Erin.

My friend Erin is a university student and a new Christian.  She was baptized three years ago, and since then has dealt with a lot of strife in her family because of it.

She's going to school full time and working three jobs.  On top of paying for her apartment every month, she's trying to save up money to go to the National Youth Gathering in Texas this summer.  I asked her why she wanted to go so much.  She had been there once before, and she said that it helped increase her faith to see so many Christians gathered from all over the world.  For so many Taiwanese Christians, they don't have the support of family or many friends.  They have small churches and Christian friends here or there.  They want so desperately to know they're not alone in their faith.  There is no big worship meeting like the National Youth Gathering in Taiwan.

My request:  please pray for Erin, as she fights the battle that comes with becoming a new Christian in Taiwan.  Pray that God gives her wisdom to know when to work and when to rest.  Please pray that God would provide her with $1,000 to go to the Youth Gathering, to encourage her in her faith and make Christian friends and connections.

In Christ,

Anna

Giving Thanks

Dear friends and family,


I regret that so much time has passed since I last wrote.  It´s been a whirlwind of activity here.

Last weekend our house was saturated with the smell of turkey and apple pie as we celebrated our  Thanksgiving meal.  We invited our entire church, some friends, students, and teachers from the school.  Even though there were only 40 people (I guess in years past they´ve had close to 200!), our house was packed with food and people.  We had done a lot of work in preparation, with the cooking and cleaning, but it was worth it to see connections made between churched and unchurched people, to see friends enjoying stuffing and mashed potatoes, and to muster a little of the home-for-the-holidays feeling.


I´ve found myself overbooked with tutoring on top of teaching and ministry, and next semester I need to cut down.  It´s always been easy for me to be overly busy, and even now in Taiwan I´m learning to balance time.  The pace of life is different here; it's slower, and yet not lazier.  You are expected to do less things at one time but also expected to do it more consistently, without breaks or change.  Not exactly the way I like to do things, but I have to adjust.  We worked on Thanksgiving and we'll work on Christmas Eve day and Christmas day.  (I suppose now I know how pastors feel.)  We have one day off at the end of the year, and then go straight on until February.  We rarely have to rush from one place to another, but we're always doing something.  I'm trying to keep my Sundays as free as possible to rest and be rejuvenated in God's word, but even on Saturdays and Sundays we often have team responsibilities.


Thankful....  it hardly felt like Thanksgiving the holiday that I know and love so well.  On Thanksgiving Day, we had school and did nothing special and ate curry instead of turkey for lunch.  But the ideas of joy and appreciation go beyond turkey and getting a day off of work.  We can be thankful in any situation.  We can be joyful anywhere we are and regardless of what we eat and even regardless who we are with.  Tonight, I am so thankful that God only gives us what we can handle.  When you work in ministry, as with many other jobs, your work isn't quantifiable or measurable, and it's easy to get overworked.  Tonight, after school, I sat down at my desk to plan a tutoring lesson.  But I was so brain dead that nothing came.  I was fresh out of energy and ideas, literally nothing came to me.  After a full day of teaching children and thinking how to explain things in English, I was tired.  So I prayed and told God that, and I asked Him to either give me an idea or a way out.  He gave me peace.  So I mustered what crumbs of a lesson I had and went to their house.  When I walked in, they were decorating the Christmas tree and asked me to help.  No lesson tonight, they said, just tell us about Christmas.  (Yes!  Just what I needed!)  So God knew I needed a break and a little taste of Christmas.  I asked the mom tonight if I can teach the girls Bible stories, and she said yes.  I wasn't sure if she would because they follow the traditional religion of Taiwan, but I am so excited for an opportunity to share Jesus with them, because it was the reason I took the job.  Next week those girls are going to hear about Jesus' birth, maybe for the first time.  I am thankful, so very thankful, that God is gentle with us, and never lets us drown when we call out to Him for help.  It reminds me of these verses from Philippians 4:

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

No matter where we are for the holidays, or what we eat, or how empty or full our table and chairs may be, we are so blessed.  May you ever be aware of the many good things God generously showers on you, and in turn thank him for all of them.

In Christ,

Anna

Prayer Requests

Please pray about:

~ My student Lionel (she's a female).  She came to Friday Night Bible study two weeks ago to play guitar with me afterwards, and is coming again this Friday.  We've talked about faith and she thinks believing in herself is the only safe thing to believe in.  She used to go to a church until she felt pressure to be baptized, so she left.  Please pray that she's willing to go into the Bible study class on Friday night, or if not, that God would give us opportunities to talk about faith again just between the two of us.  I have so much compassion for this girl and want to see God bring her to faith.


~  My 11th grade Spanish students.  We had a big fieldtrip to Taiwan's 2nd biggest city to see a museum and eat Spanish food, and God really blessed our trip-- I didn't lose any students (can never take that for granted!) and we had a wonderful time.  It gave me time to observe how the student's interact with each other and also helped me to build my relationships with them (They nicknamed me "Shia Shia Shao Jie", which means "Miss Shrimp".... it's a long story).  Lately I've been hearing students saying inappropriate and hurtful things (in general, not just this class), so I decided to have a discussion with my 11th graders about the Power of Words.  We watched a video, read some Bible verses, and discussed the affect that words have on us.  I told them that if I teach them to have perfect Spanish, but they don't know God's love or how to love other people, then I have failed.  What is the point of knowing how to speak another language if you use it only to say evil things?  This is the class that I know the best, feel the closest with, and I pray for them every day.


~ Endurance.  Like life anywhere, it's hard to stay on top of everything.  I think I've taken on too many activities outside of school, and now I'm trying to cut down on my schedule to not sacrifice the quality of my work.  Please pray that our team's endurance and joy in the stress and monotony of life would shine throughout the school and community.  It's easy to "get comfortable", and want to sleep or relax instead of helping out with the Bible studies and fellowship events.  Relaxing is important sometimes, but too much can make me greedy for even more than I need.  Pray that I and the rest of the team can find a healthy balance.

~Homesickness.  As Thanksgiving is coming up, I often find my thoughts wandering back home.  I assume the rest of the team is more accustomed to being away for the holidays, but they still deal with homesickness from time to time.  Please pray that this won't be a distraction for us.

How about you?  Prayer requests from home?  I'm hungry to hear from you my friends back home, so if you have prayer requests or just want to tell me how life is going, please email me: anna.gruen@cuw.edu or anna.gruen@lcms.intl.org.


Thanks for your prayers!


Anna

Grace

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:9-10


I don't enjoy traveling as much as I thought, and I will explain why.  It's true that being a tourist behind a camera can be intriguing for a while.  A short visit somewhere exotic often eludes the cares and pressures of normal everyday life.  Experiencing the vistas, aromas, noises, flavors, and textures of Taiwan has certainly been an adventure for me.   However, there's something special about finally settling down here.  It feels less like visiting and more like living.  Working with the people, learning from them, laughing with them, joking with them, sweating with them, shivering with them, sharing anecdotes and advice with them, praying with them, even crying with them-- it's much too up-close and messy to have a rosy, perfect picture of each other.  But isn't that the point?  Ministry is done living along side each other.  Ministry is not about showing our strengths, our abilities, our confidences, our perfection.  It's about Christ showing his perfection and faithfulness through our lives, the good and the bad of us.  God can show His glory even, no, especially amidst our weakness, failure, and doubt.

The cultural norm in Taiwan is to never mention social imperfections.  They don't talk about insecurities, depression, abuse, rape, or death.  Sometimes a student will be gone for weeks, and we won't know why until someone mentions that their mom or dad died, and it isn't brought up again.  When my friend and team member Rachel tried to console a high school student after her dad passed away, she simply forced a smiled and said, "I'm fine!" It's probably a natural reaction to try to synthesize false strength rather than admit honest weakness, and it's a trap many a Christian falls into as well.

I think one of our crowning characteristics as a school body and a Christian team (American and Taiwanese together) is our transparency.  When someone is struggling with adjusting to life here or missing home, we pray about it as a team.  When someone is stressed to the maximum, we pray about it.  When someone is doubting their calling here, we pray about it.  When we are heartbroken over our students who are lost, we pray about it.  When we are stressed about health concern or financial problems, we pray about it.  We are not perfect with this by any means, but it really stands out because it's so anti-cultural.  And when we do share with each other, God's grace is ever-present.

We have to be transparent in our classes too:  acknowledging forgiveness for students who constantly make class difficult (though not withholding discipline), and asking for forgiveness when we mess up as teachers.  It's a bit humbling when we discipline our students for coming late to class and then show up late for class ourselves.  We learn the importance of grace.  God's grace must cover me as much as it covers anyone.  Even in discipline, God is gracious and loving with us.  And even in our discipline, we must show grace and love to our students.  Last week I got particularly upset with a group of unruly 9th grade boys in my Spanish class.  They continually showed disrespect to me and their classmates.  After disciplining them sufficiently, I took time to talk to them about why discipline is important and why I had to do it.  "I love you guys and respect you," I explained, and of course they looked to each other and giggled (they are high school boys after all).  But I could tell that they understood.

Like my students, I'm not perfect.  A couple days ago I was planning to make piñatas in my Spanish class, but while I was handing out materials, I realized I didn't have enough balloons!  Now, you can't make piñatas without balloons (or if you can, please inform me!), so mid-class I had to resort to a plan B.  The students could tell I was a bit flustered, and they were amazingly helpful and rushed to clean everything up and prepare for "plan B".  I was so thankful for their grace!  At that moment, I needed it and it was such a beautiful thing.

Obviously we never plan to make mistakes, but when we do, it's so good to be honest about it and immediately receive grace.  I have a bad habit of thinking I need to clean up my act before I come to God, to get it all figured out before I pray and explain it to him.  I know it's ridiculous!  If I wait to pray to God until I've got it figured out, I won't ever pray!  But we know we can simply take our trash to God and let him sort it out.  We don't have to hide it, because obviously we can't hide it.  1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."  David says in Psalm 32 that he was in anguish until he was honest with God and confessed his imperfection, and God was gracious to David.  God is the source of all grace, and ultimately is the reason behind the grace we are able to show and be shown with and from each other.

My Chinese name, reflective of my English middle name, means "Beautiful Grace".  I only pray that God will use even our weaknesses and imperfections here in Taiwan to His glory.  His grace is sufficient!


In Christ,

Anna

谷恩娜   

Acts

In our adult Friday night Bible study group and also our team Bible study on Tuesday night, we're going through the book of Acts.  I must admit, it's always been a bit difficult for me to comprehend it, especially now that I am on the mission field.  I understand that God does not change, but the way in which He interacts with people throughout history changes.  We no longer have a theocracy like in ancient Israel.  God does not appear to us in a pillar of raging fire.  The way God was present in the Old Testament, He is now present in our lives in other ways:  The Word, Communion, His Spirit in our hearts.

But what about the early church in Acts?  They were also part of the New Covenant.  God displayed His sovereignty and did mighty things.  The believers at that time fasted, prayed ceaselessly, gave all their money to the poor.  It was a time of extremes.  Extreme persecution, extreme sacrifice, extreme turnover.  Peter and Paul and the other apostles walked into temples and preached the Gospel in truth and love, without reservation or shame or timidity.  People would bring their sick to them, trying just to reach the span of their shadows, that they might be healed.  Now, we probably don't have hordes of people fighting over prime spots in our personal bubbles so that they could be healed.  The Bible says everyone has different gifts-- some healing, some prophesy, others teaching, still others encouragement, etc.  Well, maybe our gifts are not that of healing.  But we do have the same authority to do amazing  things-- the name of Jesus.  Right?

       John 14:12-14:
"Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you  ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

As a youth, I always imagined the mission field to be like the early church.  Extreme.  Raw.  Dangerous.  Some mission fields are like this.  We hear about exorcisms and healings in India and Africa.  But I suppose I'm much more "comfortable" here than I imagined.  The school gives me a "safe" place to tell students that Jesus loves them, where it's embedded into the curriculum and it's very convenient and it's what I get paid to do.   I absolutely love teaching my students about the Bible, so hat's all fine and well.  However, I suppose I am desiring more.  I know some people write off street evangelism as ineffective.   But in a place where only 0.04% of the population is Christian and many have never even heard the truth of the Gospel before, would it really be a waste of time?

What would happen if I sit down with the people at the local temple with my Chinese English Bible?  What if I tell the girl who makes me dumplings that Jesus loves her?  I've done some of this when the time is right, inviting the girls at the tea stand to Bible study (and they came).  But for the most part, it is still something that makes me a bit nervous.  I don't want to spout words without tact, but I don't want fear or timidity to be holding me back from sharing God's love to people who desperately need it.

When should we witness in Chiayi?  How should we witness?  To whom should we witness?  How is it similar and different than witnessing in America?  How is it similar and different than the early church?  I've emailed professors and mission supervisors these questions, looking for any clues to the answers within the shifting contexts of society and individuals.  What does God have in store for me to do here?  Whatever it is, I want to go at it at full speed forward, fueled by love, and unhindered by the brakes of fear.

How about you?  Thoughts?  Similar questions?  Input?  Scripture?  Email me at anna.gruen@cuw.edu.

Garden.

It's been over a month of teaching now, though it hardly seems possible.  Although I miss the colors and smells of fall, the air has changed here and no longer drips with humidity.  It's cool enough to wear a jacket at night, and the days have been breezy and pleasant.  I've started a little garden of vegetables and herbs-- something I never had too much patience for in the States.  The plant growth is so slow you can hardly see a difference from day to day.  But after a month, I look back and think of how those ambitious, gangly, vivacious shoots came from dry seeds and it seems impossible.  I think teaching is a lot like that-- day to day, you don't see the difference you are making.  But we still till, sow, water every day.   We work, we watch, we wait.  And eventually, we will be amazed at how our students have grown.  Gardening is teaching me patience and persistence despite a lack of instant feedback.  I almost wish we grew a garden as part of our education degree, because it's a powerful picture of what I'm learning as a first year teacher!

I officially received my first salary paycheck (huge excitement for the recent college grad!), and used part of it to buy a nice guitar.  It allows me to lead worship at a local church, Friday Night Bible Study songs, On Campus Student Fellowship on Thursday nights, a student worship band at the school, as well as enjoy personal worship time.  What a blessing!  I really cherish my new "baby".  :)  My newest project-- learning Chinese worship songs!  It's a good way to connect with Chinese Christians and learn more of the language. :)

I started tutoring for a prominent family in the community.  The family is quite rich and owns many different businesses in the area, so it could be a very influential job.  The girls are 6 and 8 years old, and it's definitely a stretch out of my preferred teaching age group (junior high and high school).  I need to look into kindergarten teaching strategies!  The family is Buddhist, but I wear my cross necklace and we'll see what opportunities God gives me to share His grace in love.

Part of my vocation here is improving the Spanish program.  Concordia Chiayi prides itself in being a prestigious school for the area as well as an international school.  The principal and administration are seeking to globalize the school as much as possible to increase it's draw to families in the community and to raise the school's expectations and vision.  As the sole Spanish teacher, some of this opportunity falls to me.  The Spanish program has only been around for 3 years at the school, and there are many changes that can be done to make it more effective and the students more successful.  I had a good meeting today with my advising senior teacher in which we discussed how we can stabilize and integrate the Spanish program into the school's higher vision.

God is faithful.  Every time I become discouraged at the number of students that don't know Him, He shows me that there are always people that are faithful to Him.  It reminds me of when God told Elijah about the 700 faithful in Israel that did not bow to Baal.  Simply knowing that there are students at Concordia who love Jesus gives me indescribable hope and joy!  Today I talked with an 11th grade student in my Spanish class who is heavily involved in her church, teaching Sunday school and attending youth group during the week.  Her parents are not Christian, but God planted the seed of faith in her and her sister through her local church and made it grow strong roots in their lives.  Now, it is a part of who she is.  She is a leader, a servant, and a reflection of God to her family and classmates.  I'm in awe of the way God changes hearts!  The plan of salvation and the work of the Holy Spirit is so much bigger than us!  We have to give all the credit and glory to God.

I should be sending out an official newsletter soon.  Until then, I hope this will suffice.  If you'd like me to write about something specific, or if you have any questions or are curious about different aspects of what's going on here in Taiwan, please feel free to email me at anna.gruen@cuw.edu.  I would love to hear from you all.

If any of you know of a good devotional book, I'm in the market to find one.  Tomorrow night I'm teaching the story Caleb and the topic of "Fear" in our Friday Night Bible Study senior high group.  So glad that God calls us out of fear and into His infinite love:

"There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out all fear."  1 John 4:18


I pray that this is true for you all in the name of Jesus.  God's blessings!

In Christ,

Anna

español

A huge part of my missionary position here in Taiwan, if not my main position, is being the best teacher I can be for my students.  This includes finding innovative and engaging ways to teach them, not once in a while, but every day.  Especially with my Spanish classes, for which I have no curriculum, this takes a lot of time and effort!  But God always gives me the grace to do my job.  I especially notice His power on days when I´m so tired I don´t know how I´m going to get through the day.  I´m DEFINITELY not a perfect teacher, but I try my best and we know that God can use even our mistakes for good.

Here is a video I made for one of my Spanish classes including Spanish vocabulary for hobbies.  The video stars some members of Team Taiwan, so I thought I would share it with you.  Humor is a huge tool that we use to connect with students and people in general, so it´s stuffed with silliness (maybe you need to know these characters to really find it hilarious! I don´t know).  Well, enjoy!


In Christ,

Anna Gruen

Galatians 6:9

The Honeymoon is Over.

... And after three weeks of well-behaved students, we're now starting to settle into the ordinary rhythm of school.  The newness has worn off-- students get bored quickly again, and they need motivation to keep working.   I've heard that the first year of teaching is a LOT of work, and I'm finding it to be true, especially as I create my own Spanish curriculum as I go (the school has no textbook, and doesn't want one).  I feel like I can never get ahead, and I look at my calendar and wonder how it's already Tuesday when yesterday was Friday.  BUT, you Americans know what I'm talking about.  Business is an integral aspect in American life.  Often times we don't know how to stop, and so I know you understand.


Teaching is rewarding, but so messy.  What is the best way to explain Jesus' parables to English learners?  Are my students comprehending everything?  Are they getting the information they need for their big exams?  Are they developing as people?  Am I showing equal concern for all students, or am I showing favoritism?  How do I engage the boys and girls in my class, when their interests and learning styles are so different?  These are the questions of a teacher, and sometimes I think these questions largely go unanswered.


If I had time to write, I'd tell you more about the house church I visited.  The place was flooded with food and families ready to welcome in new students of the local universities.  I'd tell you about the hiking trip I went on with a Taiwanese family, and all the Taiwanese things I learned and saw and ate.  I'd tell you more about Team Taiwan and how we at times drop personal plans to be there for each other and offer a hug and a listening ear.  Mostly I would tell you about my students.  They are each so precious, and I can't believe that I've been entrusted with their education and development.  God has blessed me with a handful of Christian students in each class that give me so much joy, and many more students who are willing and want to learn more about the Bible.  Please please please pray for my students.

In some ways, I feel as if I have finally passed over into adulthood.  I now no longer just take care of myself with an occasional helpful action offered to a friend, but I have children to take care of on a regular basis.  It changes the entire way I think and live.  I hope that I can be a blessing while I am here in Taiwan, but I sure am being blessed back quite a bit.  God is always teaching me and maturing me.  I guess He's good at this sort of thing:

"He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Philippians 1:6

I have confidence that this is true for all of you serving on the mission front back in America.  God is doing great works in you.

In Christ,

Anna

<><

Week 2

Well it looks as if I am settling into the groove of teaching.  I've decided that I absolutely love it.  I feel empowered as I connect with my students, teach them, and learn from them and colleagues too.  It's good to have a meaningful job that is accomplishing something worthwhile.  And now that most of my pre-lesson anxiety seems to be dissipating,  I hopefully won't be as exhausted as I was after my first week of teaching.

This week's lesson in Bible class was the Parable of the Prodigal Son.  I tried to make it personal and relevant to their culture of Taiwan in today's world.  We talked about how thorough and joyful is God's forgiveness (he doesn't just grudgingly welcome us back-- He runs to us!).  The students were engaged and seemed to understand.  Praise God for this opportunity for them to hear the good news!  It's easy for me to worry about my lesson and my performance as a teacher, but I can only do my best and pray that God will change hearts.  If He can speak through a donkey, I guess He can work through me, despite my mistakes and faults.  :)

In my last post I told you about the questionnaire I gave my 9th grade Bible students.  Here are some examples of my students' faith life:

"I believe on Jesus and God.  I chose my faith by myself before I went here.  I didn't any certain faith, so when I learn something about God, I think I want to believe Him, and follow the roles that Bible told people to do.  I think God is real and that's why I would have chosen believing in Jesus and God."

"I go to the temple to bai bai (worship ancestors).  I would go to the temple because my family would go to the temple to bai bai and my family affect me to go to the temple.  And I just follow with them to go to the temple to bai bai."

"I went to temple, because in Taiwan most people believe that, my parent also believe that, but I come to Concordia, I met Jesus.  Although I didn't meet him before, but I will try." 

"I belief in Jesus.  At first I didn't believe in any gods.  But until I came to Concordia and go to church. I decided to belief in Jesus.  God give me power and brave to do the things that I afraid to do.  When I sad I like to pray and talk to God."

When I first came to Taiwan, I was so overwhelmed by the people's need for the Truth that I became disheartened.  But now, I realize the importance of rejoicing in those students who do have faith in Jesus Christ.  These stories give me motivation to keep working hard, especially the stories that mention our school here as a catalyst for their faith.  Always, we have to fix our eyes on God's power and love and our promise of heaven.  When we look at the trouble around us, like Peter with the wind and the waves, we can lose hope.  But there is always hope when our eyes are fixed on Jesus!  He is our hope.

Team Taiwan has two new members-- Tracy from Chicago and Jen from New Jersey!  We will also be welcoming Zach from Arizona soon, which will complete our team for the year.  Please pray that they will adjust well to life in Taiwan and teaching, and that we can grow united as a team.

People of God, keep pressing toward the goal!  Chiayo! ("Step on the gas!")

God's blessings,

Anna

<><

One Week Marker

As I reflect on my first week of school and how much has happened, I can't believe I was so recently in America and wondering when I would come back to Taiwan.

I arrived early Sunday morning at 3:30 after a long journey (two flights, two taxis, and a bus).  On Sunday I had just enough time to catch a few hours of sleep, go to church, get the curriculum from my colleagues, and plan the first day.  School started Monday, and was a whirlwind until Friday night when I finally breathed and realized I survived the first week of my career-- praise God!

So far?  God has blessed my classes amazingly.  I have wonderful students and already have a good rapport with them.  I genuinely enjoyed the time in class.  It feels so good to be useful, to be responsible for such a precious thing (a classroom full of adolescent hearts and minds) and to be able to have  a positive impact on them.   God even gave me the ability to discipline those I needed to discipline, which doesn't come easy for me.  My first week was definitely not perfect, but it was a learning experience and very positive.  All praise and glory to God!


My class breakdown:

--   7th grade small group English classes
--   9th grade Writing & Bible   (both in the same class, with four different groups of kids)
--   9th, 10th, and 11th grade Spanish

One struggle:  I am not nervous while I'm teaching, but the time I spend waiting to teach is arduous.  I spend the time agonizing over, "did I prepare enough?  Am I ready to teach this lesson?  Will everything go smoothly?"  I'm sure once I get used to teaching, this pre-lesson stress will become minimal, but for now it's exhausting and monopolizes my free time.

My 9th grade Writing and Bible students' first assignment was to write a little about themselves so I could get to know them better.  On the handout was also a section on faith and what they believed.  Most of my students wrote "I have no faith" or "I pray to my ancestors".  A few wrote "I trust in Jesus", and of those, many mentioned the school as a main catalyst to their faith.  It gave me so much joy to see!

Whatever they wrote, whether Buddha or Jesus or ghosts or no faith, I wrote questions for them.  "Why do you believe this?"  "How can we know what is true?"  "What does this look like in your life?"  For my Buddhist students, I want them to seek truth rather than tradition.  For my Christian students, I want them to know why they believe.  I want them to make it their own, not just their parents' faith.  I want them to see how it makes them different from other faiths.   Wherever my students are in their faith, I am here to challenge it and help my students to grow.  Teachers can make such a difference.  Please pray that God would give me the wisdom, strength, and love to show my students Jesus, and that His Spirit would come to my students and create faith.

Today is Saturday and it couldn't be more relieving to have time to myself.  I'll probably spend the day organizing my desk and putting my room together.   Overall, it feels good to be back in Taiwan.  The amount of food I'm eating has been reduced to about 1/3 of what I was eating in the States (haha, it's a good thing, but what can I do when my mom is such an amazing cook?).  I wish I could send you all Taiwan tea with fresh passion fruit and pineapple because the taste is so heavenly that it's surreal.   Team Taiwan is just as goofy and loving as ever, and I already got to see some good Taiwanese friends from church.

That's it for now.  If anyone would like to email me and tell me how things are going in America, please feel free!  I would love to hear from you all.  You all have a very important mission in America and I pray that God will keep you safe, full of His Spirit, consistently in His Word, and passionate for His Name.  God's blessings to you all!  Galatians 6:9


In Christ,

Anna Gruen

My Definition of Miracle is Constantly Being Refined

Dear Friends in Christ,

When I found out I had to raise about $6,000 before I could return to Taiwan with only a couple weeks before the beginning of the school year, I freaked out a little!  I know God can provide, but how, and how quickly?  It's my first year teaching and I didn't want to miss any school.  Well friends, because of God's spirit of generosity in you, you all raised for me more than enough money for me to return to Taiwan!

Total amount needed for this year:   about   $8,000

Total amount raised:     about $13,650      (in just a matter of weeks!)


WOW!  Friends, I was blown away by YOUR GENEROSITY and by GOD'S PROVISION.  You held nothing back and gave with joyful hearts.  Thank you.

The rest of the amount raised will go towards next year, as I plan on spending a few years in Taiwan.  I am so grateful that I only missed the first three days of school, and that I am flying out tomorrow.  Praise God!  My next entry will be typed from the other side of the world. :)  Pray that God will teach me to love the people of Taiwan as He loves them.


In Christ,

Anna Gruen



"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."  1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Webpage

Thanks to my helpers at the LCMS office in St. Louis, my webpage is up and running!  Check it out:



www.lcms.org/gruen

Video

Hello friends!  I apologize that it's small in size, but here is a video I made to promote my fundraising.    It's under five minutes long, so I would be delighted if you took the time to watch it all the way through to the ending! 

ANOTHER WAY TO GIVE:  You can also give by check!  Make it out to LCMS International Mission and in the memo line write "Support Gruen Taiwan 69316".  You can send your check to:

LCMS Mission Advancement
1333 S. Kirkwood Rd,
St. Louis, MO 63122-7295

If you want to give but don't have the funds readily available, pledges are just as valuable to me.  Please e-mail me at anna.gruen@lcmsintl.org for more information on pledges.

Thank you for all your support, both financial and spiritual.  I am so excited to return to Taiwan.

In Christ,

Anna Gruen

Fundraising

Greetings everyone!


I've been home since the end of June, obviously too inundated with friends and family to update since arriving back in the States.  It's good to see everyone again, and it's refreshing to breathe air that's not saturated with humidity.

I'll be leaving again for Taiwan on August 10.  Until then, I have lots of fundraising to do!  I was officially accepted by LCMS World Mission only last week, which leaves me a week and a half now to fundraise my needed $6,000 of gifts and pledges.  If you would like to help me out, please visit www.lcms.org, click on Make a Gift, and then Missionary Support.  Then search my name (my page might not be up for a few days, so if you don't see it, try again).  If you can't find it or want to know of other ways to give, please email me at anna.gruen@lcmsintl.org.

Last Sunday I gave a presentation at my church about Taiwan and the work being done there.  It was a great turnout and I was happy to share the exciting news with so many people.  If you think your church would be interested in showing my video or presentation to promote supporting me in Taiwan, I would love to hear about the opportunity.

Thank you all for your prayers, encouragement, and support-- I cannot do this without you.  The next you'll be hearing from me will probably be in three weeks, when I'm settled back in and getting ready to teach.  God bless you all!


In Christ,

Anna Gruen

Tea, Book, Cat

Bang!  The lightning smacks the sky right above our heads.  There are few times in my life I've experienced lightening and thunder in perfect synchronization before, and even fewer times that I've experienced either lightening or thunder in Taiwan; it's always raining and never storming here.  Just as the lightening strikes, there's a heavy sheet of rain that starts pouring down on us, and the palm trees start dancing madly.  My scooter helmet doesn't have a visor and the rain drives at a steep angle into my eyes.  I close them and wait until I've been driven safely home.

The rain stops as quickly as it started, so that when we get home we are soaked and there's no longer any precipitation to blame it on.  I change into PJ's, grab a book, and heat up some tea.  Although I had planned to travel to an island during these last few days off, I don't mind the storm.  I am no different from when I was a child and the electricity went out:   we would light candles, watch the storm from the porch, play games and hear stories.  It was an adventure in its own right, and I was all excitement.

So I sit and read and sip tea, warm and dry with a kitten on my lap, and I think of how blessed I am.  God has been so good to me here in Taiwan, just like He was good to me back in America.  Just like I've seen Him bless people here and there, good and bad, believers and unbelievers ("the sun shines on the godly and ungodly").  He does so much more, far beyond what a "good God" needs to do.  What I mean is I think He doesn't need to be this good to us, He just wants to be.  God would still be "good" even if we are starving on the streets, even if like Job we lose everything and don't know the reason why.  Anything more than that is simply His bountiful grace.  Am I right?  Either way, I know I owe all this to God.  So thank you, God, for being so good to all of us!

Don't be concerned for me; Chiayi is a safe distance from the coast and our biggest threat is flooding.  But please pray for the people on the coast, as well as in Japan who will get one of the typhoons after us.

Typhoon Season

I was planning to go traveling with the three free days I have this week, but seeing how Taiwan is sandwiched between two typhoons right now, I'm hunkering down with plenty to eat and read for those days instead.  Typhoon Talim is going right through the Taiwan strait and should be hitting around midnight.  Please pray for safety for those living on the western coast.  Another one, Typhoon Guchol, is passing east of Taiwan and will hit Japan on Wednesday.  The kids in Chiayi aren't worried; when I asked them about it, they were excited to get a day or two off of school.

Other than getting grades done, I have no more responsibilities at school.  I plan to do a bit of souvenir shopping once the weather lets up and then pack up for home.

Can't wait to see everyone!

In Christ,

Anna



"Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So we fix our eyes on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

    2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

It's been raining hard for five days straight and the sky has been night-black with clouds even mid-day. Even though I'm the kind of person who comes back from a bike ride soaking wet and grinning from ear to ear, I'm starting to feel like I'm drowning.  When your mode of transportation is walking, biking, or by motor scooter, there is no way to stay dry.  The rain always finds its way under your poncho, and you're only as dry as your umbrella is wide.

This week I had the pleasure of meeting Yule and Yiwan, a middle-aged couple from church that I've heard so much about from the other team members.  Yule is retired from the Taiwanese air force and Yiwan is a music teacher in a public girl's high school (most high schools in Taiwan are segregated).  Today I got to visit her classes.  For the music appreciate part of the  class, she uses worship songs and the girls sing very enthusiastically.  Yiwan invited me to introduce myself and explain the songs "Give Thanks" and "Lord I Lift your Name on High".  I've never seen a happier class.  It was definitely a joy to see Yiwan's ministry that has been going on in a public high school for decades.  One of my fellow teachers at Concordia School went to that girl's high school, and she had Yiwan as a teacher.  "My first experience with Christianity was learning praise songs in Teacher Yiwan's class", she told me. Very neat experience!

Also, I'm realizing how BLESSED I am that God has made my transition to Taiwan so smooth.  I really love the team here, and even living in a "community house" that feels like a college dorm has really helped me in easing my way out of college life and community that I loved so dearly.  Tonight we celebrated a team member's birthday by going out to eat then back to their house for cake and ice cream.  On Thursday nights we have prayer time, sometimes outside, but on rainy days at the "Practice Hotel" where the girls live.  After prayer time tonight some of us girls just talked and laughed and it felt so refreshing to be able to have that same type of community here that I had in college.  God is good!  I think he knew I needed it, at least for this stage in the transition.


Less than two weeks until I come home!

Bible verse for the day:

¹⁹ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, ²⁰ built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. ²¹ In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.   


Ephesians 2:19-22



In Christ,

Anna

<><

Ohhh it hits and it hits hard.  Culture shock.  Homesickness.  Lethargy.  I've become very used to life here, and I've realize that I am very ready to come home.  I don't know if this phase will pass, but I know God is good and will give me what I need to make it until the summer, and then to be steadfast next year.

I was talking with my friend Noel, who is a runner and also a cancer survivor.  She compares being here to running a marathon.  It's a slower pace than what we're used to.  But it goes on and on and you need to keep going, even when you're tired.  Just keep going.

That's all for now.  Thank you for your prayers for my brother Jon, who just had his gall bladder removed and is still in the hospital.  I wish I could be there to support the family, but my support must be in prayers to God.  He certainly hears every one of them.


²² "Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, 
    for his compassions never fail. 
²³ They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness."   Lamentations 3:22-23


In Christ,

Anna

Last Friday

We've been praying for my friend, Janice.  Last week she surprised us with news of her retirement.  It was a bittersweet decision, as it would be for anyone.  On Friday, all Janice wanted to talk about were her reasons and thoughts concerning the next stage in her life.  She said to me, "Anna, now would be a good time to give me verses that make me feel better about things."  I opened my Bible to read her some things, but she took it from my hand to read it for herself.  We talked about the verses for a while, and afterwards she said that she was feeling much better.  When I told others about our conversation, they said that itself was a miracle.  As long as they've known her, Janice has always boasted in ancestor worship as the reason for her family's wealth and success.  But we've been praying for her and it seems like God is opening doors in her heart.

After school on Friday, I went to help some 7th grade girls with a project.  We were busy at work when all of a sudden my 7th grade friend (who I know well and spends a lot of time with us at church) jumped and gasped, saying she saw a ghost.  We resumed working for a while until she screamed, saying she saw it again.  The girls were half laughing half frightened and stayed kind of panicked until I asked if they wanted to pray.  We prayed, and I told them if they ever see a ghost, just tell him to go away.  But the most important part is to tell that ghost that Jesus says go away, because that's where the power is.  Jesus is more powerful than any ghost or spirit.  I know two of the girls that were there are Christians, but the other two I had just met.  Whether my friend saw an evil spirit or just something in her imagination I don't know, but it gave me an opportunity to witness to the power of the name of Jesus.  I do know that "ghosts", or evil spirits, are a common problem in Taiwan, and many people see claim to see them.

That's all for now.  I hope you all enjoyed the video in the previous post.  I am beginning the wind down for the school year.  My Spanish classes are all preparing final presentations, so my work is fairly light from here on out.  I don't mind having a month more of school than I'm used to, but I'm counting down the days to come home!

In Christ,


Anna

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Movie

The rice plants were short when I first came to Taiwan.  Now, they are long and lush and the grainy tops are turning white.  It feels like I've known the people and places here much longer than two months, so I imagine spending all of next school year here will have me really settled in.  What a great setup, to have three months as a student teacher to get accustomed to life and work here before I made any commitment.  God knew I needed it.

School update!  Spanish is a fun subject to teach because it is irrevocably connected to culture.  For our Spanish classes, my cooperating teacher Michael and I put together a Cinco de Mayo party (a little later in May).  We made fajitas, horchata, listened to Spanish music, and students decorated piñatas and got to experience the joy of piñata bashing!  All the while I was taking mental notes of what to do and what not to do next year.

Last weekend we took the kids to a Bolivian restaurant in Kaohsiung city, two hours away by train, because that is the closest hispanic restaurant.  We had a good time, even though it was rainy, and it was amazingly refreshing to speak Spanish with the workers at the restaurant.  I think it was a good experience for me as a teacher.  Before we went, I didn't consider a restaurant worth four hours in transit.  However, experience is the best teacher.  Students got to taste Bolivian cuisine, test out their Spanish skills on the waitresses, and enjoy the authentic atmosphere.  I am so glad we went!

Mission update!  I'm pretty sure the elderly lady that I've been going to see is deaf, which puts a damper in trying to communicate with her (as if another language wasn't enough).  However, I won't give up in going to visit her from time to time and pretend I can understand what she is saying.  I pray that God will help me find a way to communicate with her.  I've been trying to think of a name for her, since I can't figure her's out.  Maybe I will name her "Hope".

On my way to visit Hope, I stopped at a tea stand to get us two teas.  The three girls there were so excited to speak English with me, and we talked for a while.  I gave them cards for Friday Night Bible study, and they ended up coming last night, bringing sisters and boyfriends with them.  The three of them are really bright, outgoing, happy girls and I would love to see them come on a regular basis.  English is difficult for them though, so I pray that our message can be translated clearly for them.  Please pray for Pamela, May, and Tricia!

I found out that next year I will teach:

-- all Spanish classes
-- 9th grade Bible and writing  (there are ten 9th grade classes, so I split it with another teacher)
-- some small group conversational English classes.

I'm pumped!  God is good and teaching is so much more enjoyable when you teach something you enjoy. Adding some private tutoring on the side, I think I have a really good schedule.  One more month and I will be home!  I'm counting down the days.....


Anna

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The Just Will Live by Faith

I continue to learn that one of the hardest things about being a missionary is to TRUST and BE STILL.  There is so much to do and I want to do it all, I feel pushed to do it all.   Love and guilt have never been so difficult to distinguish from each other.  How difficult it is for me to maintain a healthy lifestyle when I always feel I should be praying more, always giving up more, always working more.   But, like Luther, God reveals to me again and again that there is no condemnation for those that are in Christ Jesus and that the righteous will live by faith.  I also felt better after talking to some of the missionaries.  One gave the advice to not be involved in anything your first year; just watch and learn.  Please pray that I can find a healthy balance between work and rest, ambition and stillness, not giving in to thoughts of guilt but knowing the Spirit's prodding and following it.  Americans understand this struggle more than anyone, maybe, because we are always always always busy.

God quieted my heart last night and faithfully reminded me that His grace and mercy are so much bigger than my insufficiency.  While I only see my failures when I look at myself, He sees me perfectly through Christ so that my sin isn't there and all that remains is love.  Christ died so that I don't have to be guilty anymore.  Why continue to live in guilt?

One of my favorite books is Song of Solomon because it shows the love Christ has for His bride, His Church:

"Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away,
for behold, the winter is past;
the rain is over and gone....."

"You are altogether beautiful, my love;
There is no flaw in you."


(the Beloved:)
"Set me as a seal upon your heart,
as a seal upon your arm,
for love is strong as death,
jealousy is fierce as the grave.
Its flashes are flashes of fire,
the very flame of the Lord.
Many waters cannot quench love,
neither can floods drown it.
If a man offered for love
all the wealth of his house,
he would be utterly despised."   Song of Solomon 2,3,8 (various verses)




Before my computer battery dies, a quick update:

--  I have been seeing an 82-year-old woman who I met while I was biking.  She only speaks Taiwanese so we only communicate through motions, but she brought me into her house and fed me.  She also pointed out all the places where water is leaking into her house (she is very poor).  I'm going to see what I can do to help her out. We enjoy each other's company at least, and it's fun to listen to her talk animatedly to me in Taiwanese as if I understand every word.   I've learned how to say "Jesus loves you" in Taiwanese!  We'll see what God will do, as she is definitely Buddhist.

-- I'm tutoring a 9th grade girl who is from a Christian family but wants nothing to do with Christianity.  I am praying and looking for opportunities to talk about Jesus in my life, as she obviously looks up to me and is opening up more and more.  I love my time with her each week and it brings me joy to connect with the young girls here.

-- My Chinese is slowly but gradually improving.  I can carry on simple conversations.  The hardest part is learning characters, so before that I'm learning bopomofo, the Mandarin phonetic alphabet.

That's all the battery I have for now.  Praying for you at home!

Anna

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Beginning

Hey faithful readers!


Well..... my decision.....

I accepted a position teaching in Taiwan next year.  It was probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make, and I struggled with it for a while.  But I was confident that either decision would be blessed as long as I remain in God, and I couldn't imagine leaving Taiwan after just being introduced to the people here.  I'm excited for next year and to see what God will do through and for me.  He is so faithful and I am so blessed!


Last night I led the Friday Night Bible Study high school group.  I had 9 students totally, 5 of them were new.  The lesson was Mark 12, and it has some difficult stories, especially because some of the students did not know English at all, so we had to wait for translations to go around the circle.  After the study, I got to talk with three of the new girls, who I learned were cousins; the oldest is my age and became a Christian when a friend brought her to church. She said she never liked praying to idols when she was young, and she never knew which one was "her Lord".  When she went to church it became clear to her who God is.  Then, she brought her two younger cousins to church.  She is baptized but her cousins are not yet.  She was filled with so much conviction and joy to follow Christ and it was encouraging to see.  I felt convicted to pray with them and I begged them to come back to church (I don't know if they have a church home).   God will work through people even when the circumstances seem impossible, and it was so great to see faith in the lives of these three girls.


One interesting thing about being a new missionary is discovering what is effective and what is not.  In hearing new Christian's stories, it seems like a lot of them were touched by hospitality-- food and invitations to spend time together reading the Bible.  Missionaries that invited people into their homes and fed them and talked with them are still remembered years later as being wonderful people.  I want to get in the habit of doing that; even though I don't have my own house, the "Practice Hotel" where the single girls missionaries live is nice and gives me a place to entertain.  Nothing develops good guan xi (a good rapport or trusting friendship) like hospitality!

That's it for now!  Blogging is overwhelming because there is SO much to write, so often times I don't write anything at all.  Thanks for putting up with my inconsistency.


In Christ,

Anna

<><

Two Weekends

Happy Mother's Day!


I really missed my mom today and my whole family for that matter.  Mom, no one could ever replace you in my life and I am so thankful for you.  But since I'm here, I did my best to make my self-proclaimed "Taiwanese mom" feel appreciated.  Janice got a flower, which made her beam and talk about it for the rest of the day.

TAICHUNG NIGHT MARKET.   Last weekend I went to visit my Taiwanese friend Erin at her university in middle Taiwan.  First we went to a night market in Taichung, the third largest city in Taiwan.  It was packed with people.  We looked up numbers for the average attendance at Taichung night market on the weekend-- 100,000!  In a space that I'm sure is less than a few square kilometers.  You don't have to walk, the crowds push you along.  I don't think I've ever eaten more of a variety of things before in my life, from grilled squid to sweet potato balls to lime jelly to green tea ice cream to durian, a very stinky fruit.

DURIAN.  My friend bought some durian before we hopped on the bus.  She said, "better eat it fast, I don't want to get in trouble."  I was thinking, what's wrong with this fruit?  I soon discovered its immense stink.  We sat in the back of the bus and ate our durian-- Erin in giant bites, me in little nibbles.  A few minutes later the bus stopped and the driver looked furiously around the bus.  "What's so stinky in here??" He yelled in Chinese.  No one answered, and Erin in and hid in our seats.  After staring everyone down, he gave up and started driving again, and I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.  Never underestimate the stink of the durian!

ERIN.   That night Erin and I slept at her church.  She is the first Christian in her family and I enjoyed time to talk and hearing some more of her story.  She is able to stream a Christian radio station from St. Louis through her phone and listens to it all the time.  She's a great tour guide and a very sweet girl!


SUN MOON LAKE.  The next day we went to a beautiful lake in the mountains called Sun Moon Lake. It's smaller than Lake Geneva but very popular as one of the bigger lakes in Taiwan.  There we enjoyed the view, the pineapple, and also visited some indigenous shops.  There are something like 12 different indigenous groups in Taiwan, and I don't know too much about them yet.  Being at Sun Moon Lake made me miss home and made me realize how much I love the water.  It's easy to take the beauty of Lake Michigan for granted.

Professional engagement photos in Taiwan are extravagant and a bigger deal than wedding photos.

Sunset at Sun Moon Lake

TUTORING.  It's the work week again and now have three students that I meet once a week to help them learn English.  I really love working with kids one-on-one and getting to know them.  Teaching Spanish is exciting for me but also very difficult as there is no curriculum.  It's very freeing because I can choose what I want to teach, but also difficult knowing how it all fits together and how to time the lessons within a schedule.  This week we are having a Cinco de Mayo party, complete with piñatas that I am making!  It should be a fun cultural experience for the kids. I am transitioning between English teachers right now, so I'm back to observing for a week.


THIS WEEKEND.   On Saturday I had the opportunity of visiting a public school.  I was invited to teach them a song, so I taught them Amazing Grace and the meaning behind it.  Then I went out with my friend and her family to try some duck soup, which is pretty good. We visited a temple dedicated to Matsu.  Matsu is the goddess of the sea and the protector of fisherman.  I read on a sign that the original temple built for Matsu was destroyed in a flood... ironic.  I took a video of the ceremony that we saw which was for bringing gods into and out of the temple so they can travel.  

Thirty-five public school 8th grade girls got to hear the Gospel today.  An opportunity I didn't even ask for but am so blessed to have had!

Duck soup.  It's pretty good.

My friends Tina and Antonio.  

"Changing of the gods".

That's it for now folks.  Enjoy the pictures and the video.  I hope and pray you all had a very blessed Mother's Day.  My placement is halfway done and I'll be home before I know it!




       "Those who lavish gold from the purse, and weigh out silver in the scales, hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god; then they fall down and worship! They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it, they set it in its place, and it stands there; it cannot move from its place. If one cries to it, it does not answer or save him from his trouble.     
      “Remember this and stand firm, recall it to mind, you transgressors, remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'


Isaiah 46:6-10


Anna


<><

Promise!

Ok, ok, ok....  I know I haven't updated in a while.  Which is why I am promising to update tomorrow.

In the meantime, enjoy some random videos that I found from a few weekends ago.

Your Bible verse of the day:

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am sure than neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:37-39

In Christ,

Anna

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Squid in Kenting night market:

(I know in the video I say "fried".... I definitely meant "grilled".  I was tired...)

Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you:  the ocean.

And also, the lovely Petrea teaching a Bible lesson to first grade: