The Girl Who Couldn’t Understand Why People Wanted to Serve
Thursday night in Taipei.
The espresso machine hissed downstairs while scooters buzzed past the front windows outside. The humid air carried that familiar mix of rain, coffee, and city concrete.
Inside The Cup Coffee House, people gathered around small tables for Conversation Club.
Some came to practice English.
Some came because they were lonely.
Some came because a friend invited them.
Some came because they had nowhere else to go on a Thursday night.
This session’s Conversation Club theme is called The Hobby Lab.
So far, we’ve learned about coffee & breadmaking.
This past week was focused on video production.
Tammy, a young Taiwanese woman came for the second time.
She had met some of our team two weeks earlier and came back because, in her words, she “liked the vibe.”
That phrase made us laugh a little. But then she said something we haven’t stopped thinking about.
She told Coco, the conversation club coordinator:
“I don’t understand why so many people here are willing to give so much to strangers .” [Meaning, serve others they don’t even know.]
Then she added:
“I want to give too.”
She felt something different in the room and was moved to action.
That moment captures exactly what we believe ministry here is supposed to look like.
Ordinary believers creating spaces where the presence of Jesus quietly changes the atmosphere.
And people notice and are drawn in.
A Coffee Shop With a Different Purpose
One of the most important things to understand about The Cup Coffee House is this:
The goal was not to build a “christian coffee shop.”
It was meant to become a place where relationships could naturally grow. And Jesus would be invited into the conversation.
The church worship center is two floors above the café. Most people walking into The Cup don’t even know it’s there. One man we’ve been meeting with recently had no idea the church existed upstairs.
He simply knew “this place felt different.”
That matters because Taiwan is spiritually complex.
Shrines sit on street corners.
Temples are woven into neighborhoods.
Incense drifts through alleyways.
Underneath the polished modernity of Taipei, there is still deep spiritual need and hunger.
Sometimes it shows up in dramatic ways.
Sometimes it sounds like a woman quietly asking why strangers are willing to serve each other.
That question alone tells us something important:
People are noticing the difference.
Marketplace Discipleship in Action
One of the sweetest parts of this season has been watching local Taiwanese believers begin to catch this vision for themselves.
Coco and her husband Dan are a huge part of that story.
When Bob and Kelly Bailey (our team leads) first launched The Cup 2 years ago, they prayed for “people of peace.” The kind of people who open doors into a community. The kind who become bridges.
Dan and Coco have become exactly that.
At the time, they were carrying church hurt and weren’t especially close to the Lord. Over time, through relationship, community and serving together, something began to change.
Now, Coco helps lead and coordinate the Conversation Club.
She helps organize volunteers.
She’s helping shape the culture of hospitality and intentionality that fills the café every other Thursday night.
Coco is beginning to see firsthand why it matters. And it excites her!
Before this Conversation Club season started, we spent time training volunteers how to build intentional relationships — not in a manipulative way, but in a natural way.
How to listen well.
How to ask better questions.
How to remember names.
How to leave room for spiritual conversations naturally.
Last week, Coco saw the fruit of that training.
Not in numbers - although new people come every week.
Not in hype.
In one woman saying:
“I want to give too.”
A Couple Kid Moments from Taipei
ONE:
Our kids are embracing Taipei and our new rhythm of life.
The younger four take the MRT [train system] to school each morning and home each afternoon with little transit cards hanging from their backpacks.
They feel comfortable because it’s one of the safest cities we’ve ever lived in.
The other day, our youngest son Beck recently led his older brother through the MRT system because he knew the route better.
That sentence still makes us laugh.
TWO:
Last night, before bed, our daughter Addie interrupted the beginning of a Bluey episode and announced:
“Before we watch, I think we should all pray for each other.”
Then she organized the entire family prayer circle herself, assigning siblings to pray for one another.
She made sure everyone was prayed for, all needs and wants covered.
What a sweet and gentle moment.
Jesus has absolutely captured her heart.
There’s something deeply comforting about watching our children not just survive here — but flourish here.
Thank you for praying for them.
We feel those prayers every day.
The Work Behind the Scenes
Much of our time right now is spent helping strengthen systems inside the church.
Agape International Church has grown rapidly in recent years — from roughly 30 people just a few years ago to around 140 now on Sundays.
Growth creates opportunities.
It also creates complexity.
A large portion of our work has involved helping clarify staff roles, streamline workflows, organize systems, and creating healthier structures behind the scenes.
Because healthy systems free employees to focus on people.
That’s the goal.
Pastor Bob and Pastor Kelly have spent years loving people hard and working incredibly hard. We want to help create margin so they can continue doing what they do best.
We also meet with staff regularly to coach and encourage them in their respective roles and ministries.
They are noticing stress relief, improved productivity and a deep sense of connection and support.
Honestly, we love this kind of work. It’s been incredibly rewarding.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for:
Conversation Club relationships — especially Tammy and others who are beginning to ask deeper spiritual questions.
Young adults at Agape — many are hungry for discipleship, mentorship, and biblical guidance.
Harmony Home ministry — a ministry serving children connected to undocumented or vulnerable family situations. These kids are deeply hungry for love and stability.
Language learning — we begin formal Mandarin study soon.
Visa — Ryan is awaiting approval for his ARC (Alien Resident Certificate) application. Once it is accepted, Mandie and the kids can apply. Pray it is approved quickly.
Wisdom and endurance — this season has been incredibly full, but deeply rewarding.
The spiritual atmosphere of Taipei — that many would encounter Jesus in personal and transformative ways.
And truly: thank you.
Your prayers, encouragement, and financial partnership allow us to say “yes” to these moments every single day.
There are many more stories and testimonies of what God is doing in Taipei. We can’t wait to share them with you soon.
