Get to Know Emma Desmarais

Ministry Description

I will be serving as an English teacher at a program in Taichung, Taiwan called SYME. SYME is a program run by Word of Life and is a Chinese acronym meaning: Bible, Friendship, Discipleship, and English. I will be teaching high school to college age Taiwanese students English using the Bible as well as discipling them in the faith. I will be living life alongside them in the dorms, meaning I would be like a dorm RA. If you'd like more information about SYME, please visit syme.woltaiwan.com.

Learn more about the ministry in Taiwan.

About Emma

I was adopted into a loving, God-fearing family who taught me how to live for Christ. However, when I was a young kid I was very disobedient. That disobedience led to me being sent to my room as a form of timeout. I would simply sit on my bed, pondering and thinking about how I could get out. My perspective was all about me and it was not humble in the slightest. One of these times when I was sent to my room, I called downstairs to my mom and asked how I could get out. My mom sat beside me and explained to me what asking for forgiveness was between parents and children and between God and His children. I believe that was the time that I believed in Jesus and asked Him for forgiveness of my sins.

From that point and throughout all of middle school and the majority of my high school years, I simply coasted. Since I was saved young, my life didn't change in the magnitude of someone who might be saved later in life. I relied on my parents' faith to be my faith. In 9th grade, my life went downhill. It was the year of Covid and everything was shut down which caused me to struggle with my identity. Since I wasn't with my friends and I didn't have the best relationship with my parents at that point, I struggled with who I was as a person, as a woman specifically, and who I was as a child of God. That lasted from 9th to 11th grade until God met me where I was. I felt extremely convicted with the sin I was involving myself in and I cried out to God for total forgiveness. God gracefully heard me and helped me get my life together. I started to read my Bible and pray, which led me to going to Word of Life Bible Institute for two years.

In 2nd year I was met with the opportunity to go to Czech Republic on a missions' trip. I had already gone to Guatemala and NYC for missions' trips, and I thought that this trip would be the same. I was severely wrong, which was for the best. Because of the changing experience of serving God in another country, and of all the other things God had done in my life to that point, I signed up for CCI. Through the process of being accepted into CCI and choosing where I would want to go, the door opened for me to go to Taiwan. If you asked me even half a year ago what I would be doing after second year, I would have never though I'd be going to Asia for two years. God really worked through the events in my life and softened my heart for missions outside of the US.

Philippians 4:6-7 - "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Contact Information

emma.desmarais11@gmail.com

Address:
Emma Desmarais
Word of Life Taiwan
PO Box 600
Schroon Lake, NY 12870