February Prayer Updates

Prayer Updates for Nancy Leet

February 22, 2013

Precept Taiwan

• Classes recommence on Monday, 2/25…..the classes I am leading include two by Skype (Monday and Thursday evenings), one in Taipei on Tuesday evenings and one on Friday morning in Hsinchu.  Please pray for both Diane and me as we shift our focus from simply leading the studies, to mentoring upcoming leaders.  Pray that we would have God’s wisdom regarding the timing of turning the studies over to the leadership of others.
• Keep asking God for His person to lead Precept Taiwan.  Also pray for the staff and the organization during this transitional time.  It is challenging for them all.

TEAM Mission Family

• This year’s Annual Conference resulted in the election of my coworker Ron Heinsman to be the Ministry Area Leader for TEAM Taiwan.  This is a great answer to prayer for me to be relieved of the responsibility for the oversight of the Taiwan Ministry Area.  Ron’s gifts are well suited to this role and I see this as a very good step for us.  Pray for him as he adjusts himself and his other ministry responsibilities, and becomes acquainted with his new job. (added on to his old one) 
• The move to our new office is complete and the property (old office) has been turned over to the new owner.  We have experienced God’s amazing grace throughout this whole process and it marks the beginning of a new era for TEAM in Taiwan.  Please pray for us to be focused on God and His leading as we seek to fulfill the vision He has given us for the unreached people in Taiwan.

Trailblazer Camps

• Thank you for your prayers for the two winter camps.  The Spirit moved powerfully in the lives of many campers, and staff as well, as they were challenged to follow Christ with full commitment and not sell out to anything else.
• We are still looking for permanent staff.  Especially pray with us for God’s provision of a Taiwanese director with a clear vision for camp ministry as a tool for evangelism and discipleship training.

Personal

• Please pray for me as I seek God’s specific leading regarding how I might fit into one or more of the Ministry Initiatives of TEAM Taiwan.   I want to put the tool I have worked so hard to hone and train others to use for so many years (Inductive Bible study) to work, specifically in the work of TEAM Taiwan, in this next season. of my ministry.
• Being relieved of the Ministry Area Leader role, didn’t leave me without a place on the leadership team…..Ron and I just traded hats, so I have become the Member Care Facilitator and the leadership team secretary.  Pray for me to do those tasks well.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Heb 12:1-2

January Prayer Updates

Prayer Updates for Nancy Leet

January 19, 2013

Precept Taiwan

1.     This has been a quiet month as we are on a break from classes until after Chinese New Year (2/10).  Please be praying for our preparation for the new semester, for returning and new students to be filled with a hunger for God and His word and a clear sense of direction for the organization, from God.

2.     As of the end of December, I am phasing out of my leadership role in the Precept Taiwan organization.  My coworkers are assuming my office duties and my role, until we find a replacement national director, is simply becoming a “bearer of the title” in order to maintain stability for now.  Please pray for that replacement to be found  in God’s timing. 

TEAM Mission Family

1.     We thank God for the response of more than 4000 students at the Urbana Missions Conference saying they felt God’s call to long-term mission work.  Be praying for all of those who attended, that they would continue to listen to God’s leading in their lives and choose to follow.  The harvest is ready and we need more workers!

2.     This past week we found and agreed to rent a very suitable small apartment to serve as our mission office in the city of Taichung.  It is within walking distance of Morrison Academy, which means that it is at the convenient center of activity for our missionaries there.  It was clearly God’s leading and we are going to move in the first week of February.

3.     Yesterday the sale of our property in Taipei was completed and we rejoice in God’s provision and protection of the whole process.  We have been blessed and cared for in a way that gives testimony to how God provides more than you could ask or even imagine!

4.     We will hold our Annual Meeting 2/2/2013 and need God’s direction as we elect a Ministry Area Leader for a two year term starting July 1.  I have been nominated again.

Trailblazer Camps

1.     Please pray for the two winter camps being held the last week of January.

2.     We are still looking for permanent staff.  Pray with us for God’s provision.

Personal

1.     A good friend, (expat) discovered this week, that she has cancer in her lung….secondary cancer from breast cancer of 2 ½ years ago.  Please pray for her and her husband as they seek God’s direction through the maze of possible treatments.

2.     Please keep the planning for my upcoming Home Assignment in your prayers.  My projected dates are May 24 – September 20, 2013.

I thank God for you all, every time I think of you….your prayers and gifts are an amazing provision of God to me, and remind me daily of His love and faithfulness.

TEAM Taiwan Rep interviewed by Mission News

My coworker, Jeremy Hsu attended the Urbana Missions Conference last week, representing TEAM in general and the Taiwan Ministry Area in specific.  The desire of each representative of various ministries at this conference, is to see more workers for their particular area of the great Harvest for the Kingdom of God.

While Jeremy was at the conference, he had the opportunity to share about Taiwan's greatest need with the Mission Network News.  You can view the article at the following link or read it below:
http://mnnonline.org/article/18064

Taiwan (MNN) ― The working poor make up about half of Taiwan's population. According to the Taipei Time, Taiwan's figures show that of the 108,000 families classed as poor in Taiwan, 80,000 are impoverished because of low incomes resulting from unemployment or being in atypical employment.
Jeremy Hsu with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) says, "We have no breakthrough for the Gospel in this big segment of Taiwan, and so we are looking to be a difference in there. We are looking to go to the heart of darkness in Taiwan."
Hsu serves in Taiwan and tells Mission Network News about the challenges they face. "I think spiritual bondage definitely is a main issue, because most of these people. Demonic activities [are] their way of life."
There are even more issues. "Besides that, they are less educated, and therefore they have less capacity for good decision-making. They get into a vicious cycle of bad decisions and bad consequences of life: decisions like alcohol problems, drug problems, gambling, divorce, family break-up."
Hsu says where they're working, "One-third of the children are from broken families."
What's society doing to help? "The society in general [does not] know how to respond. They trust the government to do something, but government can only do so much," says Hsu.
He says believers need a deeper understanding of the Great Commission. "The lack of discipleship in Taiwan, in general, is producing this apathy toward reaching their neighbors."
Ask God to send more workers to His spiritual harvest in Taiwan. "A lot of people are going to China, but Taiwan is somewhat left behind, and we need help." 

December Prayer Updates

Prayer Updates for Nancy Leet

December 19, 2012

Precept Taiwan

•       Please pray that the vision that has been cast among the leaders and students of Precept Bible studies in Taiwan, will take root and grow in their hearts.  We believe that it is God’s desire for His people to know Him through His word.     
•      Join us in thanking God for His provision for us every month, through the giving of many individuals.  This last month we were blessed with a gift of US$5,000! 

TEAM Mission Family

• We are sending a member of the Taiwan Ministry Area (Jeremy Hsu) to help at the Urbana Missions Conference, sharing the needs and opportunities in TEAM all over the world.  We are praying that many of the more that 20,000 college students who will attend this conference will respond to God’s call to foreign missions.  Particularly pray that the Taiwan Ministry Area of TEAM will see some new people come join us as a result.  And pray for Jeremy and his family as they are apart for the week following Christmas.
•  The date of our office move is finally set for mid January, but we still need to find a place to go!  Pray for just the right office for us in Taichung.

Trailblazer Camps

•      The winter camps will be happening toward the end of January.  The focus of these camps is on developing Christian youth in their walk with God and their ability to make disciples.  Pray for God to provide counselors who are disciples themselves and who can come alongside of their campers for this purpose.
•      We are still looking for permanent staff.  Pray with us for God’s provision.

Personal

•        As the end of the year approaches, the task of determining a strategic plan with accompanying budgets, for both TEAM and Precept Taiwan, looms before me.   Please pray for me as I lead this process in both organizations, to hear from God and to be able to take advantage of all of the resources available to me. 
•       Please keep the planning for my upcoming Home Assignment in your prayers.  My projected dates are May 24 – September 20, 2013.

I thank God for you all, every time I think of you….your prayers and gifts are an amazing provision of God to me, and remind me daily of His love and faithfulness.

Christmas 2011 at the Hsinchu TEAM Church

The church family ambitiously took on the challenge of producing a musical play for Christmas.  The day of the dress rehearsal, others gathered to decorate the hall (not with boughs of holly!) in preparation for the following day's festivities.

Trying on costumes and making sure everything works was also an important task the day before the BIG day!

Then on Sunday came the big presentation -- everyone outdid themselves!

(these are still photos from dress rehearsal, but you get the idea!)

Staff Retreat

There is no better place than the mountains of Taiwan, to get away from the busyness of everyday life and take time for quiet reflection and planning.

My coworkers Dai and Joy and a board member, Teacher Tang, went for an overnight planning retreat in the mountains of central Taiwan.  We had a wonderful time of fellowship as well as making some significant progress in planning the next year's activities for Precept Taiwan.

Joy, Dai and Teacher Tang

Nothing like the beauty of the mountains!

Leader Training

Early in December, Stephen (Pac Rim Regional Director for Precept Ministries International) and Grace Lim came to Taiwan to give a two day bilingual training in "How to Plan and Lead Effective Discussions" of Precept Upon Precept Lessons.  We were thrilled to have 25 current and potential leaders attend the training.  The local staff will follow up this training with another practice day and then once classes begin in March we will have weekly leaders' meetings in which we work through the whole process together.

New twist on "body life"

What comes to mind when you think about how the body of Christ functions as a body and works together to meet the needs of the congregation and community? My guess is that your picture doesn't include a man pulling out his haircutting equipment and offering free haircuts or a woman trained in massage therapy giving help to ease the pain in members' necks and shoulders. Our little congregation in Hsinchu has both and we feel blessed because of the service of these brothers and sisters. They are a real live emulation of "foot washing" in modern context. I am humbled by their service.

The calming effect of beauty in creation

When I arrive at my office here on the campus of the China Lutheran Seminary in the morning and see this little patch of beautiful, wild looking purple flowers, I feel happy and peaceful. These flowers are such an amazing picture of God's creative power and loving provision. Lord, thank you for surrounding me with reminders I can see. You know what I need!

Recent Snapshots of my life

Being a part of TEAM Taiwan is really to be a part of a family.  The first Saturday in September we had a cookout to celebrate the official arrival of our newest coworkers, Jeremy and Ruth Hsu, and to show appreciation to Bill Franklin for his service to our Ministry Area by holding the role of Ministry Area Leader for the last 16 years.  Hiroshi and Kumi Ebina did the work of preparing all of the food for the picnic and we had a great time eating Japanese style BBQ, done on an American grill!  We are blessed to have 50 % of our family from North America and 50% from Asia.  

Welcome and Appreciation BBQ for TEAM Taiwan Missionaries

 Before our fall classes got going we held promotional events for the 40 Minute Bible Study Series in 2 cities.  We are praying that each one who attended will have been encouraged and empowered to step out and lead a group of people in studying the Bible.  We are also praying that for those who do, it will be the first step into a lifestyle of disciple-making.

Students practice leading small group Bible Study using Precept 40 Minute Studies