Hello Everybody! We just wanted to start off this update with exciting news. We have officially been accepted to come to Taiwan and staff with the School of Biblical Studies (SBS). We had already been pretty confident that we were going but it is really good to know for certain. Now all that stands in our way is the visa process, so please pray that all the details will go smoothly. We have also found out that we were able to extend a layover at the end of our outreach so that we can spend time in Taiwan meeting our fellow staff members, look for a place to live and get to know the culture.
We are leaving for Nepal in one week! The time here has gone by so fast and has been filled with so much learning and stretching. We have been really built into to become better leaders and teachers and it has been amazing working on our skills to be effective communicators of God’s word. This week it seems like one of the biggest areas of challenge has been bringing teaching that is truly transforming. We got to prepare and preach a sermon this week that we could use on outreach and we were encouraged to have fifty percent of our material be focused on application. I (Jeff) hadn’t realized how content driven my teaching had been up to this point so it was a good challenge to practice bringing a sermon that would help people to act and live the message being taught. We have had regular team meetings with our smaller outreach teams and it has been encouraging and heart breaking as we learn more and more about the culture. Nepal is a country that is so in need of the Gospel and God’s truth. We did some research on Nepal this week and found out that Christianity is much less than 1% of the population whereas Hindu is over 80%.
Everything we have been learning has just been increasing our passion about the Titus Project (the program we are currently involved with) as well as School of Biblical Studies. Being able to understand and study the Word of God is so crucial in seeing the lives of individuals and even nations transformed. As the Scriptures are opened up to people who haven’t had the opportunity to study it before they are confronted with the beauty of who God is and how He loves them.
I wanted to finish this update simply by sharing a way that God touched my life this week. During a worship service we were able to sing “In Christ Alone” the words to this song are as follows:
In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.
In Christ alone! who took on flesh
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
As we were singing the third verse we got to the line that talks about how Jesus rose again and a number of people moved by the Spirit simply shouted out their voice in excitement and love for what God has done. It reminded me of how often I forget what an amazing thing it is that Jesus rose from the grave, that he conquered death and broke the curse and bondage of sin in our lives. I want to be a person who always carries the excitement of a glorious Jesus who is risen from the dead. And then finally the end reminds us that because of his resurrection we are able to stand in the power of Christ! I hope that encourages you the way it has encouraged me this week :)
Prayer Requests:
- please pray that our hearts will continue to grow for the people of Nepal as we prepare to leave
- pray for our finances: we are still $2,500 short for our trip to Nepal
- pray for our travels: we have a long flight with a number of layovers to get there including an overnight layover in Seoul Korea!
Thank you for your prayers and love! We love and miss all of you!
Jeff
