In Psalms 22:27, David says, “ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.” (ESV) Over the past week, I have seen God’s family worship Him with their talents, hard work, music, and love for one another. For the third consecutive year, Aroma has partnered with a local church in Hualien, a coastal city 106.3 miles south-east of Taipei, to run a five-day English Bible Camp for elementary students. “Guam Team’, of which I am a member, was blessed to be a part of this amazing group effort.
For five days, the joint team of people from Guam, Aroma, and the local Hualien church taught 3 classes, of about 20 students each, with the theme – Heroes of the Bible. Each day, we focused on a hero beginning with Noah and ending with the ultimate hero, Jesus Christ. Each day was quite physically and mentally tiring as we ran the camp for 9 hours a day. It was tough teaching in English and Mandarin and then playing with 60 very energetic and enthusiastic children. However, it was so rewarding and enjoyable! The team members really showed Christ’s love in how they served and bonded with one another and the children. The local church was so supportive by being with us everyday, hosting, and taking care of the logistics. The children were so curious and precious even the more challenging ones. The love of God really overflowed in such a diverse group of believers.
Each day, the students’ innocence, trust, and eagerness reminded us of of when Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, “…Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” (ESV) Several children decided to join God’s family and prayed to receive Christ as their Savior! We felt so privileged to share these special moments with them and see God’s family grow! Please keep them all in your prayers, especially as many may face resistance from their families. One student who received Christ stated he/she cannot even bring back a Bible home as a certain family member always throws out any item related to Christianity.
As I reflect on our week, I remember feeling the overwhelming love of God and His family everyday. From the donations from abroad and Taiwan to the everyday hugs of children, God worked through the hearts of His family of believers in furthering His kingdom and making His name known throughout the nations.