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Rick's Story
Hey, I'm Rick. I'm from Lee's Summit, MO which is just outside of Kansas City. I've been in Taiwan since Summer 2007. I'm currently working on a Master's of Divinity from a Seminary in the U.S. I've felt that God wanted some kind of missions work to be a part of my life since college. I got the chance to visit Indonesia in 2003 and lead a group of students and since then I knew I wanted to spend more time in Asia. I was really caught up in school but felt as if something was lacking. In 2006 I took a break from full time graduate school and that is when my long time friend Erin told me I should move to Taiwan. God had brought me to a place where I knew that that was what I needed to do, so I did.
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So I got here and started working with Truth Church. I married Erin on Feb. 2, 2008 and God has greatly blessed me. God also continues to humble me as He teaches me what it really means to serve him. It is not that we take God out of a box, but God continually takes us out of our own box. That is exactly what happens here.
I work as a tentmaker, which means I work a normal job and serve the church on the side. This has many benefits. I don't get to spend as much time as I would like on certain things, but I get the chance to financially support my missionary friends, even as I am serving the church here. God has many opportunities for you to work and do ministry here and it puts no strain on financial supporters in the states or elsewhere which is particularly important in times of economic strain. I enjoy my work and still find time to do ministry.
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Erin's Story
Hi! My name is Erin. I'm from the Midwest and lived in many different cities growing up. I've been in Taiwan since August 2005. I started working with Truth Church when I got here and helped to pioneer the English outreach ministry we now have: 3E. I've enjoyed my time here and have seen God work in many wonderful ways. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, seen a lot, had a lot of happy times and a lot of sad times but I wouldn't trade them for the world. Working with local people to help spread the Gospel of Jesus is one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had.
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I currently work as a teacher and head up the Teaching Affairs Department at a local buxiban (cram school). I love my job and love working with children and teaching English. I plan on going back to school to get my graduate degree in Education. But most of all, I love that my job affords me the resources to continue to do ministry here.
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Erich's Story
Hi, I’m Erich Schindler, and I have been involved in missionary work in Truth Church since July 2006. The experience of living and doing ministry in Taiwan has been extremely rewarding, and has really challenged me personally and spiritually. After teaching English in a Taiwanese cram school for one year, my wife and I felt the Lord leading us to full-time missionary work in Taiwan. So we returned to the US to raise support, and have been fully supported missionaries since July 2008. We have never once regretted this big decision, as it allows us to study Chinese full-time while serving at Truth Church. |
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As Western foreigners we have a lot of status and influence in Taiwanese culture, which means that Taiwanese people will usually pay close attention to what you tell them. The culture here is very open, and it’s easy to share the gospel with someone, even if you are meeting them for the first time!
Another real benefit of serving in Taiwan has been observing how the Taiwanese church functions. Church here is very different from church in the West, but I have found that it is really closer to the New Testament model than our Western churches tend to be. There is a very strong focus on prayer, discipleship, your personal quiet time, evangelism, and missions within Taiwan and to other countries. I have really been challenged to take God at His word, and my faith in what God can do has really been increased through learning from my Taiwanese brothers and sisters. Does this sound like something you want too? Why not join us in our work here in Taipei, Taiwan!
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Kelley's Story
My name is Kelley Schindler and I come from the great state of Pennsylvania. My husband, Erich, and I first moved to Taiwan in June of 2006. Both being Bible college graduates, we wanted to take a year and teach English overseas, while gaining cross-cultural ministry experience. Never having been to Asia before, my first few months in Taiwan were very stretching for me, as God took me out of my comfort zone and opened my eyes to a part of the world I have never seen before. My first few months were difficult as it took me a while to really embrace and appreciate the Taiwanese way of life. But, as I became more flexible and open-minded, the Lord slowly changed my heart and gave me a deep love and passion for serving here. As Erich wrote above, we are now supported missionaries planning to serve God in Taiwan long-term.
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Perhaps the greatest blessing of living and ministering in Taiwan is the chance to interact with people who are open and willing to listen to you share the Gospel, simply because you are white and they respect you. The Lord uses things such as the color of our skin to give us ministry opportunities that others don’t have. There is nothing more rewarding or satisfying than to see God change and transform a life of someone bound by the lies of Buddhism or other false religions and open their eyes to the truth of the Gospel!
For more information on the Schindlers' life in Taiwan, check out their blog at www.crossing7.com/reachtaiwan
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