These are God's words taken from about 50 Scriptures, and it shows us how he has expressed his love to us. Jesus Christ, His Son, was the peak of his revelation of love to us. I had to share this as a logical second part to my previous testimonial video.
still on my quest for truth....
I happened upon this first-person account that is worthy of attention, and I hope you dedicate a short 10 minutes to watching it.
It is very down-to-earth, non-religious, and completely relevant to any individual still alive in our universe.
to say the least, we had a very profitable time. profitable for our souls, minds, and hearts. There was great need in the village outside Beijing called Qing Yun Dian. but the government had just recently sprung the funds for new roads leading up to the Olympics. every day I would teach English to classrooms of about 12 students, aged 16 to adult. it was a summer programme, and in the meantime Sonia helped out in the children's home right there on the same campus. We now hope to go back sometime over the next year with our home (PLUS) group from our church and hopefully financially sponsor one or more children from the home there. most of them are saved from not getting the surgeries they so badly need from the state-run system. New Day arranges adoptions or foster families from the community step up to give their help too.
then I had the most amazing side trip -- to the fascinating Turkish (by ethnicity) city of Urumqi. it's still located within China's western border, but it sure seems like a Muslim place somewhere in the Middle East. I was warmly welcomed by the director of the largest English language school in that region, Atlan. The people were so so warm, and they were very interested to sit and hear we four Americans teach and interact with them for seven days. the student numbers in our classes approached 100 at times. they were very studious and hard-working, and they were not afraid to converse as well as they could manage. they took us out 2 or 3 times a day, and students even welcomed us into their own homes. the people are very expressive, they absolutely adore dancing, acting, and singing, and they love parties. I sure hope God allows us to visit these people again soon and possibly set up something longer term there. see two pictures from each city below, and see more pictures in my new Beijing & Urumqi photo album.
living the fast-paced Asian life. kindergarten, mass transit, tourist destinations, shopping, and heaps of info on how to come and thrive in Hong Kong. we're a family who is doing it and want others to benefit from our experience. God called us to this place, and we know his plan is majestic and worthy of following with all our hearts...enjoy all Hong Kong and Asia have to offer
Quicktime video -- Download here
Windows Media Player DivX video -- Download vlog_intro7.avi
time to take her two-year-old to a famous and established local kindergarten for an "interview". and what did the Chinese teacher and English teacher do? the Chinese teacher put all the toys on the table and ordered the little girl to play. no interaction, no instruction. just a stare. then the young expat teacher came by. she started to read a storybook loudly and word-for-word. no imaginative illustration or kind interaction. when is it that teachers reach out to little toddlers and actually help them to develop instead of just treating them like little adults?
this is a picture of what teaching kindergarten is like here in HK. I know what this woman means after having taught in a local kindy for 9 months now. i think we need to make our own kindergarten and go into business.
Who are you? I saw you today sitting on the side of the pavement begging for money from the thousands who rushed past you. I cried for you today cause I saw in your eyes that you knew exactly what people thought of you, or rather the fact that people didn't even think or even take a look at you. I watched someone step over your hat and I felt the pain of that. You only had $10 and I was the only person out of the hundreds to stop and talk to you and give you some money. When I touched your knee your leg was so thin. God I hope he doesn't go hungry tonight please don't let him go hungry anymore.
Burnt from some dreadful accident and left too ugly to work or be productive in this society, thrown out to be stepped over and left in isloation.
What makes him different to all you suits that walked past him today? You tourists who didn't even look twice what would your fate be if his story had happened to you?
Only God can save him and help him, but only God can save us and help us from being eaten alive on the inside with the greed that is destroying our love for those in need.
Who is worse off? The man with nothing? Or the man with everything but who can give nothing?
But for the grace of God that could be me.......
I had dinner last night once again with George from Lighthouse Christian Products from Chicago, USA. What a great company that is sincerely trying to be a light for Our Lord Jesus Christ in this troubled world. It was so good to hear his many stories of how their products continue to encourage and inspire people to love and understand God more. They are always so uplifting to my whole family, no matter who it is, and that's why I was led today to write about them. Please visit their site just to see their range of gift items. I worked in their warehouse on and off for a total of maybe 18 months, and God had many key conversations with me during those work hours shipping and storing their many gift items. Thanks George & Ed (and supporting cast)!! We love you!
for all those looking for a church home in Hong Kong or for those who just want to see the great things that God is doing through the people of The Vine, see their videos, info, and pictures at their website. We are so happy worshiping and serving God in this place since coming to Hong Kong in Aug 06. To get directions to the church for Sunday services at 9:30am, 11:30am, and 6pm just click here. Nearly every other Sunday we are there we are invited out for lunch after the 11:30 message. The people are so friendly and just so down-to-earth that we couldn't feel any more at home there. We have been inspired and challenged even. We are seeing where and how God has given us certain talents and passions to be used with the people that come to this church. We have even been able to start a new "home group" in our area of Shatin, New Territories, to get together with others every other week on Mondays in Tai Wai. We are also so relieved that they have such great children's activities there on Sunday mornings. Our kids love it there and have made so many really good friends already. Our 2-year-old says his friend's name all week long when he doesn't get to see him. I could go on and on...God is so good.
I live for the glory of God, my Heavenly Father. He is the only one that gives us a hope and a real future. He sent His son Jesus Christ as a perfect sacrifice into this world and allowed Him to die an earthly and horrific death on the cross just so that we could all come into relationship with God. I want you to know that God loves all of you so completely and it would be incredible for you to come to a realization of how pointless your life is unless you are living it for God. I would love to share more with you so just ask...It's a free gift!
I lived for so long... searching. And I didn't find him without first dredging the bottom of human existence. But I hope that you don't have to cause so much destruction before you do. He is our creator and father. And he's calling your name...
Watch my "finding God" video for more
" ... the Kingdom is to be in the midst of your enemies. And he who will not suffer this does not want to be of the Kingdom of Christ; he wants to be among friends, to sit among roses and lilies, not with bad people but the devout people. O you blasphemers and betrayers of Christ! If Christ had done what you are doing who would ever have been spared?" -Luther
We're undergoing more heart surgery these days and we're actually totally looking forward to the possibility that we could stay on teaching at Wellborn kindy and continue to build these relationships and have a lasting impact on people's lives. I even got to share with the BIG BOSS, a Mr. Chan who owns this chain of kindergartens and is a very tough business man, why we are going to Beijing to volunteer in the Children's home for our holidays. They are radically impressed by that- it seems although to us it is fairly normal and something lots of people who love God do. Again I'm reminded that I am perhaps the first Christian these people have ever talked to.
We have not heard back from the international school where Greg had that wonderful interview yet.
Please pray God will lead us clearly because if Greg does get that position, our hearts have changed so much to the school where we are now we would have to think twice.
They want me to start a dance programme at the school as well and I could use my syllabus that I brought with me.
We will be making our decision in the next month either way, or God will make it for us because there are a lot of big pros and cons on each side and it just has to be the place God wants and not based on what "looks" right to us. It is important because it is where we put most of our time and effort and as we are here as missionaries with a calling to bring Jesus and love to this part of the world we need to be in the place He wants us so we can be most use to HIM not to ourselves or others.
Our meetings with various leaders are now finished. We will go to Hong Kong in late July to start using the tools we DO have -- both of us teaching English at a kindergarten, Sonia setting up her own dance studio, and our family really getting involved at the Vine Church. We expect God to show us how to mobilise creative arts teams that will support long-term teams in minority group areas of Central Asia. Within the next week to 10 days we will issue a clear call to our supporters now that God has shown us how we will spend our first year in Hong Kong. Our home church and mission organisation will use this first year or two to build a more secure relationship with us. It's a trial run of sorts.
We are getting more certain about how God wants us to do jobs & visas for HK, but we still have about 2 weeks to pray about these big decisions. We just posted the image in our photo album that we'll use for our travel mugs and fridge magnets. They'll produce them this week!
We see HK as the next step in obeying God. Greg is a gifted teacher and has a great ability to connect with his students in a personal way, so this is a possibility (and gains access to many places). Sonia will be looking to open a dance studio to teach Jazz and HipHop to children using Christian music. She has a lot of experience doing ministry with children and teenagers and has taught dancing in one of our country's best dance schools for 2 years.
Our goal long-term is to create a team of missionaries to do short term trips acting and dancing and bringing the Bible to life for the people groups that have yet to hear the gospel, using Hong Kong as our base.
We are building ties with a vibrant intercultural church in Hong Kong, which will be our home church.
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