the CI journal

Kaohsiung CI - Day 3

“But our citizenship is in heaven…”  {Philippians 3:20a}

Today began with yet another stellar breakfast at the Han Hsien hotel in Kaohsiung. With buffet lines dedicated to traditional Chinese fare, typical Japanese dishes, the more unrecognizable native Taiwanese victuals, and more beverages than one can count, we have all been amply spoiled during our stay here. Doing the Lord’s work has many benefits!

After this delightful start to our day, the team gathered for a devotional time led by Dr. Castelino. The name of God we were exploring this morning was Jehovah-jireh – “The Lord Will Provide.” He particularly noted the word “provision,” a combination of the prefix “pro” meaning “before” and the word “vision,” “to see.” In His role as Jehovah-jireh, He sees what our needs will be before we even know that we have them, and He has already provided a solution that will work out for our good and His glory…what a God we serve!

Nick Samaha sharing with the youth

This afternoon, a few of us had the opportunity to meet with 19 young people for three hours, most of whom have been attending the Basic Seminar over the past few days. I was a little nervous about being able to significantly connect with each one, especially in light of the ever-present language barrier, but God provided overwhelming love and peace in the room. His joy was evident as we all played get-to-know-you games and sang in worship to our Savior, and His truth prevailed as four of us shared testimonies from our lives proclaiming His faithfulness. We also held a question and answer session where the youth could ask any question pertaining to life in America, our own personal interests, or clarification on more spiritually-charged queries. This time yielded much laughter as well as more serious conversation as we discussed both the (alleged) superiority of Apple products and how we can know God’s purpose and will for our lives. In the end, we all came away with new friendships and a greater sense of the Spirit’s presence on this trip. Each one of us in the room has our “citizenship in heaven,” and that bond transcends any obstacle, even language!

Trying to answer the youth's questions

We are all so grateful for your support on our journey. Please pray for wisdom for the leadership as scheduling details for the future seminars continue to come together. Pray that we will all be prepared mentally, physically, and spiritually for whatever lies ahead, and that we would have complete faith and trust in our Father as Jehovah-jireh. Xie xie ni!

Bethany Rowe