3 months have come and gone....

A part of me has been somewhat dreading this update just because I feel like there is so much that I could possibly write and say and i really haven't had one day to process it all.

Galatians. Titus. Ephesians. Mark. Luke. Acts. Philippians. Colossians. Philemon. 1Timothy. 1&2Thessalonians. Romans. 1&2 Corinthians. 2Timothy. Hebrews. 1&2Peter. Jude. James....

These are all the books that we have inductively studied in the last 3 months...21 book and wow has God has just an amazing impact in those 21 books. I never thought that the bible would become so alive and so beautiful to me. I never thought I would be able to look at the Scriptures and have a desire to really to just eat up the word of God.

As I look back on the adventure to get to Taiwan, I just praise God for how good He is. For how He has just transformed my heart for Asia. I look back to stepping off the plane in Japan and I just remember having so much peace about where I was and the adventure I was about to embark on. Day by day God continues to allow my heart to be stirred up for these people. They are so beautiful, so gracious, so loving, so different from anything I have ever experienced in America and it just draws me more and more to bring these people to an understanding of Jesus, of the gospel, of this amazing life that they could have.

Everyday here is so much the same but so different. Although the routine is quite similar God never fails to rejuvenate my heart and bring me to a deeper understanding of who he is in light of everything that seems so busily going on around me. Its truly amazing. Book after book, I have seen nothing but Gods unconditional love and grace for my life. I have see the righteous judge come to life off the pages of the greatest love story EVER told. WOW. my heart is just jumping thinking about this...

Hardships and Trials:

'Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing or your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its fully effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.' James 1:2-4

Things haven't always been easy the past three months but even in the midst of hardship and tough times God has shown that he is always completely faithful to take me by the hand and lead me in the direction of his cross, his face and his gracious love. God has spoken to me about really lying down a comfortable lifestyle and whether or not He is simply enough for me...this question is extremely hard when I have lived such a comfortable life with amazing friends and family, always being provided for and now God is asking me to be challenged...to trust Him, to fix my eyes on what he has put before me even if that means that I have to give up what is behind me even for a little bit. Testing comes with learning that God is faithful. When my roommate from back home passed away a couple months ago, things were hard, lonely and i really felt like no one understood...no one but God...through his overwhelming love and peace I was able to feel comfort and began to see the relationships that he put around me were perfect for meeting me right where I was at . WOW again, He is beyond amazing even in the midst of hard times. I see that He takes me through hard things so that I will be brought from glory to glory. This process. This life we life...there are bound to be hard times and everyday is truly unknown BUT he is constant. He remain the same. JOY JOY JOY.

Although I have experiences hardships and trials here, I think what gets more is the hardships, trials and darkness that is going on around me. On a daily basis it breaks my heart. I see these people working so hard for a religion that is fake. false. producing more and more darkness. On days when I wake up and i can smell the burning smell of fake money of darkness, as I walk down the street and pass multiple temples my heart lacks understanding and all i can do is just pray. They people are stuck in a fearful religion...I am beyond thankful that I have freedom, that i have ultimate joy and that I have a love that is everlasting...but how selfish am i to keep that to myself. How selfish am I really with the best thing that has ever happened to me...pretty selfish. That breaks my heart. Father forgive me. I see the darkness here, the deadness and it makes me want to be a part of something bigger than myself, something bigger than YWAM or SBS. I want to desperately fix my eyes on the kingdom and have God work through me as his vessel.
The other day I was waiting for a bus and I was sitting there smiling at a little girl, she was smiling back and playing peek-a-boo with me. (Asian kids ARE THE CUTEST KIDS EVER) I could see the joy and innocence in her. I could see the childlike faith that she had and the fearless life that she was living...trusting in those around her to give her love. As I scanned the people around my eyes stopped at this Buddhist monk...so plain, so lifeless, i couldn't even tell if it was a man or woman...as i was just sitting there watching and praying, I felt like God brought me back to this little girl, He spoke very clearly that this monk used to be full of joy and life like this little girl, so carefree and loved...then at some point in her life, things changed. This broke my heart. This broke God's heart....Asia needs the gospel. Taiwan needs the gospel.

Ministry:
This week was my last week at the convalescent home, its possible that God will bring me back to this ministry for the next 3 months but its possible that he could use me somewhere else. This last week was bitter sweet... It was sad leaving all the beautiful faces that I got to see and pray with every week. I feel that God does really use us there, and our time is not wasted even though it seems like sometimes it seems like all we get to do is look them in the eyes or just hold their hands, God's love is really transferred through us to them.

'Just so, I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents' (Luke 15:10)

Every week we have been singing this Taiwanese worship song that talks about the love of God and there is always this man who likes to play the drum when we sing...its so cute and we have just seen his heart be opened up more and more to the fact that we are there each week. This week we pulled him and another lady aside and shared the gospel with them. While Grace, one of the Taiwanese girls on my team were speaking to them, I just got to pray and I prayed that the Lord would just continue to break down the walls and really speak truth into their hearts. I could feel the walls that were built up...old people are stubborn...so i just asked that those would be removed...and boy was God faithful. The angels were surely rejoicing when God's son came to know Him that day. I know the lady walked away with a seed deeply planted in her heart and i believe that before the year is over, she will come to know the Lord as well. Wow Go God. AWESOME.

Father bring on what you have next for me. I come before you with open arms and an open heart to make your name known here....

Prayer Requests:

As it is, I know and believe that God is completely faithful, but I come before humbly and ask you for your praying hearts. The power in prayer is just amazing and i see that God uses us as prayer warriors for the body of Christ to build one another up. Please send me your prayer requests if i can be praying for anything you have as well....
First off, If you could be praying for the visa situations...A couple of blog posts back, I wrote about the visa situation and currently as it stands the visas have been denied and I am living off of a 2 month volunteer visa which means i have to leave the country every 2 months, which you could imagine isn't the cheapest thing ever. Pray that their would be breakthrough and that our visas would be accepted so that we may get our ARC visas.
Secondly, for finances, coming to Taiwan, God spoke very clearly about not having to worry about finances. I haven't worried and God continues to give me peace but i would ask that you might pray about joining my monthly support team or even helping make my way to Hong Kong or school fees. Thank you all that have been so willing and loving to support me this far. God has been so gracious and has used you in mighty ways in my time here in Taiwan so far.
Lastly, just for perseverance with the Word of God and the intense schedule that is about to start up again. When things get hard and tiring that I would really be able to press into the Rock that can sustain me. Wow he is sooo good.

'What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? ' (Romans 8:31-32)

Let me just leave this by telling you all that I am beyond grateful for all of you in my life. I am beyond grateful for all the support and desire to see my relationship with the Lord grow and the gospel to be spread. May we all continue to walk in righteousness and seek the face of our heavenly Father.
Amen.