Tales from Taiwan #11

Dear sisters,

Last Wednesday at the Buddhist orphanage I was supposed to tutor Alex, a third grader I've known since first grade.  As is often the case, several boys got upset at each other and then Alex refused to do any more English work.  Instead he climbed under some desks in the corner of the room and did his math homework instead (hey, can't fault a kid for doing homework!).  So I crawled underneath and joined him.  I just started praying for him and sang "Jesus Loves Me" to him in English while he did math.  

We stayed under the desks like this for maybe 20 minutes.  Finally Alex finished his math assignments and got up.  I followed him and asked him if he knew why we came every week.  He just shrugged his shoulders and looked at me.  I smiled and said, "Because we love you!"          

Alex would hardly look at me.  I think he's been hurt in the past and so it's harder for him to trust others like this.  I repeated it and told him he better remember it.  He nodded seriously and had a hint of a smile on his face.  The moment passed and he was ready to get on with English, but I know it was a big step of growth for this little third grader.  Of course, my heart is really for him to know of Christ and His love, but this is certainly a starting point for a boy rescued and put in a Buddhist orphanage!      

I could go on and on of what God is doing in my area of Taiwan!  Some of it seems so big and amazing!  Some of it seems rather small or insignificant at the moment, but then I remember this quote from John Piper:
     
"In every situation and circumstance of your life, God is always doing a thousand different things that you cannot see and you do not know."

Praising God that He is indeed at work here in my island, in my life and in those around me.  And this - that He's at work in you and your life too!

For Him in Taiwan,
Joanna