Hearing Their Stories
Julie shared, “Peggy had the girls at our second retreat make a story rope with ribbons that marked milestones of their lives. Each girl stood up in front of the group and in great detail described their life path through each ribbon tied on their life line. I was sitting up front with the Chinese women so I could not hear the translations of each story. I did not need a translator to understand their words because their expressions, their tears and the tone of their voices all told the story. They suffer just like me.
With depression. Heart ache from past sin. Unforgiveness toward others. Perhaps abuse. One of the girls that I sat next to the whole day, finally got up to tell her life story. She started at the top with her birth. And then her hand slid all the way down the life line ribbon to a bright white ribbon.
She grasped that ribbon so tightly and the urgency in her voice soared.
I knew in my spirit that the white ribbon was when she found Christ Jesus....And all the other ribbons or events in her life, meant nothing. This white ribbon that symbolized Jesus meant everything. It was so powerful.”
Five Generations of Sharing—Wow!
This sweet lady, won a prize from us and chose the Story Bracelet. She stood up and with tears in her eyes, told the Story from the colors of the beads, never having heard it from us! This lovely girl is a fifth generation believer and her family passed down the Story using colors just as Hudson Taylor had told it in the 1880’s using a flag.
She couldn’t believe those colors were in a bracelet and was so touched. My heart sang thinking of our amazing God, unhindered by Mao who caused the China Inland missionaries to leave, unhindered by the subsequent persecution but kept the Gospel Story alive represented by colors, when the written Word of God was banned. Awesome!
“Surrendering the Secret”
The burden of Yinyan’s heart is in reaching out to women who are hurting after abortions and as Paul talks about in II Corinthians 1:4 to:”comfort in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God”.
Two of these ladies accompanied Yinyan (2nd from left) and their friend (center) who was hurting and trying to heal from the emotional pain of an abortion. Without Yinyan saying anything about her own healing journey, Chinese women are coming to her for help. Yinyan spent 2 full days going through Surrendering the Secret Bible study and there was peace! Amen.
Carole Connecting
Carole was a gift to the women in Beijing and to our team—what energy and heart this woman showed. She shared the Gospel and shared her Bible Study to help the women with their English. They loved her and were drawn to her wisdom! Carole said, “I loved both events with the ladies--when the they put their prayer requests on hands they had drawn, taped them to the wall and then prayed over them, reaching out and touching the paper hands...what a blessed sight!!!
Price Waterhouse Bible Study
Our translator, Grace, received a call asking if I could teach a study group on how to “Be a Christian in the Workplace”. I prepared and was assisted by Judy DeVries. What a blessing to teach these 10 people from as many companies.
All spoke English and we spent an hour with them. The sweet lady on the right who received the prayer shawl was facing surgery and so afraid; it was a joy to pray with her. Judy and I are corresponding and growing the relationship with this group!
Love the doors God continues to open in this city!
Annie Zhang
I met Annie when she found my profile on LinkedIn and asked me to interview in July for a job in Beijing as the “Character and Moral Development Director” for a group of private schools there. I felt a tug to follow through on the interview to make connections and simply felt led.
After the interview, Annie and I stayed in touch and I recommended a couple of friends for the job but more importantly Annie accepted Christ and was baptized! She asked me to meet with her in October and shared her heart and fear in her new marriage of his possible unfaithfulness.
Please pray for Annie, she is young in her faith and in November her beloved father passed. There is certainly a need for leaders and mentors with so many new believers in China; pray that God will bring more staff and partners to us in China...the laborers are few!
Rebecca and Julie
Julie’s enthusiasm was certainly contagious and Rebecca did a wonderful job in translating for her. Julie was blessed by the hunger and passion for Jesus in China; so moving and encouraging—impossible to fully describe!
Rebecca is sweet and soft spoken but grew bold in her appeal to Julie, saying, “We are so new in our faith, please keep coming—we need you here!”
I believe I can speak for each team member in saying how much we desire to do all that God will send us to do. One trip among the Church in revival in China is not enough... we are hooked!
You may remember the story of the 40+ women crammed into a small room, minus A/C in July? One of the 20 women who came to Christ in that room was Wenli, Mary Kay leader in the red at the bottom of this photo.
What a joy to come to her group at her request and to spend individual time with her. Her spiritual growth is astounding and her new but strong faith is contagious to the group she leads. 5 new sisters joined us and each of our team: Carole, Lisa, Lauren, Julie, Cherie, Sherry and Judy taught beautifully sharing hearts and tears! Thank you Jannie for your great help and Yinyan for faithful sharing too!
Lauren Blessing the Chinese Sisters
Since most of the women we serve are new believers, they were so blessed by Lisa and Lauren Brown. Simply to see a mom who is raising a faithful daughter gave them hope. They are learning to walk with Jesus and most have not seen examples of moms raising children in the Lord. Lauren was a joy and jumped in wherever needed—even providing some physical activity for a break! They loved her!
Xiaoxia—Part III “Sharing the Joy”!
In April (first pic), we met Xiaoxia and heard her story about her doctor asking her to terminate her pregnancy because he suspected the baby was not growing properly. After we gave her the prayer shawl, made by the KnitWits and prayed for her, she felt great peace about continuing to carry her child. I promised in the July newsletter we would share more news and here he is!!
Xiaoxia’s healthy big boy weighing 8lbs. 4oz.: a precious testimony of God’s grace in using faithful women in Texas to knit and send the shawls to our teams and the faithfulness of the teams to make room in luggage for many beautiful gifts and the faithfulness of the women who receive the gifts and share the Good News to so many!
No comments:
Post a Comment