Missions 2009 Update #8

I jumped on the back of Bhushan’s motorcycle for the 70 km ride out to the village of Balireddypalem. It was hot. Very hot. Three people died in the general area from heatstroke that day.

We left the arid inland cities and headed for the coast. We wove between tractors, bull-carts, and behemoth old busses. We had to wait while a herd of goats swarmed around us then moved on. There were green rice paddies, coconut palms, shrimp ponds, and sugarcane fields.

When we arrived, the harvest festival was underway and shrill off-key singers blared from a loudspeaker. Worshipers sat outside on tarps under a party canopy. The women wore saris in electric colors with their shawls pulled over their heads in reverence. The men wore western shirts and eastern wraps at their waists.

Bhushan served as interpreter and we preached from James chapter 1 about not wasting our trials but using them to bring us closer to Jesus. We were both dripping in sweat and the people were having difficulty staying awake. In the pre-monsoon heat, Indian life pretty much shuts down. We kept the message short and ate a meal cooked over outdoor fires.

Two cots were placed under a tree and that is where Bhushan and I ate and rested for the afternoon. We stayed in the village to preach another session in the evening. It was a joy to observe village life for a day.

Once most of the onlookers got bored with staring at the white visitor, the normal routines continued. Old people slept on mats, children made up silly games, chickens and dogs took refuge under our cots. There is no privacy in rural India and it was not unusual to open my napping eyes to find adorable children giggling over me, or three old women waiting to see if I would do anything strange.

That evening the breeze stopped and the heat clamped its jaws onto us. We sat on the stage and watched as the singing crowd doubled, then doubled again. There were 200 present and my familiar old doubts pressed in.

I prayed, “Lord, I can’t think in this heat. I am nothing that I should presume to speak to these people. I don’t know what I’m going to say. Why did I come here? God, I need a miracle.”

There was no energy for superfluous words and we went right to the point. We used white-toothed, beaming-eyed children to act out the parable of the prodigal son. The crowd laughed as we made the son and his father re-unite in a slow motion running hug. All the magic tricks worked except for a hidden rope that slipped down my pant-leg and out the cuff.

The Indians dressed in their festival finery and decorative tea lights strung about created a wondrous atmosphere. The girls wore jasmine flowers in their hair and the boys were freshly washed and reveled in rhythmic clapping. Everybody was ready to embrace whatever entertainment was offered, no matter how unprofessional it may have been. We added the always-dynamic message of the gospel of peace and had a spectacular evening.

The Holy Spirit empowered our words and there was no doubt that, in spite of cultural and linguistic barriers, the goods of how to return to God were delivered. The tribal Hindus who slipped into the fringes of the crowd learned of man’s common sin problem and how to remedy the crisis.

I have come to appreciate how Indian evangelists handle altar calls. They simply tell the people that if they want Jesus, come talk to them after the meeting. This removes the emotional hype as well as the western preoccupation with numbers and verifiable human results. It leaves room for the Holy Spirit to do his work and reduces shallow decisions.

A humble man came and bowed before me and offered a bunch of foot-long green vegetables called drumsticks. It was his way of saying thank you. My doubts from before the meeting evaporated and I realized once again that I have the best job in the world. It is my privilege to tell others the most incredible news anyone could hear.

Keep your money Satan, keep your comforts; nothing you offer can touch what I have.

Be blessed,

JDC--

Missions 2009 Update #7

Friends, Below is a link to a few photos and a video in India. I am preaching most every day and having a great time in spite of the temperatures. It is 119 (46c) in the sun and 100 (38c) in the shade. I stay mostly in the shade. The Christians are beautiful; even when they are mourning. Rufus and I preached at a funeral two days ago. The old man was a believer so it was a delight to proclaim the gospel and send him on to real life. I also had the opportunity to tell of the offer for eternal forgiveness in the courtyard of a Hindu shrine. There were two sessions and in the evening many non-Christians joined the laughter as I attempted my gospel magic tricks. We all had a good time and those seven years old or younger were actually impressed. We had a wonderful meal together and belted out worship music with a large Indian percussion section. In another village, Vavilla, during the worship music, a woman named Sevarapu writhed on the floor in a believable likeness of the snakes so frequently worshiped here. After the meeting they brought her for healing and, thanks to the power in Jesus’ name, she left in her right mind, a lovely new follower of Christ. The children were the highlight that night. They participated with enthusiasm as we used them in skits to demonstrate the parable of the four soils and how we can be rescued by Jesus. Laughter is a universal language. During the worship time, the children fell face downward and praised God, especially the adorable five-year-old girl in the center of the picture. God’s love overflowed from these precious ones. We are experiencing the fulfillment of: Isa 66:18 –Isa 66:21 NIV “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. And they will bring all your brothers, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the LORD. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels. And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the LORD.

Missions 2009 Update #6

Kerala

 

I flew to Cochin city of Kerala State in India to investigate potential sites for starting an orphanage to rescue child prostitutes. Some months ago God put the word Kerala on my heart. That is not much guidance so I doubted that I was using resources correctly by going to a place when I had so little understanding of my purpose or contacts. However, every time I prayed about it I would come back to convicting Bible verses like:

 

Jas 1:27 NIV

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 

Lk 12:48 NIV

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

 

Mt 25:40 NIV

The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

 

So with a strong conviction to help the most abused of the world’s precious children, I went to Kerala on faith.

 

Dani and I had visited Kerala in 2007 and we used a Christian travel agent based in Cochin. I emailed my friend Sudha, who is from the opposite coast of India, and asked for the contact information. Sudha sent me the name Jimmy Joseph, but there was no email and the phone number was disconnected. Through an on-line search I found a new phone number and Jimmy was willing to help me but confused as to who our mutual friends were. He did not know any of the names I gave him. Exactly how we got connected remains a mystery.

 

It turns out Jimmy is a God-hungry evangelical Catholic. Sadly, I am not sure either of us would have trusted the other’s denominational labels to forge a relationship if we had known them at the outset. God had to trick us to work together.

 

I explained to Jimmy my reason for coming to Kerala and he was concerned on two fronts. First he feared I would become a target for the many unscrupulous operators looking to make money on clueless Americans. Second, Jimmy wondered if I was another of the many who use orphanage work for sexual exploitation or for making money from donors. I am told the majority of orphanages are in business to make money or bring self-glory.

 

Jimmy kept my reasons for being in Kerala a secret from all, even his boss, so he could prevent thieves from knowing a target was near. He began showing me around existing good orphanages so I could see how they operated. In Jimmy’s circles, he knew mostly Catholic orphanages. As he and I spent time together we began to see into one another’s heart. I saw that Jimmy was a man of unusual integrity and zeal for Jesus. As I prayed over his friends and connected with his spiritual mentors who serve as priests, he knew my intentions were likewise genuine.

 

Next we launched into three days of looking for potential properties, with or without structures, and for purchase or lease. It was grueling work as we drove up and down the coast during the year’s highest heat and looked at nearly 20 potentials.

 

I was getting disappointed as common sense and the Lord’s voice did not line up on any of the properties. All we saw were overpriced, swampy, littered, smelly lots in the slums. Anything nice was way out of our price range. Because of the popular tourist destinations in the famed backwaters and beach areas, the real-estate values are higher than the USA.

 

By noon on my forth day in Kerala, we had nothing and the realtor said, “That is the last one.”

 

We were headed back to the hotel and I was thinking, We need to look up in the mountains away from the tourist areas. We don’t have time to do anything further on this trip. I will use the Internet at the hotel to look for potentials in the mountains. But I can’t say anything to Jimmy because he has worked so hard and now I can’t suddenly change my parameters. If this project happens it will have to wait until another trip.

 

Then I prayed, “Lord I really don’t understand because I am more sure of your call to work in Kerala then when I came, but you have said nothing to my heart about any of these properties.”

 

Jimmy interrupted my silent prayer, “I think we need to look in the mountains. I have not said anything, but my family owns a small property in an area that only received roads two years ago. The original British road slid away 50 years ago and the tourist resorts developed near the new road built in another place. This land is one of the last unspoiled places and perfect for damaged children to heal. There are clean rivers, wild elephants, and electricity has been put in but not yet energized.”

 

I was eager to see it so Jimmy asked me to stay another day. “Sorry Jimmy, I cannot do it. I have other ministry appointments in Chennai and Nellore. It is today, or it will have to wait for a future trip.”

 

Jimmy went to work on his cell phone to see if the family was amiable to the project and willing to let me see the property. The key relative was Uncle George. It turned out George had been away for all the days we were looking in the backwaters and had just landed at the airport. He was 17 kilometers ahead of us and headed to the mountain property himself.

 

Over the phone Jimmy explained my ministry and interest in helping children. He told George of the blessings we had already received from the priests and Catholic leaders. George was favorable to meeting me. He abandoned his taxi and waited at the roadside. We picked him up and all headed up the mountains together.

 

During the four-hour trip, we went into mist-cloaked mountains covered in palms, mahoganies, and rubber tree and tea plantations. Wild flowers and waterfalls became frequent as we rose above the jungle heat. The paved road ended and we transferred to a Mahindra (Indian Jeep). After driving through a river that had boys laughing and swimming in a deep pool, the truck bounced up to the family property.

 

Now I had an internal struggle. The general area was perfect, but the property was too steep and small for much use. I realized I was being too picky and bringing my western expectations into the decision.

 

I prayed, “Okay Lord, you clearly have your hand on these circumstances, so with your help I will accept this property and make it work.”

 

We met Jimmy’s family in their humble trailside house and then had to leave on account of the coming nighttime. On the way down, Uncle George asked me, through the interpreter, what I though about the property.

 

I was silent a while then gave him my true concerns. Right off he said, “There is no reason you have to use our property. I know of another place close to ours that is more lever, bigger, and in site of the river.”

 

He even knew the price to buy the other land and it was well within our budget.

 

It was now too dark to go back, but George went on, “Use our place temporarily and move to something more suitable when you can. I will help you find the right one.”

 

The results of this trip are:

 

·      New friends in Christ; some of whom can serve as board members for the orphanage trust.

·      A viable, healthy, and rare location.

·      God’s clear provision for continuing the project.

 

I arrived at the hotel at midnight and got up at 2:30am for the flight to Chennai. Outside I am exhausted, inside I am energized.

 

 

 

 

Missions 2009 Update #5

Dear friends:

There is a change in plans. Dani’s MS is acting up and so she is flying back to the US with Steve and Denise. She will be with our son and daughter for mother’s Day and spend time with family.

I will travel on to India and spend five weeks in ministry in three locations. India has been making the headlines with record-breaking temperatures reaching 112, so it is a good thing Dani will avoid that stress.

As we close out China, let me touch on a few recent highlights.

· The pastors held another monthly prayer meeting last week and 20 were present, including two churches that had not previously attended. I felt led to stay away, but heard great reports of the continuing love, unity, and bold plans for the future.

· After our conference of two weeks ago, my Korean co-speaker, Pastor Chong, traveled to another city in northern China for a pastor’s conference. Over 70 pastors came together and there was a great anointing from the Holy Spirit. There were healings and one man paralyzed since childhood stood and marched about praising God.

These miracles are ancillary to the bigger miracle of first-time unity between underground churches and the move of revival. God is clearly at work in China.

· Dani and I had the privilege of counseling several who are seeking the truth of Jesus. One was an Indian medical student we will call Meeata. She was raised Hindu but last year she was told about Christ and began to investigate his legitimacy.

“Every time I try to read the Bible or pray, I have nightmares of snakes coming to kill me. I expected peace from Jesus, not turmoil, so I stopped following him.”

We read 1Cor 10:20 to Meeata which says:

“No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.”

Then we explained how the Hindu gods are really demons and they do not want her to follow Jesus so they are trying to scare her away with dreams.

For Meeata’s entire life she has been told that the Hindu gods are good for her, so it means a major change for her to realize they are demons. In the end she agreed to pray to Jesus for 40 days and ask him to reveal himself in some special way. She eagerly agreed and wept freely as we prayed over her.

She seems close to a decision, so please pray for Meeata. God knows her real name.

· Another special girl was Ann. After I preached last week from James 5:16 about the importance of confessing sins to a fellow believer, Ann made an appointment with Dani to unburden her soul. Ann knew she was already forgiven by the blood of Jesus, however, she longed to get out from under the power of her secret.

After counseling with Dani, Anne said, “When I was baptized one year ago, I only did it to please my boyfriend. Should I be re-baptized?”

After her false baptism Anne later received Christ but knew she had not been truly obedient during her baptism.

I explained, “When you first trusted Christ, God saw the change in your heart and that day became your spiritual birthday. Getting baptized again will be much like what happens with a couple elopes but later decides to hold a formal wedding ceremony before friends and relatives.

“You made a private decision, now you are ready to go public and announce to all that you are united to Jesus.”

I asked two elders of Anne’s home church to exercise their anointed authority by helping with the baptism.

I said, “We now baptize you in the name of the Father…”

One of the elders said, “and the Son…”

The final elder said, “and the Holy Spirit.”

Then there was a bit of crowding and confusion as we all three helped to pushed Anne under the water in a neighbor’s bathtub. The girl would not fit in the tub so she had to scrunch her legs against her chest while an elder bent her head sideways so she could go under the water with barely an inch of water washing over her face.

I had to hold in my laughter to maintain the solemnity of the moment.

Anne came up beaming, knowing she had made the right decision.

For India, please pray:

· For guidance on how we can help child prostitutes.

· For wisdom to minister in the face of many needs to the right people at the right times.

· That I might serve from a position of repentance and dependence on Christ.

Blessings and Joy,

JDC--

Missions 2009 Update #4

Much Loved Friends,

Over the weekend we have been busy preaching in two cities and God is blessing much. On Sunday we had four baptisms in a portable contraption that allows the sacrament to be completed in private quarters.

We had to blur the faces of these new additions to God’s amazing family; however, in the eyes of Jesus, each face is crystal clear and much loved.

On Sunday, Dani was home with a bad cold. Steve and Denise went to a different underground church and brought two unbelievers they have been praying for and witnessing to since they arrived in China. Last night these two also accepted Christ.

Lot’s of fun going on this side of the planet.

Joy and more joy,

D & D

Missions 2009 Update #3

Newsletter #3- Retreat

Wow! So many amazing things happened during the pastors’ retreat. God was truly present in all his holiness and the expressions of his working took many forms. To quickly mention a few:

· 28 pastors and leaders united for three days and two nights to pray, fellowship, worship and to listen to preaching. For security reasons, I was the only white person allowed in the meeting, however the people went out of their way to make me feel included.

· The first item of business was that the participants were required to turn in their cell phone sim cards. They were placed in tiny clear bags and a chart was made and stored separately that identified the owners. This precaution was necessary in case there was a police raid. This way only the pastors will be exposed and not all their congregations whose numbers are on the cards.

· Each participant gave their testimony and there were many amazing stories. Most resisted Christ for years before finally yielding. Once they began to follow Jesus, they held nothing back and gave their full time to service in the kingdom of God. Many began ministering and gained what training they could along the way.

· One older sister said, “I am a third generation pastor. My grandfather was baptized by Watchman Nee. My Father was also a pastor and put in prison. After two years he died in that place. Now I run a Christian bookstore. The police watch me but somehow by God’s grace, it is still open. I preach the gospel to those who come in.”

· I was privileged to alternate the pulpit with a pastor from Korea; for now, we can call him pastor Chong. He was an anointed speaker and told of his experience of fasting for 40 days and how it changed his life. He spoke in Korean, then a Chinese interpreter repeated each sentence. While pastor Chong continued with the next phrase, an English translator whispered the English to me.

· I wanted to give the pastors a gift of a newly translated Chinese Bibles we brought from the US. When we packed the Bibles, we had no plans for how to use them or what number to bring. When I asked for one representative from each church to stand, there were enough for each church, except for one I can mail to my close friend.

· At the end of pastor Chong’s first message, he broke into a passionate song in beautiful tenor. Only a handful could understand the Korean lyrics, however, it brought on the Holy Spirit and several began to go to their knees in prayer. Soon the room was filled with the sounds of worship in the Spirit and a young woman at the back started to cry. Her wailing turned to gagging and she ran for a bucket to vomit.

After the service, I was able to minister to this daughter of Christ along with several others suffering from demonic oppressions. My goal was to impart the tools necessary for victory so they could conduct their own ministries to help others trapped by this prevalent problem.

At the root of these particular cases was un-forgiveness of others and prior worship of buddhas. It took a couple of sessions, but they had release and received the new ministry with confidence and joy.

One girl in particular was so relieved she was like a puppy dog the rest of the retreat. She followed me everywhere and looked for every opportunity to help me with my shoes, or chopsticks, or just beam her newfound smile.

· A pastor received an urgent message that the government controlled church was insisting that the house church come under their control. The pastor was called in at 2:30 in the afternoon to meet with the Bureau of Religious Affairs to discuss the problem. The pastors all broke into heartfelt prayer on behalf of this meeting. I have yet to hear the outcome.

· A sister was asked to sing a solo for the group and after the song, she told pastor Chong that the Holy Spirit was prompting her to repent in front of everybody and have him pray over her. Many were in tears or shaking like leaves over the holiness of God’s presence and our impurity.

· In an open sharing time, many told how this first-ever retreat changed their lives and gave courage to trust God at whole new levels (myself included). After hundreds of years of idol worship, this was the first time so many pastors have met for the gospel in this city.

· We studied about the times men had encountered God’s holiness: Moses, Solomon, Daniel, Ezekiel, and John. They all fell onto their faces as dead men. We then went facedown and worshiped in silence. When I finally peeked, every participant was pressed to the ground. No one wanted to move for a long time. When we finally rose, we had tears running.

· When I got home, tired yet joyous, we looked into the gift-bag of tea the group gave me for speaking. There was an envelope with 1,000 Yuen ($150) inside. This is a large amount for these Christians and I was blown away. I have taught pastors in nine foreign countries and this is the first time I was not asked for money, but given money. Not only are the Chinese self-sufficient, they are generous and zealous to send missionaries to foreign countries. That shows us the maturity that 100 years of persecution has developed.

While I was away with the pastors, Dani was busy with Denise buying pearl jewelry and silk scarves to set up an on-line store and do presentations and parties, to make money for missions. Specifically, they are raising money to send Monica, a young woman from a tiny village in Northern India that has no medical services available, to Zimbabwe. There she will learn from Judy Ervine and staff about the herbal treatments that have been used successfully there. Denise and Steve went to that village in India and feel the Lord is leading them to do this. We are bringing some amazing bargains home. If you are interested in seeing these treasures, or would just like to donate to Monica’s trip, let Dani know.

‘nuf for now.

Love and peace,

JDC--

PS The Holy Spirit rocks!

Missions 2009 Update #2

Dear Supportive Friends:

For the last week we have been traveling in the Huang Shan (Yellow Mountains) area which is famous for tenacious pine trees twisting out of granite spires wrapped in clouds; and a lot of steps. Somehow they have made stone staircases that protrude right off the face of rock cliffs. The paths wind into places that mountain goats would not dare to approach; places with names like, ‘Beginning to Believe Mountain,’ ‘Clouds Pavilion,’ and ‘Rock Flying From Afar.

As we first approached the mountains while driving through bamboo forest and flowering dogwood trees, we stopped in a local village for lunch. We were traveling with a Chinese sister we have known for some years; we will call her Daisy (because she is like a bright cheery flower.) Daisy agreed to go with us as translator. She turned out to be that and so much more, like travel agent, negotiator, evangelist, personal shopper, and the serving hands of Christ all rolled into one.

Anyway, Daisy took us to the non-tourist restaurants. As we ate our very Chinese lunch, Daisy slipped across the street to buy a hat for Dani. We watched as she persistently went next door and got a bent-over old man to open the store. Daisy returned without a hat but with fresh vegetables for our meals.

The Lord touched me with sadness at the plight of that hunchbacked man, suffering through his years, then perhaps entering an eternity with no reward. So when Daisy returned, I suggested we both go back across the street and tell him about Christ. She enthusiastically agreed. The man was destined to have his entire lunch interrupted.

We sat under a tree and, through Daisy, I told the old man I felt sorry for his suffering.

“I was a porter and carried loads up and down the mountain in my youth. That is how my back became so distorted,” he explained.

“I do not have an answer for your back now, but I want your permission to tell you how you can have an eternity with a perfect new body, much better than mine.”

He caught my humor then gave permission to proceed. Using two bricks we demonstrated the gulf of sin between man and God and how the sacrifice of Jesus allows us to bridge that gap.

“By accepting and following Christ as Savior while we are in these temporary bodies, we are promised an eternity of paradise and God wants you to have that because of all the suffering you have had during these days.”

By now his wife was standing by and listening in. We asked them both if they wanted to follow Jesus, “If you do, we will lead you in a prayer right now; however, you must be sincere about this.”

The wife snickered and refused, however, to our delight, the man said yes. Daisy had him repeat a long prayer, which I could not understand but I know it was to repent of sin and open his heart to Jesus.

In every conversation we have had with Daisy we have all stumbled and stopped to look up words necessary to convey our full meaning. It is a wondrous side note that during the conversation with the old man, there was no sign of that limitation between us. The Holy Spirit was present and on the job in multiple ways.

I am happy to report that it looks as though there will be a Chinese hunchback for you to meet in heaven, but of course he may be difficult to recognize because he will no longer have that or any other infirmity.

After a cable car ride up the mountain, we had to climb the thousands of stairs to our hotel. How, you might ask, did Dani manage to make it to those heights? She sat in a wicker chair and two porters carried her on bamboo poles. The attention and stares from other climbers meant this was not her favorite method of conveyance. She ended up in many Chinese vacation photos and videos. Nevertheless it gave Daisy and me another opportunity to encourage the hardworking porters.

At a rest stop along the way, we were again giving the gospel message to the attentive porters by using the parable of Jesus about four types of soil that represent four hearts. When I tossed seeds unto the path, rocks, weeds, and good soil, the porters were quick to attempt an interpretation of the story. They were not too far off.

We laughed together and then we cleared up a few important details the porters had miss-read. As I drew illustrations in the dirt with Dani’s walking stick, she whispered to me, “Don, police.”

An officer joined the small group that was by now attracted to our message. I drew the lines for tic-tack-toe and proceeded to teach how to play the game. The policeman was not going to allow the foreigners to hold any teaching audience on the mountain, so Dani returned to her chair and Daisy completed the real message later on. She walked, first beside the porter at the back, then by the one at the front. Daisy was arrested and interrogated last year so she knows the risks first-hand.

“Because of the policeman, we cannot pray with you now, but you can pray to receive Christ by yourself,” she told them.

So the outcome of this encounter will remain unknown to us until a future date. However: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Lk 12:2 –Lk 12:3 NIV

In the meantime, thanks for joining the proclamation of the good news by your prayers.

On the way back we rode across Thousand Island Lake in a boat crammed with noisy Chinese. We met a friendly mother and her 12-year-old daughter and gave them the gospel through a few magic tricks. It was a bit difficult because the culture has no taboo on staring or eavesdropping. When I finished a trick, people on the other side of the boat clapped and commented. To avoid a crowd, I roamed my eyes elsewhere to appear as though not engaged with the woman and girl.

For lunch we gathered around tables in groups of eight to ten and communal dishes of fish, tofu, vegetables, rice, and sour greens were placed on the tables. Each group ate with chopsticks from the table and spit bones and fat onto the table. I don’t think Emily Post made it to China.

Next, was a taxi, then a four-hour bouncy bus ride, another taxi, a smoky pressed together four-hour train ride, another taxi, and finally home at 1am.

The next day was a meeting with 37 pastors and leaders to brainstorm how they can work together for revival. A wealthy businessman has offered a large conference center for whatever purposes the pastors tell him.

The man yelled with conviction, “God is calling me back to him and whatever you pastors tell me to do with this building, I will do; even if I have to tear it down and rebuild.”

The pastors are discussing a combined Bible school, youth training center, common sanctuary, 24-hour prayer room, administration and resources offices, and a retreat center.

God is definitely calling the pastors in unity and waking up the churches in this city. Even the official three-self churches are filled with thousands beyond capacity. New sanctuaries are being built, but not fast enough. Many want to organize, share resources, and take their city for Christ. There are big challenges, but it is started and it will be fun to see what happens over the next years.

Last night we led a couples Bible study with great encouragement on both sides, and this morning we preached at a cell church. The topic was on how each believer is called to deep intimacy with Jesus, without hiding behind Biblical head knowledge, or an intervening pastor, or false doubts of God’s love.

How awesome it is that God wants unfettered, passionate, dependant friendship with each of us.

After church, we met with three baptism candidates and prepped them by explaining the purpose of the ceremony. We showed them pictures of Dani’s sister’s, niece’s and nephew’s baptisms in Hawaii and several that were done in Africa. They had never seen a baptism and were curious. It was exciting to see past the language barrier and catch the eagerness in their eyes to be officially united to Jesus; like a bride who can’t wait for the wedding day. We also gave them gospel bracelets that the ladies at Sequim Bible Church made, so they would have a way to share with friends and family, the decisions they had made.

Next time we expect to write of the outcome of the pastors’ retreat that will be over the next three days.

Thanks for your prayers.

Missions 2009 Update #1

Greetings from China. We are so blessed to be here among these wonderful people

So much is happening in China that it makes us feel insignificant in such a big world. With 1.4 billion people China has plenty of laborers and they are using that great resource to put in swank buildings, parks, and extraordinary public landscaping.

Along most every roadway are flowering scrubs, double rows of closely spaced trees, and artistic monuments. At night all this is lit with imaginative techniques in every color. It is like Disneyland with groves white twinkle lights, glowing blue and green light posts, and the curbs are lit in mile after mile of red neon striping.

We are meeting with lots of underground groups to teach and encourage. As always, we get more than we give.

On Friday we held all day leadership training for the core leaders of several house churches. About 20 attended and it was a great time of helping them prepare for the growth God is giving to this great movement.

In spite of the threat of imprisonment, two-thirds of the Christians in China meet in the underground movement. Estimates are that 200 million or more meet in this growing church. Imagine half the total population of the US with enough commitment to overcome serious obstacles to faith.

When I see all God is doing in Asia, Africa, and South America, it makes me realize that in heaven, we will go out of our way to cross the streets of gold to greet the relatively rare European or North American.

On Saturday we met over dinner with seven seekers; they were interested in Jesus but had not yet made a commitment. We laid out the gospel in compelling terms and answered some good questions. Two agreed to baptism and we are arranging that for next week.

On Sunday we preached at a church new to us. It is growing fast and the apartment was crammed to capacity. With a video projector I told them about the trip through Latin America and how it taught me to live in daily dependence on God. I even slipped in a photo of our three adorable grandsons with an analogy about God’s love, (I know, it was a thinly veiled bragging opportunity).

Several took pains to tell the interpreter of their gratitude for how God spoke to them that day.

Steve and Denise are still away in another province, so Monday Dani and I will board the overnight train for Hung Shaun. We are traveling with a dear sister named Sophie who will act as translator. Purchasing the tickets for the train was an event unto itself and worth recounting in brief.

Wed-Got Steve and Chinese Peter (not his real name) to go with me to the travel agent. Ordered tickets.

Fri- Travel agent said tics ready, come to pay and collect.

Fri afternoon- leave apartment, show taxi driver address written in Chinese to Peter’s office. Peter and I walk to agency. Need 4,800 yuen to pay. Only have 2,000, can they take credit card? Yes, only if you pay more because we go next door to use other business credit machine.

Go next door. Have two machines, one for Chinese cards but other for international cards no broken. Must get cash.

Walk four blocks to bank. Enter 4,000 yuen from checking. Rejected. Enter 3,000. Rejected. Enter 2,000. Rejected with new message: Card declined, contact your provider.

Assuming Bof A has frozen my account once again, we walk half mile to Peter’s office to use Skype Internet phone. Call Bof A in US. “Thank you for calling, please enter account num, etc…” Enter data. “Sorry, our office is closed, goodbye.”

Wait until 11pm so it is 8am in US. Call Bof A. “Card not frozen but Chinese bank trying to withdraw from savings where you only 12 cents.”

Sat- Go to office of apartment and ask directions to better bank. Lady writes out directions to American style restaurant. Go to another employee with better English. He writes bank address in Chinese.

Show taxi driver address. Drive 20 minutes. Stop at restaurant on island in middle of lake. No bank in sight.

Call Peter, “Please tell driver on cell phone how to go to bank.”

Arrive bank, enter 2,500. Rejected. Enter 1,500. Accepted! Make a second withdrawal, enter 1,000. Accepted!

Find new taxi. Show driver Chinese address for Peter’s office near travel agent. Call Peter. Hand phone to driver. Peter explains we really want travel agency, not office. Driver gets to intersection. Speaks rapid Chinese. Use had signals to point way to travel agency. Say goodbye in Chinese.

Arrive travel agent. Greet in Chinese. Now Chinese vocabulary half used up. Give lady 4,800 yuen. Rapid Chinese words and big frown. Much confusion. No one in office know English. I look at number on calculator and see 4,830. Give thirty more. Everybody happy. Say goodbye in Chinese. Now other half of vocabulary used up.

Upcoming

When we return to our base on next Saturday, we will speak at another underground church on Sunday then go off to a retreat center to train 22 pastors for three days. I am sharing the teaching time with a pastor from Korea. Dani is coming also. One should always bring one’s prayer warrior.

In case there are any suspicious eyes, we will all be wearing Chinese name badges that identify us as part of a psychological educator’s seminar. Please pray for those meetings. This is the primary reason we came back to China. All the rest is really yummy frosting on the cake.

Blessings and peace,

J & D