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