For He So Loved…
For many, it was a day that celebrated love- whether one was gazing across a candlelit table into a special someone’s eyes, a little girl jumping up and down with delight as her father bestows upon her candy hearts and a Snoopy valentine card, or a bouquet of favorite wildflowers and a smile as warm as a glorious mid-day in June from a husband of 50 years.
For many it was such… but for many more the splendor of Valentine’s Day was overshadowed by firecrackers and fireworks lighting up the night like a war zone, families gathered around tables full of 15 or more dishes and plenty of wine and beer, grandmothers offering food and incense to family gods, and the sounds of laughter and tipsy merry-makers singing karaoke floating through the windows. February 14th marked the Chinese New Year, the year of the tiger, and my partner Razzle and I were celebrating it in our Chinese friend Laura’s hometown 3 hours away. Laura knows our Father, and He has given us such a gift in connecting us with her.
After riding a bus for 2 ½ hours, Laura, her uncle, and her cousin picked us up in a van donated by the village for our arrival. As we drove out of the town toward Laura’s village, Laura exclaimed that the entire village was awaiting our arrival. We were the first foreigners ever known to visit the village…
As we pulled into the village I remembered times when I had sped by places like this while on a bus and had thought to myself, “God, these people are so poor. Thank you for everything that you have given me,” but then never giving the people a second thought. After placing our backpacks in a bedroom in Laura’s uncle’s home, we walked through the dry and thirsty fields, trying to avoid falling into the sewage that runs directly into the farming plots, a dry wind whipping our hair about and blowing dust into our faces. There had been no rain for 6 months. Laura’s parents are tobacco farmers, and the land has yielded no crop this year. Her father has recently had 3 surgeries, and her parents are very much in debt. Later that New Year’s Eve, we sat at little stools around the table with her family, eating, toasting to each other’s health and prosperity in the year to come, and feeling welcomed into this family that was so very different from our own…and yet so very similar.
On Chinese New Year’s Day, our friend and her cousin were the hosts of a singing competition which the entire village would attend. Razzle and I were the guests of honor and sat onstage with Laura’s family and the judges. Of course, Razzle and I needed to delight the audience of over 600 villagers with a song. Before we got up to sing, we prayed with Laura for hope for the villagers, and that they would come to know the one true God. We sang “Amazing Grace” as we looked out into the faces of these poor and weary farmers. As Laura explained the meaning of the song to them, she said that glimmers of hope flash in their eyes for the first time she could remember.
Laura and her cousin accompanied us to the bus station the next morning. As we waited for the bus I asked Laura if she had slept well the night before. “No,” was her reply. “I slept for maybe 2 hours. I was awake all night thanking God for how He has brought you and Razzle to our village. My mother says everyone is talking about you and wondering how long you will stay. You truly are angels, and messengers of God’s hope to our village. You were sent by Him here.”
My eyes welled up with tears as I realized how much our visit had meant to Laura, her family, and the entire village. “Laura,” I said, “I know that you are the only Christian in your village. You may not feel strong and may feel hopeless, but God’s power is in you. Your prayers are effective. You are His daughter, and He hears you. Keep praying. Don’t be afraid to share with them the reason for the hope that you have.” We prayed with her for her family, that they would know Him, for rain to come, and that our Father would speak His heart to Laura as she is home for the next 2 weeks.
As our bus pulled away, Laura and her cousin stood and waved until we could see them no longer. Razzle and I felt our Father’s presence so strongly. We prayed and took communion together with a little bottle of grape juice and some crackers, remembering how His blood has covered us…and a little tobacco-farming village in southwest China.
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It has been much too long since I last wrote! Please forgive me for not keeping you up-to-date. Since my last update in December:
- We had a Christmas party at which over 25 friends heard the message of the gospel! The next day Leonidus and Ben’s friend, Tom, made a decision to receive Jesus!
- Many of our friends left much earlier than normal for their winter holiday, so January was not quite as eventful as normal. We said goodbyes to friends, made a wonderful new friend named Grace, had a citywide prayer and fasting time, did prayer walks on all of the campuses in the city that we are working on in the city, and had Ben’s family come for a visit!
- The first 10 days of February were our retreat in Thailand. God truly ministered to my heart on a very deep level, and reaffirmed my call to leadership and my place of ministry here.
Please Pray For:
- Our friends that are in the family- Laura, May, Harmony, Eric, Lawrence, and Tom. Pray that they would meet the Lord as they are at home for the winter holiday. Pray against distraction and that they would have an insatiable hunger in their hearts for the things of Him.
- The deadline for making decisions about whether we will return to China next year and in what capacity is March 1st. I am currently committed to work with CT for at least the next 3 years in whatever role He is calling me to. The cry of my heart is to see His kingdom come on the campuses here- to see the students here experience Him. I want to do this in whatever capacity would serve this best- whether I am leading a team her next year, home for a season recruiting new people to come, or studying Chinese full-time to better serve the work here. I am currently in the process of making this decision, and I ask that you would pray for clarity and the Lord’s peace for me within the next couple of weeks as I am seeking Him.
- The next 1 ½ weeks before our friends return will be a “Winter Session” time where we will have special guest speakers come through the city and do training with us. Also, each of us leaders in the city will teach at least one session. I will teach a session on prayer. Please pray that the Lord’s heart would truly come forth during this time.
I am recognizing that as I spend more and more time here on the other side of the world, it becomes easier for me to focus my attention here and not communicate as well with you back home. This is not ok with me! I want to apologize to you for my lack of contact recently. I want you to know that I appreciate you so much, and know that without you what is happening in the lives of students here would not be possible. Please keep in touch, and know that I hold you in my heart!
In His love,
Ginger
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