2002-03-23

3-23-2002
Jack & Fran’s Update

Our life is full and active as we seek to serve a fully active God! Our trip to Thailand was a time of reuniting with friends from our missionary training in July 2000. We had the honor of serving on the planning team with 40 co-workers, handling logistical and administrative responsibilities for the annual meeting that hopefully met the needs of about 900 personnel serving in East Asia. Saddleback Church in CA came and led us in worship each day and the mission offered materials and seminars to enhance everyone’s Great Commission service.

We joined a nearby gym in January, and are beginning to feel better (although this was interrupted for 3 weeks in Feb while in Thailand). We met a 20-year-old trainer at the gym, named Jet and he is asking questions about God. I gave him a New Testament and a vcd with the story of Jesus just before we left for Thailand. One of the many things we pray for Jet, is that God would draw him by his Spirit to understand the truth about the saving grace of Christ. I was praying about introducing him to one of the journeymen – someone near his own age. I mentioned him at prayer meeting one week and told Vip (j-man from La. ) about him – but we made no plans. A few days later, I was on the treadmill at the gym and Jet came up to me to talk. I had to jump off the treadmill and praise God when he asked me if I knew Vip, because he had met him while a friend of his was being baptized. I was able to tell Jet that I had been praying about introducing him to Vip, and here God supernaturally introduced them to each other without my being involved. Isn’t God good? I’ve met with Vip since then and we continue to pray for Jet as he seeks to know God.

The men’s BSF class is growing and adding to their leadership. They are praying about starting a children’s program for 1st –12th grade. Please pray with them that God will provide a supervisor, more leaders and that He grant them success in this step of faith to bring more fathers to bible study.

The day women’s BSF class is growing too… and yes I love teaching God’s word each week. (I am very thankful for a husband who prepares dinner and cleans the kitchen each Tuesday night while I prepare for the Wednesday lecture.) God has done some incredible things to turn around our almost closed Children’s Program, transforming it into a very vibrant part of our class. We now have a team of 5 CL’s and will open up a second classroom next week, dividing the children into two age groups. A 4th discussion leader is now trained and the 13 ladies on the wait list were able to begin class last week. Both of these expansions provide room for future placement of mothers and children to come study Moses with us. I received an email last week that one of our discussion leaders will be detained in the US for an undetermined time. Both the evening (men’s and women’s) class leadership prayed Saturday morning, and the Garland DW BSF prayed for this situation. We asked God to provide a pre-trained discussion leader to step in and shepherd this group. God led me to phone Amy at 8:30 pm Monday night to ask her if her circumstances had changed and could she return to leadership. Her circumstances had not changed, but God had already prepared her heart and she was praying about contacting me to see if we had a need. To me, this was a miracle. We needed a pre-trained leader right away, and Amy was an answer to prayer, and joined our leadership team the very next day.

I’ve been able to get to know some of the class members and this helps me as I seek to equip them in God’s word. Please pray for the one who says she does not believe in God yet, but she is interested in learning the Bible. Pray for the grad school student who is denied financial or emotional support from her family because she loves God – she testifies to God’s provision for 5 years so far. Pray for the one whose marriage is being mended through prayer. Pray for those who only comprehend 20% of the lecture – but it is the exact 20% of God’s word that they need for their hearts each week. God loves these ladies and they know this experientially. It is a great privilege to learn how God is at work in these ladies lives, and this causes me to draw closer to Him in worship.

On March 9th, Jackie and I celebrated our 29th anniversary. We praise God for all he has done in our marriage and we enjoy this season of life very much. As we began our “play day???, we hailed a taxi to take us to the newest ultra-modern shopping mall here in Taipei. As we climbed in the back seat, we noticed the burn scars on the arms and face of our driver. We soon learned that he was 70 years old and he used to be a tour guide, a man who drank heavily, and lived a wild life style – but his life drastically changed the day God spared his life and his sight in a car accident that ignited his car in flames. He opened his glove box and showed us his book of Psalms and says he reads it everyday and God faithfully provides enough fares for him to provide for his family. He shared that he is the only Christian in his family so far, and his wife is having trouble understanding how he makes enough money each day working only 5 hours; yet he tithes (he flashed his bulging billfold at us) and consistently has enough money to provide for their needs. He invited us to come worship with him one Sunday at a bi-lingual Japanese church that has about 1000 in attendance each week. As we arrived at the mall, we told him he was God’s gift to us today as we celebrate our anniversary.

Well, this is just a glimpse at what we see each day. We appreciate your prayers, and hope you can see some answers to your prayers for us.
Here are some pressing concerns to pray for:
Travis – he is sending out résumés in hopes for the right job after graduation.
Paige – displayed some of her work at a medical convention in CA this week. Pray that it would have a positive impact on her future.
Fran’s Mom and Sister both have some prolonged medical needs. Pray for successful surgery to unblock artery in Mom’s legs on Wed. March 27th.
Pray for us as we seek to confirm details & make arrangements for our trip home in July.
Pray for the people of Taiwan during Easter weekend. Many churches will be offering special opportunities to hear the gospel message. Pray God will blow a wind that will cause the songs of hope to be heard on the streets (sounds carry great here) so that many will be drawn by His Spirit to enter the churches and come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Stay in touch – we love and miss you all.
Jackie and Fran
Taipei, Taiwan

jackiebell@pobox.com & afranbell@yahoo.com
visit: http://communities.msn.com/jackfran