Spring 2015 DTS Graduation!

The day after arriving back from the states it was straight back to work with DTS. The students had just finished their two month outreach and we had a week of debrief, graduation and then sent them off. The theme of the school was God, Growth, Gospel and Go. 2 Tim. 3:16 Students learned more about God and His character and nature, they grew in relationship with Him and knowledge of His Word, along with many other topics, they got a good dose of the Gospel. People are not good, but God is and that's why we need Jesus. And lastly, they were sent out to Go and make disciples of all nations. It was a blessing to be leading this school and get to know this amazing bunch of students.

Students helping painting with a new cafe ministry being started in southeast Taiwan.

India team

Graduation Dinner

Furlough Pics

We had a wonderful time on our furlough seeing our family, friends and church family. I (Chris) was able to visit Bethel which I had not been back to since I joined YWAM 11 years ago. Amazing how much time has past. With the good fellowship and good food the time was too short and we wish we could've spent more time with everyone, but we are grateful for this time that the Lord had given us to see everyone.  Here are some of the pics that were taken. 

Chris got to spend time with his dad and Wynita.

Berry picking, the gun is for protection

Chris and Russel, his good friend that he hasn't seen since our wedding!

Chris and Cliff in LA

With Chris's sister and her family in Montreal

Chris's Aunt also visited Montreal

Hung out with the Davies in NJ

Bethel Covenent Church in  Bethel, AK

Chris's brother and his family

Eliah and Allison in PA

Eliah with Danica, Stacey, and Esther in VA.

Chris with the Esther's group in MD

Chris sharing at Kyung Hyang Garden Church

Kids at a waterpark

Kaiya and cousin Jacob

Aunty Jennifer and Koa

Celebrating Jesus!

   On June 8th, God healed many during our YWAM base meeting!!! Yay God!!!
   Chris was the one to share the message that morning, but he felt the Lord wanted to heal.  In faith, instead of sharing the message that Chris had to prepare, he asked if anyone in the room was in pain and wanted to receive healing.  Almost half the people in the room stood up.  Then those around them prayed for healing and God showed up!  After the prayer time, several people came to the front to share what had happened.  One girl on staff was actually going to make an appointment that morning because of this pain she had in her jaw and was totally healed!  Others had cronic pain in their bodies that they just accepted as part of their life, but that pain and been removed!  There were more that wanted to share, but the time had run out!  How AWESOME is our God!
   We know the Lord is reminding us to have faith that He can and wants to heal the Taiwanese people that are all around us.  Although we were on Furlough after this happened we wondered how we could have this continue to be a part of our lifestlye, to see God moving in supernatural ways in our normal day to day.  A friend mentioned a way to cultivate this kind of community, a community of faith for the impossible, she suggested to celebrate God, through the big and small miracles.  To celebrate how awesome and wonderful our Lord is!  To celebrate the healings, even if its a headache being lifted because its not a small thing that the Creator of the universe has touched us.  In the past I do believe there have been times that God healed and I just thought, "wow", but did nothing more.  Maybe doubted or wondered if it was really God or a coincidence.  Now I realize that that's wrong and that celebrating God is not only necessary to give Him the Glory, but also a reminder to us to continue to have humble and grateful hearts.
   I am hungry to see God move again, and more and more.  That the Taiwanese people too can experience our God that loves and is not limited.  A God that cares and is so involved with everything in our lives!  Let's celebrate Him today!  In the big and the small!
  Yay God!!! You are awesome!  We celebrate you today!  and everyday!  For the very breathe in our lungs, we celebrate and thank you!!!

Grandmother's Visit

Eliah's mom had to do a visa run out of Cambodia and got to stay with us for 3 weeks.  It was God's timing because not only was it a good time for her to rest, she was available to help Eliah having to watch 3 kids at home all day before the school semester started.  Her visit was a huge blessing to us and the kids.

Our Little Girl is Growing Up!

   Kaiya started 1st grade!!!  She is going to a very big local elementary school that had us pretty nervous.  While at orientation, we got to meet some of her classmates and the boy sitting right next to her had a character in his name that sounded like the word "Grace"in Chinese.  I asked his mother if the character of "Grace" was in his name and she said yes. So I asked if they were Christians and they were!  Kaiya and this boy sitting right next to her may be the only Christians in that class!  It was a little reminder from God to let us know that He is with her as she starts her new school.
   Jayden will be going to a local preschool.  We are currently still looking for a school for him, so please be praying we can find a perfect one for him :)

Kaiya in her new school uniform

Kaiya and Ping Eun.  EunDian is Grace in Chinese

Our 2015 Video

The Future

   In our organization one of the most frequently asked questions is " What are you going to do next?" And after returning to Taiwan and finishing up this last DTS, the question has come up for us. What are we going to be doing next? When we moved back to our YWAM community a little over a year and half ago we planned on only staying for 2-3 years to prepare for our "next step".  For a while we weren't sure what that "next step" was. We had a few ideas, but nothing for sure. So, recently Eliah and I have been able to take some time to pray together and seek the Lord for direction for our future and we feel the Lord has given us direction for the near future.
    As much as we love living in our mission community and working with training schools here, we've always known the call the Lord has put on our hearts was to go out and pioneer and go where others aren't going.  There is a county in Taiwan that is one of the least churched counties in the country. And it also happens to have the largest surfing scene on the island. For many years we've seen Yilan county as a strategic place to do surf ministry and though we wanted to move there in the past, we never felt the Lord open that door for us.  But now we feel that door is opening and the Lord is leading us to move there and start a new ministry.  We see the Lords timing because now this location also happens to be one of three "target locations" that our YWAM base has been recently focusing on to see new ministries planted.
    We don't have all the details yet, but we are planning on pioneering a surfers DTS there. This may be the first one in Asia.  Our hearts is to see more Taiwanese locals come to believe Jesus, as well as, see more surfers come to know Jesus.  We want to see them discipled and growing in the Lord, to go back into their communities and be a witness, even being sent out to missions outside of Taiwan. Pretty exciting!!
   So we are working on putting a team together. There are already some people interested in going.  As far as timing goes we are hoping to go in 2017. We are excited to go, but we don't want to rush anything and want to make sure we have a good team and have time to prepare as much as we could in this time.
So this is our next step and we believe this will be a big one for us. We ask for your prayers for us as a family. For our marriage and for our amazing children and the changes they have gone through following the Lord with us. Its such an adventure following Jesus!!
   We will give updates on this as they come. Blessings!