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

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