No one was with her, and no one stopped to help her. I didn’t think she was drunk, but she didn’t seem to care if she lived or died. I couldn’t just watch her get hit by a car, so I caught up with her and tried to talk to her. She looked like a college student, but didn’t speak English, or at least was too disoriented to try. So I switched to her language, using whatever phrases I could think of: “Can I help you? Are you OK? What’s the matter?”

I’ll call her Wendy. At first she ignored me, and I felt really awkward to keep following a stranger and trying to pry into her personal life. But something wouldn’t let me leave her alone. About 50 yards up the street, Wendy collapsed on her knees, just inside the lane of oncoming traffic.

I knelt down next to Wendy, between her and the passing cars. Ben stood guard a little ways up the street to make sure cars would veer around us. All she had in her hands were her cell phone and keys. I have never seen anyone in Asia walking barefoot so it was obvious she had quickly fled some situation.

She kept telling me not to worry about her, and saying I could leave, but I didn’t think she should be left alone. I told her I thought she needed a friend, and asked if I could be her friend. Wendy could hardly speak through her sobbing, but she nodded. She let me give her tissues and I put my arm around her and just stayed with her. After 45 minutes, Wendy finally calmed down enough to let me walk her back to her dorm at the nearby campus.

I found out later what was going on. Her boyfriend had just beat her – he had never hit her before, and she was devastated. She left him, but had no close friends to turn to. Wendy felt so alone, hurt and hopeless that she was ready to die. So she walked up the street with the intention of killing herself. But I got in the way at just the right time and wouldn’t leave her alone.

Later, she thanked me for keeping her out of danger. She was so grateful I showed up right then. I’m amazed at God’s goodness to put Ben and me in her path just in time! (Wendy’s doing much better now, and I have a friend there who is going to stay in touch with her.) I pray she someday comes to know it was God who saved her life that night, not just some American girl who wouldn’t leave her alone. And I pray Wendy someday comes to know true life in God, where she will never have to be hopeless or alone again!

I feel like this is a beautiful picture of what God was doing through us all year – bringing students across our path who were without hope and stumbling along through the dark. In so many friends’ lives He used us to walk with them and show them the path of life, pointing them to safety. I’m amazed at His goodness!

December was a whirlwind of Christmas parties! We saw many seeds planted in our friends as we shared the Gospel every chance we got. Tom (a friend my teammates made last year) finally made the decision to join the family after one of those Christmas parties!

Right after a special Christmas with my city, I went home for 2 weeks to visit my family in NY. This was my first holiday at home in 4 years. It was fun to play in the snow and build a snowman, but I quickly remembered how COLD winter in NY is! I am so blessed that God has called me to serve Him in a beautiful city that has spring-like weather almost all year. =)

January flew by quickly as most college students headed home for their month-long holiday. I had our city spend the last 2 weeks of January doing a special time of fasting & prayer. While most of our friends were away, we took the extra time to seek God for vision for the remainder of our time here. It was powerful!

I was starting to feel the weariness of 3 ½ years of being here and going at a pretty non-stop pace. I was beginning to feel pretty drained, and not even sure if I had energy to lead for the final half of this year. God has been so faithful to refresh me and give me vision for being here! He has really been restoring my soul as I spend extra time alone with Him.

February was a time of refreshing and God pouring into me. The teams from all 3 cities we work in reunited in Thailand for a 10-day retreat, where powerful messages and times of w-rship impacted us in a really special way.

We came back to K-town and had 2 weeks of WinterSession to make the most of the final time friends were away. We had amazing guest speakers come to share with us and pr-y for each of us. Most special for me was getting to have Pastor Josh and Tim C. come from EGC, my home church.

March quickly arrived and things have started to accelerate. Two friends joined the family last week!! We now have 3 Evangelistic Bible Studies meeting weekly, with 2 more about to be started. Many friends are not yet Christians, but attend weekly because they are interested to learn more about G and the Bible. We are seeing more hunger in friends than ever before!

With only two months left here before I fly back to America, I feel excited about the greater things that God is doing. Pray that we will see more hunger and openness, and that friends will be ready to receive Jesus during these next two months.

Thanks for being a part of all God is doing here!

~ Buttercup

P.S. In addition to the great things G is doing in min*stry, there have been some cool things happening in my life personally. Send me an email if you want to hear more!

Michelle was so excited to see me again and share her news. I hadn’t seen her for a year and a half since I moved away. I was so happy to visit this last week and get to see her! She and her roommate, Ellen, met me for dinner, and as we laughed and talked over a spicy pot of chicken and peppers, it felt like we’d barely been apart.

I remember how Michelle became a Christian the first night I met her – she was with Ellen and another roommate the night all three girls decided to accept Jesus. Michelle dreams of someday studying in America and was so excited to meet foreigners. I didn’t know how serious she was about her new faith. But during the time my roommate and I discipled her during our last few months in that city, Michelle seemed genuine in her commitment to Christ. One of the final times we met with Michelle and Ellen, I remember talking to them about sharing their faith in Jesus with others.

After Michelle told me her news, it was Ellen’s turn. She had good news, too – she told her cousin about Jesus this year, and now her cousin believes! Ellen also told me how she studies the Bible with two girls from her campus – they meet regularly to share what they are reading and encourage each other!

It is so cool to see my old friends growing closer to Jesus and sharing their faith! I always pray that as students here find relationship with Jesus, they won’t just keep it to themselves. I know my team and I can only reach a handful of friends here, but we want to see the Gospel spread across every campus and see the number of Christians keep multiplying… It’s happening!

Thank you for your prayers! I am so thankful for you standing with me – together we are going to see His truth keep spreading across every campus in Asia! Pray with me that we would see a harvest among our friends this next month – December is always the best time to share the Gospel as we celebrate Christmas with our friends and tell them the reason we celebrate! We will be planning Christmas parties and taking every opportunity to share the story of Jesus with our friends. Pray that their hearts will be open, and that we will share with boldness!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

With love,

Buttercup

Hairy had chosen it because it sounded a lot like her Chinese name. Sydney had never before suggested that a friend change her English name – even with friends with names like Apple, Orange, and September — but this time she felt the need to intervene: “How about ‘Hailey’? It’s very similar, but it’s a much better name for a girl!”

Sydney, Cozy, and the newly-named Hailey sat down to play cards together. Out of nowhere, Hailey asked her new foreign friends, “Do you believe in God?” They soon discovered that their brand-new friend Hailey had just prayed to become a Christian a few days earlier! Sydney and Cozy were amazed! But then they found out HOW she had joined the family: another Chinese girl, Echo, had shared her faith with Hailey, and now she believed in Jesus!

Echo’s story was amazing – she had met a Christian girl at an English Corner who invited her to a Christmas party where Echo heard the Gospel for the first time. At first, she didn’t believe any of it. But a couple years later, Echo reached a point in her life where she begin to wonder what she believed, and she remembered what the girl had told her about Jesus.

This took Echo on a search where she soon came to believe in Jesus for herself! Not only did she become a Christian, she now has a passion to share her faith with as many people as she can! Echo is not a student any more, but she attends English Corners so she can meet students. If they seem interested in her faith, she meets with them later on during the week. It sounds exactly like what we do!

It was like God gave us a glimpse of the future – what could happen with our friends when they finally believe and then catch a passion to spread their faith to other students on their campus! We spend so much time meeting friends at English Corners and trying to meet with the ones who seem interested in Jesus. Every year we hold Christmas parties and share the Gospel with dozens of friends, but some just never seem interested. We don’t always get to see tangible results of our ministry, but we still have to trust that God is working in friends’ hearts.

I’m reminded that the seeds we sow are not in vain! Every English Corner, every Christmas party, and every meal with a friend is a chance to plant another seed. Even though I don’t always get to see fruit right away, I can trust He is doing a good work!

Thanks for sowing with me through your prayers and financial support. We don’t get to see all the results yet, but we really are making an impact on lives for eternity!

During training, we had tried to prepare our teams for what to expect. Now the night arrived when we would attend our very first real-life English corner. My team met beforehand to work out any nervousness, and pray for God to send us the right students.

I could sense a nervous excitement and anticipation. We showed up ten minutes late to the English Corner, but no one was there. Did we get the right time? Are we sure they meet in front of the Science building? At least 5 different students last week had told us it was held here.

After waiting a little while and asking every student nearby if they spoke English (they didn’t), we split up to find the real English corner. Maybe we just had the wrong location. Duke and Buckeye headed to the basketball courts. Sydney waited in case anyone showed up at the original location. Enrique, Cozy, and I started walking around the campus.

“See that gazebo full of people? Let’s check it out!” Enrique and Cozy followed me over to a group of about ten students crowded in a gazebo. “Hello, do you speak English?” I asked. “Do you know if there is an English Corner here?”

They giggled nervously, “No, this is a Chinese corner!” One guy with excellent English stepped forward to help us. It suddenly didn’t matter if we found the real English corner or not; God had planned something better. We spent the next hour talking with this group – most were philosophy majors, and 4 of them spoke great English. As I connected with one of the girls, I looked over to see Enrique and Cozy excitedly talking with their new friends and exchanging phone numbers. They still have not attended a real English Corner, but I decided they are pretty amazing at creating their own!

There was only one problem – the price. The apartment was not furnished, and for the landlord to buy everything we needed, there was no way we could afford it. The landlord wouldn’t budge on her asking price, and I really couldn’t blame her.

I knew it was the apartment I wanted for my girls, so we all prayed for a miracle. In the morning I went back to the real estate agent, and made my ridiculously low offer again. The agent called the landlord, and gave her the list of all the furniture I was requesting, along with my final offer. Miraculously, this time she agreed!!

Turns out, we were prematurely excited. By dinnertime that night, the agent called back to apologize. The landlord had changed her mind and would not rent the apartment after all. I got my deposit back but was frustrated and confused. Wasn’t this the right apartment? It seemed like God had answered our prayers, so why the change of heart?

I didn’t mention this earlier, but we had already experienced a similar let-down two days before. I had a different apartment lined up for my girls, and we were all set to sign the contract when the landlord showed up at the realtor’s office to tell us she couldn’t rent it to us after all because her mother was moving in! There are some things about the apartment-renting process here I just don’t understand, and a fickle landlord is definitely one of them!

The next morning I was waiting at the bus stop across the street from the realtor’s office. He spotted me, and waved me over. Without much explanation, he said the landlord had changed her mind AGAIN, and was willing to rent it, for the same terms we had agreed upon. I was bewildered and grateful, but not sure whether we should get our hopes up this time. My city team took time that day to pray that God would have His way with the apartment and that the landlord’s heart would be kept soft toward us.

He answers prayer!! This morning we walked into the newly-furnished apartment, signed the contract and my girls got the keys to their new home!! Landlords may be fickle, but my Father can handle them! Prov 21:1 says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord; He directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” My Father is able to change the hearts of kings…and landlords! =)

We were going to meet to read the Bible together, and at the last minute my roommate Dove brought a new friend. Lily was also a believer, and though she couldn’t speak much English, I could tell she was passionate about the Lord. She had a big smile on her face and glowed with joy as she talked.

As Lily & Margaret met for the first time, we had them share their stories with each other in Chinese. Margaret’s tired face started to brighten up as they talked, and every now and then she would exclaim something in English: “We are from the same hometown!” “She has been a Christian for 4 years!” “She really understands who Jesus is!”

We could see some of Lily’s enthusiasm rub off as we talked and read the Word together. The night ended with Dove & me waving good-bye as the two girls boarded the same bus together. Lily had been invited to stay overnight at Margaret’s dorm since it was too late for Lily to bus back to her own campus. Lily kept exclaiming how unusual it was to be invited for a sleepover when it was only their first time to meet, but she was so grateful. We smiled to see the quick connection the girls made. I hope to see them strengthen each other in their faith, and be encouraged to know they are not alone!

When the movie ended, Miranda again reached for my hand, and we just sat back in sober silence for a minute before she began to speak. She had felt His presence as we watched the story played out so vividly. His love for her was so clear – Jesus suffered so much so that she might know Him. Miranda could now see it so clearly. She seems really close to receiving Him! For the last 2 weeks, she has been reading her Bible, and every time she does, she feels peace fill her heart. It won’t be long before she decides to follow Him!

On the other side of the room, my roommates talked to their friends. Katherine, an antagonistic atheist, we had worried about inviting. She had been a distraction at our Christmas party when we had tried to share the Gospel with her. But we felt like we had to make one last effort to reach her. She was suddenly asking all the right questions, and was freshly open to the idea that maybe Jesus is real and maybe He really did die for us!

It was like the Holy Spirit dropped a bomb in the room that night. The whole atmosphere changed. All 5 girls stayed for over an hour after the movie ended, though it was getting late. They all left planning to read the Bible and search out for themselves if this is true, and how it will affect their lives. They know they have a decision to make. After all Jesus has done for them, will they choose to give their lives to Him?

My team and I were amazed. We are getting near the end of our time here, and with only 5 weeks left, we’re anxious to see things happen with friends. And now we feel encouraged that it is possible! God is still working on hearts, and drawing them closer to Himself. We are on the verge of breakthrough!

Most friends give the typical response when asked how their holiday was: “Boring, nothing special, I just watched TV every day…” I was surprised when Miranda, without being asked said, “My holiday was very sad.”

She went on to explain how she made the long trip to surprise her boyfriend of 5 years with a visit. When she got to his apartment, she found another woman’s clothing inside, and was horrified with the realization he has been cheating on Miranda. With no other explanation, he simply told Miranda, “You and I are unsuited for each other.”

A mix of feelings hit her… shock…rejection …confusion…grief. She loved this man for so long, and now had no explanation for what went wrong. She was faced with the fact that he loved another woman and was done with Miranda. Would he change? Did he still love her? Should she take him back? The thoughts tormented her for the remainder of her holiday.

Back at school, Miranda hadn’t told a single soul what had happened. Every night, she cried herself to sleep, but never let her roommates or friends know the pain she was feeling. When she saw Dove & me, she said she felt safe, like we were her sisters. And she finally released some of the pain she had been keeping inside for weeks.

Miranda is interested in studying the Bible, so we are going to start reading together once a week and talking about it. Please pray that she would open her heart to the relationship our Father wants to have with her. That the sting of rejection she feels would cause her to run into the arms of the One who completely accepts her. Pray she will find the healing and unconditional love that He has for her!

I knew where she was. Probably pretending to be sick and hiding back at the apartment. I should have known. She hates public speaking.

While our friends are away for the New Year holiday, we are making good use of the extra time to spend 2 weeks in day-long classes. Today’s class was on evangelism, and just before lunch our teacher had us practice sharing the Gospel as simply as possible. “After you come back from lunch,” he told us, “I want you to get up and share this in front of the whole group.”

Duke is my most timid team member. She has never felt super confident in sharing the Gospel. And big groups intimidate her. I could picture her leaving for lunch with the plan to never come back to class that afternoon….

My phone beeped with her response. “Actually, I am down by the park. I made 2 friends over lunch break and just did this for real! What a rush…I will be back ASAP.”

I was speechless! That was the last thing I thought she would be doing over her lunch break!!

One of the best things about being a leader is getting to see people grow during their time here! Young people who’ve never shared their faith before come to Asia, catch a passion for the lost that motivates them to boldly share with strangers! Ones who’ve never discipled anyone before are here pouring their lives into their Asian friends. My team is seeing college students changed, and in the process, they are getting changed too! I love seeing the transformation!