Pat ('86), Mary (Rhine, '84), Sarah, Rebekah, Daniel, Susanna, Julia, Gloria, Elisabeth and Lydia Delaney
Contact Information
Mr. and Mrs. Pat Delaney III
C/O of Eagledale Baptist Church
4950 West 34th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46224
Cell phone [Verizon] (515) 520 – 0005
Email: epdelaney3@gmail.com
Mission Agency
Baptist World Mission
The Taiwan Transition
October 2009
“And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man’s,
who shall give you that which is your own?”
Luke 16:12
Dear Prayer Partners,
As you all well know, God originally brought us to Taiwan as furlough replacements for the Hanna family. Today the Lord reminded me through His Word that as long as we have been faithful with that stewardship trust, then we can trust God to provide a future ministry for our family in Taiwan. Brother Matt Hanna has assured us of their gratitude not only for our first year of ministry here, while his family was on furlough, but also for this past year in which we combined our efforts at Cornerstone Baptist Church.
Many of you are asking, “What is next?” Naturally, we are asking the Lord the same question! Mary and I ventured out and took our first exploratory four-day trip to Taipei this past weekend. Although Taipei is a five hour drive north of Kaohsiung, we were able to hop on the bullet train (right across the street from our home) and reach Taipei in less than two hours! Taipei is not only home to the world’s tallest completed skyscraper in the world, but it is also home to more than 6 million people. Literally one-fourth of this country’s population calls Taipei “home”.
Mary and I stayed in the home of a former Taiwan MK, and he certainly offered me a wealth of valuable counsel during our four days together. After many years of service in Hong Kong, this man is now pastoring an English speaking congregation in a northern Taipei district which caters primarily to the expatriate community. We were able to visit two churches on Sunday as well as meet two local Taiwanese pastors.
After spending two days with a real estate agent, we were able to get a much better feel for the general layout of the city. We were particularly intrigued by the district of DaAn, home to Taiwan’s two foremost universities: National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University. National Taiwan University is ranked within the top 100 universities of the world and we were told their goal is to see international students constitute 20% of their entire student body. Both universities have amazing Chinese language programs! Just imagine … a young person interested in reaching the Chinese could come and study for a year over here and be totally immersed in both the language and the culture while, at the same time, getting to know the vast spiritual needs of this land! (If you are interested, check out their language programs online.) Interestingly, we not only had the opportunity to stroll through the campus of National Taiwan University, but we also “happened” to meet a young American professor of chemical engineering who was saved four years ago AFTER his arrival in Taiwan.
Needless to day, Mary and I returned to Kaohsiung with a vision and a burden for the vast metropolitan city of Taipei. The first step will require locating a home. Although Mary and I viewed more than ten homes, they were all either too small, too expensive, or in a state of disrepair. That which would meet our needs and be very strategic for ministry would cost three times what we pay for rent in Kaohsiung! We were warned that rent in Taipei would be more than double what we pay in Kaohsiung, and it is true. There is no doubt that this will become a venture of faith and sacrifice. Surely God is able – will you please pray with us? House hunting is somewhat of a challenge since we are five hours south of Taipei!
Because we have been immersed in the ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church over the past two years, it has been difficult many times to give language learning the attention that it needs. Therefore, one goal in moving to Taipei would be to focus on full-time Chinese studies in the year 2010. At the same time, we hope to use that year to familiarize ourselves with the city and strategically prepare for long-term ministry in Taipei.
Please pray for us as we seek to transition ministry from Kaohsiung to Taipei.
· We need suitable housing - in a strategic location, at an affordable price.
· We need to move in either December or January.
· We need to transfer Lydia and Elisabeth into new elementary schools.
· We need continued development in our acquisition of the Chinese language.
· We need to recruit others who would desire to join us in this venture.
No doubt the days ahead of us are going to be very eventful as we once again pack a home and move our family. As missionaries, we have been through this so many times. Therefore, please pray that I, like Abraham, would be faithful in going out into a land to which God has called us.
Serving in Him,
Bro. Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition
September 2009
“Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
I Corinthians 15:58
Dear Prayer Partners,
“Busy” – I think that is the best word to describe our lives and ministry in Kaohsiung, Taiwan!
Busy in the home! Two weeks ago, Mary returned safely from her whirlwind three week trip to the US, where she was able to spend time with Sarah, Rebekah and Daniel, and help all three of the children get settled into their respective Bible colleges. We praise God for the many, many friends who helped provide housing, transportation, meals and fellowship along the way! We are especially thankful for God’s hand of protection upon Mary as she drove literally hundreds of miles. She was able to spend three days with her parents at the tail end of the trip, which was a special bonus. (You will find the contact information for our college aged children at the close of this letter.) Needless to say, we are happy to have her back in the kitchen once again, and homeschooling is back in full swing. Please continue to pray especially for our two youngest girls, Lydia and Elisabeth, as they continue attending the local school again this semester. We have made arrangements for them to attend in the mornings only, so that they can try to get a bit of American schoolwork squeezed into their week as well.
Busy in the ministries of Cornerstone Baptist Church! Last weekend was a busy time as I sought to fill in for Brother Matt Hanna who was doing “pulpit supply” for another furloughing missionary. Not only did I preach to the Youth Fellowship on Saturday night, but I needed to preach in both the Adult Sunday school hour and the Sunday morning Chinese worship service. It is a blessing to see our youth memorizing God’s Word and continuing in small group Bible studies with Pastor Hanna. We hope to have several unsaved friends and family members join us for a church barbeque this coming Saturday at a nearby lake.
Busy with entertaining! One week ago we received into our home a young lady whom we have known for many, many years. Miss Jennifer Wissman had been in Taiwan the first two weeks of September serving as a volunteer for the Deaf Olympics, which was being held in Taipei. Jennifer brought along two other volunteers, deaf adults from the state of Oregon, and what a privilege it was to have them in our home for one night. The one deaf lady simply radiated the joy of the Lord. Jennifer also introduced our family to a deaf Chinese man who teaches in a high school for deaf young people. Qiang, a committed Christian, invited us to attend a Bible study and prayer meeting last week with his deaf Christian friends. He, in turn, was eager to be with us on Sunday, since Jennifer was able to interpret for him. (We have learned that Taiwanese Sign Language is totally, totally different from American Sign Language! Thankfully, Qiang spent ten years at Gallaudet University and is conversant in ASL.) We can’t help but wonder, who will reach the deaf of Taiwan? Jennifer has taught us much in her time with us and we look forward to seeing how God leads her in the days ahead as she prays for openings to minister within the deaf communities of the USA.
On September 29th, Pastor Ron Wagner from Macomb Baptist Church will arrive for a one week visit to our home and ministry. This will be very special as he is the first supporting pastor to see where we have ministered for the past two years in Taiwan. I plan to expose Pastor Wagner to both the beauty of Taiwan and the spiritual needs of this land as much as possible within the one week he is with us. Pastor Matt Hanna has extended an invitation to Pastor Wagner to preach at Cornerstone Baptist Church on Sunday, October 4th, while he is with us.
Before the month of October comes to a close, we will have the privilege of entertaining two deacons from our commissioning church, Fellowship Baptist Church of Marshalltown, Iowa. Our entire family is eager for the arrival of old time friends, Jon Mulder and Bob Grant. Busy, busy days ahead!
“Busy” in prayer and daily surrender as we seek God’s will! Let me ask you to make something a special matter of prayer for us. As you know we came to Taiwan initially to serve as furlough replacements for Matt and Marla Hanna at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. From the time we arrived we began serving in a team environment with Tad and Hannah Wychopen. At the beginning of our second year Brother Matt Hanna returned from his fifteen month furlough, and he assumed the responsibility of leading the ministry team. In late July the Wychopens returned to the States in order for Tad to attend seminary. Shortly afterwards Brother Matt shared with me that it is his desire to dissolve the team ministry. As our love for the ministry of Cornerstone has grown, we can only ask for God’s very best on behalf of the Hanna family and Cornerstone Baptist Church. It has been an absolute privilege to come alongside of them for the past two years. We trust that our time spent here will leave a positive impact for eternity. As this year draws to a close we are praying and seeking counsel for what the Lord would have us to do next. The Lord has definitely given us a love for Taiwan, and He has demonstrated time and again that our limitations are not limitations to God. Please pray for the Lord’s will to be made known through His Word, prayer, godly counsel, and the peace of God in our hearts. Whether we remain in Taiwan or go elsewhere, I still need to crawl back on the altar and offer my life a living sacrifice.
Thank you for your steadfast prayer and financial support as we remain “busy” in the service of the King.
Serving in Him,
Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition ~ August 2009
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,
and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof”
(Psalm 46:1-3).
Dear Prayer Partners,
Just three weeks ago, all of Kaohsiung was celebrating the success of the World Games, which were held in our city from July 16 to 26. Just two weeks ago, all of Taiwan was experiencing serious drought conditions, and we were awaiting the government’s announcement of a water rationing plan. And just one week ago, our island was forever changed in a drastic turn of events.
When the first news of a developing tropical storm was heard, there was great rejoicing, and we were all eager to finally have RAIN. I remember saying to my teacher as I left Chinese class on Thursday, August 6, “The typhoon is coming.” Her response? “I don’t believe it.” Typically the east coast and northern half of the island are most dramatically affected when typhoons come our way. The city of Kaohsiung is located on the southwest corner of the island and is quite well protected from the brunt of wind and rain.
When I stepped outside to begin my trip home that afternoon, it was already raining, and the wind was blowing. I put up my umbrella, and it was immediately turned inside out and broken by a huge gust of wind! Within just a few hours, the government had declared Friday, August 7 a national typhoon day. It was a 16th birthday our daughter Julia will never forget!
As you are now well aware, “Typhoon Morakot” brought 90 inches of rain to Kaohsiung City and County in just three days time, with several more inches falling in the days that followed. Rather than moving across the island quickly, the typhoon chose to settle above the southern end of Taiwan, and rain, combined with the storm’s destructive winds, has forever changed the landscape of the southern half of this island nation. As we continued to mop up water in our kitchen and laundry area last weekend, we couldn’t help but wonder what was happening on the rest of the island. Although our phone lines, water supply, and sleep (!) were interrupted throughout the storm, we are thankful to God for His protection of our family.
On Sunday morning, August 9 we made our way over to Da Liow, a suburb of Kaohsiung City, to preach for a sister church. Everywhere we looked, we saw destruction! Trees were down, signboards ripped to pieces, highways strewn with debris, roads flooded and/or riddled with potholes, etc. Little did we know the highway was closed due to a bridge collapse only one exit after we got off the highway. Soon we began hearing reports of hotels collapsing, villages being swallowed up by the sea, and horrific mudslides. Sadly, over the past several days, we have learned that some of the most beautiful spots in our county have been destroyed due to the mudslides. The small, quaint hotel up in the mountains, where we spent our 22nd anniversary in December, was swept away, along with several others. We have no idea how long it will take Taiwan to recover from the destruction. The country has not seen a typhoon of this magnitude in 50 years. The loss is even greater than the major earthquake Taiwan experienced in September 1999. Please pray for Taiwan during this time of crisis, that the name of the LORD might somehow be magnified even as Psalm 46:10 states: “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” At this point in time, we are unaware of any opportunities for our church to get directly involved in helping victims of the typhoon. It is certainly heartbreaking to watch the news reports and know that these hurting people are just an hour’s drive away! May the Lord give us a greater passion to reach these people with the hope of the Gospel!
GOOD NEWS! Rejoice with us! Thomas was baptized on Sunday morning, and his unsaved mother agreed to come and witness this special event. You may recall that Thomas is the young man whom Brother Tad Wychopen and our son befriended while playing basketball one afternoon in early January. That same day Thomas came to church, and he has never stopped coming. Thomas is 17 years old, and he trusted the Lord as his Savior during the special meetings in May, when Steven Wesco came and conducted his chalk drawings. Thomas is an only child from a single-parent home, and his mother needs the Lord. Please pray for the continued spiritual development of this young man. It was also a joy to see two adult ladies baptized (Ling and Jessica) who have been attending Cornerstone for quite some time but had never been scripturally baptized. We thank the Lord for what He is doing in both of their hearts.
On August 18, Mary flew back to the United States in order to touch base with our three oldest children, who are all presently in Indianapolis, and to visit with her parents, who are living in Fairhope, Alabama. Lord willing, Mary will be able to spend quality time with Sarah and Rebekah, help Daniel settle in at BJU, and spend three days visiting her parents. Please pray for Mary’s health and safety as she travels as well as our youngest five daughters and me as we remain here in Taiwan.
As we watched homes and hotels washed away by raging rivers and rolling mudslides, I was reminded that the wise man built his house upon a rock. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock” (Matthew 7:25). May all of us seek to have our lives firmly founded on the Rock of Ages.
Serving in Him,
Bro. Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition ~ July 2009
“Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6
Dear Prayer Partners,
Last week was an exciting week over here in Taiwan! Tad Wychopen, our co-worker, spent the last several months diligently planning and preparing for the annual youth camp. Several independent Baptist churches brought their young people and we had a total of 113 participants from July 6 through July 9. It was a special blessing to have Pastor Christopher Chern, a dear Singaporean friend of 22 years, as our camp speaker this year. Because Pastor Chern is a Chinese speaker, he was not only able to preach in Chinese, eliminating the need for translation, but he was also able to get acquainted with the young people around the meal tables and during the game times. We feel that his direct interaction with the young people made them more attentive and responsive to his messages from John 15 on the Secret of the Abundant Christian Life. We thank the Lord that Harry finally decided to place his trust in Christ. Harry has been faithfully attending youth meetings the entire two years we have been here. Although his mother and older sister trusted Christ and were baptized last year, Harry was still holding back. What a joy to see him take this step forward. along his best friend, Willi, to camp and guess what? Willi stepped forward on Wednesday evening and asked how he, too, could trust Christ as his Savior. Two other young ladies also inquired more about salvation, Maggie and Gloria, and we are trusting the Lord to continue the work He has begun in the hearts of these young people.
Please pray for Brother Tad and Hannah Wychopen as they depart Taiwan on July 20th. They have had an invaluable impact on the youth of Cornerstone Baptist Church and they will be sorely missed. Tad will be attending Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary in the fall. Please pray for me as I assume responsibility for the youth ministry.
Upon our return from youth camp, we were swamped with a long “to-do” list as we sought to prepare for our only son’s departure on July 16th. As you can imagine, it has been an emotional week for our family. I cannot thank the Lord enough for what Daniel has meant to me, our family, and our ministry. God has blessed him with the ability to quickly immerse himself in people’s hearts and lives wherever he goes. He is missed by the church teens, the young men at the Giant bike shop, the folks that run the Yamaha music store, our neighbors, our language school teachers and friends, etc… He has influenced several people in his short time in Taiwan. Will you please pray for the Lord to continue that good work which he has begun in his heart, that he might bring forth fruit for God’s glory? Daniel will attend the third C.I.T. [Campers in Training] session at the THE WILDS and then spend time with family and friends before enrolling at Bob Jones University. We would appreciate your continued prayers for Daniel as he pursues the path of God’s will for his life.
Two Friday nights ago William Wang, the psychiatrist I have been counseling, prayed to trust Christ as Savior. Please pray for William as I seek to assist him in the process of discipleship. Please pray for the salvation of his wife, Ellen.
Thank you for your faithful prayer support. It is exciting to see God at work in our midst! We have had attendances of 98 and 105 the last two Sunday mornings! That is double what the attendances were when we arrived 2 years ago. There are many new visitors and immature believers that need much grounding. Please pray for wisdom for Pastor Matt Hanna as he seeks to counsel and disciple many of these people. Although life is filled with many changes, we can rest in the unchanging grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. How thankful we are for the confidence we can have in our hearts that He WILL continue the work that He has begun in the heart of each of His children.
Serving in Taiwan,
Bro. Pat Delaney
June 2009
Dear Praying Friends,
We have been extremely busy but blessed in the months of April, May, and June! It seems that we have either had special visitors or ministry events nearly every week. So as not to overwhelm you, we will mention only a few highlights.
April, of course, was a time of “adventure” for our entire family because of Mary’s bike mishap. After 45 long days, the “arch bars” were removed on June 1. The Lord has provided a good orthodontist, and orthodontic treatment is now well underway. Front teeth were damaged and twisted, and the broken jaw healed on a slant, so six months of braces are now the next step of this interesting journey. The orthodontist has just marveled at Mary’s “good luck”“it could have been so much worse!” But we, on the other hand, marvel at the goodness of our great and loving God. Thank you for praying!
During May, we were richly blessed to have Stephen and Evelyn Wesco with us from South Bend, Indiana. Evelyn is an American-born Taiwanese, and this was her first trip to her parents’ “motherland.” As you can imagine, our church folks were excited to have a Chinese-speaking visitor from America! How amazing to listen to her testimony and realize the seed of the Gospel was planted in the heart of her grandmother about 100 years agoin Mainland Chinaby a single missionary lady! The Wescos ministered in four churches in Taiwan. Stephen presented a total of seven chalk drawings in their three weeks here. For us, the highlight of their ministry took place at Cornerstone Baptist Church on the weekend of May 9-10. Remember praying for THOMAS CHEN Daniel’s friend? Stephen presented a clear presentation of the Gospel, starting from creation and going all the way to the cross, during the Saturday evening youth meeting on May 9. After the service Thomas (17) talked with Pastor Hanna and Brother Tad for nearly one hour before praying to trust Christ as his Savior. At the same time, Grace Yen’s daughter, Sophia (15), was in a different room, placing her trust in the finished work of Christ. (Grace Yen is the church friend who faithfully came to our home our first 1½ years to tutor our three youngest girls in Chinese.) Meanwhile, in the church lobby about a dozen teenagers were eagerly waiting until about 10 p.m. for their friends to come out and share what had happened! Let me tell youthere was great rejoicing that night! Thomas and Sophia are now engaged in discipleship training. We thank God for the Wescos’ ministry here in Taiwan and pray the Lord will clearly lead them as they consider a future ministry in this country.
On Sunday, May 17, our family had the privilege of traveling to Taichung to minister in Dali Faith Baptist Church, as the missionary pastor was away ministering in Beijing. This particular church has a Chinese service first and then an English service which seeks to minister to the needs of primarily international students who attend a nearby university. After a delicious potluck lunch, I conducted a one-hour small group English Bible study. We met people from India, Canada, St. Vincent, Philippines, Brazil, and America. What a blessing to hear their testimonies of salvation and how the Lord uniquely led each one of them to this ministry. We plan on ministering in the Word and music there again the last Sunday of June.
Our son, Daniel, had a special high school graduation service on Saturday evening, June 20, during the normally scheduled youth meeting time. After playing a variety of sacred and classical piano and cello pieces, he was then challenged by Youth Pastor Tad Wychopen (from the book of Daniel) to “be faithful to the Lord” and to “choose your friends carefully.” (What a JOY to have Thomas bring his unsaved mother to this special service. The following Sunday morning, she attended church for the first time. Pray for her salvation!) Daniel leaves for America on July 16 and upon his arrival he will be attending the CIT [Camper in Training] leadership program at the WILDS from July 20-August 1. Daniel’s present plan is to study pre-physical therapy at Bob Jones University. We sincerely appreciate your prayers for the Lord’s leading in his life. He will leave a huge gap in the youth ministry as well as in our home. His best friends are dreading his departure and spend every spare moment by his side…which means they can often be found in our home! Pray that Carl, Josh, and Thomas (otherwise known as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) would remain faithful to the Lord and to church even after Daniel leaves.
Meanwhile, our three youngest girls have been plugging away in the Taiwan local school. It has been a long and difficult semester in many ways. Although Gloria, Lydia, and Elisabeth have made great strides in their Chinese listening and speaking abilities, it has not been without cost. It has been a real eye-opener to see how the demands of homework, misunderstandings of classmates, harsh teaching methods, long, tiring school days, and never-ending peer pressure have the ability to affect the entire family. We now have a much better understanding and appreciation of the pressures upon the Taiwanese young people and their homes! Our girls will be finishing school on June 30, and then Mary will seek to work with them this summer to “catch up” in their American schoolwork. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Thank you for praying for them these past few months.
We are looking forward to the Taiwan Youth Camp for the Independent Baptist Churches of Taiwan, which will be conducted from July 6–9. Tad Wychopen has spent much time organizing this camp, and we look forward to having Pastor Christopher Chern, from Singapore, preach to our youth in Mandarin Chinese. Pray that God will do a great work in the hearts of approximately 100 teen campers.
Please pray for:
- William, the psychiatrist I have been counseling for the past three months. He is a very sincere person, and I pray he will trust Jesus Christ as his personal Savior very soon.
- Pray for the growth of Thomas and for the salvation of his mother.
- Pray for Daniel as he adjusts to life in America and soon begins college.
- Pray for the pastoral staff and deacons of Cornerstone Baptist Church as we seek to implement an effective visitation and follow-up program. We lose far too many people who once attended for a period of time. The Lord obviously wants to do a great work here, and we need to be good stewards of this opportunity.
We sincerely covet and appreciate your prayers on our behalf.
Serving in Him,
The Delaney Family
The Taiwan Transition
And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God…
to be conformed to the image of his Son….
Romans 8:28a-29b
May 1, 2009
Dear Pastors, Friends and Family,
It has been two weeks since my biking incident on Lydia’s tenth birthday, and we have been literally flooded with e-mails, cards, and phone calls assuring us of your prayers for our family during this unusual time of testing. How thankful I am that from the very instant my face hit the curb of that drain, a song began to play through my mind…. “God is good… who am I to question…” (Becky Calvert) How thankful I am for His comfort and sustaining grace through the ambulance rides, hospital stay, surgery, and these days of recovery. How thankful I am that “from a child” I have known the Holy Scriptures and all of those verses memorized as a child and teenager flooded my mind when the pain was most intense. And through His Word, God has granted complete peace and rest. How thankful I am for a mother who faithfully sought to plant the Word of God in the hearts of each of her children, that we might reap the benefits time and time and time again as adults.
It is impossible for Pat and me to personally respond to each of your e-mails, so please allow me to answer some of your most frequently asked questions below.
- What surgery did you have for the broken jaw? The surgeon chose to perform an “intermaxillary fixation”, which means a repositioning of the upper and lower jaw. Once he realigned my upper and lower teeth, he then wired them together using “arch bars”. The hope is that when the occlusion is correct with the teeth, the jaw bone will then be in the right position to heal properly. I did not “lose several teeth”, but there was some damage done to my teeth. Dental work will be necessary when the bone is healed.
- So is your mouth really wired shut and, if so, for how long? Yes, my mouth is really wired shut for six long weeks. I can still talk (mutter might be a better word to use), but, obviously, cannot “eat”. Fruit smoothies, pureed soups, and whatever can be pureed enough to get down a syringe is the extent of my diet for now. A fun weight loss plan? Hardly. I would classify it more in this category: test of mental, physical, and spiritual endurance! I well understand, however, that this is a special opportunity to demonstrate the all-sufficient grace of a loving and sovereign God, so please pray that I will maintain a spirit of thanksgiving and contentment, even within our home. (II Thes. 5:18)
- Is there anything we can do to help? We have literally been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from the members of Cornerstone Baptist Church! We have never seen anything like it in our time here. The doctor in our church made sure I was scheduled for surgery first thing Saturday morning; ladies in our church have helped Gloria, Lydia, and Elisabeth with their Chinese homework; several ladies provided meals for our family; I have received Essence of Chicken, herbal ginseng health drinks, enzymes, and homemade fish and herbal soups. As a family, we are seeking to get back into a “routine” and we all need lots of patience as we seek to deal with this scenario for the entire month of May. Our youngest three girls saw the fall, so it’s taken some time for them to work through the trauma. There have been many long conversations and many tears. How good it is to point them back to God and assure each of them that He is absolutely sovereign and He has a plan in all of this.
- Are Michael and LiJun, the friends that were with you at the time of the accident, Christians? Good question! This is the couple that we have grown close to this past year. They both claim to know Christ, but only God knows what is truly in their hearts. Since the time of the accident, they have helped take our girls to school every day, helped provide lunches for them at school, helped them with homework, etc… They have experienced many trials over the past 2 years, so our prayer is that they would see the peace and grace that God gives when we know Him as our Savior. Please pray for them.
Other Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What will Sarah and Rebekah be doing this summer?
Sarah will once again be traveling with an MBBC summer ensemble, The Messengers. She serves as the team accompanist this summer and they will be traveling extensively out West. You can find her itinerary on MBBC’s website.
Rebekah will be flying from PCC back up to Watertown, WI, where she hopes to be hired on at Bethesda, a home for elderly as well as those with special physical needs. She is hoping to acquire her C.N.A. certification during the month of June and she is very excited about reconnecting with friends in the Watertown area. We thank God for friends who have graciously opened up their guest room for her this summer.
2. What are Daniel’s college plans?
Daniel plans on flying back to the US in mid-July in order to attend the final two week C.I.T. program at the WILDS Christian Camp in North Carolina. Daniel has applied to Bob Jones University where he currently plans on doing a pre-physical therapy major with a music minor. Please pray for him as he finishes up his time here in Taiwan and then makes the transition back into American culture and pursues God’s will for his life.
**We sincerely thank you for praying for our college-aged children as they seek God’s clear leading for their lives. We certainly never expected that our children would be studying at three different locations!
3. How are the younger girls doing in school?
Well, keep in mind that we placed our children into the school system for the purpose of language acquisition, not because we admire the educational system. They have made great strides forward in their study of Mandarin, but other home studies have presently been placed on the back burner. Like any place in the world, it’s difficult for the local children to fully accept “outsiders” who aren’t fluent in the native tongue. There have been many misunderstandings, but with each challenge is an opportunity to learn how to deal with things in a Biblical manner. Please continue to pray for Gloria, Lydia and Elisabeth as they finish this semester at Wen Fu Primary School. Gloria had five classmates attend the Easter service and she is just as busy now trying to invite her teachers and friends to our upcoming Mother’s Day service.
4. Julia and Susannah?
Julia and Susannah continue their violin, piano, and home school studies. Both of them are involved in teaching piano and tutoring, and they stay busy with the youth activities at Cornerstone Baptist Church. They are both very interested in cross-stitching and rubber-stamping, so if you have supplies which you are no longer using, don’t put them in your summer garage sale! Pack them up and send them to Taiwan!
Finally, we thank God for blessing our co-workers, Tad and Hannah Wychopen, with a healthy son! Titus Tad Wychopen was born on Wednesday afternoon, April 29th. We thank God for this couple and the impact they have had on the young people within Cornerstone Baptist Church!
Funny, but you know what verse is on my mind each day? Psalm 34:8: “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Honestly, it is very strange to NOT be able to taste as I prepare soup, season stir-fries, or make casserole dishes. (Not being able to taste cookie dough is a real killer!) But the Lord has reminded me that this is a time to taste of HIS GOODNESS. Thank you so much for expressing your love and concern for our family at this time. God is good! His grace IS sufficient, and His strength IS made perfect in weakness. (II Cor. 12:9)
Thanking God for the privilege to serve in Taiwan,
Mary Delaney, for the entire Delaney Family
April 18, 2009-- Urgent Prayer Request
Dear Prayer Partners,
You will have to forgive me if this Taiwan Transition grammatically bears no resemblance to the previous editions. Normally after I write an edition Mary then takes over in order to proof and edit as needed. Mary is a gifted writer, and her editing skills bring tremendous change to my initial drafts. However, today I am without my Chief Executive Editor, and I urgently request your prayers in light of a most recent incident.
Yesterday, which was our Friday, April 17th we celebrated Lydia’s birthday by traveling to an outer island off the southern west coast of Taiwan. This little oasis is unquestionably a pearl of the Orient. We went as an entire family and took another family along with us who we have been ministering to ever since our arrival in Taiwan-Michael and Grace Leong and their little boy Matthew. The weather was gorgeous, and it made for a wonderful day of merry making and photo taking. During the afternoon, we began our bicycle ride around the entire island. At approximately 3:15 PM while we were rapidly descending a hill, Mary turned to look behind her which resulted in her losing control of her bicycle and falling into an open rain drain. In going over the top of her bicycle, she came down face first onto the concrete of the drain. Initially, we were very concerned about the level of trauma and type of injuries she may have incurred. We were taken by ambulance to the first hospital on the island where arrangements were made for us to be transported immediately by the coast guard back to the main island of Taiwan. That was a thirty-minute journey over very turbulent seas. Upon arrival at the coastal hospital of Donggang, a full array of CT scans and x-rays for conducted. The results revealed that Mary had suffered a broken and dislocated jaw. There were no other signs of serious injury to her brain, other bones or internal organs. For this, we cannot cease to praise the Lord! Pastor and Mrs. Matt Hanna drove to Donggang to meet and assist us with translation at this hospital. With the results of the scans on CD’s, I requested an ambulance to rush us back to our home city of Kaohsiung which was thirty minutes away. Upon our arrival at Veterans General Hospital in Kaohsiung, we were greeted by our church members, one of whom is a doctor at this hospital. Mary went through another complete series of CT scans and examinations. The course of action fluctuated until the surgeon arrived late in the evening. Initially, we had been told surgery might not be attempted until Monday in order to give the swelling time to subside. However, after Dr. Young evaluated Mary late last evening he told us the two possible types of surgery for injuries of this nature. The preferred approach was to go in through Mary’s mouth and insert an upper and lower plate and wire her jaw shut. Her surgeon was trained at Washington State University in Seattle, and he has preformed this procedure countless times. Mary came through the one hour surgery very well. As I write, she is completing the two hour post operative period. Doctor Young said she could be discharged within two days, and even suggested she could go home as early as Sunday. We are rejoicing in this good news.
Provided there are no complications, Mary’s jaw will remain wired shut for six weeks. That is the initial healing period of healing for the jaw. However, complete healing lasts a total of three months. Please pray for her healing, and please pray for no additional injuries that could appear subsequent to the accident.
At this point we have a lot to thank the Lord for. This event could have been far more tragic with a host of various scenarios. Please, please, pray for Mary’s healing and for our family as we make the adjustment to meet Mary’s needs.
Dear friends, my wife is one of the most exceptional, talented, and sacrificial wife a man could ever hope to have. She is absolutely irreplaceable. Please pray for me as I seek to love Mary in a fuller and more sacrificial manner.
Serving in Him,
Bro. Pat Delaney
April 11, 2009
Dear Praying Friends,
What a blessing it has been to have many of you write within the last 72 hours, asking, “So, how did the Easter program go at the public school on Wednesday morning?” Wow! What an assurance to us that you are laboring together with us in prayer! On behalf of the Delaney family, please allow me to briefly share with you how things went.
We borrowed an Easter program from another missionary who takes an Easter program out into the countryside schools every year. The schools outside of the city of Kaohsiung, apparently, are much more lenient in allowing Gospel presentations to be made both at Christmas time and Easter. We have been told that Wen Fu Primary School’s invitation to our family to present the “true meaning of Easter” is highly unusual. We “tweaked” the script that we borrowed because we were asked to plug five fifth grade students into our program, thus making it an official “English educational activity”. I submitted the script to the head of the English department, Julianna, on Monday at noon, and then met again with her and the boys and girls on Tuesday to go through it one time. Our theme was “Not the Same” and we shared that just as an egg develops into a chick and a caterpillar develops into a butterfly, so too people’s lives are transformed when they meet Jesus and trust Him as their Savior. We used the healing of the lepers, the lame man lowered through the rooftop, and the story of Zaccheus as examples of changed lives.
Imagine an audience of 2000 students and teachers in front of you! I wish I could tell you everything went smoothly and there were no glitches, but that wasn’t quite true. Some of the microphones picked up the voices and so those speakers could be heard and understood. At other times, microphones either weren’t working or weren’t being held properly, so those sections of the program were unclear. The children seemed to be fascinated to see Julia and Susannah dressed as Bible time ladies, making their way to the tomb, and overall they seemed to be attentive, but we aren’t sure how clear the entire overall message was. Our church ladies that were present assured us, however, that Julianna clearly summarized the Gospel message at the end of the program.
So, the results? Only God knows what is going on in the hearts and lives of the students and teachers, but you will find this interesting. Gloria came home from school on Friday afternoon and said that during their English class time her homeroom teacher asked her to stand and then he proceeded to ask her several questions… in Chinese. 1) Why did Jesus rise from the dead three days later? 2) If Jesus was really God, then why didn’t he run away or fly away when they wanted kill him? 3) If Jesus was so wonderful and he didn’t do anything wrong, then why did the people want to kill Him? Gulp. When was the last time your 11 year old was “put on the spot” like that? How important it is for us to be training our children “to be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.” (I Peter 3:15) Please pray for Gloria’s teacher, Mr. Lin, to come to our Easter service tomorrow afternoon. I believe God is doing a work in this man’s heart. She is very burdened for his salvation. Gloria has been on the phone this afternoon calling several of her classmates, encouraging them each to come to our Easter cantata. Will you please pray with us that not only some will come, but that Gloria will continue to radiate the light of the Gospel through her life at school?
Please pray for the salvation of Julianna, the head of the English department.
Please pray for the salvation of Ren Lao Shi and Zhang Lao Shi – our Chinese language teachers that have promised to come to our Easter services.
And please continue to pray for the salvation of Daniel’s friend, Thomas. I recently shared with him John 14:6 and told him that Jesus was speaking with Thomas when he spoke those words. He is absorbing everything like a sponge, but he still has questions. We have all grown to love this young man, and we yearn to see Christ begin a new work in his heart and life.
Again, thank you for continuing to lift our needs and burdens before the throne of grace.
“Not the Same” because of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection,
Mary, for the entire Delaney Tribe
April 5, 2009
“For the people had a mind to work.”
Nehemiah 4:6
Dear Prayer Partners,
If you follow our prayer letters and Taiwan Transitions, you know we have been earnestly praying for a larger meeting place since we arrived here in Taiwan a year and a half ago. Our missionary team as well as church members had searched high and low in our neighborhood and yet found nothing 1) within our budget or 2) suitable for the present needs of our church with room to allow future growth. In February, however, the real estate company which was occupying the corner location right next to our church closed their doors due to the poor economy, leaving that corner unit empty. It has twice the auditorium space and about two and a half times the overall floor area of our former location. Praise God! CORNERstone Baptist Church is now literally in the CORNER unit on a major boulevard and located in a very visible and accessible intersection of our neighborhood.
A three year lease was signed on March 1st, giving us exactly one month to make the move into the new meeting place. Every Saturday was declared a workday and what a joy to see the CORE church folks as well as regular visitors show up to put in literally hours and hours and hours of work. There was a kitchen to be sanitized, bathrooms to be scrubbed, blinds to be tediously washed, walls to be painted, old signs to be stripped down, a baptistry to be lifted over the rooftop, boxes to be packed, rooms to be de-cluttered and re-organized, curtains to be made, air-conditioning units to be dismounted and moved, etc…
After one month of endless labor, Cornerstone Baptist Church enjoyed its first service in a lovely new, spacious auditorium last Sunday, March 29. Just one problem! Although we had plenty of space, we quickly ran out of chairs! Although we are completely out of our old place, there is much work yet to be done. The fourth and fifth floors of our new unit must now be renovated and prepared for Matt and Marla Hanna to move into before the end of April; the nursery and Sunday school rooms have yet to be painted and decorated; there are several new signs that must be designed and hung; and, yes, we really need to invest in new chairs! By faith, we are trusting that the Lord will provide for all of the expenses involved in this move.
We rejoice that the Lord is at work in the spiritual realm as well as the physical realm. As Brother Matt Hanna puts it, “In the midst of all of the physical labor which has occupied our energies for these past few months, much spiritual work has also continued to take place. Teaching, preaching, counseling, visiting, administrating, and organizing the Lord's work here at Cornerstone Baptist Church are all ongoing responsibilities which we cannot (and do not wish to) escape. The physical facilities which we are working so hard to prepare are merely the scaffolding which allows us to conduct the spiritual ministry of building the church.” We thank God that over this past month we have had three long time adult “visitors” finally join the church by statement of faith. We also eagerly anticipate the baptism of two young men on Easter Sunday: Hong Chen, who trusted Christ last summer, and Joshua, one of the teens that Daniel tutors in English. Please continue to pray for the salvation of William, whom I am counseling, as well as his wife, Ellen. I do believe the seed of the gospel is beginning to take root in his heart. Rebekah continues in her Bible studies with Mary, and we pray that the power of the living Word of God will continue to change her life as well. We also continue to pray for the salvation of Thomas, Daniel’s 17 year old friend who is at church every time the doors are open.
The Lord continues to give us many interesting opportunities to share our reason for being in Taiwan as a direct result of our children attending the nearby local school. One of Gloria’s teachers is a young lady from America that is here in Kaohsiung this year on a Fulbright Scholarship. Gloria has befriended Nicki and we have recently had her into our home for a meal. Last Tuesday, when Mary rode her bike over to take lunch to the girls, the head of the English department, Nicki’s boss, met Mary at the front gate of the school and asked her if our family would be willing to give a special presentation next Wednesday morning, April 8th. Every Wednesday morning, all of the school children (grades 1-6, roughly 2400 students) gather in the open courtyard for a weekly assembly. Various announcements and presentations are given at this time. The English chairman, Julianna, a Taiwanese who did her master’s degree in the US and was involved in a Bible study of some kind while there, asked Mary to share with the children “why Christians celebrate Easter”. If you were given 15 minutes as a family to share with 2400 school children the story of Easter, what would YOU share? We welcome any ideas you have! BUT HURRY! We need to submit our plans to her on Monday morning and we covet your prayers. What an opportunity to sow the Gospel in the hearts of children and teachers, as well as invite them all to our special Easter service!
We are all looking forward to our Resurrection Sunday activities. We will begin the day with a sunrise service at 6:30 am on BanPing Mountain, just a few minutes away from our home. We will all carry a light breakfast with us, and after a short climb together, we will enjoy a special worship service. In the afternoon we will reassemble at 3:00 pm in our new church to celebrate Christ’s resurrection with an Easter Cantata, the dedication of our new building, a baptismal service, and a catered meal. We have invited our sister churches to join us for this special occasion and we anticipate a good crowd. Of course, we are praying that the Lord will work in the hearts of our unsaved language instructors, neighbors and classmates and prompt them to come as well as other unsaved people from our community.
Thank you so much for your continued prayer support. These are tiring yet exciting days in the ministry here in Taiwan. It is a joy to see the Lord at work in our midst. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:23
Serving in Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
Pat and Mary Delaney, Daniel, Julia, Susannah, Gloria, Lydia and Elisabeth
March 3, 2009
Dear Prayer Partners,
Some of you have already asked about the result of Sunday’s business meeting involving the vote to move into the next door building. We sincerely thank you for your prayers and interest. I want to update all of you at this time regarding that matter, and beseech you for additional prayer support on a related matter.
An overwhelming majority voted in favor of the move. Here in Taiwan, the ballot vote is uniquely conducted. After everyone has written either “agree” or “disagree” on a slip of paper, each ballot is then read aloud and held up for the entire congregation to see. The count is done immediately in front of the entire congregation. That can be rather nerve wracking. In this case, I was shocked to see there was only ONE dissenting vote. Honestly, both Pastor Hanna and I were expecting significant opposition. We just didn’t know whether or not the people were willing to step out and follow their shepherd’s leading. I believe the result is the hand of God in response to the prayers of God’s people. To God be the Glory. There is a fantastic spirit of excitement among the congregation. On Monday night Pastor Hannah and the deacons met with the owner to sign the contract. Our prayer and goal is to conduct our first service in the new location on Easter Sunday. We have an incredible amount of cleaning as well as several significant projects that must be completed before that time.
Today an unforeseen matter arose which provokes our need for your continued intercession. Brother Matt Hanna has already informed his friends and supporters about this matter, and I want to primarily use his words in order to convey the matter to you. “The former tenant of the new location is a real-estate agency and they were attempting to find another renter. Since we knew the owner personally, we contacted him directly for negotiations and avoided the middle-man fees. Furthermore, the owner of this new premise never contracted or arranged with this real estate company to find him another renter. But now the boss of that real estate agency is very angry at me (Matt), and he has threatened to find me and get the money he lost by our going around him. This was not my personal action; we had more than a dozen of our church people involved in the negotiations. As far as I honestly know, we did absolutely nothing unethical, illegal, or even improper. I don't want to be melodramatic, but please pray that God would protect me and my family. I'm sure that it will blow over in a couple days. We must have hit a nerve, and now Satan is kicking back. Thank you for praying.”
Thank you for laboring with us in prayer for the spread of the Gospel in Taiwan.
Serving in Him,
Bro. Pat Delaney
February 28, 2009
Dear Praying Friends,
We have an URGENT NEED FOR PRAYER. Many of you realize we have continually expressed our need for a larger meeting location for the ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church. Presently the church rents five floors beside a corner unit, and that corner unit is twice our present size. For the eighteen months we have been in Taiwan a real estate agency has rented the corner unit. One month ago, however, they suddenly moved out! Brother Matt Hanna and the deacons contacted the owner of the property and have been negotiating with him for the past two weeks. This corner unit actually has 6 floors. There is a basement that would be perfect for youth activities, Bible institute classes, and so forth. The first floor would be used for our church offices and a reception area. Our main auditorium would be on the second floor, with room to comfortably seat at least 120 people, or perhaps more. The third floor would be used for nursery and Sunday school classrooms. The Hanna family would move into the fourth and fifth floors to help with the rent. (There is an elevator, so we would also be able to welcome handicapped folks to services.) The possibilities for expansion in this facility are endless. The landlord has asked for our final decision by SUNDAY, MARCH 1st. We are having a significant business meeting after the Sunday morning service, which will take place during your Saturday evening, anytime from your 7-10pm, depending on your time zone. We covet your prayers for a significant majority of the congregation to vote in favor of this move.
If we receive a very good vote in favor of the move, we will sign a lease this coming week and then have only one month to make the TRANSITION into the new building. If you have EVER needed a good “excuse” to make a missions trip, wait no more! We have an incredible amount of cleaning to do before we paint the entire building. There is renovation that must be done. All of our furniture and church items must be moved. We would love to have a tastefully decorated church building for the glory of God, and we would welcome your help! If you are interested, please get in touch with us immediately.
You will find Pastor Matt Hanna’s letter to our congregation attached below. PLEASE JOIN US IN PRAYER. We are excited at what the Lord is doing. May the Lord give our people the faith to move forward and the “mind to work”.
Serving in Taiwan,
Brother Pat Delaney
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We will be holding a brief business meeting after church this coming Sunday (Mar. 1) to make a final decision about renting the next door property. Please make this decision a matter of prayer.
This last Sunday evening (Feb. 22) a group of men and women representing our church met with Mr. Li, the owner of the next door property. We discussed with him the terms of renting the building, which we as a church had established in our last business meeting (Feb. 15). Although he did not meet all of our terms, he did agree to the following:
1. Monthly rent for all 6 floors will be $60,000NT = $1,800USD. [He has reduced this from $66,000NT = $2,000USD per month.]
2. We can sign a contract immediately, but we will not pay rent until April 1.
3. He asks for a deposit of 2 months rent ($120,000NT = $3,600USD). [He has reduced this from requiring 3 months rent.]
4. He asks for a minimum contract term of two years.
I feel that these terms are reasonable and recommend that we accept them.
The following considerations also apply:
1. The Pastor's family will live on the upper floors (4F & 5F) and pay a portion of the rent (amount yet to be determined, between $10,000NT = $303USD and $14,000NT = $424USD). This will reduce the church's monthly rent payment to between $46,000NT = $1,394USD and $50,000NT = $1,515USD which is within the limits of our budget plan.
2. The church will use 4 floors (Basement, 1F, 2F, 3F). This will almost double our auditorium seating, increase our classroom space, and provide a separate space for youth meetings, love feasts, and special activities. This will solve our present space problems and provide us with room for future growth. It will also mean that the pastor and his family will be physically present on the church premises at all times to provide security and represent the church to the community.
3. Other advantages include the following: We will increase our visibility in the community by occupying the corner location. Since we are only moving next door, people will still be able to easily find us.
4. If the church does decide to rent this next door building, we will also need to vote on a budget to pay for the expenses of remodeling, equipping, decorating, and moving.
a) We can invite our people to give a special offering to help defray these expenses, and b) we can choose to budget money from either the Building Fund or from the General Fund to cover these expenses. Both of these funds are in healthy condition."
The Taiwan Transition
February 2009
Dear Prayer Partners,
A belated Happy New Year from the beautiful country of Taiwan! The months of December and January left our heads spinning. We thank God for several visitors who came for the special services during the Christmas season. Although we didn’t prepare a large-scale Christmas program this year, we did have a ladies’ meeting, a fellowship for our English congregation, an opportunity to once again share instrumental and vocal music in the emergency room of a nearby hospital, as well as a meaningful Christmas Eve service. Keep in mind that Taiwanese do not get even one day off from school or work at Christmas time, so holiday activities must revolve around school and work schedules.
Of course, it was a great blessing to have both Sarah and Rebekah home again for Christmas this year. The church adults and young people really enjoyed getting to know the girls better. Even the youngest Delaneys had to reacquaint themselves with “big sister,” since it had been one long year since we had last seen her. Sarah is extremely busy this semester as a sophomore piano pedagogy major at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. She will again have the privilege of traveling with one of Maranatha’s ensembles this coming summer. Rebekah finished her first semester at Pensacola Christian College and is now getting closer to her goal of officially entering their nursing program. God has wondrously placed people around Rebekah to encourage and support her in our absence, including Mary’s parents who are living in Fairhope, Alabama. (Yes, praise God, Mary’s father fully recovered from his brain surgery two years ago! He is a living miracle!) We miss the girls more than words can say, but we also rejoice that they are eagerly and joyfully pursuing the will of God for their lives. How thankful we are for each of you who have sought to interact with them. It means more to us and them than words can express!
The youth group has been thriving under the leadership of Tad and Hannah Wychopen! Tad set up a Bible memory and Bible reading program, and it has been exciting to see the teens get involved in Bible study and memorization. A “winter youth retreat” was organized by another fellow missionary the first week of February, and we thank the Lord for the way He worked in the hearts and lives of the young people of Cornerstone Baptist Church. I continue to appreciate the effort our children make to be engaged with all aspects of the ministry in Cornerstone Baptist Church. Whether it is teaching piano or English or helping clean a church member’s house, our children are finding creative ways to be a blessing. Daniel has become “the Pied Piper” to the Cornerstone teen boys. He has slowly been able to motivate more and more of the teen boys to start attending the Sunday night English service, as well as Wednesday evening prayer meeting. He and Tad schedule time to play ball together with the boys (to get them away from their computers, the only entertainment they once knew). While on the ball court, they recently met a young man with the English name “Thomas.” Thomas is 17, an only child, and comes from a divorced home. He has rarely missed a service since Daniel first invited him to church, and this young man seems to be so close to turning to Christ. Please pray for Thomas!
You may recall that Mary has been ministering to a single lady with the English name “Rebekah” since our arrival in Taiwan in September of 2007. There is much about Rebekah that we may never understand. We suspect she has experienced some form of trauma in her past, but she is extremely reluctant to share anything about her past. Nevertheless she faithfully attends all of the services while others, who seemingly are more stable and successful, have ceased attending long ago. This past Sunday morning Pastor Hanna wrapped up a series on Ruth, emphasizing the fact that Jesus Christ is our Kinsman Redeemer, ready and willing to deliver us from our life of sin. Rebekah went to Pastor Hanna immediately afterward and said, “I am ready to trust Jesus Christ as my Savior.” He brought Rebekah to Mary and me, and we had the joy of leading her to Christ. The Lord knows her heart, and we invite you to pray for us and Rebekah as we begin the process of discipleship for a new believer. (It is because Rebekah speaks English that we have had the opportunity to minister to her thus far.)
On Wednesday, February 11, our family stepped out onto new ground. After prayer and careful consideration, Mary and I decided it would be beneficial to enroll Gloria, Lydia, and Elisabeth in a local elementary school very near our house. Because Chinese New Year celebrations officially ended on Monday, the public schools within Taiwan just reconvened this week to begin the second semester. All of the instruction is done in the medium of Mandarin Chinese. This is not an American school or Christian missionary academy. Although WenFu Primary School has never before had “wai guo ren” (foreign) students, they gave us an extremely gracious welcome and the principal himself has assured us they will do everything they can to help the girls progress in Chinese. As we looked out upon the 2000+ primary school children in the opening assembly of the courtyard, our hearts were overwhelmed at the potential prospects the Lord has for us within that school and this neighborhood. We were excited to have a number of last summer’s VBS children recognize us and wave to us. The entire school has already been informed that these children come from a Christian home and their father is a pastor. The girls well understand that they are bringing the light of the Gospel of Christ into Buddhist territory. Will you commit to uphold them in prayer? What does the Lord have in store? We covet your prayers as we navigate this new territory. It will be an incredibly difficult challenge for each of them.
As I close, I’d like to share something that was a challenge to me this past week. While preaching through the book of Joshua this past month, I once again came to the life of Caleb as recorded in Joshua 14. In years past, I often preached a message about Caleb and the fact that he “wholly followed the Lord.” In spite of all the circumstances, Caleb chose faith over fear, and he reaped the reward of a life lived in the will of God. Wow! As I re-read Joshua 14, I could not help but make an application to my own life and how the Lord chose to bring me into Taiwan at 11 years past the age of 40! Oh, how difficult it was to choose faith over fear as we left the soil of the USA and embarked on learning the Chinese language. BUT just as God blessed Caleb by offering the land of Hebron through Joshua, the Lord promises us fruit when we abide in Him. We have seen the Lord give us new supporters in just the past two weeks; we have seen the Lord give us opportunities to share Christ with needy souls; we have seen how touched the people are when we use our limited Chinese; and we cannot help but marvel at the all-sufficient grace and goodness of our loving Lord. As Caleb cried, “Now therefore give me this mountain,” my heart’s cry is likewise, “Now therefore give us TAIWAN!” May the Lord be pleased to use our family as instruments for His glory in this needy country.
Serving in Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
Pat Delaney
Taiwan Transition – December 1, 2008
Dear Prayer Partners,
Jesus understood the value of a team, and those of us who minister at Cornerstone Baptist Church certainly value our team. Since the arrival of Missionary Matt Hanna and his family in early September, we have been having monthly team meetings, and weekly pastoral staff meetings. Recently Brother Matt testified that our team is something only God could have assembled. Our team members include two full-time American missionary families including the Delaneys and Hannas; one short-term American missionary couple namely Tad and Hannah Wychopen; and one single Singaporean missionary lady, named Miss Dolly Wong. With the amalgamation of our gifts and talents, we desire to take the ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church from strength to strength.
During our first organizational meeting Matt clearly laid out every person’s role and responsibility. As the senior leader of our team, Brother Matt overseas the entire ministry and makes his primary focus serving as pastor for the Chinese congregation. Matt recognizes our need to give as much attention as possible to the study of the Chinese language. At the same time he has appointed me to pastor the English Fellowship.
The English Fellowship which meets on Sunday nights is not intended to be a separate church. It is a ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church, and it plays a very important role. First of all, there are both English speaking Taiwan nationals and foreigners, who need an alternative to the New Evangelical English service conducted in the downtown district. Secondly, the full-time workers of our team and their children greatly need an English service where they can receive spiritual edification. Our ability to comprehend Chinese preaching is still extremely limited. Therefore, the Lord has given me a burden to both edify the full-time workers and their families, as well as to disciple the English speaking Chinese who are very young in their spiritual journey. That provides me with a very challenging preaching experience. At the moment, I am preaching through the book of Joshua. We usually have anywhere from 35 to 45 people present on Sunday evenings.
On November 9th, our family had the joy of traveling to Taichung, which is three hours north, and ministering for the 10th Anniversary of Lighthouse Baptist Church which is pastored by Missionary Andy Simpson. Our children prepared a beautiful package of both strings and vocal pieces, and I preached while Brother Simpson interpreted. This missionary couple has not taken a furlough in ten years! Once again I am reminded of the incredible need for more missionaries to come to Taiwan.
Speaking of the need for more missionaries in Taiwan… In mid-November Brian and Erin Bollon, a young couple nearly finished with seminary training, made a survey trip here to Kaohsiung. They are seriously praying about coming to Taiwan. They hope to begin deputation this coming summer after the birth of their second child. (Brian’s parents are members of Pastor John Lewis’ church in Davison, Michigan. Those of you who have followed Mary and me from the beginning know that John Lewis performed our wedding 22 years ago in Harvest Baptist Church of Guam. Small world!) We pray that the Lord will speed them over here quickly.
On November 21, the day before Susannah’s 14th birthday, we had the joy of welcoming her dearest Singapore friend, Hannah Ng, into our home for a surprise one-week visit. You can just imagine all the screaming and shouting when our children saw her enter our home. Along with Hannah came Angelee Lee, an American lady presently working in Singapore and attending our previous church there: Open Bible Baptist Church. It was great to have them both with us for Thanksgiving as we gathered with several other missionary families on the outskirts of the city. Interestingly enough there was a Chinese couple, Billy and Eva Teng, visiting from Hong Kong. Billy and Eva minister at Butterfly Bay Baptist Church with B.W.M. missionaries David and Marsha Darlin. This happens to be the church where David and Cassandra Ng (from O.B.B.C. in Singapore) attended back in 2003 – 2004 when David was posted in HongKong for work. The Tengs came as guests of Missionary Mark Lehman. Just imagine the Teng’s and Hannah’s surprise when they met up with each other once again at this American gathering in Taiwan! We also had the opportunity to get acquainted with Missionary David Bennett, of Silent Word Ministries International. He was in Taiwan doing a survey trip in preparation for the Deaf Olympics, which will be held in Taipei in September of 2009. Brother Bennett was a missionary in Sao Paolo, Brazil, for twenty-seven years. If you know of any deaf interpreters that are interested in helping out, let us know.
Before I close this ministry update I want to remind you of the important role you play as a part of our Kaohsiung, Taiwan Team. Through your prayers and financial support, you co-labor with us in the spread of the gospel. Therefore, let me share with you some of our special prayer requests.
- Pray that we might find a larger meeting location for our Sunday morning services. We had 94 in attendance on November 16th. We have set up an overflow room on the third floor which is equipped closed-circuit TV so you can follow the service going on below.
- Pray for the spiritual growth of Michael and Grace Leong. They abruptly stopped attending on June 1st, but in October they suddenly returned. Pray that we would have wisdom in ministering to their spiritual needs.
- Pray for our team members to be a continual source of encouragement and mutual edification to one another.
- Pray for our efforts to stay focused and diligent in our study of the Chinese language.
- Pray for the salvation of Mr. Lin, who is the husband of the church’s financial Secretary, Sister Grace Tsai.
Serving in Him,
Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition
September 5, 2008, marked our one year anniversary in Taiwan.
To God be the Glory, great things He hath done!
“I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths they have not known; I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.”
Isaiah 42:16
Dear Prayer Partners,
As most of you know, one year ago the Delaney family embarked upon a transition . . . To be perfectly honest with you, after serving as missionary church planters in Singapore for nearly eighteen years, both Mary and I felt “ready for anything” as we launched out into the unknown. I mean, after all, we were now “veteran missionaries”.
Thankfully, we serve a great and mighty God who well understands our “blindness” and ignorance, and He has been ever so faithful in leading us this last year. Truly, He has been beside us each step of the way.
OH! How can we help you to better understand the interesting challenges we have had to face this past year?
1. First of all, for the first time in our lives, we were separated from two of our children. Although we were no longer directly involved in their education, we quickly realized that maintaining family bonds still requires time. Try communicating with your children when they are 13-14 hours behind you! When they were asleep, we were awake... when they were free to call, we were in Chinese class, or church, etc... When we tried to reach them, they were out of their dorm. And yet, college-aged children still need guidance and encouragement from their parents. There were times of frustration and tension on both sides of the ocean, but we hope we have things a bit better sorted out this school year – with pre-paid phone cards that enable them to call us relatively inexpensively – at pre-arranged times. We thank God for many of you that sought to be a blessing to them in a variety of ways during their first year of college!
2. Secondly, for the first time in our years of ministry, Mary and I were faced with the unique challenge of bringing six of our children into a new country, new culture, new language, and new church. Keep in mind when we went to Singapore in January of 1989, Sarah was just five months old. Our other children were all born and raised in Singapore, thus that country was always HOME to them. Bringing them all to Taiwan helped us to have a much better understanding of what other missionaries have had to deal with. Would there be resistance? Rebellion? A “get me out of here” attitude? What creativity would be needed to “get them on board”? Well, guess what? There was some resistance in all of our hearts as we entered a city that was not as “clean” as Singapore... as we tasted food that was not as delicious as in Singapore... as we ministered in a church with believers that were vastly different from our church family in Singapore... We all found ourselves making negative comparisons on a daily basis.
Truly, God was extremely patient with each of us! As we got more and more involved in the ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church, He slowly, but surely, began to plant the seeds of love and concern for these dear precious believers that make up this local assembly. A few months back, one of our children made the remark, “If we were to leave Taiwan today, I wouldn’t miss one single person.” However, I assure you, that attitude has changed 180 degrees in each of us! God has knit our hearts with the hearts of these people and placed within us a new burden for this needy, needy land.
In fact, we often find ourselves now saying, “Wow... there are so many things about this country that we never had in Singapore! Such openness and freedom in proclaiming Christ and advertising for the church... So many church visitors literally searching for answers... so many hungry teenagers coming to Saturday evening youth meetings... so much less paperwork to be done for our residency visas... so many beautiful mountains... such convenience in getting to shops and markets... such a variety of seasons and natural disasters such as earhthquakes and typhoons ... so many stay-at-home moms that come for ladies Bible study on Thursdays...” Etc... GOD IS TO BE PRAISED for HIS creativity and patience in “getting us all on board”!
3. Of course, another fresh challenge to us “veterans” was finding ourselves placed in a country that requires learning a new language! Oh, my! Imagine that! “Veteran missionaries” that had never yet had the joy and privilege of feeling totally HELPLESS upon arrival to the field because of a complete ignorance of the language. For our first month here, we were afraid to even step outside for fear of getting lost and not being able to ask for help! We had no idea how to say anything to anybody. We couldn’t read any road signs which made driving very intimidating.... We couldn’t ask the most basic questions or carry on even the simplest conversations without a translator beside us. We couldn’t read our utility bills; we couldn’t make our own doctor’s appointments; we couldn’t read labels so we came home with wrong grocery items and opened up several surprise packages; we couldn’t sing hymns or read the Bible with the church folks; we couldn’t tell delivery men where we lived when they were ready to deliver our furniture! Trust me, it’s sink or swim – we MUST learn Chinese to survive over here. We have learned all kinds of survival tricks, but regular Mandarin Chinese instruction has been an absolute necessity.
How we thank God for providing absolutely wonderful Chinese teachers for our entire family. Susannah, Gloria, Lydia, and Elisabeth continue to progress, studying Chinese four days a week in our home. Their teacher is a precious church lady, still young in the Lord. Daniel, Julia, Mary and I all study at a language school. Daniel, Julia and Mary study together for six hours a week, but I have just this past week jumped from six hours a week to TEN HOURS per week. I now have two teachers that share the responsibility of instructing me. I am amazed at how much faster I am moving through the material. It will be such a help to have a greater focus upon the language this coming year. For every two hours of classroom instruction, it is recommended that you spend four hours of language study at home. Over the past year my loyalties were divided between ministry preparation and language studies. Please pray that we will ALL do a better job of trying to speak the language on a daily basis. The key to language learning is making the most of every opportunity to speak it. We are extremely limited in future ministry opportunities without a GOOD GRASP of the language. Thankfully, we all have a good elementary understanding of Chinese at this point and we can all pretty much get basic points across, whether with neighbors, at the market, or with Chinese-only speaking church folks. So, yes, the language IS coming along. Praise God! With another year of additional vocabulary and grammar, we hope to be much more conversant. Thank you for praying with us about this GREAT NEED.
Honestly, friends, I could list many more ways the Lord has continued to teach us new and valuable lessons this past year. It has been a remarkable year of growth and “stretching” for each of the 10 Delaneys.
But, before I close, let me remind you that we are about to embark on a new phase of transition in the ministry here in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. On Wednesday morning, September 10, 2008, Pastor Matt Hanna and his wife and two teenage daughters will return to Taiwan, and he will resume the pastorate of Cornerstone Baptist Church. The time has come for Brother Tad Wychopen and me to ‘pass the baton,’ to the anchor man who leads our team. We are excited to minister alongside of the Hannas and serve them in whatever way they deem best. They are the true veterans of this work here, and I look forward to the wonderful opportunity to learn from their sixteen years of experience in Taiwan. They understand that both our family and the Wychopens will be seeking to concentrate more on Chinese this next year, but we are all here to serve and we are eager to work together to accomplish more for God’s glory. Our first great and pressing need is to find a larger meeting place for Cornerstone Baptist Church. We are running at maximum capacity in our auditorium area.
Please continue to pray with us about this. Please pray for God to give us a great spirit of unity as we serve together.
Finally, last Thursday I visited the Immigration Office in order to submit our applications to renew our A.R.C., otherwise known as the Alien Resident Card. That is my Visa to serve as a missionary in Taiwan. I am just amazed at how smoothly the entire process went. No long lines; no running to other offices for additional forms; no excuses or delays. The officer simply took my application forms, photos, letter from my sponsoring organization, and of course, my money, and then said, “Please return in one week to collect your new cards.” I left that office rejoicing at the ease with which we are able to renew our ARC here in Taiwan. Truly, this field is wide open! Is God calling YOU?
As we look forward to another year in our new homeland of Taiwan and additional adjustments to be made, one wonders what the future holds. I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”
Please pray for us to abound in the work of the Lord at Cornerstone Baptist Church as we “team up” with the Hannas and the Wychopens. This should be a great year of serving the Lord.
Serving in Him,
Pat Delaney
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
July 30, 2008
The Taiwan Transition
Dear Prayer Partners,
On Monday, July 28th, we experienced our first official “Typhoon Day” since our arrival in Taiwan last September. The government declared an emergency day off for all its employees as the island prepared for the landfall of Typhoon Fung Wong. Thankfully, because of our location on the southwest side of the island of Taiwan, we did not experience the same severity of wind and destruction as folks living on the east side of the island.
As we look back upon the months of June and July, it seems that they could be officially declared “typhoon months” with the whirlwind of activity we experienced! Because of VBS and Youth Camp, July turned out to be just as “windy” as the month of June.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL:
The last day of the school year for children in the city of Kaohsiung was Monday, June 30. Because children quickly get involved in a variety of summer school courses to fill their summer hours, we decided it would be best to run this year’s Vacation Bible School from Tuesday, July 1st, through Saturday, July 5th. When Mary first began discussing the idea of a VBS with the church ladies several months back, there was a good response. Unlike the familiar story of the “Little Red Hen” who had to do everything herself, the members of Cornerstone Baptist Church truly demonstrated “a mind to work”. What a joy to see more than thirty adult men, women and teens help in a variety of ways – from decorating, to helping with the registration table and crafts, teaching Bible and memory verses and songs, preparing games for the final day, etc... We prayed for the Lord to send us the right children, and how wonderful it was to see a total registration of 67 children, with our high day being 58. Honestly, the Lord knew exactly how many we were capable of handling and He sent no more and no less. Over here, one aspect of VBS that would be quite different from what you do in the USA is a 15 minute spot in the schedule for “English instruction”. Our son Daniel worked with Tad Wychopen and Joel Stevens to put together some fun skits and the children just loved every moment of those skits! Emily Luo, a Taiwanese missionary living here in Kaohsiung, gave a very careful and clear presentation of the Gospel each day, using the colors of the Wordless Book. We had nine children make a profession for Christ that week, and nearly all 9 were in grades 5 and 6 and seemingly mature enough to understand their personal need for repentance and salvation. Obviously, only God truly knows what is going on in their hearts so please pray for us as we seek to continue to reach out to these young people and get them involved in our Sunday school and youth ministry. There was a great spirit all week long, and I believe God’s people were very blessed by the results. What a joy it was to see God’s people unite in ministry together to make this a successful outreach event. To God be the glory!
YOUTH CAMP:
On Monday morning, July 7th, the teens involved in the Saturday evening youth meetings of Cornerstone Baptist Church boarded a 45 passenger bus and began their four hour journey to the east coast city of Taitung. Each year several independent Baptist churches of Taiwan jointly organize a summer youth camp. This year Cornerstone Baptist Church brought the biggest group consisting of 22 teenagers and four adults. The total number of campers was right around 100. This year the camp was actually hosted and organized by a BIMI Japanese missionary, so the guest speaker flew in from Japan and each of his messages was translated into Chinese. Although Mary and I did not attend, we have been told that all of the young people were richly challenged by the preaching and many decisions were made in the hearts and lives of the Cornerstone teens. Some teens solidified their salvation decisions and others have expressed a desire to get baptized and truly live for Christ. Perhaps you recall some of the life changing decisions that you made at teen camp many years ago. This is a critical time in the lives of these young people. Please pray that as God continues the work He has begun in their hearts we will have wisdom to know how to lovingly challenge these young people to keep their hearts pure and their lives committed to Christ. As in the USA, they face a great deal of pressure in their public schools and Buddhist or apathetic “Christian” homes. By the way, this was the first time for the Delaney teenagers to participate in a fully Chinese speaking camp! They thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to get acquainted with Christian teens from other cities as well as practice the Chinese they have learned thus far. Please pray for Daniel (16), Julia (15), and Susannah (13) as they continue to adjust to life in this new country. It is an enormous challenge for a teenager to be uprooted from his homeland and transplanted into a new environment which requires them to learn a new language – a very difficult one at that. It takes time for a new land to begin to feel like “home”. We are thankful for some sweet teens that have sought to befriend our children and patiently encourage them in their acquisition of Chinese.
A TIME TO CRY:
This morning, July 29th, we again experienced perhaps one of the most difficult tasks of missionary life: saying goodbye to our daughter Rebekah, who returns to begin her second year at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. It has been very precious to have her home with us. She has been her typical self, volunteering to assist her mother in whatever way possible in the home and interacting in the lives of each of her younger siblings. Rebekah has a tremendous servant’s heart and she was a blessing to the people at Cornerstone who had the opportunity to get acquainted with her. It is hard to put into words the pain you feel in the very depths of your heart when you watch your child go through the airport departure gate. There is a very literal sense of placing that child back onto the altar and into the hands of God Himself. There was some “weeping and wailing” on the homefront, but we thank God for how He is at work in her life, preparing her for a very special future.
At the same time we said good-bye to Joel Stevens, who also finished two months of serving in every way possible. Joel has had ten different preaching opportunities in his two month stay. He has helped to organize youth activities, and he has willingly tackled every job we assigned to him. Lord willing, over this next month Joel will be helping to put together a power point presentation of the ministry here in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. We hope to send that out to each of our churches so that you will have a clearer idea of our life and ministry here in Taiwan. I will be forever grateful for the way Joel gave himself unreservedly to bond with our son Daniel and to serve in the youth ministry.
Thank you for sustaining us with prayer before the throne of grace. We have about six more weeks before the return of Pastor Matt Hanna’s family to Taiwan. Please pray with us as we seek to develop a team ministry for the future of Cornerstone Baptist Church.
Serving in Kaohsiung, Taiwan,
Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition
June 22, 2008
Dear Prayer Partners,
As we enter into our last three months of our first year in Taiwan we have been deluged with many “firsts”. We had been told to expect our first rainfalls in the first week of June. Wow! “When it rains, it pours” is not only an accurate description of our first taste of rainy weather in Taiwan, but also an accurate portrayal of the number of special visitors we welcomed into our home and ministry here in Taiwan.
May 28: Rebekah arrived home after completing her first year of Bible college and three weeks of summer school. Rebekah has officially been accepted into the nursing program at Maranatha Baptist Bible College and we thank God for her diligence and commitment to her studies in her first year away from home. We are especially grateful to many of you that sent cards and CARE packages and even paid the girls a visit at school. The Lord has surrounded our girls with many caring faculty members, a tremendous dorm supervisor, and several encouraging friends. What a great joy it is to have her home with us again for these two months. As soon as she arrived, she rolled up her sleeves and began helping Mary in the kitchen! (**Sarah is traveling with Maranatha’s Strings of Praise string ensemble this summer. We are hoping that some of you will be able to see her in these next few weeks. Please pray for her health and safety, and that God would use this summer to continue to mold and shape her and prepare her for the future He has planned for her.)
My first summer intern! Traveling with Rebekah to Taiwan was a young man named Joel Stevens. Joel will be a senior this year at Maranatha and he is working on a Biblical Studies major. Joel spent three weeks in Argentina immediately prior to coming to Taiwan. Although we have had two young ladies work alongside of Mary in past years, this is my first time to have a young man working alongside of me! Thus far Joel has been preaching at the Youth Fellowships, helping with special music in our regular services, and impacting our own children… not to mention mopping, washing dishes, and running numerous errands. I have invited Joel to preach in the Chinese worship service this Sunday morning, June 22, so he is getting plenty of experience speaking through “interrupters”. I have been richly blessed by the servant’s heart Joel has demonstrated both in our home and in the church.
May 29: ANSWER TO PRAYER! Our first car! After many months of research and prayer, we were able to purchase a car for our family. To make a long story short, the Lord unusually led me to a dealer who could speak some English and whom I felt I could trust. (Neither of those qualifications are to be taken for granted!) Within two days of meeting this man, he found for our family a 2005 Nissan Serena which is spacious enough for all our children and their stringed instruments. Although we are able to go to church and language school and many other places by foot or bicycle or subway, we do thank God that we now have a car to use for ministry purposes, for runs to the airport, for trips that will take us outside of the city, for rainy days, and so forth. Thank you for praying with us about this critical need.
June 2: We received our first pastoral visit with the arrival of Pastor Tan Tock Lip and his family from Open Bible Baptist Church in Singapore. It was absolutely thrilling to have the Tan family with us for eight glorious days of fellowship and ministry. More about them in the rest of this update…
June 3: First time experience for Mary . . . Just hours after the Tans arrived, we received a call from Jason and Tricia Spooner informing us that the birth of their third child was imminent. Brother Jason has been teaching English here in Taiwan for one year now, and hopes to eventually be used of the Lord in China. After dropping Jason, Tricia, and Mary off at the hospital, I came home with their two boys. Mary was allowed to stay beside Tricia throughout the entire labor and delivery process to help with translation and coaching. After little Jeremiah Thomas Spooner’s safe arrival, it was time for our first day of “sight-seeing” with the Tan family! Things were really hopping with 19 people in our home, ten of them aged 10 or below!
June 5: We received our first visiting relative with the arrival of Joanna Brown, who just completed her first year of teaching at Ko’olau Baptist Acacemy in Kaneohe, Hawaii. Joanna came with a heart to serve and she, too, rolled up her sleeves and went right to work, helping with hymnplaying, preparing crafts for VBS, handing out flyers for VBS, meeting up with some unsaved young people and just overall being a rich blessing to all of us! Our children loved having one of their cousins visiting them on the mission field for the first time! Oh, the laughter she brought into our home for two solid weeks as we watched her reactions to everything from riding a bike amidst hundreds of scooters to tasting stinky tofu. Needless to say, we all loved sharing with Joanna our life and ministry in Asia.
June 6: Although Mary has been involved in teaching Thursday morning bi-weekly Bible studies for the ladies of Cornerstone, June 6th was the first time for the ladies to organize an evening “Ladies Night Out”. The goal was to get some of the working ladies out that aren’t normally able to attend the morning Bible studies. What a blessing to have 20 ladies come out that evening and listen intently as April shared her testimony in their own language – Chinese! Those of you that know April Tan can just imagine what a blessing she was to the ladies here at Cornerstone Baptist Church. We had some unsaved visitors that evening who heard a clear presentation of the Gospel.
June 7: Thankfully, God put a stop to five solid days of heavy rain in order for Cornerstone to enjoy its first all-church outdoor barbecue at a nearby lake. We had a wonderful turnout and it gave the entire church an opportunity to get acquainted with Tock Lip and April and their children. We believe this time of relaxed fellowship prepared the hearts of the people to listen more attentively to Tock Lip when he preached the following day.
June 8: On Sunday, June 8th Pastor Tan Tock Lip was the first Singaporean Chinese to preach at Cornerstone Baptist Church. Although his entire ministry in Singapore is conducted in English, he needed to preach in Mandarin while in Taiwan. This was a “first” for him, and although he was nervous and spent days and days beforehand carefully translating his own messages, our church folks were thoroughly blessed. They all felt his preaching was very clear and easy to understand. Brother Tock Lip no longer preaches like the former engineer I trained in Singapore. At the end of the Sunday night service I put my arm around him and said, “Brother Tock Lip, when I left you in Singapore, you were a novice. But now you are a veteran.” I was very impressed with both his skillful handling of the Word and his pulpit presence. We had our largest attendances that day with 75 in the Chinese worship service on Sunday morning and 50 in the English service on Sunday night. (Not bad for a rainy day – keep in mind that a good number of our people come to church either by bike or motor scooter.) How thankful we are that Brother Tock Lip and Sister April are steadfastly abounding in the work of the Lord. Do continue to pray for them. They have had their share of trials since taking the pastorate of Open Bible Baptist Church in August of 2005.
June 19: Tad and Hannah Wychopen, our co-workers, returned from their two month mini-deputation in America. ANSWER TO PRAYER. Tad was able to obtain a Residency Visa which will enable them to avoid making repeated trips out of the country during their second year here. During this next year, Tad and Hannah will be focusing on the youth ministry of Cornerstone Baptist Church as well as intensifying their learning of the Mandarin Chinese language. How thankful we are for this dedicated young couple.
It has been a busy time around here… We are now “full-steam ahead” in our preparations for VBS from July 1-5. Mary has spent many hours with the church ladies trying to make plans for this special outreach event. She is not yet able to teach any of the Bible stories, missionary stories, or even help with the singing or the memory verses, but she has helped with much of the “behind the scenes” planning and will be involved in the crafts, games, and refreshments. Please pray that the Lord will bring in a group of young people that have open hearts to receive the Gospel message. Please pray that as a direct result of this VBS the Gospel would go into homes and reach entire families for Christ.
The week following VBS, July 7-10, our church young people will be involved in a youth camp on the east coast of Taiwan. We have a record number of young people signed up for camp this year – 23! Most of these young people still have no personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Please be praying for God the Holy Spirit to do a great work in their hearts. We’ll be giving you updates on VBS and youth camp in our next Taiwan Transition. Until then, thank you for your consistent prayers on behalf of our family.
Serving in Taiwan,
Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition
April 29, 2008
Dear Prayer Partners,
Before I get “buried” this month, I’d like to give you a brief update on the Delaneys in Taiwan.
MINISTRY:
Last Thursday evening, April 24th, Tad and Hanna Wychopen departed for the U.S.A. Because of their desire to spend another year of ministry in Taiwan, they needed to return to America in order to submit an application for a Residency Visa. Because of Brother Tad’s absence, I will be preaching up to five times a week instead of three. That is a great motivation to pray for the approval of his Residency Visa. I greatly enjoy the preaching, but it takes time away from studying Chinese. Please pray that I would depend upon the grace of God to make it through this very challenging period of time.
Our services this past weekend were great! I was concerned about taking over the Youth Fellowship, but my children stepped up to plate, and I was blessed by their ministry. Daniel and Julia handled the music, and Daniel taught the teens (speaking only in Chinese) how to play “Up Jenkins.” I presented the first of three points from a message I’ve preached for over twenty years called The Calamity of Sin. The teens took notes, and after the message I organized a competitive quiz time between two teams. Most of these teenagers are still in spiritual darkness, so we would ask for you to pray that the seed truths of sin and salvation will take root in their hearts.
In the Chinese service on Sunday morning we had a number of new visitors. One family came at the invitation of Lydia and Elisabeth’s piano teacher. After visiting with them at the end of the service they said, “We will see you next week.” One mother came and testified she was there because her children recently became Christians. She thought it would be a good idea to come and investigate Christianity. When I spoke to her after the service she broke into tears regarding many burdens in her life. Please pray for us that we would have the wisdom to deal with so many needy and hurting individuals.
Mary is working with the church ladies to plan a VBS for the first week of July, which is the first week of the summer holiday here in Taiwan. They plan on using an Olympic theme, so if you have any game or craft ideas that would be helpful, she would welcome your input. She is also interested in using the story of Eric Liddell for the missionary story. If anybody knows if there is a flashcard version of his life, please let us know. We would need to get it over here quickly so we can translate the story into Chinese.
LANGUAGE:
Two weeks ago, my language teacher totally surprised me when she informed me after class that she would no longer be able to continue teaching me Chinese! She has decided to move to another part of the island. Although she had the personality of a drill sergeant, her instruction greatly helped me over the last four months. I was especially sad to see her leave, however, because she is a staunch Buddhist and I grieve at the thought of her soul’s eternal destiny.
When I went to class the following session, I was a bit concerned about having another “quality teacher” that would really be able to patiently teach this 50 year old missionary! Once again, however, the Lord has greatly blessed! In just one short week, Yu LaoShi (which translates “Teacher Fish”), has proven to be an outstanding Chinese teacher! I am thrilled at the opportunity to work with her. Because “Miss Fish” is a Roman Catholic, she has an interest in our ministry and she demonstrates a willingness to teach me some Biblical terminology. Please keep praying for our entire family as we continue our Chinese studies.
FAMILY:
Many of you have written to ask about Sarah and Rebekah. In just a few short hours, they will officially be finished with their freshman year at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. This first winter in the United States has made up for the previous 18-19 winters they missed out on in Singapore. They have experienced record breaking snowfalls, ice storms and frigid temperatures in Wisconsin… all without boots! Sarah will be traveling this summer with the Maranatha Strings of Praise team. She will be in MI, OH, WV, NC, GA, FL, TN, KY, and IN. Her itinerary is on the Maranatha website if you are interested. She will be in some of your churches. Please take good care of her… and tell her to “call home”! Rebekah will be taking summer school courses through the month of May before returning to Taiwan on May 29th to spend 2 months with us. We all look forward to her arrival.
Other than a few toothaches and mosquito bites, we as a family are all doing well. The children’s new music teachers have proven to be an incredible source of inspiration for each one of our children. How we thank God for His leading in this critical area. We had a wonderful “family get-away time” the first few days of April, spending one night down on the southernmost tip of the island and then traveling over to the East Coast to minister with Pastor Ken Ozuno for the weekend. We were all stunned at the majesty of both the ocean and mountains. Truly, we serve a remarkable Creator God.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
The next few weeks will be extremely busy preparing for several events. Please pray with us about these needs.
- Sometime in the month of May we need to purchase a vehicle. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Kaohsiung requires that we take both a written and driving examination. Please pray that we would pass these exams in order to proceed with the purchase of an automobile. Pray also that God would lead us to a reliable vehicle that we can afford.
- Rebekah arrives on May 28th to spend two months ministering alongside of Mary here in Taiwan. We also have another Bible college student coming over at the same time to work alongside of me and gain some ministerial experience. Joel Stevens is a Biblical studies major, and he will be a senior this fall at Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Please pray that this will be a spiritually productive summer for both Rebekah and Joel.
- On June 2nd we will have our very first visitors from Singapore! Our entire family is looking forward to the arrival of Pastor Tan Tock Lip, his wife April, and all five of their children. April will be speaking for a special ladies meeting and we hope to have several unsaved visitors attend. Pastor Tan will be preaching for me, and I am looking forward to listening to him minister in Chinese.
- On June 4th our niece, Joanna Brown, presently teaching music in a Christian school in Hawaii, will be visiting us for two weeks. Joanna’s father and mother, Glen and Dorothy Brown, went to Maranatha with Mary and me. Joanna, too, is coming ready to minister! She will be helping out with special music and preparations for VBS.
- July 1-5: Vacation Bible School
- July 7-10 : Youth Camp
Many thanks to all of you for your faithful encouragement and support of our ministry. Your prayers for us are making this transition one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. What a privilege it is to serve the Lord in this needy land.
Serving in Him,
Pat Delaney
The Taiwan Transition
April 1, 2008
Dear Prayer Partners,
When we prepared to leave Singapore in the year 2006, we seriously wondered if we would ever again be able to enjoy ministering in a different country. We felt that our hearts were buried in Singapore, in the people as well as in their way of life. We seriously questioned whether we would ever be able to love a “different people”. Guess what? We love TAIWAN! After living here for only seven months, we have grown to cherish serving the Lord on this wonderful mission field. In fact, if I was a young man starting out all over again, Taiwan would be at the top of my list of countries in need of missionaries. In a relatively short period of time, these people have found a very special place in our hearts. Personally, I wish I was half my age, so that I could learn the language faster and give more of my life to reach the Taiwanese. The opportunities abound and yet there is a serious shortage of laborers! Who will come?
Thank you for praying for my language studies. Although Mary, Daniel, Julia, and Susannah finished their first Chinese book the middle of March, I will finish book number one the middle of April and then take my review test. Those tests are killers, but my teacher told me, “Don’t worry about your score. Just take the test as an exercise. We will simply spend more time reviewing those concepts you fail to understand prior to starting the second book.” Please continue to pray for our entire family as we all seek to comprehend and use this entirely new language. Some folks mistakenly think that we are already able to understand and communicate with the people. Trust me, what we have learned has been very foundational conversational skills. We have a long way to go.
The ministry at Cornerstone Baptist Church has been going extremely well. This may sound strange, but I have grown to love preaching through my interpreters. Thankfully, both Sam Hung and Jay Chen are very easy to work with – they are able to follow me, and the people, in turn, are able to follow them. It is a real team effort, and I thank God for the sacrifice both of these men make to not only translate all of my preaching notes into English, but then to actually work alongside of me as I preach. Truly, they are my mouthpiece, as Aaron was for Moses. Without their assistance, my presence here would be futile.
The first Sunday evening in March I was surprised to see a Lutheran pastor bring his entire family to our English service! The family came because the father is having some very serious problems with his teenage sons. I thought to myself, “Once this man hears me preach, I don’t think he will return.” I was wrong - he returned the following three Sunday nights! He was a captain in the Taiwan Air Force for thirty years, and for the past five years he has been pastoring a small Lutheran church which meets only two blocks away from our church. Each time I preach he is taking meticulous notes. Please pray for the Lord to give us wisdom in ministering to this family.
Over the past month it seems like the church members have become more transparent in sharing their personal struggles. While this creates a much broader opportunity for ministry, it is also very time consuming. Please pray that we would be able to balance our schedules and still be able to effectively minister to the real needs of the congregation.
As I mentioned in our last update, I am currently conducting two different Bible studies. Brother David, a psychiatrist, is a precious soul, and I am very thankful for his teachable spirit. You may also recall that I began a chronological Bible study with an unsaved married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Huang. This family does not know the Lord as their Savior, but they are very interested and willing to learn. Mr. Huang speaks a bit of English, but his wife’s English is extremely limited. Thankfully, one of my translators is helping me with translation during the Bible study. It is a great sacrifice of his time, but it couldn’t be done without his help. Please pray for the Lord to bless these Bible studies and pray specifically for the salvation of the Huangs.
Tad and Hanna Wychopen, our co-workers, will be returning to America on April 25th. Their desire is to spend another year in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, but they need to apply for a Residency Visa. During the application period they must be out of the country. As a result, Tad and Hanna will be back in the US for about two months, working on their visa situation and visiting many churches. If you would like to get acquainted with this couple, let us know. (They will be primarily in Michigan and Texas.) I will greatly miss sharing the preaching responsibilities with Tad! Do pray for me as I seek to juggle language school with all the preaching and teaching responsibilities.
For the next five days, we are going to do something that we have not yet done in Taiwan – we are going to take a family vacation! We plan to explore the eastern side of Taiwan in the area of Taitung. Since our arrival in September, we have become acquainted with three missionary families in that city, and we hope to be able to meet these families and learn more of their ministries. This coming Sunday, April 6th, we will be ministering alongside of a Japanese missionary, Pastor Ken Ozuno. Please pray for our safety, and that the Lord will use our family to be a blessing during this time away from the regular routine of life.
Finally, we want to thank you for your continued prayers regarding obtaining good music teachers for our children. We have contacted a number of people over the last several months and we have tried to follow many “leads”. It has been a long and somewhat confusing process. The teacher that agreed to help Susannah and Gloria was not a good fit, after all. Next Tuesday, Lord willing, we will be starting music lessons for Daniel, Julia, Susannah, and Gloria at the Russian Music School. Not only are we very impressed with the skills of the teachers, but the management has offered our family a very reasonable “package deal” in light of the number of lessons we need. This is, again, a huge step of faith that we feel we must take. It has been two years since the children have had music lessons and they are very “rusty”. As you can imagine, there is a mixture of fear and excitement within all of us as we take this step. It will take a great deal of discipline for them to get back into a good practice routine. Please pray that the Lord would place within each of their hearts a desire to use their skills and talents in a way that would glorify our Lord.
The Lord has been so good to us since we arrived in Taiwan. For the first time in our lives Mary and I are beginning to understand what so many other missionaries have had to experience when arriving in a new country. You would really laugh if you could see some of the running around I do trying to care for simple things such as paying a phone bill or obtaining a driver’s license! (I hope I can laugh about it someday….it’s not exactly funny – yet.) Coming to a field that requires learning a totally new language is a challenging experience. The Lord is giving us a love for the language, to accompany the love for the Chinese people. I’m sure we still have much to learn about the Chinese culture to be able to truly understand and minister most effectively here in this new land.
Thank you for upholding our family both prayerfully and financially. The Lord continues to prove Himself “Jehovah Jirah” for our family, and He continues to give the enabling grace we need to make all the necessary adjustments in this new land. May He be pleased to call out from among you more labourers for the land of Taiwan.
Proclaiming the Gospel in Kaohsiung,
Pat Delaney
Prayer Letter
We sincerely thank you for your continued prayers and financial support. We will be giving you more information about Taiwan and the city of Kaohsiung in the weeks to come.
Serving in Him,
Pat Delaney