December
7, 2016
Dear
Benefactor,
As you have heard and also experienced, “when God closes a door, He will open a window." I informed you last year that California Jesuits, starting June 30, 2016, would no longer be able to process funds donated to Chinese Lay Missionaries. At that time our benefactors were very generous and, by end of May 2016, we had received all the funds to meet our 8/1/2016 to 7/31/ 2017 budget. But many of you have been worried how we would be able to receive and process donations in the future. Thank God, a group of long time benefactors, acting as "friends of CLM", have established a new non-profit, "Chinese Evangelism to the Chinese" (CEC). CEC will act as "fiscal sponsor" for CLM: that means CEC will receive and process funds donated for CLM, provide our benefactors with an IRS tax deduction letter for charitable donations and send your donations to CLM in Taiwan. CEC's special mission is to assist direct evangelism to Chinese people and has its own Board of Directors: Mr. Stephen Tsai, Mr. Ken Wang, Mr. Eugene Lee, Mr. Simon Lee and Mr. Paul Perez.
So in the future, you can donate to CLM by writing a check to "Catholic Evangelism to the Chinese" [just writing "CEC" will be good enough] and in the memo section write "for CLM". The address is
As you have heard and also experienced, “when God closes a door, He will open a window." I informed you last year that California Jesuits, starting June 30, 2016, would no longer be able to process funds donated to Chinese Lay Missionaries. At that time our benefactors were very generous and, by end of May 2016, we had received all the funds to meet our 8/1/2016 to 7/31/ 2017 budget. But many of you have been worried how we would be able to receive and process donations in the future. Thank God, a group of long time benefactors, acting as "friends of CLM", have established a new non-profit, "Chinese Evangelism to the Chinese" (CEC). CEC will act as "fiscal sponsor" for CLM: that means CEC will receive and process funds donated for CLM, provide our benefactors with an IRS tax deduction letter for charitable donations and send your donations to CLM in Taiwan. CEC's special mission is to assist direct evangelism to Chinese people and has its own Board of Directors: Mr. Stephen Tsai, Mr. Ken Wang, Mr. Eugene Lee, Mr. Simon Lee and Mr. Paul Perez.
So in the future, you can donate to CLM by writing a check to "Catholic Evangelism to the Chinese" [just writing "CEC" will be good enough] and in the memo section write "for CLM". The address is
CEC
P.O. Box 95
Los Altos, CA
94023
We are enclosing an envelope
with the CEC address on it and on back it explains how to make the donation.
Because CEC is just formed and getting started, they are not able to
process credit cards, so please send checks. Sometime next year CEC
should be able to accept credit card payments.
I would also like to share with you an additional mission I have been given by our Provincial: "project manager" for direct evangelism mission in Tainan. It requires spending Friday evening till Tuesday morning in Tainan: Tuesday to Friday afternoon will continue to teach and work for CLM at the Fu Jen School of Theology. My focus has been developing 1-0-1 Evangelizing Prayer Groups. The most difficult part of evangelizing in Taiwan is attracting non-Catholics to a catechumen class. One of our lay evangelists has been very successful in forming lay Catholics, through a 1-0-1 Evangelizing Prayer Group, to really do direct evangelism with their family, relatives, friends and coworkers; last year 50 were Baptized at the parish (30 and 40 the two preceding years); of those Baptized, 70% were introduced to catechumen class through the lay Catholics from this group.
I believe these types of prayer groups must become a universal means used by CLM; hence, I will try to thoroughly understand how to organize these groups, form the lay Catholics and help them to do direct evangelism. The goal will be develop a method and teaching materials that all our lay evangelists can use. I am working with our two lay evangelists in Tainan and we have made a good start: two groups already formed and a third group will start early November; in early November will also start one of these evangelizing prayer groups at a Jung-he parish. I will keep you informed of the progress of these groups.
I would also like to share with you an additional mission I have been given by our Provincial: "project manager" for direct evangelism mission in Tainan. It requires spending Friday evening till Tuesday morning in Tainan: Tuesday to Friday afternoon will continue to teach and work for CLM at the Fu Jen School of Theology. My focus has been developing 1-0-1 Evangelizing Prayer Groups. The most difficult part of evangelizing in Taiwan is attracting non-Catholics to a catechumen class. One of our lay evangelists has been very successful in forming lay Catholics, through a 1-0-1 Evangelizing Prayer Group, to really do direct evangelism with their family, relatives, friends and coworkers; last year 50 were Baptized at the parish (30 and 40 the two preceding years); of those Baptized, 70% were introduced to catechumen class through the lay Catholics from this group.
I believe these types of prayer groups must become a universal means used by CLM; hence, I will try to thoroughly understand how to organize these groups, form the lay Catholics and help them to do direct evangelism. The goal will be develop a method and teaching materials that all our lay evangelists can use. I am working with our two lay evangelists in Tainan and we have made a good start: two groups already formed and a third group will start early November; in early November will also start one of these evangelizing prayer groups at a Jung-he parish. I will keep you informed of the progress of these groups.
Finally, last year our
benefactors were especially generous and we received almost all donations by
the middle of May. If possible can you make your donation as early as
possible-- so that by May 15th of next year we will have sufficient
funds for our 8/1/2017 to 7/31/2018 budget year.
May the Most Holy Trinity bless you,
May the Most Holy Trinity bless you,
Fr. Lou Aldrich SJ
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