Dear prayer partners around the globe:

It may be the first time for few of you receiving my prayer letter. I thank God for His supreme plan for the His followers. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, [and] rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)

As I came alone side with DOULOS ministry, His faithfulness had opened my eyes by breaking through impossible circumstances. The first month after I came back from furlough in Taiwan, there were two ports, Valletta (Malta) and Palermo (Sicily, Italy), we visited. Today is the very last day of our Europe journey. Tomorrow, the ship will sail to the Near East and Northeast Africa. A whole new chapter is waiting ahead. Physically, I am well-prepared for the challenge after the break. However, mentally I am very exhausted by continuously shifting lifestyle and environment. Try to image a worker who has to compress through a reverse re-entry experience in 2 month. I had mentioned that how mess-up my language is now. Well, “The show must go on.”
Ray Peng, Palermo, Sicily, Italy _ the 21st of Jan 2005

Grande return: Soft landing

I had no idea of what could happen to me when I left home. All the paper I had to come back to the Ship was a piece of Fax paper. Therefore, it was miraculous that I might get back without any convincible document. I came back at the first Sunday of the Year 2005, also the second day of the year. That means I had missed the Ship’s Christmas and New Year. Many closed friends left during these 6 weeks (which happened all the time). Many missed me a lot and warmly welcomed me back. There were also people who just had no idea that I had been away for almost 2 months. My New challenge on the ship was picking up the responsibility of PR team and prepared for the operation in the Mid East. Fortunately, I had a few days in slow pace adjusting back to the right track. The director Daniel Chae, personnel Manager Tobias, and program manager Anja, they all were very considerable in this period of time. So I could be flexible on dealing person stuff and got oriented again for the new phase of coming Year.

Malta and her beloved people

Last time Doulos was here in 2003. That was my first Mediterranean port. Almost one and half years later, I came back from my furlough. It was very emotional for me to really embrace the lifestyle and ministry on board. I had my first overnight church team here in a Baptist Church. And that was quite an unpleasant experience. The Churches in this small country are so split up (sounds familiar?), even the DOULOS visit couldn’t make a difference. A population with approximant 400,000 people, there are only less than 400 evangelical Christians (church goers) in 15 churches in Malta. The size of the churches are like 20~30. There were church leaders who didn’t want to come to DOULOS simply because another Pastor would be around. (Sounds familiar?) However, the Maltese people are just hospitable and friendly. You walk on a street and ask for direction; there are always helping hands around. You may spend a whole afternoon in a shop just talking about the weather and politics; even you are totally a stranger. This time I was just here for the very last week. And the ship had been here for more than 3 weeks. You could easily tell that people were tired and ran out of energy. It’s also the concern of the length of time wherever we went.

Di’s family: promise more than just words

Di, and his wife Wen, and a 3 year old boy Enoch were just here 2 weeks in Malta. They were once the Church leaders in a main 3 self church in Qin Dao city. However, they had been cast out recently because of various reasons. They felt God’s calling for them to go somewhere else during this difficult time. Miraculously, they got the Maltese visa for a whole year. And they soon sold their house and came to Malta without anything. They couldn’t speak English. They didn’t have a stable accommodation. On top of all these, they didn’t know anybody here. However, God prepared a ship with 300 missionaries came from nowhere to visit the Island. And they hooked up with the Chinese people on board at the moment of desperation. At the time we left Malta; they had already visited a church, met two key pastors, had a small concert on board, linked up with a few Chinese Christians and students, had two voluntary English teachers, and the Christian circles were eagerly looking for a flat for them to stay. And the most of all, they got motivated, encouraged, and experienced the faithfulness of a living God. And so does the whole ship’s crew.

There were more than 2000 Chinese students in Malta University only. If they start a Chinese fellowship within 40 people, it will be the biggest congregation in this island. Let us pray until something happens. And that is a promise from God. (If you have a heart to support them, please contact me directly.)

“A walk to remember” Overnight ministry in Messina

At the day we arrived Palermo, Kevin Bidwell, the ministry office director, asked me if I wanted to join an overnight team. I was at the phase of uncertainty with my job and many other concerns. “What the hack,” it’s just a weekend “what could go wrong?” I am actually very thankful that I came with the team to Messina last weekend. Over there, I had experienced something beyond description. It was love, lots of love. Pastor Natale was a chief engineer in Marine service. And now he operates his own shipyard in downtown Messina (which is the closest point to Italy Mainland from Sicily). The whole family was, is, and still will be involved of the Church ministry. It is really like a Mafia family in a good way. Once you are a friend; you are part of the blood of the family. There were numbers of cousins, nephews or nieces, in-laws, grand parents in the church. At the last supper, we all sat around the same table. And that was longer than 15 meters!! It is a Pentecostal church. Most of the evangelical churches in the Southern Italy are more charismatic due to the development in the mid 20th century under the Fascism. The youth meeting and the worship time was defiantly a highlight of the whole visit. We sang and dance like African churches’ revival fiesta. That was awesome. My church back home and my parents must have serious concerns about me now.

“Home away” Chinese church in Palermo

There were 27 Chinese churches in Italy. There is one in Palermo, the biggest city in Sicily. Wei sister was just in Palermo for three years. She came to know the Lord at the time in Rome. She started a small gathering in her place at that time and soon they needed a bigger place to stay. A year ago, they settled in a flat nearby the train station. When I was there with a few other crew members, I was surprised by how primitive it was. Brothers and sisters in the body of Christ, especially these in the Chinese speaking world, we were totally shamefaced by what we had and didn’t cherish. I called the Wei sister at the first and soon we built up trust and solid friendship. There was an evening we had a meal with them. A few DOULOS people came alone with us and we were so blessed (fed) by them. They came back to visit the ship a few times until the last evening. And their generosity was probably out of their ability. At the time we are going to leave Palermo. We had 15 sets of nice Chinese lady’s costumes, loads of food for Chinese New Year, and 5 boxes of instant Noodles. It is really something in this holiday season. Especially, when you only received two letters from home after waiting for another month, God send angels around…. That is another promise.

“A new pair of Shoes”, PR job description for Mid East

As you follow my prayer letter, you might think the only thing I do is Chinese ministry and eating ministry. However, my life on board is way more complicated than that. I do have a lot of meetings, administrations, community devotions, studies, and various commitments with people, ethic groups, and colleagues. Proposing a PR team job description for the Mid East is my main task for this week in Palermo. Meanwhile, there was also a project to make DOULOS a more visitor friendly environment which I need to joint hands. There many things and roles for small potatoes like me can easily mess up. With all my respects, I do just want to make the most of it and serve with Excellency. Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men. (Ephesians 6:6, 7)

Way to go, big man.

Ray Peng from Taiwan

“For though I am free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.”

Invited you to be part of this journey.