Hi everyone. Wow, God is good all the time. I apologize for taking soo long to get new to you. Hope you understand after reading this one.
I moved to Taipei ( see new address above) on September 9th and started a huge adjustment time, I though it would be easy, only to realize that with all the leadership changes in the last year it has been overwhelming. I needed to spend much time alone with our Father and soak in His love. Needed to rest in Him and rekindle my passion in/for Him.
Family Ministry School started on September 11th with orientation and sharing of expectations. Classes have been great fun, eventful and informative. It has challenged me in some areas and then reminded me of how & where we struggle as families and how God sees/intended a family.
Topics thus far has been:
Geno-grams, Birth Order, Personalities,
Differences and emotional wounding, Dysfunctional families, Family systems, 7 Shaky foundations, How men & woman are different, Parenting styles to name a few. Our graduation will be on Dec 11th 2009, then we have the big outreach till the end of December.
November 4th-8th most of the class student and all the staff went to Taitung for our Midterm Outreach, we did visitations, teachings, dramas and testimonies. Here is more details of our fun filled awesome experience.
Nov 4th Wednesday
6am up, eat, pack and go for the MRT to meet the team.
I started the day excited, enjoying the train ride, bonding with team mates, karaoke, most of all taking pictures along the way of the beautiful nature and cultural scenes. Upon arrival we had a meeting regarding the rest of the day’s schedule, chose our rooms, unpacked and then as we were leaving for the school to meet the principal regarding tomorrows program, coming down the stairs not realizing that they are all different widths, sizes and at a slant, I happened to be the one slipping down a couple landing on my hand and backpack hurting thankfully only my back all over again and not my bud. We went to the school and then back to the church where we had a lovely dinner awaiting us.
By 6pm we got together for prayer and divided into our groups and left for home visitations (similar to small groups sharing in songs and testimonies) till 9:30pm. I felt lost in translation, but try to just focus on God. Back at the church we relaxed, write journals every night and then get ready for bed.
I was challenged a lot in the area of language barriers (my lack of Chinese, team forgetting or taking long to translate and then remembering we’re among the Amis Tribe with their own dialect), and lack of delegation and communication, forcing flexibility to be the name of the day. So, I learn to wait and see what happens.
Nov 5th Thursday
Wow, we woke at 5:30 if not earlier, I had my oats drink and waited for the meeting to start supposedly at 6am. I could feel the consequences of the fall on my back, especially between my shoulders. So I took it easy today and the team has been very helpful any numerous ways. Praise God!
7:30 am set up at school and do program for grade 1-6 about 65 students, and it went very very well. Everything flowed very well together. With the slight changes in the skits we were able to be flexible and reach people of all ages. Straight after that back at the church we joined the elderly folk (Community service), Swen awesomely did ice breakers with them and then we joined them in some games. It was fun. Yes, I know I tried to joined as much as I can physically, took it easy taking photos as I enjoy to capture memories and I still feel apart of the team.
Lunch followed straight after the games. I ate and went to have a ten minutes rest flat on my back. 12:30pm we left for the roadside coffee shop with an awesome view the coast, surfing waves and a small port. It reminded me of back home just listening to the water and relaxing with a drink.
We got back about 2:45pm; I went straight to bed and had a rest till 4pm when the team met, discussing the evening program. Dinner followed by debriefing of the day, encouraging each other, and prayer for the evening program starting at 7:30pm -9:30pm. Group 2, lead and taught on the five love languages. It was fun and interesting, interactive with the locals. It was like having a laughing exercise. My Language challenge is getting easier, flexible.
Nov 6th Friday
6- 7 Prayer walk, 7am breakfast, 9-10am visitations,
11:30 lunch followed by rest/ homework
4pm team meeting evening program, 5pm dinner, 6pm debriefing
7:30-9:30pm evening program for elderly on personalities and dependence on God.
Woke at 5am, prayer walk 6-7am, breakfast, divided into 3 groups and return to the same area to do house visitations. My group went to a house sharing and praying with an 18yrs boy who is recovering from a vehicle accident, with both broken legs and I broken arm. We encouraged and prayed with him, his mom and grandma and exchanged Skype id’s to keep in touch. I’m glad I went with Zalau for translation purposes, as he can speak the Amis tribal language and English very well, so he was able to translate for me into mandarin or Amis where needed.
Upon return we had time to rest, some slept, some played the Gagol games, I played one game and then had a nap till we had lunch at 11:30am, my group(1) met afterwards to discuss the teaching for the evening, once the program was set, I was released to rest while the rest discuss the skit in Chinese (I’m not involved in that skit). I had a sleep as having my back horizontal helps.
4pm student meeting informing everyone about the evening program and then the skits groups practice. 5pm we had a lovely dinner, 6pm debriefing of the day thus far and the events for the evening. Tonight we split into 2 teams; one team did ministry at another church and one at the church we are visiting. We had a break and then went to setup for the evening program in the church. I handle the power points and photos most the time and help wherever else I can. Background admin is where I serve best I guess, so it seems.
Tonight’s program we did the biking skit with some minor changes to relate to the elders and their current setup in this area. It was great time teaching personalities and trusting, dependence on God. We finished about 9:20 and had another quick meeting to prep for tomorrow’s open-air ministry. Shower clean up time and get ready for bed.
Nov 7th Saturday
7am breakfast, 9-10am visitations then go to the water running upwards till lunch
11:30 lunch, then a quick stop at church to get the equipment for the 3-4pm Coffee Shop program. We had a short program followed by sharing individually afterwards. Four people gave their lives to God. I did not initially appreciate the way I was elected to share testimony/ explanation of the sin chair skit, but God obviously used it mightily. Availability is all He asks, after seeing the fruits of sharing and being apart of the program I’m glad I could help.
4-5pm we went to another shopping area, dumpling place, Joyce and I shared with one lady, the bracelets in her shop started the conversation, we were able to encourage her as she is a baptized believer. We used the bracelets and by giving it freely as a friendship bracelet, we were able to sharing the gospel individually or in small groups. 5:30pm dinner at church, followed by (6pm) debriefing, planning and prayer for the evening schedule.
7:30-9:20pm evening program for youth Grade 6-12. Split team and one team taught at another Church. I stayed here.
9:20 Team met for cleaning and tomorrows schedule, dividing of teams for the children and youth services and then the actual church service. Our group cleaned the bathrooms, such a humbling job and then I finished downloading the pictures and prep for tomorrow. We got bed by midnight.
Nov 8th Sunday
6:20 up and clean up, up covering bed, sweep etc.
7am breakfast, 7:15 devotion by John
8:30 Kids and youth services in separate rooms
Darryl and team sharing at another church till 9:30am they got back about 10ish.
9:30-11:30 Church
11:30am pack the van and go to the train station where lunch awaits us.
1:22pm on the train, enjoy the ride, and try to finish book, got some sleep, everyone was out like a candle sleeping, except for John and Darryl, then we just relaxed chatting, reading and enjoy the scenery. We arrived in Taipei 7:30pm, go home guys. Got home by 8:30-9ish and finish homework.
We have challenged each other in many areas and yet God did amazing things through us.
Challenged areas:
Finding our boundaries with each,
Watching out attitude with each other especially when I'm feeling tired, in pain or simply frustrated with the way communication is going.
Translation and communication
Time management and flexibility
Team work
God is stretching all of us in different ways.
I apologize once again for taking so long to get a news to you. As you see its been a hectic time and we’ll be busy over Christmas and New Year’s too.
Now I need to finish my research paper due Dec 2nd and start preparing for the oral exams on Dec 7 &8th. We graduate on December 11th and start outreach on the 14th. Some will be going to Cambodia for 2 weeks (I can’t go due to the location and health reasons), and then in Taiwan we’ll be going to Yilan, Guanfu, Taitung, and Taoyuan for one week each. We are excited to see what God is going to do.
I’ll be doing my outreach here in Taipei at The Rock ministry. I am praying about the Taiwan part, Yilan, Gaunfu,etc to join the team or stay at The Rock. Please pray with me for God’s direction.
Thanks.
What’s next
SBS -School of Biblical Studies
I’m excepted for the next SBS school starting in March, so I’ll be staying in Taipei from now onward till God shows me the next move. Please pray with me for strength, wisdom and finances for SBS school.
Blessings
Adele

Attachment: news7-09nb.pdf
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