August 15, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was AMAZING! Ok, I know I say that every week, but that is because it is true every week!

Last Monday we went up in the mountains with Brother Lin and the members that came down for the weekend to barbecue. It was beautiful! I feel like I was dropped into a little piece of paradise here in Taidong. It was really great - we sat by the river and built a fire and cooked a TON of meat over it and we forgot chop sticks so Brother Lin cut down pieces of young bamboo and we used them as chopsticks and it was beautiful and it wasn't too hot and it was perfect! I am so grateful for Brother Lin and the members that came down from Taipei. It was truly an experience I will never forget.

Then we seriously saw miracles this week, and the biggest miracle is the Xu family. Last week a mom and two children came into church after it had already ended and asked if they could attend. We said of course, but it was already over so set up a time to meet with them. When we visited them, we met the rest of the family - FIVE kids and Xu Baba (the dad). The youngest is seven years old. We met with them on Monday and it was great! They all prayed with us, then we set up a time to meet with them on Friday. We called on Thursday to confirm and the mom said, "But we are in the hospital. Three of the kids have pneumonia." We asked if we could visit them there, and Friday we took the long trip across the street from our apartment to the hospital. :)

We met with them and they were so excited to see us and sing with us and hear stories of Jesus. The two younger kids said that they read and pray together every day and we gave the daughter a hymn book because she loves to sing and play the piano. It is great! We went back Saturday and Sunday also to visit them and they are the most amazing family ever. They are all so humble. This week we mostly got to sit down with one daughter and one son, and they are seriously great. Every day before we leave we ask them what we learned and they say things like, "We are all like the lost lamb - and when Jesus finds us he can hug and comfort us and we can feel warm and happy." I have never heard such sincere and wonderful prayers as those two little children offer. I love them. They call Sister Lin and I their Aunties. I love it - it makes me feel like I have a real family right here in Taiwan. I love them!

I love you all and hope that all is well!

Love,

Sister Collyer