Christmas letter 2011 (with apologies for its lateness!)

friend's birthday party

morning after delivery

brotherly love

aww...

first day of school

futbol!

at a wedding

Dear Friends & Family!

As we look back on 2011, the best word to describe it for us is a BLUR. It was a blur not simply because it was filled with many important events, but also because quite often we have been sorely sleep-deprived and extremely busy!

The biggest event of this year was the April birth of our second child Evangelina Joy at 6 pounds, 13 ounces & 19 ½ inches long. In fact, nearly every day is a new event with her, as she is a bright & happy baby who amazes us with how quickly she learns things. She loves laughing at her big brother’s antics (they share a very special bond), “talking” in her own way, & “standing” on her own for a few seconds when she gets the chance. Early on after delivery there was a months-long health scare, & we are grateful to God who heard many of your prayers & mercifully healed her. Evangelina Joy’s name means “the joy of God’s good news,” & she is truly a constant reminder of God’s kindness to us.

Jadon, 5, has had a big year of many “firsts.” Not only has he been learning for the first time to be a good big brother (he’s usually tender with Evangelina & can sometimes be growlingly protective of her toward others!), but 2011 also was his first year in elementary school. It’s been tough (for Daddy too!) learning the ropes of having an early schedule, but our little people-person has enjoyed getting to know his classmates at our local public school. This year for the first time he also got to play an organized sport (soccer), & through the efforts of Mommy & extended family, Jadon has also served our local church with music (voice & piano). We’re grateful for the many things he’s learning, but we’re most grateful for the way he continues to grow in his understanding of the Gospel & the needs of our broken world. Please join us in prayer that Jadon will use everything he learns to serve our very good God.

JJ, staying home this year amidst the pregnancy & caring for the kids, has been quite literally giving of herself for the good our family, especially seeing to the physical, mental, & spiritual well-being of the children. Much of their learning & abilities are directly a result of Mommy’s sacrificial love for them. Much a “big city gal” at heart, it’s been quite an adjustment living in the Inland Empire, but she enjoys our frequent get-aways for real Taiwanese food, especially shaved ice (a treat for me too!).

As for me (Sid), this year has been one most characterized by growing in the knowledge of what it means to be a husband & father of two. More times than I can remember, on the occasions Jadon has crawled into bed with Mommy & Daddy (with Evangelina in a side-car crib next to us), I have laid there in the still darkness & marveled at the great gift of being a family with JJ & the kids. We look forward to what the Lord has in store for our family, & we pray that what we are learning in our young marriage (sometimes making us unavailable for other real concerns around us) would serve as the bedrock of Christ’s holy love for future ministry.

We’re especially grateful for our local church body (Messiah Lutheran Church) which has welcomed our family, encouraged our service, & reminded us of the truth of God’s love. One thing that tickles us is seeing our more seasoned brothers & sisters live out God’s love for one another. One couple in particular comes to mind: John & Kathy, who celebrated 64 years of marriage this year. Early in the year during Sunday morning prayer-time, Kathy offered a prayer of thanks & praise for “our husbands who take care of us when we’re ill.” Later, after another Sunday worship service, when Kathy was talking to one of the ladies, I (Sid) overheard her saying, “I feel like I’m falling in love with that old man all over again.”

God is so, so good, isn’t He? We pray that His unfathomable & unwavering love would be yours in Christ Jesus this Christmas & through the new year.

With Love,
Evangelina, Jadon, JJ, & Sid

Daddy's favorite photos 2009.04.08-08.07

"Streams in the Desert" (July 29 entry) by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman

If we could see beyond today

As God can see;

If all the clouds should roll away,

The shadows flee;

O'er present griefs we would not fret.

Each sorrow we would soon forget,

For many joys are waiting yet

For you and me.

If we could know beyond today

As God doth know,

Why dearest treasures pass away

And tears must flow;

And why the darkness leads to light,

Why dreary paths will soon grow bright;

Some day life's wrongs will be made right,

Faith tells us so.

"If we could see, if we could know,"

We often say,

But God in love a veil doth throw

Across our way;

We cannot see what lies before,

And so we cling to Him the more,

He leads us till this life is o'er

Trust and obey.

Though it'd been sitting on my shelf for years, I didn't begin to read the book Streams in the Desert until it was commended to me by a lady I met in a nursing home. I had met her many months earlier, & each time I saw her she was constantly tending to the needs of her husband who was a resident there receiving rehabilitation due to a severe stroke that left him half-paralyzed & mostly unable to speak.

As I read the book according to its dated entry for each day of the year, I think of the old couple in the nursing home at times, & feel a sense of solidarity with them as we each face quite difficult struggles of life. Recently as I was speaking to another sister-in-Christ who is my patient about some of her painful problems, she quoted to me what she was learning from Streams in the Desert, which she was reading in Arabic (the classic book, originally published in 1925, has been translated into many languages). There was a joyful moment of expanded solidarity that day in my clinic as we briefly shared how much God has been using this book to minister to our needs.

It is humbling to know I am part of this great organism called the Church, & that God uses us -- old & young, of widely varied cultures -- to minister to one another in His name.

Daddy's favorite photos 2008.11.08-2009.04.07

Daddy's favorite photos of Jadon 8/8/2008 - 11/7/2008

Isaiah 58

Cry aloud; do not hold back;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Declare to my people their transgression,
To the house of Jacob their sins.
Yet they seek me daily
And delight to know my ways,
As if they were a nation that did righteousness
And did not forsake the judgment of their God;
They ask of me righteous judgments;
They delight to draw near to God.
‘Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?’
Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
And oppress all your workers.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
And to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose,
A day for a person to humble himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
And to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
And a day acceptable to the LORD?

Is not this the fast that I choose:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the straps of the yoke,
To let the oppressed go free,
And to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into your house;
When you see the naked, to cover him,
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
And your healing shall spring up speedily;
Your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
You shall cry, and he will say, ‘Here I am.’
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
If you pour yourself out for the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then shall your light rise in the darkness
And your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually
And satisfy your desire in scorched places
And make your bones strong;
And you shall be like a watered garden,
Like a spring of water,
Whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
You shall be called the repairer of the breach,
The restorer of streets to dwell in.

If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on my holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight
And the holy day of the LORD honorable;
If you honor it, not going your own ways,
Or seeking your own pleasure, or talking idly;
Then you shall take delight in the LORD,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

This Road

A million miles away from anything familiar,
A thousand places I would rather be,
So I choke back the tears & try to find the bright side
Though I find it hard to see beyond my suffering.

In my heart I know Your plan is so much bigger,
But this small part is all that I can see,
& I believe You haven't left me here to wander.
Still I can't help but ponder where You're leading me,

& I ask, why this road, why this way, & this load?
Tell me how far must I go 'til I see, 'til I know why
This road...

A million miles away from anything familiar,
What was it like to be so far from home?
& though You came in love, the world misunderstood You.
There must have been some days when You felt so alone,

But You endured 'cause there was joy before You,
Joy that came because You sacrificed,
Since You gave Yourself just to spend forever with me,
Surely I can trust You'll lead me through my darkest times,

When I ask, why this road, why this way, & this load?
Tell me how far must I go 'til I see, 'til I know why.
From here I cannot see why You choose this path for me,
But I don't have to understand to believe that You know why...

You know why this road, why this way, & this load;
You know how far I must go 'til I see, 'til I know why
This road...

("This Road" by Ginnie Owens)

Believe the Gospel

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:28-32)

Just last weekend I was invited to a banquet to celebrate God’s goodness to the students who took part in the Medical Strategic Network’s (MSN’s) month-long intensive training course. These 34 students had come from around the world to learn how to live as Jesus’ followers in their vocations as health professionals, with a special emphasis on sharing the Gospel with patients.

MSN so profoundly & positively influenced my life & practice of medicine during my own training, that for the past few years I gladly accepted the honor of having their students shadow me in my clinic. To God’s glory, many students & staff expressed their appreciation for what they learned from me, but in past years I wasn’t able to attend to their celebration banquets. Not only was this year to be my first chance to attend the banquet, but I was also asked to be among a few staff who would give concluding remarks -- a special charge to the departing students.

It didn't take long for me to think of what to share. My own soul has been so dry of late, it was a message I knew I myself needed to hear -- I was probably the one who needed to hear it the most. I wanted this message to penetrate my own heart, & I also hoped it would be something that would encourage the students to see life with simple, Biblical perspective.

As I followed three spiritual giants up to the podium, I of so little faith gave the following charge [edited for clarity]:

Over the past weeks you have learned much about the Gospel: how to live it, & how to share it. My charge to you this evening is something that I'm sure undergirds & intertwines with so much of all that you've learned these weeks that it seems obvious, but it's still worth emphasizing lest it gets lost in all the shuffle: BELIEVE the Gospel!

As you head away from Redlands in the next days you will face many temptations that will oppose everything that you've learned here:

- You will have residents & other superiors who will tell you to "HURRY UP," to "leave out that religious stuff."

- Someone in your family will question your decisions to serve the underserved here & around the world.

- There will even be the very rare patient who will totally misunderstand your intentions as you extend spiritual care.

In these moments & always, BELIEVE THE GOSPEL! At every moment, PREACH it to yourself! TRUST in the fact that in Christ, God has given you all things (Romans 8:32)!

When Satan & his demons put idols before you to worship,

When the world tries to squeeze you into its mold, & tells you you're not good enough,

When your own flesh cries out for you to puff up with pride or even wallow in self-pity,

BELIEVE...THE...GOSPEL!

-----------------------------

The words still ring inside my head. Believe the Gospel? Is the Gospel really for frequent-failers like me? Hallelujah! It is EXACTLY for sinners like me. Thank You, Jesus...

[For whoever might be reading this, I'd still appreciate your prayers, primarily that I would abide by the charge I shared, that I would be diligent in surrender, that I would indeed BELIEVE the Good News of Jesus. Thanks.]

"I will hope in Him"

"But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul,
'therefore I will hope in him.'" (Lamentations 3:21-24)It had been nearly three years since I last wore scrubs. Three weeks ago, I was wearing them again at four-something in the morning as I drove away from home to head in for duty. I knew it was going to be dark again by the time I got home that night -- it was going to be a very long day.

But I was excited that dark & early morning; I'd been looking forward to that day with a special sense of hope & excitement. I was going to Mexico for a medical mission trip!

In one sense, I wasn't doing anything new. From my first cross-cultural mission experience nearly 14 years ago onward, God had blessed me with many mission trips to Mexico -- too many to count. Several of those trips included medical ministry, & I'd certainly been involved in various mission efforts in farther, more difficult-to-reach, & more difficult-to-adapt-to places. This day-trip to a bordertown in Mexico wasn't supposed to be a big deal at all.

But it WAS a big deal to me: it was the first time I'd even considered cross-cultural missions in a long time. Since I'd screwed up in life with such colossal consequences, in some ways I felt that missions was now out of my league, something I couldn't even think about doing anymore.

God wouldn't let go of me though, & He was slowly reminding me of the vastness of His love, that it was more than enough to cover my sin. For the past two years I marvelled at how God still chose to use me in my practice to share His goodness with my patients despite my own sin & brokenness before Him. Growing within me was a confidence in Jesus' love for me, that He would always want to use me to share Him with others. Then I found out about a special opportunity through my work for this trip to Mexico. As I applied, I was candid with the leadership about my current situation, & I also shared with them my desire to re-learn firsthand God's care for all peoples. I was glad to know that they still welcomed me to join them.

The whole trip was a very, very big blessing to me. The blessing wasn't anything flashy or glamorous (none of the ills I treated were life-threatening, I saw fewer patients than I'd expected, & there was even a makeshift laboratory available to us in the tent across from ours), but rather that God would deign to use little old me -- a man of shamefully little faith -- to serve His kingdom among my poor brothers & sisters of Tijuana. Claudia (the Nicaraguan-American nurse/translator assigned to me) & I were able to bless many of our patients as we shared God's truth & prayed with them.

Another special blessing was to work quietly alongside people who were on their first mission trip, to see their excitement at God's unfolding the new horizon of cross-cultural service before them. Their joy & enthusiasm for Jesus were blessedly infectious! Yet another bonus blessing was the chance to eat authentic Mexican tacos (including tripe tacos -- yum, yum)!

I wish I could write that my life of late has been one of steady growth & faith, but there remain a lot of ups & downs. Sometimes I lament at where I'm "supposed to be" had I not been so foolish & rebellious: at this point I would have been completing language school in preparation for a mission hospital post in Niger. I had thought that the next time I'd be in scrubs would be in Africa (I originally limited myself to out-patient clinic work in order to have predictable time to prepare to go overseas). I'm saddened to think how far I'd gone "off" course.

But I find that it is exactly at these times of disappointment & despondency, that I myself am in need of the Gospel most. The Gospel reminds me of God's sovereign, loving rule over even all my mistakes. It reminds me that Jesus' sacrifice was more than sufficient to pay for my sin, & promises to change me from within. And, it reminds me that I am indeed where I'm supposed to be... humbly accepting His lavish love as He guides me through life one day at a time.

God willing, I'd like to take more of these short mission trips. I look forward to the day when Jadon will be able to join me, the day when he & his daddy would be able to serve God side by side not only locally but also in a foreign land. But whether Jadon & I will ever be able to serve together overseas or not, my deepest prayer for him is that he will know this all-redeeming God who is worthy of all our worship.

"Oh sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary." (Psalm 96:1-6)

Blessed Ian (a follow-up letter from our 12/2005 cousins' trip to the Grand Canyon)

Dearest Cousins:

[As I write this, I want you guys first to know a few things. First I want you to know that I write out of my WEAKNESS; the things I share are lessons I am still learning. Those of you who joined us for the trip to the Grand Canyon know that I felt (& feel) least worthy of having organized & led the trip. Second, I want it to be clear that I don't write as if I was the person who most cared for Ian during our trip; Anna & Austin worked hardest by far to care him.]

It's not easy taking care of our cousin Ian, is it?

Why not just come out & say it? He doesn't like to bathe. He doesn't appreciate a lot of the things I enjoy doing (like playing group games or exercising). He gets "stuck" on certain things that I just don't understand (coins, travel brochures) & can throw tantrums when he doesn't get his way. Having him around keeps me from being able to do some things I otherwise would like to do. Caring for him adds extra, tangible burden to my life's plans.

"BLESSED IS IAN..."
What I've been learning in the last few years, though, is that God's economy isn't much like the world's economy. Our Lord Jesus' very life & death attest to that fact. He flips upside-down our innate value systems, perhaps best stated in His words from the mountain:
"Blessed are the poor... Blessed are those who mourn... Blessed are the meek... Blessed are those who hunger & thirst... Blessed are the merciful... Blessed are the pure in heart... Blessed are the peacemakers... Blessed are those who are persecuted..." (Matthew 5:1-12).
If Jesus is among us now in Spirit, does He not add, "Blessed is Ian"? (I'll tell you what I mean in a minute...)

I look at the list of what Jesus tells us signifies blessing, & I say to myself, "What??!!! Aren't these things typically the very things we try to AVOID?"

Perhaps my strong reaction is because of how Jesus challenges my own life, my own values. "What does that mean about ME? Am I blessed?"

Yes, dear cousins, I AM blessed... but how? My health? My being American/Canadian? My degree? My getting to live in a beautiful place? My Taiwanese heritage? My ability to communicate? My medical degree? A lot of people certainly have encouraged me to think that these are blessings... so are they right?

Maybe. It isn't that I'm not thankful for each or that they haven't benefited me. Each has helped me in one way or another. But if I recognize them to be something they're not (as if they make me more valuable or lovable), or if I don't let them "die" & then disciple them to be used for God's kingdom (Luke 9:23), they can end up... well, damning.

When I was in a position to preach & teach in churches (not now), I had the sneaking suspicion that some people would pay attention only because I was a doctor, a so-called "upstanding member of society." So did my being a doctor help people to hear the Gospel? I'd have to say "perhaps," if they saw me as someone wholly submitted to Jesus, who happened to live that out in the vocation of medicine. More often, I'm very afraid, my being a doctor might have instead distracted from the Gospel message. Would these people have listened more, or less, carefully if Jesus Himself was speaking? Isaiah 53:2 tells us of Jesus, "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." Was I speaking from a life totally discipled to Christ, following in His willingness for self-sacrifice? Jesus spoke to many & was murdered on the cross!

So then, who's more blessed: Ian or I? I honestly don't have the answer to that, because I know God has greatly blessed me in saving my life from sin.

But I do know that Ian is remarkably blessed. He comes before God with only child-like faith (just as we can, if we're humble enough to recognize it). Ian must rely on the help of others (just as we must, when we're humble enough to realize it). He trusts implicitly that his needs (which he cannot meet on his own) will be met (just as we are called to in humility).

To be sure, Ian has a few needs we don't have. He can't safely go around a new area on his own. He needs reminders to keep himself clean. He might make some people uncomfortable at parties.

But he also has the ability to teach us, in ways we cannot teach ourselves, how to live a simple life. To learn from him, we must humble ourselves just as the pious Pharisees & powerful Roman soldiers needed to if they wanted to learn from the lowly carpenter's son Jesus (Matthew 23:12). Ian, too, teaches us from his blessedness.

We can be blessed by Ian not only by learning from him, but also in caring for him. When we care for Ian, we learn to serve Jesus in ways we could not otherwise learn. When I read Matthew 25:31-46, I am challenged to serve Jesus among "the least of these brothers of mine," & it involves remembering that these "least" are in fact the ones Jesus calls MOST blessed.

When we get our new glorified bodies on the other side of eternity, & the curse of autism (oh yes it is a curse; because of Redemption God simply forces it to become a blessing for His children; Romans 8:28) is lifted from Ian's being, perhaps he'll be able to articulate all the things we'll have yet to learn. And together, along with the rest of our family, may we cry out together, "Yes Jesus, You had it right all along. Thank You for blessing us in ways You knew were best for us, in ways we ourselves would never have imagined."

And thank you, Ian.

God's grace is too awesome for words, isn't it, Dear Cousins?

Love,
Stephen
PS: Again, I'm sorry for taking so long to write.

LOVE News photo #8

Where in the world is Niger?

LOVE News photo #7

Here I come Niger, with love!
尼日我來了，帶著愛！

LOVE News photo #6

Apparently Gabrielle, fluent in French & of 1/2-French descent, doesn’t much love my French acting. She heads to Niger this fall.
很顯然，講流利法文並有1/2法國血統的Gabrielle，不太喜歡我學的法國人。她今年秋季將出發去尼日。

LOVE News photo #5

Joking around with friends at church, a face only a mother could love
在教會同朋友們玩鬧，“只有媽媽才會愛”的臉。

LOVE News photo #4

A recent 5K race with friends
最近同朋友參加五公里長跑。

LOVE News photo #3

Receiving Love
Dale, a fellow missionary, prays for me after I shared my testimony in North Carolina
“接收愛” Dale, 一位傳教士弟兄, 在我於北卡羅來納州分享我的見證後爲我禱告。

LOVE News photo #2

Giving Love
At my high school alma mater helping to award a scholarship we started a few years ago
“給予愛” 在我以前的高中，幫助頒發我們幾年前開設的獎學金。

LOVE News photo #1

“Love is an ocean”
Laura and Charles Abavare, separated by an ‘ocean’ of love
“愛如海洋”Laura和Charles Abavare， 在愛的海洋的兩岸。

FIRST ENTRY: "TO ALL READERS..."

Hi there, Reader:

You must be either incredibly bored or incredibly gracious to be reading this blog. I still don't know what "blog" means or what it's etymology is, though I suspect it's short for "web log." Who knows? I'm starting this because a few friends have suggested it, especially that I would make my public prayer letters more accessible to people.

Yeah, I'm a missionary, at least I'm preparing to be one, & God has been very gracious with me in adopting me as His child & putting me in His kingdom's service.

My favorite Bible passage follows: "Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 7,8). Yes, Christ died for me waaaaaaay before I ever repented or even knew He or I existed. His love for me precedes even my existence. And because of His love, I live.

Here's what I recently prayed when writing my latest prayer letter (2005 June 3):
"Dear God, please use this letter to be a blessing to Yourself & to all its readers. Guide me in writing it, & help my ideas to flow in a manner that clearly honors You. Above all I desire that its readers would be encouraged to find all of their satisfaction in You alone, & that You would be glorified not just in the words of this letter but even more so in the lives transformed by Your message of grace through me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

That prayer also applies to this whole blogging thing. May Jesus be praised.

Humbly Yours,
Sidney Stephen Chiayee Wu

(All previous newsletters were subsequently uploaded)

Snap photo #7

Visiting the "Z" early February
Pastor Jim Ziervogel, a long-time missionary pastor & researcher of Chinese peoples, recently went to be with the Lord after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease 
二月初探望“Z” Jim Ziervogel牧師曾長時間致力與華人的傳教與研究。在長期與帕金森綜合症作戰後，最近歸回主裏。