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posted by Donald on 09/10/08

It is Thursday. The time in Choujou is 8:55am. My location is the English Village office in the corner of Nan Jung Junior High school, at a computer in front of a window facing eastward towards America and towards home and towards New York City.
Memory is a tremendous blessing from God: not completely tame; often taken for granted until it is lost. I am very grateful for some time this morning to remember. Several on the team have relatives in the military and it’s good to remember them. It is good to remember President Bush and his life message of resolve. I also remember, last year, talking to an English Teacher from Kentucky who taught in a classroom next to us. This September eleventh I am thankful for the chance I have to reflect on the country and Creator that I am representing to Taiwan, a younger repulic. Americans overseas can have a lot of influence on students who hear about but rarely see who we actually are. I represent America to them. That is a serious position. I hope that they will see in me that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are found in being a giver, not a taker; battling for the right, not settling for what is normal.
It is nearing 9:15, our first class period for today, and I’ll be teaching in the shopping center classroom. The American ideal will have to take on simple words and a feeble human frame! Nevertheless, I am grateful for the opportunities that come in many small ways to represent a free country. May we all resolve to remember what it has taken to build a foundation for greatness. And freedom is similar to memory by the way: easy to take for granted until it is lost, not tamed to individual definition, and a special and wonderful gift from God.

3 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports, Politics

posted by Michael on 09/9/08

We have been blessed with another successful beekeeping year so far. I was delighted to see our ten productive hives bring in a surplus of over 600 pounds more than they needed this spring. It was more than they had ever brought in before.

Recently I read an opinion stating that people should not eat honey. It was part of discussion of CCD and the problems that bees are facing.  The logic behind the opinion was beautiful – something I wish I heard more of. It is simply the principle of Design, that honey is the perfect food for bees. We take it and feed them sugar water instead, and then wonder why their health breaks down. If sugar water was as good as honey, why don’t we eat that instead? We could save a lot of trouble if we just operated according to God’s design and let the bees eat the food God designed for them instead of taking it away.

This is a piece of advice that we beekeepers should pay some attention  to. It has only one basic flaw. In His Word, the One Who designed the bees does not condemn people eating honey. God cares about honeybee colonies. After all, not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His notice. And He emphatically says, “My son, eat thou honey… and the honeycomb…” (Prov. 24:13). In Scripture, honey is spoken of as an occasional treat to be eaten in moderation. It is the prime example of any good thing that is easily overdone (Prov. 25:27). This reinforces what I have already found to be very true about honeybees: they were created with the ability to gather and store far more honey than they actually need for their own survival. Their only limit is what the plants in their area can supply. That is good and right – and beekeepers ought to allow them to have more than they actually need at all times. Yet that in no way excludes people from enjoying honey as well.

Sometimes beekeepers take away too much honey and have to make up for it by feeding cheap sugar to their bees. This is mismanagement and comes from probably two basic causes.

(more…)

6 Comments » | posted in Family News, Possessing the Land

posted by James on 09/5/08

It’s just a little past 6:00PM on Thursday, August 28, and we are finally off on the long awaited Staff Retreat. Finally? Yes, finally because we were scheduled to leave at 3:55PM sharp. Instead of traveling to Northwoods Michigan, Mr. Gothard modified this year’s plans for the annual IBLP Staff Retreat to go down south, stopping at the Creation Museum for a day before attending Andy and Amanda Warner’s wedding in Bristol, Tennessee.

But though we were two hours late, this setback was in the Lords plan! Nobody could fix the problem with the bus, even the jolly mechanic who selflessly came to our aid. So, we cried out to the Lord for deliverance. It’s a simple thing to do but takes a lot of discernment first, and then faith. Well, very soon after, the mechanic came up with an idea which, after being carried out, proved to be the solution to our problem! I think this was a great witness to our gracious, yet unbelieving, mechanic.

But that wasn’t the only reason why God allowed the trip to get started late. Now it’s around 9:00 and everyone is ready for a rest stop, and some ice-cream. When Mr. Gothard walks into the Dairy Queen, the manager behind the counter instantly recognizes him and joyfully greets him. A year earlier, Mr. Gothard had witnessed to her and given her a book on resolving stress. Since then, she trusted Christ as her Savior, followed many of the steps given in the book, and was now happier than ever before. Unplanned by us, that little reunion was a reminder that God is in control of the schedule.

Late the next morning, we once again piled into the bus. Thankfully, there weren’t any problems. We headed to Hebron Kentucky, home of the increasingly celebrated Creation Museum. I was feeling very curious yet a little apprehensive. After all, it was a Christian endeavor which sometimes comes with substandard quality. Well, after taking in a full 8 hours of that fascinating place, I was thoroughly convinced that this was more than just an ordinary museum! I didn’t know such professionalism, truth, and creativity existed together! Psalm 33:4-9 rang true in my soul as we left: "For the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth. He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spake, and it was done; He command, and it stood fast."

It is now Saturday. But we are all dressed in our Sunday best because of the wedding in the afternoon. We travel a few hours through the beautiful Blue Ridge countryside before arriving at the quaint town of Bristol. The church is enormous and spectacular; I probably took more pictures of the building than of the actual wedding! But that is only me; there are plenty of professional photographers around making sure the momentous occasion is adequately covered. And what a momentous occasion it was! The stories of both Andy and Amanda give testimony that God truly was the instigator of this joyful union.

Now it’s Sunday. But we are in our Saturday clothes because we will be traveling all day. For the morning service, Mr. Gothard gave a good message on the courage of Nehemiah. There’s a lot of time to read the Bible and other books like the one I’ve almost finished: "God’s Smuggler" by Brother Andrew; if you haven’t read it yet, your missing out! It’s a good time to fellowship and
discuss deep issues. We conclude the day at Cracker Barrel… and one more person is added to the body of Christ; a waitress who just so happened to have the same name as the DQ manager we met at the beginning of our trip! God truly has been at work in our midst.

It’s been a long day. It’s been a long trip. But every aspect of it was God glorifying. We have seen the Lord at work. We have given, and we have received. And that is the conclusion of the IBLP Staff Retreat.

9 Comments » | posted in Ministry Reports

posted by Donald on 09/4/08

Praise the Lord.
Tomorrow we will have been here one week. It seems much more like a month because of the many new people we have met here. We are near Ping Tung city and not far from Taiwan’s southern tip.

Our team consists of Wes and Juliana; Joanna, Kara, Hannah and Sarah; Austin and I. It’s quite a smaller team than last year bit it is large enough. We already have plans for each of our English classrooms roughed out. We’ve also started to get to know the teachers here at the host school. Vanessa is our main contact person; Principle Chen and her sister are our hosts and we’ve begun to get familiar with the English and sports teachers as well as students.
It’s great to be a part of the new work here and see the spirit the Lord has granted us as a team. As different situations come up, “Yee-ha” is one of the dry-homor-reactions that I’ve heard from Wes a lot as so many things come up and changes occur. I appreciate your overcomer’s attitude brother! Today is His birthday by the way! We enjoyed teaching a test run for each class, playing basketball with the teachers afterward and talking to students.
“But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power …” (Revelation 2:25-26).

3 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Daniel on 09/2/08

We could not believe it was already time to leave! The six days with the Van Essens had been full of fun and activity, and, as is the case any time you visit good friends of like faith, the time had flown by.
We were so thankful for the encouragement, fellowship, and hospitality the Van Essen family had shared with us, along with a glimpse of the beauty and majesty of Ontario.

But as we packed up the van and said our final farewells, we had one last adventure to look forward to. Just before crossing the border into the United States, we stopped to see Niagara Falls. As we approached we could hear the thunder of the water crashing over the falls in the distance. Drawing nearer, the magnificent view opened up before us, and we soon understood why this is such a popular tourist attraction. We made sure to  get a family picture since all 10 of us were there.

Our entire family being together and the drenching spray, cool steady breeze, and breath-taking view all combined to provide a spectacular climax to a fabulous family vacation!

7 Comments » | posted in Family News