Team Update 67

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September 26, 2004 11:01 PM Vote 0 Votes

This first month has been great. Not that it’s been flawless; however, I know that through difficult situations God is still here and he will never leave me nor forsake me Hebrew 13:5.

God really answered a huge prayer request right in the first week. I was worried that once we got to the island; we would immediately have to start teaching in the schools before we could get a chance to settle down and to get to know each other as a team. That wasn’t the case. We had almost a whole week by ourselves. We spent that time resting, preparing for school, and getting to know each other.

The 2nd week was my first week in school. I was very happy to see them, and they seemed just as happy to see me (well, some of them). Though I kept the same schools, I now work with more new Chinese English teachers than old ones. Only 5 of the 9 are back from last year, and I teach with 6 new teachers for a grand total of 11. So far, it’s working out great.

As of right now, I have been teaching for three weeks and enjoying it more than last year. I still struggle with coming up with creative games that the kids would enjoy and also learn something at the same time. My control over the classroom varies from class to class, but teaching students whom I already knew from last year is an advantage.

One day God convicted me about my love towards others. I had been thinking about how much I cared for some of my students when it struck me that I probably wouldn’t feel the same way if they weren’t so nice to me. God so loved the world, not just the nice kids who smile, answer questions, and give you gifts between classes; but the other ones who swear, steal, and talk loudly when your trying to teach. As a Christian, God provides me the grace to practice this love towards all people. It is by love that the world knows that I am a Christian. God can use me, and all other Christians, to impact the world for His glory, but we can’t do anything unless we apply this basic principal to our lives. Please pray for us.

Praises:

  • There were a couple of people who lived on our floor that just recently left. They would give “healing massages”, praying over you as the massaged. Almost everyday I could see them going into trances shaking and shuffling around. It looked very satanic. Before they left yesterday, Lucas gave them a gift and a Commands of Christ handbook.

  • We have received an opportunity to help some JR high students who are on the verge of dropping out of school, I guess. We’ll be with them every Monday from 7pm-9PM.

  • Last week I saw two 6th graders at the night market. They were two of the first children that I met last semester. They got very excited when they saw me, and they chatted away in Chinese, asking me how to say different things in English. One of them told me that I was the first American she had ever met when she saw me last February (she was speaking Chinese, but that’s what I understood!). When I left I felt such a burden for them and the people who live here. I couldn’t bear the fact that as of right now those two and almost all my friends in here will suffer in hell. May God bring repentance to this Island that will breed into a revival.

    May the Lord bless you.
    Drew Stewart (Mt.11:28-30; Phil.1:21)