When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 8:3-4
It was well past sunset. We drove to the outer limits of Taichung and parked at the bottom of a hill. Climbing upwards, the city of Taichung emerged inch by inch over the hill, shining bright in the foreground of the dark night. Reaching the peak, we all paused. Silence. The view was breathtaking.
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| The Picture does't do it Justice |
As I peered out at this massive city in all its magnificence with its towering buildings and the countless tiny lights moving about along the freeway, I felt so small, so overwhelmed by the grandeur of it all. My tiny life pales in comparison to the grandiosity of the rest of creation. Yet so often we look at our surroundings, including God, from afar, like tiny skyscrapers in a skyline. In place of true glory, we lift ourselves up. Too often, we make ourselves out to be bigger than skyscrapers, let alone God. How foolish we are to do so--to lift our hearts up against the one true God.
As with all things, we always make things about ourselves. This week was no exception. Too often, I would find myself absorbed in what
I could do for the kids rather than just simply loving the kids themselves; I would too easily give into weariness rather than fighting it to spend every precious moment with the kids; I too quickly forgot that God was working powerfully and too heavily relied on my own ability. In many ways we have failed, but we share this with great pride because we want you to know that the work this week was not of our own doing but of God's power alone. All glory belongs to Christ for his saving grace on these kids.
These were just a few of my thoughts after such a weary, action-packed day. The adults planned so many fun activities for us, keeping us busy for the whole day, from 7:30am to nearly 10:30pm. We all met up at church in the morning and together boarded a bus that they rented for the day.
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| Our Bus |
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| Group Picture! |
Our first stop was a paper factory. There, we made our own paper from pre-made basins of ingredient-filled water and imprinted a design with ink on it.
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| Finished Product |
Next, we made our own tea from black tea leaves, rolling them around on a large basket-like surface. We also tried some delicious iced tea drink as well as some peanut-smelling crackers that didn't actually have peanuts in them.
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| Us Picking Tea Leaves in the Fields |
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| Us Rolling the Tea Leaves |
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| Unrelated Photo of us mocking the Evangeline Pose |
Our last stop was at Sun Moon Lake. There, we quickly picked up dinner and strolled around the small shop-filled alleys. Then, we made the long journey home, during which many of us and the Taiwanese youth opened up to each other, sharing deeply about each other's lives out of love and care for one another. Many emotions were felt and many a tear was shed. These talks continued into our trip to the outskirts of Taichung, where we took in the beauty and magnificence of Taiwan's nighttime skyline.
Returning home, the four of us guys, initially prompted by Jeremy's concerns for the Taiwanese youth, discussed some of the struggles that our fellows brothers and sisters had shared, as well as some of our own. Our hearts feel deeply convicted for our dearly loved siblings in Taiwan, and we are all saddened to have to leave them so shortly. Speaking about the Taiwanese youth group reminded us of our very own TCCGP, which we must all soon return to. This sparked a discussion about how much we felt God calling us to help change our own youth group. Lastly, we shared some of our doubts about returning home--many of us are worried that once we get back, things will go back to "normal." Amazingly, through many independent conversations, each and every single one of us has expressed a deep longing to continue meeting regularly once we return home. We want to keep each other accountable and be there to support each other in the tough transition back. Our hearts long for this joy and love to stay with us, but many of us desperately fear losing it. Please plead with God, as we will, for Him to act accordingly.
Prayer Requests:
- For Taiwan youth group to keep being faithful to God in the face of overwhelming busyness and tough trials, both personally and as a group
- For God to give us opportunities to keep loving the Taiwanese youth and caring for them even from afar
- For God to work in the hearts of the kids and their families who come to church tomorrow
- For God to respond to our doubts and fears that this passion & joy won't last past the trip
- For us to respond to God's calling to serve the youth at TCCGP
- For our continued meetings following the missions trip to bear fruit
Prayer Thanks:
- For the many opportunities God gave us to connect with and love the Taiwanese youth
- For the many ways God has been touching the hearts of each and every person on this team
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