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May 2010

CHURCH PLANTING

Donggang:

Christine Dillon will be visiting her brother’s family in central Asia for 3 weeks of May. She will be speaking at their annual conference, including seminars on evangelism using story telling and 1-2-1 discipleship in a Muslim context. Pray for health, energy and wisdom.

While she is away pray that those who have heard Bible stories in Donggang will not be able to forget them. Pray for some men come to Christ and for the start of some small house churches. Christine has found a local co-worker, Golden Orchid, who is a wonderful story teller. She will be teaching 5 OT stories to the Tuesday night Bible study at the Presbyterian church while Christine is away. Pray they catch the vision to share them.

Hengchun

An encouraging development is the increase in the number of men coming to church meetings or Bible study. Also more church members are meeting together to study the Bible and pray during the week. Wisdom is needed to know how to disciple new believers. Pray that church members will stand firm despite facing overwhelming personal problems and stress from work.

Wanhua

The little group that meets under the tree in Fumin have heard all the Chronological Bible stories which present God's plan of salvation from Genesis through to the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts. Pray that they will come to faith in Christ whom they have now heard about. Randy and Janet Adams will be going on a 6 month HA in July and plan to use these next two months to help Liok-keng, their Taiwanese co-worker, and Charissa Mak to team up to continue sharing Bible stories and ministering to these Fumin friends.

Taiping

The park ministry continues every Sunday. Praise God for good weather. Many people come to hear Bible stories. Pray that the Holy Spirit touches their hearts. The team is currently looking to rent a place as a gospel center in Taiping.

Robb & Holly Branch ask pray for Holly’s cousin Huey-Lin. She is still in hospital recovering from Anaphylactoid Syndrome after having a baby 7 months ago. Another cousin Chi-Hsin has cancer. He and his wife have a one year old son. Pray for their daughter Shannon's mental, physical, and spiritual growth. She will be in middle school after summer.

Tim & Jennifer McCracken will go on HA in two months, and need to get many things ready for the US. They will also be prepping for the arrival of two new families and one single missionary, and organizing a new workers conference. Pray for their Bible studies in Taiping, especially with Mr. Tiu.

URBAN MARGINALIZED MINISTRY

The Spring

A-Chyung goes back to work with Operation dawn after two years of internship in The Spring. This is a great loss for De-Li & Shou-Hwa. Friendship Presbyterian Church is sending some volunteers, but this will not be the same as sharing the responsibility with a full-time co-worker.

Pearl Family Garden

In April they started a small handicraft project one afternoon a week. The ladies can earn a small amount of money. Two ladies in their sixties are interested. Pray that more ladies will come, and for people and opportunities to sell their products. Though a small beginning, may the Lord show the way ahead and provide the right people to develop small projects like this.

Tera Van Twillert and Teo Sin Ee ask prayer to connect with a Christian businessman who is willing to help develop business ideas and provide alternative employment opportunities for the ladies. 



Longtan Prison Ministry

Every week, for 6-8 weeks, Ina van der Schyff and Sin Ee meet up with a group of 8 ladies for health education (focusing on HIV and drug addiction). Pray for good relationships and opportunities to build trust and share the gospel. Ina is working with other healthcare workers to start a support group for ladies who leave prison. Pray for Sin Ee as she gets to know these co-workers and the other ministries that Ina is involved in.

Taoyuan Reformatory

The church service at the Reformatory has still not recommenced. It is no more the question of no available room. Lately lots of Buddhist activities are encouraged from higher authorities. Pray for a breakthrough by the gospel.

May 7th is the next Parents day at the Reformatory. Pray for guidance that Margret Zingg knows whom to talk with and that she can be an encourager. Margret will be on HA from May 10th to August 21st. Thank God that the helpers are willing to take on more responsibilities. Pray for them and for God’s work in the lives of the boys.


YOUTH & STUDENT MINISTRIES


Birgit Glaw praises God for all the students now coming to the Chiayi center on Friday night for supper and staying for the Bible study. Pray for Seann Gibson and Birgit as they lead. They have been reading Genesis stories. They pray that as they read the NT in May the youth will get a deep understanding abut Jesus’ love for them and will make personal decisions to believe and follow Him. Pray for Oliver who ants to be baptized. This will take place May 29. Pray that many friends will be able to join and it will be a great day of celebration.

Pray for all the vocational students who will have their big college tests on the May 15-16.

Pray for Michael (15) who used to join the Wanhua kids’ club. Until a few months ago, he came regularly to the park on Saturday afternoons to say hi and chat. But since Chinese New Year he has rarely appeared. While prayer walking Veronika Rieben met him by chance in a group of dubious looking young men that she has not seen before. When he saw Veronika, he immediately left the group and pulled her around the corner so that they couldn’t be seen. He said that school is so boring and he is only going occasionally. The internet café is so much more fun.

The OMFers know many others in similar situations. Pray that Michael doesn’t continue hanging out with these young men and goes back to school. Pray that he will also turn back to Jesus. Pray for the team to know how God wants to use them among these young people and for open hearts.

This is the final semester before David & Judy Newquist retire from teaching at Tunghai University. Their life seems busier than ever. They need wisdom for mentoring individual students meeting with them weekly, and for making meaningful connections with graduates returning to say good-bye. In the busyness they need to maintain their own spiritual life, so that the Lord can minister through them to those He brings. David also has two speaking engagements at another college, and will preach May 30 at the Tunghai Chapel. Judy will speak on Mother's Day at a church down south. Pray that God will give His special words for each occasion.

CHURCH & LEADERSHIP TRAINING


Anne Alexander is glad the end is in sight for her classes, but pleads for prayer for establishment of StorySeed as a nonprofit for teaching Bible storytelling. Preparations are proceeding for the October workshops with many details to be worked out for training in 4 or 5 cities. Pray for the planning process and for fruit from all the effort invested.

Clara Cheng’s right ankle has been inflamed for two months, and is still unable to walk. Pray for healing when she tries physical therapy. She feels the tiredness of being at the end of her four year term but this disabling tires her out even more. Pray for impact on the students in her Intercultural Missions course. Pray for her preparation for a month of deputation in Hong Kong. She does not really have time for the preparation while she teaches. May the Lord inspire her in this.


Four missionary trainees at Banner church will complete the lecture room stage of their preparation this month. Andy Wilson will be facilitating sessions on Creative Pioneering on Fridays. Fellow OMFers will be sharing on grassroots evangelism and a Banner worker from a Creative Access field will share on the challenges there. Martin Symonds will also do a weeklong series on cross cultural immersion. The trainees then move on to practical pioneering and church planting experience in Taiwan before beginning overseas ministry in a couple of years. After the training is over they will assess the feedback and plan for next year.

LANGUAGE STUDY


February and March were tough months for Nancy Elumba with lots of running around, delayed visa application and some health concerns. She praises God for answered prayers: a visa, safe travel from Manila to Orientation Course and Taiwan, health, loved ones and friends who sent her off, met her at airports and brought her around the neighborhood, provision of food and things needed to get settled and adjusted. Thank you for helping and for praying.

She asks prayer for: 1. Safety and good health. 2. Love & wisdom in relating with the Taiwanese, the Filipinas and others. 3. Financial provision. 4. Good language learning, able to master speaking in Mandarin in a reasonable time period 5. Protection of loved ones in Quezon City & Butuan City, Philippines & Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

David & Sigrun Jansen give thanks for:
 1. Birthdays for Sigrun and their son Emmanuel. 2. Friends and family around the world!
 3. Language study moving along rapidly.
 4. An overabundance of contact and relationship building with Taiwanese neighbors. 
5. Shuinan Presbyterian Church, the caring local Taiwanese church they attend. 
6. Steadfastness of fellow missioners.


They ask prayer for: 1. Spiritual strongholds to be brought down in Jesus’ name & revival in Taiwan for the Christians and mass conversion of the not-yet- Christians. 
2. God’s guidance in relationships established with Taiwanese friends Duff, Grace, Tony, their families, and the staff at the kindergarten.
 3. Healing for sisters Christine, suffering from MS, and Lauren, who is recovering from back injuries. 
4. Some marital stress from cultural readjustment. 
5. Continued discipline in language studies and daily devotional times.

The Nobles are so thankful for the continued attendance of MK’s at OMF KOFFEE KLUB. This month will be the last time OKK will be on until the start of the next school year in August. Pray for discernment in scheduling so as many children as possible can attend. They are grateful for Stephen finishing the second book of Mandarin study last month. Pray for continued progress this month. Megan is relieved to have finished her second practicum for her teaching masters. Pray for her time management to get the last assignments in at the end of this month. The Noble children are excited to be finishing their first year at Morrison. Remember them to the Lord for good exam prep. Faith was seen by a learning specialist last month. Pray that the strategies that have been put in place for her will be effective.

OTHER MATTERS

May is a month of many meetings:

* There will be a New Workers Conference on May 7-9. May this be a good time of fellowship, encouragement and training for all the new missionaries God has sent to OMF Taiwan.



* Taiwan Field Council will be meeting on May 10-12. Pray for wisdom in all the discussions.



* Phil Nicholson and David Eastwood will attend International Council in Singapore, May 21-28. This triennial gathering of leaders from all OMF fields and sending countries is a key time for setting the future direction of OMF ministries. Pray that God will give OMF leadership a clear and united vision of how we should be serving Him over the next few years.