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Thews (Taiwan) Update – June & August 2022

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News from Missionary Mindy Thews
Serving the Lord in Taiwan
2022 June – Aug Newsletter
Thank you for your support, prayers, and encouragement!
Mindy Thews – Concordia Middle School
Chiayi City, Taiwan

Let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy.
Psalm 96:12 (ESV)

 願 田 和 其 中 所 有 的 都 歡 樂 ！
那 時 ， 林 中 的 樹 木 都 要 在 耶 和 華 面 前 歡 呼 。
詩 篇 96:12 (CUV)

Psalm 96:12 Baseball Graphic Design

Baseball and Jesus

Living in a new culture, it’s easy to recognize the differences from my home country. However, the longer I’ve been in the mission field, the more similarities I’ve noticed Taiwan and the U.S. sharing. One of the best examples of common ground can be found at the ball park.

Taiwan and America love the same game – baseball. Baseball has been a part of Taiwan’s cultural fabric since Japanese rule in the early 1900’s. By 1931, the game was firmly established on the island when the underdog Kano baseball team from Chiayi City took second place in a prestigious Japanese high school tournament. How much does Taiwan still love this team? There’s a large baseball statue commemorating the boys’ unexpected finish at the Central Fountain in downtown Chiayi.

Since that time, the love affair with baseball has only grown. From the late 60s to the early 90s, Taiwan won 17 Little League World Championship titles. Olympic success followed with a bronze finish in ’84 and a silver medal in ’92. Building upon this success, Taiwan formed two professional leagues which later consolidated to create the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Currently, five clubs play across the island with four minor league teams supporting player recruitment and development.

Discussing common interests is one method I use to build rapport with students. Helping them feel relaxed can open the door to sharing the Gospel, giving students a path to hearing the good news of Jesus. Who knew that baseball can bring people a little closer to Jesus?

Kano Baseball Statue

Kano Baseball Statue

Every Spring, Concordia Middle School organizes an intramural baseball tournament. Click the link below to enjoy some highlights.

Makeshift standing desk

I created a makeshift standing desk at home for virtual instruction.
It wasn’t my dream desk, but it worked!

Covid School Daze

The end of the school year is always a long road, and this year brought special challenges. While Covid-19 was winding down in many parts of the world, Taiwan was experiencing a Covid spike. The last 8 weeks of the school year, Concordia Middle School hosted a combination of in-person, hybrid, and virtual learning, leaving everyone in a daze.

Switching formats day-by-day created new instructional challenges. Some lessons transferred smoothly to a virtual platform, while other curricula required adjustments to meet the needs of hybrid learning. Filling the gaps to merge in-person and virtual learning was our most challenging priority. Teachers redesigned lesson plans, created fresh content, and incorporated new technology very quickly. It was both satisfying and exhausting.

Students and their families were feeling the strain of uncertainty and frustration. Sharing devices with family members while incorporating new platforms and lacking cameras or microphones to interact in live virtual classes – all depleted our school families as well. Stress levels were high whether we had classes virtually or in person, as students were fearful of becoming sick.

In the worst of times, it’s reassuring to know that we’re not alone. Students and teachers worked together to make the best of difficult circumstances. Thankfully, we continued to share God’s love with our students to strengthen them, guide them, and reassure them that God is always with us. When we’re dazed, He provides clarity and peace.

A Few Pictures

Student drawing

A Junior 2 (8th grade) student added this adorable image to a worksheet.

Students holding cross bookmarks.

My Junior 3 (9th grade) literature class received cross bookmarks from the St. Peter LWML, Newell, IA. Thank you for your sharing your creativity, ladies! 

Corn Ice Cream

Summer is ice cream season in Taiwan.
There’s a wide variety of treats, even corn ice cream! 

Please Pray For:

  • CMS students, that through our Gospel activities they can come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior
  • CMS teachers, that we can bring the Good News to students through our gifts of teaching
  • Peaceful China/Taiwan relations

Give Thanks For: 

  • A restful summer break for CMS students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff
  • Technology that allows us to meet virtually when physical conditions aren’t ideal

Financial Partnership


Donate Online
Give securely from any device:
www.lcms.org/givenow/thews

Donate by Phone
Call a donor care representative
1-888-843-5267

Donate by Mail
Make checks payable to:
LCMS
PO Box 66861
St. Louis, MO 63166-6861
Or
Mission Central
40718 Highway E 16
Mapleton, IA 51034
On the memo line, include:  Thews/Taiwan 

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Witness Mercy Life Together

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