Dear Prayer Partners:
“Jason! Stop shaking the bed!” Kristie chided in agitation. “I’m not shaking the bed, it’s an earthquake!” I responded in as calm and reassuring a voice as I could summon. The 6.3 point earthquake, following on the tail of two typhoons, quickly jolted us out of the comfort induced euphoria that accompanied us back after a summer break in the States.
Natural disasters aside, the first couple of days back in Taiwan were actually pretty rough. At first I thought I was suffering from culture shock, which seemed odd after having already lived here for four years, but after sharing my emotions with some friends I was diagnosed with “reality shock.” Living in the US this summer for three months was just long enough to forget the stark reality and difficulty of living in a developing country. The immediate contrast we faced on returning, coupled with the reality of at least a couple of more years here, was almost too much to take. It made us both feel sick.
But our God is gracious and His grace is sufficient for us. One friend had cleaned our apartment the day before we arrived, and other friends cooked us dinner right after walking in the door close to midnight. The pre-semester retreat allowed me to regain some perspective on God’s will for our lives and the vision he’s given us to serve Him among the Chinese.
As the saying goes, misery loves company. Hearing so many other classmates share about how it is also hard for them to come back to the school was an encouragement. It was reassuring to know that we’re not the only ones who feel this way. As much as we all love our school, the standards of excellence it represents, and the way we trust in its capacity to equip us to be bearers of the gospel, it is a hard and demanding place to live.
The excitement of a new school year, however, was contagious as new students poured into the school, both full of hope and oblivious to the heavy course-load looming just beyond the horizon. As a second-year now, my job is to smile encouragingly and to pray for them fervently. Little do the first year students know, the second year of course work is supposed to be the hardest, partly due to the anxiety inducing “shuang xi.” (The term “double xi,” at least at the school, stands for Hebrew and Greek taken concurrently. “Xi” is the first Chinese character for both Hebrew and Greek.)
At this point I should clarify that our intention in this letter is not to sound depressed or negative. We thought that sharing some of the real challenges we face would help you know how to pray for us better.
In fact, God has continually blessed, strengthened, and encouraged us over the last few months. The time we spent back in the States this summer was a much needed and enjoyed getaway. It was exciting to visit supporting churches and share with many of you about our life and ministry in Taiwan, and we were encouraged by many of the conversations that took place as a result. I also enjoyed sharing some of the lessons God has been teaching me about faith and life at my brother’s high school chapel service.
In addition to a new semester of classes, I am thrilled to be interning with our church’s college student ministry. There are roughly 100 students in the fellowship and they meet weekly on Friday nights for worship, Bible study and fun. This semester I will be visiting each of the six small groups to get to know all of the students and counselors and get a sense of the scope and work of the ministry. On Sunday mornings I will co-lead a college student Sunday school class.
Prayer Requests:
- For Jason to do well in his classes and manage his time well between family, classes, and church.
- That Jason would quickly feel at home in the college student fellowship and that he would be accepted by the students in order to open up the possibility of taking on further leadership roles in the Spring.
- That the Lord would sustain us spiritually, physically, and emotionally and cause us to thrive in this place that He has planted us.
Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
Full of hope in Christ our Lord,
Jason & Kristie Truell
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Global China Center
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