Mission Taiwan

Jeremy Shuck

St. Augustine said “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” The page we read in the U.S., describes intolerance for the name of Jesus in schools and a general disdain for anyone who pursues the Holy Spirit. What a small team of ministers found written over the island of Taiwan is very different.

John Wen led a team of Texans to the other side of the world. They are the type of people foolish enough to believe they could start a move of the Holy Spirit in a vastly Buddhist college. A perfect group for an interesting trip. My name is Jeremy Shuck, and I was part of that group.

Here’s the break down… We had a week of unsupervised contact with over one hundred unsaved college freshman. It was required for them to attend our English classes, where we could talk about Jesus with no objections from the school authorities! Additionally, the students had to attend our evening sessions where the worship band would play and the gospel would be preached. What a set up for crazy things to happen!

Right away we noticed how the Taiwanese people are very spiritual. Temples every where, incense smoke-filled shrines on the side of the road, taxi cabs with little Buddha dolls glued to the dash board; it was hard to miss. They were dedicated to praying to chunks of wood, thinking them to be gods. Oppressed and held captive by the very thing they hoped would set them free. What these people really need is an experience with a Spirit, Who will answer when they call. So, that was our objective… introducing them to the Holy Spirit.

The students were very excited to hang out with guitar-toting white folk. We had no trouble gaining their attention. In classes, we taught conversational English and basic skills, such as cooking, dance, and drama. After we got to know our students and began having fun with them, we started telling them about Jesus. Surprisingly they were very interested. It was nothing like a US school, where people roll their eyes, or scatter when Jesus is mentioned. We prayed for healing, we saw tears, we felt hearts opening in students who feeling the true love of God for the first time. At night we worshiped the Lord as well as we knew how. The students danced.

By the end of the week, a dozen or more kids believed and called on the Name of Jesus. On the last night, we received accurate prophetic words of knowledge for strangers in the meeting, which no one over there had ever experienced before. Eye sight was healed, arthritis was healed, insomnia was healed. Tears of emotional healing were shed by many. We invited people to come forward for personal prayer and long lines formed. We prayed for hours and people waited. They were hungry for true food from heaven.

Since we left, the Christian Fellowship on campus has doubled. The Holy Spirit brought a fresh wind of strength and passion. The school has asked us to come back next year, because they had the greatest response from the students when asked about the English classes. Jesus opened a door that no man can shut.

神的信實何奇廣大!

溫正祥

10/10/2007

感謝神應許了我們十頊的禱告。保守了我們一行十人從早忙到晚，不但不生病，還大有從神來的能力和喜樂，白天教英文營，晚上帶學生敬拜神。 又使我們來自七個不同教會的弟兄姊妹都能因著神，出於神，在一主，一信，一洗之下，同心合意的興旺福音，帶領了廾來人信主。又在敬拜神之後，提供學生禱告事工為他們的需要代禱。感謝神，我們隨著聖靈做工，至少有三人得醫治，又有多人得到預言事奉的幫助。 並且復興了學校的基督徒教授來造就新信主的學生，更給宣教士帶來安慰和鼓勵。

在這次短宣中，我們有許多的見証，在此我想只分享其中的一個見証來頌讚神的信實何奇廣大!

當今年五月，神感動我要帶一敬拜團去台灣敬拜祂時，心想每晚都能帶學生敬拜神多好，但談何容易，要去那裡找個敬拜團? 然而在一次禱告中，我向神說: 情願放棄學校給我們住的四星半級的豪華旅館，省下錢來支助敬拜團，不久後便有一個美國教會的敬拜團說願意去，並想要自行籌款。 原來，神早已預備了一個敬拜團去台宣。 之後，ACC弟兄姊妹們的奉獻支持更讓神的心意得到滿足。

但是撒旦的阻撓卻是不斷。 在出發前兩週，低音吉他手(Bass guitar player)臨時有事不能去，我到處打聽，也沒找著。但意外地竟在團員中問到有人可以彈吉他，而且他還有特別的低音吉他。 原來，神早已預備了這一位低音吉他手。

接著，到了出發前三天才突然發現，早已付了錢的鼓手(Drummer)機票竟然被取消了。 真是晴天霹厲，沒有了豉手怎麼能做音樂敬拜?! 雖是旅行社的錯誤，因更改名字而忘記買票，卻用對的名字發出作廢的機票給我，使我一直誤認為是機票，但這麼晚了，旅行社再也無法找到任何的機票。當時我的心情非常沈重，就只能向神呼求: 願敬拜神的這件美事還是能夠成就。禱告完後心中覺得平安，就再問旅行社一次，結果竟然有了機票，而且還是同樣的價錢。神奇妙的解決了這個機票問題，使得我們台宣敬拜團能夠順利的成行。原來，神早已預備了這一張鼓手的即時機票。

到了長榮大學排演時，敬拜團才發現學校的音響設備殘缺不全，雜音也很多，花了三個多小時，效果還是很差，這時，我就只有禱告，願我們還是可以敬拜神。 到了第二天，遠在高雄的SBC牧師，Rev。 Mike Miller來看我。 我們第一次見面, 卻一見如故，很興奮的談起了神要我們先敬拜衪，再來領人信主。 我也順便提到我們敬拜團昨晚忙了一陣，雖然用這麼差的音響，也沒有抱怨，還連夜趕去台南市想要自己出錢買些新的音響設備來。我就請他為這音響設備禱告，不要變得更壞了。

想不到，下午時他便開了車回高雄去, 兩小時後搬了一套不大，卻很重的音響設備來了。 他說這是今年五月份時，一個美國宣教隊走後留給他的。 他不懂得怎麼用，也不知道能不能接樂器，就帶來試試看。 我們敬拜團一看見，便立即開箱接上樂器，一下著就排演成功，而且音質又是非常的優美，就即時的完成了當晚的第一場敬拜。以後，我們每晚都靠了這套音響設備來敬拜神。

原來，神早已預備了這套昂貴的高級音樂會演湊系統，不單是普通的音響設備而已。 原來，神早已預備了這麼一位來自HCC的低音吉他手。 原來，神早已預備了這一張鼓手的即時機票，讓敬拜團可以成行。原來，神早已預備了這一個美國教會的敬拜團去台宣。 原來，神早已預備了我們要在台灣藉著敬拜，領人信主，並行神蹟奇事來擴充祂的國度。

神的信實原來的確是何奇廣大! 顯在我們的身上，願所有的榮耀頌讚都歸與祂、直到永遠。阿們!

 

How great is thy faithfulness – English version

John Wen

Oct 21, 2007

Thank God for answering all our ten prayer requests. He strengthened us to work from morning till night, teach English camp during the day and lead students to worship God during the night. Although we were very exhausted every day, but no one became sick and everyone was joyful and filled with the Holy Spirit. On the second day, the university told me that the students felt being loved by us. I also want to thank God for uniting us from seven different churches through Him, and under one Lord, one faith and one baptism to work together for the gospel to extend His kingdom in Taiwan. Praise the Lord! We had twenty plus new believers, at least three persons were healed and many more were greatly comforted by the prayer ministry after worshiping God.

There were many wonderful testimonies during our mission trip; I’d like to share with you just one to praise His wonderful faithfulness upon us.

Back in May I was touched by God to bring a worship team to Taiwan to praise His name above all other gods there. I didn’t know a worship team wanting to go. One day in my prayer, I said to God that I’d rather giving up our four and half star, luxury hotel accommodation to save money for supporting a worship team. Soon afterwards, a worship team from a local American church, Wellspring church, told me that they were willing to go, and will try to raise fund as well. It turns out that God had long ago prepared this worship team for mission Taiwan.

But Satan started to work overtime to block this. First, just two weeks before the trip, the Bass guitar player can’t go. I searched for a replacement in vain, unexpectedly I found out one of the mission members played guitar, and furthermore he also had this special Bass guitar. It turned out that God had long ago prepared this Bass guitar player from Houston Chinese Church.

And then, just three days before our departure, suddenly I discovered that our drummer’s ticket got canceled after examining his four page long ticket. I called the travel agency to find out that it was their mistake of forgetting to buy a new ticket after a name correction, instead, issuing me a canceled ticket with a correct name on it, that misled me to think I have received the right ticket all along.

But only three days to go, there was not a single ticket can be found at such late. I dropped in despair, and cried out to God to let us still be able to worship Him. After praying, I felt peace in me, then I called the travel agency again to find me a ticket. After a long hold, the agent shouted out that a ticket just became available. But for a long while I was afraid to ask about the price, what if a high price for the first class ticket? Finally I did, and they told me the same old price. It turned that God had long ago prepared this last minute ticket for our drummer.

Upon arriving at the university, the worship team found out the horrible condition of the sound system. After more than three hours of trying to set it up, its sound quality was still poor. At this time, I can only pray to God to behold the sound system so that we can still worship Him. The next morning, Rev Mike Miller of SBC stationing in Kaoshiung came to meet me. We were all excited to meet each other the first time, and happily talking about praising God to let Him touch students so we can outreach them afterwards.

I then mentioned to him about our team spending so much effort last night trying to set up the poor sound system. Although the sound quality was still poor, but nobody complained, and even taking a taxi all the way to find a music store in a large city nearby late into the night, trying to buy some sound equipments themselves. And then, I asked him to pray for the sound equipments not getting worse.

Out of sight, he drove couple hours all the way back to Kaohsiung and brought back a black box two hours later. It was compact but very heavy. He told me that he didn’t know how to use it, and had no idea if it can be used with our guitars. That was a gift from an American mission team when they left Taiwan just this past May. He thought to bring it over for us to try it out. Soon our worship team saw this, setting up the box and connected all their equipments to it. Almost instantly it worked and played perfectly great music, just in time for the first night’s worship. Afterwards, we used this sound system to worship God every night.

It turned out that God had long ago prepared this wonderful sound system for us to worship Him, not just a simple sound amplifier. I turned out that God had long ago prepared a Bass guitar player for the worship team. It turned out that God had long ago prepared this last minute airline ticket for our drummer to make the trip. It turned out that God had long ago prepared this worship team for mission Taiwan. It turned out that God had long ago wanted us to worship Him first, outreached students later, and then He will use signs and wonders to extend His kingdom in Taiwan. Praise the Lord, His faithfulness turns out to be indeed truly wonderful and great upon us. Praise the Lord, Amen.

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同心同行

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謝安娜

上次全家一塊兒去短宣是1999年的聖誕節，那時從ACC開出兩部大巴士，一起參與美中密蘇里州冬令會的事奉。八年後兩個孩子，期期和德德，都已畢業工作了。這次他們請假，自費參與，我們全家再次同心同行地踏上台宣之旅。

感謝神在這次的短宣中讓我們有下面的體驗和感恩：

由於孩子們有雙語的背景，他們不但與英文營當地的學生們比較容易溝通，也幫助美國的弟兄姊妹們能儘快的進入情況。有時他們會提醒我們一些有關中西文化的差異，讓我們能更周到且即時的關懷隊員的需要。此外，他們也時常有很好的觀察，能做眾人隨時的幫助。

孩子們自從大學就離家，這是很難得的機會可以長時間的相處，共同服事。藉著此行縮短了時空的距離，讓我們可以敞開心胸，彼此溝通並瞭解雙方的需要，再次重溫全家共處的喜樂。

我們欣慰孩子能熱忱的愛主，也讓我們夫婦有時間深入的分享過去多次參與短宣、事奉和工作的得著與經驗。另一方面，當然也看到他們需要有更多的歷練和成長的空間。我們也把握機會瞭解年輕一代的想法與作法，可以跟上時代的腳步，以便精益求精。

反觀現今許多家庭存在著親子溝通的問題，讓我們更加感謝主恩。看到我們全家可以在生活上互相關照，在思想上溝通如宜，在靈裡更深的交通，得以彼此代禱和激勵。讓我們認知：勸誡是出於愛，溝通是出於愛，饒恕也是出於愛。在十天的短宣中，我們豐豐富富經歷到神的信實，祂行了許多神蹟奇事。 白天裡我們教英文，晚間帶領大家敬拜神。祂的靈感動了來自七個教會和機構的弟兄姐妹在一主 、一信 、一洗裡，因著 神而同心合意的興旺福音。祂更感動台灣長榮大學的新生們，讓這次的英文營成為福音營。神藉此激勵了大學裡的基督徒學生與教授們可以火熱的傳福音並興旺了 神的團契，神真真實實讓我們經歷了傳揚福音的喜樂。神的祝福也就臨到了我們一家四口，使我們得以在奔走天路上，更加親密的同心同行。