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By: Debora Shih, EFCLA  Through Taiwan missions I learned that discomfort is inevitable, but in the unfamiliarity, I can go to someone who is constant and never changes. I was able to get closer to God because missions pushed me to trust Him more. I also learned that God's love has no limits and that He often has a different view than me. God sees beyond what I can see and what I may see as a limit, such as a language barrier, He uses that to display His power. In whatever weakness we may have, God's power is made perfect and our shortcomings can never stop God from doing what He has already planned to do. I also saw how abundant God's love is and how much greater it is compared to the worries I may face and how it really does casts out fear. My struggles are less daunting in the presence of God's power and love. I was reminded that the gospel is for everyone, the kids and teachers alike. The teachers need to first be filled by Jesus and experience Him before they can transfer His love onto the kids. God blesses us and it overflows onto the people we are reaching out to. Lastly, I realized how much more God wants to pour out into all of us and one way to receive His blessings is through obedience. In this case, it was obeying His prompting to go to missions. Another way God pours into us is by answering our prayers. Someone I know perfectly articulated my thoughts and this is what she said, the more we share our deepest cares, the more He shows up to help us in ways that we didn't even think possible.
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By: Ada Tran, FECDB  I didn’t sign up to this mission trip. It is God who put eight of us together and move each one of us to this mission trip. This story started with one random phone call from my friend who goes to mission every summer with her kids.
I was about to drop out the idea of going mission with my family because my children had too much complaints! I told God I’m going to do something else this summer, and this plan is not working for our family, and I asked for His permission to waive us. During the phone call, we caught up with each other’s lives and I told her my summer plan. She also shared her mission fun. My friend wanted to help me found out why my children didn’t enjoy mission trip and she encouraged me not to give up. After hanging up the call, I asked God what does this phone call mean? There is a small voice speaking to me “Reconsider mission trip”, and I replied “No way”. The next day, I got my sister’s email and asking me information about mission trip this summer. In my heart, I’m disturbed why she keep asking me because I already send her info weeks ago. However, the idea of asking all my nieces and nephews to go together as a team this summer came up. In my heart I have no hope and don’t know how I can approach them. Also, the early registration deadline is in three days. I gathered all my nieces and nephews and brought out the idea of missions trip at Taiwan. The response was a long silent and then a few questions. I have no words to persuade them to go because I believed that is impossible. I asked them to let this idea to sleep through and the only thing I can do is keep praying and asking God to show His will in this crazy idea. Within two days, one by one, 5 out of 6 accepted this challenge and willing to take this offer. I had a moment of “unbelief” and up to now I’m still astonished by what God is doing. Every time I felt discouraged or uncertainty whether I can finish this challenging mission trip or not, I think of how God brought us together. God is faithful and He is with us and grant us strength to finish what He called us to do. He is the Alpha and Omega!  I go on Taiwan missions because I want people who have not heard and have not believed to receive salvation. After many years of attending I have learned so much about humility, thankfulness, and love. God continues to humble me and use me to communicate the urgency and truth of the gospel to all that I come across, whether they be students, other volunteers, etc. God has used this missions trip to bring together and mobilize the local church body to obey and pursue Christ’s call among the nations. Praise the Lord!
By: Tracy Tung  Taiwan missions came and went again, with hundreds of workers coming from the U.S. and Taiwan sharing the gospel with thousands middle school students in Taiwan. The question I [and probably all of us] usually get coming back from missions is, "How was it?" Just want to put it out there that this is an impossible question to answer because there isn't really a middle ground between "it was good" versus a one-hour explanation of everything that happened that doesn't really fully convey what you really mean. So this year we are doing something new. Well, not new per se, but a new method of doing it? We are collecting individual stories and testimonies, and sharing them on this blog. Part of what makes Taiwan missions so indescribable is that every person's experience is different and unique. There's isn't one testimony that can sum up what God was doing because He was doing ALOT. We hope that these testimonies can encourage you, bless you, and maybe make you curious about coming with us next year! God is in the business of transforming lives, but He wants to do it with our obedience and submission to His will. He's not looking for perfect people, just willing people! My prayer is that these testimonies are able to give glory to Christ, through whom we are able to do immeasurably more than we hope or expect, and in whom we put our faith.
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