Newsletter - Taiwan 2006

January 5, 2006, Travel to Taiwan

We are on our way to Taiwan, please pray. We are very excited because we will have a chance to share Christ with many Buddhist children. We are especially excited because we will be going into the mountains to share Christ with children there. This is a first.... and a big answer to prayer.

Please forgive me for not having written to you sooner. The last few months have been very difficult as I've tried to sort things out without Mike. I miss him terribly. I want you to know that within minutes after receiving the phone call in Moldova that Mike had been killed in the truck accident, we gathered together and thanked God. It was very difficult to hear how Mike died in such a terrible fire and then I remembered, in an instant, in a twinkling of an eye Mike was with his Lord and all pain and all suffering was forgotten. We don't understand but we trust. I know God has a plan. As I sought to organize this trip, I felt like I was a tight rope walker, walking without a safety net under me. There were so many things that Mike did and his loss is huge. But right now the blessing is great. Hundreds and hundreds of people came to Mike's funeral. They flew in from all over the United States and several continents. His sons, his partners in puppet ministry, came to give their testimonies to a life well lived.

Our sons, Josh and Matt, and their wives, Jill and Teresa, and I are all so grateful for Mike and for his life. Please pray for our family as we deal with this loss. Please ask God to help us to remember so many wonderful blessings. I do feel very blessed even at this time. Please pray for us while we are in Taiwan. Ask God that many children will come to faith in Christ.

Thank you so much for everything you've said and done in the last few months. Thank you so much for all the cards and letters, they have really helped. Thank you for the phone calls. I listened to all the messages. I just have not been able to respond to them as I should have. We did stay busy this fall. We kept all our promises that Mike and I made. The team and I spoke at many churches, did many puppet shows, in churches, on the streets, for English as a second language classes. We did the normal fall outreach that Mike and I always did. Had a 150 people at our house for the chili cook-off, hay ride and bonfire in October. At Christmas we once again welcomed almost 500 children in our house. As they toured the house they heard stories about the real meaning of Christmas. I simply haven't had the energy to do more than the ministry. Please continue to pray. And if you don't hear from me, don't be alarmed just pray harder and thank you again for everything all of you have done to make this time easier. Love in Jesus, Linda for Sam Shaw, assistant director (Ireland) Heather and Mykayla Kelley (Chickamauga, GA) Hanna Sager (Missouri) Jonathan Bova (Maryland)

January 7, 2006 Arrival

This is a very blessed trip. From the very beginning, when we went to the airport, we saw God do something wonderful. We needed to purchase an extra suitcase to get all the equipment to Taiwan, but the man refused to take our money. I have never seen an airline do this. We shared with the man behind the counter about our work with the children and they gave us a free suitcase.

On the airplane I had a couple of opportunities to share Christ with people. A couple was going to China to adopt a little girl. For an hour the three of us stood at the back of the plane and talked about Jesus Christ. On the second part of our trip a steward came up to me and said that my face was full of peace. He said he had noticed me when we boarded the airplane, his comment gave me a wonderful opportunity to share about Jesus. When I started to leave the plane he stopped me and thanked me and promised to think about what we had talked about.

We know these opportunities happen because you are on your knees. Praise God!

For the next four days we will be in the mountains. This is an opportunity that we have prayed for over past three years. All of the schools are open to us and we expect to see God do great things. Please pray for open hearts and please pray for the weather. It is very cold here, most unusual for this time of year. Today we went and bought hats and warm socks.

Thank you for praying, don't stop. Love in Jesus, Linda for Sam Shaw, assistant director (Ireland) Heather and Mykayla Kelley (Chickamauga, GA) Hanna Sager (Missouri) Jonathan Bova (Maryland)

January 11, 2006 Taiwan Update

Mahoy Su! In the language of the Tayal, this is "Thank you". Thank you for sending us to Taiwan! Thank you for praying for us.

True Joy

We know these opportunities happen because you are on your knees. Praise God!

Our greatest joy this side of heaven is hearing children calling on Jesus, asking Him to forgive them and save them. By God's grace, we have heard hundreds of children praying out loud. Never before in Taiwan have we had this experience! In all of the places where we have worked in the past, this was not allowed, but the mountain people are more open to the Gospel.

One hundred and fifty years ago, Canadian and English Presbyterians came to these mountains. As a result of their obedience, many of the mountain tribes welcome Bible stories. At one remote school, the children were so enthusiastic in their prayers, they shouted their prayers.

We are in the mountains of Taiwan sharing with tribal children. It is very cold, about 35 F at night. None of us were prepared for these temperatures, as we expected temperatures of 50F to 70F. However, our friends have taken wonderful care of us. Since we are not accustomed to this lifestyle, we are almost always cold.

The home that we are staying in is full of love, spotlessly clean, and a wonderful place to come home to at night. None of these mountain homes are heated, but our hosts do enjoy the luxury of a small space heater in the den area. Like many remote areas where we have worked, there is no tub or shower. Every other day, you take a bath in a large dish pan.

Things we won't forget...

1.  Being showered with kindnesses from our Taiwanese brothers and sisters. 2.  The gifts of the mountain schools. We were honored to receive tribal hats, school flags, and pictures of the children. 3.  The Pastor's mother giving me her hat because I was cold. Her husband has been dead 20 years, but before he died, he      planted 2 strong mountain churches that we worked with. 4.  Strange food like pork fluff, baked pigs feet, and discovering that mouse is a mountain delicacy. 5.  The young man who translated for us whose English was awesome, but had no belief of any kind. God used David to     call many to faith. Please pray for him to believe that God is real and to put his trust in Jesus. I gave him my Bible and     he promised to read it. 6.  The little child that thanked Mykayla for telling her about Jesus. 7.  The understanding that a cup of hot water is a real gift and the knowledge that you don't need tea or anything else in the      cup for it to be a real blessing. 8.  They joy on the children's faces as they delighted in Sam's juggling. 9.  The sweet spirits of the entire team as they never complained about the cold, the food, or the inevitable confusion that      happens when working in 3 languages. 10.  Driving 2 hours through some of the most amazing mountain roads to reach Peach mountain school and then       receiving the tribal symbol as a gift. 11.  Scenery that words cannot describe... waterfalls, deep mountain gorges, and rope bridges stretched across deep river       beds. We walked on one! 12.  Seeing firsthand the devastation of a Typhoon, seeing the pain in the principal's eyes as he described the death of a       student, and hearing how the entire tribe left the village for 3 months. 13.  Worshipping in one mountain church and then traveling deep into a mountain valley to visit with the people of a small       village. Later we returned to their church and did a puppet show. Children and adults prayed! 14.  Sharing with the adults of a mountain church about Mike's death and telling them that even in the greatest sadness and       loss, there is great joy because of Jesus Christ. 15.  New friends, Adienne, Atu, Mankay, Lesa, and Pastor Antok-Lai that teach us to love Jesus more! 16.  A teacher who prayed to receive Christ at a puppet show. She said, "When I prayed, my spirit changed. Everything       is different". 17.  A little girl who said, "Thank you Grandmother for being kind to us".

Prayer Requests

Please pray for me as I miss Mike every moment of every day. I loved him so much. I love him so much. I struggle to believe that he is not waiting for me at home. In truth, he waits for me at our true home with our Lord. Praise God for His comfort!

Please pray for us as we have returned to the city and it is a spiritually very dark place!

Love in Jesus, Linda for Sam Shaw (Ireland), assistant director, Heather and Mykayla Kelley (Chickamauga, GA) Hanna Sager (Missouri) Jonathan Bova (Maryland)

January 14, 2006 Taiwan Update

Imagine doing a puppet show for 400 Buddhist children. Picture their teachers making faces at you as you tell the Bible story because they do not like the Gospel. See their smiles and hear the laughter of the children as they enjoy every part of the program. Consider the frustration of the teachers as they realize that the children will not hear their objections because they are having so much fun! Watch as one little boy claps when Jesus calms the storm. Multiply your joy by three because this privilege was ours at a school where we did three shows. God allowed us to present a clear and wonderful presentation of the Gospel to over 1200 Buddhist children in a single day. Praise God! An adult came to us and said, “I am very touched by this program. Something has happened to me.” She was crying and thanking us. Local Christians have an ongoing work in this place and will continue to share with these children and adults.

Mountain School

The mountains are a new area of ministry for us and a wonderful place to work. We went to a small village where half of the families with children had left after a typhoon. They brought together 2 small, remote schools and many children prayed to receive Christ. We heard them calling on His name!

When the children saw our white faces they were afraid at first. They said, “Teacher, why do they have blue eyes?”

This single show took us almost 3½ hours. We arrive, meet with the principal, share and have tea. Then, we set up all of the equipment. It seems that we are always upstairs. The program takes an hour. We spend the next hour or two visiting with the children and teachers, eating lunch with them and repacking all of the equipment.

The days are long and full of blessing. Never have I seen such an outpouring of God’s Holy Spirit in Taiwan! It is awesome.

Newspapers

Two newspapers have printed our pictures and done an article on us. The China Times, the most popular paper, included Pastor Peter’s contact information and suggested that they schedule shows for our return trip in March of 2007. They titled the article, “The Agape Puppets are bringing joy to the mountain children.” Neither our friends or us requested this coverage. God arranged this opportunity.

Training

The most important thing that we do is the training and equipping of our Chinese brothers and sisters.

We have been practicing with one of our teams so that they can do a drama in Chinese on Wednesday. Please pray for them. Please thank God for Melody who has translated all of our teaching materials into Chinese and recorded dramas in Chinese.

On Saturday we trained a team in the mountains. Members from more than a dozen mountain churches, gathered to learn how to share with their own children with the tools we use. Most arrived more than 30 minutes early, anxious to learn and having started very early in the morning. They were so hungry to learn! Ask God to strengthen them.

Special Gifts

We ground our own tea, enjoyed special cookies, and were given special hats.

Later, a church elder took us to his friend’s tea shop, an enormous building where the man displayed dozens of award winning teas. We were showered with kindnesses, gifts, and the best fellowship. The most treasured memories are all of the wonderful stories that we shared with each other. We live oceans apart, but God has given us the same hearts. Truly, one of the dearest joys in heaven must be the sharing of all the great things we saw God do, without having to use translators. We are blessed!

Another Trip

Tomorrow, we leave again for 2 days in the mountains. We will go much deeper this time. Please pray!

Love in Jesus, Linda for Sam Shaw (Ireland), assistant director, Heather and Mykayla Kelley (Chickamauga, GA) Hanna Sager (Missouri) Jonathan Bova (Maryland)

January 18, 2006 Taiwan Update

The Tayal People

We love our time with the Tayal people! They are the second largest tribe among Taiwan’s 12 tribes. When the missionaries first came to the mountains many years ago, God had uniquely prepared the Tayal to accept the gospel. Though they worshipped the spirits of their ancestors, their traditions taught them that there was one great God above all the others, who was, all seeing and all knowing. When the missionaries came, bringing news of the one true God and described Him, they knew that this was the truth.

They have been so kind to us and generous, sharing all they have. Would an American clean his house to the point you could eat off of the floors and then move out their entire family to give us more space? Our friends even sacrificially bought special foods. They were more concerned for us than they were for themselves.

Two Mountain Schools

We climbed so high that it seemed we would touch the sky. The roads wound round and round the mountains, often narrowing to a single lane because the other half had fallen down the mountain. In some places, rocks and dirt were sliding down the mountain on the inside of the curve and the other side crashed to the river below.

On this trip, we visited 2 schools deep in the mountains. At one school, we could feel the darkness. The children did not respond as children should and the principal’s welcome was less that enthusiastic. Most of the leadership of the school were temple worshiper’s who despised our faith as western culture. When we explained that our Tayal friend, Taiwanese friend, and us all believed the same because we believed in God’s book, the Bible, their argument dissolved. They were not happy.

We had so many problems at that show. The easel blew over 3 times (hitting me once) even though it was taped to a piano stool. Heather was so sick, but still managed to stand and do puppets for 1 song. The translator had to be replaced during the program. It was the only mountain show where the children did not pray out loud asking Jesus to be their Savior. Our friends told us that it has long been a very dark place.

At the second school, every single thing was different. The welcome was so warm and all of us found it difficult to leave. Best of all, many, many children could be heard calling on Jesus. All of us were reminded that we are at war fighting a battle for the children’s hearts.

Answered Prayer

The puppets need the right music in order to do the best job for the children. We have good Chinese Christian music, but now God has provided Tayal tribal Christian music. Praise God! Ironically, a Buddhist family provided us with Hakka Christian music today. In Taiwan, the Hakka are an un-reached people group. Less that 1%, believe in Jesus. Now, we have better tools for our return trip to Taiwan in 2007. Pray!

The team has enjoyed pigs feet, ducks feet, and chicken feet. What’s next? Moon cakes with ice cream inside are a wonderful treat as is chicken with tangerine sauce. Some foods are strange, but some are delicious.

Buddhist Children

In 3 shows, we shared with over 1100 mostly Buddhist teachers and students. Amazingly, they invited us to return each time we are in Taiwan.

Working with one of our Chinese puppet teams, we made a very good plan that did not work. The first program was not bad but we knew that we had failed to share with the children in the best possible way. We quickly made many small changes and the next 2 programs were awesome! God reminded us to be sensitive to the needs of the children and listen to His Holy Spirit. After the 2nd and 3rd program, many Buddhist children and teachers rushed forward to thank us. We saw, felt, and heard the difference as we listened to our father.

Prayer and Praise

1.  Praise God for all that we have seen Him do! 2.  Thank God for Heather’s return to health. 3.  Please pray for me. I’ve caught a cold and we are much too busy for even this small problem. 4.  Pray for our last day of shows tomorrow. Ask the Lord to bless these last opportunities to share with Buddhist      children. Pray that they hear with their ears and their hearts.

Love in Jesus, Linda for Sam Shaw (Ireland), assistant director, Heather and Mykayla Kelley (Chickamauga, GA) Hanna Sager (Missouri) Jonathan Bova (Maryland)

January 19, 2006, Return from Taiwan

Tomorrow morning Friday we will leave for home, our plane arrives in Atlanta Friday evening. We are overwhelmed by all that we have seen God do. Our friends here are so excited that they are already planning next year's ministry. After we arrive home, we will send a final report so that you can thank God for all that we have seen Him do these last two days.

Please Pray us safely home.