(December 23, 2019) Thanksgiving: God's Leading & Timing

Item 1: God's mercy in research program ‐ timing and provision.

There is a song: "Jesus you Open all the Right Doors". I often feel: "I can't open the doors". When I was particularily feeling depressed about this, it seemed God replied to me: "That's right, you can't. But I can." These last few years have been God teaching me this lesson.

2017 Oct:	felt God wanting me to change direction. In research, to start working on dementia and lighting. In teaching, to initiate a course at Yuan Ze University to help students understand the teaching of the Bible. I was afraid: Could I handle a change in fields? What about time? What about coworkers? What about failure? The school has rejected similar requests many times from other teachers.
2017 Nov:	A brother at church (don't know very well) prayed for me (in Chinese), saying: "God will lead you in a new direction, it will benefit society. Don't worry about co-workers: God will provide. People (church) will not understand you".
2017 Dec:	Applied to Ministry of Science (MOST) for funding to research light and dementia.
2018 July:	MOST application fails -- disappointment.
2018 Dec:	(1) Re-apply to MOST for funding to research light and dementia. (2) Apply to Ministry of Education (MOE) for funding to research how to better teach Physics. (3) Final approval given by Yuan Ze University for a new course about Moses's writings and Jesus's words and their influence on Western Society -- the first, for credit, course approved related to God at our university for years.
2019 Spring:	(1) teaching Christianity course. God provided just enough co-workers for the course. (2) translating evangelistic Bible Study materials of "From Doubt to Belief" from Chinese to English. Build connection with Prof Hsu who helps me with project application and provides link to hospital. A graduate student (BaoLe) to start working on the MOST project (by faith in God that the project will be approved.) Looking back this was clearly God's mercy and blessing that the MOST project was not approved. Why? (1) In September, no foreign students came to YZU and I had no graduate students to work on the project. Thus it would have failed as no students to help me to do. (2) Was very busy with the curriculum for the new course and translation. The project would fail as I had no time.
2019 Summer:	MOST and MOE projects both are funded! God provides meetings in Canada with Nafia (Ressam Gardens Hamilton) and Feng Qin-Yi (McMaster University) for possible research collaboration.
2019 Sept:	God provides 3 new graduate students to work on the MOST project (all foreigners), a Taiwanese undergraduate to work on Physics project and a Taiwanese student to help with accounting. (More students than I have ever had under my supervision). My wife "happened" to meet Dr. Lee (a Christian) at the local hospital who is willing to work together on the 2nd phase of the project: clinical trials. Clearly God's timing is perfect! He is providing students, time, funding, collaborators all at the right time! I believe God is trying to teach me the lesson "To Look To Jesus" and not to be upset and frustrated by the waves and difficulties around us.
2020 Future:	"Look to Jesus -- not the impossibility of the project" From my earthly perspective I am incapable of completing these 2 projects. It is impossible. But God's timing, provision of people, and funds in the past gives hope for future that if I "Look to Jesus" He will calm the waves. The Bible oriented course has now been presented for a 2nd time -- this time with very different students. The first time was mostly Taiwanese, this past time mostly foreign students. So teaching style must change drastically. Next semester looks to be 60% Taiwanese and 40% foreign students.

ITEM 2 Family

Jon	Health: Praise that Prostrate gland still shrinking: Dec2018: 6.4cm, June2019: 5.7cm, Dec2019: 5.1cm diameter.
Sharon	Health: Severe coughing she had for ~6 weeks starting in August has ended. Spots in the lungs were identified but not necessarily dangerous -- 6 months followup check. Some evidence of HPV cells in her cervix--her weak immune system (right side lymph nodes removed in 1997 as cancerous) makes her susceptable to sickness from which normal people are immune.
Aien(Charity)	Praise God for (1) providing her with a parttime job this past semester where she can find out that she really likes teaching (2) her best marks ever in her studies at McMaster University. Thankful for the emotional support of Brother John Livingstone's family.
Johann	This is his last year in Junior High School. Where will he go next? a highschool in Taiwan? He would like to go to school in Canada.
Leon:	Enjoying school, very talented, likes to try to make his mother angry (often successfully!) 13 students in his class with 1 teacher and 1 assistant teacher. Great ratio!
Ruth:	Is now also in music stream at school. She continues to talk and her violin playing is now tolerable! Her class has ~16 students.
Marriage	Weekly Tuesday morning "dates" are increasingly enjoyable and a good chance to talk without children present (or me falling asleep)

Praise Items

Group Picture at our house Christmas party

Christmas Party at our house: Sharing about the reason for Christmas. A very enjoyalble time.
Speaking at Evangelistic meeting in Taichung in early December. Very unprepared + Due to an accident blocking 2 of 3 lanes on expressway, we arrived 1 hour late. I spoke first but the sound system had problem with music getting louder and louder so people could not clearly hear. Powerpoint controller difficuluties. When Sharon spoke. She seemed to be out of sync with the powerpoints. But still God works! People came forward to receive Jesus and to be prayed for. Just as with Samson, God will accomplish his goals irrespective our readiness! It is about him not about us. Is this not a comfort when we share our faith! It is the Holy Spirit that is working.
Sharon invited the mother of 2 of her students she tutors in English to church. The mother went forward to receive Jesus
I am now a citizen of the Republic of China! Under a new program for foreigners, I was invited to apply to become a citizen of the Republic of Taiwan early this year. I received the document from the Assistant Director of the Department of Interior, Taiwan on December 8 in Tainan!

Short Term Prayer Requests (< 2 months)

accomplish tasks when Ruth and I visit Canada January 18 to early February 9 (3 weeks) likely only Ruth and myself.
Wisdom in writing MOST proposal for phase 2 of the project to start in August 2020 (Due Jan 5)

Long Term Prayer Focus (> 2 months)

Coworkers and some members of the class at Yuan Ze University learning about the teachings of Moses and Jesus and their influence on Western Society

Yuan Ze University Class: Students and coworkers (for next semester). God prepares hearts..the first semester's class was mainly Taiwanese students, while this semester was mainly international students. Next semester, it seems to be a 2:1 ratio of Taiwan:International students. (Thankful that God sent the Kruegers (center) to minister with us this past year.)
We have a a home cell group. Our goal is to allow other families to worship with our family. But currently only 3 wives and 1~2 children join with my family on Thursday evenings. Pray (1) their husbands will join them in believing in Jesus. (2) healing for Mr. Zhu's cancer (new Christian and in later stages of cancer -- he and his family have recently come to know Jesus).
Sharing with the graduate students God has chosen to allow me to work with: Long (Vietnam), Bao Le (Vietnam), Anushiya (India), Ali Gulsatar (Pakistan), Apoorv (India) and two Taiwanese undergraduates that are helping: Janet and Tina.