The Homers

February Newsletter

David Post in Newsletter，

23 March 2011

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Happy New Year! You might think it a little late in the year to greet you that way, but its only two weeks past Chinese New Year holiday. Supposedly this year of the Rabbit is characterized by gracious manners and sensitivity. Looks like this world is off to a lousy start! You’re not supposed to be impatient or in a hurry this year and be sure to concentrate on your projects to keep from failure. Truthfully, every day of every year is a gift from God and we should, to the best of our God-given abilities, make the most of every minute—Rabbit or not!

We closed out 2010 with a baptism service for 9 candidates. We videoed each of the testimonies of how they came to meet Jesus and after they were baptized our congregation formed groups around each new member sharing the communion elements and praying with them. It was a powerful and touching service for everyone.

Our congregation continues to grow in number (averaging 150) and in maturity. We are maturing into a full-fledged organized church. Next month we adopt our constitution and choose leaders. The children’s ministry continues to grow leaving us in constant need of more teachers and more rooms. Please pray with us about these items.

A Chinese couple out of our church minister to Chinese students from Mainland China who are studying engineering and music in German universities. They have completed two years of German and have begun weekly bible studies while serving in a local Chinese church in the city of Essens. Back in Taiwan thousands of tourists from China tour the island each week and shop at Duty Free stores. Over the holiday we handed out almost 300 bibles with study material that will be taken back to China! We’re also helping a student ministry near National Taiwan University organize into a church. Finally, our youth group started over again last week with 16 students really excited about inviting their friends. We think we need to be in a hurry because time is short, in spite of what the Rabbit says!

Last week I attended the 60^th Global Fellowship Meeting in Cebu City we had about a dozen participants from Taiwan. I was greatly inspired by the preaching from pastors around the world. Pray for us as we make plans to expand our ministry into neighboring cities.

On a final note, Melinda receives her Masters Degree and Gabriel his BA Degree in May. My mother celebrates her 82^nd birthday also in May. Your faithful support has blessed not only the ministry, but our whole family as well. We thank you very much!

A Long Time Away

David Post in Ministry，

20 August 2010

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online poker newsMy first visit to the United States I was almost five years old. I can’t say that I remember much, except the John Deere tractor I got for Christmas. I’m old enough to talk about the olden days when missionaries traveled by ship and didn’t return “home” for “furlough” but once every 5 to 10 years. When they did return it was for at least a year and possibly longer. Our family took a furlough every fifth year so at ten I made a second visit to this country and again at 15. Other than the first visit each succeeding return journey brings back bad memories. My parents never asked if I wanted to go to America. I mean, everyone wants to see their grandparents, dont’ they, and my dad’s parents worked a farm which was lot’s of fun, for a while. Then we had to visit a different church every week, sometimes two or three a week. I hated it! I was shy, ignorant of the culture, and just didn’t get it. When I visited America as a teenager I was clueless though I tried to fit in. Can you imagine a 15 year old in a central Florida high school that not only never played football, but had never seen one? What a misfit. I could hardly wait to finally make it back to Taiwan.

Times have changed. I took my family to Hong Kong in 1983. For fifteen years they only traveled to the US on a couple occasions and only to visit Grandma and Grandpa who also came out to visit us. I traveled back for two to three week trips every other year to report to churches. Since returning to the US after graduating from high school I have not been out of the country more than a couple years. However, since 2006 I have stayed put in Taiwan. Now it is time to start visiting churches and I feel very much out of touch again. What are the churches like? What are the services like? How do churches respond to missionaries? I read about a lot of changes, but have no experience of what is going on.

In September I will attend the National Fellowship Meeting of the Baptist Bible Fellowship held in Chicago. I’ve been away a long time and am curious to learn what has changed and what has not. I can assure you it will be a learning experience. If you make it to Chicago I hope to see you there.

Empty Nest… Almost!

David Post in Our Family，

17 August 2010

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Sunday afternoon Candy and I drove Bridget, our youngest, to Morrison Academy where she will begin tenth grade. (I graduated from Morrison a long time ago. Supposedly, I am the oldest Morrison alum on Taiwan. I don’t believe it!) On the way home Sunday night Candy said, “We have had children in our house for 32 years! This will be nice for a change.” Actually, Bridget will come home on weekends to help ease us into a new phase of our lives.

Both Niki and Gabriel really enjoyed their time at Morrison. For almost 60 years this school has educated missionary children throughout Asia. Of course, there are more options for missionaries today, but there remain several families serving in dangerous countries or “closed” mission fields that send their high school aged children to Morrison. They have a rich tradition and an impeccable reputation.

I’ll tell you more about the school and the dorms in later posts. Please remember Bridget as she starts her high school education. And pray for her mom and dad!

Full House

David Post in Ministry，

17 August 2010

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School started this week for the international schools and in one more week for the local schools. We had all our school age students (about 30 of them) come to the platform and tell us their name, age, and school. The kindergarten kids were really proud to join their peers. After praying over them and asking God’s protection and blessing for the coming school year we then introduced the teachers. About half of our adult congregation is teaching in some fashion, either English, or tutoring, or at an international school.

To enhance and build on our student ministries we have just hired a Youth Pastor from Danbury, TX to develop and grow a new youth outreach. Ronnie Bush arrived four weeks ago and jumped right in. This Saturday he holds his first Youth Rally. The interest is building. Please pray for him. He is new to Taiwan. He is new to this culture. He is learning a new youth culture that is not centered on football and fun, but is focused on school and getting into an Ivy League university.

Over 85% of the students at Taipei American School (TAS) are ethnic Chinese. Many of these students will be the future movers and shakers in politics and business in the next several years. I was privileged to marry a couple who graduated from TAS, went to the US the get advanced degrees and have returned to Asia to work. He runs his family business which is one of the largest food manufacturers in Asia. I sat at a table of young executives for companies in Taiwan and China. All but one, me, were graduates of TAS. I graduated from their arch-rival, Morrison Academy, the missionary school!

Ronnie has an opportunity to greatly impact young lives in their formative years. These students will one day be in positions of great influence. Please pray for him as he carefully seeks God’s direction in establishing an effective youth ministry.

Gabe is back!

David Post in Our Family，

12 August 2010

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Today’s post is from my daughter Mindy. She had an unexpected visit from her brother, Gabe, who was in the Middle East.

“Just wanted to update you on Gabe. He arrived in Germany from Kuwait Monday night, and called the house about 9:30 saying he’d be at the airport for about 20 mins before heading up to Frankfurt. Jared and I scrambled out of the house to make it there as quick as possible and saw the buses waiting and Gabe and his folks all dusty and fresh from the dessert. It was so incredible to see them all home and I just couldn’t help thinking how great it is that our guys came home. I’ve been on the verge of tears the whole time Gabe has been here just thinking how incredibly blessed we are that Gabe came home safe. I thanked as many of the guys as I could for making it home in one piece…I hope they could tell how proud I was of them for their time there.

Anyways, we JUST dropped Gabe back off at the airport, so he spent 2 nights with us and 2 days The first morning we all walked down to our local store and got German coffee and breakfast sandwiches…we chit-chatted on the sidewalk eating area and heard Gabe’s stories about living in the desert. Then we took him out for Thai food, cuz he said he couldn’t get good Thai food in Liberty…didn’t even want a German meal, the crazy kid!

I miss him already and wish he went straight back to “home” but Niki will just have to cook him a homemade meal and hear the rest of his stories.”

Mindy (Homer) Black

August 2010 Newsletter

David Post in Newsletter，

11 August 2010

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Dear Friends,

Summer vacation is over. About half our church left the country for the summer, but they’re coming back looking forward to getting into the school year and back into church ministries. In July we held a bi-lingual Chinese/English vacation bible school for 75 neighborhood children, most of whom had not been in church before. Five new families joined the Chinese congregation. Though the English congregation didn’t gain in numbers we did impress a lot of

parents to get their kids into Sunday School.

Ronnie Bush joined our staff as Youth Pastor to focus attention on establishing a student ministry for English-speakers and local young people. Pray for him as he learns not only a new culture and language, but how to reach youth steeped in the worship of modern western culture. His basketball talent has brought him into contact with several of the players from nearby schools. Pray that these contacts are fruitful.

Also, remember to pray for Joe, Ellen, and Jessica who are preparing to be baptized soon. Joe recently relocated from Singapore with his wife and two young children. Pray for his wife’s conversion and that his desire to follow Jesus in baptism will be a good testimony for her. Jessica recently confessed her faith in Christ in an internet conversation with her boyfriend. For many years Ellen put off baptism. She now realizes her need to be identified with Jesus in his death,

burial and resurrection. Pray for these three and others who are close to making a decision to trust Jesus for their salvation. It’s such an encouragement to see the Spirit of God moving in the hearts and lives of these people.

I have a special request for my daughter, Nicolle, who is a student at Liberty University. She needs immediate dental work amounting to $5,000. In Taiwan it will only cost $1500, but a round trip ticket is $1500. If I can get help with the ticket we can take care of the dental work, but either way, I need help with this expense. Appreciate your help!

Finally, Gabriel is home from Iraq! Got a call Tuesday morning from Mindy’s home in Germany. Mindy is serving in the Air Force at Ramstein and Gabe had a brief layover there on his way Stateside. Thank you so much for praying for him and praise God with us for his safe return. He will be enrolled at Liberty this fall. Please keep praying for all of our young men and women serving in the Armed Services!

Gratefully Yours,

e-mail: david@thehomers.org

November 2005

Anthony Post in Ministry, Newsletter，

22 November 2005

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Having arrived back in Taiwan on October 15th after a year of traveling back and forth to the US to raise support I was a little apprehensive about a group of four people arriving two weeks later to train soul-winners. Operation GO is a very effective soul-winning program that I used at Heritage Baptist Church in Oakland ( www.hbc.org ) and last year in Hong Kong. The results in Hong Kong were very encouraging and two of the trainers, Bill Tjie and YY Poon, were joining this group in Taiwan. However, I am not yet pastoring in Taiwan and as a new missionary I have very few contacts so it looked like there would be nothing to do. God blessed anyway!

Friday a week ago we went to National Taiwan University campus (http://www.ntu.edu.tw/new-version/english/main.html), the premier university in Taiwan, because it seemed to me that since only two of us were fluent in Chinese this would be where the most opportunity to use English would be found. God answered prayer by allowing John to meet a student who directed him to where students hang out. After singing a few songs enough interested people stopped to listen that we were soon engaged in several conversations. As a result six students trusted in Christ to save them!

Here is what I am thankful for. John Nordstrom of AAA Ministries (www.aaaministries.org) and three other soul-winners came to Taiwan on their own time and money to witness to Chinese people. God blessed their efforts, even in English! I am following up on their contacts while they continue to pray one of these converts will be called of God to reach the Chinese people with the gospel.

I’m thankful for someone who went with me to open the door. Now I have a venue to meet new students and witness to them. I’m thankful for answered prayer. My prayer has been for direction on how to open things up and get started. Who? Where? How? Now I see clearly the witnessing ministry on this campus and others as the venue for meeting people, presenting His Good News and discipling new believers leading up to planting a church that will plant churches. It all begins somewhere and God used John Nordstrom to open the door. I am most grateful!

Now please pray with me regarding these new believers. I have contacted them to meet again soon to give them a New Testament and offer to study the bible further. All of them are students and, as you well know, Chinese students are some of the best in the world. That’s because they do little else but study when in school. Pray that God will interest them in studying more of Him. One can do both!

Please pray with me for additional opportunities to witness at Taiwan University and others in this area. Have a blessed Thanksgiving Holiday! I’ll be enjoying it with my new grandson, Cole (Their site), whom I get to baby sit today. Its his parents first wedding anniversary!

Thank you for your investment in this ministry!

Sincerely,
David Homer

October 2005

Anthony Post in Newsletter, Our Family，

22 October 2005

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Hi Everyone:

Cole Alexander HomerCole’s arrived – safe and sound. Coquina has had a difficult 30 hours, but I think it’s safe to say both she and Anthony are glad to get this phase of family life behind them! Coquina will write later (she’s fun to read), but right now she is literally on her back – can’t move even her head for 3 hours. She was in a great deal of pain when we left, but Anthony was taking very good care of her. It’s been rewarding watching Anthony be so kind and thoughtful throughout the past weeks – culminating in the hospital trip which started Monday (the 24th)!

Coquina and ColeTo make a long story short, they went in after Coquina just couldn’t handle the pain in her leg (sciatic nerve – or something like that…not sure the right spelling or even pronunciation), and found out she had started labor. We came to the hospital after school and stayed around till nearly 9 pm, but contractions had slowed way down.

This morning Dave went to the hospital at 8 am and waited for Cole to arrive sometime today, but he was a stubborn little fellow and seemed to like staying right where he was. At 1 pm Coquina was at 10 cm and both she and Anthony thought the next few contractions would bring Cole to them. Wrong! After three hours pushing and waiting and pushing and getting tired, they decided the baby’s head wasn’t gonna make it through…. so C section.

By the time Bridget and I joined Dave after school got out on Tuesday, they were just deciding on a C section, and Coquina was quite disappointed to have gone through so many hours of pain and effort only to arrive at this point. Anthony didn’t need another second to reflect on “yes, we should” or “no, we shouldn’t” and told the Dr. under no uncertain terms to get going and get that baby out!

Cole Alexander HomerSo, by 5:30 we were told Cole had arrived, and about 10 minutes later they brought him into Coquina’s labor/delivery room (although that didn’t work out and she had to go to surgery) where we were waiting expectantly (they wouldn’t let Anthony go into the surgery). Little Cole was gustily crying as he entered via a nurse, and it was so fun to watch Anthony speak to him and see Cole turn his head, quit crying, and even open his eyes looking for his daddy! He looked like a little prize fighter who had just been through a boxing round. His little head was scratched up, his eye swollen and red, all from trying to be born but not fitting. Even his little shoulder had scratches. Poor little guy. Apparently, they had a difficult time dislodging his head from the pelvic area – accounting for his scrapes. Coquina said they told her getting the baby out usually only takes 5 minutes, but it took them 20 minutes to get Cole out!

Daddy AnthonyHe’s adorable, however (Anthony has pictures on his camera) and has light brown hair (not tons but some), a cute little nose and mouth, and perfect toes and fingers. I was the first one to kiss him (many times) and he settled right down after being cuddled and loved. Anthony was sooo relieved he was healthy and beamed from ear to ear. Then they took him back to Coquina, but she couldn’t move her head and really couldn’t see much of him. They won’t let her have him for 8 hours – but hopefully Anthony will take care of him and be able to hold him.

Grandma and GrandpaWell, we just wanted to let you know that we’re Grandma and Grandpa now. His full name is Cole Alexander Homer. He weighed about 6 1/2 pounds. I would have liked to have stayed and held him more, but I don’t think they would have allowed it. Bridget was the first sibling to see her nephew!

Pray for Coquina – she feels really sick: headache, strong contractions, and the last thing Anthony was doing when we left was trying to get a Dr. to come and up her a higher dosage of drugs! He’s been a great support and I couldn’t be prouder to see his leadership skills kick in while caring for Coquina. Coquina also was so upbeat through all her pain. They made a great team.

God is Faithful,

Candy (Mom and Grandmother!)

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