Greetings from Taiwan:
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (I Cor 11:1). Following Jesus, and leading others to follow him too; this was the challenge given to Taiwan teenagers this week at Sports & English Camp.
Thank you for praying, as we saw God’s hand working in hearts and all that transpired this week! Our 9th annual S & E Camp just concluded. 200 students and staff have gone their separate ways. It was a terrific week! Praise the Lord! Twenty teenagers came forward on Friday evening to confess their faith in Jesus Christ for the very first time! 8 of these teenagers were immersed into Christ, having been given permission to do so by their parents! It was the culmination of an amazing week.
We used 36 student leaders, who had last year said they wanted to be part of a Transform Taiwan movement, and they led small groups for morning devotions and an evening discussion time. We also had 50 faculty, with 16 coming from Las Vegas and 7 from YWAM in Taipei. Coupled with missionaries and Taiwanese brethren, we had a great staff! Our theme was Kyle Idelman’s “Not a fan.”
By far, the most tense moments came on Thursday, when one of the boys, Tony, from The Home of God’s Love orphanage, jumped to avoid being hit by a ball in our dodge ball tournament. Because he wasn’t wearing shoes, he landed awkwardly on his back. He was in such pain, and couldn’t move, so the life squad had to be called. We spent the evening in the ER; and thankfully, Tony was able to get up and walk out of there. Meanwhile, at camp, the kids were praying and discussions among the teens took a pivotal turn. God was able to use Tony’s pain for His glory!
We’re tired, but it is a good tired. We’ll be driving up to Taipei this afternoon to rejoin the LV team as they are sightseeing. We will be with them through the weekend, seeing them off on Monday morning, and then returning to Taichung.
We’ll have a day and a half to wrap everything up and say good-bye to those who are so dear to us…..Then, Wednesday morning, we’ll be boarding a flight toward the US, to begin a new phase of life and ministry. We’re looking forward to a short get-away, with a layover in Hawaii, as we return from East Asia.
We may not be in touch until after we’ve settled in our new home, in Livonia. Please thank the Lord with us for a terrific week, where many lives were forever transformed. Pray for these precious teenagers! Please ask the Lord to bless the awesome staff that worked so tirelessly this past week! And, please pray for us as we say good-bye to Taiwan, and begin anew!
Thank you for your partnership in this ministry! May we all, like Paul, be able to say, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” All for the glory of God!
In His Service,
Dave & Brenda Atkin