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During our third week of our missions trip, the team regrouped and met back up in Taipei for the third week of our missions trip to run a camp at Taipei Christian Assembly Church. For this camp, Elijah and Selena taught American culture, Serena and Candee taught music, Enoch taught drama, and Phoebe and I taught English. We also had a few coworkers from the church who served as small group leaders, which we were really thankful for. We divided the kids into different groups based on

their age and rotated them through different classes. The first day ended up being incredibly challenging. Not only were some team members still recovering from the previous camp, but some of the kids also seemed uninterested in the camp and a few even assaulted Enoch and Elijah.

Initially, we felt quite discouraged, especially after the amazing success from the previous week’s camps. However, in spite of the initial difficulty and their unruly behavior, we knew that we had to continue to love them and show them God’s love because God had first demonstrated his love for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). That night, we prayed long and hard for God to reach these kids and somehow change their attitudes.

In his faithfulness, God answered our prayers.

The next day, camp went much more smoothly and the kids became more attentive and less disruptive in class. Through this turn of events, we were reminded that it was in His strength alone that we could place our trust, and that God was ultimately in control.

Another thing that God showed us throughout this camp was the depth of His love for these children. Every morning, we gathered for devotionals along with the coworkers from Taipei Christian Assembly, and prayed in small groups to prepare ourselves for that day’s camp. In past camps, as we came to the final day, we had usually been more focused on preparing for the closing ceremony, which we believe plays an important role in encouraging students and parents to return to the church after the camp is over. However, as we prayed together in preparation for the last day of this camp, it dawned on me that we were in the very room in which we would later be sharing the gospel and inviting students to respond.

Decisions for eternity would be made that morning right where I was sitting.

I began to experience something I can only explain as the Spirit coming upon me, and at that moment I just knew that I couldn’t settle for kids leaving the camp “happy.” Instead, God was filling me with His own deep longing for the kids to leave camp with the hope of heaven, and I found myself praying desperately that the Spirit would open their hearts to the gospel. As I didn’t have to teach during the first period, I decided to sit in and pray while the altar call was taking place. Amazingly, as the children’s minister shared the gospel that morning, I watched as 8 hands went up in response out of a cl

ass of 10. All in all, about twenty kids responded to the gospel throughout the day.

Seeing God move in this way was such a powerful reminder of God’ s unfathomable love for the children at thi

s camp! Praise God!

All throughout our missions trip, God has continued to show us how powerful, how faithful, and how good He is!

With this in mind, we ask for you to keep the Taipei Christian Assembly Church in your prayers! The church is situated in the heart of Taipei, right by the Taipei Botanical Garden and National Museum of History, on land owned by the government. A few months ago, the government asked for the church to give back this land and to relocate.

Taipei Christian Assembly Church has been around for about 60 years and is the church that Fei Chiang attended throughout most of her childhood, and we trust that God will continue to bless and use this church for His glory if we pray with faith!

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During the second week of our missions trip, while most of the i42 team moved to Keelung to run an English camp at an elementary school, Frank, Phoebe, Candee and I met up with NanKang Baptist Church to teach English at their VBS in Sian Si, a small rural community in central Taiwan, about half an hour away from Taichung. It was evident from the passion with which they worshipped, prayed, and practiced their songs and dances that God had truly given them a burden for the people there.

When I asked the camp directors why NanKang Baptist church had decided on this location, they explained to me that this was one of the most unreached places in all of Taiwan. For this reason, NanKang Baptist Church has gone to Sian Si to run VBS camps for the past four years.

We left the church early Wednesday morning and made it to Sian Si Elementary late morning. After setting up our living quarters and the main stage in the gym, we sat down and just spent time worshipping and praying for the camp.

The camp directors really challenged us to ask ourselves why we had come to Sian Si, and it was a good time for me to remind myself of the reason I’d come to Taiwan. Afterwards, we again ran through all of our songs and dances and then worked on getting things ready for the first day of camp. In spite of having to sleep on the gym floor with only exercise mats for padding and only a few fans to keep us cool, laughter and smiles abounded in eager anticipation of what God would do at the camp.

Throughout the course of a typical day at this camp, we would alternate between meet in the gym as a large group, meeting up in classrooms for small group time and also English class.

During the large group session, we shared the story of how Joseph went from a radiant robe to a torn robe, then from a torn robe to a beggar’s robe, and finally from a beggar’s robe back to a radiant robe. We shared about how God has a plan for each one of us, and how we could trust in Him even through difficult circumstances, and finally the joy we can have through forgiving those who have hurt us. We also shared about God’s love through singing and dancing along to children’s worship songs. Lastly, we helped the kids bond with one another through playing a lot of fun games. During small group time, we played ice breaker games and encouraged kids to memorize Bible verses through fun activities. We also helped them practice the dances they would be performing for their parents on the last day.

And finally, this being an English camp, we split up the kids by grade level and taught vocabulary and grammar and helped them practice their conversational skills.

In addition to the camp, we also went to visit the homes of the students and meet their families during the week. It really meant a lot to these students that their teachers would want to come and visit them, and it really helped build stronger relationships between our team and the families of our students. For example, the first household that Candee and Phoebe visited was a family of three children raised by a single dad. The children in this family have been suffering from mental trauma caused by witnessing their mother commit suicide a couple years ago.

The father has been very strict on his children because he hopes that his children can get ahead in the journey of life. He was very grateful that we were teaching his children English. Through our visit, the children were able to realize their father’s intentions for their future. Then, in their second house visitation, Candee and Phoebe were able to share their testimonies of why they had come to Taiwan, and their sharing really touched the heart of the parents.

We really saw God move in different ways throughout this camp, and we thank Him and praise Him for that! For instance, this year was the first time the elementary school had allowed our camp to use its facilities! This was a huge blessing for us, as it gave us a lot more space for the kids than they had had in previous years. Also, after the first day of camp, the principal decided to let us have air conditioning on at night while we were sleeping, even though the school administration had been concerned about how much their utilities bills had been throughout the school year. This was also a great blessing for us, as it allowed us to be a little bit more refreshed and rested each night. Lastly, we saw God move in how the weather turned out. Typically, Sian Si is very hot during the summer, but it had been rainy all week long and that cooled things down considerably.

We were concerned that on the last day the outdoor water games would be impacted by rain, and indeed that morning during the main session there was quite a torrential downpour! We encouraged the students to pray for the weather, while on the inside we ourselves were also fearful of having to cancel games if the rain didn’t let up. I was reminded of James 5:17, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.” I had to trust what that verse was explaining, that Elijah was just a man, the same as me, simply a man the same as I was, but that we both believed in the same God, a God who could and would answer our prayers! And behold, the rain let up just as we were finishing up with our program inside and getting ready to go outside for games! We believe that not only did these kids have a great last day of camp playing with water outside, but that more importantly, they saw with their own eyes that God does indeed answer prayer!

Praise God!

Not only did we see God move, but

we also saw the kids respond as well! One of the kids that was in my small group was named Louie. On the first day of camp, he asked me why I’d come all the way from America to Sian Si. As I shared that it was because of God’s love, that He first loved me and called me to love others as a Christian, Louie responded, “Oh, well I’m Buddhist.” And it seemed perhaps that that was that. The next day, however, as we gathered for lunch, we invited the kids to say grace for us before class, and to my surprise Louie eagerly volunteered! And before my very eyes, a Buddhist kid was talking to Jesus for the very first time! I’m pretty sure he was also one of the kids who were desperately praying for the rain to let up on the last day as well, because during the awards ceremony, as they were getting ready to announce which small group had won which awards during the games, I could tell from his body language and posture that he was fervently in prayer! It really amazed me to see how God had touched this kid’s heart, and I was really excited for that!

Please continue to pray for the kids of Sian Si, that the seeds

of the gospel that were sown would someday bear fruit! Please also pray for the Bread Of Life Christian Church in Sian Si. The pastor and his wife have such an amazing heart for these kids, and have been working hard to build relationships with different families the past 6 years.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

As I sat on an airplane flying from Phoenix to Los Angeles, Psalm 46:10 came to mind: “Be still, and know that I am God.” For those of you who know me, this is perhaps one of the hardest things for me to do, because I have a lot on my plate and so I’m always running here and there to take care of it all! But that’s the nice thing about being on an airplane – you can’t do much except be still!

It had been a crazy couple of days, and it was good to just sit there and dwell on that verse, and on God Himself.

Things had been crazy because right after getting back from Youth Camp 2011, we found out that Selena’s flight wasn’t the same as mine – in fact, she was flying out a day earlier than Frank and I, by herself.

This was quite surprising for the both of us, as we had planned to travel together to ensure her safety. So between trying to figure out what was going on with that as well as unpacking from Youth Camp 2011 and packing for Taiwan STM 2011, and also trying to tie up loose ends before my trip, not to mention moving my stuff into another room, it

was a pretty stressful couple of days.

And that’s when I began to realize, that every step of the journey takes faith. I’d always thought that the most faith I’d ever need on a missions trip was when I had to share my testimony, or when I had to share the gospel with some children. I’d always taken for granted that I could out-plan and out-prepare for everything else on the trip. But when a dust storm grounded my flight in Sky Harbor and delayed us for two hours, I knew for sure that I couldn’t trust in my self, but only in God.

And the neat thing is that as I reflected on that while flying to Los Angeles, I looked out the window and witnessed a pretty awesome thunderstorm. All around the plane were thes

e great flashes of brilliant white light: sunsets and thunderstorms are surely the most beautiful in Arizona! And as I thought about this thunderstorm was but a small glimpse of God’s power, Proverbs 30:4 came to mind, where the prophet Agur asks: “Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!“

Suddenly, we passed through the thunderstorm, and the clouds gave way to clear sky, and the stars came into view. I don’t think I’d ever seen the stars while flying before, and it was simply beautiful.

Seeing the stars come out like that brought to mind Isaiah 40:26, where Isaiah declares: “Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these

? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing.”

And so for the rest of the flight, forced by the seatbelt fastened sign to be still, I continued to know that He is God.

What peace we can experience when we are assured of God’s sovereignty, that God is in control of everything. Encouraged by that thought, I decided to share Romans 8:28 with a fellow passenger who I had gotten to know as we waited out the dust storm. As he shared his anxiety about missing his connecting flight to China, I got to share with him the peace I had because I knew that God was in control. I also got to invite him to check out our church’s website, as he was interested in listening to sermons in Mandarin.

Maybe it was for that very purpose, to encourage both of us in our faith, that God sent a dust storm… After all, didn’t God send the disciples a storm to test their faith as well?

God’s already blessed me so much, and I haven’ t even arrived in Taiwan ye

t! I’m definitely looking forward to all that God will accomplish on this trip =)

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of the year for me. To be sure, it’

s a time to catch up with friends and family that I may not have gotten to spend much time with over the course of the year.

But more than that, it’s a time to slow down and to remember all that I’ve been blessed with as I come to the end of ano

ther year.

And this 2010, I have a lot to be thankful for:

I’ m thankful for the financial blessings in

my life. I pulled into the parking lot last week at the office and realized that over the course of my 5-year internship, I’ll have been paid a large sum of money, all of which comes from the hard-working and faithful members of GPCCC.

And that was just so, so humbling, especially in our country’s current economic state. So many people are out of jobs and yet here I am, with enough food to eat, a roof over my head, and able to do that which I love doing, which is to reach out to young people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

May I not ever take that for granted, but be thankful all year round.

I’m also thankful for the scholarships I’ve been awarded for school, and thankful for my parents’ financial support as well, as I know that without these blessings, I’d be in over my head in debt.

I’m thankful for the physical blessings in my life. I’m thankful that I was able to drop almost 50 pounds, going from a size 38 to a size 33 this year. And in that regard, I’m thankful for all my friends and family who encouraged me to keep at it. Thank you all so much, as I couldn’t have done it without you. And don’t worry, I’m not finished yet =) I’m also thankful that even though I haven’t had health insurance coverage, I haven’t had anything serious happen to me – God has truly been faithful in that regard.

I’m thankful for the spiritual blessings in my life. I’m thankful for having brothers and sisters in Christ who care about me and pray for

me.

I’m thankful for my accountability partners who remind me to seek the straight and narrow path. I’m thankful for mentors that sharpen me. And I’m thankful for all the brothers and sisters I know who are on fire for Christ – you are truly an encouragement to me, and your faithfulness spurs me on towards love and good deeds. I’m thankful for all those who have shared their lives with me this year, who have entrusted prayer requests with me, who have come to me seeking guidance and wisdom – thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your life.

But most of all, I thank God for His grace.

I thank God that His grace is sufficient, His strength is made perfect in weakness. Because I know that I would not be where I am today apart from His grace, that I could not serve as I do today without His grace. Thank You Lord, for going to the cross, for taking up my infirmities, for dying in my place and rising victoriously from the grave.

Thank You that You promise to return some day and restore all things.

Because of You, I can sing, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:2 ESV).

What are you thankful for?

Dear Future Wife,

I wonder what your journey on the path to marriage

has been like. I wonder if you’ve been hurt by past relationships, mistakes, and heartaches, and I wonder if God has used those experiences to cause you to wonder more about His plan and His design for marriage.

I wonder this, because I know I have. Perhaps, like me, you’ve done some studying up on the topic.

And as I’ve read through various books, listened to sermon after sermon, and even sought the wisdom of older brothers and sisters in Christ, I’ve learned a lot about dating and marriage. A lot of what I’ve been learning has been on the topic of who: the kind of woman I should be looking for, and also the kind of man I should seek to be. Even the issue of timing has come up, with Boundless.org and others suggesting that earlier is better. Much also has been said of how, such as Joshua Harris’ books which promote courtship over recreational dating.

I’ve found many helpful answers to all kinds of questions regarding marriage – who, what, when, where, and how – but I’ve realized lately that there seems to be one question that no one asks, and that is “Why?” There may be a myriad of reasons for this. Perhaps marriage has become so pervasive in our culture that it just becomes assumed, in the same way that so many take it for granted that we will graduate from elementary school, to middle school, to high school. Perhaps within the church, the only ones asking why are those who feel strongly called to celibacy.

For the rest of us who are not gifted with celibacy, the question never comes up because there is no other option in sight.

If this is the case, is “Why?” even a question worth asking? In fact, I’m convinced that this is perhaps the most important question we need to be asking.

First of all, I believe this question is the key to starting a marriage. Think about it. How we answer the question “Why should I get married?” will strongly influence the way we answer the questions of who, what, when, where, and even how we marry. All of those aspects of marriage hinge on this one question of why.

Not only that, but I believe that the question of “Why?” is the key to sustaining a marriage as well.

Think about it. Once we say, “I do”, the question of who, what, when, where, and how we get married immediately become irrelevant.

But the question of why, oh why, this is the question that we will need to answer for the lifetime that we are committed to each other.

And perhaps this is the key to understanding why divorce rates are so high today, even within the church: the answer to “Why did we get married” is intimately related to the question “Why should we stay married?”

So, my dear future wife, I wonder if this is the very reason we haven’t met yet, that God has been challenging me to first discover the answer to this question of “Why?” – even when it’s a question that no one seems to be asking.

Grace and peace to you,

Your future husband

*****

I stumbled on this unfinished, unpublished entry from over a year ago as I was organizing my blog, and decided I should wrap it up and post it. I have since developed some clarity on the topic through various sermons I’ve heard and certainly my own experiences as God has brought a lovely woman named Selma Kwong into my life =) Perhaps I’ll save that for a later entry, when I have some more time to think it over…

Have you seen those Geico commercials, where th is

Neanderthal seems to keep running into ads that say, “So easy, a caveman can do it?” I know just how he feels.

Why? Because it seems like everywhere I turn, I’m reminded of my singleness.

This past week has especially been difficult, as in my class on pastoral practice, we’ve been talking about marriages and weddings – and I’ve had to read through 146 pages of wedding messages, wedding service outlines, wedding vows, wedding benedictions – basically, examples of anything and everything a pastor might need to bring a couple together in holy matrimony. And there’s been a strong, strong temptation to give in to bitterness, to even resent the beautiful gift of marriage that I see reflected in these glimpses into the wedding ceremony because of my singleness.

But I realized tonight that I do have a choice in this matter. I could choose to be bitter – or I could choose to marvel at this precious gift, to praise God for it, and to thank Him for the day it will come to pass for me. So, instead of resigning myself to bitterness and jealousy, I’m going to instead take a cue from my friend Grace Kao Ong, who recently published a compilation of letters she wrote to her future husband during her single years, and write a letter instead to my future wife.

Dear Future Wife,

I wonder if you’re struggling with

singleness as I am now.

I wonder if you’ve ever beheld the beauty that is God’s gift of marriage, and wondered when it was that you’d finally get to be a bride instead of a bridesmaid. I wonder if you’ve ever gazed at a full moon like the one tonight, or marveled at a meteor shower, and felt like something was missing because you didn’t have a special someone to share that moment of awe with.

I wonder if you’ve ever thought you’d met the one, and then subsequently had your heart broken. I wonder if you’ve ever raised your fist at the heavens at reading Genesis 2:18, that God could design man in such a way that in spite of the perfect fellowship Adam had with God, Adam was in a sense, still alone.

If so, I wish this letter could somehow find its way into your hands now, and that you might be encouraged. Because I, your future husband, do in fact exist, and have struggled with those same questions and doubts you’re struggling with now.

Beloved, know that for all your wanting and longing, all your brokenness and fears, God is working through all things to shape you to become the woman He wants you to be – one who is like His Son, Jesus Christ. He is preparing us for a lifelong commitment not just to each other, but to bring Him glory through His gift of marriage. This time of singleness that we are both going through now is not simply a time of waiting but a time of growing, learning, maturing, and trusting.

I pray that this time would truly strengthen your faith in Him as you realize just how dependent you are and just how dependable He is. Would the suffering you feel now clarify the intentions of your heart, to help you learn to worship the Deliverer and not the hope of deliverance.

And know that you are not alone in this time – even as you are waiting for me, I am waiting for you.

There’s a song that I would love to sing to you now if I could, “Here to Stay” by Koo Chung. May it encourage you as we both await the day we finally realize who the other is.

Verse 1:

You were there, pulling thorns from your fingers

From all the foolish flowers placed in tender hands

And so I’m here, making sure there is not one left

On this hopeless little rose, I’ve been saving for you

Chorus:

Maybe it’s love, or maybe it’s two years down the drain

But where there is no pain, I guess there is no gain

Maybe it’s tough, but you’re more than worth the wait

And so I’m here to stay, yeah I’m here to stay

Grace and peace to you,

Your future husband

Just a funny story that I thought I’d share: so awhile back, I’ d bought some Groupons for Blue Fin.

I’d used up a couple of them but had never gotten around to using the last one, and since the Groupon’s expiration date was coming up, I decided

I should go ahead and make use of it.

So I ended up going there for lunch today, and it was just such a neat experience I felt I had to share about

it.

So I ended up ordering a panko chicken bowl, and asked for the tonkatsu sauce.

A little while later, when I received my order, I thought to myself, “Wow, this tonkatsu sauce tastes a little like barbecue sauce” but thought maybe I’d just never realized it before.

After I’m done with about 3/4 of my chicken, one of the owners came over, a really friendly and cheerful old Asian lady, who’s probably between my mom and my grandma’s age. And she apologetically tells me that the tonkatsu sauce I’d been given was actually the kind they usually give to non-Asians, and joked about how they broke federal laws at their restaurant by discriminating.

And then she said, “Next time, ask for the Asian tonkatsu sauce!” When I tried the new sauce, I was like “Ahh, now this is more like the tonkatsu sauce I know!” And on top of that, she comes back with a half bowl of extra panko chicken and says “Now that I gave you the real tonkatsu sauce, you should have more chicken to enjoy it with!” It was just so sweet, as I don’t I’ve ever seen a restaurant owner go that out of their way to make a customer happy!

So anyways, the moral of the story is, if you go to Blue Fin and order the panko chicken, ask for the Asian tonkatsu sauce, or don’t, and see if you get extra panko chicken like I did!

Hahaha =)

A few weeks ago, when I was in Taitung, it finally hit me that Jess wouldn’t be here when I returned to Phoenix. It’s been hard facing that reality these past couple of weeks, but I do feel that God’s been growing peace in my heart.

And I’ve even asked for God to take the feelings away, time and time again. And yet, as I’ve been trying to give Jess some space and distance myself from her, something strange still keeps happening.

Almost every other day, I’ve seen some reference to Hawaii or another pop up. It’s just the oddest thing!

Thursday, October 21, 2010: Searching for “godlight” on images.google.com for a sermon, and finding a photo of godlight shining on Honolulu

Wednesday, October 20, 2010: Reading an email from Groupon letting me know that Groupons were now available in Hawaii

Saturday, October 16, 2010: Boundless article “A Season of Celibacy” mentioning the author serving as a missionary in Hawaii. Gary cooking Hawaiian fried rice at our small group’s Iron Chef activity.

Friday, October 15, 2010: Hearing that Michelle Chiang had just come back from her fall break trip Hawaii

Tuesday, October 12, 2010: Watching the Amazing Race Season 17, Ep 2, and some random guy in Ghana is wearing a shirt with the word “Honolulu” on it, and the winners of this leg of the race won a trip to Hawaii

Monday, October 11, 2010: Dr. Chip Moody shared about being a chaplain stationed in Hawaii and doing funerals for sailors out at sea

Sunday, October 3, 2010: Shopping at Fry’s by church and saw King’s Hawaiian Rolls

Wednesday, September 29, 2010: Overheard a conversation in which someone mention a Hawaiian shirt at Paradise Bakery

Monday, September 27, 2010: Read a comment on Boundless.org blog that shared a joke about a man asking God to build him a highway to Hawaii

Sunday, September 26, 2010: Had lunch with Petra at Red Robin and saw that they had a Hawaiian Heart Throb smoothie on their menu

Thursday, September 23, 2010: Dave Fowler mentions “Hawaiian Airlines” in conversation with me and Herman

Wednesday, September 22, 2010: Went to iTwist at Mekong Plaza and saw that they had a Hawaiian Fruit flavored frozen yogurt

Thursday, September 16, 2010: Pastor Warren mentions a “hot Hawaiian Mormon girl” in his message

Tuesday, September 14, 2010: Saw some kind of candy at the Chews’ that referenced Maui or Hawaii

Monday, September 13, 2010: Went to dinner at Dairy Queen, saw that they had Hawaiian Blizzards

Friday, September 10, 2010: At lunch with Maria and Larry at Thai Cafe, a guy walked in wearing a shirt that said Hawaii on the back

Thursday, September 9, 2010: At Man Church, one of the guys shared that he was working as an officer at a Hawaiian prison

Thursday, August 19, 2010: Pastor Warren mentions the Hawaiian triggerfish in his sharing.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010: Sharon Lee posts a link to the trailer for the new Hawaii Five-0 movie on her Facebook wall.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010: Water & Ice advertisement at the corner of Ray & Alma School features Hawaiian shaved ice.

Monday, August 16, 2010: Talking to Christine Chen online and she mentions Hawaii

Friday, August 13, 2010: Dreamed I flew out to Hawaii and Jess picked me up from the airport.

Thursday, August 12, 2010: Checking my emails, I notice a travel deal for cheap flights to Hawaii.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010: Sorting out circulars, I notice a Papa John’s advertisement featuring Hawaiian pizza.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010: Went to Albertson’s grocery store on Scottsdale Rd and Thomas and saw on their advertisements that they were celebrating “Hawaiian Days” as well.

Monday, August 9, 2010: Went to Fry’s grocery store on Ray & Dobson and was greeted with a sign promoting a “Hawaiian Days” event.

So, I don’t know what it means. I prayed this past Monday to ask God if He was trying to show me something by this, and on Tuesday I get some text/instant messages from Jess letting me know she wouldn’t be in Hawaii much longer, that she was flying to Chicago at the end of the month.

Yet the references to Hawaii keep coming – argh =P

Sigh. I pray that she will find a Godly man that can lead her in following hard after God’s will-and I also hope that I could be such a man.

But I know that however things work out, He is still holy, still just, still loving, still gracious. Please do pray for me to really surrender my feelings to God, to find peace, and to be the brother and friend that she needs.

I thank each one of you for your friendship and your prayers.

And oh yeah, if you can read this, you’re part of a small group of people that know about this and that I can trust =) This note is only visible to you, and obviously Jess can’t see it, and I’m trusting that you won’t forward this to her.

So, I’ve been sort of packing up and moving the past few hours.

Not really, just moving from one room in our house to another.

And with each trip that I make, I marvel at how much stuff I actually have, and think that perhaps I have too much – books I don’t read, DVDs I don’t watch, and CDs I don’t listen to, gadgets I don’ t use,

the list goes on and on.

Isn’t it ironic that it’s only when we have to move that

we think we have too much stuff? Usually it’s quite the opposite, isn’t it? We tell ourselves we don’t have enough of this or that, and so we buy more of this

and we buy more of that. We fill our closets with more clothes, our bookshelves with more books, our coffee tables with more magazines – we keep filling our lives with more stuff. So, how’s it working for us

? Does it really satisfy us

? I mean, how much do I really need

these things? Let’ s be hone

st, how much do I even want these things, one month later? Or even a week later? Do I even remember that

I have these things, one year later? Why ramble on about this? Who really even cares? Apparently, God does:

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with w ords

or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

Maybe that shirt I’ve outgrown in my closet could go to Goodwill. Maybe that toy I’ve outgrown could go to a Burmese refugee child. Maybe the college textbooks I no longer have a use for could be sold to help a brother that’ s in need.

Cause right now, they’re not doing a whole lot besides collecting dust, and I’m sure it won’t be long until they once again fade from memory – until the next time I move.