After an eight-hour night train and four-hour bus trip around, over, and through the mountains we arrived back in a place I loved last year and was really excited about returning to: Shangri-La. K-town is in the high elevations, but Shangri-La is almost double the elevation of K-town.

Our host family from Target Ministries helped show us around and took us to really cool destinations that some other people may not get to see since they are locals. He has started a business there that does tours and bike tours as well. I got to go on a bike ride through a village and up a short mountain. I didn’t really know what to expect after last year, since the ride I did then was very easy and flat. From the start of this one, though, I knew that this ride would be a little more difficult. It was off a beaten path, on a dirt road that went through a village. After about five minutes we came to the first climb, a short hill but with the elevation everything is harder, so a little hill turns into a short mountain. It was a really awesome ride with many climbs and also many downhills. We rode through a yak field at one point, which was pretty interesting and a special thing that not many people have probably done.

While on our ride and then thinking back to that trip, I thought again of what life is like here for me and what’s been happening. Life is almost like mountain biking and the things that go with it at times. Sometimes you will have to climb and get to a point at the top. But then there are times when we have to leave the top and go downhill so that you can go back up again. Then other times the road is just flat and a little bumpy.

Life has been a lot like that for me lately. I have seen God take me to high points and I see what’s in the future and feel really close to him. Then the next week I have to come down and see that, “Wait — I’m not really what I thought I was.”  He takes me through those times when life is just flat but  keeps bringing me to new places to teach me and show me more of what it means to really be His and to walk in His will. Sometimes it can be tiring, like climbing a hill at high elevation in Shangri-La, but the end result is so much better than the climb. Just like getting to the top of a mountain and  overlooking God’s awesome creation and some of the best scenery ever. God always knows the road better than I do and He will guide us in His will, no matter where it leads, whether it be up to the top, around a corner, down the hill to a grassy meadow, or along a road that is flat and off the beaten path.

One friend that I have gotten to know this year pretty well is named James. James was one of Ben’s good friends last year, and I got to meet him early this year. He is just the type of person that we are looking for as we make friends. He is super influential, has a heart for people, and makes connections really easily. Recently, James has been showing awesome signs of increased hunger for the things of God. Just last week at our Bible study, he was talking to me and Indy and told us that he wants to become a Christian soon, but he doesn’t make decisions lightly. It was just so awesome to hear that from him. He wants to follow God, but that he wants it to be a genuine decision, which is what we want for all or our friends, and we didn’t even have to tell him. I can’t wait to see James again as he has gone home for Spring Festival, but I’m visiting him and his family over the holiday, which will be every special. I can’t wait to be able to have that time with him to have meaningful conversations with him and see him make the decision to fully follow God.

Please pray for James and that God would continue to work in his heart and mind as he is away and before I go to visit him. Pray that my time that I get to spend with him in a month would be really meaningful and that all the travel plans would work out well. Lastly, I can’t believe it, but the T-Land retreat is only a week away, and I can’t wait. But please pray about that time and that God would really meet with us and speak to us and me, specifically, for what he would have me to do. Thank you guys so much for your support and thoughts. I can’t wait to tell you more about James and what happens in T-Land.

God bless,
Buckeye

I know I have talked about Michael many times before, but he has really been a guy that I have not been able to stop thinking about and loving. He came over to our house a few weeks ago to help us get something fixed and to have dinner. At the end of the night, he and I just sat at my table, and I was able to share my heart with him and love on him. Michael’s dad has been having heart problems and needs to have a surgery, which has been hard on him. That night I shared the Gospel with him, about my life, how I have been able to find God and his love for me, and how that has helped me in many aspects of my life. It was one of the most open times I have had with someone in Asia and the most open any friend has ever been with me. It was a night that I won’t forget, and I know that it will have an impact on Michael’s life as we move forward.

You may ask why God’s love is the biggest waterfall, and that’s a great question. When I look at these past few months, I have been able to see how much God has had me in his hands, watching out for me, and how His love flows over us. When I look at the work I’m doing here and think about how is it possible for me to love someone and care for him so much, I know it comes down to God and how He cares for me. He is the waterfall that flows over everything that I am able to do. It is knowing His love and learning how to love Him more and walk from the place of His love for me that allows me to work.  If it wasn’t God and the fact that He flows over us and teaches us things that allow us to be able to teach others, I would not be able to love others as we know that God loves them. I know that this is something that I am still learning and must walk in, but as I learn to let God’s love flow over me and to walk in that, then I will be able to continue to walk in His ways and do what He has called me here for.

This month, please pray for:

• Our friends and open doors this month in the holiday season, and that we would see more hunger and a desire to know Him, and even decisions made in these next weeks.
• Me to continue to see God work the things in my life that He wants to as I am over here.
• My financial support, as I will need extra financial help to be fully supported for the rest of the year. If you would consider joining me or helping me with a one-time gift or monthly for the rest of the year, I would appreciate it.

Thank you all so much for your continued support and keeping me in your thoughts. They have really helped me pull through. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season, and I will write soon.

God bless,
Buckeye

I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into when my friends invited us to their party as I’ve never really been to a school party. But since there were going to be 150 or more students there, we said, “ Why not, it it’s a great opportunity!” When we arrived everyone was already getting ready, and they were excited to have us there. They wanted to meet and talk with us. During the party they were doing some of the things that we, as Americans, do at Halloween time.

One of the things that they wanted people to do was bobbing for apples. At first they had a student try to show everyone how to do it but he didn’t really know how. So, being me, I said, “ Sure! I will show you guys how!” Now that student didn’t really go for it or try too hard. But I showed them what it means to go all in. I took my sweatshirt off, which made everyone cheer (kind of strange, but this is C-land.) Then I proceeded to go all in. I put my head right into the water — fully submerged — and got the apple in less than maybe three seconds. When I think about what I did at the party it makes me think about
what this month has been like for me.

I came here to C-land this year, not knowing what to really expect, just like at the party, where I would have never guessed what I was going to do. But, you go and listen to God and you do some things that you may never have thought you would have to. This month has been like that. It has been a really tough month, and I have been really attacked personally and feeling out of it for periods of time. I came here this year not knowing what my time was going to be like or that I would have to deal with things such as I have. But I told God that I was “all in” and that I would go for him, do what he told me, and go through what he had for me. Just as I went to a party and bobbed for apples — something I never imagined I would do here — God’s plans are good and He will bring me though whatever comes my way.

If you could be thinking about me and that God would just bring me through time and bring his refreshing joy and peace. Would you also be thinking about my friends and that God would continue to go before us and that we would see fruit in this upcoming season?

God bless,
Buckeye

Michael is a very close friend that I have known from last year. Over the time I have known him, he has been very interested and has wanted to really study the Word and learn more about it and God. I just met him again last week for our first one-on-one meeting this year, and it was a really awesome time where I was able to share with him. The first question he even asked was when we would be starting our Bible study again. It was really cool to still see his hunger and desire to learn more. Last year Michael was really close to making a decision and wanted to experience God in his life. My roommate Indy and I got to share how God wants to show he is real to each of us. So we challenged him to ask God to show himself to him more. It is something where you just have to jump in and trust that God is real and has the best for us. Michael is still not ready to jump all the way in and give his life to God. But I know that God has plans for his life and that He will show Michael his need. It was just like me — if I never jumped and started the exercise program, I would never be able to experience the results that it can bring. So I just want to see Michael finally jump in and experience the love, joy, peace, and freedom that some when we jump all the way in and trust that God is for us.

If you could be thinking about Michael and his heart, that he would see his need for God and really jump in and let Him have his life. I am looking forward to that day and have a hopeful expectation for it. So please lift him up with me. I can’t wait to tell you more.

God bless,
Buckeye

When I got home I started to think about it a little more and realized that the emu was almost like God in a way. These past few weeks He has really been pursuing our friends and opening them up to Him. One of my friends, Allen,  even had a dream where he was told to open up his heart and to love people more. It was awesome to hear him say that and realize that he knew it was from God.

God really wants our friends and He is pursuing them and chasing after each of them in different ways. It doesn’t matter how far they may have been — each one is closer and He wants them all to give up something. He wants each and everyone to give him their lives and hearts. It is kind of like the emu  in that it kept chasing me. It wanted something from me and it was not going to go away.  God is never going to leave these guys alone;  He loves them and longs for them to give Him their hearts.  He has special plans for all of them and I pray that they will all see that.

Please ask that God would continue to open up these guys in the last two weeks and over  the summer while I am gone. Ask that they would all have a personal encounter with God and His love for them, and that we would be able to connect with the guys that we want to during this last week and just pour into them what they need to hear from God. Also, if you would ask that I would be able to connect with them over the summer and continue the friendships God has given me.

Thank you all for your support and thoughts this year as they have really been a blessing and encouragement the whole time I have been here.

God bless,
Buckeye

The point of this trip was to get to see what some of our counterparts here in Asia with TM will be doing in the city. It was awesome to be able to see the area that they will be going to, the business that they will be opening, and hearing their hearts for the people. While we were there, we went to a few of the temples, and my heart was really opened and hurt for the people. They try and do so many things to reach a god that is not real and does nothing for them. It was an eye-opening experience — seeing the places that they go to worship, to see how they have so many idols and things that they look to instead of God. I was really opened up to the people and hurt for them and wanted them to know God, his love and grace more than anything. It gave me more of a hunger to keep doing God’s work and maybe even go there in the future. I want to see our friends here in K-town experience God’s love just like these people do.  I keep asking God to reveal himself and I know that it is going to happen here in K-town as we continue to go after Him wherever He calls us.

A few things that you could all be thinking about are for our friends, that God would continue to do his work in their lives and reveal himself even more to them. Ask that the book clubs that we have started (and combined with the girls) would continue to grow, that the people coming would make decisions and that we would see this as the start of a family party. Last,  that we would be able to finish well and not think about home and what has to be done this summer — it is so close to when we come home. Thank you, again, for your continued thoughts and support,  as they continue to go before me and are bringing me through.

God Bless,
Buckeye

Just a few days ago we had two of our friends, Shawn and Stephen, over to our house for dinner and a movie. My roommate, Enrique, cooked for us, and it was great to see their excitement and that they loved what he made. We watched a movie (Faith Like Potatoes) that shows what it means to be changed by Jesus and what he can do in a life. Our friends were really touched by this movie, as was I, and it really got them thinking and they had many questions. Enrique and I were able to answer their questions and tell them about our own life and how we have been changed.  It was an incredible time. Before they left, Stephen said that his life was so much more peaceful and his heart felt better since he had been believing in God. Shawn stopped him and said, “No, not you—but both of us.”  It was a really cool thing to hear from both of them and see how God has torn down the powers in their lives and how they can see that life is better with God. They are so close; God is really working in them.  He will do it, and when it happens, we will be able to praise God and give Him glory.

A few things that you could be praying about:

1. Our friends, Shawn and Stephen, as they are still seeking out God and want to know more. Ask that He would continue to reveal Himself to them and bring revelation to their lives.
2. Many of our other friends who are seeking and want to know what is real, ask that God would just continue to go out before us and show them His love. Specifically for Michael, he has been really close and he has said that he wants Jesus, but has not been ready to make the decision. We will not be able to meet with him, as he is busy and then we leave this week for a retreat.  Please ask that God would continue to show Himself to Michael.
3. The retreat – as it is actually here! Please ask that God would really speak to us while we are there and that we would be refreshed. We need to clearly hear from Him about what He wants us to do, especially about returning to Asia next year. Please ask that God would make it absolutely clear about what He wants me to do this next year, and for my future.

Thank you all so much for your continued prayers, as they are really going before us all and giving me encouragement every day. I appreciate each and every one, and I hope that you are all doing well.

God bless,

Buckeye

I had to eat a pizza as fast as I could and my ability to eat fast literally paid off. I was able to beat all the other competitors, much to my surprise, and I even won some extra money. When the contest was done, it started to remind me of what this year has been like. This year has been going so fast that I look back and feel like it was the first week just a few weeks ago. Like the pizza I ate, the time here seems to be going away, slice by slice, at a rapid speed. Before I know it, it will be time to come home. This makes me sad because I feel like I have such a short time to do what God still wants to be done here. Thankfully, I can trust that God works faster than I can and does so much more than I may see. Many of our friends are really opening up and coming to Him really fast. I will believe that God has so much more for these last few months (we have passed the half way mark already). Many things are going to happen in such a short time as we continue to ask God to move and go before us just as he has been. A 9-inch pizza can be finished in one minute and fifty seconds, and God can also do amazing things in just a short time.

Ask that God would continue to move before us and that we would have the strength to continue to go deeper and share what we need to with our friends. Also, that we would not look forward to anything such as upcoming trips, coming home or seeing ct friends, but that we would focus on our time and use it for God and give Him it all, seeking His truth for what we need to do. Thank you, everyone, for your continued thoughts as they are really helping me and bringing me through. I have really seen God moving and I am thankful for every prayer.

God bless,
Buckeye

Now, this may sound good, but actually it is one of the funniest things that I have ever witnessed. At a Christmas party last week we had our friends act out the story for us.  They were really excited and willing to participate, which made it really fun. One of the guys decided that he would be the shepherd and that’s where everything started. When it was time for his part, he was supposed to go to Bethlehem and find the Son in the manger. Well, he went over to the area that was the stable and proceeded to take the baby out of the manger. Then he said, “I found the baby — now what do I do?” as he was walking away. My team and I could not help but crack up laughing over this. This was probably the first time he had really heard the story, but it made it real for him and also gave us a good laugh.

As it is the Christmas season and maybe even Christmas day when you get this, I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I hope that you all have a blessed Christmas Day and a wonderful time with family. I am starting to miss my family more as it gets into the real holiday time, and I know that they miss me too. But, it has been great here sharing with friends about the true meaning of Christmas and what God did for all of us. Even though many people may not seem to have been receptive at first, we have planted the seeds and can’t wait to see how God waters them.  So, even if it’s a good laugh from a friend playing a shepherd or telling friends about Christmas, this will be one that I will never forget and one I will cherish. Thank you for all your continued support and prayers as they are really helping and bringing me through this time.

God bless you all,

Buckeye