After a restful night, the short-term mission team gathered this morning for a devotional led by Pastor Deng. We reflected on Psalm 68:1-17, especially verse 11: “The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good news are a great host.” This verse reminds us not only of the women who proclaimed victory after Israel's battle, but also points to the greater victory won by our Lord Jesus. His bride, the Church, is now called to spread this good news to all. We are grateful to be part of this mission, whether through prayer, giving, or directly sharing the gospel. It is a beautiful grace the Lord has given to everyone who loves Him.
Psalm 68 also declares, “The mountains of Bashan are the mountains of God” (v. 15), signifying God's abundant grace poured out upon the world. Yet, as the psalmist questions, “Why do you look with envy, O rugged mountains, at the mountain where God choose to reign?” (v. 16), we see that many still resist Him. But God's love endures, and He has chosen to dwell among us, promising that His presence will never depart. His love for the world was so great that He gave His only Son, ensuring the gospel will continue to spread until it reaches every nation. How privileged we are to be part of His gospel army! As Psalm 68:17 says, “The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them.” With hearts full of gratitude, we embarked on our second day of mission in Yilan.
Visiting Jiaoxi Town
Today, the rain continued in Yilan, but despite the weather, we made our way to Jiaoxi Town in Yilan County, where the Christian population is only 0.48%, the second-lowest among Yilan's 12 towns. This was also the first town where Pastor Soo and his wife began their missionary work. In the early days of their ministry, they volunteered to wash dishes for more than six months at a local restaurant to build relationships and share the gospel with the restaurant owners. Walking through the streets of Jiaoxi with Hannah (Mrs. Hwang), we were deeply moved by their years of sacrifice and faithful prayers for this community.
In the afternoon, the team split into two groups. One group joined Pastor Soo for a "Prayer Walk," while the other accompanied Hannah on a care visit.
Prayer Walk
During the Prayer Walk, the first team visited several places in Jiaoxi Town and prayed for the people we encountered:
Wufengchi Entrance:
Here we met a mother whose family was one of the first Pastor Soo preached to. Though she has not yet believed in the Lord, her children have. We shared the gospel with her again and prayed that the Lord would continue to work in her heart.
7-11 Convenience Store:
We met two friends, the store manager and an employee named Wu Jialing, who had both agreed to attend the Sunday evangelistic meeting. We reminded them of the time and prayed that their hearts would be open to the gospel, asking the Lord to prepare them for Sunday.
Kaidu Plaza Hotel, Toucheng Town:
We visited three friends—Chris, Sandra, and Nynn—who also agreed to attend the Sunday meeting. We prayed for them and asked God to lead more hotel employees to join. Additionally, we prayed that God might open doors for a larger evangelistic event at the hotel early next year.
Toucheng Night Market:
We prayed specifically for the evangelism event at Toucheng Night Market on Friday. We are planning to show a film about Jesus Christ's salvation and asked the Lord to protect the weather so that the event can proceed smoothly, allowing more people to hear the gospel.
Care Visit
The second team visited a sister who had recently joined Yilan Church and is preparing to be baptized this Christmas. The team members shared their testimonies of how they received God’s grace and their experiences in raising children. Hannah encouraged her to serve the Lord wholeheartedly in the future and invited Wendy to share her own testimony of being called to study theology. These words greatly strengthened the sister’s faith and inspired her to seek God’s guidance more deeply. Upon hearing about our plan to preach the gospel at the night market, she was filled with joy and eagerly volunteered to join our worship team in praising and serving the Lord there.
Evening Preparation and Prayer
In the evening, we visited the local Carrefour supermarket to scout the venue for the Saturday night evangelism event. We prayed for the upcoming outreach, asking God to bless this precious time and to draw many hearts to hear the message of salvation. We prayed that more souls would come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ through this event.
(Team members are preparing small gift bags for evangelism at night markets and supermarkets)
Thanksgiving Sharing
Flora
All things truly work together for good for those who love God. I had originally planned to walk the fifteen minutes to Yilan Railway Station, but because my ankle sprain hadn't fully healed, I decided to take a taxi instead. Within just a few minutes of getting in the taxi, a sudden downpour started and continued heavily. When we arrived at the station, we only had to wait a few minutes before the train arrived. If it hadn't been for my injured foot and the decision to take a taxi, we would have missed the train. Thank you, Lord, for your perfect protection and timing!
Today, I had the opportunity to visit a sister who is preparing for her baptism. In addition to caring for her three young children, she also looks after her disabled aunt and manages all the household chores. The physical and emotional strain she carries is immense, and she truly needed encouragement and affirmation. As we shared our experiences of raising children with the help of the Lord, we could see joy and relief in her smiles. It reminded me of the truth in Proverbs 12:25, “Anxiety in a person's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes him glad.” It was a powerful reminder of the healing power of encouragement and the joy it brings to a weary heart.
Thank you, God, for guiding us to visit this family. Seeing the elders lead their children and grandchildren to know God and grow into a blessed family has greatly encouraged me. Their story is a powerful and beautiful testimony to the evangelism!
Jessica
Wendy
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity this afternoon to visit a sister in Yilan who is about to be baptized. I am grateful to have been able to share with her my own experience of God’s initial call to study theology. May the Lord continue to guide her as she walks the path of following and serving Him, and may her life be a blessing to many others!
Felicia
Thank the Lord! Today, Pastor Huang led several of us in learning about the local ministries and praying for the seekers in each of these ministries. We ask that the Lord grants Pastor Huang heavenly wisdom and strength, empowering him to become a fisher of men, bringing many to Christ.
Eileen
Thank God that today, under the leading of Pastor Huang, we went to the fields near Yilan to pray. The Holy Spirit especially moved me to lift up the three young people who will be attending the evangelistic meeting on Sunday. I prayed earnestly for the Lord to prepare their hearts, so they may be open and ready to accept Jesus Christ as the Savior of their lives!
Thank the Lord, Pastor Huang took us to visit and pray today, allowing us to see God’s love in Yilan.
Chanli
Prayers
- Continue to pray for good weather on Thursday and Friday, so that we can proceed with the night market outreach and show the gospel film without interruption.
- Pray for the people of Yilan, that their hearts would be softened and receptive to the gospel.
- Ask the Lord to protect our steps and give us boldness to sow the seeds of the gospel throughout Yilan, so that many will come to know Jesus as their Savior.
We trust that God is at work here in Yilan, and we eagerly anticipate seeing His hand move in the lives of the people we meet. May the light of Christ shine brightly in every corner of this place!