Tales from Taiwan #8

Dear Sisters,

What do you do when a little orphan girl approaches, her little eye patch catching your breath?  Maybe she's three, four years old.  Her bangs wisp over her face, gently touching her navy blue patch with the white polka dots.  I wonder what happened.  Was she born with only one eye, or did she have an accident or disease that took it away?  All I know is that she's precious in God's sight and so my heart reaches out to her.  I give her the biggest smile I can muster up, praying all the way.  One small black eye twinkles back in curiosity as she peers at this foreign girl from America.  I place a gift bag in her palms, telling her in Chinese that it's for her.  She smiles tentatively, whispering "xie xie".  I talk a bit more and she starts to beam.  And I can't help wondering - if  she is like this after only a few minutes, like a magnet to the kindness and love that is shining through me from Him, what would she be like if I saw her more often?

Then little orphan boy, Mr. Orange Shirt, assumes that I am fluent in Mandarin, so he starts off into a grand conversation.  I'm dying to know all that this little guy is rambling on and on about.  He seems so knowledgeable in whatever topic it is that he's chosen.  Finally, I understand a bit.  He wants to know if I'm from an aboriginal tribe here.  A grin creeps onto my face before I can sensor it.  He's got to be kidding!  But he's not.  His seriousness is cracking me up.  He truly believes I could be a tribal girl and that Mandarin is my first language.  I engage him in my limited conversation skills, trying to convince the boy that I'm not an aboriginal girl.  It's pretty much a lost cause, so I chuckle and listen and grin some more.  Oh how precious and dear are these orphans to our Heavenly Father!

These last few months, some friends and fellow missionaries have been doing a book study together of Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby, Richard Blackaby and Claude King.  God has been teaching me so much through this study!  One of the things that I've found especially helpful in my walk with Christ is when the authors talk about praying for God to show you where He's working and taking notice of what happens after you pray and then making the connection between the two.

Last December I met several students who are orphans.  Orphans have long been on my heart and I was especially drawn to these kids.  Starting Christmas week, I began praying for an opportunity to go serve them on a weekly basis.  I didn't see any way possible for this and nothing came up.  The door was mostly closed and I was only able to visit their orphanage twice in five months.  But God kept prompting me to continue asking Him for an open door, so I did.  Then two weeks ago, He opened that door so wide I can hardly believe it!  Now every week two friends and I have the opportunity to teach English to nine precious souls and love on them for an hour.  Then we have an hour to visit the other children and play with them.  In a Buddhist institution like this one, I am so excited for this chance to show His love with these sweet, energetic little ones!


Prayer requests:

~ pray for the orphanage where we are ministering each week.  Pray for open doors for the Gospel to be shared and lived out as we minister there.  Pray for these little hearts, that they would come to know His love and truth and know that they are valuable and loved in His sight.

~ pray for good health for myself and fellow missionaries.  I've made a lot of hospital visits lately and am so thankful that my health is now starting to improve!  Pray that my body would continue to heal and that God would be glorified in my weaknesses and show Himself strong.

~ pray for us, as we are in our last two months of ministry here before heading stateside.  Pray that the Lord would give us even more opportunities to continue to make His name known in Taiwan!

Thank you, Sisters!

For Him in Taiwan,
Joanna