Taiwan Story

We wanted to write a letter to you all to tell you more about Taiwan and the factors that effected our decision to leave. We have been reflecting on the things we learned from our experience in Taiwan. To avoid blame-casting and presenting a one-sided argument, we won’t say much about the specifics of the struggles we had involving other people. We can say that we have learned that we will not “mesh” well with every team of missionaries and that we need to spend a trial period with any team before deciding to join them long term. We have learned that we need to better understand what a team of missionaries would expect from our involvement and if there is opportunity to be involved doing things that God has specifically placed in our hearts to do. We have learned that being a family living overseas is a completely different situation than being a single. We also learned that we need friends and support on the field; people that will help us transition into a new culture and care about us.

We have reflected in these past months to understand how our experience was a part of God’s bigger picture. We do not believe that our time in Taiwan was wasted. We have learned valuable lessons that will, no doubt, help us make decisions in the future. We will be better prepared next time. Though we left tired and burned out, we are not giving up! We can’t stop trying. We must keep looking for a ministry opportunity that will fit us. Our hearts long to be a part of seeing lost people come to know the Lord. And, in the midst of our struggle, we were able to share about the Lord with the Taiwanese and reach out to the lost there. That is always a good thing!

We continue to process and heal from our time in and depart from Taiwan. One of my mentors related to me that a friend of theirs had also had a similar experience over-seas, but when they moved to a new team and location they really found a good fit and place for their family. We were relieved to hear this, as our experience was disheartening and it was good to hear that we were not alone in our experience.

We thank God for His faithfulness to us in each season in life, and in this new season of life and ministry. We are looking forward to what God has for us in these next years ahead! Be sure, you’ll get word of our intent to cross the ocean again at some time or another. We’re still YWAMers at heart and may join up with them again sometime.

Jeremiah's summertime fun 2007!