hey everybody! as many of y'all know from our profiles on the CTI website, Aaron and I are from the south (Georgia and Texas, respectively). therefore, i'm sure many of you can guess that for the past month, we've been FREEZING our butts off up here. we have not seen THIS much snow in YEARS! so today at Christian's hometown, there was a blizzard (our definition of a blizzard)! I was so excited that I asked Micaela to take pictures of me standing in the snow. according to the following video, that photoshoot did not go down as I had planned...
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
coming soon....
So, for all of you who are loyally reading our blog, we recognize that you've probably been dissapointed. We hereby apologize for the lack of blogging. Colin has been trying tirelessly to post his "Back from Taiwan" video, and Micaela is writing one as we speak (or, in your case, read). Either way, we promise that something will be posted soon. :) If nothing else, mother always said that waiting is good for you. It builds character! :) Think of how much character you'll have by the time you get the next post. Heheh. Seriously though, we'll have something up SOON. In the meantime, let us know how we can be praying for you. Leave us a comment under this post with prayer requests and we'll get on it. Thanks guys! And happy (almost) Thanksgiving!!!
Thursday, November 13, 2008
howdy y'all this is Aaron...so how's it going? we're doing good getting into the swing of things here in the state and it's going well. we've been in Iowa and Illinois and Indiana and Michigan ,yep all the I states (we'll work backwards to the G state no worries), we have had some great opportunities to play in Christian schools and churches, and as displayed in the picture to the left, this place called Mel Trotter ministries. Mel Trotter was amazing, we played for a group of at risk women and some children. So, as it turns out I am really bad at this "blogging" thing, but I hope I've hit some of the highlights. I want to say hey to all my host home families in Willmar and across the states, well from Iowa to Michigan anywho. not to mention a shout out to my family and friends back home... okbye.
Monday, November 03, 2008
hey all!
we are back from Taiwan and let me tell you it is quite a change to be in the states again. Less than two weeks ago we were in an apartment in Asia, and now we are at host homes in Iowa. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but I'm sure after about a few days on the road I'll get back into the state side swing.
Anyway, a word on Taiwan, we stayed in a city called Don Shwei, it's about a half hour away from the capital, Taipei, really the whole area is like one big city. We played all over the Don Shwei/ Taipei area at all sorts of different venues. We got to tell many people the good news of Jesus and even though we weren't there for the harvest, we were used by the spirit to plant seeds.
Well thank you all so much for your support, and prayer, bye
-Ken
Anyway, a word on Taiwan, we stayed in a city called Don Shwei, it's about a half hour away from the capital, Taipei, really the whole area is like one big city. We played all over the Don Shwei/ Taipei area at all sorts of different venues. We got to tell many people the good news of Jesus and even though we weren't there for the harvest, we were used by the spirit to plant seeds.
Well thank you all so much for your support, and prayer, bye
-Ken
Saturday, November 01, 2008
1421 departs for fall tour!
Be sure to check out their booking schedule to see if they are coming to a town near you!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Team 1421 arrives home safely!
Team 1421 arrived home safely today with al of their equipment! Check their blog soon for updates on their trip!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Update the Third (bum bum bumhmmm)
(Courtesy of Jeffrey Aaron Stephens, Esquire; and The Honorable Christian Wade Harger, RTB. Title provided by none other than The Terrific Tish Schuh [also known as Laura])
Greetings and salutations to all,
Things are going swimmingly in Taiwan, though we regret to inform you that we will be departing this splendiferous island all too soon. Early in the AM of this the 20th of October the year of our Lord 2008, we performed our final engagement. It was a glorious worship experience meeting with our brothers and sisters who are a part of YWAM, Taiwan.
Now, working retrospectively, we will regail you with tales of our past adventures. Since last we "spoke," we have had the privilege of ministering in a myriad of environments, ranging from orphanages and churches, to schools and homes for troubled youths. Musically we have run the spectrum from phenominal cohesion to utter chaos, but out of the mire and muck we have been extracted (wc2ls) by God. He has turned our paltry attempts to share His love into resplendent glory.
God is amazing! But the price of an hour of internet is not.. meaning we can't afford another hour.. meaning we have to go.
PS we climbed a volcano.
okay bye! love you paul!
Greetings and salutations to all,
Things are going swimmingly in Taiwan, though we regret to inform you that we will be departing this splendiferous island all too soon. Early in the AM of this the 20th of October the year of our Lord 2008, we performed our final engagement. It was a glorious worship experience meeting with our brothers and sisters who are a part of YWAM, Taiwan.
Now, working retrospectively, we will regail you with tales of our past adventures. Since last we "spoke," we have had the privilege of ministering in a myriad of environments, ranging from orphanages and churches, to schools and homes for troubled youths. Musically we have run the spectrum from phenominal cohesion to utter chaos, but out of the mire and muck we have been extracted (wc2ls) by God. He has turned our paltry attempts to share His love into resplendent glory.
God is amazing! But the price of an hour of internet is not.. meaning we can't afford another hour.. meaning we have to go.
PS we climbed a volcano.
okay bye! love you paul!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Another update from Taiwan
Here's another update we received today from Laura:
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Everyone else is out galavanting aound the city and didn't get a chance to write down their messages, but we're all healthy and enjoying ourselves! Thank you so much for all your prayers. We love you and miss you!
---
Hello Friends, Family, and others!
We hope things are going well there at home! We've had quite a week here in Taiwan. I'm not really sure where to begin. I know we mentioned last week that we have a pretty varied schedule, and it has continued into this week as well. In the last 5 days we've played for a kindergarden (TONS of fun!!!), at another hospital, at the Fishermen's warf, for the YWAM staff, a homeless shelter, a high school, and another convelecent center. It has been wondederful. The hospital we played at was one that we had played in the very first week. When we were there the first time, there was a boy named David that we were able to pray for. He was 5 and very, very sick. When we came back the next time, he had been feeling much better, getting ready to go home, and very excited to visit with us. He thanked us for praying for him and told us that God had made him feel better! It was really cool to see. At the homeless shelter, we were able to perform for about 100 men and then had the opportunity to serve them dinner. Talk about humbling. And we've had experiences like this every day so far.
We've also been spending a lot of time at The Rock in the evenings. We've been able to connect with a lot of students there and had a ton of ministry opportunities there as well. Just the other day I was talking to a couple of girls about movies when they asked me if I believed in ghosts. It was the perfect set-up to tell them about the gospel. We've all been learning a lot about what God can do when we make ourselves available for ministry. We've also been learning a lot about encouragement. Over the last three weeks, most of our devotionals have been on the theme of encouragement. Then on Monday, we lead worship for the entire YWAM base, and afterwords participated in the montly prayer day. The topic of the month (which every YWAM base in the world will be praying about this month) is encouragement. One lesson we've learned is that it goes far beyond words. It is a constant attituted of lifting each other up. To make another persons path easier to travel by clearing the way for them. It carries itself out it words, yes, but also in actions, in thoughts, in prayer, in sacrifice, etc. Encouragement. We all need it. And we all need to practice it. By practicing encouragement the way Christ did, we grow closer to Him. It's awesome.
On a lighter note, we've been able to do some pretty fun stuff here in Taiwan. Last week, we went to visit Taipei 101 and one of the largest night markets in Taiwan. We were going to go to the beach today, but it rained all day. We were able to go exploring a bit in our free time. Just today, we found an Irish coffee shop on the riverfront. We all ate tacos. Yeah... we had Tacos, in an Irish coffee shop, in Taiwan. Can life get better?!!! We've tried things like frogs, blood soup, pot-stickers, porrige (made with eggs and horse urine), and all kinds of other fun things. A team favorite has been the pot-stickers. It's our standby late-night meal. We also went out for a sweet meal involving lamb and clams. I'd tell you more about it, but it all happened in Mandrin, so I don't know much more than that. Most of our meals consist of us pointing at food that looks like it would be good, getting it and thinking, "Hm... I wonder what THIS is..." and eating it anyway. We've probably eaten tons of cool stuff without knowing what it was. The point is, FOOD HERE IS AWESOME!
Here are a couple of shout-outs from the team:
We hope things are going well there at home! We've had quite a week here in Taiwan. I'm not really sure where to begin. I know we mentioned last week that we have a pretty varied schedule, and it has continued into this week as well. In the last 5 days we've played for a kindergarden (TONS of fun!!!), at another hospital, at the Fishermen's warf, for the YWAM staff, a homeless shelter, a high school, and another convelecent center. It has been wondederful. The hospital we played at was one that we had played in the very first week. When we were there the first time, there was a boy named David that we were able to pray for. He was 5 and very, very sick. When we came back the next time, he had been feeling much better, getting ready to go home, and very excited to visit with us. He thanked us for praying for him and told us that God had made him feel better! It was really cool to see. At the homeless shelter, we were able to perform for about 100 men and then had the opportunity to serve them dinner. Talk about humbling. And we've had experiences like this every day so far.
We've also been spending a lot of time at The Rock in the evenings. We've been able to connect with a lot of students there and had a ton of ministry opportunities there as well. Just the other day I was talking to a couple of girls about movies when they asked me if I believed in ghosts. It was the perfect set-up to tell them about the gospel. We've all been learning a lot about what God can do when we make ourselves available for ministry. We've also been learning a lot about encouragement. Over the last three weeks, most of our devotionals have been on the theme of encouragement. Then on Monday, we lead worship for the entire YWAM base, and afterwords participated in the montly prayer day. The topic of the month (which every YWAM base in the world will be praying about this month) is encouragement. One lesson we've learned is that it goes far beyond words. It is a constant attituted of lifting each other up. To make another persons path easier to travel by clearing the way for them. It carries itself out it words, yes, but also in actions, in thoughts, in prayer, in sacrifice, etc. Encouragement. We all need it. And we all need to practice it. By practicing encouragement the way Christ did, we grow closer to Him. It's awesome.
On a lighter note, we've been able to do some pretty fun stuff here in Taiwan. Last week, we went to visit Taipei 101 and one of the largest night markets in Taiwan. We were going to go to the beach today, but it rained all day. We were able to go exploring a bit in our free time. Just today, we found an Irish coffee shop on the riverfront. We all ate tacos. Yeah... we had Tacos, in an Irish coffee shop, in Taiwan. Can life get better?!!! We've tried things like frogs, blood soup, pot-stickers, porrige (made with eggs and horse urine), and all kinds of other fun things. A team favorite has been the pot-stickers. It's our standby late-night meal. We also went out for a sweet meal involving lamb and clams. I'd tell you more about it, but it all happened in Mandrin, so I don't know much more than that. Most of our meals consist of us pointing at food that looks like it would be good, getting it and thinking, "Hm... I wonder what THIS is..." and eating it anyway. We've probably eaten tons of cool stuff without knowing what it was. The point is, FOOD HERE IS AWESOME!
Here are a couple of shout-outs from the team:
A quick word on Taiwan:
Great people, great city, great food, and we're all still alive. Keep praying for us. We love you all! Bye!~Ken
Greetings to all.The most importat thing I have to tell you is that the United States is in desperate need of more scooters.The second most important thing I have to tell you is that I am alive and well.~Christian
Everyone else is out galavanting aound the city and didn't get a chance to write down their messages, but we're all healthy and enjoying ourselves! Thank you so much for all your prayers. We love you and miss you!
Friday, October 03, 2008
Update from the team!
We received the following update from Laura today:
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Hey everyone!
We're here in an internet cafe enjoying a day off! It's hard to believe that we've only been here for 5 days! Technically, we've been gone a week, but we've been in Taiwan for only 5 days! It's been quite an adventure. Here's how it happened...
It was a dark and stormy night...
Well, no. Actually, it was a bright sunny morning when we left Willmar. Our drive the the airport was ejoyable and uneventful. We arrived at the airport about 3 hours before our flight, only to find out that we no longer had a flight. We were supposed to fly to Tokyo and then to Taipei, all within about 17 hours, but they ended up canceling the flight to Tokyo, which lift us stuck in the US for an extra day. Soooo, we got re-routed to the next available flight to Asia, which didn't leave until the next day. So we flew into Chicago, where we had an overnight layover. Luckily I (Laura) live in Chicago, so my parents were able to pick us up and we had nice comfy beds to sleep in (thank to a few friends!) as opposed to the floor of the gate at the airport. We then flew to Detroit, and then to Osaka, Japan. Upon our arrival to Japan, they informed us that there was a typhoon in Taiwan and that we couldn't fly in until the next day. As a result, we got to spend a night in Japan! Boy was that an adventure! Hahaha. At about 4:00 am we finally boarded our last flight to Taipei. We arrieved on time, met Sandra, our YWAM contact, and started our day!
So far our ministry here has looked different than we thought it would. I guess we didn't really know what to expect, but it was definately a lot less varied than what we've actually been able to experience. So far, we've played in two hospitals, a convelecent center, and residentail home for the mentally handicaped, and a high school. It was inceredible. Each place has been significantly different from the last, and it's been fun to meet people in all stages of life here. Tomorrow we're going down to the fishermen's warf to do some concerts out there. Beyond the music side of things, we've been spending a lot of time at a place called The Rock. It's a free coffee house that YWAM (Youth With A Mission) runs as a means to evangelize and deciple. The Rock offers English classes as well as "hang out" environment where people can come and practice their English with native speakers. We've all had a ton of fun spending time with the students that come. Most of them are universtiy students from the school just down the street from our apartment, so we have plenty in common. There's never a dull moment at The Rock.
Today we're going to downtown Taipei to see the sights with a few of the people here gracious enough to show us around a bit. I've heard rumors of Taipei 101 (which I beleive is the second tallest building in the world), as well as a few other treats that Taiwan has to offer. The food here is incredible and we're all looking forward to eating more of it! Not to mention the fact that we get to spend some quality time with our Taiwanese friends here.
Here are some prayer requests you can be lifting up with us:
- ~Please pray that we remain healthy so that we can continue in our minsitry.
- ~We are suposed to get hit by another typhoon this weekend, so please pray for the safety of everyone here, as well as minimal damage. Especially since they're still recovering from the one we had last weekend!
- ~Pray for the ministry of YWAM and their staff as they work hard to share the gospel and disciple Christians here in Taiwan. ~Pray for 1422 as they start their ministry in the Philippines.
That's all we have. Miss you all, and thanks for all your prayers and support!
Monday, September 29, 2008
Team 14:21 Reports Safe Arrival in Taiwan
Team Leader Laura Schuh called this evening to report the team's safe arrival and connection with the YWAM staff in Taipei. The team encountered several delays (mostly due to weather) but their equipment made it safe and sound with them as well.
They are looking forward to a month of ministry with YWAM. Be sure to check out their blog for updates throughout their month overseas.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
We're Back!
Training Tour is over! On Monday, we drove back to Willmar and shared many stories with 14:22 and the CTI staff. Since the tour was only less than three weeks, there are many things that each and every one of us took away from this trip. For me, I learned that prayer is powerful. I also learned that God is always available, and that it's really up to us whether or not we make ourselves available to Him.
I'm sure there are a TON of things that we learned from this trip, but that is just one of very many. So right now, we are back in Willmar getting ready to leave tomorrow for our overseas tour in....TAIWAN! Yup, I'm excited! Since there are a number of things that can possibly go wrong on this tour, there are a few things that I would like to request of you to pray for us about...
- safety for our travels to and from Taiwan
- nice customs agents in Taiwan who won't give us problems checking out our equipment
- our physical, mental and spiritual health
- the receptiveness and openness of the people in Taiwan towards us and God
We will return on October 23, so there's a small chance that we will be posting until then. Also, take some time out to check out 14:22's blog. They will be leaving for the Philippines next Tuesday.
Thanks for reading!
- Stanley
I'm sure there are a TON of things that we learned from this trip, but that is just one of very many. So right now, we are back in Willmar getting ready to leave tomorrow for our overseas tour in....TAIWAN! Yup, I'm excited! Since there are a number of things that can possibly go wrong on this tour, there are a few things that I would like to request of you to pray for us about...
- safety for our travels to and from Taiwan
- nice customs agents in Taiwan who won't give us problems checking out our equipment
- our physical, mental and spiritual health
- the receptiveness and openness of the people in Taiwan towards us and God
We will return on October 23, so there's a small chance that we will be posting until then. Also, take some time out to check out 14:22's blog. They will be leaving for the Philippines next Tuesday.
Thanks for reading!
- Stanley
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
From Pella to Damascus
Hello everyone, I want to tell you a bit about 14:21's week
On Tuesday, we played a morning chapel at Pella Christian High, then spent the remainder of the day in the school's common area interacting with the students. I talked to a number of students and many were enthusiastic about music and missions- over 18 auditioned to be on a CTI team !!! It was great to be in the familiar atmosphere of a God-centered school- I felt close to the students, because I was once in their shoes. Being at school made me realize how much I miss my wise teachers/ mentors. Especially you Mr Orr!
Thanks again Pella High School and host families for a great experience!
Tonight and Wednesday night, we had the privilege of ministering at Church of the Damascus Road, a church inside two correctional facilities. I think the entire team would agree that we did not minister to them, but they ministered to us. Listening to the prayers of broken men have the ability to re-break one's heart for God.
The team has been learning about God's grace...
Nothing we can do can make God love us less.
Nothing we can do can make God love us more.
God loves us because He wants to.
I pray we can accurately share God's grace to those we encounter, and continue to give each other grace day to day as we learn and grow.
Thanks for reading! Be Blessed!
- Micaela
On Tuesday, we played a morning chapel at Pella Christian High, then spent the remainder of the day in the school's common area interacting with the students. I talked to a number of students and many were enthusiastic about music and missions- over 18 auditioned to be on a CTI team !!! It was great to be in the familiar atmosphere of a God-centered school- I felt close to the students, because I was once in their shoes. Being at school made me realize how much I miss my wise teachers/ mentors. Especially you Mr Orr!
Thanks again Pella High School and host families for a great experience!
Tonight and Wednesday night, we had the privilege of ministering at Church of the Damascus Road, a church inside two correctional facilities. I think the entire team would agree that we did not minister to them, but they ministered to us. Listening to the prayers of broken men have the ability to re-break one's heart for God.
The team has been learning about God's grace...
Nothing we can do can make God love us less.
Nothing we can do can make God love us more.
God loves us because He wants to.
I pray we can accurately share God's grace to those we encounter, and continue to give each other grace day to day as we learn and grow.
Thanks for reading! Be Blessed!
- Micaela
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Concert at Epworth UMC
Thanks to Pastor Corby and everyone at Epworth UMC!
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