To Do: Drink Coffee

Monday’s in Taiwan are my “To Do” days.  They are the days when I don’t teach, and I get to take time to myself and get crap done.  I love these days for multiple reasons: (1.) I get time away by myself to recharge and prepare, which is needed, as I have lately discovered that I am actually an introvert who is highly sociable, (2.) I get to mark things off my to do list, which brings me more joy then a lot of other things could possible bring me, (3.) I love coffee shops.  In Nashville, my Saturday’s are usually my “To Do” days, and I typically fill those afternoons with a different coffee shop, a cup of black coffee (iced or hot depending on the weather), work to do, and every once and a while, a friend who wants to tag along.  Somehow, I always find my way to a coffee shop on a Saturday to get things done, so where else would you expect me to be on my Monday’s here in Taiwan? I am sitting in lovely coffee shop, drinking a delicious iced coffee because it is always freaking hot in Taiwan, and completing my “To Do” list for the week.

Along with completing my to do list, the other thing I love to do in my coffee shops is to dive deep into the word, my journal of thoughts, and Jesus.  In these moments, it’s as if Jesus and I are having a conversation over a cup of coffee. A conversation in which I reflect upon all he has done lately, all he has taught me, and in which he prepares me for what is coming.  So today, as I sit sipping on my cup of coffee, listening to Twenty One Pilots, and reflecting on Jesus, I thought I would share some of the things he is doing lately:

1.     He is drawing non-believers to him.  We have about half of our students who do not know Jesus at all.  Some of them had never heard of the name of Jesus or the Bible until two weeks ago when they came to SYME.  Now, each day, they are reading the bible for homework and discussing Jesus in classes like Life of Christ.  Already it is cool to see what Jesus is doing with that time.  One of our students, whose sister recently accepted Christ, went to church for one of the first times and came back talking about how much he learned.  Another student is learning what it means to be God-designed, purpose-intended, significant, lavishly-loved, prince, and son of the King of the Universe.  Several of the students are asking questions, deep questions, and you can see their eyes light up as they study the word and encounter Jesus for the first time.  And that is the key, and something I truly believe, when people encounter Jesus, the real Jesus, they are drawn to him and they are changed.  It is what has shaped my life in the past two years.  I began to see, understand, and study the real Jesus, the Jesus from the bible, not the Jesus from our dead-religion, and I have fallen madly in love with him because Jesus is an incredible, life saving, truth baring, grace showing, man.  If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself.  The reality of Jesus changes people. It changed me, and it is rapidly changing the lives of students here.

2.     He is teaching his followers daily.  Whether its from a Secret Church on Angels, Demons, and Spiritual Warfare, which some of the staff did on Friday night, or through personal encounters with him, Christ is teaching all of us something.  I have learned about endurance, and the importance of a quiet time just to make it through a day.  I have learned what it actually looks like to pray continuously, because here, you need to pray constantly and continuously.  By spending so much time with Matt and Sarah’s kids, I have learned how different the bible looks when seen through the eyes of child.  Because of the language barrier, I have learned how complicated we tend to make the gospel through our use of Christianese.  The gospel is simple: “For God so loved the world, he sent his only son, that whoever believes him shall not die but have everlasting life.”  It is all about Jesus, it always has been, and it always will be. Jesus is reminding me not to forget that key message.

3.     He is teaching me how fun seeking a Great Perhaps actually his when you are already seeking The Great Perhaps in him.  I have now officially survived a typhoon (hurricane), eaten strange food like sea urchin (I still refuse to eat the Stinky Tofu), gotten lost, created relationships with people around the world, (from Brazil to Taiwan), attended a Chinese church, and seen that Jesus is still Jesus around the world.  He is moving, he is loving, he is saving, and he is inviting us in to seek the Great Perhaps. This question is always, will you join him?

So I leave you with this:

“We proclaim to you that which we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with the Father and his son Jesus Christ.”

                                                                                                            -1 John 1:3

“I go to seek a Great Perhaps.”

Will Power

will  

/wil/

Verb

1.     Intend, desire, or wish (something) to happen: "he was doing what the saint willed".

2.     to purpose, determine on, or elect, by an act of will: If he wills success, he can find it.

3.     to exercise the will: To will is not enough, one must do.

Noun

1.     The faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action: "she has an iron will".

2.     the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action; the power of control the mind has over its own actions: the freedom of the will.

3.     power of choosing one's own actions: to have a strong or a weak will.

Will.  This is the word that has been running through my mind like a Kenyan training for a marathon.  This is especially true now that the focus topic of the week at SYME (School of Youth Ministry in English) is the will of God.  The issue for me is that when my mind gets a topic trapped in it, I will think about it over and over, analyzing it in as many different angles as I can.  Some of you already know this about me.  So needless to say, the concept of will has been wrestled and contemplated over many, many times, and I think two of the definitions above clearly help present my thoughts and what has happened in the past week of SYME.

1.     Will (verb)à the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action; the power of control the mind has over its own actions. 

Here is what I have learned: my will power might be bi-polar.  There are things that I can will into place.  I can enforce my will in my classroom, controlling the tempo, pace, and information.  I can make it entertaining when I need, and strict and boring when necessary. I can push Jesus when needed, and push English when needed.  I can enforce my will in my conversations.  I can dictate what is shared and how much is shared simply by the questions I ask.  I can choose not to share, or when to share.  There are aspects of this trip that I can will to happen and control. 

Then there are the things my will fails at completely, like my struggles, my depression, pride, etc.  With these things, I can’t simply impose my will to control.  There are times where I feel completely helpless, like my struggles are imposing their will on me, and it is in these moments, that I know Satan is pressing in, trying to impede what God is doing here.  Which leads me to the next definition:

2.     Will (noun)à Intend, desire, or wish (something) to happen. 

            What is God’s will? What is God’s will for me in this trip? And how can I follow God’s will if my own will is so weak and helpless? These are questions I wrestle with daily.  I wrestle with my purpose here.  I wrestle with having to endure one of the most challenging adventures I have ever had everyday. Everyday I have to submit to God’s will and believe that it has brought me here for purpose.  Everyday I have found myself desperately needing to dive into the depths of Jesus simply to prepare me for the day; to prepare me to complete his daily will for my life.

 It is in these moments: these moments staring at the beauty of Jesus; these moments of having the scriptures blow my mind daily; these moments where I get to laugh, love, and share life with these incredible students; the moments where I get to talk about Jesus to people who, until a week ago, have never heard of the name of my Lord and King.  It is in these moments, and so many more, that I am reminded that the will of God is good, pleasing, and perfect, even when it is challenging.  It is in these moments that I am reminded of when Jesus had to submit to the will of God, despite the cost, just to save me. 

Yes, my heart is not passionately in love with the nation of Taiwan, but my heart is passionately in love with Jesus and for what he cares about. And he wills that all will taste and see his glory and goodness, from Nashville all the way to Taiwan. He wills for the lost to be found, for the broken to be healed, and the neglected to be loved.  He wills for people like my students to know him.  He wills for people to be saved, and it was his will that brought me to my knees.  It is his will that saved me, that changed my life, and which led me to fall madly in love with this guy from Nazareth named Jesus. And for that reason, I will continue to submit to his will and trust and believe it is all worth it in the end.

So I leave you this:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

                                                                        -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Why, Mind Vomit, and Jesus

Trying to figure out how to write my first blog while in Taiwan has been difficult to say the least.  Because of who I am at the core, I want to write something catchy and slightly poetic, but at the same time, I want to be honest and real.  I want to write something that flows and tells a story, but at the same time, my brain goes 137 mph and changes its mind faster then most girls I have met (just kidding).  Finally, I settled with just writing whatever my brain is focused upon, like throwing up my mind’s thoughts onto a page, that way I stay to true to myself and whichever of you people decide to read this blog.

So here we go:

One of my many experiences while here in Taiwan is getting to spend time with one of my favorite families, the Korells.  During my first visit at their lovely Taiwanese home, their little boy comes running through the house, punching and hitting stuff like most little boys do.  He then proceeds to take his large, blow up, tiger (it is his new best friend) and hit his mom with it repeatedly.  Of course, she tells him to stop, and almost immediately, he asks, “Why?” You should have seen the smile on my face (the same smile was not on Mrs. Korell’s face) when he asked this question.  I smiled because my favorite question in the world is by far the question “Why?”  Some of you, if not all of you, who know me have probably experienced this from time to time, even to the point where you have been annoyed.  I love to ask the question why because I think it reveals so much about a person, and honestly, how often do we actually consider why we think something or believe something.  So here I am, in the middle of Taichung, Taiwan, hearing a toddler ask my favorite question in the world, when the weight of that question hit and proceeded to embedded itself into my heart and soul.  “Why?”

That is the question that has been the hardest thing for me on this trip so far.  I keep asking myself, “Why?” Why am I here? What is the point? Why did I leave Nashville, where I am blessed to be part of something incredible that God is doing, to spend two months in a country where I do not know the language and I do not know what I am doing? Why did I choose to come to a country where my heart does not lye, instead of going on an adventure in England, where my heart is clearly longing to be? Why did I choose to come to a country where it is clear that Satan has infiltrated the religion and culture, a place where I am truly terrified of the very real spiritual warfare?  Why am I here? And it is in these moments, when the night is dark and pressing in, when I get up from sleep and step into the heat of the next room, when the depression, that constant hovering cloud, sinks in, my mind screams to know, “Why?”

I am not going lie, that question has not left me alone.  It proceeds to run circles in my head.  But there is another truth that I has been constant in these days since I have left the states, and that is Jesus. He has shown himself constantly.  He showed himself in a broken conversation with a little boy over his Batman shirt and my Superman tank top, and how awesome those heroes are.  He showed himself in prayer as we walked under the eye of one of the local temples.  He showed himself in reconnecting with old friends from JC, especially when we get to share how much Jesus has done and changed in us in the past two years.  He has shown himself in the many teachers who are here, who desire to share his word and his love.  He has shown himself in my roommate who is from Brazil and has spent a year away from his home, his family, and his girlfriend, chasing the Lord all over the world.  He has shown himself in his word, which has jumped out and spoken to me constantly throughout this adventure.  He has shown himself by answering my favorite question.  My mind asks, “Why?” and Jesus answers loudly and boldly with himself. And I know for a fact, he will keep revealing himself and showing himself until I am amazed, astonished, and afraid of all that he is by the end of this trip.

So I leave with you what Jesus pressed in on me while I set depressed in an Atlanta airport, questioning why and doubting this Great Perhaps:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

                                                                                                -John 14:27

Prayer Requests

Acts 4:29-30:

²⁹ And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, ³⁰ while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

Dear Friends, Family, and Random Supporters,

            In less then 24 hours I depart on the next grand adventure in my life.  I fly from Nashville to Atlanta to Tokyo (such a long flight!!) to my final destination of Taiwan, where I will be living and serving for roughly two months.  Because this adventure is about to occur, I have had many close friends and family ask me what they can be praying for while I am gone.  So I figured writing a blog would be easiest and the best possible way to present those prayer requests, and a great way to start my official blog in Taiwan. So here we go:

            Please pray for safe travels as I am doing this great expedition on my own. One thing that Dave Clayton, from Ethos, has really pressed in on me lately is that whenever Jesus was around people, their lives got better.  The same should be said about his followers, and so pray that in my interactions with people throughout the trip, the workers, flight attendants, other passengers, that people’s lives would get better because they are in the vicinity of someone who loves Jesus.  Pray Jesus is glorified in every interaction and conversation.  While I may be traveling alone, I am never alone with Jesus.  Also, I wouldn’t mind if you prayed for some sleep and rest on the long flight from Atlanta to Tokyo.

            Once there, pray for the students that are coming to learn, whether it’s English or Jesus.  Pray that God touches their lives and draws them closer to him during their time at SYME, even if they don’t realize it.  Pray he will speak through me and that he will constantly be teaching through me, because it is clear that my East Tennessee accent severely handicaps my ability to teach proper English. But ministry is not ministry if we can do it alone.  Pray against any attacks of the enemy.  Whether or not you believe in spiritual warfare, it is very real, and very evident in Taiwan.  Pray in the name of Jesus that all attacks of the enemy are crushed now in advance, because there is no doubt that Jesus is above all.

Lastly, pray Acts 4:29-30 over the entire trip.  Pray against the threats of the enemy.  Pray for the team to be able to constantly speak the Word.  Pray that we will have boldness pouring out of our lives for Jesus.  And pray that God will do what only he can do, the supernatural.  We can present Jesus and the cross with words, but it takes the Holy Spirit to lead anyone into the empty tomb of resurrection.

I am so excited for the adventure.  I go to seek a Great Perhaps.  I am thankful for all of your prayers, and I truly believe that God is going to do life-altering things in Taiwan.  I love all of you very much.

In Him,

Isaac Jones

Isaiah 26:8

After Famine, Comes Harvest

Here is a talk from Midnight Worship on 4/16/13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6DMJY7e9AA