November M Update

This past month has been good. A regular routine has been established every week, so I’m going at a very reasonable pace. On weekdays (Monday through Friday), I have Chinese class in the morning from 10AM-12PM. After lunch, I go home and study Chinese. I have found that this language is pretty dang hard to pick up and get good at, so I am putting a lot of effort into it. I’m also usually online, so hit me up on AIM! From 5PM-7PM, I teach English at a small language school. After work, I go and hang out with students (this is when the real work begins). Overall, I’m thankful that I have a set schedule that I follow pretty much everyday

Meeting up with students has been pretty fun, and there’s never a shortage of people to hang out with. Right now I am concentrating on getting to know each person, and trying to make the time we spend with each other count. I’ve had a couple of opportunities to share with some friends, but so far no one has shown interest. I think the most important thing for me right now is to develop these relationships that He has given me. I want them to see me as their friend so that when I share with them, they will know it is because I genuinely care for them.

Things to Keep in Prayer:
(1) Daniel – I’ve been meeting with him consistently every week and we’re studying the book of ROmans. I am very puzzled about his spiritual condition. On one hand, he demonstrates clear knowledge about the message. Whenever I ask him questions, he gives answers that are correct and sound. However, on the other hand, he asks questions that a non-Christian would ask, like “why would my unsaved father go to hell? He has been a great father to me and loves our family”. He has been a little distracted and anxious lately because he is studying for a huge exam in January. If he doesn’t pass this exam, he can’t get into graduate school. He studies 10 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and he has a prep class all day Saturday and Sunday (so he doesn’t go to gathering). Please pray for him, that God will give him clarity in his understanding about the message, and that he may be motivated to persevere despite the circumstantial pressures around him.

(2) Chang Family salvation – please continue to keep my grandparents and my aunt in thought (they are on my mom’s side, hence, the Chang’s). The situation with my grandfather has rocked them all, and has caused them to really think about faith. Please pray that God may give them a genuine faith and grant them true repentance.

(3) Personal disciplines – it’s just as easy to get distracted here as it is in America. I find that when I go online, I often fill my mind and time with worldly things (i.e. world news, sports news, entertainment news, Facebook, AIM, etc). Just pray that I won’t be so caught up with these things, and that I would do things in moderation. Ultimately, pray that my disciplines will be caught in the flames of passion for Christ, and that I would desire Giver above gifts.

Ni hao, BCC! ☺  The weather in Beijing is DEFINITELY getting colder now!  The continual blue skies have been smog free and clear, and yet the winds at night bring chills you feel into the bone!  It has been interesting trying to get used to a kind of cold that I haven’t felt in the past fifteen years, and I’ve been doing my best to try to make sure I don’t catch the flu.  So far so good, but I’m afraid my stomach is not doing so well again since I got back from Korea (AGAIN) late October for visa issues, and so I am back on taking more herbal meds, (yeck!) which helped when I was taking it a month ago.
In better news, I am thankful that Mike and I are finally holders of year-long working visas after going through much complications since we’ve arrived!  PTL!  I think this process really set in my mind that NOTHING since I’ve arrived has been done under my control, but only through his perfect timing and will.  This is just one of many circumstances that is teaching me that I must learn to trust in him, to be patient and wait on him to take care of matters as he sees fit.

Besides a routine of Chinese class and work each day, I have started to meet with Claudia (a girl from our camp) regularly once a week one-on-one to have Bible study together.  Please continue to keep Claudia in your prayers as she desires to know the Bible more.  I also had an opportunity to meet with Stella again before I left late October to Korea.  I don’t quite remember how the topic came up, but we got to talking about purpose in life and how there are so many questions that come up.  My answer to that was of course, read the Scripture and do what it says!  Before I left, I brought about the idea of making time to regularly meet and study together, and we are supposed to meet up soon to discuss this idea.

People/things to keep in prayer:
Claudia: our study together would mold her heart; for her heart to be convicted of her need for Jesus.  That she would in return come to repentance and accept him as her Lord and Savior.

Stella-  her interest to know the Bible more would grow and would be eager to study and speak of eternal matters.

Family- assurance of salvation for Dad, Mom, Sister and Brother in law. Mom’s health; and sister’s health as she is having a baby very soon!

Our team of two-  continually lifting one another up, keeping each other accountable in love.

Personal health-  that my stomach would settle fully and that I would learn to trust in him no matter how my health ends up.

**A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE SISTERS WHO WERE A PART OF THE DVD THAT WAS SENT TO ME!  I MISS EACH OF YOU GUYS SO MUCH, AND YOU ARE ALL IN MY THOUGHTS.  WO AI NI!!! **