One Week Until Taiwan

I can't believe that I leave for Taiwan in one week! (which means that I should probably start packing) For those of you who haven't heard anything about my trip, I have the opportunity to go to Taiwan this summer and work with some high school students as we participate in the first Taiwanese and American Young Leaders' Camp. I will be going with fellow students and faculty members from NWC, along with a few other Americans. I leave on June 25th and will return on July 30th. For the first few days, we will be attending an orientation with other Americans who will be doing various missions work in Taiwan this summer. Then we will be leading/participating in several youth camps where we will discuss topics such as leadership, family, society, community, nation, and world. Our main responsibilities will be presenting on the topic of "community" and leading group discussions. An NWC alumnus has been working very hard to put these camps together and he hopes that we will have many opportunities to evangelize and share our faith through these camps. After we are finished serving at the camps, we will spend another week doing a variety of other things (I am not quite sure what we will be doing yet). 

Now that I have given a brief (and hopefully understandable) description of what I will be doing in Taiwan, I have some praises and prayer requests concerning the trip. First of all, here are some praises. God has provided more than enough financially and I was able to raise enough support to cover the entire cost of the trip! Also, how great it is that we do not currently have any major safety threats concerning our travels to Taiwan and that everyone seems very excited to welcome us to their country. And, of course, just the fact that I have the opportunity to travel all the way across the world to do God's work and learn about another culture. 

Now for the prayer requests. Please pray for safe and smooth travels (especially because I have four connecting flights and three layovers) as we journey to Taiwan and as we travel throughout the country during our trip. Pray for the people in Taiwan, that they will be willing to hear about the Gospel and the sacrifice that Jesus made for them, and that they will be gracious and forgiving of any cultural mistakes we may make. Pray that God will give me the words and the courage that I will need to share both the Gospel and my own faith story. Pray that we will be able to communicate well and build relationships with the people we meet. Pray for the host families that we will be staying with. Pray that there will be no glitches or technological difficulties during our presentation on community. Pray that we will be respectful and flexible, and that we will serve with humble hearts. And lastly, pray that God will use us to further His kingdom, share His Gospel, and do His incredible work in the world. 

I am beyond excited (and slightly nervous) about this trip! I love and serve an amazing God and I can't wait to see what He will do in me and through me while I am in Taiwan. Over the past few years, I have developed a passion for learning about other cultures and spreading God's word among the nations. This trip will allow me to do both of these things and I cannot describe how blessed I feel to have this opportunity. 

If you would like to stay updated on my trip, keep checking my blog! I will try to post once a week or every few days while I am in Taiwan! And if you think about it while I am gone, please pray! :)