Taiwan Update

Here we are at just under a month until we leave the United States. Can you believe it?! I know that I am still not sure that I do. So many things are happening right now that it is really, really hard to keep track of everything. I thought I would help you and me both out by giving an update on all the things we have going.

#1 Passports and Paperwork...DONE
Jimmy and I have both received all our passports and paperwork. *whew* We are ready to board the plane on July 29th and head into our new future.

#2 Job Interview with Giraffe...
A little over a week ago we had a job interview with Giraffe English School. They are a great franchise and we had a good time interviewing with Emily (their corporate recruiter). Our interview went very well. However, before Emily could recommend us for the open positions one of the schools filled their placement on their own. The other school was uncomfortable offering a position to one of us without the other having a position in the company as originally promised so both opportunities fell through. Emily will keep our names and data on file, but at this time we do not have a position with Giraffe.

#3 Selling Stuff...Woohoo!
Sales are going well! We have sold almost all of the big ticket items. Plus the garage sale we had last weekend went amazing! The Dixon girls came and helped out and served up some tasty lemonade (Thank you!) and we sold knick knacks and other household items until we were exhausted and couldn't see straight! All in all we were able to add a profit of $500+ to our Taiwan fund from the garage sale alone. Thank you to everyone who came out and supported.

#4 Other Opportunities...
We have also had a few other opportunities to share about Taiwan.

• On Sunday, Jimmy spoke at Ebenezer United Methodist Church here in St. Joseph. They were a great group of people and were gracious to pray over us and give toward God's calling in our lives.
• We also have a friend who is doing an online 31 Party to help us out. We are receiving 25% of all the proceeds from this online party and we encourage you to purchase products to support both us and our friend who was kind enough to do this for us. Click here to order by visiting the 31 Products website.
• Some of you may have heard that we would be speaking at Villebrook Baptist Church (one of our former churches) in St. Louis on July 14th. We want to let you know that although we were super excited about seeing everyone there again; the opportunity has fallen through and we will no longer be making a trip to St. Louis. Sorry to disappoint those of you who were planning to meet up with us then.

I hope this update has helped you to catch up. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare to serve God full time in Taiwan. Also, if you have given yet and you feel like it is something God is leading  you to do then please give by our fundraising deadline (July 17th).

Grace and Peace,

Jimmy and Christiana

What's Next on the List?

We're moving to Taiwan in less than 2 months! Saying that seems so unreal, but it's true. So you know we are leaving but you might be wondering what's next on our "to do" list. Here's a very basic rundown...

What's Next:

• Get our Taiwan Visitor Visas
• Have a Garage Sale (June 28-30th)
• Either Donate everything that doesn't sell or have a second garage sale
• Financial & Legal Stuff
• Accept final donation (by July 17th)
• Say Goodbye

I am sure there are a ton of little things that I am forgetting, but like I said these are the basic things we need to finish in the next 46 days. Thank you to everyone who has given donations and/or bought stuff. We are getting closer to our goal of having two months of expenses and travel/paperwork costs covered. We couldn't do it without you! If you have any questions or want to know how you can help, please feel free to facebook, email, text, comment, or contact us in any way!

Grace and peace,

Jimmy & Christiana

Why Taiwan?

Ok, so you have heard our big news (or if you haven't you can learn about it here). If you are like most of the other people we have talked to the first question which might pop into your mind is "Why Taiwan?" Let's talk about it.

There are 3 basic reasons why we are moving to Taiwan:

#1 It's what God is calling us to do right now.
Since our time at McCarthy has closed we have been praying and seeking advice of our Christian mentors and other Godly people in our lives we trust. It has been clearly confirmed that even though we don't have a place to live or a place to work (yet), we are supposed to move to Taiwan at the end of July. As my (Christiana's) mother has told me numerous times in my life--including when I called to talk to her about this, "If that's what God is telling you to do then you better do it!"

#2 It's an opportunity to do ministry differently.
Christiana has a real heart for students and for missions, and I have been working with students for more than 15 years but I have always been on staff at a church. This is a chance not only to get out of our comfort zones and explore a new culture, but it is also a chance to be able to focus on ministry without the pressure of being "on staff". Not being on staff will also allow us the opportunity to parent with multiple local churches and ministries. Also, teaching English will allow us to stay in Taiwan and to meet a multitude of students, parents, and others who will want to talk to us and build relationships with us (allowing us to share Jesus) just because we are native English speakers. It is a WIDE open opportunity.

#3 It will be good for us.
Moving to Taiwan will be good for us. It will broaden our world view and help us to see outside of our Western mindset. In addition, when we talked to Jimmy's surgeon (Find out more about Jimmy's surgery) he brought up a valid point...it will be easier to eat healthier, be more active, and lose additional weight anywhere that's not America. If for no other reason but the increased amount of walking we will be doing to transport ourselves from one place to another it will be good for us.

As I am sure you have figured out, there are many reasons why we decided to move to Taiwan. However, these are the big 3. So please pray for us. This is going to be a challenge even though it's what we believe God is calling us to do. If you want to find out how you can help, please visit our FOR SALE page or our GoFundMe page.

Grace and Peace,

Jimmy & Christiana