Quick Update
Today is my wife’s due date to have the baby…but apparently our little girl doesn’t want to make her appearance yet. We are scheduled to go in on Monday morning to start the induction process (if she doesn’t come by then). Thank you for your prayers over the past month and we will appreciate your prayers over the next month.
Tomorrow: Global day of Prayer for the Chinese
Tomorrow, January 29th, 2012 is the Global day of Prayer for the Chinese. I hope you have been preparing and will participate in specifically praying for the Chinese people tomorrow. If you need more information or resources for this day, please visit the two links below:
May we see more Chinese people worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ this year!
10.19.11
Prayers at Work!
My family and I spent about 5 hours at the police station yesterday trying to get the paperwork that we needed for our new visas. It was an interesting and long 5 hours. It is always good to have my daughter with us since she melts everyones hearts and makes everyone smile. The computer system wasn’t working right and that was the main reason for us being there so long. Anyways, we finally left with the paperwork that we need and will be applying for our visa renewal very soon.
I also wanted to report that your prayers are at work! At the police station yesterday, the man who I ask prayer for in a previous post was on duty. Of course we met him when we first arrived and after awhile he made a comment to me about the book that I gave him, “The Pilgrim’s Progress.” He said that he started reading it and realized it was a book about religion and about Christ. He then looked at me and chose his words careful and said something like, “it’s very interesting, I could almost believe it.” I truly was in shock. I wasn’t prepared for what he was going to say a little later.
As we were still waiting, he made another comment to me about the Bible I wanted to give him. He asked me if I bought it in America, and I said “No, China.” Then he asked if it was English and Chinese and I told him that it was. He then thought again for a minute and said that he would now like to receive that Bible. He mentioned it a few times while I was there and said he would come to my house and get it sometime!
Wow! This is a huge change in direction from where I thought this was heading. Continue to pray that the Lord does a work in his life! In his situation the pressure to not be a Christian is great, but we know the Lord is greater!
Pray for this man’s salvation!
There was also a college student who recently received Christ after coming to church for awhile and talking with several of us about the Gospel! Praise the Lord!
10.17.11
Made it back safely!
We had a great two day trip last Thursday and Friday to SK. We praise the Lord for safe traveling! Thank you to those of you who prayed for us.
Be praying this week as we are working on getting are visas renewed through our school. This usually is not too hard but there can be a lot of steps, paperwork, exspense (such as our sudden trip) and things to do to finally get what we need.
I have already been to the police station twice for paperwork and the notary office twice to try and get my daughter’s birth certificate translated. We haven’t had any trouble at either, it just takes times and you often here those dreaded words “come back ….”
Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to get all the paperwork that we need.
Thanks for staying up with us and praying!
10.12.11
Traveling…
We will be traveling over the next couple days. We would appreciate your prayers for safe travels.
I will try to update you with everything going on recently and respond to comments on the blog when we get back.
One of the Chinese pastors was ordained tonight to the Gospel ministry! It is is exciting to see all the LORD is doing.
Thank you for your prayers! God bless!
Pray For this Family
Last week my family had a Chinese family over to the house. This family has know our family for some time and they are not Christians. Actually, the man is a policeman. He is one of the police officers in our area that checks on us and makes sure we have the right paperwork etc. We started our friendship off at the police station shortly after we arrived because he could speak a little English and I could speak no Chinese at the time, but was eager to learn (I have mentioned him before in previous post).
Anyways, his family was coming to our house to visit our family for the Chinese holiday and give us a few gifts. So we in return was going to give them a little gift and bought some snacks to eat.
They have been over to our house and we have been to their house and we have talked loosely about Christianity before but I never have given him the Gospel directly. Rather, I wasn’t able to before with my Chinese ability, or there wasn’t an open door to share the Gospel. This time I was determined to share the Gospel with him. His family arrived and gave us some traditional Chinese foods, pictures and a CD of our time together at their house last time we were there. The mother and daughter started to play with my daughter as me and the officer sat down at the table to talk. After we talked about random things, he all the sudden said something like “we are communist and because we are communist we don’t need to use the Bible.” I saw this as an open door and quickly replied with, “well I feel the Bible can be useful to everyone because…” and dove straight into the Gospel. I tried to say it the best I could and in a couple different ways. He just sat there as if he was pondering what I was saying and shaking his head in understanding but then when I was finished he completely change the subject and starting talking about something non-related. My heart sunk. I was so wanting him to show some interest in this good news.
Then after a little while later we started talking about visas and such, since he also had to check our visas while he was over for a visit. He asked if the school had given me an official letter stating I was a student, but I couldn’t remember any such letter. He then went on to make the comment “it is good to have this letter because you have been in China a long time now, and people could think you are here doing illegal things like teaching and preaching the Bible in a church…” then my daughter runs into the room and interrupts the conversation. After she left he didn’t pursue that conversation any further. (This was a scary moment and I am not fully sure of his intentions by saying it.)
Then they left and I sent him home with the gift we bought for him, a copy of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” in Chinese (since he rejected a Bible last time) and he said he would read it very carefully. As they were leaving he told me if I have any trouble with my car, to give him a call.
I tell you this story, because I want to ask you to start praying for this Officer, his wife and daughter. Pray that God would soften their heart, humble them, let them understand the Gospel, and that they would receive the grace of God. Pray for God to intervene and do what only He can do, save sinners!
09.6.11
Quick Update – Planning
It has been busy around here as usual. On Saturday night we were able go with several people from the church to pick up our co-laborers from the airport. They were returning from a short furlough. It is exciting to see the past four years of work that God has done through them and motives us to keep pressing on for the Lord!
Since they have been back we have already been discussing plans for the future. Since our recent problems with he police we are having to meet in a building that is already out grown for the Sunday morning crowd. It looks like we will be looking at a few other options and start to get some things in the works.
I am excited about the different things that we are talking about and hopefully we will know more details soon.
School is back in session, fall is here, winter is coming and we are looking to see what more we can do for the glory of God!
Please continue to pray for guidance as we seek to serve the King of Kings here in China.
08.14.11
Great Service this Morning!
We had a great service this Sunday morning here in China. The Lord has been faithful to us as we have been following Him.
It has been a week since last week’s problems.
It is exciting to see the the church boldly moving forward and standing strong in the Lord!
We had a great attendance (49) with a good group of adults, children, college students, and even several first time visitors!
There was singing, praying, preaching, giving, worship and fellowship!
Continue to pray for wisdom and boldness as we are already having to plan for future space issues.
Thank you for your prayers and concern!
08.7.11
Urgent Prayer Request
This morning during our Sunday morning service a group of about 20 people from the government and police station entered our building and stopped the preacher from preaching. They questioned several people and took down the information of everyone in attendance. Then they took four of our people to the police station for questioning, three of them are preachers. After questioning them they released them. This is the first time the police have actually stopped our service. Please pray for our church as we move forward preaching the Gospel to the Glory of God! Pray for boldness and wisdom in the days ahead.
| Posted in Amazing Journey, China, Chinese Christianity, Persecution, Prayer Request | 8 Comments »
Pray For My Dad
Pray for my Dad as he received first and second degree burns from an explosion at work. I just finished talking to my mom on the phone and it seems that everything is going to be okay. Here is the latest update from my mom via Facebook:
“Update on Allen….he was involved in an explosion at work today and has first degree burns on his face and arm and three areas of second degree burns on forehead and arm. He is doing good now….they have his face wrapped like a mummy! He has to stay all night at MVH and hopefully will get to go home tomorrow. Continue to pray all goes good.”
I will try to keep you updated in the comments. Thanks for praying!