English Bible Study Begins

There is nothing like teaching the very first Bible study to someone who has never heard of, read about, or knows anything about Jesus Christ. To see their inquisitiveness and their realization there is the remote possibility there is something out there bigger than ourselves. The Holy Spirit starts to work on their minds and hearts and you can see that their interest is genuine. Since most Chinese coming from the mainland profess no faith, are usually atheists and are only taught evolution, the task seems pretty daunting. The first obstacle is to invite them to a Bible study. I mean, after all, they are in intensive courses pursuing their degrees and have very little free time. The second hurdle is to help them see the potentiality that God exists. This is not hard to do as one might think once we begin talking with them about design in the world, in the variety of things that have been created, how there is design to the complexity of plants and animals and our very selves. Since there is design to everything, there must in fact be a designer. And their eyes start to open.
Such was the case during our first Friday night English Bible study with Hai Bing and his wife. Their first questions: “What was the difference between the Old and New Testament? How do you know that God exists today? Is Jesus a god?”.
 來 is the Chinese character for ‘come’. We read  John 12:32 which in the Chinese Bible it says “when Christ is lifted up, all men will ‘come’ to him”. Hai Bing put the two together by himself noticing that the character shows one man on a cross with two men on either side of him. His wife responded that it was deeply interesting that even their language points to God and Jesus.
Thank you for supporting our work. Without you we would not be having these great opportunities to bring Christ to the lost. Please pray for Hai Bing and his family as they begin their long journey in their spiritual life.

Three Trips, Three Faiths

Picking up students from the airport coming to study for their MBA's at Thunderbird University has turned out to be very interesting. This week on Monday I picked up Andy, a mainland Chinese atheist. On Tuesday I picked up a young man who was Muslim. On Wednesday a Hindu. All I had was a name on a card to pick them up with but the drive to their dorms you could tell what each one was really interested in, what they were open to, and how open their hearts were.

"The God who made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." (Acts 17:24-27)

Divine Appointments... one out of two ain't bad, right?

http://youtu.be/MHfy6J7LEwc

One day Dezi and I went to pick up our van from being fixed and we saw this lady with hands full, dragging a bunch of moving boxes across the street. We didn’t even look at each other before Dezi was rolling down the window and I was pulling over so that we could help her. We loaded up the back of the car and took her almost a mile to her home. There. Our good deed for the day. We both felt pretty good so we stopped at the nearest Quick-Trip to get a drink. As I was coming out of the store I noticed a man sitting on the sidewalk, a little gruffy and very worn face. He asked me if I had some change and I said, “No, I use a debit card.” Then I walked away. Dezi saw the man too and asked what he wanted. It made sense to both of us since we normally don’t carry cash that we couldn’t help him. So we drove on. It’s been on my mind every since. Do we pick and choose who and how we help someone? Does God send people our way to see how far we will go to “feed the hungry, clothe the poor and needy, give drinks to those in thirst”? If it’s convenient to go to a convenience store for ourselves but not convenient on behalf of someone else, then all we have is a convenient faith.
    We are excited about the new group of Chinese students coming to study, most of them working on their M.B.A.’s. We joined a welcoming fellowship dinner for those are who are already here.  We met a young lady named “Hellen” and found out she lived in the same neighborhood when we lived in Taiwan. Always amazed at our small world. We are also picking up students from the airport and believe it is an excellent way to meet them as they first arrive. We are planning having English Bible studies on Thursday evenings and Chinese Bible studies on Fridays. Please keep these in your prayers.
    It’s been a really good transition for my mother to move in with us and it’s going well. Thank you for your prayers on this change in our family. I’ve been working on completing my Masters and took four courses in Ghana last month with only one more to go. Our lives are full and busy with kids back in school. Thank you so much for caring for us! We thank God for you daily…!!  

Accra, Ghana, West Africa From July 2011

Such a wealth of diversity in the courses I'm taking here in Accra. Taking the last four courses of Azusa Pacific University's Operation Impact program that offers a Global Organizational Leadership masters program, getting to know the students from many different cultures is at least half of the education being offered. This is our second course class that finished up today and we start in on two new classes on Monday. They provide us with outings on the weekends and we are taking off in the morning to visit what once was a slave castle. Tonight we were treated to an authentic Chinese restaurant and I ordered in Chinese so it's true, you can go anywhere in the world and eat Chinese. And did I mention there is no McDonalds here at all in the whole country? Yes, for me that designates it to be a third world country. However, the people are great, so friendly and so polite. Their views challenge us to think about our Christianity from a different lens

Class Diversity

As I've mentioned, we have a lot of diversity in the classes I'm taking now. From a policeman from Ghana, to an evangelist from Nigeria, a radio broadcaster from Slovenia and another evangelist from Ethiopia to me, an international student worker from Phoenix! We are learning a lot of things in the intensive courses but also from each other. For example, the Ethiopian student shared that China has reserved 7 trillion dollars, yes I said trillion, for the development of Africa. The Chinese are building roads and infrastructure here at a very rapid pace. Chinese automobiles are everywhere as well as heavy equipment. China is a rising power in the world. They have no national debt (despite what you may hear) and in fact they hold about 1.5 trillion of the U.S. national debt. China is the world’s biggest creditor. It has done this by providing cheap labor and products to more expensive markets. Despite the huge numbers of its population, the top market for China is not its own domestic consumers but the market of the United States. Better have your kids learning Chinese! However, the wealth is not distributed equally. There is the upper class and the lower class and very few in the middle. This is often seen in countries that have growing economies. It's here in Ghana. We went to a church that had the slum shacks next to it. However, the church members were all upper class. Not one homeless person could be found in the congregation. Is the church for everyone or just the upper class? Why doesn't the church have all classes of people? Does yours?

"To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all possible means I might save some." - I Corinthians 9:22

The Least of These

     About a year ago, I was standing in the middle of the Mathare Slum in Nairobi, Kenya and was overwhelmed with the poverty. People living in small shacks, no sanitation or clean water and the most horrid living conditions you can imagine with about a million people living on one square mile of land. 

     I was wondering why I haven't seen such a slum here in Accra. Then on the way home from a local church today, I figured it out. They weren't gathered all in one place. They were spread out all over town living in small shanty type houses along the major streets. At red lights they will walk down in between the cars selling all kinds of things while balancing their goods on top of their heads. Their lives aren't much different than Mathare. Yet, they show their willingness to work hard and having ingenious ways to do it.

     It was when I saw the face of a young boy begging without having something to sell that got to me today. He would tap on the glass and point to his mouth on every window that passed by. Knowing that he is 'sent' out there to do this and that he's really not able to keep the money prevents the 'Christians" here from giving to them. Then I began noticing more and more children. Their poor, so poor, living conditions as we drove by so many people living on such small donations. So many people. And this isn't counting the slums in Nairobi, or other parts of Africa, or Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, or Bangkok or a thousand other places. I don't have an answer. I can define the problems and give some attention to the needs. But how to meet their physical needs much more their spiritual needs is truly overwhelming.  
     “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’   Matthew 25:40


    

How Slaves and the Church Come Together.

     Elmina Castle, Ghana was erected by Portugal in 1482. Originally called the Gold Coast,  it was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so it is the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara. Trading post. Yeah, trading many things including slaves to the western colonies. Over 600 men and 300 women were packed into very small, windowless dungeons waiting for months before they were sent through the infamous door called the Point of No Return directly on to ships that carried them to the new world. The more incorrigible slaves were put in a cell to die then their bodies would be thrown into the ocean. What upset me is on the second floor above the dungeons and specifically right above the "door", was the Portuguese chapel. So during their songs of worship and sermons of the Gospel, slaves were being loaded like cargo onto awaiting boats. At first I was thinking that 'words cannot express' but I'm wrong. Words can be expressed for the horrid treatment and suffering of these human beings under the same people bowing to God. At first there was much sympathy as we toured the lower dungeons, then as we ascended the floors and entered the chapel, anger presented itself. Then, we saw the Governor's quarters where he would stand above the female slaves and 'pick' a mistress whenever the desire came. Of course we have heard of slavery before and the evils that have taken place in our history's past. However, our guide said something that was very interesting. He explicitly mentioned that they held no animosity toward Americans and that they knew we, ourselves could not take responsibility for what was done in the past. Wow. What a loaded statement. God holds no animosity for us either for what we have done in the past. As long we become his slaves, that is.

Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. I Peter 2:16,17

Chinese in Accra, Ghana, West Africa

Such a wealth of diversity in the courses I'm taking here in Accra. Taking the last four courses of Azusa Pacific University's Operation Impact program that offers a Global Organizational Leadership masters program, getting to know the students from many different cultures is at least half of the education being offered. This is our second course class that finished up today and we start in on two new classes on Monday. They provide us with outings on the weekends and we are taking off in the morning to visit what once was a slave castle. Tonight we were treated to an authentic Chinese restaurant and I ordered in Chinese so it's true, you can go anywhere in the world and eat Chinese. And did I mention there is no McDonalds here at all in the whole country? Yes, for me that designates it to be a third world country. However, the people are great, so friendly and so polite. Their views challenge us to think about our Christianity from a completely different lens. As one Ghanian told us, "the need in the Church today is leadership that is not self-serving, but a leadership that desires to serve others." He said "we need creativity and innovation rather than accepting the status- quo." We need to think globally and stay ahead of rapidly changing cultures. If the Chinese can accept innovation and stay ahead from a business perspective, can't the Church do it even better? 

Islam, Hate and Love

   Today we heard another unique testimony from Emanuel, a Nigerian who reaches out to Muslims. Of course he must be very careful and his ministry team have just narrowly escaped persecution several times. He has his team always ready to 'move' if situations get bad and he has them make emergency bags that they can grab and leave with. They also have to have their cell phones fully charged at all times and escape routes planned out.
   He has found Christian policemen that help him stay informed and he scouts out an area to live in that are not fundamentalist Muslim. He explained that all their evangelism takes place on a one to one basis and never in a group. He believes that many Muslim are having dreams that point to Jesus and the cross. He also sees that often Muslims can 'convert' to Christianity but return home Islamic.
   Emanuel explained that while some believe there are peaceful Muslims, that to believe in the Koran is the only way to have peace and you can choose or be forced to believe regardless if they are fundamentalist or not. What draws Muslims into unity is any presumed attack on the Koran or Allah. Many of his friends and acquaintances have been killed by sharing Christianity.
    One church was attacked by Muslims because they believed some Christian had torn a Koran and flushed it down the toilet. It turned out after an investigation, a Muslim actually did this as a way to gather support to destroy that church.
   Emanuel explained that no matter what they do, how much harm they cause, how many are attacked or killed we must love them. Love shown is what he testifies to be the one and only way to convert them.
       "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death." I John 3:13,14

Out of Hell and in to Heaven

One distinct advantage of having a cross-cultural degree is having people in your class that come from all over the world. From Uganda, to Ethiopia, Slovakia, Canada and from different states in the U.S. all coming together sharing their stories. Let me share one story with you told by a brother from Ethiopia named Damtew.

He was second in command of the lawless mafia faction that constantly rebelled against the government and other authority. They craved power and controlled the people by charging them tax on their businesses and beating them up whether they paid or not. Their joy was to see others bleed. Murder was common place. They thought all Americans were colonialists and shouldn’t be in their country. The ruling regime had ‘red marked’ him meaning anyone could shoot him on sight. He went in to the bush to hide for two months and then the current government was overthrown and he was forgotten.
One day, a white missionary came to talk to them and Damtew wasn’t listening to a word the missionary said. He was only trying to decide how to hurt the missionary. He hit the missionary in the head and the missionary dropped his Bible and ran away. Damtew picked up the Bible and put it in his pocket as a trophy. Later he put it in a box that contained other things that had meaning for him. It wasn’t until 9 months later when he opened his box and saw the Bible. He picked it up and it opened to the Gospel of Mark. He ended up reading it three times and in tears asked God to forgive him. He said an unimaginable weight was lifted from his shoulders.
However, in time, his becoming a Christian made him fall out of grace with the mafia that he was so high up in. Again he had to hide and not let the mafia see him as someone who betrayed them by seeking Christianity. Over time, his mother and brothers and sisters all became Christians. This is an amazing testimony.

“For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” – Hebrews 12:3,4

Accra, Ghana, West Africa

After a very long flight I have arrived in Ghana! I'm taking my last four courses for my master degree and there are about 20 other nationals who are students with a couple of us "foreigners". The courses are 4 hours from 8am to 12am and then 1pm to 5pm for two weeks. They are very intensive and compacted yet we have the weekend off. My goal is a  masters in Social Science specifically in Organizational Leadership. It has a cross cultural element thus why I'm in Ghana. I have taken courses in Taiwan, Azusa California, and Alaska plus numerous online courses. Please pray for Dezi as she holds down the fort back in Phoenix!
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June Update On Our Family

One year ago, our family moved down to Phoenix to start a new endeavor that is now reaching out to Chinese international students. We are settled in and at the end of the month, Mike’s mother will be moving into our home. She’s becoming unable to completely take care of herself and we are glad we can open up a room to her.  Please join us in praying for her especially at this time. It’s hard to make these kind of life changes. We definitely have a house full right now! We don’t often tell you about our kids so we thought you might enjoy getting to know them a little more. 
    Ian, now a Senior has excelled in music and was awarded Outstanding Junior Musician. He can play the drums, bassoon, french  horn, trumpet, violin and piano. He’s turning out to be a leader and has future hopes of being a missionary.
    Talon, a Junior, is very interested in culinary arts and is blessed with his high school offering special courses for this. He cooks quite a bit at home and is definitely gifted at it. He wants to be a chef and he believes that can also be used on the mission field some day.
    Colan, a Freshman, practices on the clarinet and can’t wait to be in high school. He’s made some friends in the neighborhood and volunteers at the local library. 
    Devin is in 6th grade and he plays the trombone. He enjoys swimming and you can usually find him playing games on the computer. He’s taller than Colan and is proud of it.
     Raena has many little girlfriends on our cul-de-sac and loves riding her bike. She got straight A’s all year and she’s in 3rd grade already. 
    We really do appreciate the support you give to our family and our kids fully realize what our purpose is. We thank God daily for your generosity! We also
 want to remind everyone to make checks out to Outreach International.  

May Update - INTERNATIONAL STUDENT MINISTRY!

    Over a year ago we made the decision to move to Phoenix and work with Christ’s Church of the Valley in developing their mission department. Over time, we felt our particular gifts were not being used and we prayed and fasted and asked God to put us in a place where we could be. Even when we first came to Phoenix, we met a Taiwanese lady named Grace Ou-Yang who encouraged us to help her in reaching out to many of the Chinese students that are here. So, in January we chose to pursue that ministry. In the last few months, we have dissolved Harvesters International and joined up with Outreach International who have a primary focus on international student ministries.   
    As we develop relationships with the Chinese students we have found that more than what we teach, what we are seen doing makes the greater impression. On a recent outing up one of the many mountain ranges in our area with a group of Chinese students, I was having a hard time keeping up since my leg is still weak from the motor cycle accident (actually I’m just out of shape but the other sounds better). Coming down was very hot and difficult and we had already run out of water. Our oldest son, Ian, saw I and the others could use some so he ran down the mountain and then came back up and met us half way with more water.  The students were amazed at this act of compassion and often talk about it and use it in examples during our Bible studies.
    Most of the students we are in contact with are from mainland China and know nothing of Jesus, the Bible or Christianity. They are most certainly a mission field in our own back yard. Part of our ministry includes picking them up from the airport as they come here to study and we are literally the first Americans they have ever met. That first impression means a lot.
    We thank you so much for your continued support and want to remind you to please make all checks out to OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL with “COC2001” in the memo line. And please continue to pray for our family. Mike’s mother will be moving in with us so she can have better care. It has been a difficult transition this past year. Without God’s faithfulness and your partnership we could never have made it through. And pray for open doors among the international students we are now working with.

   Pictured here is Leo-Ning who was baptized on Easter Sunday. She’s just one of many students who come here without knowing anything about Jesus until someone teaches them.

April Update

The young lady had just come from China into the U.S. and had come down with the flu. With no car and very little understanding of our culture with insurance and what doctor to go to, she was getting worse and worse. That is, until a Chinese Christian found out about her need and helped her go to the doctor and get the prescribed medicine. This young lady is now attending a local Chinese church. When we reach out to people in need, we can change their lives for all of eternity. Romans 15:20 says “It has always been my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ was not known…” Romans 15:20
    We usually think of that in going overseas, yet many foreign un-reached groups are right here at our doorstep studying in our universities.  We have discovered the Lord leading us into that direction more and more and have recently partnered with OUTREACH INTERNATIONAL to take advantage of this new opportunity. We are merging Harvesters International with Outreach International.
    Al Hamilton, the founder of O.I. is someone who has great charisma in recruiting and was responsible for our decision back in 1990 to return to Taiwan to help start a new church work in the capital city. We believe in O.I.’s mission and are excited to have this new level of accountability as we step out into reaching the many Chinese students from Taiwan and China here in Phoenix. The change includes writing the checks out to Outreach International  and putting in the memo line, COC2001. Please continue to send your checks to our forwarding agent. And continue to pray for opportunities to reach the Chinese students and families.
    Thank you for your confidence and support and we thank God for you every single day as we could not accomplish anything without your partnership!
    Be sure to check out Outreach International's website at www.oionline.org! 

Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Our growing family! Devin 11, Talon 15, Ian 17, Mike 47, Colan 13, Dezi 46, and Raena 8!

Unfolding Plans and Mountain Climbing

Proverbs 19:21 says in The Message, “ We humans keep brainstorming options and plans but God’s purpose prevails.”
   So often we plan out what we are going to do and we run way ahead of God. The hardest part about being a Christian for me is to wait for the Lord. Dezi so often reminds me that all of our plans have been changed, tweaked, deleted, revised, dismissed or put on hold most of our married lives. Sometimes, God reveals a plan to us but we are too busy with our own agenda that we entirely miss what God has put right before us.
   It’s been a year now since our move to Phoenix and there have been many ‘changes’ in our lives and ministry this past year. It was a difficult year, a year that ended with us still waiting on the Lord in many of our unanswered questions and in the need for direction. We are learning to wait on the Lord, to be strong and take heart, and wait. (Psalm 27:`4). In the mean time we have been provided an amazing opportunity to work alongside a Taiwanese sister we met while at CCV who reaches out to other Chinese students on the universities here in Phoenix. Pictured below is our clan along with a group of Chinese students that hiked up the arduous Squaw Peak in Phoenix. It was a great time to get to know many of them and more outings are already being scheduled. They have come from Taiwan, China, Singapore and Hong Kong right here to our doorstep. They are open to friendship and we pray they will be open to the Gospel as we get to know them. Please pray for further divine appointments in our efforts to minister to them.