I have a lot of updates for you.  Please continue to pray.  Sorry for a short introduction for a lot of updates.

PRAYERS:

05/04 Jerald our Gideon Connection

I spent the day with Jerald, our Gideon connection.  He took me to two different churches and gave me introduction to two pastors.  One went very well and will have future contact with them.         Praise the Lord for Jerald, he has caught the visions.  Continue to pray for his health.  The     tumor has come back and they will not operate again.  He continues to take chemo, but is getting tired of the process.  His spirits are high.  Pray for his family also, as they deal with the       situation.

05/04 Bei Dou Peace Church

Today, I had the opportunity to present the mentoring ministry to a missionary south of Taichung.        Her name is Ms. Xie.  She started a work four years ago, and it has not grown like she would like.         She is looking for a way to encourage her members to grow and do the work of the Lord.  I will be    preaching there 05/20.  I will present the ministry to the members in a way that shows them the they can be part of the growing process and that they have a responsibility to the church and each         other.  Pray for clear communication of the vision to their church members.

05/04 Gideon Connection (William and Angela)

I had the opportunity to connect with a young couple who have started using the Directions       material with their young people.  They have adapted it and are presenting it to their youth group.          The youth group participants vary in age, but there are high-school and college aged students.  Be       praying for the leaders.  Their names are William and Angela.  They are working in two churches   Evangelical Formosan Church General Assembly Morning Star Church and TEAM Church        Association Taichung Church.  I will have the opportunity to visit their work 06/01.  Pray for their church ministry, specifically, that they may instill in the hearts of the future leader the   advantages of a mentoring style of ministry.

04/28 Saturday Morning Small Group

Recently, we have started a Saturday meeting mentoring group.  The man hosting is Andrew, a       Taiwanese National who studied in the states.  I met him at GIC several years ago.  We started    with two individuals and are having bilingual fellowship time.  Two Taiwanese students (Fischer and    Sugar) are part of this group.  They both have connections on another campus.  Fischer leads the   campus Bible study and has an interest in bringing the mentoring ministry to his campus.  He   mentioned there are about 30 students involved.  Be praying for this expansion.

04/15 Sunday Night Training

Some of the core group is coming to the end of their training in the Mentoring Material.  Be praying for opportunities for them to mentor others.  Jami is working with a few individuals       outside of our Sunday night time.  (Candy and Ms Chris) They have almost completed their lessons.

PRAISE

05/04 Yuan Lin small group update

Praise the Lord, and I thank him for His faithfulness.  I am happy to say that they 8 individuals       will finish the Directions material.  I think they have three more meetings and it will be complete.  Jerald mentioned to me that he asked the small group if there were anyone will to help start this ministry somewhere else.  He told me that Doctor Pan was willing.  Oh the riches and depth of the        power of God through Christ.  They will start D2 in June, Praise the Lord.

We have more to tell you so go out to our website at www.team4twn.com.  Be praying for our family and our health.

As we come out of winter, things begin to thaw and start moving again.  So it is in Taiwan.  Remember, your prayers are heard and are tremendously helpful to our work here.  Keep praying.  I want to dedicate this update to one thing.  I want to talk to you about our receiving local church Liu Bau and some major decision coming their way over the coming weeks.

In past updates I have told you that our current Pastor, Pastor Chuei is stepping down and returning to Korea at the end of May.  I know he is concerned about who will lead the church in the future and has been trying to find the right person for the job.  He has brought in a few candidates but they do not seem to fit.  The church has had two different Pastors in the past 9 years and they have both brought their own culture.  Their intention was for a healthier church but what has happened over the years is the creation of a church with no consistent vision.  I think this has a lot to do with the members and their cultural background, as well as a lack of foundational training needed to move believers in the right direction.

Recently, the following questions came to mind.  How can the members find someone familiar with the culture of our church at the same time provide for their spiritual needs?  How can the members find a new personal leader who can relate to the uniqueness of Liu Bau Church?  The answer has always been in front of all of us.  The church needs someone who is part of the local body at Lyou Bau and has been prepared to take on the challenge.  Someone who knows the circumstances and personalities of the members needs to step up.  There is a person.  His name is James and his wife’s name is Ai Hua.

James was my first friend in Taiwan back in 1999.  He has been part of the church since that time and has never wandered.  He has been faithful.  He came through Bible training when Liu Bau had a Bible College environment.  He was active, at that time, in mentoring and shepherding church members.  He has lived through and experienced all the changes at the church.  He is well respected among the members.  He speaks Taiwanese in addition to Mandarin and some English.

In the past few years he has married and his wife serves there also.  He has been instrumental in the worship side of the church for years.  She is currently taking care of much of the financial administration of the church.  They know what is going on.

Jami and I have always been at the church to help.  We are not there to tell them what they need to do.  But we are there to give our advice concerning decisions that are needed.  Though not asked, God made it clear we could help by encouraging others.

A few weeks ago, I asked James if he had an interest in serving.  A couple of days later, we meet, including his wife, and discussed the options.  He fully understands the current challenges and opportunities that he will face within the church.  I left him with the phrase, Are you willing to step up?

This last week, he indicated he was willing to step up through a text message.  He has already made it known to the deacons as well as the church body his interest in pastoring the church during this time of transition.  So we need to be praying for the church members as they consider him as their Pastor.  We need to pray for James and his wife Ai Hua for discernment and guidance from the Lord.

This can be a very positive turning point.  I have told James that I will commit the next two years to help him if he so chooses.  There is a foundational need for basic instruction in the faith.  He also sees this need.  As you all well know, Jami and I are experienced in this area.

With other believers, Jami and I are finding out there is a great need for basic instruction concerning a believer’s walk with the Lord.  People are looking for it.  They want to have a more intimate relationship with God, not based on current trends, but based on a living relationship with the Lord.  At the same time, God could use Lyou bau to further His mentoring ministry through us.  It could be a place where other church leaders can see the benefits of a living mentoring type of environment.

As always, be praying for Jami and I as we continue to plant a mentoring foundation, not only in the college outreach, but possibly in a familiar local church.  Remember, I am always adding prayer requests and praise on our website at www.team4twn.com

We wanted to take this time to express much thanks and gratitude for Fred and Lori Scharenberg.

In spring 2005 they volunteered to lead our TEAM during a time of much uncertainty on our side.  They have faithfully served us and our TEAM for almost seven years.  They have been instrumental in helping us build the TEAM into what it is today.

Personally, they have grown to be very close friends.  We have come through a lot together. When they started to lead our TEAM Jami had just come through a major surgery.  Our friends were with us when we transitioned from Taipei to Taichung.  They were there when Jami had to deal with the death of her father, mother and recently her grandmother.

On the field, our friends faithfully prayed for us through many different difficulties and led the TEAM to do the same.  They were a part of countless team meetings and have told us they will continue to participate in the future.  Our relationship will continue to grow.  You see, we are strengthening family relationships, not losing TEAM leaders.

Currently, Fred and Lori are working as partners with Jim and Jackie Roberts.  In the coming months you will see Jim and Jackie step up and take the lead role, while at the same time, Fred and Lori will still contribute their experience in the TEAM functions.

We are so thankful for Fred and Lori.  We are also excited to see what God has for them and how He will use them in the future.

All I can say is THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.

Your brother and sister in Christ

The new semester is here and already we have had a good start in several areas.  Before explaining though, I would like to mention that Jay Grimwood was here for a few days.  It happened to be the end of our holiday season and we had the opportunity to spend some quality time with him.  He attended my men’s group and instantly made friends with many of our co-workers.  This carried on into our weekend where some of the guys came over for dinner because they enjoyed his company.  He ended up helping to mentor a student and meeting the rest of the core team at dinner.  Go figure.  Praise the Lord for Jay’s thoughts and wisdom.

Be praying for Jami as she ministers to a family who has just lost their Christian father.  A young girl by the name of Lucy, who was a student of Jami’s, has been showing more interest in going to church.  Her mother also realizes her need for something more.  Though their family is Buddhist, they are seeing the Christian life through the example of Jami.  Pray for their desire to know more.

Be praying for Abbey as she starts to study Japanese.  We have met a Christian Japanese teacher through SYME.  She needs some good friends in her life at this point in time. As usual, Jami and Abbey are ready to step in.  This same teacher will probably participate in our Sunday night outreach.

Be praying for me.  I will be starting third grade this semester at an area college.  I know this sounds strange, but I have been attending classes for the written language.  I am already learning characters that my daughter doesn’t know.  There is hope;-)

Be praying for our Church.  Liu Bao Church members are in the process of finding a new pastor.  The Korean Pastor is ready to leave.  He has been here for over 7 years and is ready to return home.  Jami and I have offered to do anything, including temporary pastoring the church until a new pastor is found.  Our prayer is that the Lord makes it clear to all if we are to be involved.  Jami and I really think it is a good time to bring in Directions church wide and through the pulpit if possible.  Be praying for the members as they face a large decision for their church.

Be praying for our Sunday night ESL Bible study time.  I am still working with two young men (Fischer and Stan).  Be praying for these two young men, that they would catch the vision of what true fellowship in the Lord is and step up.  Jami is working with several women mentoring them.  We have three new individuals ready to start the process.  We have not made the Sunday night training time public yet.  My desire is to have in place a solid team to take on new attendees.  At that time, we will intentionally open the time to all who have a desire to strengthen their relations with the Lord.

Be praying for our core team.  Over the coming months we will have close to fifteen individuals prepared to mentor in various ways.  I continue personally to meet with the core group twice a month and we are finishing up with their personal discipleship process.  We have just recently started to study the Discipleship 2 as a group.  Our goal is simple, decrease the use of English and allow the nationals to teach using Mandarin.  We want to plant the seeds and allow the nationals to carry on.

Be praying for our next step.  Currently we meet in a classroom on a campus.  We wanted to meet in a nearby church, but there has been some internal problems.  Eventually we will need to move to a place that is more readily accessible.  That is to say, we can meet at any time we chose due to different schedules.

Be praying for our summer college outreaches.  I am now teaching part time at the college which has sponsored summer camps for the past few years.  They will be part of American Life 2012, which should be our biggest college summer camp ever.  Be praying for the TEAM from Graceway as they put into place everything that is needed to come over to Taiwan.  We are excited that

That’s it until next month.  Be sure to visit our website for Praises/Prayers as they occur.

Happy New Years, again!  This time it is a Lunar New Year.  We really enjoy our New Year celebrations over here.  This gives me an idea.  Let’s start getting you all in the mode of praying for our upcoming summer camp preparations in addition to our ongoing ministry activities..

As you all well know, each year we with participating college connections sponsor ESL Camps in the summer.  This year will be no exception.  July 2-5 we will be running the American Life Camp.  July 9-12 we will be running the American Campus Camp.  I will be talking about the camps in more detail as we come closer to the summer break.  Right now, we need to start praying for the TEAMs coming over from America to help.  Specifically spiritually, they will increase their world view in a way that glorifies God.

Currently, over 10 Graceway Church members have committed themselves to coming over to Taiwan to help.  We also have 5, who are part of or associated with E3L ministries.  There are others who will come by themselves or at different times.  Pray for their preparations.  I do not mean buying tickets and packing clothes, what I really mean is they start spiritually preparing their hearts.  The job for them over here is very simple.  They do not have to do much.  They just need to allow God to work through their lives.  I know you are probably wondering how I know this.  It is simple; I have to prepare my heart.  We need to be looking at our relationship with our Lord.  Is our relationship sincere and honest?  

This year the attending teams are meeting more frequently.  I keep my TEAM up-to-date through a monthly prayer letter as well as our website prayers and praise.  I consider them attending the camp, even though they are not physically present.  It is important they know clearly what is going on and how they can support us spiritually.  Other churches are kept updated.  I know Mid-town is spending a lot of time Tuesday night praying for missionaries and trips.  They are always asking for specific requests from us.  Other individuals are asking for direction.  Being specific in our requests gets us all to focus on the task at hand.  Pray for our like-mindedness as we move closer to the camp times.

Every day is a time to remember where we came from and how God has changed us.  This is the hope that people without hope can see in our lives.

O.K.  We have looked at an outreach to those who do not know Christ.  What about our ability to edify others and encourage them to do the same as believers?  Continue to pray for our Sunday night mentoring time.  Last week the doors were closed and we had to cancel, but we are looking forward to this coming weekend.

Our core team of mentors is growing each week one-by-one.  Pray for our time invested in new believers.  Pray for their personal testimony in their own world of influence.  This will be the emphasis in the coming months.  Like the request made for the coming TEAM, pray for their relationship to be sincere and honest.

This week I will be attending the Chuang Hua Directions group with a Pastor and one of his deacons from a college area local church.  This will be a great time for them to see the ministry in action and fully Taiwanese.  Pray for their vision and desire to follow-up with this ministry in their church.  We currently are working with some of their church members on Sunday night.  Perhaps this is the direction the Lord wants to follow.  Pray for our discernment.

I continue to meet with Jerald and his daughter to review the D2 translation.  Again, we would like to have this ready by April/May.  Pray for clarity in their translation corrections.

That’s it until next month.  Be sure to visit our website for Praises/Prayers as they occur.

Happy New Years.  A new year for us, but not New Years yet.  We are now into our winter break. We will have about six weeks of rest before the coming spring semester.  What does it mean for us?  The Lord knows.  Last year we saw a new fellowship start at one of the local colleges we help at.  We also continue to watch the Chuang Hua mentoring fellowship progress through the Directions material.  As usual, we are gearing up for the coming Summer camps which will be more exciting than before.

The Sunday night college outreach continues to flourish through your prayers.  Our goal continues to be establishing a core group of mentors, leaders and servants, furthering the Discipleship ministry.  All of this to empower others in their own culture to do the same.  By word of mouth, the secret is getting out.  You can have a personal relationship with the Lord.

Jami is now engaging with three women in the fellowship.  I have started to privately to meet outside of our weekly fellowship with three men who have been faithful.  Two of these men are Taiwanese and the other is an English Teacher/Missionary.  Abbey babysits kids while we meet.  It’s a family affair.  There are other English Teacher/Missionaries who are leading Bible Studies and helping seekers with the basics.  Also, the leaders continue to meet twice a month for additional fellowship and encouragement.  Pray for the Missionaries as well as the students.  Pray that they will continue to grow in His grace while at the same time reach out to others in their perspective areas of influence.

This is a time to consolidate our vision as we move into 2012.  We are setting the foundations for the coming year.

Another area of interest is an additional place to meet.  We have started to look for an additional meeting place.  Though we are thankful for the place at the college, and will not abandon it.  But it is becoming apparent we have an ever increasing need for our own place.  Three objectives of this additional meeting place are:  1) A place that can be used to meet with others at any time, with a family feel. 2) A place for some of our current co-workers to live and manage the property on a daily basis. 3) A place for visiting short-term groups to base their operations.  We’re thinking about the future.  Pray for the Lord to make this clear.  We are waiting on Him to provide in His way.

The Chuang Hua group will start the Discipleship 2 study sometime this year.  It has been translated and I hope they will be instrumental in its finalization for publication.  Pray for these individuals that they will continue to help others see the need of this type of ministry in their local churches.  They are already reaching out to friends and church members with the ministry.

Jerald and his family continue to increase their activities centered around this small group.  His daughter Jamie, has a great ability to translate and I hope she will be instrumental in the final proofing of the Discipleship 2 material.  Pray for her involvement.

Now we begin the summer camp preparations.  I am excited to see some new opportunities emerging from our partnership with the Lisa and the college.  Again, we will have two camps:  American Life (Family) and American Life (Campus).

American Life (Family) will be at the same place but we will be celebrating three new holidays:  1) Halloween, 2) New Years and 3) Memorial Day.  We are planning on nearly 60 college students participating.  It looks as though there could be close to 30 visiting Americans.

American Life (Campus) may have a twist.  We may have visiting college students from Mainland China.  Go figure.  Pray for the physical and spiritual preparations.

Here we go again.  No more room at the bottom of the page.  I will be giving you more on all of these areas over the coming months.  Keep in touch with up-to-date Praises and Prayers at our website www.team4twn.com.   Sorry for just a snap shot, get in touch with us by calling (816) 394-9853.  Remember the time difference.  You guys are 14 hours behind us.  Oh ya, did I say SKYPE?  team4twn is my id.  or marc4twn for Jami

Well, spring time has faded away this week and the cold air from mainland China is upon us.  I enjoy this time of year.  The change in weather is a great relief from the humidity and heat.  Jami has returned.  It has been a long two months without her, but the Lord has used this time to teach me a lot about myself and how he sees us as His children.  Lately, I have been greatly dependent upon Him and perhaps it is why we are seeing many opportunities open up to us.

Chinese classes have finished for two weeks and I have been promoted to the second level of the language courses at Feng Chai University.  I am excited about the next three months.  My proficiency in the written language has increased tremendously over the last three months.  I am excited to see how the Lord can use this in my life in His ministry.  Pray for my continued goal – able to read the entire Chinese Bible in Mandarin.  Continue to pray for my ability to retain the ever increasing number of Chinese characters.

On the ministry side of things, we have started the English Bible Study (EBS) time at NTIT College. Our first Sunday night 11/13 included 6+ leaders and almost 20 participants.  Last week we had some of the college non-believing teachers come and check us out.  Glennda (Southern Baptist Missionary with a heart for college kids and discipleship) and I are working out the structure of this Sunday night group.

As I told you before, the time of the ESL Bible Corner is Sunday night from 6:30 to 9:00 P.M.  We have committed teachers who will be participating in positions where they feel lead.  We have allocated these teachers into three areas of mentoring.  The first level is the use of different Bible Study methods for those who are non-believers or just want to attend a Bible study.  The second level is for those who want to make a stronger commitment to their walk with Christ.  They consist of two six-week series.     The third level is personal discipleship where we will encourage those who have been trained through our material to turn around and train another.  2 Timothy 2:2.

In the first level, Glennda has supplied Bible study material that is easily adaptable depending on the English ability of those who want to attend.  They are a collection of basic Christian topics that the leader can adapt for his/her own personal situation.  We have obtained a small library space in the classroom provided by Lisa and will store our material at the school.  We had four new visitors last week and I am excited to see how the Lord will use this ministry.

The second level which is currently being administered by Glennda has a consistent group of about five participants.  She uses this time to bring those who are searching for more truth through two detailed series on Christianity and Discipleship.  She will finish the second series by the end of December and will encourage those to take the next step, personal discipleship.

At the third level, I continue to mentor two young men.  One young man is Fisher.  He is from another area college.  I met him last June while I was helping at the church with no pastor.  He now attends David Loveland’s church and has been faithfully meeting 3-4 times a month.  Another young man, Stan, was an individual Clayton Rookstool spent time with over the summer.  I had the privilege to lead him to Christ this September and continue to work with him.   The three of us meet as a group.  Pray for our time together, that it will be pleasing to the Lord.  Another young man has shown up for the past two weeks.  His name is Paul.  He has also started the mentoring process.  Kyle, another believer who part-times as an English teacher, continues to work with an exchange student from Macao.  Candy, from the summer camps also is working with a new person.

It doesn’t stop there.  The teachers who are helping have now started to meet every two weeks for fellowship, prayer and to discuss different ways of using the material we have.  We also discuss issues we are having in our lives as well as with those we are working with.

As always there is never enough room to write about everything the Lord is doing.  You can catch me on SKYPE whenever you want (TEAM4TWN).  Remember the time difference and be praying for us

Language classes continue at Feng Chia University.  It has been thought-provoking to say the least.  It is also very important for my continuing written language development.  Eight weeks so far and well over 300 characters learned.  How many words this equates to I have no idea.  I think I am coming close to one thousand.  Pray for me in this area.  My grades so far are excellent.  I will be starting the next level in December.  The Lord has provided the tuition fees through my part-time work on campus.  The Lord is faithful.  This will increase my Chinese character load  tremendously.  Pray for my ability to retain the ever increasing Chinese characters.  I have no problem recognizing new characters; the real burden is to remember how to write them.  Help me Lord.

On the ministry side of things, we continue to work with college kids at two area colleges.

At NTIT (The technical college) things are progressing quit rapidly.  November 13^th, we will be moving the Sunday night SYME mentoring small group to a NTIT campus classroom.  This location is centrally located between all campuses we are working with.  It will provide easier access for all student who participate.  It has been a blessing to have a solid Christian woman as Dean of the English department.  She has provided us with the access.  The time of the ESL Bible Corner is from 6:30 to 9:00 P.M.

We will now have an established group consisting of students, English teachers, and missionaries prepared to further equip students at all different levels. Though leadership attendance fluctuates, there is a solid core TEAM forming.  Pray for their consistency.

At the same time, Glennda, a likeminded missionary I spoke of in the last letter, will be moving her Sunday night Bible study group from her office to the same classroom.

We are trying to create a time and one concentrated environment where 1). Seekers can learn more about Christ lead by solid leaders in an environment where they can be challenged to grow.
2). Provide basic mentoring small groups for those who wish to strengthen their relationship with God and prepare themselves for mentoring others. Be praying for this transition.

November 19^th and December 10^th we will be starting to reach out to our friends who came for the Summer ESL camps as well as other who hear of us and what we are doing.  These two Saturday nights will be a game night outreach used to create relationships.  English is a large draw for students, and I can honestly say, it has been through English that we have had an impact.

We now have a structure with support to handle any interest student may have concerning the Bible in the future.  We are also talking about a Christmas outreach.  Pray for our planning and participation.

Though I am not directly participating at NTCU (The teachers college) as a Bible Study leader, I am still involved with the ESL Corner each week.  The Tuesday Bible study at last count was around 10 people.  It is going well.  After the coming move, when things become more stable, we will invite those who wish to attend the Sunday night time.

Keep all of this in your prayers.  This is the next step in our preparation for equipping believers in an area where it has not been happening as much as we would like.  Praise the Lord

Enjoy the meeting this month; keep us in mind each day.  Give Jami a hug when you see her.

Last letter I asked you all to be praying for two outreaches to area colleges.  I often find out my plans are not always God’s.  I have a presence at one college (NTCU) as an English corner teacher, but there has been no interest in a second Bible study at the college.  Two teacher are presently conducting a Tuesday Bible study, let our prayers be with them.  I am ready for any new believer who has a desire to strengthen their relationship with God through the mentoring process.

At the other campus (NTIT) things are going very well.  I have teamed up with Glenda, a southern Baptist missionary who has been in Taiwan for over 26 years.  Just this week, we had two new seekers attend the Bible study.  Glenda is also associated with a Baptist Church near the campus.  She sees the need for the mentoring ministry in her church and offered to set up a meeting with her Pastor.  Last week I had an opportunity to share the discipleship ministry with the National Pastor of that church.  The meeting went well and I am praying that they will see the need to this ministry to be part of their whole church strategy.  They will contact me within a month for further insight into the ministry.  Be praying for an open door.  Also, their church is close to all the outreach campuses.  Is this an answer to prayer?

Our Sunday night bible study at SYME has turned into a kind of mentoring training group.
It continues to flourish.  We now have some involvement from two young SYME interns.  One of the young men has started to disciple a young student who was lead to Christ a month ago.  The other young man will start working with some students this week.  Pray for these two young men, though they do not speak the language, their presence as young people has a direct influence.  Pray for the two young men’s growing interest in the discipleship process.

Language classes are going well.  I lot of work, but well satisfying and profitable to the ministry.  Please continue praying for me in this area.

In our local church in Liu Bau, I continue to meet mentor a young man.  We have changed to every two weeks and it is going well.  He is becoming a good friend and is very helpful.  I really think the Lord will use him to lead the younger kids.  The leaders of the youth ministry, older teens, have caught the vision of allowing the youth to minister to their own group.  Praise the Lord

Talk to you next month.

First, I will be on two campuses providing English Bible Studies in addition to teaching several English Classes.  We have about 10 Tent makers who are willing to donate time and effort to provide times in which students, including those who attended the 2011 Summer Camps, can come and learn more about American culture through simple Bible Studies.  My involvement in area colleges will also help me start to lay the foundation for recruiting students for the 2012 American Life Camps next year.

Second, as students become more interested in the Word of God, they will be encouraged to attend small groups where we will be presenting Mentoring materials either for evangelism or spiritual growth.  I have already started a men’s Bible study.  Currently, there are about four
or five male students interested in learning more about Christianity.  These men have come from many different areas.  Some students were students at SYME, while others come from campuses and through acquaintances.  We meet at either a local restaurant or at the SYME office.  Pray for a consistent place to meet.

Third, I will be attending language classes at an area college that is different from our Bible Study colleges.  My goal is simple; I want to finish the language process by mastering the written language.  Though I have the ability to read mandarin a little, I want to make it my life style.
I want to completely switch over to mandarin completely in order to better communicate principles, as well as, to be able to utilize already translated material without the help of phonetic aids and a computer.  This will enable me to work better with non-English speakers more clearly.  This course is a two year commitment where I will master over 8000 Chinese characters.  This is more than enough to read in most everyday texts.  I will also know how to write all these characters.  I do not take this lightly, it is imperative to complete.  At the end of the course, I will take the Chinese version of an English proficiency.  Please be praying for me in this area.  It is my strongest area of learning, but time, a lot of time, is needed to practice.  Pray for the right amount of time in all areas.  Pray for a balance in ministry and the ability to remember all of these characters.  Pray that I find the right method for character retentions.

Fourth, in our local church Liu Bau, I have started to mentor the older youth ministry leaders and encouraging them to change the way they administer their ministry.   We are encouraging the students, with adult participation to plan and lead their own small groups.  This will be a yearlong project, but SYME has been very influential in our endeavors.

Finally, be praying for our family.  Jami will be returning for two months to help with her grandma.  Her grandma currently has cancer and will be leaving to be with the Lord soon.  The complication is her grandma takes care of her aunt, who is not able to take care of herself.  Abbey and I will remain in Taiwan, pray for simplicity in our day to day lives.  Pray for quality time together and in ministry.  Pray for Jami as she deals with family issues that I personally have never had to deal with.