Chinese Boot Camp

We Graduated!

We are done! Well, actually, we have only just begun. The 7 of us have just made a two year commitment to staffing with YWAM in Danshui, and to begin our commitment, the base (starting with us) asked if we would be willing to learn Chinese in order to better serve Taiwan. This required about half of our group to come back at least 4 months earlier than planned. All this to say, it was worth it!

During these three months of Chinese, I was humbled in many ways that I was not anticipating. I will try to paint a picture of the roller coaster of language learning for you... The three months of Chinese Classes culminated to a final proficiency test. This test was basically a pass or fail the course kind of test. All of us passed, praise the Lord. However, many of us had the daunting thought of 'what if I am the ONLY ONE who doesn't pass?!' Many times I thought this, especially on the days that learning Mandarin Chinese felt like learning Mandarin Chinese.

This whole season and process also revealed things about my character that were uncomfortable to deal with. I am not sure how to describe it other than comparing it to fasting. If you have ever fasted for a somewhat-extended amount of time, you are aware that it doesn't necessarily make you feel holy, but rather, quite cranky and human. Its the voluntary weakness in my experience that shows me my need for the Lord. I felt similarly in my attempt to learn Chinese, except far less noble. In my weakness, however, it was an incredible opportunity to begin my staffing experience realizing how much I need to depend on the Lord. In March, I will begin staffing an SBS. This means that I will begin teaching, leading small groups, one-on-ones, all on top of ministry in Taiwan. I desperately desire the grace of the Lord to know how to do this well and bring Him the most glory.

In the meantime...

I am finishing up some assignments in order to receive my AA in Biblical Studies from the U of N, helping out with different needs around Taiwan with Ministry commitments through the base in Danshui, and working on my Alien Resident Visa for staying in Taiwan. I will also have a two week break at home with family for Christmas, which will be a much needed and appreciated holiday!

Thank you for your prayers and support! More updates to come soon!

Different

What makes Christians different?

Or, maybe better phrased, "How should Christians be different than everyone else?"

Have you heard this question? If you are a believer or if you have Christian friends, you have probably considered this question. It is a good question - I mean, a really good question. If there is a significant answer, it would be important to know, right?

I read a quote by a man who has become pretty well known in the Christian and Secular world. His name is C.S. Lewis. He authored a series that has become a major motion picture series called, "The Chronicles of Narnia." The quote is this:

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." 

So, what makes it important? Why is it important to answer this question? Lewis put it pretty nicely; because being true, it needs to be the most important thing. 
That being said, how are Christians different, if they have the most important thing down?

The fundamental truth - what is true of Christians no matter the denomination you may hold or be familiar with is this; knowing Christ as Savior changes eternity for individuals. Knowing Jesus and believing in Him, the Bible says secures eternal life (John 3:16). There are so many fundamentals... But that is not what I am aiming for here. I want to get to the question of what makes the difference...

"How should Christians be different than everyone else?"

Having down the importance - the most important important thing...

How does this change our lives?

How does Christian love look different?

Does it matter what is done in secret?

How does conflict look different?

Dealing with sadness?

What minute details are actually affected by the most important thing? Are they at all? What GREAT details are affected?

I met a girl this week in the city I live in. We had great conversation about God, and we both agreed that He exists and is powerful. But where we differ on is the importance of that truth; the effectiveness of that truth, and what the ramifications are of that truth. How that is answered makes all the difference between agreeing that there should be a difference, and the difference being realized.

Spilling Over: Summary of Titus

After finishing SBS in December, I knew that I wanted to practically apply the things that I had received. Going through the Bible 5 times in 9 months, learning historical context and how to interpret the Bible using prayer and extra-biblical resources, I started looking into how to share this wonderful study tool I had been given...

The Titus project equipped me with practical teaching tools to help me take what I had learned and share it with nations that are in desperate need of Biblical teaching.  When I began the program, I became aware of the need in the nations…

·      For every 450,000 people outside of the U.S., there is only one formally trained church leader.

·      Some say that even 85% of Pastors worldwide are without formal training; which means that 77,000 people coming to Christ are left without qualified leaders to disciple them. Let me explain…

Upon hearing these statistics, I honestly wondered if it mattered whether or not someone had formal training to pastor a church. The point was not to give pastors a documentation of their qualification. Rather, the heart of Titus project and what I ultimately wanted to see was an understanding of the Bible and how to teach it in the healthiest way possible. Below is one of the testimonies from my time in Cambodia:

While in Cambodia, my team and I were able to share in a few different venues. One of the most impactful moments was when we were able to organize and teach a Seminar for pastors…

Around 30 pastors in and around Battambang, Cambodia came to our seminar to learn how to inductively study the Bible. We started with Bible Overview; sharing the big picture and illustrating God’s promise of redemption as a theme throughout the Bible. Once this foundation was laid, we taught these pastors the inductive method through looking at the book of Philemon. This included teaching how to observe the text, look into the historical context of the book, then moving onto interpretation.

To help illustrate the figures in this book, my team and I performed a skit – after the skit, and I went on to describe slavery in the Roman Empire to give the cultural setting of the book. We ended with a break and heard some of the Khmer (Cambodian) pastors saying; 

“I have never understood the book of Philemon until today.”

This was earthshaking for me. There are pastors in the nations that have not had in depth training in studying the Bible. Educated or not, I have seen the inductive method change the way that people read and understand the Bible. God ministers through his Word, and understanding the purpose of each book only enhances understanding of his heart. Young missionaries like myself and my team were humbled to help bring this foundation of teaching to the nation.

I have never been so excited about Bible teaching! If you would like to hear more about the outreach or the inductive method comment below or email me.

God's Wisdom and Redirection - Cambodia

Through lots of prayer, change of plans, settling on plans, purchasing airline tickets, canceling airline tickets, and then changing locations, the Ukraine team became Team Cambodia!

It was definitely a dramatic switch, but understanding how volatile the situation in Ukraine is becoming, it was definitely the Lord that led us to finding another location. Meditating in Isaiah this week, I am reminded that the understanding of the Lord is without measure (Isaiah 40:27-31). I can look back and see how our team, trusting in the Lord, had overwhelming peace about being redirected to Cambodia. 

Over the week we have become acquainted with the base here in Battambang. We've also met quite a few Khmer people and received a very warm welcome from the missionaries here. I can see why most people who have visited Cambodia speak so highly of the culture!

Our team will get to teach in a few different settings. This week, I am co-teaching the book of 1st Corinthians with my teammate Jon in a Bible School, which is like a Cambodian Seminary, and we will continue to teach books as they are assigned to us from our contact. We will also be sharing about leadership with Pastors who run an orphanage, and then bringing a weekly encouragement to an Assemblies of God board of church planters. There is so much opportunity, and our team is learning to rise to the occasion as we are presented with the need.

Please be praying for our team! 

We are up for the challenge of teaching, and we are trying our best to get acclimated to the weather. Apparently we have come at the hottest time of the year, with temperatures upwards of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. What a change from preparing for the icy cold weather of Ukraine. God has so much grace for us, and the drastic change has brought about a lot of laughter among our team. 

It feels like this has happened quite a bit in my life over the past few years - Making plans and then having plans change, but somehow I am never disappointed with the results. God's wisdom and grace are a wonderful blend to lean into, and I have never felt more secure.

May the Lord give you grace for the season ahead. If you have just begun a new season, are well into a longstanding season, or are looking for what is next, one thing I can confidently say is that God's grace is always available.

Blessings.

Summary of SBS & Looking ahead to Ukraine

Titus Project, 2014 - Outreach to Ukraine

Kiev, Ukraine

I have just completed SBS on December 13, 2013!

 The School of Biblical Studies is a 9 month Inductive Bible Study course, designed to further train missionaries to equip individuals with tools to study the Bible according to the context of each book. The course involved reading through the Bible 5 times with a different purpose for each read, interpreting the scriptures based upon historical context and author's intent, and with an accurate understanding of the purpose of each book, the word was studied and applied to my relationship with the Lord.

The Colorful Bible of SBS

As I attended the school and studied each book, I was humbled to realize how much I didn't know even having grown up attending church. Personally, I have primarily read the Bible at face value. What I learned in SBS that truly benefited my relationship with the Lord was understanding how to study in depth. Looking into historical context, reading about the author and the group of people being addressed with each book broadened my understanding. I can more fully appreciate verses that I have memorized knowing the purpose for their composition.

Needless to say, I love the Bible more than I ever thought possible. 

Now I am preparing for Titus outreach! 

I will be traveling to Ukraine to teach in a night SBS, tailored to the working class. I will learn how to present the inductive Bible Study Method, and will also have opportunities to teach in church services and possibly in other schools. I will be posting more about the specific location and ministry involvement, but for now, here is a video that expresses the heart of Titus Project.




If you would like to give towards my Titus project outreach, visit my 'Mission' tab for more details.