From our friend & affiliate in Taiwan, Ray of Hope:

Hello Family and Friends,

I thank my God every time I remember you. Philippians 1:3

Well, this is Monday morning in Taiwan and the staff will all be in soon.  I have a Taiwanese missionary to China (married to a New Zealander) coming to visit me this morning.  Another Taiwanese missionary (stationed in Hong Kong) and her son just left yesterday after being with me for a week. She and her Canadian husband help send Christian groups into China's underground churches, who come into Hong Kong from all over the world.

Last week, I taught the Crisis Pregnancy Counseling class for two full days to 18 volunteers. It was really exciting to me because three of our saved and baptised unwed mamas took the class for the first time. Another mama got baptised last Sunday. Tomorrow, we will help move her into a little apt. that a church brother is giving her for just NT2000 ($64) a month. She wants to stay close to ROH and my church. Her month is up after adopting her baby--they can only stay at ROH one month extra since we haven't the room for them.

Our church has a worker who goes to the prison weekly, so I was asked last Thursday to attend the yearly baptism and pray for the prisoners. It was so touching to watch as 33 men were baptised. We did a service and I practiced the Taiwanese and Chinese songs to sing with our team. We laughed and laughed as I became tongue tied on one fast song. It was truly a wonderful time.

Friday night, I will have a birthday party here for my America friend (married to a Taiwanese) going to China as missionaries. They will be working in a coffee house until they can get their own ministry started. She will be teaching ROH's Sexual Abuse and Worth Waiting For classes to women. Taiwan is sending out more missionaries and it's very exciting. Well, actually all three of these couples are from Pastor David Bedwell's church--just realized that.

Saturday night I was invited to a dinner at a home (well, it was a FEAST). She is a millionaire and all these rich people were there. The first time I have had an entire abalone. We had yummy orange pork ribs, gigantic prawns, stir fried rice with diced cavier, delicious fruit salad with fresh, frozen mango sauce, etc. The owner teaches cooking and has a restaurant on the first floor, but had us eat in her home on the fifth floor. It was amazing. You can pray for my friend, Victoria, who invited me and has been witnessing to all these people. One of the ladies gave ROH about $1000. She was raised in church and is so happy Victoria has been encouraging her to come back to Jesus. They want me to do an early Christmas party for them and share the Christmas story with my Betty Luken Flannels, plan songs and games for them--they already set the date, so I'm excited.

Yesterday, after church, I took my friend, (my Chinese teacher)  and one of her two nephews she is raising, for coffee after church. She has just blossomed since she surrendered to the Lord. Her mother was dead when I met her and father passed away last year --many of my friends here in their 30's and 40's are orphans. So I become mama to many young ladies.

Tomorrow night I will take out my two little high school Taiwanese friends, who will both be returning to Vancouver, Canada for studies on Saturday. Their mother attends church with me but their father is a strong Buddhist and wants his girls to study abroad, so they have lived with their uncle the last 4-5 years in Canada. I have tried to mentor these girls and tutored one in English for some time while she was still in Taiwan.

August was an extremely busy month, but it's over tomorrow and I feel like I can breathe again. A lady was to come for three weeks from my church for a short mssion trip, but has decided to wait until after the first of the year.

I realize I have not been real good about sending updates. The longer I am at ROH, the more work there is to do. I have tried to add your names to our ROH e-mail newsletter so you can know what I am doing a little.

The couple who visited me today said they know many people from the Int. schools in China and want to pray about introducing me to them to come and teach our classes. They tell me the homosexuality is rapidly growing, as it is in Taiwan and many of the students live together, which is common world wide now.

I also have another friend who is arranging for ROH to to go Malaysia next May. He brought the pastor here to meet us and she wants us to come and teach some of our classes to other pastors and leaders who can in turn teach others. I'm excited for all the possibilities of sharing the gospel and the truth of sexual purity and sanctity of life that lay ahead for this ministry.

May each of you be enveloped with the peace of the Lord in your hearts this and every day.

God bless you!
Love, Juanita