"Those who have never been told of Him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand."
Romans 15:21
Taiwan is home to nearly 30,000 bridges. I crossed a number of them—and a handful in Vietnam—while on a trip with a short term mission team. Though at first they were a mundane part of our journey, these bridges began speaking volumes to me. They became a metaphor for the work I was doing, both abroad and locally in the US.
“You’re bridging gaps,” a voice in my head explained.
I thought about our experience with a local Taiwanese church in Kaohsiung. We connected with these believers through friends of ours in Columbus, Ohio (learn about their church: fhlhop.com). We participated in a conference with them, worshiping and equipping. Then, when it came time to visit the Vietnamese Church in Kaohsiung with Brother Barnabas, we invited the members of the Taiwanese church to join us.
This was an incredible opportunity! We watched as Taiwanese believers formed a bond with new Vietnamese brothers. This is a great step toward making a stronger Christian community for the Vietnamese people in Taiwan.
During our October mission trip, we visited many believers. In Vietnam, we prayed with pastors and house churches, encouraging them in the face of persecution. We also gave them four laptops to help them with Bible translation work.
In Taiwan, we encouraged and taught from the word. We led four new believers to Christ during our time there!
Needs of the Taiwan Vietnamese Church
Need for housing
Support ProjectThe male church members gather on Saturday night for prayer or outreach, eat and sleep together, and hold a church Service the next morning. However, there is need of separate weekend lodging for the female church members, who often cannot attend the Saturday events without a place to stay the night. It would cost about $200 a month to provide this lodging for one of three churches.
Long-term missionaries
Pray for WorkersWhile Barnabas and his wife are incredible leaders, these churches keep them working all the time without a break. In addition, they wonder what will happen if they “get too old,” as Barnabas put it, and have no one to continue their work. This would be a job either for a long-term missionary, or another young Vietnamese couple, to step up by faith and learn under Barnabas.
Bible school students
Support a Bible StudentAs the church members return to Vietnam, Barnabas equips them to teach a Bible school program to new believers in their home country. This program has continually grown over the years; Go Forth Ministry now supports 25 Bible school students in Vietnam! The cost for one student attending Bible school is about $1,000 a year.
I also considered the path we are forging with our new direction: discipleship through creativity. The work here is beginning to take form; recently, we have participated in two big projects.
Evan Zuercher, friend and former board member of GFM, has been cultivating his talents in painting for many years. God told him to put his work on display, and Evan answered. He held a showcase, “Dear God You Dream In Light,” and we were proud to sponsor him as he answered God’s call. Please pray that God would keep giving Evan opportunities to reach lost and curious artists.
The second project is The Brothers Baer, a YouTube TV-show. We finished the very first pilot episode in late September, and we are excited to keep the story coming.
These two projects are the first of many to come, which will be used to reach artists where they are at. We are plowing into uncharted mission fields, praying that God will make disciples out of actors and painters. This is another gap we are bridging.
Crew members work on the set of The Brothers Baer.
I am coming to understand: Go Forth is laying the groundwork. Every bridge needs a good foundation, or it will buckle under the weight of its travelers. Our capacity for future impact will depend on our willingness to lay the proper foundation right now.
As we lay this groundwork, our faith is in Christ alone. He is the bridge-builder, the reason we can bring the truth to the World. His example shines clearly:
“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
John 3:13-15
Jesus bridged the ultimate gap, joining Heaven and Earth. We carry on His legacy.
* * *
Finally, Katee and I are thrilled to announce that we are expecting our first child! We are so excited and cannot wait to welcome our baby in early May. Please keep us in your prayers as we begin a new adventure.
Many thanks to all who have supported us on this journey. God is doing amazing things, and you are a part of it! May we continue to serve Him together, wherever He calls us.
In Christ,
Jaren & Katee Baer
Get Involved
Prayer Requests
Taiwan
I want to prayPray for new connections, new modes of outreach, and the strengthened faith of believers.
Vietnam
I want to prayPray for safety for those discreetly doing the work of God; that the Lord would open doors for His word to spread.
Art & Discipleship
I want to prayPray for connection to the right artists and the right disciples; that we would begin to see fruit.
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Dalton, OH 44618
330-462-1029
goforthministry@gmail.com
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