4/27 Bible Study on Friday Nite

(Left side: the picture of the booklet which is my friend's teaching material for studying at Shuen Tao Church.) (Right side: the picture of handout that I received at Home of Christ Church for Friday Night Bible Study Class!)

Last Friday night, I came to English Bible Study Class which was held by ORTV and Home of Christ, and it was awesome! I didn't plan to go to English Bible Study Class because I never know its existence in Taiwan. In addition to my ignorance, I got a friend who was willing to help me study Chinese Bible after we sang worship songs, worship God, and group discussion on Sundays. (In group discussions, every Christian shares his current life struggle to testify God's power.) She was one of the friends that I made at Shuen Tao Church near NTU University. (The best university in Taiwan) I've paid my visits to Shuen Tao Church for 3 times. Both of us studied bible together once last week. I was grateful because she was kind and patient to answer any stupid question from me. She used a booklet to teach me. She told me there are six booklets to help me to know about God and God's words. The first one that I used was going to help me start the new life of Christ in me. In this booklet, there are several questions that need me to look up my Chinese bible to get the answers. We went through several verses of different chapters to get the answers to fill in the banks of questions. Under the guidance of my friend, I learned that Christianity meant Christ in a person. It’s cool to know that because I know God is within me and I don’t to seek Him outwardly. I felt a sense of security, joyful, and peaceful when I learned about this news. Before I knew God, I seek outwardly all the time and get never enough. I felt a sense of insecurity and empty a lot of times when I seek outwardly! Anyway, my topic is the Friday Night Bible Study, but I haven’t finish introducing the booklet thing. I should wrap it up quickly. We got one hour and a half looking up the bible and know three major points of this booklet: New Relationship, New Life, and New Process!
It must be God brought me to English Bible study. Last Friday afternoon, after the midterm, I was feeling tired and relaxing. (Feeling unwell, I just went to the doctor on that morning.) Because I felt relaxing, I felt like studying English Bible. When I got started, I felt that it would be good to share thinking and questions if I got a group of Christianity to study English Bible together. As soon as I got this feeling, I surfed on the internet, and typed some keywords on Yahoo searching engine. After I tried several times using several slightly different keywords, I found “Friday Night Bible Study Class held by ORTV and Home of Christ. I thought it’s a good opportunity. Thus, I decided to see what it was like although I felt dizzy and a little unwell.) I printed the handout of that day (Faith in Action) from the website. http://www.ortv.com.tw/english/ebs_c/ebs_e.htm
At first, I was worried and nervous to get into a new place.

As soon as I entered the church, I know I was going to LOVE it. I felt completed welcome when I got there even though everyone didn’t know me at all! A foreign lady of middle age with beauty eyes smiled at me and said some greeting to me! I was delighted and I think I like her. J There were a lot of people at that place. The atmosphere was exciting, warm, and joyful. There are 3 stages in the Bible Study Class. Firstly, we sang several light English worship songs. (I love them and it was amazing that I sang those songs so happily.) Secondly, we listened to the founder of ORTV and Studio English Classroom Magazine, Dr. Doris Brougham. She is around 70 years old and she spent more than 45 years in Taiwan. Due to her strong faith in God, she came to Taiwan all the way from America all alone and spread Christianity to Chinese and Taiwanese. She got faith in her actions, so she could establish ORTV with bare hands to help more people instead of making money. Her story is really inspiring. She said she likes to be used by God and she likes to do whatever God wants her to do. She said God used her to help more Chinese and Taiwanese to learn English and learn about God. Faith in God makes a person be stronger and have a complete life experience! Through her experience, I really see the great power of God again. Wow!
Thirdly, we are divided into different groups to have a discussion. Each group got two foreign tutors. Basically, people are grouped according to their levels of English ability. Regardless of English ability, new comers who came for the first time would be one group. I was a new comer, so I went to the group of new comers. There are two foreign tutors and one Taiwan TA to lead a bilingual class. Students received another handout appearing in the right picture above. The class helps new comers take an overview on Bible. It was interesting because it wasn’t that serious as the class I had at Shuen Tao Church. After finishing the handout through Q&A, we had a chance to talk with other members through a game. Then, we are grouped into a group of 5-6 people to have further discussion about their preferences which are not relevant to Bible. After the discussion, we were encouraged to eat snacks and drinking in the back space of the church.

I like the bible study class that I take at Shuen Tao Church and I also like Friday Nite Bible Study Class held by ORTV and Home of Christ. They are providing different functions and pleasure to me. In terms of the former, I can exchange deep thinking and experiences to my friends at Shuen Tao Church. In terms of the latter one, I could make friends, talk in English, read English Bible, and have fun because the tutors are very active and funny. In both of the churches and bible study classes, people were nice and kind to me. It’s hard for me to choose one in such a short while. I will keep going to both of them. Meanwhile, I will pray to God for giving me wisdom to make a right choice when the time of making decision is due.