Hey there people! The semester is over and camps are starting tomorrow. I can't believe how fast things have flow past. In only 4 days I will have been here in Taiwan for a year. So I guess it would be good to use this post as a chance to look back on what God has done in my first year in Taiwan.

---Jack came to the Lord. Jack was TA at winter camps last year. Although I didn't get to know him all that well during winter camps, we all prayed for the TA's a lot during those camps. I didn't hear anything about Jack for about 5 months. Then, when it came time for summer camps, Jack was my TA. He had been saved for about 2 months at the time and was truly on fire for God. The Bible tells us that by their fruits we shall know them and I could certainly see the fruit in Jack's life.

---Douglas came to the Lord. Douglas was a high school student who hung out with our team a lot last semester. Jack actually had a lot of impact on Douglas as well: during summer camps me and Douglas and Jack roomed together and Douglas was very impressed with how real Jack's walk was. When we came back to Kinmen for the fall semester, Douglas told us that he had trusted Christ during summer camps, but had been too afraid to tell everybody about it. God has done an amazing work in his life since then. He's actively witnessing to his friends and has a huge hunger for the knowledge of God.

---God put me in elem. school. This one is hard to list as a praise. I really would much rather be teaching Jr. High. But God has taught me a lot of things by taking me out of my comfort zone.

---My Dad was able to come out and help in the ministry. His visit was a really blessing to our team, because rather than just coming to look at the sites, see us, and then leave, Dad came and did everything he could to help as we fight for people's souls. Dad was able to help Douglas answer several questions he had about our faith.

---God gave us the ministry at 秀才 Jr. High. This was something totally unexpected. Just before thanksgiving the three KingCar teams went to Taow Ywen (how do you spell that in Pinyin, anyway?) to do a few days of teaching in the schools there. While there, we were hosted in a dorm at 秀才. 秀才 is a school for students who come from broken families and, as Sandy put it, "They like to start the fight or use the knife to cut self." In just the few days that we stayed there God really open these kids hearts to use. Over new years the Kinmen and Nantou teams went back and spent a day with them. Right now I'm trying to plan another trip to Taiwan to visit them again. (BTW, Mom, I've told them I'll be taking you to visit them when you get here).

---God has brought new people to the English Bible study. Last semester our Bible study was almost entirely high school seniors, so of course they are now gone and at college. I kinda wondered if anybody would come to Bible study....but God has brought some really neat new friends.

---God has blessed my Chinese. I've asked you guys a lot of times to pray for my Chinese. And while I still have a long (a VERY LONG) way to go, looking back over this past year, I can see that God really has blessed my learning. Last night some of my 9th grade friends from 秀才 called me and we carried on an entire conversation in Chinese, all over the phone. Cool, no?

---God just continues to be amazing. This past year I have seen his faithfulness over and over again. He is our rock: he is always there. Even when I turn from him, he does not move. He is always there to run to, he is always there to help, he is always there to comfort and his love never ceases. And when I cry over the bondage my friends are in, I know his tears are greater. When I rejoice over a new brother in Christ, I know his shouts are louder.