July 5, 2015: Three Blessings

Quick Update

Another school year has finished ‐ and we look forwards to the next year. I would like to share with your three ways in the last year I have felt God's care for our family. But first a quick update. My mother, due to a severe loss of short term memory is now living at St. Joseph's Villa in Dundas, Ontario. Aien (our eldest, now 16) moved back to Canada in last September and is living with John Livingstone's family so as to be able to spend part of 2 days each week with my mother. After a rough start (30% on assignments), God has blessed her in her studies ‐ her highlight was receiving a 100% in Grade 10 math! Johann is continuing in the music stream at school, Lien is in Grade 1 and Ruth is in Junior Kindergarden. I am very happy that Aien is back with us for a month in Taiwan. Teaching last term has done well ‐ it seems that students in the introductory Christianity course have been more hungry spiritually than in past years. 350 students (max: 100 students can enroll, usually have about 40 students apply) applied to take this course ‐ greatly exceeds previous year's interest in this course. But as we see God working, we also see Satan acting with greater violence both in the world and locally in Taiwan.

Three praise items.

• (3) Before Christmas, my motorcycle, as gasping on its last breath ‐ going a few 100m and then stopping. The motorcycle repair shop told me that this time he could not fix my bike‐it was scrap (I found this shop 6 years ago when other shops told me my bike was too old and not fixable ‐ but this old man fixed it.) I prepared to get a new bike and my wife and I prayed for my old bike (independently) ‐ asking God that it would at least keep running until January 2015. The next day my wife looked at a new bike for me ‐ but my bike ran perfectly. It has been running without problem since then (Except for one occasion when I mentioned that I was very careful to care for my bike: the next day it wouldn't start until I repented and promised to give credit to God.)
• (2) My blood sugar level has been slowly and consistently rising each year for reaching 6.5 or 6.6 on previous year's check (diabetes). The church we attend has been encouraging us to pray for healing for sickness. Last medical report, blood sugar level had dropped to 6.0.
• (1) 16 years ago, when Aien was born, purchased the domain name xiaotu.com. Last October, when it was time to renew the domain name ($10/year), God gave me the distinct feeling that he did not want me to continue to have this domain in the future. Last month sold it to a Chinese man ‐ the amount received should cover a good portion of Aien's university tuition. So I see God's care for me and his goodness to my daughter as she does what is right in his eyes! Praise God.

Future and four prayer requests:

• 4. New opportunities for China service. Increasing number of Chinese students coming to Taiwan (3 have joined my research team). I will go to Xiamen (China) to teach from July 6 to July 18.
• 3.My mother and time in Canada (July 20 to August 20) Thank God we can go (agreed) as a family, low-cost airline tickets. Pray for our time in China.
• 2. Next semester Christianity class ‐ how to handle so many students.
• 1. Relationship with my wife.

As a result of selling xiaotu.com, my email and website will change to whitejd@xiaotu.ca and www.xiaotu.ca May God bless and keep you.

PS: A final thought: Like is not Love. Like is self-centered. Love is other centered. ‐I like you‐ means you make me feel good. ‐Love‐ seeks the other's benefit. ‐God showed his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.‐