Working on self qualification (Alain Haudenschild)

A Graduation Day together May 25th

Although it may look hard, but in Chinese world it is essential: without having a plan to work on the upgrading of one's education the area where a missionary is able to minister quickly becomes marginalized in this quick adapting environment. - this is even then the case if a missionary for years can not see any sign of major improvements in the area where he is particuarly busy. In our case this is the area of mission education. - In recent years the Taosheng Theological Seminary in Taipei saw not only what they lacked in their curriculum for successful pastors, the dean also tried to serve us missionaries need to theologically grow into the local culture. I remember after finishing our fulltime language study in our first term (1992-1996) we had already applied for a course in Taosheng to fill the gap we felt. (At this occassion I proudly created with the LORDs and other local peoples help my first curriculum vitae in Chinese). Ten years later there was a first invitation to teach the first mission course. - Over the years this not only helped to listen to local colleagues questions, we both recently finished enough courses to graduate with an M.Div (Rita) and a D. Min. (Alain) . Is this smart? Isn't this wasted money and setting priorities wrong? How many more people could have heard the gospel by doing more visitations instead? We all thought this through and looked that the time of studies would if possible not interfere with the great times where people are at home and available for this. When we were teaching the problem was different: we could not be on other places at the same time. Besides, sometimes it is better to first spend time to train 10 horses instead of doing the job of 10 horses. May the LORD help to balance the next steps. The seminary just decided to establish an alumni network of all Taosheng Alumnis since 1953! - These could include 250-300 graduates and result in a better focused sharing of vital information for the common progress including how the Great Commission can be incorporated in the daily pastoring routine. So the answer to the above asked question is rather what really helps to promote and advance the Kingdom to establish mission-conscious and -excited churches able who are healthy and able to reproduce and engage in the fulfillment of the Great Comission.