Yeaahhh!

Hey Guys

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what's been going on in my life in the past month. I haven't exactly been able to update this blog as much as I would have hoped (my sister reminds me every day...) For this I am sorry! But I do want to thank you all for sticking with me in prayers throughout these past few months. I can't believe how fast time has gone by since I've been here. We've almost finished the New Testament of the bible!

I am doing fantastic. Things just keep getting better and better every day..Lately i've noticed a lot about how life works in terms of moods and emotions and how my level of zealousness can skyrocket to high spiritual peaks and then can so easily plummet into low valley's of doubt, fear and anger... I've witnessed this bizarre human phenomenon a lot since I've been here. The truth is...this time has not been easy, I've mentioned in previous updates that God has been exposing area's of pride and fear in my life. God is disassembling me. When you rebuild an engine, you have to replace broken or worn down parts, you have to adjust timing, you have to upgrade, renew and reassemble. I feel like all my parts are on the floor of the shop right now, but God is gently picking up each part and fixing it, buffing it, and adjusting it so that it will be able to run at its full potential. This process is painful but i know that as God continues to assemble me, I'm going to be able run like I've never been able to run before. It says in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God's power is made perfect in my weakness.. I guess this is what I'm learning in SBS so far, if all these trials bring me closer to Jesus I want to walk willingly into them. The apostle Paul suffered numerous persecutions and imprisonments and was still able to say "for i have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound."

One really kool story lately, I was able to help staff at this Christian concert in the city of Taipei a few days ago where all these professional bands from Korea came to play. This is a very rare occasion in Taiwan since there is like a 2% population of Christians. You can see in these pictures above all the Buddhist temples surrounding the area and actually while these bands were playing there was a ceremony going on for a foreign god. It was a very powerful night, by the end of the concert I looked around and saw hundreds of Taiwanese lifting their arms praising God in the pouring rain. It was very inspiring...
On a darker note...the last few days there has been a holiday called the "dragon boat festival" which is one of the three major holidays in Taiwan. There has been non-stop parades every day and night where they would light fire works, burn incense, and publicly mutilate their bodies for their gods. You look at these people and they look possessed, I cant explain how real it is. It is hard not to judge these people but they have been believing these lies for centuries, believing that their ancestors will somehow rewards them for their earthly sacrifices..Please pray for Taiwan and our school that is caught in the middle of this.

I just want to make a public declaration to you all that I am going for it. I am not turning back, I am a servant of God and I am available for his use, however he pleases. I am willing to die to myself. I am sick of this fear I have had my whole life of rejection of failure, of commitment, of what others think. I'm going for it guys. Thanks again for support in my life, I'm so lucky to have people that take a genuine interest in my life.

Like Ed Granger would say "It is a privilege to serve our God with you"

Willing to be changed,
In the service of Jesus Christ

Jer

"The mature Christians I have met along the way are those who have failed and have learned to live gracefully with their failure. Faithfulness requires the courage to risk everything on Jesus, the willingness to keep growing, and the readiness to risk failure throughout our lives."

-Brennan Manning