SQJ Taipei

Our entire family is in Taichung for the annual Taiwan Missionary Fellowship summer conference. We’ll be here until Saturday AM (July 7).

We love the TMF conference!

Our 2 oldest kids basically learned to swim during previous years at the conference. The pool is open from 2-5PM each afternoon and we are usually there the entire time.

There is always a guest speaker from off island and the last few years some of our fellow missionaries have preached a few times. These are always very special times. When we gather together, we don’t seem to notice that we are from different mission organizations and even different denominations… we are simply “co-laborers”. Just as I felt when involved with campus ministry at Truman State University… the week of TMF summer conference seems a lot like what the body of Christ is intended to be.

I didn’t get a chance to post about our trip before we left and I didn’t think I’d be able to post from the conference… but I finally found a way. It took me 2 days, but I finally figured it out.

The theme for the week is shown in the logo below:

Dr. David Eubanks, the President Emeritus of Johnson Bible College, has served as the main speaker for us this week. He is a first rate Bible teacher… able to soften the often blunt knife of doctrine with the spiritual gift of gentleness. After 37 years as president and first lady of JBC, Dr. Eubanks and his wife Margaret retired and moved out of the president’s residence just hours before they got on the plane bound for Taiwan.

I was blessed to be able to go meet them at the Taipei airport and bring them to our home for a short time. They stayed the night at our house and joined the church that meets in our home on Sunday AM. Although they had only slept a few hours over the previous 3 days, they wanted to go to Taipei 101. We were happy to take them there and Dr. Eubanks shared my excitement about the building… the view… and the technology of the building. Usually the college students aren’t quite so impressed so I really enjoyed being at the top of the world with someone who was enjoying it as much as I always do. I think he said, “Scott… this is MARVELOUS!” about 10 times. He is right… it is marvelous.

Dr. Eubanks is speaking a series of messages based on Hebrews. I wish I could blog more about the content of his messages. The audio recording should be available later so perhaps you will be able to be blessed by his messages in that way. Hebrews is such a unique part of the Bible and I believe that a better understanding of Hebrews is critical for missionaries and locals if we are to see the church expand rapidly in Taiwan. Dr. Eubanks’ teaching is a big help toward that end.

We always enjoy the TMF conference and we have enjoyed becoming friends with Dr. David and Margaret Eubanks. Chris Reynolds’ sister did a great job leading the songs on Monday and Tuesday. The girl band that I’m a part of plays again on Friday night.