I heard the same thing over and over, “We planned on going to (X) but decided to stay here in Taiwan this summer instead.”
This summer has been awesome. Under normal circumstances, I had planned to go back to the US for a brief home furlough and then do ministry in Nepal again. However, 2020 has been anything but normal.
Back in March it became obvious that the pandemic was not going to be a blip in the news cycle. It was going to be a decade defining event. So, I reached out to my ministry partners in Nepal and confirmed that they too were on lockdown and would be for the foreseeable future. Taiwan was putting even stricter measures in place and leaving the island was highly discouraged if you wanted back in. It became clearer each day that I was staying in Taiwan over the summer. Finally, in May, I pulled the trigger and informed my ministry partners, donors, and family that I was staying.
Of course, this was a chance to see more of Taiwan. Leaving the island was discouraged but we had free reign to go anywhere in Taiwan. So I did. My church and I went to see an annular solar eclipse in South Taiwan. It was something I won’t forget anytime soon. Then I went to a conference in Taichung (one of Taiwan’s large cities).
The conference was exactly what I needed. I got to worship alongside other Gospel workers, network with mission team leaders in Taiwan, and engage in great fellowship with other like minded men. It was a fantastic week. I left with some great contacts and will work hard to leverage them in the future.
At the conference, everyone was encouraging each other. I heard the same thing over and over, “We planned on going to (X) but decided to stay here in Taiwan this summer instead.” So there were more people at the conference than usually attended. It couldn’t have been a better week. The Lord was forming connections that can be used for the glory of His Name! Pray that we do so as gospel workers!
Now that I’m back at school and teaching again I’ve been realizing that the summer was a blessing more than a frustration. Yes, I’m frustrated that I couldn’t go out and do more ministry but I got plenty of opportunities here. I got to encourage an Taiwanese evangelist in Taitung while waiting for the train and got to see him witnessing to people at the station. That’s on top of preaching each week and teaching ESL Bible study every Thursday. I got to do plenty of ministry this summer.
Paul says in Philippians 3 that was focusing on the future and forgetting what came before. His eyes were on the prize, that is, Christ. He strove for the future as I now do. The world can’t stay locked up forever. Eventually things will open up again. I want to be first on the ground when that happens. So, in this season, I’ve begun support raising in earnest. My sending church in the DFW area has already green lit me for support. It’s just a matter of how much. On top of that, several people have signed up for SRM’s monthly newsletter called The Caravan and some have already begun giving financially. Silk Road Mission is no longer just a dream in my head but close to being a reality. God is good!
Please consider signing up for The Caravan and donating to help SRM grow. You can use the “Donate Now” button on the top left or click on the “Join SRM” tab option in the menu. I’m excited to have you aboard!
That’s all for now travelers. I’m grateful to all who’ve stuck around so far. Stay tuned here! The best is yet to come!
May the Lord bless you and keep you, may He make His face shine upon you and give you peace.
Kenneth See
SRM Founder