Hope, Peace, Joy and Love are promises offered to us by God, and all of them manifest in this one we light tonight: the Christ Candle. In Christ we find the hope of transformation, the peace that follows justice, the joy of self-fulfillment in community, and the love that encompasses us in all our diversity, empowering us to make our own unique contribution to this world. In Christ we find light and life, and the courage to be like him, answering his call, following in his footsteps.
Mark’s monthly newsletter from Taiwan.
Hey everyone. This is more of a November email, than newsletter. My apologies for not getting a full blown newsletter, and for not sending this in a more timely manner.
I wanted to give you a quick update on how things are going in Taiwan. November was another great month of teaching English and Bible classes. My 7th graders wrapped up a unit on Abraham and began to look at three lessons about the first Christmas. My 8th graders completed their unit on Moses, watched the Prince of Egypt and learned about the 10 commandments. My 10th graders completed a video news project, and my 11th graders wrote compositions focusing on the city of Chia Yi.
Right now, I am fully immersed in Christmas preparations. In fact I will be participating in activities to celebrate Christmas tonight. Christmas is a busy time of year, however the preparations and the activities are a great opportunity that God has given us. Christmas time opens many doors to share the Gospel with those who have not heard it.
Prayer requests:
-Praise God for the opportunities he has given for us to share about Christ at Christmas.
-Pray for energy, patience, and guidance as the other American teachers and I prepare and hold our Christmas activities.
-Pray also for the message that God would use the activities at church and school to bring faith and new life to those that hear it.
God’s peace,
Mark
Marcel Proust Quote:
“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.”
Confessions Question:
Your favorite motto.
Confidences Question:
My motto.
Proust’s Answer:
I should be too afraid that it bring me misfortune.
The truth is that while I learned many a thing this year, I still think the words that make me think and motivate me haven’t really changed.
In reality it is rather difficult for me to pick just one motto. I certainly attempt to adhere to the words on a Del Taco cup that urged me to “Go Bold or Go Home.” I certainly ruminate on the Thomas Merton words that: “The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.”
But I think the words I think about the most still come from a religious writer whose opinions and theories are far from my beliefs, most of the time. The words of Everyday Grace written by Marrianne Williamson in her book A Return to Love.
The quote that is most famous is the one that was slightly modified for Akeelah and the Bee:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
I have found this to be the case. I am reminded of my favorite church service of the season. Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. I love seeing a whole room of candles lit by just one candle. I am reminded of the wisdom that points out that when one candle lights another candle, the first candle doesn’t dim.
As I’m sure many people have read or heard the quote, let me put it in slightly more context with the paragraphs that surround it.
We’re tempted to think that we’re more impressive when we put on airs. We’re not, of course; we’re rather pathetic when we do that. The Course states, “Grandiosity is always a cover for despair,” The light of Christ shines most brightly within us when we relax and let it be, allowing it to shine away our grandiose delusions. But we’re afraid to let down our masks. What is really happening here, unconsciously, is not that we are defending against our smallness. The ego is actually in those moments, defending against God.
As I interpret the Course, ‘our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us’ We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
A miracle worker is an artist of the soul. There’s no higher art than living a good life. An artist informs the world of what’s available behind the masks we all wear. That’s what we’re all here to do. The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we’re not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic spotlight isn’t pointed at you; it radiates within you. I used to feel like I was waiting for someone to discover me, to “produce” me, like Lana Turner at the drugstore. Ultimately I realized that the person I was waiting for was myself. If we wait for the world’s permission to shine, we will never receive it. The ego doesn’t give that permission. Only God does, and He has already done so. He has sent you here as His personal representative and is asking you to channel His love into the world. Are you waiting for a more important job? There isn’t one.
I love the phrase artist of the soul. I love the concept that there is no higher art than living a good life. It reminds of the Picasso quote that used to reside on the top of this website:
“Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth.”
I am also reminded to be thankful for the soul artists that are in my life and motivates me to be one for the people that surround me.
Mark’s monthly newsletter from Taiwan.
“Rags! Rags! Rags for sale! Give me your old ones, I will give you new ones.” Have you ever felt like you had struggles, difficulties, or shortcomings that you continually deal with? Would you like to trade all of those “dirty rags” for a fresh clean one? This is the main focus regarding one of the skits we performed recently out here in Taiwan. It is titled, simply, “The Rag Man.”
The Rag Man is a nonverbal skit, with guitar played in the background. In the drama a strong, energetic man walks around and takes the dirty rags of people with problems, and replaces them with a new, clean rag. In our version of the skit, there was a person with headaches, a person out in the cold, a person crying, and a person with a broken leg. For each person, the Rag Man took away their problem. In the process, they received healing, and the Rag Man in turn began to experience their pain. The drama ends as they Rag Man, having taken all of the pain, stumbles around and finally falls dead. However, a little later is back to life, good as new, showing that he is stronger than death.
The symbolism, should be obvious. The Rag Man is Jesus, taking our sins and shortcoming on himself, and while he died, he rose again in victory. We have new life, “new rags” because of him. This fall, some Americans teachers and I performed this skit on two different occasions, and I would like to use this newsletter to share with you the ministry opportunities God gave us in those settings.
The first one was on the Saturday evening of Moon Festival. Moon Festival is the traditional fall holiday in which families get together, eat a big meal and celebrate the autumn. I liken it most to our celebration of Thanksgiving, however this is a bit of a stretch because it is not specifically set aside as a time of thankfulness. But nonetheless, I hope this gives a little perspective.
This year on Moon Festival, Glory Lutheran Church (our principal’s church) organized an evening program and meal for people living in a community near Concordia Middle School. The event was being put together for people who lost their homes or had severe damage from the typhoon that hit this past August. It is part of an on-going outreach by Glory Church to the people in this community. As part of the program, Principal Lin asked if any American teachers would be willing to perform a drama for the people. We did, and we used the Rag Man skit to help share the message of Jesus in a visual way. After the skit, Christy Lu (one of our Taiwanese friends) explained the idea behind the skit in Chinese to help non-Christians connect the action with the Gospel.
The second place we performed the skit was at the Senior High Chapel Service. Every Friday at CMS, students from 8-12th grade can voluntarily attend chapel from 7:30-8:15. (The school also has mandatory chapel for the 7th graders every Thursday morning at the same time.) Usually 3-4 times a semester, the Religion Department will ask the American teachers to take a chapel service. Last week, we lead the High Schoolers in songs, Bible reading, and performed the Rag Man skit. While the students are often quieter for songs at that time of the morning, all of them seemed to be paying attention to the skit, and all of them had the chance to read Bible verses both in English and in Chinese. It was a wonderful opportunity to share the message with the students here at school.
It’s Prayer Time!
1. Praise God for these chances to share the Good News through skit, and pray for those who were at both performances.
2. Pray that God would work in their lives, and also pray for the Religion Department and Glory Church in their continuing ministry in those areas.
3. Pray for my teaching, that I would also be ready to share the love of Jesus with my students, in what ever capacity God presents it.
4. Pray for Andrew, Ben and I as we plan the upcoming missionary retreat which will take place the first weekend in December.
Thanks for your continued prayer and support. May the love of Christ and his true peace be upon you all!
Mark
Mark’s latest missive from Taiwan.
Hi everyone. Well September has come and gone, but it was a great month to get back adjusted to teaching, and all of the other activities here in Taiwan. In this month’s newsletter, I would like to share about my 8th grade small group.
Here at Concordia Middle School, the religion department organizes small group for students in 8th and 9th grade. I decided to help with it this year, and have a group of nine 8th graders. Some of these are my current students who I have English Bible class with, and others I do not teach in class. We meet every Tuesday for 45 minutes, during the students’ nap time.
I am especially excited about this group because these students love to sing. I take in the guitar and they sing English songs, and I have been working on a couple of Chinese songs to sing with them. Last week we sang “All in All”, “Be Glorified”, and a Chinese song called “Let Praise Arise.” I am most impressed with their confidence in singing loud, something that is not too common for 8th graders. In addition to singing songs, we read a couple of Bible verses and pray.
I am really looking forward to getting to know these students over the course of this year. Please pray that God would bless the group and help the students to put their trust in him above all things.
Another blessing that came from my small group experience, was at the small group teachers’ meeting. To kick off the small group year, all of the teachers met to discuss materials and the schedule for semester. At this meeting I ran into Bill, one of my former students.
Bill was one of my 10th grade students my first year in Taiwan. He was always interested in Bible class, and even came to our On-Campus Student Fellowship when he had time. As he completed 11th and 12th grade, he had not yet become a Christian. He is now a sophomore at a Jhong Jheng University, which is located 15 minutes from CMS. At the small group meeting, I was excited to find out that he is now a Christian, and had signed up to help with small groups at Concordia this semester. He told me that he attends church near his college and that he has a physics professor who is also a Christian and is someone he can talk about his faith with.
Praise God for Bill’s story. As a teacher here at CMS, it can be difficult to have many students who do not come to faith while attending high school. At the same time, God is still working on them and loves them. He works things out in his time, not my time.
It’s Prayer Time!
May God’s peace and love be with you all!
Quick Update
Hello everyone from Taiwan. Just wanted to write and let you know that I made it back over here safely, after a wonderful time in the United States. I spent 7 weeks in America this summer, which is the longest I had stayed since coming overseas as a missionary. I really enjoyed the chance to meet many of you and come speak at several churches.
One prayer for the summer, was for the necessary funds to be raised for the coming year. Praise God that He always provides. I am elated to say that I am fully funded for the coming year. I thank so many of you who provided financial support for the mission work that is happening here in Taiwan.
As I write this, Concordia Middle School has just begun a new semester. After a month of optional summer classes, the students are now beginning their mandatory school. I am excited for another opportunity to teach Bible and English classes here at CMS. My schedule this year will include 7th,8th, 10th, and 11th graders. The 11th grade will be a new class for me, although I am blessed to be able continue teaching an amazing group of the students I had last year as 10th graders.
In addition this month will start up our Thursday evening On-Campus Student Fellowship, and Friday Night Bible English Bible Study. The Salvation Youth Group has continued through-out the summer, and I have been able to attend the last two Saturdays.
That’s right boys and girls, it’s the start of a new year, and it brings excitement, energy, and many chances to share the love of Christ through words and actions.
It’s Prayer Time!
1. Pray for me as I start a new school year. Pray that I may get all of my classes organized and off to a good start. Pray that I may love my students and share Jesus with them in all things.
2. Pray for Friday Night Bible Study, On-campus Student Fellowship, and Salvation Youth Group. Pray for God’s blessings as these start and that many kids may come eager to hear about the love of Jesus.
3. Pray for all of the missionaries here on Team Taiwan. May God bless all of us as we work together and share the Gospel.
4. Pray for my barber (whose name is Sue Hway…some had asked). Pray that she may come to faith in Christ.
5. Pray that God would help me continue to improve my Chinese.
May God bless you all,
Mark
More pictures from Uganda.
More to come…
More from Uganda.
IMAGS LOST
More to come…
This might be my favorite set of pictures yet.
IMAGES LOST
More to come…
More from Uganda.
IMAGES LOST
More to come…