Well Hello there Readers,
I've realized for quite some time that an update is significantly overdue. Its been seven weeks since my last post on this blog! My apologies, so much has happened since then. There are many things I would love to share in great detail but I'm afraid time and space won't allow me to do so. Plus I don't think you want to be reading for the next several hours. I will do my best to share what I can and how God has been working during my travels and experiences.
First and foremost I want to thank everyone of you who has been praying for my health. I am doing much better now. My fever has been down the past two days and I have more strength! This is so awesome and it is all by God's doing. God has heard your prayers for me! Thank you
During the last three weeks of my lecture phase I learned more on the following topics; Cost of Discipleship, Biblical Worldview, and Missions. During the "Cost of Discipleship" week I learned that a disciple of Christ is someone who is willing to pay the price for following Jesus. An admirer of Christ is someone who rides the waves of someone else's faith and doesn't really consider the cost of following and pursing the call that God has put on their lives. The week after during "Biblical Worldview" I learned that the difference between knowledge and belief is action. I learned that the only way I can know if I truly believe in something is if my actions reflect that I do believe. My life's actions should be a clear reflection of what I believe and know to be true. How I view the world has a very significant effect on the decisions that I make and the things that I do. During my last week of lecture phase my class looked at the topic of "Missions." I learned that it was God's intention for us to be influencers of the nations. We are the mustard seed that God intends to grow. So that when we grow people will come and find shade under us. I should find something worth dying for, and live for that. I need to decide what cost I am willing to pay if God is calling me to do missions long term. I need to ask myself if knowing Christ is enough for me, even to the point of suffering. I felt challenged to ask myself "What/Who am I living for?" I challenge you to do the same. We concluded our lecture phase by praying for each other individually and asking God to give us insight on what He has in store for each of us. I couldn't have thought of a better way to end lecture phase.
That weekend we had "Love Feast" in celebration of what had been completed and what was to come. On December second we packed up and began our one-month travels in China. While in China, we volunteered at a coffee shop and restaurant. Our primary focus was helping during the "English Learning Club" in the evenings at the coffee shop. Spending almost every evening there allowed for my team to build relationship fast with the locals. This helped us in being able to share our own personal life stories with them. I really enjoyed having conversation with these wonderful people and learning more about their culture. Through these conversations I learned that life in China is completely different than life where I grew up. I am privileged beyond what I can ever understand. I can say this because of what I've seen in China. On Christmas day we organized a program for the coffee shop. The program included: a flash mob (Yes, we did it... to Justin Bieber's little drummer boy (don't judge)), game, music, and a skit. We put a lot of practice in and it turned out wonderfully. It was splendid seeing my team work together to share the real reason why we celebrate Christmas. This was my first Christmas away from home and it was great spending it giving instead of receiving. New Years Eve came in a snap and we spent part of the evening in the coffee shop and the other part in Church. The year 2016 arrived with a chorus of cheers from all the Church members and hugs from all my team mates.
During my last three days in China I got very sick and had to go to the ER on New Years Day. My body temperature was constantly changing and my heart didn't know what to do. I had caught some sort of infection so the doctor gave me an IV of some kind (it was sketchy). Thankfully, this IV enabled me to get back to Taiwan the following day. That evening, five hours after arriving my condition got worse, they called an ambulance and I ended up staying in the hospital for three days before I could go back to my apartment. They said I had an upper respiratory infection. In the past two days my temperature has broke and I have begun feeling better. Thank you again to all who have been praying for me. I have seen God's love and faithfulness to me through this whole experience. I can't put it into words exactly but I know that He has been with me through this process. He has gone before and behind me and has covered me on every side.
One really cool thing that I got to do In China was teach English to a group of kids. I couldn't have done this without the help of my lovely team mate Kayla. She was my translator and taught the lesson on "emotions" right alongside me. Its always been a dream of mine to teach kids in China. So it was an answer to prayer that God made this dream come true for me. It just shows that He acknowledges even the BIG things we ask for. Nothing is to hard for Him. He knows your every desire and wants you to ask for those things so He can make them happen.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matt 7:7-8
Thank you for taking the time to read all of this post! I am of course leaving huge amounts of detail out, but one can only type for so long. I plan on joining the rest of my outreach team In Chaunghua when I have fully recovered from this infection. It's crazy that it's only a few weeks before graduate DTS! Thank you for your prayers and support.
Lydia Young
P.S. The following pictures are from the past month, sorry they are so random!
