Just another Teamexpansion.org Blogs weblog

April 21, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”  Matthew 7-8 NET

Our God loves to provide for His children.  He desires for us to come to Him in faith asking for what we need.  When we do, He will provide.  We can ask for forgiveness, wisdom, strength, perseverance, relief from stress, healing, financial help, or the changing of circumstances to name a few items.  Knowing this is true why do we often first try to do it on our own?  Join us in choosing to ask God to provide before acting on our own.

We continue to ask that you pray for the ministry of The Home of God’s Love.  Three more of the children went to stay with their parents recently.  This brings the total number of children to 11.  With only one social worker we will be able to take 3 more children.  We continue to pray for another social worker to be hired to share the load and to allow THoGL to accept even more children.  

While we have been in the US our discipleship groups have continued to meet.  Two ladies from Youth With A Mission have been leading the Wednesday evening and Thursday evening groups.  This was the last week they would be helping.  We ask that you pray for the people who attend these groups as they must choose how to proceed while we are gone.  Pray that they will choose to stay connected to both God and each other.

Thank you for praying for Andrew and his team.  Andrew should receive his passport in plenty of time before he needs to return to the US.  Please continue to pray for his team as they serve those who need assistance and as help the local people learn about Jesus.  The rest of this note is from Andrew.

We get to play soccer four times a week so that’s been fun. Each time it’s a different age group and gender, so older boys, then younger boys, then older girls, then younger girls. 

The first week we were here we painted an elderly folks’ home. The elders there have all had leprosy but they had all been cured. They all had so much joy and compassion though so that was cool to see. They wouldn’t let any of us sit in the sun or anything. 

This past week the team has been working on planting trees and flowers at the kids compound. All the kids wanted to help, or at least attempt to help, while we were doing everything. 

The language barrier is annoying but also never disappoints to bring up laughs. They can’t say my name all too well here because it doesn’t seem they have much of an “ew” sound, so they’ve doctored it into Drow.

Thank you for praying!

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Pray that we learn to seek God first before we act.

2.  Please continue to pray for THoGL to hire another social worker and for the children who went back to live with their parents.

3.  Please pray for those in our discipleship groups to continue connect with God and each other.

4.  Thank you for praying for Andrew and his team.

April 13, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“Your throne, O God, is permanent.  The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice.   You love justice and hate evil.”  Psalm 45:6-7a

As we live in times that seem even more unpredictable than usual, it is good to know that our God and Savior is on the throne.  The writer of Hebrews in chapter one quotes this psalm and applies it to Jesus.  He is worthy of our worship and praise as He watches over us every minute of every day with his scepter of righteousness.  Join us in praising God for His salvation and care.

Thank you for praying for The Home of God’s Love.  One man has agreed to come to serve as a social worker.  Praise the Lord!  This will bring THoGL into alignment with government regulations for the number of children presently at THoGL.  Continue to ask God to provide another social worker so that other children can be accepted to be cared for at THoGL.

Cheryl’s mom is doing pretty good as she moves forward with her treatment plan to increase her lung function.  Please continue to pray that she will not have strong side affects from the medications and that she will have sufficient energy.

Thank you for praying for Andrew’s situation.  They have applied for an appointment with the US consulate and are waiting on a date.  Hopefully, they were able to pick up the police report today.  Please pray that everything moves quickly and smoothly.  Please pray for their service as well.

Please pray for Taiwan to receive sufficient rainfall over all areas of the island.  Where we live has not been affected by dry weather, but Taichung and farther south are in need of rainfall.  Taichung has restricted water usage two days a week.  We have several Team Expansion families serving in Taichung.

Thank you for your faithful prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Praise God for His salvation and care.

2.  Praise God for providing a social worker for THoGL.  Please pray for another social worker.

3.  Please continue to pray for Cheryl’s mom as she takes new medications.

4.  Please continue to pray for Andrew as he serves in Africa and waits for an appointment to replace his passport.

5.  Please pray for rain to come to Taiwan.

April 8, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“Examine me, O God, and probe my thoughts.  Test me, and know my concerns.” 

Psalms 139:23

We all have times when we are anxious, some of us more than others.  We often are most anxious when we are not in control of the situation.  It requires us to put our trust in others and ultimately in God.

Today we have a prayer request for Andrew.  His bag that had his passport and other items of importance was stolen as they were leaving the airport.  His leader said that he is handling things well.  They are in the process of getting a police report so they can make an appointment at the US consulate.  Please pray that everything works out well for him to get a passport quickly.  

Thank you for your prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

April 6, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.  For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection.  We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.  For someone who has died has been freed from sin.”  Romans 6:4-7

We rejoice that Jesus has risen from the grave and is victorious over sin & death.  Through His victory we also have received freedom from the affects of sin and death.  We are no longer controlled by the desire to sin as that desire is replaced by the desire to serve God.  We now no longer live for self, but for God, since we are dead to sin but alive to God.  Pray with us to live everyday for God.

We ask that you continue to pray for The Home of God’s Love to be able to hire social workers very soon.  Presently, THoGL is waiting to hear from a lady that was interviewed last week.  Please pray that she will accept the position.

We thank you for your prayers for our family.  Cheryl’s mom is feeling better at this time.  She is beginning a new treatment schedule to help her lung function to be better.  Please pray that she will not be affected by side affects from the new medicines.

The rest of the prayer note is an update from Andrew.  

  

In the coastal city we were in first, we worked a lot with kids and doing some evangelism with their parents.  Most days we’d go to a park and play with kids and talk with their parents. We’d do skits from the Bible but we would have to change the names of people in them because of safety things.  We also did home visits with people there. Most of the people we’d go visit were either sick, injured, or had lost someone recently. Muslims wouldn’t invite us into their homes so most of the people we visited at home were either Christians or they didn’t have any religion.  

In the Capitol City, we’ve been visiting a lot of churches and sharing messages and our testimonies. We also have been visiting a lot of homes of Sudanese refugees. There are a lot of them here and especially recently it has been very difficult for them to find work. The home visits can be hard because of the language barrier but thankfully we’ve had translators help us. The last home we went to was special because the family knew English. It was nice not having to go through a translator and be able to speak more freely. We are often offered tea while we’re there so we’ve drinking a lot of hot tea while here. It reminds me of home. The use of translators has reminded me that we really need people to be going to these regions and learning the language with dedication so that relationships can be built naturally and so that they can last longer.  We have also done evangelism in a couple parks and a mall. It’s difficult to talk to people that you randomly see and then also try to talk to them about faith. So far that is the thing that has been the hardest. I find that being able to have time to build relationships works better for evangelism but I know that God does use both so I’m being open and am learning. 

Today we’re cleaning the house that we’ve been staying in because we’re headed to the next country tomorrow at ten PM. Where we have been has been great but for me and my team it’s time to say goodbye and look toward what God has in store next. On the note of my team we have all been healthy thank God. It’s been great to see us grow in God together. We aren’t perfect just as nobody is but we get the job done. I think prayer for more unity is in order though just cause while we’ve grown closer we all are naturally very individual people and for the most part are introverted. Thank you for all the prayers and God bless you all.

Thank You for your prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Please pray that we will live for Jesus everyday!

2.  Please pray for THoGL to hire social workers now.

3.  Please pray for Cheryl’s mom to not have side affects from the new medicines.

4.  Please pray for Andrew & his team as they minster in Africa.

March 23, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“Trust in the Lord and do good; Live in the land and [a]cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”  Ps. 37:3-5 NASB

Trust, delight, & commit are three verbs that the psalmist uses to instruct the reader to submit his/her life to the Lord.  Learning to submit our lives to the Lord will brings about blessings especially in the area of prayer.  When our desires are godly, then our prayers fall in line with His will.  When we pray within His will things happen.  It may or may not be immediate, but it will happen.  “He will do it.”  God delights in giving us the desire of our hearts when they are good and righteous.  Pray with us that the desire of our hearts are aligned with His heart.

We thank you for praying for us as we travelled this past week.  We arrived safely on Friday.  We did have a good trip.  Our last flight from Chicago to Indianapolis was delayed, but other than that it went very well.  We are now in self-quarantine for two weeks.  Moriah comes by to talk she sits in the yard while we sit about 20 feet away on the porch.  It has been good for all of us.  

Thank you for praying for Cheryl’s Mom, Bobbie, she has been feeling much better the past few weeks.  She has been off of medication for a few weeks, so she has gained some strength and weight.  The last tests showed that she did not have any bacteria in her lungs, but the doctor would like her to start taking a new medicine with strange side effects to help maintain lung health.  Please continue to pray for her health.

Please continue to pray for the needs of The Home of God’s Love.  We thought a social worker had been hired, but in the end she chose not to accept the position.  We really need two social workers and a baby nanny.  We are still praying as well that God will provide a person to be the next director for THoGL as well.  Besides the needs of workers, we also ask that you pray for the children at THoGL to continue to grow in knowledge of who Jesus is and to choose Him as Lord and Savior.

Please pray as well for the people in our discipleship groups.  For part of the time that we are away there will be others leading our groups, but not the whole time.  We hope and pray they will continue to grow while we are gone as they learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them.

Thank you for your continual prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Pray that our desires are shaped by God’s will.

2.  Thank you for praying for us as we traveled.  Praise God for His mercies.

3.  Thank you for your continued prayers for Cheryl’s mom’s health.

4.  Pray for the needs of workers at THoGL and for the spiritual growth of the children.

5.  Pray for the spiritual growth of those in our discipleship groups while we are gone.

February 21, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“Then the apostles gathered around Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come with me privately to an isolated place and rest a while’ (for many were coming and going, and there was no time to eat). So they went away by themselves in a boat to some remote place. But many saw them leaving and recognized them, and they hurried on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them. As Jesus came ashore he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he taught them many things. …and they picked up the broken pieces and fish that were left over, 12 baskets full.  Now there were 5,000 men who ate the bread. Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dispersed the crowd.  After saying goodbye to them, he went to the mountain to pray.”   Mark 6:30-34, 43-46

Have you ever noticed that whenever Jesus and His disciples were very busy that he would go for a time of prayer or take them to a quiet place to spend time together and with God?  That is because it is in knowing God that we are strengthened in our spirit to serve.  Knowing Jesus intimately also causes us to desire to serve others, because we want to be like Him.  If you are feeling drained or often are having a hard time with temptations, then consider whether your quiet time with God is sufficient.  Just as we need physical food to do physical labor, we also need spiritual food to do spiritual labor.  Join with us in committing to spending plenty of time with Jesus.

Six of us from THoGL spent a day this past week with the administrators from another Christian Children’s Home.  The discussion helped us to decide on some priorities for future ministry at THoGL.  This includes the type of person we believe will best serve as the future director of THoGL.  Join us in praying for this future director and other future plans.

THoGL is in need to hiring two social workers as soon as possible.  It would be best if one of these people would be qualified to eventually fill the head social worker position.  We are currently short a social worker and the remaining social worker would like to quit in order to prepare to take a special test.  One of our baby nannies is planning on leaving in the next month as well. Please pray that God will provide these workers quickly.

Please pray for Cheryl’s mom as she is again taking oral antibiotics.  This is causing her to have fatigue as well as problems with appetite.  

We will be returning to the US on March 19th.  Presently, we plan to return to Taiwan on July 10th.  This trip is mainly to be able to visit our family.  We may make a few church visits, but we are not yet certain about these plans.  We are also planning to make a video to send to all of our supporting churches.  Please pray with us as we continue to make plans and for safe travel.

We are very thankful for your prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Please pray with us to spend adequate time with our Lord.

2.  Please pray for the future plans and eventual new director at THoGL.

3.  Please pray for THoGL to be able to hire all the needed workers.

4.  Please pray for Cheryl’s mom to be able to eat as she takes oral antibiotics.

5.  Please pray for our travel plans to the US.

January 18, 2021 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“But you, Lord, are a shield that protects me; you are my glory and the one who restores me. To the Lord I cried out, and he answered me from his holy hill. (Selah) I rested and slept; I awoke, for the Lord protects me. I am not afraid of the multitude of people who attack me from all directions.”  Psalm 3:3-6

How many times do we find ourselves afraid in our circumstances?  Whether it be that people are angry with us for our moral stand or for sharing the truth of Jesus Christ as the one savior of the world, there will be times that people threaten us or even attack us.  We must remember that God is always with us and will protect us or take us home to be with him.  Protection does not mean that we are never hurt or slandered.  These things are experienced here on earth in this life, but God will see you through it and restore your strength.  Join us in committing to do what honors God now, no matter what may come.

Thank you for your prayers for the Home of God’s Love.  We continue to need a social worker for the foster care section.  We also will be needing to fill the spot of a baby nanny in the coming couple of months.  We also ask that you pray for the transitions that need to happen since our directors will be moving to the US in September of 2021.  There is much to be done in preparation for them and THoGL over the next several months.  Please keep praying for all of these needs.

Thank you for praying for Jing Cheng.  He has settled in pretty well over the last month.  John continues to take a few children from THoGL to visit and have a discipleship group with Jing Cheng every other week.  

The children from THoGL were able to perform the musical on Dec. 19th at the Good News Christian Church.  Now, this Thursday they will have the opportunity to perform it again for some of the students at Morrison Academy Taipei.  This is a bit of a challenge as they will be watched by over 200 people.  This will be a good opportunity for them to rely on God for the strength to accomplish something they have never done before.  Please pray for the many students that will hear the gospel message in their first language through the musical.

Our co-worker, Anna Fletcher, has completed her radiation treatments and is doing very well.  Please join us in prayer as her body grows stronger after the treatments and for no more reoccurrence of the cancer.

Thank you for praying for Cheryl’s mom.  She will be finishing up her last two treatments this week, and then will be seeing a specialist to talk about what to do in the future to control her condition.  She has done exceptionally well with the treatments, with no major side affects.  This is a huge affirmative answer to prayer!  PTL!

Andrew is now in Washington State attending YWAM(Youth With A Mission).  He has gotten through quarantine and settled in well.  He is still in need of some support to finish out what he will need for the ministry part of the program, but God has really provided amazingly.  Please pray for him and the other students as they learn to be true disciples, as well as disciples makers.

We praise God that our family in the US and Canada remain healthy. Bethany, Philip, and family are doing well in BC, Canada, although borders into the US are closed, and Andrew’s YWAM base is just a 15 minute drive from their home. So close, but yet so far!  Nathanael is enjoying his job with Good News Productions in Joplin, MO, and plans to look for a house to buy in the very near future.  Moriah ended her seasonal job with Kohl’s in early January.  She really enjoyed her time there and learned a lot.  And now, God has already provided her with another job.  She will start training for her new job at Cook Medical on February 1st.  Join us in praising God for taking care of all of our kids.

We truly are grateful for your prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Pray with us to be honoring to God no matter what.

2.  Pray with us to find a social worker, baby nanny, and a director for THoGL.

3.  Pray for Jing Cheng to grow in his faith as well as the other children at THoGL.

4.  Pray for the THoGL children as they perform this coming Thursday morning.

5.  Pray for Anna Fletcher as she grows in strength after her therapy.

6.  Thank you for praying for Cheryl’s mom as she finishes her treatments with no adverse side effects and seeks wisdom from the doctors for the future.

7.  Thank you for praying for our kids as they make decisions for their futures.

December 5, 2020 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“You lead me in the path of life.  I experience absolute joy in your presence; you always give me sheer delight.”  Psalm 16:11

King David often wrote out his prayers to God.  Psalm 16 is one of those.  He continually communicates that God’s continual presence is the source of all he needs in life.  Even in times of distress and trouble David found that God was the only one who could provide what he needed.  We as well in this year full of trouble, distress, questions, and uncertainty can even find joy and delight in God’s presence.  So, let’s pray for each other to draw close to God and seek His presence to help us face whatever comes next in this life.

We ask that you pray for Cheryl’s mom, Bobbie McBride.  She is presently being treated for three bacterial infections in her lungs.  The antibiotics are very strong and could potentially harm her hearing.  There are other potential side affects as well.  She is presently staying in a hospital that does not admit Covid-19 patients.  She is only allowed to have Cheryl’s dad visit her.  The total length of the treatment is 2 months.  She still has about 6 more weeks of treatment.  Please pray for her total healing and protection for her hearing.

Our co-worker Anna Fletcher is beginning radiation treatment on Monday, Dec. 7th for a return of cancer.  The spot is small and was found early.  Please keep Anna in your prayers as she will travel twice a week to Taipei for the treatment for 3-4 weeks.  

One of the boys, Jing Cheng, that lived at The Home of God’s Love (THoGL) for over a year moved back with his dad during the summer.  Things have gone fairly well since then, but this past week his dad decided to move quickly causing Jing Cheng to have to change schools very quickly.  Pray with us for his adjustments to the new living situation as well as the new school.  Please pray that the father is able to provide a stable environment for his son.

We are in the midst of preparing for a Christmas musical with the children at THoGL.  It is both enjoyable and also frustrating.  They are doing wonderful with the songs, but getting everyone to work together for the speaking parts is a little more difficult.  Please pray as we continue to prepare for a presentation on Saturday, Dec. 19th.

Cheryl’s Wednesday evening discipleship group has a new member.  Liao Mama who is a wonderful lady and super volunteer at THoGL has begun to attend.  She brings a different perspective as well as some fun to the group.  Please pray for them to draw closer to God and to be a light in our community.

Andrew has been accepted to attend a Youth With a Mission (YWAM) program beginning in January in Washington State.  This is similar to the program he wanted to attend last year in France.  He will begin with about 3 months of biblical training and the about 2 months of ministry to unreached people groups either abroad or in the US.  Please pray for him as he prepares to attend and seeks to find additional financial support.

Thank you for your consistent prayers.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Join us in praying for each other to draw closer to God.

2.  Please pray for Cheryl’s mom as she continues to be treated for the bacterial infections in her lungs.  Please pray that her hearing will not be affected by the treatment.

3.  Please pray for Anna Fletcher as she begins radiation treatment on Monday.

4.  Please pray for Jing Cheng and his dad as they adjust to a new living situation and a new school.

5.  Please pray for the preparation of the Christmas musical.

6.  Please pray for the Wednesday evening discipleship group to grow closer to Christ.

7.  Please pray for Andrew as he prepares for the YWAM program beginning in January.

October 22, 2020 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“With arrogant scoffers he is scornful, yet he shows favor to the humble.”  Prov. 3:34 NET

“Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.”  Colossians 4:6 NET

 Hopefully, we all desire to receive favor from the Lord!  In order to receive this favor God expects us to live humbly before Him and with our neighbors.  This includes how we speak to and about our neighbors.  Our pride often shows up as we respond to questions and comments.  We need to learn to reply with grace and peace.  When we are humble it goes along way in accomplishing tasks that require the assistance of others or in getting people to see your point of view.  This also applies to the sharing of the Gospel.  When we make fun of a person’s beliefs or way of worship they are not open to hearing the truth of the Gospel.  Let’s try to always sprinkle a little grace in our speech.

We are grateful for all the prayers that have been offered up for The Home of God’s Love.  We ask that you continue to pray for the all of the children.  We especially ask you to lift up the little ones who will soon be placed in homes for adoption.  Their whole world is turned upside down when this happens.  Please pray for their adjustment to their new families.  Pray as well for the adoptive families as they too will have a lot of adjustments to make.  We also ask that you pray for two hiring needs in the social work office, a head social worker for that office, as well as a social worker.

Please pray for the Wednesday night Ladies Bible Study.  Cheryl continues to lead them to more deeply understand God’s Word and to seek answers for their daily lives.

John continues to lead an English Bible study group on Thursday nights.  One gentleman, Peter, has attended for about 2 years.  He prepares well for class and often has very good questions, but he is yet to come to faith.  Please join the Christians in the group in praying for Peter’s salvation.

Last week we invited a young family over for dinner.  It was certainly the first time they had been in an American Christian’s home.  It was probably the first time they had ever been in any Christian’s home for dinner.  We pray that God will continue to provide us with opportunities to have influence in the lives of the Lin family.

Thank you for being faithful in supporting us in prayer.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1. Please pray for the babies that are going to adoptive families soon.  Pray as well for the hiring of the needed head social worker and another social worker.

2. Please pray for the spiritual development of the ladies in Cheryl’s Bible study.

3. Please pray for Peter to come to faith in Jesus.

4.  Please pray for us to have more opportunities to share with the Lin family.

August 26, 2020 Prayer Note

Dear Family & Friends,

“For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity to indulge your flesh, but through love serve one another.  For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Galatians 5:13-14 NET

Our world is in need of so many things right now, but the one thing it needs most is love.  Love that seeks the best for others is what our world has always been in need of.  We have the freedom in Christ to choose love over hate, anger, strife, selfishness, and so much more.  When we are faced with a choice about the coronavirus situation we have the freedom to choose love.  We need to not allow our desire of independence to override what is the loving choice or what is best for the community.  We all need to consider how our response to the person of different opinion will affect our witness for Christ.  We have the freedom in Christ to choose how much we are going to exercise our rights and how much we will limit them based on the situation.  We must remember that we are Christ’s ambassadors to this world.  Let us pray together to learn to choose love in all circumstances.

Please continue to pray for Pei Cheng.  He has improved a lot in how he behaves, but he still has a hard time controlling his temper.  He also is very afraid to lose in any way.

Ted and Bev Skiles have been back at The Home of God’s Love since August 1st.  They have been catching up on everything that is going on with children and staff and have been very busy.  Please pray for them as they transition back into life and ministry in Taiwan.

Moriah flew to the US on August 5th.  She is living with John’s brother’s family in Ellettsville, IN.  She is in training to work at Kohl’s and is both excited & anxious to have a job and all these new life experiences.  Please pray for her as she transitions to a very different life after high school.

Please pray for the family of Frank Anslinger.  He is the older brother of John’s sister-in-law, Florence.  He tragically died in a farm machinery accident on Tuesday near Terre Haute, IN. 

Thank you for praying with us.

God Bless,

John & Cheryl

1.  Pray that we choose out of love.

2.  Pray that Pei Cheng will continue to learn how to have trusting relationships with others.

3.  Pray for Ted & Bev Skiles as they transition back to life in Taiwan and ministry at THoGL.

4.  Pray for Moriah as she transitions to life after high school in the US.

5.  Pray for the family of John’s sister-in-law, Florence.  Her older brother, Frank Anslinger, was killed in a farming accident on Tuesday in the US.