Get the Good News right here Friends Take it from a guy who spent years as a journalist, you are looking in the wrong place for some good news if you look to the media. Negativity bombards you in every direction now.  I looked at the news the other morning, hoping the top headlines would be Good News - Come Out of Your House and Play.    Not so. If you start your day watching the news or listening to the news, you are going to get a very bad case of irritable bowl syndrome which will surely lead to other health issues.  If nothing else, your face will become very irritable and your mouth will start snapping at everyone in the house.  Don't do that - that's not nice. Fretting, worrying, stressing all easily lead to many physical ailments.  Doing that kind of stuff batters your immune system and makes you susceptible to viruses trying to slam your body. Take Jane's advice - take a deep breath and look up. And read some Good News.  Start your day with the Gospel (Good News).  It's always good to read that God loves you and that Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life to give you everlasting, abundant life. Right before going to bed read from the psalms and think on what you read as you go to sleep. I've done it for years and believe me it makes a difference.  I'm prone to worry about something and when that resolves itself into thin air, I pick out something else to fret over. I need God's Word to remind that's wasting my brain cells. As the Lord our God says throughout His word: Fret Not - it only causes harm.  Ps 37:8 NEXT UP:  What's the real story coming out of China.  We'll share with you what our friends in various parts of China (including Wuhan) are telling us.

DEFINING MOMENTS - Winkler and Shatner

Last night we were watching a crazy show, 'Better Late Than Never' featuring Henry Winkler, William Shatner, Terry Bradshaw and George Foreman. LeRoy's brother, John called us to say the show tonight featured Hong Kong.

As we were watching, there was a segment filmed at the Intercontinental Hotel Presidential suite. The men were smoking cigars and discussing 'defining moments' in their lives. It seemed so odd in a comedy show to actually have a moment of seriousness. Both Henry Winkler and William Shatner shared interesting insight to the paths they both chose for their lives.

This morning, I asked LeRoy about 'defining moments' in our lives. As soon as I said that, I began to tear-up and could barely speak. My 'defining moment' was a Saturday in October 1991 when I picked up an abandoned baby girl out of a cardboard box on a main street in Nanchang, China. The emotions from that experience are still so strong even though it has been almost 25 years. I always tell people that was the worst and best year of my life! I knew that I knew that baby girl was the reason I came to China.

I don't know if everyone experiences a 'defining moment' but I'd like to hear from others that would want to share. Baby in a Box was written about this moment and can be seen Here

Personalized Christmas gifts

Need a more personal Christmas gift?
We have books available that we will autograph for the giftee.  
Buy all 3 for $45 and we'll pay the shipping cost. Christmas gift to you.

Baby In A Box 
$18+ shipping.
Backing In The Front Door $15+shipping
The House
$17+shipping

 

A Heart For Freedom

From by A Heart For Freedom  by Chai Ling

Hu Yaobang, who death triggered the Tiananmen movement, wanted China to have three reforms: political, economic and spiritual. Zhao Ziyang, who was dismissed for not approving the massacre, agreed with the first two. But Deng Ziaoping, the leader who ordered the massacre, wanted only one reform - economic reform - and that is what China has had for the past 22 years.

Still, as he nation emerges on the world economic scene, the fruits of prosperity are not widely distributed. Five thousand Chinese families control much of the nation's wealth, political power and military force. There is a growing middle class - certainly more than before 1989 - and their lives may be getting better; but for the have-nots in China, the story only gets worse. An estimated 468 million Chinese live on less than $2 a day.* They are forgotten under the shadow of the wealthy few.

I know believe that transforming China into a Jesus-following nation is the key to open democracy in that country. Spiritual reform will be the foundation for the rest of the reforms.

*The number of 468 million is based on 36.3% of the 1.3 billion population of China living on less than $2 per day, as reported in Human Development Report 2009, 'Human and income poverty.'

Are you smarter than a 6-year-old

Are you smarter than a 6-year-old

Kaitlyn, Kali and Kyra on Kali's wedding day last summer

Kyra, our 6-year-old, was watching a kid's show at our house. I wasn't paying much attention to it because it was a kid's show that her mom had approved so I thought all was good.  
About 1/2 way through the show Kyra came outside. I said something akin to 'I thought you wanted to watch that show'.
She replied, 'Something bad came on so I turned it off.  There are a lot of bad commercials.'

How many of us adults have the good sense to turn away from things that we know are bad on television or the internet or as we walk down the street?

Our 6-year-old knows to turn away from evil.  We should do likewise.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.  Pro 4:23

A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.   Luke 6:45

Psalms 1:1-3

BRIDES OF CHINA

BIG BUSINESS

The wedding industry in China is big business.  On our recent trip to China, we returned to Qingdao where we lived in the late 80s.  Qingdao is known as a favorite tourist location for both Chinese and foreigners. the city has beautiful architecture, nice beaches and mountains over looking the Yellow Sea.

Late one afternoon, we strolled along the beach front and were amazed to see dozens of brides, grooms, photographers, their assistants, hair and make-up staff and tourists. On the one beach, I counted about 40 couples having their wedding photos taken amidst the beautiful scenery. There are six major beaches in Qingdao so there must have been many, many more photo shoots taking place that afternoon. 

Dave Ramsey, our son, joined the fun and took photos and video of the couples and their photographers. Some seemed to be enjoying themselves and others looked like they wanted be somewhere else! 

 The sea and setting sun made a beautiful scene.

 The wedding dresses were varied and some unusual. A few of the brides' dresses did not fit properly and had cloth sections pinned in the back where the zipper would not close. Staff worked out of the back of mini-vans. The couples would actually change outfits in the van. Then they would sit on small stools by the van while their make-up and hair were fixed.

 To get dramatic settings, the couples along with their photographers venture out on the rock outcroppings. One of the poses of this couple had the groom with a small video camera taping his bride's photo shoot. 

As we left the beach, we came upon this group from a province south of Qingdao. The six of them had driven a long way in one van. LeRoy joined them for a group photo. 

30 Years In The Making

30 Years in The Making

You read recently of our student and her husband who accepted The Lord this past year and we were privileged to baptize them in the resovoir on this previous trip.

Their coming into The Kingdom was 10 years in the making. 

We are trusting and praying that we will finally see a lady who kept us alive in 1985, and her husband, come to Jesus on this upcoming trip.

I leave for Beijing and Wuhan on July 4. 

In August 1985 we pulled up stakes and moved our family to Wuhan to work as English teachers there that school year.  It was a very difficult year for our family.

We were struggling to get food to feed our family.

Chen Yanping stepped in and rescued us.  The full story is Chapter IV, entitled Walking God's Path,  in Baby In A Box. 

We have stayed friends with her and her husband Liang ever since. They came and spent a week in our home in Kunming and we always visit them when we go to Wuhan.

Chen Yanping has been to America and England. She even attended George Fox [a Christian university in Oregon] as a visiting scholar one semester. She has attended church in both countries but she has never accepted Jesus as her savior.

She has always told us 'I don't understand it all'. Who does?

We do know that Jesus paid a horrible price that we might have life everlasting and that it is a free gift offered to everyone. As far as we know she and Liang have never reached out to accept His gift of life.

Will you please join with us in believing for their salvation.  

Please set aside time for just 10 days - starting now - to pray for hearts to be softened, for ears to hear and eyes to see that all have sinned and all need a Savior; and there is no other Savior but Jesus.

Pray every day for the salvation of Chen Yanping and Liang.

Please do this for just 10 days.