Dear Friends and Family,
I hope this letter finds you well rested from the holidays and newly thankful for another year of life. I'm writing to share with you why I'm incredibly excited for what 2010 holds for me. As many of you know, I graduated from Robinson Township Christian School in June of 2009. Since graduating, I have been taking a full class load at a community college, working at a local coffee shop and enjoying living at home with my family. Since early September, 2009, I have been in the application process to be an intern for Mission To The World (MTW.) MTW is the mission-sending agency of the Presbyterian Church in America (the church denomination in which I am a member.) Through MTW, I spent ten days working at a church in Tranas, Sweden with a team from my church in July of 2007. This time around, I'm excited to announce, I will be heading even farther east to the beautiful island of Taiwan! I have been invited to serve at Christ College in Taipei, Taiwan for about six weeks in the summer of 2010.
Christ College was established in 1959 by Dr. James R. Graham Jr., a lifelong missionary to the Chinese. It is a standard four-year Christian Liberal Arts College with around 600 students and 55 faculty members. Christ College is committed to building a strong faith in the lives of their students through Biblical teaching and discipleship. The school's desire is to also reach out to non-Christian students and win their hearts for Christ. While at Christ College, I will be assisting teachers in the classroom, tutoring students in preparation for (English) finals, preparing materials for their summer Bible camp and most importantly, building relationships with students. I will be arriving at Christ College in mid-May, just 5 weeks away from finals. I am praying that I will be of great service to both the faculty and students as they busily work toward finishing another school year.
To read more about Christ College, visit http://www.christc.org.tw/.
So....why am I going? Why am I leaving friends, family and comfort for six weeks to live in a nation so unlike my own? Simply put, I'm going because I believe that the Father has a heart for the nations. I'm going because I believe there are souls in Taiwan that desperately need the good news of a Savior. I'm going because Jesus has commanded me to share the Good News with every tribe and every tongue. I'm going because the Father has given me a heart for the Chinese and a desire to encourage the hearts of his Chinese children. I recently read the autobiography of J. Hudson Taylor, the founder of China Inland Mission in the late 1800s. He recalls a conversation with a Chinese convert who asked him: "Is it possible that for hundreds of years you have had the knowledge of these glad tidings in your possession, and yet have only now come to preach to us? Oh, why did you not come sooner?" Since reading these words, they have been burning a permanent imprint on my heart. I have been given this gift of salvation and hope, who am I to remain silent?
I'm asking you to prayerfully consider partnering with me in my service to the Lord's Kingdom in Taiwan. It will cost roughly $3,500 for me to serve in Taiwan for six weeks and I need the financial support of the Church here at home. More importantly, I desperately need your prayers in the months ahead as I prepare to leave and during my weeks of service. This will be the longest I've ever been away from home, not to mention I'm heading to the other side of the world by myself! I know that despite the blessing and excitement of the trip, there will be times of hardship, loneliness and discouragement. If you feel able and led to support me, please simply mail the enclosed form to the address listed. All checks should be made payable to Mission To The World, and should include "Jamie Stuart--17139" (my MTW account number) on the memo line of the check. If you're interested in giving online, please go here: https://www2.mtw.org/donations/donate/AddDesignation.aspx?No=17139. Even if you are unable to commit to supporting me through finances or prayer, I'd love to keep you updated on my trip. I will be doing my best to update my blog (www.jamielynnstuart.blogspot.com) with stories, photos and prayer requests. I will also be sending out updates via email. If you'd like to be on my email list, please send an email to jamie.l.stuart@gmail.com and let me know! I'd also love to meet with you in person to pray with you or share more about my trip. Please send me an email (to the address listed above) if you're interested in setting up a meeting with me.
In His Service,
Jamie Stuart
More details and news coming soon!
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