Taichung STM

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” - Acts 1:8 Hello everyone! This is Jonathan (writing from Jeremy's computer) for my very first blog for the very first day of Taiwan STM 2018! We thank the Lord that everyone has safely made it to Taichung even with our various departure schedules. I can't believe what a long, eventful day it's been, and today's only the first day! I'm currently writing this in Hwa-Chi's old apartment, but our exciting journey started back in JFK airport (almost exactly 24 hours ago). While waiting for our flight, Josh, Emily, and I read 1 Corinthians chapters 1-3 and talked about how we should not rely own abilities but rather allow God to use our flaws to achieve His will. Meanwhile, Adam, Amy, and Jeremy discussed the same passage, coming to the same conclusion halfway across the world. ...

Thank you all so much for your endless support! We've only been able to reach this point because of all you've done for us. Our team is flying out to Taiwan very shortly, and some of us have already arrived. But before we jump into the long week ahead, we decided to take a few moments to reflect on the triumphs and trials of our preparation process. And now, we would like to share a bit about each of our team members' thoughts regarding the first part of this journey. Please keep these concerns in prayer if you can.         - Adam, Amy, Emily, Jon, Josh, and Jeremy Josh  1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth has been one of the most convicting passages I’ve read in preparation for this trip. The Corinthians have been quarreling over which man to follow, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas ...

The Law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; Psalm 19:7 As we near our departure date, part of our team (Jon, Josh, Adam, and I) has been fortunate enough to meet three times this past week to work on our curriculum, learn from leaders in the church, and study the Word together. Curriculum Day 6/15 Last Friday, we were able to meet for a large part of the day to work on our curriculum. Up until this point, a lot of our logistical work had been done individually because of conflicting schedules and mostly due to a greater focus on group spiritual preparation this year instead of curriculum planning. However, we set aside this day to help the newer members with their presentations and to make sure we were still being faithful to our tasks, even the logistical ones. We are overjoyed to share with all of you that we are now nearly done our preparations! David and Hwa-Chi/Pauline Mentor Meetings 6/17 We are really blessed to have such great leaders who are so willing to sh...

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."                                           James 1:2-4 Hey guys! As the weeks sprint by and the mission looms ever closer, our preparations have begun to ramp up. The past few days, many of our team members have been able to spend several hours together, and the results have shown us both how weak and unprepared we are alone as well as how much God can shape us and move us. For the most part, today's meeting was a work and discussion-heavy session with Emily, Josh and me, as Amy has already left for China, and Adam wa...

Hello again! I'm excited to be back and share about our preparation work as we near closer to our trip. Once again, God has been faithful in bringing our team together for a time of fellowship, reflection, and team-building.  For our meeting on Wednesday, we met at a nearby Chinese restaurant to talk about the theme of appreciation over a nice traditional meal. In the past two years, our hosts and the youth have gone out of their way to care for us, from treating us to Taiwan delicacies, to taking us to explore the city, to making us feel at home and working alongside us at Chungke. We felt it was necessary to intentionally reflect on these experiences and take time to understand the gravity of what can happen when God's people support, love, and sacrifice for one another. (“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see...

Hi Everyone! As we continue our preparations for Taiwan, we find ourselves in ever greater need of prayer and spiritual support. If you have a moment in your day, we would greatly appreciate if you could fill out the form posted here. And please remember, we deeply appreciate any and all support that you're willing to give! We'll also be keeping in touch with and regularly updating all of you through whichever avenue you choose, so look out for that. Thank you all so much, and may the LORD be with you! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdRoOs-S_RgVLCHWQgKCiUO6NkDmpwUNwtctFnudEcIKY7yXg/viewform?usp=sf_link