Dearest friends,
The Hakka people are an unreached people group in Taiwan. Less than half of 1 percent of them trust in Jesus Christ. The rest are Buddhists who are deeply committed to ancestor worship.
It is extremely difficult for a Hakka person to come to faith in Jesus Christ because it involves turning their back on their entire family. Our friend pastor Peter was so happy today because a Hakka man in his fifties was baptized today. For more than 30 years, his Christian wife has been praying for him to come to faith. His father had forbidden him to become a Christian. Recently, he went to his father and told him that he had decided he would not wait any longer. He told his father that he knew that even though they did not know the Lord, he believed that God had blessed them. He asked his father to respect his decision and he agreed. Please pray for the father also to trust in Jesus. He is 87 years old. Peter said that the man was so full of joy when he was baptized that he cried. Praise God for his new faith!
A SMALL HAKKA CHURCH
Today, Sunday, we all went to a small Hakka church. It is a very small light in a very dark place. The church is struggling. Their pastor suffered from depression and committed suicide a year ago. The members are fearful to share their faith and so it was a real step of faith for them to invite us to come. Sam preached, Silvana sang, Jeremy spoke, Anna played her flute, and I gave a mission report. We are all still so jet-lagged and we were blessed that the Father could use us today in spite of our exhaustion. There is a 12-hour time difference here.
More, this afternoon they scheduled an evangelistic outreach and invited the children from a nearby school. Forty children came and I heard 2 praying softly, asking Jesus to be their Savior. It was wonderful! They had planned games and refreshments and we made everyone balloons. It was a wonderful afternoon.
JEREMY WILL EAT IT
Pastor Peter says he loves Jeremy because he will eat anything. That does seem to be the truth because last night, Jeremy ate chicken feet, pig’s feet and pig intestines, and finished off with sweet potato ice cream.
I especially enjoyed crushed ice with passion fruit and bean noodles on top. When you eat the bean noodles, they squeak in your mouth. It is just like eating cheese curds in Wisconsin, except not as loud.
I loved shrimp and fish, but it always tickles me to see it looking back at me. Tonight, all of the shrimp were watching me.
URGENT PRAYER
Tomorrow, Monday, we begin our ministry in the public schools. They are all Buddhist schools and we must have your prayers. This is a very dark place with a very great need that only Jesus Christ can satisfy.
Please pray. Ask others to pray. It is so dark here!
In Jesus,
Linda Summer – Director
For Sam Shaw – Assistant Director
Silvana Shaw
Jeremy Snow
Anna McIlwaine
Peter and Melody