Russia
ITPS teachers are invited by Russian churches and universities to Vladivostok, the major city in the Russia Pacific region with 1,000,000 population. The door is wide-open for ESL ministries in this area, folks are hungry to speak with native speakers and to learn from them. Our teachers will teach in the public universities and doing outreach activities with the local churches. Come and love these Russian children and young adults and share the true meaning of life in Jesus with them. The university will pay each teacher US$200/month, support raising of US$300/month is needed for applicants. Speaking in Russian language is not necessary. Please consider our long-term or short-term teams to Russia Pacific where the land has been forgotten by Western churches and Christians for a very long time. (Please click "photos" at topbar)

Testimony
Big praise! This weekend we had a camp where 30 of our students from summer school went. About half of them prayed for salvation. It was a great collaboration between Americans, nationals, and a few well-known speakers. Lots of laughs... and hearts were changed. I portrayed Jesus in a skit about crucixion and broken hearts. It was put together on the fly... but it was one of the best dramas I've every been involved with. Tomorrow I start my full-time job. Only one class this week. But this class will be 40 people all year.. my other classes will have at least 30 students each. 23 teaching hours. A big load. Thanks for your prayers.
Larry Spek in Taichung, Taiwan team 2003. City Calvary Chapel, Seattle, Washington

When I arrived in Taiwan it was Ghost Month, the month where everyone offers food and afterworld money in hopes that the ghosts will not torment them. This gave me great opportunity to share about the real spiritual world struggles and God's amazing grace. Soon after we celebrated the Moon Festival and I took part in many barbeques and karaoke events. We had a neighborhood party for my almost all Taiwanese apartment complex and two of my teammates and I were the only ones to sing an English song. The entire complex got quiet when we sang "Yesterday" by the Beatles and they erupted in applause when we finished. It was a great opportunity for us to meet our neighbors and they have been so kind to us since then. After the Moon Festival, my co-teacher and I have been visiting our students' homes and talking with the parents. This has been an incredible opportunity for me to go and pray in their homes and share with some of the parents why I came to Taiwan. I have been able to share a lot o\par f truth about my relationship with God with them and they have all been amazed that I can pray and know He is leading me through a personal relationship.
Last weekend I was able to see one of my hearts' desires answered . . I have been adopted by a Taiwanese family. One of my friends here, Sakura, invited me and two of my roomies to Taipei last weekend and her family just loved on us the whole time we were there. They are not Christians, but Sakura is and we were given a lot of chances to share about what makes us different. We spent all day with her mom Grace and she was so sad for us to leave Sunday night. We bought her a plant before we left and told her that we were asking all of God's gifts for her, His greatest gift being salvation through Jesus Christ. Please pray for them.
Please pray also for the salvation of my students, their families, my co-worker Alice, and Practice Teacher Jessica. We are going to start up a Saturday night English service here at the end of October at my church-Taichung Banner Church, please pray for the details that are the most important to be worked out ahead of time. I am taking a yoga class at night at my school in hopes of building better relationships with the Taiwanese teachers, so that I can share the hope that I have found in Christ.
Stephanie Grady, Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2003 August Taiwan Team

The girls are extra excited this morning...10/10 (October 10th) Holiday is just around the corner and that means a day off from school!
I asked them to pull out their pictures from when they were a little girl. Giggles and squeals abrupt in this college class room. My Business Conversational English class is about to get into the business of the Holy Spirit. "Okay...everyone close their eyes" I flip off the lights and flip on my CD player. The haunting Irish flute begins to saunter into their minds as I play some renditions from my Celtic instrumental CD. "I want you girls to take a look at your picture and then close your eyes again...try to entertain any memories that come to your mind...they might be good...they might be bad...but don't be afraid to go there. We are going to discuss this stuff in English." Thunder roars into the music, the pitter-patter of rain, the rhythms of horses running, keys of majors and minors dodging in and out of the room...Finally the song selections end. "Okay, I want you to write down everything you experienced in your mind in English" Pencils start flying, papers start fluttering, 15 minutes later they are still hard at work. The Irish music keeps playing...
"Okay..now everyone put your desk aside and make a circle with your chairs" Faces of perplexity fill the room...could this be...is this teacher for real...she wants us to move our desks to the side?! "Okay one at a time, show your picture and share what you wrote...it's safe in here...outside it is not...but what we share here is safe, remember you have to share in English, because this is a conversational English class." (I know the Lord gave me all girls in this class for a reason...)
One by one they start to share.
"The first thing my Grandfather said to me when I came home from the hospital was ....'that is the ugliest baby I have ever seen" ...it's true I was a very ugly child."
"My mother died when I was young, when my cousin moved to America I became really lonely..."
"My friends and I used to ride our bikes until sunset...we would play games like jump-rope and hopscotch...when they went off to college they never kept in touch..."
"My father is an alcoholic...sometimes he beats my mother...I hate him when he is like this..."
Finally, I can't take it anymore, streams of tears implode my cheeks...My heart breaks with compassion for them, they rush to get me a tissue as tears fill their eyes as well. It's an incredible moment...I know what the Holy Spirit wants me to say. "Do you girls know that you are of incredible worth and value, and that you are so beautiful, and that it doesn't matter what the world says or demands of you, but that you were created in an indefinite beauty that you are a creation that will bring tremendous delight." I choke down a few more tears. "Do you know that the little girl in the picture that precious little girl is still inside of you with the hopes and the dreams of her youth, all within reach..."
I know once they know this it will help them in "Business" , and at the right time...they will be ready to hear the truth about Jesus and how he came to set the captives free.
Alicia Kaun, Evangelical Free Church at Fullerton, California, Taichung Team, 2003 Taiwan Team 10/05/2003

t week we had 4 people out of school for 2 days, which left us with 5 kids. My advanced ESL is doing good too. Last week they saw the Miss Melisa that wasn't so nice and they didn't like it. So they straightened up their attitudes and behavior and now it is going good again. Also, The married couple, Daniel and Sandy, that I private tutor, have been truly a blessing to me. They have given me so many things, fed me, taught me about culture, and also just love to talk about Jesus. They are so precious. They are going to take me out to lunch on Sunday after church. I can't wait. I was able to set up a bank account through my school. This was a great witnessing opportunity. Sophia they lady that did our Visa to stay in Taiwan and is the accountant, volunteered to help me with setting up an account at a bank, this will help me to wire money home to pay bills. She and I went today to set it up and I had the opportunity to tell her about our English Church services. I am so excited about this. She really wants to come, one for the English, and two she is excited about going to a church.Thank you for all your prayers, love, and support.
Melisa McIntyre, Lake Fork Baptist Church, Texas, 2003 Taiwan Team. 

Hello everyone! I want to share with you a little bit about my life in Shanghai. My time in Shanghai has been a great blessing to me. I have made many new friends here, and in China, friendships are not taken lightly. The Revolution has caused the people to be very untrusting of one another, so when a Chinese person considers you a friend, it is really meaningful. I would say that the quality of friendships that I have made in China are more than what anybody could ask for. There were many times that I needed to get something or have something done, people that I knew went out of the way to help me, and they thought nothing of it. However, the greatest blessing is to see how willing they are to get to know you more and to find out what you really believe in. They had many questions about so called “Western” holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving and Valentine’s day, and I got to tell them the real meaning behind these holidays that many Chinese people are starting to celebrate in China.

Living in another culture is challenging, and living in China is even more so. There are many freedoms that Americans take for granted that become precious to you when you are deprived of them. Because of these limitations I really wouldn’t want the general public in China to know what I am really doing there. That would not be prudent considering the current political climate. But honestly, my friendships has become so precious to me that I would not have it any other way.

If you have a heart to share what you really believe in and touch people’s lives, I would strongly encourage you to come teach in Shanghai. You will get so much more out of it than what you put in. GBY!

David O. From Shanghai, China. NewSong Church, Irvine, California, 2002 China Team

 I thought exams were only difficult for students and that somehow teachers would derive some kind of sadistic pleasure from watching their students panic and squirm.  However now I have seen the other side of the coin and having to create, supervise and grade exams for three big classes is hard work (and I don’t really get any pleasure from adding more work to an already heavy workload for my students) and especially difficult if you have never done something like it before.  I am glad I am able to teach at the National Taichung Institute of Technology because it provides me with many challenges and greater opportunities to build relationships with the students whose level of English is quite high since they are all in an English major. I teach at a college and an after school children’s English school, as well as I tutor two boys and I work at my church teaching adult conversation classes. 

I love teaching English!  My linguistics training with New Tribes Mission has also proved to be very helpful when teaching others and knowing where and why they make the errors they do and also being able to predict what mistakes my students will make before they make them as I am teaching them.  I am very thankful for the students at the college and for my adult conversation class since I am able to interact with some of them outside of class and develop relationships with them apart from just English classes.  Since there are only a few reasons why foreigners come to Taiwan, my testimony as to why I am really here, needed to be established right away and people really respect it.  I have even been asked several questions pertaining to my faith and the Christian faith in general that I have been more than happy to answer.  My communication with the people around me is usually always in English, many people like to talk to me to practice their English and also because my Chinese is so limited having not had much time to study it.  I hope to study Mandarin Chinese further this summer while the college is on summer break. I am involved at my church in a College and Career cell group and I love it.  They make me feel so welcome and there is somebody in it that spent much of his life in Canadaso he can translate for me and the other Canadian English teacher.  Also I have had the opportunity to lead the worship (I learned some Chinese songs for this and was able to write them down phonetically) and the study (this had to be translated) for the group.  All this said and done, as hectic as it can be at times, the Lord is teaching me many things at this time and I look forward to serving Him wherever He sees fit to use me next (He hasn’t revealed yet where that might be).  The Lord in the past has usually revealed His will for me close to ‘the last minute’; I believe this is so that I can rely on Him for a longer period of time in prayer and dependence on Him and also so that I will be focused on where He has me for the time being and not planning and making preparations for the future. 
Alaina Brodie. 07/2004
January 2003 Taiwan Team, Cochrane Alliance Church, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

In just a few short hours, I'll be leaving what truly has been one of themost special and meaningful times for me. My time in Taiwan has been truly much more than I ever expected or imagined. God has been with me in such real and intimate ways, given me an awesome job and team to work with, as well as, a great church to be a part of. I have literally hundreds of wonderful memories. Thanks to each one of you, seriously, for standing with me, and upholding me. Your prayers, I know, have been a big part of all this and we have truly worked as a body together here. My trip around the island with 2 of my teammates was spectacular. One of my greatest dreams was to see this gorge where an amazing rushing river runs through and God blessed us to drive through it and see it. The beaches were beautiful and we traveled with safety. My last week working has also been great. The going away parties at church and at work were very special and touching. I have many pictures from them. I really do look forward to seeing and talking with each one of you. Again, thanks for ALL your love and support during my time here. It has been a blessing!!!
With love, Terri 07/2004
Terri Hewitt, 2003 June Taiwan Team, Azusa Pacific University, Glendale Presbyterian Church, Glendale, California

Greetings!   It's about time I sent an update to all of you.  I am really enjoying life in Taiwan, and I feel that Kathy & I are finally settled in.  Our church has been just wonderful at providing everything we need and making sure we know how to find our way around the city to the grocery story, laundry, post office, etc.  We have met so many wonderful people at Grace Church, and I've been amazed at the speed with which God has provided genuine friendships with the staff at the church.   I have found my job, and am gathering paperwork for the ARC this week.  I'll start full-time (20 teaching hours) in September at a public (but privately funded) school 2 blocks from our apartment.  I'll be teaching Kindergarten in the morning and Elementary Conversational ESL in the afternoon.  (8:30am-4pm with a 2-hour lunch).  I'm really excited, because it's just what I was hoping for.   I've also discovered the mountains are just a 30-minutes bike ride from our apartment, so on our day off (Wednesday) I've been riding up there in the morning to be out in nature and away from city traffic.  It's been a real blessing for me.   Hope everyone is doing well.  In His care, Elizabeth. 07/2004
Elizabeth Burkholder, June 2004 Taiwan Team, Pacific Crossroads Church, Los Angeles, California

Yesterday, July 28th, marked the beginning of my 2nd month in Taiwan. Add my 2 weeks in California, and that makes it 6 weeks that I have been gone. I entertain fleeting thoughts of what I'd be doing if I was home - like hanging out with my friends all night. I'd play soccer 8 hours in a row, then take a hot shower for at least 45 minutes. Yes, I'm getting a little homesick - but I don't dwell on these daydreams for too long, or else I wouldn't be as "good to go" as I am now. I know why I'm here, and God's here with me. More on that in a bit. They say there are 3 stages to adjusting to a foreign climate: honeymoon, hate, and happiness. After 2 days of honeymoon, 3 days of hate, and 3 weeks of "let's see what happens next," I think I'm dangerously close to the happiness phase. Here's a run-down of the last 2 weeks.

I started teaching at my school, Apostle English, on the 15th of July. I am attaching 2 digital photos; the first one is a picture of me with my 8 2nd-grade kids. From left to right: Winnie, Jenny, Domi, Ives, Jimmy, Albert, Johnny and Norman (I didn't choose their names, they had them already). Jimmy and Albert are my quiet ones. Johnny and Ives are the rambunctious ones; Winnie and Norman don't know a lot of English. Johnny and Jenny are the smart ones. So Johnny, being smart and rambunctious, is kind of the class leader. I teach them Monday through Wednesday from 2-5 pm, then on Fridays we take field trips. Last week the whole ESL school (about 30 kids) went to the Taipei Zoo. We got to see lots of fun stuff like a raccoon, buffalo and penguins. I also saw the Taipei 101 against the horizon. (The Taipei 101 is the largest building in the world as of about 9 weeks ago). I will teach this current summer program until the end of August, then my fall semester hours will be 2-4:30 and 5-6:30 Monday to Friday. I've become friends with the head teacher at Apostle, and the junior high school that he also works at was looking for teachers. As far as I can tell, he talked to them, got me a higher-than-usual beginning hourly wage, and got me hired. I didn't even go in for an interview. So I also have a 2nd job lined up for September working 9-noon M-W. Praise to God for having jobs fall into my lap - they really did. I did absolutely no searching or anything for either job. The first one was set up through my church beforehand, and I just told how the 2nd one came about.

I just finished 2 weeks of volunteering at Taichung Christ Church. My other teammate assigned to my church, named Heidi Greer, and I taught kindergarteners from 9-noon. A few more details about it are included in the Word document attached to this email. My pastor there in America (Matt Santen, pastor of River Ridge church in Charleston, WV), asked for a brief description of what kind of ministries I've been doing over here, so it would be included in this Sunday's "mission" focus. To any who are interested, there it is. Only another two pages ;) I know - my emails are long. Sorry :)

Ok, I'm getting to the "a boy named Andy" part. One of the ITPS teachers here named Stephanie (who came last year, and is staying another), said a quotable quote about teaching here, and her kindergarten job in particular. She said something toward, "The kids don't really need you to teach them. They need you to love on them. That's what we're here to do." After being in my school for 2 weeks, and doing this camp for 2 weeks - being around kids all the time - I have grown to love them. Even the obnoxious ones who scream all the time and punch other kids :) Ever since becoming a believer (close to 5 years ago), I have known that I wanted to be a father. I am very glad that I have been able to come here and teach young kids, and as Stephanie said, just love on them. The culture in Taiwan is such that parents mostly focus on their career, toss their kids in school at 8 in the morning, and pick them up at 8 at night after they've been to their regular school, a "cram school" for conversational English, and maybe even a tutoring session (then there's homework). A lot of kids in Taiwan don't get the love they need while they're growing up. Anyway, about Andy: today (Thursday) was my last day instead of tomorrow, because I have the all-day field trip at my school. So today I took a few minutes to tell them goodbye, and how God is control of everything, and how he loves them all. Two of the kids in the 'camp' I called my adopted kids, because they always wanted hugs, attention, to hold my hand, or to climb onto my shoulders. Their named are Andy and Luke, and they are the ones immediately to my left and right in the 2nd digital picture. Just before Andy left to go home today, he asked me to write my Chinese name on his notebook. I did that (its transliteration is Ke Jie Shr, but good luck pronouncing that), and I wrote him a little message. The pastor's wife read it to him in Chinese. She surprised me by crying the last 2 sentences or so. It just said - "Andy, I hope you had fun learning English. Remember that God does love you, more than anyone else can. He hears everything, and you can speak to him. You can ask him to be your best friend. God loves you, and so do I. I hope I can see you again someday." Ladies and gents, if you've never had a 7-year old boy sobbing quietly on your shoulder after you told him that God loves him, it is a moving experience that words do little justice.

Anyhow, I thought that story might convey a little of what's going on here. Of what God's doing here. Give praise to God for the good things in life every chance you get :) He's the giver of every single one. I'm sorry this email was so long, and I appreciate everyone who "fights the good fight" to read the whole thing. Haha. I hope everyone's doing well! Please email me if you get the chance. I treasure every response :)

In the awesome name of Jesus, James 08/2004
James Kuhn, 2004 June Taiwan Team, River Ridge Community Church, Charleston, West Virginia

Hello Everyone! We finally have Internet at our house here in Taipei. I will be living here in the capital city for a year. I was reassigned from the Taichung team to the Taipei team just a week or so before I left for CA and training. The training in CA-Irvine was over on June 26 and we flew here June 27/28, so I've been here a month now. There was a brief three-day orientation to the country in Taichung, then I moved to Taipei on July 1. After an eventful two days with a host family from church, my roommate and I moved into a 2-bedroom apartment with two other American girls--also from the ITPS agency. We all four trained together in CA and can carry on the friendship and support for a year. Also split costs four ways:-)

The church ladies I teach twice a week on Tuesday and Thursdary morning are sooo sweet and sincere. I read A Parent's Prayer in class yesterday and one of the women--I know she is not a Christian, but this is an outreach class--asked me to pray each class. She had her eyes shut while I read from the book and I was so touched. Everyone of the young people (young parents, too) in our church seem so sad at prayer meetings on Thursday night and our interpreter explained that many of our members come from sad home situations, where the parents are still worshiping idols, etc. I hope and pray that they can all experience hope and healing in their broken situations. The Church we are assigned to: French Horn Gideon Covenant meets in a community center or gym, because they can't afford their own building yet. They are in a building phase and need to raise 30 million, NT (a little under 1 million US) to buy a building they want to use here in Taipei. Most of the members are lower, working-class people, which means they drive scooters, not cars. We were driven home from prayer meeting last night on the back of scooters:-) I love it!! I can't wait to get my international license, but need to learn the laws and different streets first. Maybe in six months...

There are so many needs in our church that I'm sure God is aware of, and I'm just trying to do what we have time for with my real job, too. The Teenager Bible Study kicks off next week and it is open to the public. National Taiwan University is over/across the next biggest street from our church office and we're hoping some students come. Someone is going to help me make fliers in Chinese.

I have witnessed a healing first hand. Two Sundays ago, three church ladies took Christina and me to pray for a church member's grandma, who needed surgery that week. No one in the house really understood English, but the grandma had a daughter in the US and had been taken to five different doctors, some in America. The diagnosis was clear: a cancerous tumor the size of a CD was in her lower, right abdomen. I read the medical report myself because the daughter-in-law (whose house we were at) didn't understand it all. There was no doubt in my mind that this woman had about 3-6 months to live. We chatted a while through an interpreter some and then began to pray for her. Linda laid her hand on the grandma's stomach and we held her hands and shoulders. We all took turns praying and I prayed for her salvation more than for her healing. I'm such a doubter still. (The grandma has been Buddhist or no religion all her life). That was Sunday. On Thursday night everyone prayed for her at prayer meeting. On Friday she had her surgery. The doctors found only a 12 cm wide bag of water and blood and she is in recovery--no ICU at all. I'm still in shock and this is a week later. God is so mighty and so real here. Taiwan is a little island of political turmoil and spiritual warfare. This is really where the rubber meets the road.

Also, the highlight of this week was meeting the lady who founded ORTV (Overseas Radio and Television) here in Taiwan.She, Doris Brougham, apparently came to the island (from doing mission work in China) to avoid World War II and stayed. She has been here 40 years working at Studio Classroom, etc. I don't think she even got my name because a group of us met her all at once, but I was so impressed with her story.

We have also had the chance to tour the whole studio of GoodTV, which broadcasts completely in Chinese, but is a Christian Television company. Opportunities like this would have been unlikely to occur at home. It is like we have more access or something here and the agency that sent us has a lot of connections.

Take care and God be with you!Eunice 08/2004

Eunice Rohrer, 2004 June Taiwan Team, West Virginia University, Chestnut Ridge Community Church, Morgantown, West Virginia

Dear Friends and Family

Thank you so much for those who have donated to this mission.I am so incredibly fortunate to be in the financial situation I am now, where the logistical expenses (airfare, training and some admin. fees) where provided by God through you my supporters, so that I am able to use my savings to finance these transitional months when I am not yet working.  I am truly touched by your generosity.  In fact, as soon as I am able, I will be sending each of you a personal letter of thanks, but until then, please know that I am deeply grateful.

 Logistical Details

I am now living in Taipei, Taiwan!  I live in a district of the city called Da'an.  It's a great location, convenient to most every other part of the city.  In my apartment is also living the rest of the Taipei ITPS (International Teacher Placement Service) team, which consists of Becky (25, Michigan, my roommate, taught at a high school for the past three years), Eunice (27, Virginia, just graduated with a Masters in Journalism and comes from a Mennonite (think Amish) family but was part of Intervarsity during college) and Christina (23, Ohio, just graduated from college). 

The church I am placed at is called “Glory Covenant Church” and is located a half-hour subway ride away from my apartment.  It is a “medium” sized church, with about 100-200 members, but has a lot of ministries, including a high school for drop-out students.  For the past two weeks I have been teaching English in their summer camp program.

Personal Reflections

Honestly, the decision making process to come here was very difficult, and the only thing that favored Taiwan over staying in Los Angeles is that distinct gut instinct that I have learned to recognize as God's voice.  Being here though, it is easy to see that this is the place that I am meant to be in for this space of time.  When I was in Taiwan previously, God had begun something that He meant to continue. ..When one is steeped in one's own culture, it is difficult to distinguish God from all of the competing voices, those coming both from the world and the church.  Here though, I can see more clearly God's Kingdom.  It is not American, and it is not Taiwanese.  It is God's Word which has endured through the ages.  Every day I have a choice to cling to my culture, or to let go and let myself be shaped by God.  ...Following God is the way to freedom, and I am seeing the way is marked by small, individual choices to die to our own self in order to live for something greater. 

The team leader for Taiwan is a lady named Jean.  She has been an incredible source of encouragement and inspiration for me.  One of the most important things she did was to ask the question: "what are you living for?"  As Christians, our response is always something to do about Jesus and following him.  But what is the truth that our lives and actions attest to?  If we as Christians do not even honestly ask ourselves what are our lives about, how can we lead others to chose Jesus over materials, wealth and success?  We cannot fool ourselves, because we do not fool others.  In the end there is only one question, there is only one standard.  For what did you live your life?  With Jean I can see a glimpse of the person I want to be when I am her age.  A person who did not give up on following God, a person who loves you for who you are but encourages and inspires you to something greater, a person with a lifetime of stories of Jesus' faithfulness.

Prayer Requests

Here are two things that I knew would be major areas of growth/struggle for this year. The first is that I really hope for this year to be one of major growth in the area of evangelism.  I have never really lived the "E" word very much, because it carries the connotation of not being genuine, but rather only seeking to "convert" people to your way of thinking.  Of course by now I have a much different understanding of the word, and am at a place where I genuinely want to grow in this.  I feel at times that my heart is chained by my own inhibitions, which is preventing me from taking more active steps in sharing my faith. Please pray that I may be more real about the most real thing about me. The second is that I have heard from God about this year is that this year will be one of suffering.  I do not know yet what shape or form this will take (though I am hoping that it will be suffering for the sake of God's Kingdom, and not for my own personal character growth), but I do know that suffering sucks and that I will need the strength and wisdom to continue to turn to God in the midst of it.

Keeping in Contact

Care Package Suggestions: I know this sounds really pretentious, but I do have some people that always ask me what they can send, and so I will suggest some things now, and if ever you want to send a care package you can refer to this.  Basically the most useful things are things I can use to teach English – pictures, especially any pictures you may have that either include me :) or include symbols of American culture like buildings, churches and religious artifacts, special occasions, traffic, cities,   scenery, etc; magazine clippings including advertisements, small “American” things such as postage stamps and postcards.  Basically anything that has American culture or aspects of daily life written all over it will both a) bring me comfort and b) be useful in the classroom.
Love,Lisa 08/2004
Lisa Holl, 2004 June Taiwan Team, Univeristy of Southern California. Epicenter Church, Pasadena, California

Dear everyone, We're all doing well in Shanghai. Currently, we're teaching at an English camp here at Yangpu HS. The campers are great, they range in ages from 12 to 18 and there is a wide range of English abilities from those who forget and can't pronounce their English name to those Japanese who can't speak Chinese and so use English to communicate with their friends here in Shanghai. We each have one class comprised of about 15 students. There's Drew's class the Savants who are advanced students, Robbin's class the Prodigies who are the upper level intermediate students, Halee's class the Avalanches who are the middle of the road students, my class the Bereans who are the lower--way lower, and Vina's class Narnia's Children who are the beginner class.   The camp will run three weeks, currently we are in the third week. There have been many opportunities to share the Story with the students! We have seen many answers to yarper and some students are now brothers and sisters! They study the book together and yarp before meals-- it's awesome to see.   We travel to a tourist destination Saturday that I would totally butcher the name if I tried to spell it so maybe someone else will tell you! Then it's back to Shanghai, Monday for our drs appointment. Then maybe, we're off to Beijing for a week long English camp. After this we think we may be able to move into our apartments. It looks like Vina and Robbin will live and work together in Pudong (the outskirts of Shanghai), Drew will live in the dorms of Yangpu and work here and Halee and I will live together but work in separate schools in downtown Shanghai. We are going to try to find apartments near subway stops so we can visit each other easily. Hope you're all doing great--The Shanghai team is definitely yarping for you guys!!!
Jenny E. 2004 June China Team. Seattle University, Calvary Temple Church, Auburn, Washington

ABUNDANT BLESSINGS
It also requires trust in His goodness even when nothing seems to be working out. Finally Dad has abundantly provided. I wish I had simply trusted Him from the very beginning but I am thankful for his grace that had sustained me during those trying times. I now have a spacious apartment to call home for the next year, and I am given the opportunity to work with one of the best educators in SH, Dr. D.L. I will be a grade school English teacher as well as an educational consultant. They have been in this city for about 7 years now and Dad has given them favor in this field. Many public as well as private schools are looking to them for training and curriculum development and this year, they are launching a pilot program that allows the teachers such as myself to train Chinese teachers from other provinces. These Chinese teachers (who are not family members) will be mentored by us for the year - what a great privilege to be in such close contact with the shakers and movers of this country! Please yarp that we be in step with Dad so that His life will be manifested in all that we do, big or small. Yarp that we pursue excellence in teaching, love in our relationships, and above all, fellowship in Him.

SUMMER CAMP MEMORIES
It’s almost been 2 weeks since summer camp ended and we still hear from our students quite often. One of the students who became a sister just sent us a text message (via cellphone) saying that she just found a place to fellowship in her province! We are all very encouraged at Dad’s work in these students’ lives. Please continue to rap for them. Who knows, they may be the next generation sent to become JC to people who have not yet seen nor heard! (The picture in the middle is that of my class.)

THE BODY
For my Sunday gathering today, I went next door to B’s house (my neighbor for the coming year) and had wonderful time of fellowship with 4 families (about 10 children total) and about 10 other single folks. It was such a diverse group of people. A couple from Washington, some from New York, Virginia, Ohio, Massachusetts, N.Carolina. We sang songs, studied the book of 1st John and shared a meal together. I remembered how much I liked “ch--ch” this way, unpretentious and simple.

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
I miss Seattle. But I also love it here! I love walking down the streets and saying hello to the old men playing chinese checkers on the street or smiling at the xiao jies (little sister/misses) when I buy a bottle of cold water at the store. I love getting together with the TJ alumni (the students I used to work with when I was with Triple C) and mutually encourage each other. I love talking to people in my broken Chinese (still working on it!) and am thankful for the opportunity to show them who JC is and that they are loved by him! This indeed is home!

Vena. F. 2004 June China Team. University of Washington, Network Christian Ministry, Shoreline, Washington

Well, the holiday season is about to get into full swing for you all back in America and I am sure it will be a busy time as it usually is.  They are fun times with family and friends though.  I actually will miss the Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas in America this year, but I am still very happy to be serving God here in Japan during this time.  Things are going so well!  Time is going by so very quickly and it is kinda sad because I actually only have 86 days exactly to be here.  When this time is so short, I keep reminding myself to make the most of every single day and opportunity.  I don't exactly know why God called me here although I know with all my heart that He did.  So many wonderful things are unfolding and with each conversation about God, with both Christians and non-Christians and the hearty laughs I am getting to share with many, I am realizing that it will not be easy to say goodbye to this place and the people when that time comes.  I don't want to think so much about leaving though for then I will lose the precious time that I still have left here.   I feel like a different kind of missionary then what I hear and have seen other missionaries are.  I am reading a book about Hudson Taylor, well known as the "Father of Modern Missions" and I am being reminded of how serving God never quite looks the same in each of His servant's lives.  God has a different path for each of us to walk.  For example, Hudson Taylor was called to devote His whole life to missionary work in China and many other missionaries are called to one specific country for service.  I feel different because I don't know if I will have just one country that God leads me to minister in.  There are so many unknowns in my future as is in all of ours, and that it is why it is so important that we stay close to the Master and let Him guide us each and every step of the way.  I have so much going through my mind, so many burdens on my heart, these days and I wonder where all of this will end up.  I don't know what God's plan is for me, but I take comfort in the fact that He does have a plan and His ways, which are higher than mine, are perfect!  Wow, this life of walking with the Lord is such an adventure and instead of trying to figure out all of the details ahead of time, God is teaching me to just enjoy the journey WITH HIM and not to worry about where it will all end up.  It is in the Hands of my most capable Heavenly FATHER!   Another thing God is really teaching me over here in Japan is the beauty of doing ministry WITH HIM instead of FOR HIM.  There is such a difference in this way of living.  Doing things WITH HIM leads to joy and peace and deeper friendship with God, whereas doing things FOR HIM can just lead to burn out and performance based living.  It's not fun to try to earn things from a GOD who gives graciously to those who would call on His name!  So yeah, basically God is doing a lot in me as I have become a foreigner in a far away land. 

These are good days with my Lord!   My time in Japan is so blessed and God is giving some really wonderful relationships with both my non-Christian students and other brothers and sisters in Christ.  Sometimes I am walking down the street and I just stop and say to myself, "Oh my goodness...I'm in Japan right now!  How on earth did I get HERE???"  It is so cool to see where God has brought me from, what He is doing in and through me now as I yield myself to His perfect plan, and to thank Him for where He will yet lead me!  I am surrounded by great people with names, and faces and stories and personalities.  My whole world has just gotten so much larger.  Seeing what God is doing in other parts of the world, even outside of America, is such a healthy and inspiring thing.  I am learning what it means to be a global Christian and I really am understanding the beauty behind the fact that I am not American, I am not Japanese, and I am not any other nationality.  Rather, I am a citizen of HEAVEN, an alien just passing through this foreign land called earth.  That is who I really am as a Christian and I am also seeing what that is really supposed to mean for me in the time I am given on this spinning mass in outer space.  

Well, these are the things that are on my heart tonight that I wanted to share with all of you.  I do so in the hopes that I may encourage and even challenge you to reflect on your life as a Christian and where your focus is.  It is so easy to get bogged down by the temporal, but this Thanksgiving and Christmas, take time to remember what is really important in this life and keep your eyes toward Heaven.  We have so much to be thankful for, all of us, but the greatest gift is a relationship with the Living God who invites and longs for us to spend eternity with Him.  It is all about relationship!  Do your friends and family know about this gift?  

Prayer Requests:   1.)  That God will continue to use me to love and minister to my students.  God is giving me such favor in so many of my relationships here, but I need continual direction on how to best be a witness for Christ to each of them.  

2.)  Please pray that God would send a good missionary here in Osaka, one with a true heart to serve God, once I have to leave this place in mid-January.  This is such a special ministry and the work must go on!  Please pray God will send more missionaries, even more than one, for there is SO MUCH work to be done, especially since only 1% of this nation is Christian!  May God send many more missionaries to the Japanese people.

3.)  Please pray that God would continue to guide me down the path that He has chosen for me, especially in these next coming months, and that I will have the courage to follow no matter what!   Have a blessed Thanksgiving with your family and friends!  We truly do have so much to be grateful for.  

Rachel Willoughby, Fifth Avenue Community Church, Youngstown, Ohio. June 2004 Team to Japan & China, 12/07/2004

Christmas
My Christmas began officially Friday, when I had to dress up like Santa Claus and parade into the school-wide assembly with all the other foreign teachers at my school.  Ai-oh!  I was certainly the scrauniest little Santa there ever been, but it was fun to see all the smiling kids.

 Friday evening, Kathy & I took our Taiwanese friend Lily out for dinner and gave her a Christmas gift.  We learned that its custom here NOT to open a gift in front of the giver, so we were a bit disappointed, but I guess that's a rather selfish attitude in giving anyway. We enjoyed ourselves in spite of the cultural clash. That night (Christmas Eve it was), I went to the west side of Taichung for a slumber party with the other gals in ITPS.  It was certainly a different Christmas Eve from the pomp & circumstance my family usually celebrates with, but it was pleasant and fun to have others to open a few gifts with.

Christmas Day was actually quite memorable, or rather I hope I'll remember it later in life. Some of the gals invited us (about 20 ITPS missionaries) to their home for breakfast.  A real western feast of pancakes, french toast, eggs, and bacon.  We passed some time with a game of Hand and Foot, then later that afternoon, about 20 of us (imagine this!) hit the streets and went caroling to many local businesses including tea houses, the market, the buddhist monks, and Little Italy restaurants. Oh, what a terrific time we had, and oh how we surprised and blessed all those we met! We gave out information for the church and Truth about Christmas as we went from each group. 

Christmas night, the whole gang of us (20 foreigners), had supper at an Italian restaurant called "Fatty".  Then we had a big party with all our friends and had "a dirty santa gift exchange" (I think we would more likely call it a "white elephant"exhchange in the Midwest.)  It was great fun, and I inherited the greatest wool socks out of the deal!

So all in all, I had a great Christmas.  Thank-you to all of you who sent me special Christmas greetings.  My apologies for answering your questions in bulk, but you had many of the same ones!  Hope you are enjoying your holiday. 

Elizabeth Burkholder, June 2004 Taiwan Team, Pacific Crossroads Church, Los Angeles, California  12/26/2004

Anna from Japan
Things are going so well here in Japan, with teaching, and my mission.  Starting this school in September, I started out with about 10 students, but now it is continuing to grow each week, and now, I am teaching about 40 students and 17 classes a week.  I am so thankful that I have had such an amazing opportunity, and also, God has given me so many opportunities to share with my students and get them involved with the church.  It has been really neat, because most of the students that I have are people that God has put in my path and meeting them in places like a gas station, pie shop, jewelry store, and restaurant.  We have such great relationships, and I am able to spend time with them outside of class and build relationships.  We will go to the movies, out to eat, or I will go to their house.    This summer, my home church, Northside Baptist, is coming here for a missions trip and bringing 32 adults/college students.  They will be doing a sports camp and english lessons.  We will also go to the World's Fair in Nagoya. I am so excited, bc that will be some serious impact for this town.   My mom and sister are coming here in June for 2 weeks.  This will be their first time out of the country, so, this is a big step for them.    God has really been showing me a lot since I have been here.  He has been showing me, not my way, but His. That we have to make the most out of every opportunity, and not to let this life that we have been given slip away and be wasted on trivial things.   

Prayer Request:  1.  My student Jim.  He is very interested in Christianity, but his family is trying to forbid it. 
2.  The new teacher that is coming in August to take my place. 
3.  I am about to start an English Bible study for some of my students.  Please pray about that.
4.  The 32 Americans coming here in July, that they would  be a huge impact for this community.  

(Arigato Gazaimasu)  -  Thank you very much!! God Bless, and thanks for your prayers. 
Anna Marie Tucker, June 2004 Japan Team, Charleston Southern University, Greenwood, South Carolina, 04/20/2005   

Thoughts from Taiwan
So, here I am. Somehow it is already the end of June and I'm left wondering where the last four months went. I went to bed one night, feeling like I had a lifetime of work left in Taiwan... and I woke up in America. I am in the middle of spending a week in Oakland, CA with my little brother Ryan. It's a pretty relaxed and cruisy week, so I'm left to process my year in Taiwan.

I have never been so thankful for such a difficult time in life. I felt unappreciated and unqualified at my job in Taiwan. But I know now, more than ever, that God fully accepts me and loves me. It's beautiful. It doesn't matter if I can't drive a scooter well, or it my students play in class and don't learn a thing, or it I lose the beat while drumming at church. God passionately loves me just as much as He did before all those things.

Even as difficult as I found teaching children, I know that I will miss my students. I'll miss hearing Jolin say, "Mama, I love you." I'll miss the overly shy Emily not saying anything but just hugging my leg as tightly as she can. I'll miss going to the hair dresser and practicing my Chinese with phrases like "Jesus loves you, Jesus loves every person," and then acting out the crucifixion because I don't know the Chinese words. I'll miss struggling through the difficulties of ministry with my flat-mates (roommates). Though I feel like I'm leaving a lot behind, I am trusting God as I follow Him into the future.

This coming year (August - April) I am privileged to serve as the intern for the Middle East Studies Program based in Cairo, Egypt. On this program, American college students study Arabic, Islam, culture and current events in the Middle East. This is the same program that I participated in my Senior year of college. My job will be to facilitate the students' studies in any way that I can. I will plan events and trips for the students and look out for their social, spiritual and emotional welfare. I'm really looking forward to this opportunity and will keep you posted at to how things go for me there.

In a previous email, I asked for your prayers concerning my friends. Cindy was recently baptized at my church and is becoming more involved in the church's youth group. Chandler (who was being discipled by my teammate James) is about the same as when I last wrote. He still struggles with acceptance in his highschool. James will soon leave Taiwan, thus leaving Chandler with significantly less companionship. When you think of Taiwan, please pray for these friends as they seek God. Also, pray for the work of the ITPS missionaries in Taiwan. Thanks so much for all of you support through prayer and friendship.

Heidi Greer, June 2004 Tawian Team, New Horizon Community Church, Winona Lake, Indiana, 07/01/2005

Mission Trainings in Orange County, California
I can't thank you enough for this oppourtunity to serve with you and this organization. I feel the Lord has truly placed me here to serve with ITPS and I am so grateful and excited. please let me know if you need anything, I am so willing able to volunteer anything I can.

I absolutely loved the training and learnt so much,  here a few suggestions that I have for next year:
Could evangelism training focus a little on how to evangelize to the Asian culture, what things the people of the countries we are going to believe ie. buddhism, ancestor worship, commiunism. It would have been great to have some prior knowledge to these things before jumping in. also maybe you should look into a free day after graduation day from UCI. 

Is there an ITPS brochure or information that I can pass out to some of the churches that I am in contact with here in Southern Missouri and St Louis. I know many of the churches here would be interested in pairing up with you to send some short term teams out for summer camps in China, and I want to help you network out here in the mid west.

Rejoice in God for He is good

Erin Lenihan, June 2005 Taiwan Team, Missouri Baptist Univeristy,  Maryland Heights, Missouri, 07/01/2005 

Hello guys! :)       Finally.. after 2 weeks of intense rural summer teaching-english camp in Guan Shing village in the Lugu town of the Nantou County in the country of Taiwan my partner and I are slowly being able to settle down in Hsinchu. There is too much to write, but I can tell you that the spiritual attacks are pretty intense here in one of the darkest places in the country (Nantou being the center of buddha/feng shui/idolatry and also having the highest suicide rate, but especially in Lugu being the highest suicide rate) but that's what makes it so exciting!       We prayed over many temples with blatant idols and did family visitations that were basically tea time (and praise the Lord we as a team got to share the Gospel to a temple worker.. a father whose kid recently accepted Jesus during the camp!.. and even that was an intense battle as the room got hot when we were listening to his beliefs and asked him if he was interested in ours and then sharing Jesus and His love.. right after we finish talking about spiritual matters the room came back to cooler temperatures.. as noted by some of the other teammates who couldn't speak Chinese so they had prayed). Anyhow, I already have over 300-400 or so decent photos already of just those 2 weeks!! Craziness.. THANK YOU guys sooo much for your prayers and PRAISE THE LORD for His work & His faithfulness in protecting us and leading us as we can't read any Chinese and have to rely heavily on the Lord & His Holy Spirit!!.. (right now i am trying to put together a more detailed journal as i am trying to find time.. too much stuff to do.. we were getting ping-ponged around helping different pastors in different places around the country!)      I have also kept you guys in my prayers and pray that you would all get to experience the awesomeness of God's power!! I have heard powerful life testimonies of the lame walking and the people who get cancer getting healed, to the infertile suddenly becoming fertile even in their late 40s to plenty more from this Hsinchu church http://www.newgrace.org.tw/. Please let me know what is going on with you guys too. Send pictures over! May the Lord continue being glorified! :)  
because He loves us -- Psalm 90 (especially verses 10, 12-17).

Kai Ming Lin, 2005 Taiwan Team to Hsinchu City, New Life Christian Fellowship, Westminster, California 07/14/2005

Konnichwa! I've now lived through a week and 4 days in Gamagori, Japan! How awesome is that! The church here is full of wonderful people who are so willing to give of themselves and help me. It's been such a blessing. This past week I spent tons of time with Anna Tucker, our teacher who was here this past year. She taught me everything she knew about Gamagori, Japan and the ICI school where I'm teaching. (She started this school only 7 months ago at the church here) This past Monday we sent her on her way back to America with many tears and well wishes. As I sit here knowing I'm "alone" here in Japan (as far as other Americans go...at least until Christina comes at the end of Aug), I don't feel alone at all. The people here have welcomed me with open arms. It humbles me everyday.   I've attached a few pictures. The first one is ICBC church where I'm working. The next two are me in front of Takeshima Island and then me in front of one of the shrines on the island. The island is used for Buddhist and Shinto worship. There are huge temples and idols on the island where people go to pray. Christians from ICBC took me there and explained that it is a place where there is a lot of spiritual warfare.   Then there is a picture of me in my first kimono! yea!   The spiritual state of Japan reminds me of Acts 17 when Paul goes to Athens and sees the idol for an "unknown God." Then he tells the people, "I see that in every way you are very religious. You even have an altar with this inscription TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." This is the state of Japan today...many "religious" people, who pray to these idols, feed them food and water, give them money and then go home and worship their ancestors. It's a sad existence...Pray that our Father will break the bonds of tradition and the lies satan uses to hold their minds captive.   Also pray for the friendships and relationships I have already built and those to come. The majority of my students are not Christians. Most of them will never step into a Christian church on their own, but because it's an English class, they come. Pray that I will faithfully share my life with them.   Thank you so much for your faithful prayers! Know that our Father is using them and I can feel them working! Much love from across the ocean.
Missy Swenty, June 2005 Japan Team, Faith Outreach Church, Clarksville, Tennessee  07/28/2005

Hi friends and family,   This past two months have truly been amazing. Shortly after accepting my job I gave a testimony (in Chinese) at church, and have seen my heart-involvement with the church increase considerably. I say "heart-involvement" because on the outside perhaps not so much has changed, but on the inside, I feel as much a part of this family as I felt a part of my college fellowship. The Lord truly is amazing!   Adjusting back to work is difficult!  The first month the main challenge was juggling all of my outside commitements that hadn't ended yet (they all ended around the end of June) and adjusting to a professional working environment with high standards. Praise the Lord, I am doing well at work, and even getting a bit of a reputation for doing well. I'm not used to being praised, but this seems to be a place where they verbally affirm a lot, and I'm happy that I am doing things well.   Now the challenge is getting to know the Chinese staff more, and them getting to know me. It's painful sometimes....most foreigners here don't speak Chinese, but it hurts my pride when people assume I don't as well. (I know this sounds stupid, I'm not saying I'm perfect here). Language and culture and personalities...all of things factor into getting to know someone. Because of these differences, it's a slow process to get to know other Chinese. But pray for me, that after a period of time, people will know me, and I will know them.   Today we had an American pastor speak at church! He was visiting to do some conferences, and so he preached in English. For me, it was such a joy! I loved sitting back and getting every single joke without even having to try hard. But it also made me realize what a huge barrior langauge is. He spoke really fast, and a lot of "Christian usages" don't translate easily between languages, and so I imagine it was hard for the Chinese audience to get as much out of the message. I learned a few things...first if a preacher in another country....learn first their culture, and how pasters give messages, and follow that...little things like voice volume, jokes, etc. Second, stick to truth...the Bible...and keep out as many culture references as possible (I say as possible because we often don't know what are cultural references). Second, I can't wait until that day spoken of in Revelation when we who are many peoples are all together worshipping the Lord, using His language to praise His glory. The language barrior I see all the time in my life (a barrior because neither is my Chinese perfect, nor are people always perfectly willing to speak Chinese with me because of the pressure to "practice English" with a foreigner) and in this world, between cultures, this language barrier makes my heart break. What an amazing day when we will be able to worship God TOGETHER.  
God bless, I look forward to hearing from you all!

Lisa Holl,  2004 June Taiwan Team, University of Southern California, Epicenter Church, Pasadena, California, 08/01/2005  

From Shanghai
Baotuo(Inner Mongolia) Summer Camp was a good experience for all of our team there - Tarah,  Gary, Mandy, Andrea, Andrew, Lindsey, and me. Two of our TAs had recently become brothers. Three of the others wanted to know more, so asked lots of questions about our father and his book. The one TA who seemed most resistant cried and cried on my shoulder Friday morning before our parent meeting program. I told her that if she accepts our father's plan, we can be together more years than we can count. She had told me that she wanted to visit her family, but they were 26 hours away by train. I encouraged her to take time to visit them, then look for another part-time job when she returned. These young people were all special in their own way. One of the recent brothers came to my room right after Grace left wanting to know more about our father. He took other TAs to the girls' rooms for stories from our book. There were finally 30 children and teens who came to the camp. We taught in teams, which worked out well. Tarah and Lindsey had the group that spoke the best English. Mandy and Andrea had the middle group. Andrew and I had the youngest children who spoke little English. Andrew is an art major. He was able to draw many pictures that helped with communication. Like most children, these learned songs quickly. For the parent program, we sang "It's a Small World" from materials received at UCI. Andrew has also had a year of Chinese. His interest in learning the language went a long way with the kids. Lindsey also has a genuine interest in Chinese language and culture. She was always visiting with the young people. These two young people, both only 18, have a real heart for our father.For one of our activities, we had a time when the students could ask the English teachers any question they wanted. The students wrote their questions beforehand. One asked what our drama, The Prodigal Son, meant. There were many opportunities to share because the children stayed in a boarding school situation, with the TAs looking after their needs outside of class. This also provided many opportunities to share with the TAs.Please remember a little boy named Steven in my class. He was alert every minute, wanting to learn as much as possible. For our talent show, he drew a picture which showed a lot of talent. When we had to practice our drama in earnest for our class's part, he was the only child sure of when he should speak. For some reason, the other children didn't accept him. Finally, Cinderella, a TA in another class, told me that Steven was poor. My TAs didn't agree that this was the problem. I hope Steven has friends in his neighborhood and school. Since we only had one two-week camp in Baotuo, Mandy, Andrea, Andrew, and Lindsey went to Beijing to help with a camp there. Tarah, Gary, and I came on to our schools in Shanghai.
TGBTG, Suzanne P. 2005 June China Team to Shanghai, Sul Ross State University, Sunnyvale Baptist Church, Sunnyvale, Texas
8/10/2005

Hello Everybody~

I have had quite a few adventures in China since I got here in the beginning of July--I've seen many beautiful places, met lots of wonderfull people, and eaten some things that I never would have thought of as food before life in China. In it all, our Father has been hard at work and teaching me so much--especially about flexibility, fayth, and faythfullness (His and the need for mine).I have been moving around a lot so far--every few weeks I've been in a new place! These first few months have consisted primarily of teaching English at different summer camps in China. Each move has been complete with new people, new living arrangements, new responsibilities, new schedules, different challenges, etc. That is in part where the flexibiility and fayth come in...flexibility in the current situation (whatever it may be!) and fayth in the One who holds that future (whatever that may be)! Although the quick adjustments have been diffiicult at times, they have been really good learning and growing experiences for me and an opportunity to see more places and meet more people.We started in Kunming (Yunan Province): The camp was run by a brother and we had good translators that were part of the family too. The camp was held in a hotel so we stayed in rooms just down the hall from the kids. We spent 12+ hours per day with them--including structured teaching times, meals,song times, American cultural activities, sports, games, etc. We told them about Christmas and Easter and about our Father and His Son. Six students joined the family and we got to give all of them a copy of the Best Book. We saw the Holy Sprite do amazing things in Kunming and felt the encouragement that He gives to His children! Please continue to lift up those students and ask for follow-up with the work that has been done. What a blessed time!

Then on to Foshan Schools (Guangzhou): The atmosphere was completely different...the camp was not a family run business and there was a heaviness and burden that is difficult to explain. It seemed like a lot of little challenges all added up to be near overwhelming at times, but Father was faythful. I read in Paul's letter to Corinth about some challenges that he and his friends had in Asia as well and knew that I wasn't alone. I was reminded of the Son's example (Phil. will show you in 2 from 1-13) and His words to His Father in the Garden (John can tell you about it at 17 and then 4.) and how I want that to be true of my life as well. My students were adorable and they said my name really cute, although sometimes it sounded more like "Miss Vanier" or "Miss Venia". (I guess no matter where I go and no matter how many times some people "Say it", I have a tough name! =) I was able to form friendships with some of the Chinese English teachers and I know that they are hungry so ask Father to give them that gourmet food that only he can give--I am hoping to be a waitress or something if He will let me!

Hong Kong: We took a short trip to HK to extend our Visas. It was sucessful and good to get away, but the highlight was the wonderfull couple that we stayed with. They are part of the family and we got to have a family meeting with them and some others one morning. Their hospitality was delightful and spaghetti never tasted so good! They had stories to share about their lives and experiences and a library of really good books that I got to puruse in the evenings. The work that they do for the Father is really exciting!

Then to ShenZhen...so here I am! I am in ShenZhen right now. I just finished teaching here last Friday; our theme was "Sea Adventure". I taught for two weeks and readied the kids for a performance at the closing ceremony. My favorite was telling them the story of Noah, the Boat, all that water, and the rainbow! Then they acted out the story for their parents. They sang lots of fishy songs too! It was really cute! I have met many really wonderfull people (lots of other foreigners and some locals) here and missed some others that Father has sent back to the US. I feel encouraged and blessed and ready to get to the orphanage...

Onward and Upward: I leave for Panyu (part of Guangzhou) tomorrow morning. My life should become a bit more stable once I arrive there (but following Father's plans is one Grand Adventure so who really knows?). I will be staying at Heidi's house (the sister in charge of the orphanage). The final touches are being put on our building now and the kids will be coming to live with us at the end of August. We will start with 5 children and gain 5 more in a month; they have been so heavy on my heart! Please ask Father to prepare us, to work in the lives of these babiies, to provide for their needs, and to help us to be a clear, unified reflection of His Son. I eagerly await sending the next update so I can give you specifics about the babies and their individual needs!

Please continue to ask Father to give me discipline and learning regarding the language...that continues to be a difficulty. Two final things...Ni Na is my Chinese name. Most of my students choose an English name so I got to pick a Chinese name. Heidi helped me choose it and I liked it because it sounds similar to Vania! You should hear some of the funny "English" names that people choose...one of the best is "Ultra Man". I kid you not, a teacher here in ShenZhen has a student named Ultra Man, despite her attempts to dissuade both him and his parents! The last thing is my "What's Hot and What's Not" lists from my first 2 months away from home...enjoy.

What's Hot

*All the cool family members I met at Francis' house in June
*Health and Provision in China
*Father's work in Kunming and the beautiful scenery there
*A Massage in Foshan for 10 quai ($1.25 in the US!)
*Riding the ferry in Hong Kong
*My adorable students and memories of my kindergarten class (I've used a lot of Mrs. Schroeder's good ideas!)
*Emails from home
*Sea Food (I really like most of it...)
*Wal-Mart (how nice to recognize something)
*Pictures and memories about what has happened this far and hope about what is to come

What's Not

*A 15-hour flight in a cramped back row near the planes W.C. (everybody calls the bathroom the WC here...)
*phone cards that cut you off mid-sent...
*eating bugs
*my chopsticks skills (they are improving though)
*the time I flooded the 4th floor in Foshan (oops!)
*my selfishness at times (ask Father to help me with this)
*the ride in the ShenZhen party car
*my inability to speak or read Chinese

Well, I can't think of as many things for "What's Not" so I guess that is a good thing! Even if this email is less indiviidual, my upward thoughts for each of you aren't! Thank-you for rememberring me; I know that Father hears and He has been so faythfull fo me in all circumstances. It is my request that I would be faythfull too!

Ni Na (vania) =) 2005 June China team to Guangzhou Ophanage, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Waushara Community Church, Wautoma, Wisconsin   
8/16/2005

Vladivostok, Russia

Hello everyone!   I have arrived at Vladivostok in one piece. My trip was good and I am now in this great city where everyone can talk about me all they want and I don't have a clue!  What a wonderful feeling!  Seriously, everyone is nice and I have met the English teachers today.  It is good to be able to communicate.  My room is very, very nice, much more than I expected.  I have a kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, everything I need.  I may go grocery shopping later.   I have been given my teaching assignments in part today.  Classes begin on Wednesday for me.  I have much preparing to do.  So, I will cut this message short.  I have to learn a great deal before I am comfortable.  I appreciate your prayers so very much. To those of you given to worry, please let this comfort your minds.  I am okay and feeling good, challenged but good!  

Anna Rowsell,  June 2005 team to Vladivostok University, Pacific Russia, Zion Pentecostal Church, Musgrave Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada
09/12/2005

From Japan

This has been quite an eventful week. Classes went well. Saturday Missy and I introduced ourselves to the woman living in the apartment three doors down from ours. She is from Peru and lives in the apartment with another Peruvian woman. I spoke with her in Spanish for almost an hour. She is very nice and we hope to visit her again soon to meet the other woman living there. Saturday night we went to dinner with Miho, Nozomi and Atsuyuki. Miho and Atsuyuki are two of our students and Nozomi lives at the church. He is an intern with ICBC Church this year. We went to eat Yakiniku (Japanese BBQ). Each table has its own little BBQ in the middle and you BBQ your own food right there at the table. It's so much fun! Sunday after church we went to our first Japanese class. The classes are free and given by the city hall. We learned Hiragana (one of the three forms of writing in Japanese) for two hours. It was good practice but we probably won't go to the class again. We want to focus on speaking. We continue to study on our own everyday. Monday was a holiday here in Japan, so we didn't have classes. At 9:30am Yoshie (one of our students) picked us up at the church and took us to the Toyota company fitness center. We swam for a couple hours then went upstairs and had lunch with her and three of her friends. It was so much fun and the three of them might start taking English classes with us. Yesterday, Missy and I went to the World Expo in Nagoya. This was an amazing event. This is the last week of the six month long Expo, so we decided we should take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. We left Gamagori at 6am and returned at 8pm. The Expo consists of about 50 pavilians (buildings), each representing a different country. That's all for now. I will do my best to keep all of you updated on the latest news. Please continue to pray for me and the work I am doing here in Gamagori, Japan. Thanks to all of you for all your help and prayers! I've added pictures from last week. Until next time....keep smiling and know that God loves you!! 09/20/2005

Christina Hildebrand, June 2005 Japan Team. Bethel Church, Redding, California, Sonoma State University

From Hsinchu, Taiwan   Psalm 16:8
¡§I have set the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.¡¨   PAYING BILLS!! I experienced my first time paying bills here....you take it to a 7-11 (they're at every corner) and pay and they stamp it and away you go...I like this system!

GROCERY SHOPPING!!
Mandy and I took her scooter and went grocery shopping the other day....craziness..as if from being a foreigner we don't attract enough attention as it is, I dropped a strawberry jam jar in the checkout line and it crashed!! oh man....5 bags later..with both of us on the scooter, Mandy held 2 bags in the front with her legs and I held 2 bags in the back and filled my back pack and we headed back to the apartment a little tipsy, but we made it!! It was wild...fun experience!!  I think shopping for things as
you need them is best...don't wait until you need everything!!  

A TAIWANESE BASEBALL GAME!!
...oh man are those fun!! Everyone with their little plastic beaters and yelling the whole game..the cheering never stops!!!....honestly...we need to bring that spirit back with us to the games in America!! They are so exciting!!  I also loved the different foods eaten at a baseball game here..instead of hot dogs, popcorn, brats.etc...we saw dumplings, squid on a
stick, fried rice, egg drop soup, and other normal Taiwanese foods!!!

A MINI VACATION!
A few friends and I were able to go to  Kenting...the southern tip of Taiwan because of no school last Monday...it was the most wonderful weekend and so beautiful and the weather turned out to be great even though it forcasted rain... so many wonderful stories to tell you!!  God took good care of us as
we ventured from town to town by bus and hooked us up with wonderful Taiwanese people who helped us ....Kenting can maybe be compared to Hawaii??!! I don't know...that's what I've been told..but it was such a needed, refreshing trip and so great to get out of the inner city where we live and see green grass, fields, palm trees and the beautiful water.... I'm
always open to visitors...!!!????  

PRAISES
*One of my teammates just gave me his digital camera since he doesn't need it anymore,  and I am having SOSOSO much fun here with it...my coworkers laugh at me...Andrea with her camera again..but let me tell you digital is the way to go!! I