” How can we have a pure heart?” I asked. “It seems like, no matter
how many good things I do, I can’t erase the fact that I’ve lied,
or stolen, or cheated. The bad things still remain. So, how can I
be made pure? How can I really have a beautiful heart??”

Then my new friend Judy exclaimed, “I don’t know! It’s
impossible!!” As soon as she said that, I felt really encouraged.
“It IS impossible,” I said. “It is impossible to do this on my own.
But there is a way. There is one person who can forgive and erase
all the impure things from my heart.” And then I got to share with
them about who Jesus is and about his great love for us.

I would appreciate prayer for the effectiveness of these parties,
that the truth would go forward and put hunger in girls’ hearts,
specifically for these girls: Judy, Yu Ting, Allison, Jia Lan,
Emma, Xiong Yin, Daphne, and Debbi.

We’re also having a Gospel sharing party soon.
Please ask God that the right people would come and that their
hearts would be opened to the saving power of Christ!

Thank you to everyone who has been interceding for me and for the
work here. Your prayers mean so much to me, and to the girls. I
can’t thank you enough! Day by day, God works to restore his
daughters to his side. He hears us and he uses us! Don’t forget
it!!

To win for the Lamb,
Autumn

A few days ago, Sheldon and I were on campus and met an Asian
Christian who said that he goes to a house church near campus, so I
am praying that this will be a good opportunity for Amy to meet
other sisters and brothers.

Autumn

No, what I mean is that new things have been happening, good things, things that will bring life and freshness to my ministry and life here. The first is that I recently completed a three day intensive language class called C2C (Creation to Christ) that equipped me to share an 8 part Gospel message. I never realized that I could cram so much into my brain in such a short period of time! I learned about 100 new words, memorized John 14:6, and put together enough sentences to share the Gospel story from Creation to Christ. I’ve already shared it with several people, and I’m gaining confidence in my new language ability every day. 

The second is that we just finished our winter session, and learned some really valuable things about how to share more effectively, with more boldness, and honestly, more like Jesus. Our fearless leader Toby, his beautiful wife Micaela, and their new baby Maia traveled all the way from Lima, NY to share with us in person about the role of proclamation (extravagant Gospel sharing), the law, and security in our ministry. We also got a refresher in what basics we need to share with new believers and how to implant DNA in their hearts for the Great Commission. It was a really charging, motivating time for all of us, and I think that these next three months are going to be some of the most powerful as we reach toward the ultimate goal of starting a church planting movement on the campuses here.

Please pray for me and my team, for a supernatural energy, motivation, passion, and power to do the thing we are called to do. I’m also really excited to see Allison and Amy again; I’m still believing for Allison’s salvation and for Amy to be raised up as a leader and church planter.

Thank you to everyone who is praying and standing with me! Your care and support means a lot to me. 

Love, 

Autumn

Just wanted to let ya’ll know that our candy outreach activity went AMAZING! Here are some highlights: 

1. We divided up into two groups, and split up to cover more area. We hit classrooms, dormitories, people sitting outside studying, students near the library, ping pong players, students merely walking around; we gave out verses and candy (over 400) to a lot of people all over campus! 

2.  Two of the guys Chinese friends came along and they did the majority of the handing out! The two guys were Frankie, who is a brother, and Michael, who isn’t even saved yet!  Michael was in my group, and it was really encouraging and exciting seeing him sprint around and happily pass out these candies saying “hao hao kao shi! ye su ai ni!” (Good luck on your test!Jesus loves you!) It was great to plant that seed in him of what it feels and looks like to follow God and love others. 

3. The people who received from us were really surprised, all of them smiled, and several of them asked us why we were doing this, which gave us a great opportunity to further plant a seed about who God is and how real His care is. 

4. I made a new friend! Liu Yang was the last girl I gave a lollipop to, and it had lost its accompanying Bible verse, so I started talking to her in person, in the local language, about why I was giving it to her. She was really delighted and so shocked. And I was surprised too, because she has amazing English and also seems very eager to be friends. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get closer over the next semester! 

Thank you so much to everyone who was praying and lifting this up! This weekend we’re doing a prayer walk over the North Train Station and I think some of our friends might be joining us. Thanks for keeping it in your thoughts! 

ALL FOR JESUS! 

Autumn

Recently, my sister and friend Amy shared her personal testimony at our Christmas party. In it, she had mentioned the significance of seeing Christians serve and help other people who were in less fortunate positions than they. As my team listened, something sparked in our hearts about the way that we’ve been doing outreach over here.

For me personally, I remembered that Servant Evangelism and community service have always been a big part of my life.  I’ve always believed that they allow people to see our faith in action and give opportunity for people to encounter the abundant love of Christ.  But over the last two years, I’ve been almost exclusively investing my ministry time in one-on-one discipleship meetings, friend appointments, prayer walks, and Bible studies.  And we’ve seen good fruit from those things.

But the Holy Spirit has more! At our team meeting this week, it suddenly felt like God was openings up our hearts and a door for us to apply this kind of evangelism to our lives here. We started asking him how we could bless our campus and reach out to people in a new way. As we started lifting up our friends and all of the stress they are under with final exams, the Holy Spirit led us to idea.

Tomorrow, at 1am your time, 2pm my time, my team is going to campus with over 400 lollipops, with a message that says, “Good luck with your finals!!” And includes Jeremiah 29:11-13, in their language.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹²Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

This is one of the boldest, most exciting things that I feel like I’ve done in a long time. I feel excited that the word of God and an action of love are going OUT on our campus tomorrow. I feel excited that we’re going to be able to do something small to help relieve a little of the great pressure that students are feeling right now.

And I feel excited for the future vision that God has laid on our hearts to do more of this kind of ministry as a tool to raise up other leaders and believers who are sold out for Jesus. Frankie, a friend that was baptized yesterday (!), is going to come with us to hand out lollipops to his fellow classmates.

And On January 15^th, we’re going to the North Train Station with some friends, which is filled with beggars and seriously hurting people (I’ve seen people with severe skin diseases, broken or amputated legs or arms, or worse) just sitting on cardboard boxes, hoping for people’s loose change. We’re going to prayer walk over the area and ask God for his power and help. We’re also planning to provide boxes of food and water.

Please pray for this! I think that amazing things are going to happen tomorrow and as my Team Leader “Acorn” wrote in his last blog, “God is going to blow the lid off of our ministry.”

Serving Joyfully,

Autumn

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope that you’ve all been happy, healthy, and resting in the joy of the holiday season. You’ll all be glad to know that I had an awesome Christmas brunch –consisting of French toast, eggs, coffee, and a warm cinnamon roll from a nearby Western bakery. Delicious J

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve continued to experience some ministry ups and downs. As my teams have done in the past, we also had a Christmas party for our Asian friends this year. But unlike previous years, this time we decided to do something a little more intimate. We decided to each invite a few close friends – which is a big difference from the 60+ people parties we’ve hosted in the past. Our heart was to let our hungry friends really experience the pure meaning of Christmas in a loving way. I handmade invitations and individually invited 9 girls. My team planned out what kind of food to make, what games to play, a special skit, testimony time, and printed out Christmas songs in the local language. Moreover, we decided to get each friend a special gift with a special meaning. For example, I bought my Buddhist friend a Rubik’s cube, saying that, at the beginning, the truth is simple. But as we grow up, the truth gets mixed in with other things and it seems very complicated, when in reality, it isn’t. I got my sister Amy a hat because she really wanted it and a candle to represent her being a light in the world. You get the idea J

I was really excited until the day of our party. It started in the morning when Grace, a sister from last year, called me and cancelled for work related reasons. Several hours later, Yu Ting cancelled because of her final exams. Then, Judy and her boyfriend cancelled without explanation. And finally, even Allison cancelled. I had gotten gifts for all of them. To add to my disappointment, two of the guys unexpectedly brought their girlfriends, and I didn’t have anything special to give them.

It was for me both a disappointment and wake up call. The party still went well, but I realized that this is what we do to God all the time. He has gifts for us, one of particular importance, and we can choose whether or not to receive them. It also made me realize that I need to keep praying and pray harder for God to bring forward hungry girls who are interested in Christ and invest as deeply as I can into the ones who are ready.

By the end of next semester, I am praying to raise up at least two disciples who are on fire for God. I want these girls to have a passion for righteous living and reaching the lost. These girls are going to be people who transform their campus and community, independently of me or any other foreigner, and they’ll reach more people than I am ever able to. The longer I work with CT, the more I realize that I cannot expect to be in one place forever. So, I want this time to be powerful, and plant something that lasts forever.

Thank you for your thoughts. I’m missing all of you!
Love,
Autumn

“Well,” Connie slowly started, “I am curious about this love. But,” and then the real kicker came, “I feel like if I start learning about this god, I would be disloyal to Buddha.”

My brain stopped. I think I felt shell shocked. How can you be loyal to something that doesn’t exist? “Yes,” I slowly heard myself say. “You can only be loyal to one god. For some people, that god is money; for others, it’s themselves; for others…”

What more could I really say? What’s worse is that Joanne jumped on board. I’m not sure if she was just excited to talk or if she really felt that much energy about this false g0d, but she started by comparing Jesus to Zeus, and then launched into a non-stop 20 minute explanation of “Buddha Says” theories, while Connie nodded and smiled the whole time:

-          “Buddha says that we are equal with all animals, so you can’t kill the spider”

                (We had pork and fish for dinner that night).

-          “Buddha says that there are many buddhas, in fact, EVERYTHING is buddha.”

-          “Buddha says that life is hollow and then you die.”

And then, believe it or not, they tried to convince me that Aliens are real. I’m not kidding. Connie sincerely hopes that one day, she’ll see a light in her room, and it will be an alien taking her away to another world. Joanne is convinced that the American government has been hiding alien specimens and that there are houses on the moon where they used to live. It was too much.

I tried saying that it’s really important to believe in something that’s real, something that’s true, and furthermore, challenged them to find out if Buddha actually loved them. I did my best to respond boldly and with love, but honestly, felt sad and discouraged. I wish something more would have happened, but I know that God has a plan. This isn’t the end for them.

This week, please continue to pray with me for the light to shine in the darkness; that our friend’s eyes would be opened and that they would see the gift God has to offer them. I’m still trying to meet hungry girls, and would appreciate your thoughts for direction.

God bless you all,

For Him, in Him,

Autumn

Ps.  CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

Sometimes, that’s what it feels like when I pray for something – like I’m submitting a request to God that will get answered, somehow in some way at some point in time. It might not feel clear how long it will take for that prayer to come back down – and it might not come back in the manner I expect it to at all.

This past Sunday I had an experience so entirely different from that. It felt like a miracle.

Sunday was my first one on one meeting with Allison (Allison is the same girl from my last update, “Water Into Life”). As we chatted on our way towards a milk tea café on campus, I asked Allison if she’d been reading the Bible at all during the week. “YES,” she said, “And I have a lot of questions.” We sat down, opened our books, and jumped in. Allison had read, in English, from John 2 to John 7! Five chapters in a foreign language is kind of a big deal (we talked for 2 ½ hours and only made it through John 4:43).

The study we had was incredible. Allison was picking up really major things from the story about Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman at the well. She asked deep questions like, “what does it mean to be born again?” And, “Did Jesus die for everyone, or just people who believe in him?” One thing Allison said really amazed me.

“OH! So…the first thing is that we need to realize we have sin! And Jesus can take it away from us.”

Isn’t that so true? Salvation means nothing to those who don’t even know they’re dying. Why would we need a relationship with Christ if we can do life and be pretty happy by ourselves? When she said that, my heart paused at the irony of her realization. Yes…we do need to realize that, Allison. And then I remembered; That morning, even though I’d only really intended on hanging out and getting to know Allison better, I had prayed saying, “God, glorify your name. Let Allison get a revelation of the cross.”

How quickly He answered! He is so faithful to us. God really loves Allison, and He is revealing the truth to her in this season in a big way! Pray with me for her that the truth is planted deep in her heart, for her salvation, and that the Holy Spirit continues to bring glory to His name through her life, through my team, and through me.

For the Glory of God,

Autumn

Do you remember what it felt like when you independently started doing something new in your life? Maybe it was the first day of school or college; maybe it was a job interview or when you moved away from home. I had that feeling a little when I turned 10 years old. I distinctly remember standing in the kitchen doorway and saying with 100% confidence and more sass than perhaps appropriate, “Look Mom, I’m double digits now. I should be able to ride my bike to Kerry’s house.” I was aware of me, and I had the sensation that I was somehow laying pavement in my life, to explore something new and previously uncharted.

As I was crying on my way to my departure gate, I felt that same kind of thing happen, but on a whole new level. Soaked in humility, it just suddenly occurred to me that I was about to embark on a journey that I choose for my life. In the past when I’ve left for China, I’m in a crowd of 50 other Americans all doing the same thing. I don’t have to worry about the details of the trip or think much about what’s ahead. But this trip was not like that. I felt this thing happen in my heart. I called out to God. “I need you now, God. It’s you and me. It’s just me here. Be with me.”

And He did; He is. I have this budding sense in my heart that this year is going to be different somehow. Aside from physical changes like not having a partner this year, I feel like I’m growing, that my faith is maturing and something in my heart has turned to rely on him at a new level. God is showing me a greater way to love people around me and follow Him.

We’ve already had a couple great meetings. I joined up with my brothers who were just starting a book study with their friends Storm and Allison – and our meetings have been incredible. Yesterday, when we were studying Jesus’s first miracle, Allison immediately wanted to know what the deeper meaning of the story is. She could see that he turned water into wine, but felt that there must be something more. We let the conversation go on, and as we started to suggest little ideas, and share personal testimonies, Allison calmly and seriously said,

“Oh, I think I get it. Maybe my interpretation isn’t right, but it seems to me that…water is colorless, and tasteless, and wine is colorful and flavorful. Maybe the deeper meaning is that Jesus can take even the most colorless life and turn it into something more beautiful. The wine that Jesus made was the best wine. Maybe it is also the best life.”

. Wow .

As someone who has studied and read that miracle dozens of times, I’m not sure I even got that much understanding about it in the past! We all just sat there, smiling from ear to ear. God was most definitely enabling Allison, Storm, Me and my team to learn more about him and expand our hearts.

Please pray for Storm and Allison and also pray that God would continue leading me, that I would meet hungry girls who are ready to hear the truth and have open hearts.

Thank you! And may God also bless, encourage, and show you Himself in greater ways this week!

Love, In Him,

Autumn

We have a new church! I’m not kidding! For the last four weeks,
we’ve been meeting in the guy’s apartment on Sunday afternoons to
worship the Lord with our friends, and it’s been amazing.

Let me tell you about it. After the winter break ended, we realized
that we had an opportunity to bring our new brothers and sisters
together and pursue the ultimate goal of starting a first ever
fellowship on our campus. When we began preparing for this new
season, our team had gotten a word from the Lord that the church
here would be “simple and effective.” While praying and
strategizing as a team, we pursued two basic goals. The first is
that we can create a time where people can go to experience Jesus.
The second is that the elements and structure wouldn’t be dependent
on us – that they can be easily reproduced by our friends at any
time and in any situation.

The Lord gave us three basic components:  testimony time, worship,
and prayer for each other. We also have a meal together afterwards
and time to hang out or play games. And as we’ve walked that out,
we’ve seen a TON of fruit.

The community that we have together feels really authentic. The
feeling we’ve been sensing from our friends is that they especially
like being together, and that it’s quickly become a priority in
their lives. Yvonne even started calling me “sis.” We’re a family.

Our worship time is really Spirit led. We sing about five songs –
and only one of those is in English. My team has been learning how
to genuinely worship in another language and we’ve been able to
help our friends learn how to meet, hear, and speak with God on a
deep, personal level.

It’s growing rapidly. The first week we met, we had 2 people. The
following week we had 4; the third week we had 6, and last week we
had 12 friends come! Friends are bringing friends and God is
opening up people’s hearts.

And, most importantly, our friends are really encountering Jesus
and experiencing his love. Since we’ve started meeting on Sundays,
THREE GIRLS have made the decision to give their lives to the Lord!
Welcome to the family Amy, Ma Cool, and Polly.  Amy is a new
friend with an incredible amount of drive and leadership. Ma Cool
is a very new friend (we just met her for the first time last
Sunday, the day she got saved!). She is unique because she is froma  minority group that is heavily Islam. Polly is a special
friend to us too; I wrote about her several months ago. It’s been
amazing seeing the process that God has brought her through! She’s
already showing signs of rapid maturity and growth in the faith.

We’ve already baptized Yvonne, Helen, Yang Zai Jing, and Amy, along with our new brother Peter, and Polly will be baptized next Sunday.

So! I told you this would be an amazing update! I can’t believe
that we get to be part of the incredible things God is doing here.

Praise Him and Rejoice!

Love,
Autumn