Hey all – I want to thank you guys for your faithful prayers for me, the team, CT, and Asia so far this year. We have final exams this week and then are finished with our first semester of language study!
OPPORTUNITY has been a theme for me recently, enough to make just going out the door in the morning exciting. I feel like anything can happen when you’re following the Holy Spirit’s lead…
To illustrate, I’m in the process of making a very important decision right now about continuing to study at my current university or going a more independent route with the help of some other Missionaries here who have developed a curriculum focused on speaking (as opposed to testing, which is how universities teach). Friday was the last day of class for this term, and I wasn’t planning on going because one of my classes had been cancelled and the other was optional review time. But that morning, I sensed the Lord saying, “Go to class.” My answer was basically, “Why not?” haha. So I bundled up and walked to campus with His praises on my lips.
I walked in and, not unexpectedly, found Professor Wang (a young male teacher I have really enjoyed having this semester and who knows I am a believer) and just one student, a Korean girl. Next thing I knew, out of the blue, he was writing the characters for “devout Christian” on the board!! This lead to about a half-hour discussion where I got to share in depth about Dad’s love and grace. Though the words weren’t coming as fluidly as some other times I have shared, I know full well that, as Paul told the Corinthians, “It is NOT with wise or persuasive words” that the Kingdom advances and lives are saved. I know Dad was speaking to both of them, which gives me great joy, and then He added this unexpected bonus ———-
Professor Wang has been on my heart a lot recently, but he had been looking for work elsewhere, and I was expecting to probably never see him again after exams. Over the course of the semester, we’ve become pretty good friends and have a lot in common. On Friday he told us he just decided to continue teaching here at this university and that even if I’m not studying at the university, he wants to continue hanging out and even proposed that he would teach me individually if I’ll teach him some English! We don’t usually pursue this sort of thing due to our language covenant, but I feel in this instance, it’s of the Lord and has huge potential. Professor Wang is a great teacher, passionate about life, caring, and also curious about truth – if God gets a hold of him……..watch out!
Things like this help me remember that He’s always in control, He always wants to b1ess us with a spectrum of gifts, and He’ll always use us if we will just listen and obey. All praises to our GOD and KING. Happy 2011!
Clive