MORE COMING!

Our last few days in Beijing & Tienjin were a blur of blessings!  Home for 2 nights now and with family here and jet lagging...I will be posting more soon and pictures too!  Thanks so much for your prayers and for keeping up with and supporting this effort - you are appreciated!

FIRST WOMEN'S CONNECTIONS RETREAT!

"Yolanda" the young woman standing and waving on the bus sent a beautiful letter of thanks to me - her words encouraged us and I must share:  Thanks for your coming to China with others sisters. you are so brilliant!!!

This re-treat meeting is so wonderful that every sister who had fulfilled by the abundant love of God. this is what we need now...thanks god for touching your sisters' heart to organize re-treat for Chinese sisters. whatever single sisters, married sisters, servant leaders in church who their need during the meeting.....the biggest blessing is three non-believers have decided being a christian. can we have better news than this?

 Thanks for you provide the platform in which we can share love, testimony and even tears together...that's why sisters were exciting to talk till 4:00am: ) god is listening our prayer, you and sisters are angels to comforts us via the love of god...

 Thanks for your great organization...children have volunteers to be taken care so that mom sisters could focus on the words of god, all speakers are wonderful and their speeching are meaningful and profound...

 The last but not the least, we hope to have the re-treat meeting will be held regular, at least once a year:) ...thanks for the sponsorship by the brothers and sisters who are in American...we love them and hope to see them one day.

May god richly bless you and sisters forever,

Yolanda

 

This is Hope - and she is true to her name!  She is a gift for us and a gift for Chinese women; she put this entire retreat together by God's grace.  A selfless servant!

Love this!  The translation comes through a bit funny at first but reminds me of David dancing before the Lord!

 

 

 We loved our teams at retreat!  Such a great opportunity to get to know the women, pray for them and share together - we were moved, touched and will forever be challenged by their faith!

 Esther Yee from Omaha taught with "Fang Fang" translating for her - great class on Mary and Martha!

 Maye Jepson spoke about the purpose for our trials - the women loved her talk and the sharing afterward was so encouraging!

 Faye Hayes taught "how to dance with God" - they loved it!  Again the sharing was heartfelt and so encouraging to know it had made a difference!

Lynne Worcester talked about women's emotions - certainly hitting home and her personal sharing freed the women to share their own stories!

I shared about our new leadership program which will be an on-going group - 30 women responded with the desire to be part of this!! So exciting!  Lucky for me my battery ran out on the camera before my talk! :)  Can't wait to share more photos and a few video clips of the sisters sharing...stay tuned!

Ahhhh - nothing like shared back rubs!!

This is the teacher ("Heather") who offered 3 of our scholarships to 3 of her students - all 3 accepted Christ as Savior!  Thank you to all who helped these women attend!  God bless you so big!!

LYNNE'S POSTING ON A LIFE-CHANGING DAY!

Holy Ground

I've been sitting here for awhile just staring at my computer screen.  How on earth can I put into words what I experienced today.  I can't imagine anything that could ever top this.  Let me start at the beginning.


I'm so glad that I took a picture out my hotel window yesterday.  The pollution was SO bad, you could only see about a block away, and you really felt like you could chew the air.  When we left the house church at which we taught last evening, it was VERY windy, and when we woke up this morning, the wind had blown away much of the pollution!

We stepped out into fresh air and sunlight this morning, very appropriate, since we were about to see the Son more clearly than we had ever seen Him before.


We were not told much about where we were going, just what we would be teaching.  Peggy is such a great leader, she sent us out to share without her (didn't Jesus do that?), just had our Chinese interpreter / GPiH staff member Hope.  The taxi  kept driving and driving - we left the main part of the city and into the poor suburbs, the part that is the real China, not prettied up for the Olympics.  After getting lost in the maze of old apartment buildings and rubble, we finally exited the taxi and quickly moved towards a door.  There, a Chinese hand was extended in greeting and then firmly pulled us inside with a whisper, down some narrow stairs silently, and into a room packed with young people.  We were to spend the day teaching in an underground seminary!

The leaders of this seminary are a Korean couple who have been ministering in China for 15 years.  They are the most gentle, loving people I think I have ever met.  Every room of the apartment was jammed with beds and then a dining table in the middle.  17 of the students live with this family.  Down another flight is where they study and worship.  Have you ever worshipped with people who have given up everything and who know they could be arrested at any moment?  Joy unspeakable and full of glory!  There just aren't words.  To be on my knees in worship with these saints, to have them grab my hands and plead, "Pray for China!"  Why would they want ME to teach THEM!  I just wanted to sit at their feet and learn, to bring home a large dose of their sold-out faith.  Holy ground indeed.

Yet they loved our teaching and begged us to come back.  At lunch, I asked the pastor ( can't show a picture of him) what their greatest need is.  He said, "More leaders, and more teachers like you all who will come and share with us."  Seminaries like this are growing rapidly, and for safety, they split into smaller groups and spread out.  This one just split into 4.  Which means many more leaders are needed, and always more funding.

It was difficult to leave them, but part of what they kept celebrating in worship is heaven, the fact that we WOULD see them again, that people of every tongue and tribe and nation would be there.


It was a day of experiencing, "For me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."


We drove home in silence, moved and challenged by our brothers and sisters.  I pray it's a day I won't ever forget.

ANOTHER WONDERFUL DAY! THE TEAM AWED BY STUDENTS, JERRY & I AT ANADARKO

 Dinner tonight with Jerry & Sheryl Wunder staff in China! (L to R: Faye, Sheryl, Maye, Lynne & me) What a day for us:   I will repost one of our team's reports on their day at seminary - a place where risk is still a factor and devotion is without reservation!  I can't wait to share!

Jerry & I went to Anadarko Petroleum to meet with the new president here - strong believer with great ideas for collaboration with us!

Pictured here:  a serious southern sports rivalry! What wonderful connections God makes!

SUBWAY, JIM & JUDY, TRAFFIC AND LEADERSHIP

 This photo does not do justice to the scene - a literal mass of humanity pushing forward as one both into and out of the train!  We divided into 2 small groups so as to keep any of us from being left behind!

My pitiful photography...trying to capture Hope and Lynne's eyes and the tops of many heads at the same time...we laughed and had the best time - I think entertaining those around us!  Must admit we're glad we don't get to work this way each day!!

Jim and Judy went with us to see a group of students and graduates (S2 group) - they train with heart and excellence!  Rebecca translated and she's wonderful!  Also, is a performer at the Upper Room Christian bistro.

Jim and Judy are masterful in the telling of their stories to communicate standards for the sisters and brothers for dating and marriage...how wonderful it is to work together with such great people!!

 Always amazing to see the variety of transportation used:  always moving calmly, rarely do you see a temper raised - just slow continuous moving.....

You can haul most anything on the back of a bicycle!!!

 Another group just out of school and looking to impact their world with the gospel!  It was wonderful to see their eagerness and desire to know more of how to discern God's plan for them.

The worship is a blessed thing to take part in!  Max, the one in the center, did not need to look up most of the verses we referred to...he knew them!

OUR SECOND TRAINING WITH JUFANG'S GROUP - WONDERFUL!

Jufang - a sister dedicated to leading others has once again gathered a group who desire to grow and lead. They want so much to know more of God's grace.  Thank you Jufang for your servant's heart!

Here are most of the group of sisters from China and the states of  N. & S. Carolina, Oregon and Colorado - God certainly makes creative connections!

 Lynne and Hope are pictured here: I could say, "Lynne gives hope" because as Lynne spoke and Hope translated the ladies were touched and healing was beginning.  My talk on forgiveness followed and so many had questions afterward that Jufang had difficulty gathering the women to continue the program.

Maye and Faye receive gifts from little hands!

Cindy and her little man.  Both in March and today, Cindy shared her heart to be a better mom and to ask God to replace her anger with His grace. Largely because of Lynne's open sharing of her abuse and later her own anger and healing, the women felt free to also share.

Jufang with Faye and Maye!

JOSH & SABINA AND OUR BRACELET LADY!

 Here is Josh, baby Promise and Sabina who helped us launch our Women's Connections in March of 2010!  We love sharing time with them today and Sabina who courageously began the first "sister's group" after training has now launched 2 more groups from hers!  Wow!  This was so encouraging today!

Here is the bracelet maker herself - Stephanie!  She is diligently churning out bracelets for us and we are working on an idea for the men!  Our "Story Bracelets" are now helping to share the Good News on 2 continents!  Lynne Worster calls them "Love Story Bracelets"!

BEIJING MAY 14, 2011!

Great First Day with Chinese Sisters! Lynne Worcester and I arrived in Beijing last night and after a good rest - we attended a wedding with Hope!  Lovely beginning for certain and after a few brief notes - I would love for you to read Lynne's blog which I have also copied after my notes - she says it all so well and I love to see the perspectives of our team members - Lynne is hooked on these sisters as am I!

Our first lovely lady to receive a prayer shawl from the KnitWits - Knitting a Witness for Christ!  My photos are dark...sorry but Esther's face is bright and so happy to be loved and prayed for - the precious KnitWits have blessed women all over the world with these gifts of love and the women here send their love and appreciation!

Lynne with our KnitWit's scarf recipient!  Both beautiful and happy at the Tea House with 50 sisters watching (and 1 sweet husband accompanying his wife).  Lynne captivated the women with her heartfelt testimony of childhood abuse and God's healing hand - and how He has redeemed her parenting.  Her teaching was timely and so well received!

My teaching on 4 women in the Bible studied 4 distinct personality styles with which the women identified - it was fun to see them relate to these women!  The women in this picture identified with Lydia, the seller of purple who cared for Paul.  They are determined leaders!

Each personality inspired questions as to our service to God and how each one relates to husbands and other sisters.  These women identified with Abigail who saved her household from certain death and later married King David!

These women related to Hannah who patiently waited for a child, Samuel, which she promised and gave to God for His service. One woman commented about desiring to emulate Hannah even more in her commitment to give all to the Lord!

And these women identified with Mary the mother of Jesus!  Mary, the loyal one of unquestioning devotion to God no matter the personal cost.  These are the steady, faithful servants.




AND NOW TAKE A LOOK AT LYNNE'S POSTING:

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Beijing Beginnings

Oh my, where do I start!  Today was amazing.  It began with a wedding celebration with a room full of Chinese Christians who totally exuded the JOY OF THE LORD!  Their faces are a marked contrast to the dour looks of most of the Chinese you see on the street and in the markets.  We sang Amazing Grace about 10 times - I think these brothers and sisters GET IT big time!!!

Then we grabbed a quick lunch (I can now eat with chopsticks!  I was so excited about that accomplishment that I forgot to stop eating when I got full - I just kept shoveling it in proudly!  Pride goeth before a REALLY full tummy - groan) and then walked to the Tea House, which is run by Christian women, with shelves of Bibles right in the main room!   This was a teaching time for believers from many different house churches in the area.  Peggy Sperling is my friend who invited me and is the Director of Women's Connections for Global Partners in Hope.  She is just amazing, and the love the Chinese women have for her is quite evident, as is her love for them.

Yesterday I heard that the expected number of women at this event was about 20, but by the time we got underway, there were about 50 women packed into every nook and cranny.  They were eager students of the Word!  Peggy taught a wonderful class on Women of the Bible and their personality styles - they had so much fun identifying themselves and finding out which of their sisters shared their style.

The teaching I gave was on Parenting God's Way.  MUCH prayer had gone into this because I know there is so much hurt involved in their past and a danger of opening deep wounds.  Many tears were shed as I shared stories of abuse and God's healing and challenged them to make God's Word the standard rather than their culture.  We talked about the gifts we can give our children, and one of those gifts is to honor and respect their husbands.  OH MY!  It appears that was a hot button issue too - divorce is rampant in China right now, and the idea of honoring your husband even when he "doesn't deserve it" was a new thought to many, and one that a few resisted.  But here's a fabulous thing:  these women want you to hit them between the eyes with the truth!  They are not offended or hurt, just challenged to take another step of obedience to the Father!  I am learning much from them already!

I could write so much more, but I'd best head for bed.  THANK YOU to those who have been praying for health and energy.  God has more than answered.  However, I do feel like my laptop - when the battery gives you a "low" warning, it's got about 2 minutes left, and I'm here to tell you, my lights are flickering!  Nighty night!   I cannot wait for tomorrow - I'm sure there will be lots more to share.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or think, to him be all glory and honor and praise!