The year 2008 is something.  January, I took a few days off for our conference on the book of Numbers. I don't think too many churches will choose to have a conference to encourage people simply to read the Old Testament!  But Pastor Ariel Berkowitz was amazing in explaining the OT scripture with new light from the New Testament as well as the Hebraic root of our faith.  Being again a translator, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  The conference inspired so many people including pastors.   During the Chinese New Year break, I chose to recap on last year's conference on the book of Leviticus and Exodus.  God is so good, he chose to create a garden before he created men, he reflected in this garden his throne and his own nature above.  We are all reflections of our Savior and Redeemer Yeshua.  The Israelites wondering in the wilderness, was not a punishment, but a training process.  The remnant are the chosen one.  The wilderness, Midbar, is a place to listen to the Lord.  All of us need to realize despite exodus, Egypt can still filter into our mind and thoughts.  We need to truly leave Egypt, the world, before we can hear the Lord's voice clearly.  I realized in that week, my job had been my Egypt in life.  But thank God, after the new year's break, I feel more up to the whole situation, and God has helped me to adjust my time management. 

Then last night, I was invited to go to an evening conference in the NTU auditorium, a place where at least 3000 people were meeting. Cindy Jacob, the famous prophetess came to preach.   It was an exciting night.  Cindy has prayed and prophesied in many places and the prophecies all came to pass.  She prayed for many pastors yesterday, all pointed to mission work from Taiwan to other nations.  Many young people were called to become missionaries to Middle Asia, the Muslim world.  We all know we are the chosen people to bring the gospel back to Jerusalem.  Cindy also told us through our prayers, revival will come. After praying for so many years, revival will finally come.   She said that the 3% Christian population will grow to be 10%, then 25%, the over 50%, and one day the president of this country will claim that Taiwan is a Christian country!!  How exciting!

I know I can have two kinds of responses, one to ignore about it, and the other to pray more for this prophecy to come to fruition.  God has shown me that 90% of the non Christians in Taiwan are working class people.  I've been asking the Lord, how can I get in touch with them effectively. They are all around us, yet Christians seem to be blind to them.  How can we make our church more sensitive and accepting to these people mostly feeling inferior to us? How can I pray more without being distracted? How can I teach more effectively my girls to follow God's will in their lives? This is a year God is going to do new things.  I firmly believe so.  Father, I pray for all the crusades and special conferences that are coming this year, Benny Hinn, Rheihart Bonnke, David Cho,  Franklin Graham and all.  Lord, I know this is the key year that you are about to do great things through us.  We pray that your will be done, and your kingdom come! Pray that you'll also open our eyes to see more of your heart and plans in the world, so our heart can be motivated and not lose light. Thank you Lord, in Yeshua's name I pray. Amen!

Just flew back from Singapore and Malaysia.  A packed trip, with tour guides and a team of 35 people touring all together!!  We haven't done this for a long time.   South East Asia was never my dream paradise.

Singapore was ok, it's a clean city.  Sentosa resort area was gorgeous, too.  The special beach laser show was also extravagant and flashing with fire and mist in the sky at night.  Malaysia, I guess the whole trip was limited by the view and the plan of the tour guide who is a devout Buddhist, and all the trip was surrounding the Chinese population in Malaysia, dispersed with Indian culture.  I'm sure Malaysia is more than this.  I hope if I ever get there another time, I'd love to visit more of the natural wonders of Malaysia.  Shopping experience there was a big disaster, for all the business people try so hard to persuade you to buy from them.  Most of them worship god of the earth, with incense still burning in their shops. It makes you feel like you are traveling back in time, like 30 years ago how people try the most primitive way to talk you into buying things that are not special at all.

The spiritual side of the whole trip is on the other hand, thought provoking.  I fell in love with the Indian people I see in Singapore and Malaysia.  This is a beautiful people, all very friendly and gentle and beautiful.  But their culture as well as their traditional faith in all these different strange gods of elephant, Kali, etc make you feel suffocated.  A trip to this Indian temple, you see a 2000 ft tall golden statue of their goddess by the huge mountain, you actually felt the wrath and pain in the Lord's heart.  No wonder the Bible describes the Lord being jealous.  How evil is the enemy in blinding people's senses.  The Chinese there are also more supertitious than any Taiwanese I meet in Taipei.  They worship any god they know, they believe in Feng-Shui and other stuff.  It is simply very sad to be among them.  And I feel called to pray more for them.

The relentless pagan atmosphere actually has some significant influence on us Christians.  There were five of us on the trip together as Christians.  But besides Moses and me, the three girls all had some deep issues in life surfaced and had some arguments and we had to hold a prayer meeting to pray for each other.  Moses, on the other hand, accidentally fell from a bench and hit his buttocks and head.  He lost his memory for about an hour before he could remember where he was and what happened.  A 2-inch fractureline showed up on his right temporal bone in the head.  We thank God that the damage isn't really serious, but he still needs to have a further check up next week to rule out any bleeding in the head. 

So, I guess I still need to say I thank the Lord for giving me a 7-day vacation, with some rest and good food, some good days by the beach and some deep culture realization and deep spiritual experiences. 

Now, back to the mundane but busy working environment, they said I looked refreshed.  Well, I certainly hope so! Thank you Daddy for teaching me something new every day!