As I sat there my excitement just kept growing. We were meeting with Cathy; she is the leader at the fellowship on our campus. Sitting, talking about everything from the history of the meeting to our vision and their‘s along with how we would work together this year. It was such a blessing to hear about how this group of Christians had been standing strong there for six years and how in the last year the number of believers rose from 5 to over 30, even having to split the group and meet two nights a week.

This meeting made me realize that in a way I am in a mafia, just a better one than what you normally think. This mafia is love centered and at the same time it is full of all the thrills that a person could ever ask for. The more time I spend working here the more I realize that I would rather do nothing now than be one the front lines right up in the action. I could ramble about how much the family of God is like the mafia but all that really matters is that we have the ultimate Godfather. He was the first, He will be the last and none will ever be able to compare!
I am so excited to be working with the base of Chinese believers here and helping them and the church here grow! Thank you so much for helping me in this!

At the house we spent a lot of time talking; my two roommates, a visiting foreign friend, Daisy and I. The conversation was nothing extraordinary for a little while as we showed her around and unwound from the long day. After sometime we all sat down and she started asking deeper questions. As the conversation progressed she asked more about God and our beliefs. It was so evident that the Holy Spirit has been working in her heart for some time. She was so hungry and understood quickly much of what we had to say.

Sometimes things happen at the most inconvenient time, and there are times when you just can’t do it because of your personal circumstances. Yet despite our own personal issues, we knew that God wanted to move that night. It all depended on our choice to put ourselves aside and once we did that God gave us the strength that we needed to do what He asked. We persevered in spite of the fact that we were all exhausted only because we chose to rely on His strength, and because of that one of our friends is that much closer to joining the family.
God has been so faithful to guide us to those ready to hear and to give us the right things to say. We just have to keep listening, following His directions and relying on his strength and the world is ours.

Training started almost two weeks ago near Rochester NY, and now we are in Hong Kong to finish up the last half. It has been so amazing to see all the new workers joining the team this year step up and train hard for the year. With classes and role playing each day we are preparing through teaching and hands on practice. New and returning workers alike have been growing in leaps and bounds. I can’t wait to get to my campus, start making friends and doing God’s work.

Life hasn’t been all that easy though. Workers new and old both have been struggling with sickness and jet lag along with the emotional and spiritual challenges that go along with foreign ministry. Particularly it has been a challenge for me as I am looked up to as being a ‘veteran’ of the field, yet it is an even greater blessing to be able to help those who are new to this. I am so proud of how everyone has been pressing on through the physical, emotional and spiritual battles so well. Please be standing with me in prayer that we would be able to stay strong as we enter into Asia and our ministry soon.

This was the last thing that I had expected to do while here, yet I was very excited about the idea. So Curly and I got the ok and started preparing. The thing was now we would be almost constantly traveling for close to a month. Exciting and tiring all at the same time. When we left we didn't even know what we would teach the children, how much we would teach, and we had only just met David – the Asian Brother that we were teaching with. So we went with no idea about what this trip would be like – which was good since that meant that couldn't be disappointed. We ended up teaching three different age groups each day and then doing a 1 ½ hour English corner each night with some of the students. During the trip we were often just told what was on the agenda right before we had to do something. This was very difficult for Curly and I since we both like to know what is going on. As I look back now I am thankful, even though it was stressful, because we had to completely rely on God since neither of us were comfortable the whole time.

This trip was not at all easy but because it was hard I think it was more rewarding. During the trip we were taken too many social events where no one spoke English. We even missed our bus home and had to spend a day with the Headmaster of the school's family while David and the other teachers were at the school (so no one at the house could understand us).The best part of the trip was by far the children. They made it all worth it; the joy they would get from just seeing us was amazing. They were blessed by the fact that we were willing to give up time to just speak to them. Even though so much of the trip was difficult I would gladly do it again just to bless the children. We were stretched and since we were not in a comfortable place we had to rely 100% on God – it was a perfect reminder of that simple truth.

When I first came to this country, I had the mindset of the hare. I thought ‘I am in God's will so things will go well and we will see so many results.' Don't get me wrong, I knew it would be hard but I had come with a picture in my head of what ‘success' here would look like. That picture involved so many new brothers and sisters. The thing is that a harvest can't come till seeds are planted and it didn't cross my mind that maybe this year was more a time of sowing that one of reaping.

Since coming we have seen results and there are new believers, Praise Jesus, but my hare-like beliefs said that this was to slow and that somehow I was failing. For awhile now I have been learning to put off my hare-like mentality for a thought pattern of a tortoise. Often times the way with God is the path of the slow and steady. When we wait for God, things turn out so much better than we could have ever planned.

More along the lines of an update, things here are going amazing. I can often times see God’s hand moving subtly in the everyday occurrences of my team. Many of our friends sit right on the edge of decision. Two weeks ago at girls' night we had more of a party so there was no story time and my friend Nancy along with a few other girls were sad at the lack of a story (so from now on we are gonna keep in the Bible story time no matter what!). Also that night another friend who is close to joining the family, Faye, came right up to Reebok during snack time and asked ‘can you tell me more about God?' How do you beat that!?!

Sorry, I know that this is far from the conventional update but I thought that I would share a little nugget that God has been teaching me. So my advice is, no matter your circumstances: follow God, be humble, trust God, and keep trudging on. The slow and the steady runner will win a race and your endurance will pay off when God is on your side. Even though we don't know the timing of God, trust me it is perfect every time.

She was only halfway through the book so we explained to her that it was a test of Job, and that if she keeps reading that she will see that God was with Job the whole time. She seemed to understand very well. As we continued to talk she poured out her heart about some problems that she has been having with a friend, but the wonderful part is that she said that even if she doesn't have them anymore that she “still has God.” How wonderful for such a young sister to learn something so important so quickly. When we asked her if there was anything that we could pray about for her she told us that she would like to be able to feel the power of God!

We headed out because the guys needed the use of the tub. This night was going to be the first dunking party! So Chicka, Anne, and I went out for a bit; we came back to the apartment once all the guys were dunked. As we walked up the stairs we heard the sound of a blow dryer, and when we went into the apartment all the guys had dried their hair. We sat around and sang songs to God and then went around the room and all of us prayed in our native tongue.

As I sat in the room with six new brothers and sisters (one who had just joined the family that night at the dunking party), I felt so much joy and peace. Due to this being the first year that CT sent anyone to this city, things have been somewhat slow and difficult. I have tried to focus on God and let Him do things His way, but it has been too easy to lose sight of the goal and focus of visible results. Before this Christmas season God was teaching me that His timing is the best and I came to the realization that this may be a year of mostly seed planting. Yet in coming to realize that Dad has blessed the teams here by breaking down walls and in gaining ten new siblings in the Christmas season (8 in the west and 2 in the north). Praise Him! Even with that breakthrough I still hold tight to the realization that even if I only see one of my close friends come to know Him then it was more than worth almost a year of my life.

It all started a few weeks earlier as Curly and I were on our way back to the apartment, we were stopped by an enthusiastic young girl with choppy English by the name of Wen Jiao. It was such a blessing to have her approach us since many students are shy and wary of using there English. Even with the language barrier it was easy to see that she is one of the sweetest girls we have met thus far.

Sadly for weeks either she or Curly and I were busy, yet even over that time she was still so eager to spend time with us. Finally, after what seemed a lifetime, we were able to meet for lunch. Five minutes before we were meeting sent us a message wondering where we were (it was so cute to see how excited she was to see us again). When we arrived her face brightened and she gave us both big hugs. As we stood there she reached into her backpack and grabbed out a large inflated cartoon pig head (it is the year of the pig ) which she gave to me as a gift. It is like a blow up bat that you could win at a fair. Needless to say I think that it is probably the most interesting gift I have ever received.

After eating we went to her dorm and we started talking to a few of her roommates. As we were talking it seemed that more and more girls kept entering the room and joining in the conversation. It was hard to have good conversation since none of the girls had very good English but they were all so interested in us that they kept talking in spite of the difficulties. During the conversation we found none of them spoke English well because, not only were they first year students, but they were also all Art majors not English. One of the girls stood out because she was very out spoken and she was the only one with an English name: Double (also she was the one who exclaimed the she was a girl). She would always remind Curly and I to slow down when we spoke so they could understand us.

After having gone a few weeks without meeting any new friends it was such a blessing from God that we made a roomful in one day. The language barrier will make it harder to tell them about God but their desire to be our friends will more than make up for that. I know that God has a very good reason that we were able to met Wen Jiao and Double, and I cannot wait to be able to share all the amazing things that I know God is going to do for them.

During the next few weeks we will be spending more and more time with these girls. As we do please be praying that God would not only give us the opportunity to speak about the love of God, but also that He would help there be an understanding even with the language issues.

It is such a great feeling to see God start to put pieces into place. I have seen His hand on so many things while being here and I have been so blessed. What is even better is that it has only been a little over two months and I know that God is just getting warmed up – ‘we ain't seen nothing yet!'

Curly and I had gone with some of our friends traveling for a day during the week since it is a local holiday. The day started in an open market in the street where we ate lunch as I have already described. That was not the only highlight of the day though; in that one day we went as high and as low as we could in the area – literally. After our interesting lunch we went to a Buddhist temple that is over 1000 years old. The temple was built into and up a mountain which made it all the more beautiful and also that much more tiring to walk up. Sadly as we looked at the beauty that could be seen in the way the creations of man blended with nature, Curly and I could not enjoy it since the reason that it was made, for the worship of idols, dwelled in our minds.

Needless to say we wanted to get out of that place especially when a few of our friends joined in and started bowing before the idols. At one point in time one of the ladies asked me to bow (using body language), a request to which I politely declined (also using body language) instead of ranting about how no one should bow to these fake gods. I was finally glad of the language barrier because although I would have loved to have given them a peace of my mind it would have been very disrespectful of me and I do not want the people to think of me as rude.

Thankfully we left that place and moved on to the second edible highlight of the day – Roasted Duck. The duck was delicious but it is a little difficult to eat when you have to spend half your time picking the bones from it. Neither Curly nor I ate very much as it
is very easy to lose your appetite while the food is staring at you (the head of the duck was still attached).

Our next destination was a national park with gorges and caves. As we walked up, down, and through the caves my spirits rose at the sight of the handiwork of my God’s hands. He truly is an artist and I am proud to say that I am part of His masterpiece. Now I am believing that the hearts of my friends would be open to the truth of the Lord. I take hope in the fact that if the girls hearts were so open at the temple then they will also be open to the love of God. Still there is more work to do and lots of prayer is needed.

It has been such a great chance to be able to come here. I continue to marvel at the things that God is doing. The experiences here are the once in a lifetime kind. The other day I was shopping with some local friends and I needed to pick up a plunger for the apartment, but when I asked the girls they did not know the English word. As I tried explaining one of the girls thought she knew what I meant, yet she led me to toilet bowl cleaner. It was a surprisingly hard task as I never thought that I would have to explain a plunger in the middle of a busy Wal-Mart (yes we have one). It was our luck though that the plungers were right next to us and when I pointed them out the girls muttered in their language words of recognition and understanding then we moved on without a second thought to the English word just learned.

I took the knock as a much needed break in my futile attempts at meaningful thought and talked to Reebok for a bit. She and Ginger were leaving soon and wondered if I would like to eat dinner before the meeting. Well I did but I still had no idea what story I would tell. So I told her maybe and I went back to trying to think of what I would share. As I sat there making no progress on picking a story I felt peaceful even though time was running out. I sat there and God finally brought to mind the story of the prodigal son. The idea sounded good but felt that I should read it and prepare some then the second knock came. The girls were leaving to go eat; I had planned on staying and preparing more when I suddenly felt that I should go. So I went to eat with only having a story picked out. Still, even though I would normally be worried sick about speaking, I was full of peace.

After eating I hoped to sneak back before anyone got there but to my dismay I reached our apartment door to realize that I had forgotten my keys. So instead of reading the story before the meeting I sang worship songs in the stairwell till the other girls arrived.

After a few games and some singing it was time to start ‘story time with Bear'. The difference in the room was staggering from much activity to being silent having every ear tuned to me and the words that God poured through me. As I shared a story of the immense love of God you could see the wheels turn in the girls' heads as they took in the story. My roommates and I could feel the presence of God fill the room and touch them. When the story was over Faye, one of Curly's close friends said to us “I would like to hear more stories” and many of the other girls agreed! For the next half hour we spent time talking with the girls in groups and showing them our Bibles. They were all so interested and full of questions; it is amazing to see how open and hungry they are for God.

As we are spending time with the girls we are praying for many opportunities to speak to them about all the amazing things that God does. Please stand with us as we meet one on one with them for the next few weeks. Many of our friends are growing more curious and are starting to initiate conversations about God. Also pray that as we go out ever day that we would continue to reach out and make new connections with others.

I am so glad to see what God is doing in the lives of these girls. They are all so happy to come each week and spend time with us and they are so eager to spend time with us throughout the week. God has been giving us so many amazing opportunities; I had the chance to play basketball with a freshman girl who was too shy to speak English with me but very happy to meet me. Also Curly and I even had the chance to go watch an English speech competition that one of our friends was in. I have been trying not to make these too long but God is doing so much each week that is hard to fit it all in.

The truth is that not having access to these simple things on a regular basis has actually made me appreciate them that much more. Each time that I go to a Western restaurant and I order my ‘comfort foods' and maybe even get some sort of dessert like apple pie and ice cream or a milk shake I think of it as a treat. It is the same when I go to one of the good little coffee shops I enjoy it more since I cannot have it as often.

God has been faithful though; I have even started to crave local food instead of my normal American foods. Not that I would not like to eat familiar foods often but that I am content to be without them.

Our last girl's night went well; most of the time was spent sitting on the couches asking questions of one another. As the next weeks go we will continue meeting one on one more with our friends. Please pray with me for these meetings that God will give us the words to say. Also that we will continue to meet new friends each week and as we do that we will branch out to different groups of students. I am so relaxed here that I often cannot wait to go spend time with my friends or even to make new ones.

Even though I am growing ever more comfortable here and I am even beginning to feel at home, there still are a great deal of things that I do not know if I will ever get used to. One thing is that the traffic. Even as a pedestrian people are very aggressive. If you do not move to try and claim space to get where you are going you will get passed by and never make it any where. To me it looks very careless and chaotic but here it is normal and everyday.

One of the biggest things for me to get used to though is the squatty potty. These people do not use toilets as we think of them. Their toilet is, as I like to put it, a glorified hole in the ground. It is a reservoir of water flat on the ground that you squat to go in and then flush. They find it much more sanitary not having a seat to sit on after others, where I just find it darn uncomfortable. The way I look at it though is that if the biggest thing that I have to get used to is the bathroom practices then I think that I will be fine (especially since we have a western toilet in our apartment – praise God).