Go! Bless! Be Blessed!

Walking down the street I realized that suddenly all around me had gotten eerily quiet – a strange sensation when on a major street with hundreds of people within eyesight... But that’s sometimes what happens when you travel to another country, where you look – and sound - nothing like those whom you have come to serve. That first trip to rural China was filled with many unexpected experiences, curious looks, special smiles from new little friends, and a pull on my heart which hasn’t stopped and will take me back for my 5th trip this June.

Each time I go and return again, I am reminded how incredibly blessed we are; we have freedoms to live where we want to live; pursue the jobs we want to pursue; have brothers, sisters, and families of all sizes and shapes; go to the schools we want to attend; worship where, how, when, and with whom we desire. While each of us has changes we’d like to see in our lives, our jobs, our government – few (if any) places and people on earth are as blessed as we are.

June 9-21, I will lead a team for chinaconnect to a special place – a Christian orphanage which cares for the most special of orphans: those who, because of their special needs have been abandoned by their families and are not able to be cared for by other “regular” orphanages. We will hold, love on, care for, and serve these children and those who care for them.

Jesus said, “Let the children come to me.” It is a long way to go, but will you join me as we go to them and share some of His and our blessings? For more information, or to say, “Count me in!” contact me.

Loving and Serving the Least

January is a time when many people pause, take stock of their lives, and make adjustments to get them heading down the right (or a different) track. February is close on January’s heels. For my family, February mean’s birthdays. My sister’s and I flip years on the 1st, 4th, and 5th (yes, I’ll be joining those in the “Fabulous 40” club this year). Growing up, the first week of February was always a time of family, fun, and celebration. Many look forward to the 14th – to Valentine’s Day and the celebration of love (personally, I’ve always wondered why people have to wait until a designated day to let those they love know it). In China, February brings their New Year - a time when people leave the far corners of the country to return to their families.

In June (9-21), I will be leading a team for chinaconnect to a special place. Shepherd’s Field Village (SFV) in China welcomes those orphans whose special needs (physical and developmental) can’t be handled by other orphanages. They provide the love and care to help these kids live and grow to the best of their abilities; SFV surrounds them with the brothers and sisters that they never had and provides them with a family they never knew. They celebrate when any of their children leave from SFV to find “forever families” in the US and around the world.

I have found that often those whom the world deems to be worth the least have the most to give (and to teach). I was reminded by several young orphans in Ukraine that in the midst of darkness joy can be found in simple things – like an orange balloon.

My church is spending the first 10 weeks of 2011 studying Matthew and the Great Commission. This past Sunday, Pastor Eric (click here to listen) spent time talking about Matthew 25, “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’ And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’” (v 37-40). He continues in vs. 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’”

We know that Christ had a special place in His heart for children. Will you join me as I go to help care for some of the least? For more info (or to say YES!), please email me.

Carpe Diem! Seize the Day!

Last week I received the copy of Ray Pritchard's book, "Fire and Rain - The Wild-Hearted Faith of Elijah" that I won from his Keep Believing Ministries' Facebook page.  I confess, I'm only just beginning to read it.  However one the things that Pastor Ray says in the introduction has been resonating with me.  He asks, "How much are you willing to risk to become all that God wants you to be?"

It isn't too dissimilar to something that someone else said to me about a month ago, "How much are you willing to give up to get what you really want?"

2011 is just hours away.  Millions of people around the world are taking stock of their lives, evaluating their successes and failures, and making plans for the upcoming year.

God asks us to take a risk, to give up everything - to give up our lives - for Him.  When we do this, He says that He will care for us and bless us in more ways than we can even imagine.  In taking that "risk", we open ourselves up to being everything that God wants us to be.  Shouldn't that be what we really want?

So what do you say, How much are you willing to give up to get what you really want? How much are you willing to risk to become all that God wants you to be?  It's just your life and His will for it.

Faith & Freedom

It has now been a couple of weeks since I returned from China.  I'm now mostly asleep and awake at the appropriate times.  As is usual, it takes me time when I return from China (or other places abroad) to reflect on and process what I experienced.

Still a work in process, with Thanksgiving just around the corner, I wanted to reflect on my thankfulness for faith and freedom - not something that everyone on our planet is blessed with.

This trip we visited a new part of China - a province and city to which I had never been.  It is a city of about 4.4 million people.

Following church one Sunday morning, we met with the Senior Pastor, as well as the head of the Red Cross and the head of the Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB) for the area.  (For those not familiar with China, the RAB helps to set, monitor, and enforce religious policy in China.  They help to decide who is/isn't in violation of policy and what the ramifications for their actions should be.)

It was an amazing meeting!

The pastor shared about all of the incredible things that the church is doing - building houses, donations to earthquakes, health clinics, helping those in the community find jobs, rebuilding schools in the rural areas so that kids can get back to school, etc.  They have received awards for their work.  "We're just doing it for God," is what he told us.  They have plans for building a rural church, want to setup a net training center to train co-workers, setup a community center for the elderly.  The government, we were told, has given them land and a lot of support.

Knowing that rural areas are frequently very poor and the people who live there lack resources, we asked the gentleman from the RAB if we could assist by providing Bibles to the poor Christians who will be attending the new church. "Sure, no problem," he responded. We were surprised and delighted as this has not always been the case (is continues not to be in some areas).

The gentleman from the RAB told us that his role is to maintain the rights of all religious people and, if conflicts arise between religions, to serve as mediators.

In their city of 4.4 million, we were told that there are 500 registered places of worship - this could be a church, a temple, or your mothers living room.  Of those, 200 are Christian, 200 are Buddhist, 100 Daoist, 9 Catholic, and 1 Muslim.  There are 150,000 people in the city who believe in any religion.  By RAB records, 60,000 of those are Christians.

 

In China, the children's belief is in accordance with their parents, as the focus for children is education.  According to law, under 18 a child cannot attend church without his/her parents.

Many of the first to come to the United States did so for religious freedom; for the ability to worship where they want, how they want, and who they want.  I am thankful that at this time in our history, we still have that freedom of faith.