May 2, 2014
Greetings from Taiwan:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Ps 18:1) There was a time when David, 8th son of Jesse, was on the run. He had been anointed by Samuel to be the next king. David was a mighty warrior, and had served the king faithfully, dutifully. However, the king on the throne saw him as a threat to his reign, and wanted him dead. David, with a small band of men, would often hide out in the desert, in cliffs, in caves — to escape the king’s wrath. Though things often looked bleak for David, David never gave up his faith! And, he did become the king of Israel; and through his lineage the Savior came! Yes, indeed, the Lord is the Rock of our salvation!
I must apologize for a three week lapse in updates. It is not just that we have been too busy to write. It is more, like, “Wow! Where do we begin?!?” I had hoped to get a May newsletter out by this weekend, but that seems impossible. I’m sending this on our Friday afternoon because we’ll be in Kaohsiung for Noah’s basketball tournament tomorrow. So, here is a brief update to let you know that we are still alive and well, and that the Lord continues to bless us!
First, yes, we have clarity concerning our future! The Lord has called us to one of our partner churches, the Memorial Church of Christ, Livonia (a suburb of Detroit), Michigan. Little did we know, never did we dream, that when we announced 500 days until disengagement (more than 400 days ago); the Lord would eventually open the door to Detroit! Wow! Please be in prayer, and we’ll share more about the transition from missionary to minister in the May newsletter!
We got back to Taiwan in time to go camping with our Come Church! What a great blessing and a great view! We are so thankful for these precious times with our brothers and sisters!
We’ve also had three baptisms in the past week! Chong-dze (James) and Guo-wei (Wendy) are preparing for a wedding on May 10th. They wanted to begin their marriage with the Lord in their hearts and in their wedding. Serena Lee, is a wife and mother of two, who for years and years has attended my Monday evening English Bible class. She, too, gave her life to Christ! (More on all of these in the May newsletter — very cool testimonies.)
Sports & English Camp is coming together well! Just a month ago, we feared we would not have enough faculty, but God has provided in amazing ways! We should have nearly 40 adults on staff! PTL!
James & Wendy will marry, with me officiating, on May 10th, at Luce Chapel, on the campus of Tung-hai University. (The chapel itself is an architectural wonder.) It will be a large wedding, with even a 20-member contingent flying in from mainland China. Please pray that this wedding will truly share God’s love with those who have never experienced it! Pray for me!
My beautiful Grand niece, in Cincinnati, Avery, who is about 16 months old is having seizures, lots of them. Doctors are preparing to do a brain surgery that they hope will reduce or eliminate them. Please pray for the family, and Avery’s complete recovery!
There is so much more we could write, but then, who would have time to read it all! We thank you for your faithful partnership with us, and promise much more news in the May newsletter! May you not forget — the Lord is our Rock!
All for God’s Glory Among the Nations,
Dave & Brenda Atkin