A Weekend Before Christmas... Print E-mail
As the people of God we all know that when we are facing something that appears too big He faithfully carries us through to the end. That is how it was on a weekend before Christmas.

students Friday night 7pm, we met at the church to get ready for our "house-to-house" Christmas caroling. We finished at 12.30am-1.00am. It is winter here in Taiwan and the wind that night was cold! We, (about 27-30 of us, young people and us slightly older young people!), drove many kilometres to 9 homes over a wide area of Shalu City and neighbouring towns. At each one we sang three songs, went inside had some eats and drink then onto the next home in succession. Steven and I played guitar under any available light; street light, porch light etc. It was a tremendous evening of fellowship and going out together to sing of God's love to others. Although we sang at church member's houses the neighbours are physically slap-bang hard up against each other and would have all heard our songs, sung both in English and Chinese. At the end of it all we had some very quiet, but very happy young people as we drove home.
Saturday morning 8.30am we, (most of us from the previous night) went to a local primary school to take part in their annual Christmas celebration. Our young people put on a nativity drama...in this drama/skit we had 3 inn keepers and yours truly was one of them; a foreigner who could only speak English!! Then I led the children through the English version of "Silent Night, Holy Night". There were approximately 80-100 children but it was FANTASTIC. It was a thoroughly enjoyable time and the two teachers in charge of organising the whole event (both leading members in our church) did an amazing job. Again, Jesus Who is the reason for the season was quite clearly sang about, acted out, and "memory-versed" about.

You know, each time we do something like this; teach children (and adults) about who Jesus is, it continuously highlights to me the spiritual battle going on here between the true freedom, and peace that Jesus Christ gives us, and the lie that these people live under in believing they must appease many gods in a number of ways to have a peaceful and successful life. That is why the work of the English ministries here is so vital and your support of it is so much coveted.

Saturday evening 6.30pm - the Church Christmas Party. The place was packed! We had dinner on the second floor then went down to the auditorium for the night's events. The church leadership put on a presentation of the church's history, and what the various activities, in-house and community related, that we are involved with to date. Then it was show time for both the English and Japanese classes. They all did extremely well. Most of these students have never been in a Christian fellowship environment before so it would be all very new and foreign to them. But you could see in their smiles that they enjoyed being in such an environment. As I said in an earlier newsletter, that in the English classes during our Bible reading segment of the lesson it would be the first time that many of these students would have read the Bible, and talked about Jesus Christ. In one Saturday class I asked them what would they think if they met a Man who could physically stop the wind and calm the sea. One student said he would be God. This from a Buddhist follower! As we make ourselves available to be God's mouthpiece, hands and feet, it's exciting to see what He can do. So, all in all a great night.

Sunday morning we had 7 baptisms and communion. Again it is so good to see God's hand in peoples lives. A mix of young people, young married people and a 75 year old. Praise God!

Peter Wong from Taupo, serving with OMS in Taiwan.
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