As we celebrate the resurrected Jesus and His power within us,
may you experience anew the glories of His grace.

Dear family and friends,
 
In God’s grace, our family returned to Taiwan. The children have gone back to school and seen classmates that they hadn’t seen for a long time. We were concerned about how they would catch up with their friends in terms of academics and the school’s atmosphere. To our surprise, we are proud that our young ones have been adjusting fine and are happy. Praise God for the relief in our heart!
 
A number of ladies have become Christians. Subsequently, we’ve been teaching basic lessons of faith in preparation for baptism at Easter. Furthermore, a few others have diligently witnessed to their families. God has used their testimonies to touch the hearts of their loved ones. It’s exciting news!
 
Thank you for partnering in prayers and support.

While Pastor Charlie and Mary's family has been on furlough in 2018, the Phams have continued their ministry in Taiwan. God used the Phams to closely walk with a local sister who faced a dramatic trial. As a result, this sister's husband came to faith and was baptized.

Dear everyone,

We hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration. Happy new year to you and your loved ones!

Sister Tiến faced a dramatic trial. God used the Phams to closely walk with her through the difficult days. Through the experience, God not only strengthened her but also had her husband surrender to him in faith and receive baptism. 

How we "teach them to fish"

While Labor Day marks a farewell to summer, it's also a day to honor the contributions of workers.
​And for many rural families around the world, labor work is their livelihood.

Hoa was forced to climb trees and pick coconuts, 
even though he had paid $5,000 to come to Taiwan for a factory job. 

​Many of us enjoy Labor Day as a long holiday weekend. But there are hundreds of exploited migrant workers who never get a day off. We help laborers like Hoa through our Laborer Care ministry in Taiwan.

​Walk Locally, Impact Globally for Christ
5K, Penitencia Creek Park, San Jose, CA
Saturday, October 28, 2017, 9am-12pm
walk.agapefish.org

​Please join us for the Agape Fish Poverty Walkathon! Your participation will raise awareness and funds for poverty alleviation ministries in East Asia. The donations and registration fees will go toward helping impoverished children and families who struggle to meet their basic needs. Walk the local 5k and make a global impact for Christ. 

Dear family and friends,

Last year the detention camp got a new warden. After that, the detention center suddenly closed its doors and minimized visits by evangelical missionaries. After months of prayers and negotiations, there appears to be a new openness! Please pray for favor with the officials so that ministry visits to this detention center will be resumed. For more details, please refer to the excerpt from a missionary's email below. This missionary coordinates the ministries of the detention centers.

Here's an update on a migrant worker who's been in a coma for nearly 4 months. He can now breathe on his own, but he is still unconscious. It's been arranged for him to return to his family in his home country on March 4th. Details of the incident are still kept in the dark. The brokers reported that he fell down the dormitory's stairs, so the authorities have no further basis for investigation. May God show mercy!

Thank you!

Charlie and Mary

Praise: Job Provided for Hýõng

Again, praise the Lord for his answer to our prayers. Last time Hýõng pleaded in prayer for a job. Within a few days, she found one. The experience really strengthened her trust in the Lord. 

​Upon leaving for the workforce, she reminded us to provide the phone number and address of the church near her factory.

Prayer Request: Healing and Jobs for New Group

Please pray for another group of workers that just arrived at the shelter. So many workers are mistreated, and as they suffer, their families back home also suffer.

For example, three men were illegally assigned to work at a big restaurant and were forced to work from 5am to 8pm with no breaks. They were paid 12,000 NTD (a little less than $400 USD).

Another example is a lady who just left the shelter to care for an elderly man. The elderly man just liked to sleep in the same room with her and took his clothes off. She couldn't take it and went back to a shelter at a different location.

Stories similar to these abound. These migrant workers not only need jobs, but far more than that, they need God to heal their hurts and wounds.

​Caring for Migrant Workers

Throughout the island of Taiwan, there are 5 detention centers with approximately 200 migrant workers housed in each one. Many of the workers are victims of exploitation and various kinds of abuse by brokerage agencies and employers. As a result, they willfully leave contracted jobs and find work elsewhere. Sooner or later, they get caught and are transferred to detention centers. They stay there for about 4 months while waiting for their legal documents to be recovered, and then they return to their home countries. 

The Christian and Missionary Alliance  goes into the detention centers to evangelize, counsel, and care for the migrant workers' basic needs. As the laborers stay at the shelter and wait for offers on new jobs, they have no source of income. The grant we have given to the Taiwan Labor Concern program enables the migrant workers to have sandals, soap bars, toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, coffee, tea, snacks, weekly meals, telephone cards, and ferry and subway tickets. As care is shown to them in practical ways, these hurting workers have responded in attending weekly activities and church meetings.