Dear Friends, Family, and Prayer Partners,
Thank you for your prayers for us over these last few months. Everyone is tired of hearing about Covid, but we just can’t seem to get away from it entirely. In April, the omicron variant began to spread in Taiwan. Until recently, the Taiwan government has pursued a Zero-Covid policy, which has been mostly effective in keeping case numbers relatively low on our island since the beginning. However, they have recognized that this approach will not work for omicron, so they began a pivot to a more pragmatic approach. As case numbers have soared in Taiwan (still much lower than the US and elsewhere), the government has gradually loosened some of its controls and modified others. Therefore, our worship services have not been greatly affected by the increase in cases. Pray that our people would continue to be faithful in attendance and trustful in their walk with the Lord.
Our co-workers, the Josh Stewart family, have just departed for the United States for a regular furlough. Please pray for them during their travels in the US. They and we are praying together about the future of their ministry when they return to Taiwan next year. It is their hope to begin a new church plant in a nearby community. I am now in charge of all of the pastoral responsibilities at Cornerstone in Josh’s absence.
In a similar vein, during our April business meeting Marla and I announced to the Cornerstone congregation our future plan to step down from the pastoral role at Cornerstone in September 2023, when we take our next furlough. The church will need to make many important decisions before then as they seek out and call a pastor to shepherd the church. We will be working together with them through this process. Pray for God to provide a qualified and godly national pastor. We planted Cornerstone in 2002 and it was organized as a local church in 2005. The time has come for the church to become independent of missionary involvement.
What Marla and I will do after we complete our next furlough is also a matter for which we request you to pray with us. Marla and I have both turned 60 this year; we are hoping to find a supportive or supplemental type of ministry and to continue to promote the growth of Chinese believers and local congregations here in Taiwan as we move toward the final leg of our race.
Marla’s back problems have slowly improved over the last few months. She has been receiving physical therapy almost every day for her herniated disk. This has gradually brought relief and increased mobility. We walk together nearly every day and Marla is almost back up to her pre-injury number of daily steps. Pray that this healing process would continue.
Also, she just went through some minor surgery on her left hand for carpal tunnel syndrome. This was diagnosed more than ten years ago and has been a continual issue for her. Since Marla was the church pianist, there has never been a “convenient” time to take care of it. We finally decided to make time. The surgery went smoothly, but recovery will take a month or two. We hope to have the other hand done also, after the left one heals. This will keep her away from the piano for a while, but others in the congregation are now able to carry this responsibility.
In Christ,
Matt & Marla Hanna
