2000-12-12

Newsletter 12-12-00
Dear Co-laborers –

These past few weeks have been full of opportunities to serve the Lord, and with this newsletter, we hope to reflect some of the ways you may recognize answers to your prayers and how you can be praying for us between now and the holidays. But first we want to thank God for you, for we are continuously reminded of your partnership with us in this work… we need you as our praying co-laborers.

We feel like we have made some real progress in our language study. In part, the progress comes as we find these past few lessons have been very practical and coincided with our experiences. For example, we have always had to rely on others to order for us in a restaurant or we simply stop by the places where pointing and uttering “jug ah, nug ah??? (this, that) suffice. Last night, Jackie walked into the local Cantonese Restaurant, uttered the words “to go??? and “2 orders of Cantonese Fried Rice??? all in Chinese. We got home and rejoiced over our meal that was exactly what we ordered! We actually ate without reaching for a fork, since we are also progressing in the use of chopsticks! We want to thank you for your investment in prayers for us in our language study. Your prayers complement the practical outworking of our studies. Please continue to pray that our minds will learn quickly and especially that we would remember the proper use of words when we are put to the test on the streets. We often say “hello, when we should say goodbye??? (I, don’t know why ??? – for you Beatle fans!) and we often say “thank you??? when we should say “excuse me, I’m sorry???.

Some of you have been praying that we would develop Chinese friendships. The past couple of weeks have been full of blessings in answer to those prayers. First, may I ask you to pray for my new friend Ping? I met her the first week of BSF and truly sensed a genuine concern and mutual interest to get to know one another. While visiting over a long lunch in our home, we were blessed as we shared our faith and common life concerns. Ping has her PhD. in psychiatric nursing and currently teaches student resident nurses at a local hospital. Please pray for Ping as she seeks to impact her students and patients with the message and life of Christ. Please pray for me as I seek to be a friend and encouraging prop to her.

I received a pleasant surprise when I sought to get to know another new acquaintance Ruth, who is a discussion leader in BSF. We walked to her office one Saturday after leaders meeting so we could visit and pray together. To my surprise, we entered the Chinese Evangelical Seminary and Bethany school where she works as a registrar. As she showed me around the seminary, I felt an awe of being in a place that had trained so many committed servants for Asia and other parts of the world. Jackie & I received an open invitation to come study, and use the resources in their fully stocked library. (I felt like a kid standing in a candy store!) Ruth invited Jackie and I to go with her on Saturday (9th) on an outing that turned out to be exhausting and yet a real treat! I was amazed when I asked Ruth how she could invite Jackie along when she hadn’t ever met him. She responded, “I see him in you already, and I like him just fine.???

We traveled with Ruth on the train going outside Taipei, alongside the Danshui River, towards the end of the line at Tamshui (Dan Shui) where it ends at the Taiwan Straight seashore. However, we first stopped off at Chuwei (jew whey) for a 3-hour treat. We attended the 41st Anniversary celebration at Christ’s College where Ruth’s brother Amos, serves as chaplain. We ran into our language teacher Gwey and her daughter Kelly who is a third year student among 850 students at this school. You have no idea how thrilled we were to recognize a familiar face among an Asian crowd! Remembering how we had once toured several American college campuses a few years ago with our college bound children; it was very humbling to observe the simplicity of the classrooms, administrative facilities and dorms. We visited over tea for a few minutes with Ruth’s brother and wife in their simple home before descending (on foot, of course) the great hill the college sits atop. The view was spectacular! Amos shared with us that 50% of the students arrive at Christ College as seekers and by the time the class graduates, 75% make the decision to accept Christ as their personal Savior. Our visit was interrupted by one of the seeker students, who openly confessed to us when introduced that she is not a Christian. It was later explained to us that because she is from a strong Buddhist family, she is afraid to make the most important decision of her life. Please pray for Alexandria and the many other students who are seeking the truth, yet are still bound by fear.

By the time we arrived at the seashore (three train stops later), it was getting late in the day. We followed Ruth uphill through the narrow steep streets that she once traveled as a child. We stopped off and rested a few minutes on the steps of a Buddhist temple so Jackie could work on the camera. Sad to say, all of the photos he took throughout the day accidentally got deleted. As he worked on the camera, I sat carefully listening to Ruth as she shared how her father had become a Christian by the witness of a Missionary while living in Mainland China. The people here ALWAYS call China, “Mainland China??? (but sounds like they are saying “man in China???). Her parents are first generation Christians who diligently raised their children to know Christ. Ruth and all three of her adult siblings are now serving the Lord. Her father attended the college campus that she was now leading us to. Although we were weary from the climb, the campus, now called Aletheia (meaning Truth) College was breath taking. We will have to return again to photograph the cathedral, beautifully landscaped grounds, and the mountainous view. As I reflect back upon our trip with Ruth, I realize that she was entrusting her heart to us as she shared her family and a peace of their history. We had been warned that the Chinese are slow in developing friendships with foreigners, but once developed, they are life long friends. Please pray for good health and stamina for Ruth as she cares for her widowed mother and travels to Taipei daily to work at the Seminary/Bethany School.

Lastly, I’d like to share what I ask will be utmost in your prayers for the next couple of weeks. One of the children’s leaders in BSF invited me to share the Christmas story and gospel message with her students at the school she works at. I prayerfully said “yes??? (2 Timothy 4:5) and Jackie and I took a trial run to Shihpai so I would be familiar with the area. I’m very thankful that he is so good with maps; it helps lower my apprehension about traveling alone on December 22nd at rush hour. We didn’t enter the gate of the school that rests at the foot of a mountain, but as we looked up, we could see how Yangming Medical College is beautifully snuggled into the mountainside. (No I won’t have to climb up the mountain. A bus will take me from the subway stop to the top of the mountain.) Please pray for me as I prepare to share with two classes (30 students per class) of 18 year olds in such a way that will present the truth, challenging each heart to consider making the most important decision of their life.

We know this newsletter is longer than most; we thank you for taking the time to read it and for you prayer investment in our service in Taiwan. On a personal note, please pray that we would keep our focus on Christ and that we would rest in His joy and peace as we spend our first Christmas away from our children and families. Please pray for Jackie as he helps the East Asia Mission office in the preparations for the Area General Meeting (gathering of missionaries from all over the East Asia region) that will be held in Thailand in January. Also pray for the Lord to comfort his mother and family members as they grieve the recent death of his uncle.

Love,
Jackie & Fran

The harvest is plentiful… Matthew 9:37-38

P.S. We still have a 1995 Geo Prizm (in perfect condition) for sale ???

East Asia Travel Tip:
Stand in the middle of the food court at your local shopping mall. As you take in the many aromas, imagine them all foreign to your nose and one of the aromas is rightfully named “Stinky Tofu (dough-foo).???

We must use certain e-mail addresses for security reasons. However, please reply to either:
jackiebell@usa.net or franbell@usa.net

http://bellcentral.dhs.org