the CI journal

Luke 22:46

“And He said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”

I love how it is so easy to obey this command of Jesus’ this week here in Hualien. With the beach a mere 5 minutes away, it's a great incentive to get out of bed! So with my resolve finally getting the better of my laziness, I spent an enjoyable morning doing my devotions with waves crashing in the background and sea spray saltiness on my tongue.

When I heard that I was assigned to the boy’s home this week, I was skeptical of how things would go. Mostly, I wished it were possible for us to work with a girl's home instead. :) But things have been going better than I imagined. The boys have been most welcoming and approachable. In fact, most often, it is the boys who approach me to say hello and greet me by name. They are also quite the rabunctious bunch and love to tease the Americans knowing they can't understand Chinese. Needless to say, there is lots of fun and laughter when we are together!

What does a game of limbo, suicidal depression and bears have in common? As impossible as it sounds, they all had to do with our lesson on forgiveness today. Can you tell that we have been most creative with our teaching methods? In our small group discussion, we each named a person who had hurt us in the past. Joseph’s immediate answer was God. That was a shock to me and when he refused to elaborate on why that was so, my heart went out to this boy whose past I could only imagine. I listened as Link shared how he had to learn to forgive his father who had mistreated him. He ran away from home as a result of that, only to be literally dragged home with his head bleeding from something he struck along the way. While there is little we can do but listen to their stories of grief and heartache, it is comforting to know that God, our Jehovah Rapha, can grant healing in each of their lives!

As to what I have personally been learning this trip, there is much that comes to mind. Returning on this trip for a second time as a translator has had its challenges but God has been faithful. The biggest lesson for me has been to see each opportunity as a means to glorify God especially when it's in a way other than I expect. Truly, my most precious memories have been the little conversations with the kids.

It’s sad to be able to count the days before we leave on one hand. There is still much ahead for us though and we appreciate your prayers for the continued ministry and safety of the team. To God be the glory!

Jolynn Tan