the text of blog post titled “ OSF Christmas party.”

Christmas Worship

On Thursday December 23rd, 7th grade students gathered in Luther Chapel, and 8th-11th grade students gathered in the auditorium for Christmas worship. From 8:00-9:30, students had worship which included two skits, songs, a choir piece, and a message. Rick Hong, the Dean of Concordia’s Religion Department, reflected this past week that there were several students who specifically told him how they enjoyed the worship service and felt touched by it.

The American teachers at the Junior High and High School participated in the worship service by performing a skit called the Bad News Bandits. In the skit, a group of rough and mean cowboys found a baby who ended up changes their lives. This is just like Jesus, who came and changed us from sinners to forgiven children of God. If you would like to watch it, the skit is linked on our Team Taiwan Website. It is uploaded in two parts. Click the following:
https://sites.google.com/a/cmsh.cyc.edu.tw/foreignenglish/life-in-taiwan/teaching/foreign-teachers-christmas-skit

As for me, my biggest role in the drama is the voice of the baby, so all of that annoying wailing is me, ha! However I do make a few other short appearances on stage, see if you can find them.
Song Competition

Each year, 7th grade (also known as Junior 1) through 11th grade (also known as Senior 2) students, have a couple of intra-grade competitions. One of these is the Christmas song contest. For this competition each class needs to select a conductor, a pianist, and two songs to sing for the judges. One of the songs needs to be a Christmas song, and other needs to be a religious song. Everyone in the class participates, and they spend over a month preparing to sing.

I know I have written this in the past, but I love this activity. Listening to the Senior High Competition has become a Christmas tradition of mine and an absolutely wonderful way to spend the afternoon. It brings such joy to my heart, hearing the students sing praises to God. In addition, it is something they will always remember, and I pray God will use the words of those songs to impact their lives and help them know more about who he is.

Last year I provided some links to songs, and I’ll do the same this year. Please click on the following to hear the winning class of the Senior High Competition: Senior 2 Class E. The first song is in Chinese, the second one is in Taiwanese. Enjoy! I definitely did.

http://www.youtube.com/concordiaTW?gl=TW&hl=zh-TW#p/u/37/qKSkbMkun5Y

Tree Competition

The second intra-grade level Christmas competition that the students have at CMS is the Christmas tree contest. This time, 7th-11th graders are each given a tree or shrub on the main part of campus. They then need to decorate their tree to show a Bible story or Biblical theme. Below are some pictures of the Christmas trees:

Christmas Caroling
On Thursday evening, December 23rd, the students and teachers who live at CMS went around the neighborhood Christmas caroling. Taking guitars and song sheets, we stopped at homes and business in the area, proclaiming Jesus’ birth through song.
Christmas at Church.
In addition to school, Salvation Lutheran Church had several activities in which Christians here in Taiwan were able to spread the Good News.

Orphanage

The children and helpers of Salvation Lutheran’s weekly kids camp, spent Saturday December 18th at an orphanage in Chia-Yi city. Here the kids played games with the orphans, sang songs, gave gifts, and even performed a skit for them.

I helped to lead the children in songs, playing guitar for two Chinese songs, and a Christmas version of “This is the Day”. Praise God for this chance to witness in the community, and giving our children at church to learn about sharing Christmas with kids who are less fortunate.

Sunday Morning Worship and Love Feast

On Sunday morning, December 19th Salvation Lutheran had their annual Christmas worship service and Love Feast. The children from the Saturday school came and performed their skit for the members of the church and their parents. Most of these parents normally drop their children off on Saturdays for the kids camp, but neither the children nor the parents attend services. However, on Christmas the sanctuary was full of children and their parents, and all of them heard the message of Jesus Christ being born as a baby to be our savior from sin.

After the worship service, everyone stuck around for the Love Feast. This celebratory meal featured an enormous serving line of dishes including salads, chicken, fish, fruit, and soups. It was nice time for people to chat and have fellowship.

Caroling

On Christmas Eve, over 50 teachers and students attend this activity, which took place instead of the normal Friday Night Bible Study. The carolers went to 4 neighboring apartment buildings. There, we sang songs in English and Chinese, both with guitar and acapella. In addition, Mikey (one of our Taiwanese brothers), led the people in a short game. I played guitar for the songs along with Ben Riley, Stanley (an 11th grade student at CMS), and Stephanie (a 9th grade students at CMS).

Youth Group Christmas Worship and Party
On Sunday evening, January 26th, we had a youth worship and Christmas party for students of Salvation Lutheran Youth Group. We began the evening with a gift exchange game, where each kid could take a gift from under the tree, or exchange it for a gift that had already been taken. All of the gifts were small little items purchased at Diaso, which is the Japanese version of the “Everything’s $1.00 Store.”
I planned and lead the youth worship. We had 4 hymns, confession, the creed, and a short message on the names of Jesus as found in Isaiah 9:6. After worship we all enjoyed Domino’s pizza and decorated Christmas cookies.
All in all, it was a very fun evening, focused on Christ’s love and Christian fellowship.

It’s Prayer Time!

1. Praise God for all of these Christmas activities, and pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of all who heard the message.
2. Pray for the teachers at CMS, both American and Taiwanese, as we rest up from Christmas, and start to transition to end of the semester grading. May God give us strength, energy, and focus.
3. Praise God that Noel Schaff was able to return safely to Taiwan. She is now taking the remainder of the semester off, to heal and rest up. However, she will be teaching with us full time again next semester. Please pray for her continued recovery.
4. Pray for James Rush, as he continues to teach Noel’s classes this semester. We are working with the school to finalize a schedule for him to stay on as a teacher next semester. Please pray for him and that process.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Mark

Calendar, Christianity, Flowers, Jen, Jill, Kelly, Macro, Mom, Night, Personal Photo Project, Sara, Teresa

Personal Photo Project of the Week #48

December 31, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett 4 Comments

I’ve finally distributed almost every last 2011 Photography 139 Calendar. Allow me to explain what images were used and I will include the briefest of notes on the pictures.

This year, the calendar was a little bit more of an adventure than usual. The printer from the last two years baled on me. I couldn’t find the kind of paper that I have used the last couple of years. The paper I used was too thick to duplex. In the end though, it all came together and a perfectly acceptable calendar has been produced.

Here are the pictures:

Front Cover

This picture was taken at the Iowa State Fair. I like to photograph one of the flower gardens at the Iowa State Fair every year. I have to confess to being a little disappointed with the garden this year, but I have no doubt it will be back to its full glory in 2011.

January

This picture was taken in my backyard. It is actually connected to the August picture. I purchased a bouquet of flowers for the August photo. Then I waited for the flowers to die and photographed them for the January picture.

February

I found this frog in my favorite frog finding spot – Lost Lake in Ledges. He was surprisingly brave for coming from a race of creatures that are notorious cowards.

March

Sara was with me when I took this picture down in the Papajohn Sculpture Garden. This is the only picture in the calendar that was taken with the aid of a photo assistant.

April

This lonely farm scene can be found between Boone and Ames on US30. There is a secret to how this picture was produced, but Photoshop isn’t that secret.

May

Even though I drove to Pella in a rainstorm to photograph their tulips, I found my best tulip picture in my Grandma’s front yard.

June

On a road trip with Mom and Teresa to State Center, I must have taken at least 300 pictures of roses, but it was this picture of a rose leaf that stood out as the most memorable image of the day.

July

I visited a couple different wild daisy patches, but the daisy image that made the calendar was found in my Mom’s yard. It was my belief that after “The Solace of Ordinary Humanity”, I couldn’t possibly take a better daisy picture, but I took camera in hand to photograph daisies to figure out a birthday present for Jill.

August

This is the only image from the Random Weekly Photo Experiment to make the calendar. This picture was taken in the middle of the Winter with a daisy bouquet. This image is hanging in Kelly’s salon – Salon 908.

September

This picture is meant to be parody. Nobody else in the world will understand that, but believe me, it is meant to be parody. This is also the only picture in the calendar that is manipulated by Photoshop in a meaningful way. This hibiscus grows in my Mom’s yard.

October

In retrospect, I’m not sure this picture belongs in October, but it is too late now. This picture was taken near the sewage treatment center in Boone. I hope that doesn’t take some of the romance away from it.

November

I photographed this lily in my Grandma’s flower garden. She planted so many lilies that she wasn’t sure what colors were even going to come up.

December

This is a picture of my Grandma Bennett’s Bible.

I have only 1 stated goal for the 2012 calendar. There will be a picture of an iris in it. Jen’s favorite flower is the iris and it is the one flower that I can’t figure out how to photograph. I will meet my adversary head on this year and 1 of us will fall.

Blogging, Christianity, Dawn, Willy, Writing

Proust No. Six

December 22, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett 8 Comments

Dawn Krause correctly answered the Christopher D. Bennett Trivia Question:

Q: Christopher D. Bennett bowls on Monday nights. What is the name of his bowling team?

A: Patio Pros.

Proust Quote

“Time, which changes people, does not alter the image we have retained of them.”

Confessions Question

For what fault have you most toleration?

2009 Answer

Proust Questionnaire Number Sixteen

I have thought about this question for a small amount of time now and I’m pretty sure that my answer isn’t the same as in 2009. Mostly because I haven’t had to deal with that fault very much in 2010. Although I’m not sure I dealt with it much in 2009 for that matter.

The best I can do is just start writing. See what spills out of my brain. Then you will be responsible for scooping it up off the floor and we will call it an answer.

It is easy to list the faults of others that bug me to no end. I can’t stand laziness. I can’t stand ignorance. I can’t stand dishonesty. I can’t stand tardiness. I can’t stand boringness. I can’t stand cliches. I can’t stand unoriginality. I can’t stand neediness. Worst of all, I can’t stand bad taste. I would probably be willing to hang out with somebody that was lazy, as long as they listened to good music and watched good movies. Somebody that reads bad literature and watches reality television has a longs ways to go in being a proper human being in my eyes.

If I was more of a magnanimous person, I would hate my own faults. I don’t hate my faults.

There are three really good reasons for why I don’t hate my own faults.

1. My faults make me who I am. They might make me who I am as much as my good qualities make me who I am. Maybe even more so. Humans are are a cynical bunch and they usually see the bad in people before they see the good in people. I’m not sure if this is instinctual or a defense mechanism that allows humans to reject other humans before they are rejected, but I see it happen on a daily basis.

“I mean, could you really imagine me hanging out with somebody like her… she thinks Desperate Housewives is cerebral television!”

Think about it. How often do you hear gossip (another fault I hate) about other people?

“I heard that Joe was completely faithful to his wife last night. Plus, while he wasn’t canoodling with some hussy in a cheap hotel, he helped his children with their homework. Then he shoveled his elderly neighbor lady’s sidewalk. She didn’t even ask him.”

2. I have perfectly good excuses for my faults. I eat too much. Yeah, but that is because I’m living life and I have so many people in my life that are such good cooks that it would be a crime to let their good cooking go to waste.

I don’t exercise enough. Yea, but I just don’t have the time. I’m going to shaft on a friend because I need to go spend an hour in the weight room? I know I could lose some fat, but at the same time I worry about becoming one of those guys that is too ripped. I see them at the gym (when I go) and they don’t look like happy people. It is possible. I have a real quick learning curve. I might do a set of squats one night and wake up the next morning looking like Lou Ferrigno. Nobody wants that.

I spend too much money on movies and music. Do you seriously think that is a concept?

I buy books and never read them. Well, they should have been written better.

I’m an elitist. That is a flat out lie. Just because my standards make it look like you don’t have standards doesn’t make me an elitist. It means you need to try harder.

I don’t write enough. Yeah, I’ve also never killed a man in Reno just to watch him die. There are only so many hours in a day and I waste about 6 of them sleeping.

You can justify anything. Yeah…. and?

3. Having faults gives me places to improve and allows me to connect with other people that possess similar faults on a base level.

I think the best way for me to answer this question (since it is the Christmas season) is to answer the question which cardinal sin is the easiest for me to understand.

Lust?

Excessive sexual thoughts. I’m not sure what would be defined as excessive. However, I don’t really have much toleration for rapists or people who touch little children.

Sloth?

Failure to use one’s gifts. I’m sure there are people that would accuse me of this sin, but truthfully I’m not as talented as you think. (Also why Pride isn’t a big problem for me.) I really hate laziness. I enjoy having a good time. In fact, I enjoy having a great time. However, there is also a time for work and I can’t stand the lazy guy on the crew. I think you will note that many of my friends are hard workers. Yeah, there is Willy. The truth is he only cultivates an image of laziness. Nobody is lazy that runs 100 miles a week. Sorry Salmon.

Pride?

I just had a brief email conversation this week on Pride and why it is considered the Great Sin. There was a small amount of debate on whether Pride was really all that bad. My answer is “YES”! Pride is the desire to be more important or attractive than others, failing to acknowledge the good work of others, and excessive love of self. I absolutely cannot stand the “one-upper”. “Yeah, that is good pizza, but back in MaComb…” I don’t mind confident people, but people that are so arrogant that they can’t acknowledge the greatness of the other people lucky enough to share their air, can bugger off this mortal coil.

Envy?

To resent that another person has something that your are lacking. This is a more understandable sin for me. I don’t struggle with it personally, but I can understand how somebody can look at me and feel that somehow they were shorted. They didn’t get my deep reservoirs of talent or incredible good looks. In fact, (due to my incredible humility) I try not to shove my greatness in the face of other people. We are all lesser creatures in some regard.

Anger?

Inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger. I know quite a few people that have anger management issues. While I understand that there are proper times to be seething with rage: the ref blew a call and cost Iowa State a game, Congress won’t pass a bill to provide health care for 9/11 First Responders, somebody touched your Godzilla without asking (begging for) permission… But there are other times in life where you find yourself surrounded by cops because a friend called a ticket nazi a “soulless mother fudger” and you are given two choices “let it go or go to jail”. These are situations created by Anger that I don’t find it so easy to tolerate.

Greed?

Excessive or rapacious desire and pursuit of wealth, status, and power. I’m not too keen on this one either. I have a long standing hatred of rich people. Probably why I know so few of them. I guess that leaves…

Gluttony

The over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste. I have no choice to be most forgiving and tolerant of this one. I’m American.

Christopher D. Bennett Trivia Question

Since most people are probably already neck deep into Christmas activities, I’ll make this one extremely easy and I’ll accept up to 4 different answers. I’ll give extra credit for anybody that can come up with all 4 acceptable answers.

What is Christopher D. Bennett’s favorite movie?

Christianity, Mark

Taiwan Times – November 2010

December 14, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett

The Taiwan Times

By Mark Wolfram

Reporting on God’s mission in Taiwan

November 2010

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

Christianity, Mark

Taiwan Times – October 2010

October 23, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett

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

Christianity, Mark

The Taiwan Times – August 2010

September 1, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett

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.

LCMS World Mission

Missionary Support

PO Box 790089

St. Louis, MO 63179-0089

Baptisms

Jeff being baptized

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

Animals, Black & White, Christianity, Flowers, Music, Nader, State Fair

State Fair Trip 2 – Collection 2

August 25, 2010 Christopher D. Bennett 8 Comments

Here are a few more pictures of my trip to the State Fair.

Last year I had only 1 goal and that was to see The Blue Band. Instead of getting to see The Blue Band I was nearly killed on a midway ride and spent the rest of the night trying not to vomit up my innards. This year I was able to see The Blue Band.