December 2004

Worship the King
While preparing for this year's Christmas services, we reflected on Christmas when we first came to Taiwan . Eleven years ago celebrations were sparse and you had to search hard to find anything suitable - unless you were into shiny purple trees and decorations that didn't seem to match. Now Christmas is in vogue with music, decorations and wild parties and “concerts” for all ages found in almost every village. If you stopped and listened to the blaring music of these celebrations, you might even be able to hear some familiar Christmas songs but with a much different beat. However, despite all of this “excitement”, most people in Taiwan still don't know the true meaning of Christmas. We are glad for the opportunities the Lord gave us again this year to present His story. At Lighthouse Baptist, there were over one hundred twenty that attended including many first-time visitors. The music, plays, and gospel message all had the theme of “Worship the King” as we invited Chinese people to believe in and worship Jesus Christ, the King. The Christmas service at Daya Baptist had an equal attendance with a good number of visitors and some that we had not seen in a long time. Although no outward decisions were made at this time, we hope to have further opportunities to work with many of these folks. We are so thankful for the Lord's blessings and for your prayers for these special services.

After the Christmas service at Lighthouse Baptist, some folks from an apartment complex approached us and asked if we would have our “Christmas party” join theirs next year so it could be bigger and more exciting. We did our best to be polite and let them know that our service would probably not be suitable to their plans. However, we do have a burden for these people who have not heard the gospel. Please pray for the Lord to give us wisdom to reach even more lost souls without compromising His Word.

Finally, please pray for the people of Lighthouse Baptist as they along with some fellow missionaries and a Chinese pastor will “fill in the gaps” while we make a short trip to the States (the end of December until early February). We hope that this will be a positive, growing experience for these young Christians.

Our prayer is that 2005 will bring many more wonderful blessings and opportunities as we continue to labor together for the Lord. Thank you for your faithfulness and encouragement!