Asia trip summer 2014
City #1 (June 29-July 6)
 |
| Christmas Celebration |
We had 50 college Taiwanese students. We broke into 10 households and spent five days in the same house like a family together. Our household was called the O.J.s for our orange shirts. I was with Sharon, Mary G. Hallie M. along with 6 Taiwanese students along with our six students. We shared the Gospel by celebrating Christmas Holiday and Easter traditions from the States. None of our students had heard of the Resurrection of Jesus.
We really bonded by the third day. We gave each one of our students a Bible. I also set up a Facebook page. I set up a reading plan through the Gospel of Mark and asked them to read Mark. If they had questions they could ask the Christians from the camp or they could ask me through Facebook. Each one shared a highlight with us and said how much they appreciated our friendship and our sharing Jesus with them. One girl thanked us of for helping her discover who Jesus is.
This is the 7th year we have been involved in this camp. There is an amazing potential here in reaching the next generation with Gospel and influencing the nation.
City #2 (July 6-9)
Apologetic Camp
We had a plan to cover 9 apologetic topics with 40 college students but the organizer of the camp did not plan well. So, we ended up with 5 students. We merged our camp with another one of our groups in a different city.
Faith Matters camps
 |
| brothers |
This was to be an apologetic camp as well but the students were mainly high schoolers with some college students mixed in along with a couple of middle schoolers. There were 50 students. We worked on some of the apologetic topics but what they really needed was more basic topics on the Christian life. Almost all of these students came from Christian homes but 40% plus were non-Christians. They were not happy with the faith of their parents. We spent a lot of time sharing about the Christian life, how to study the Bible using the Sword Bible Study Method. We clearly shared the Gospel and taught them how to share the Gospel as well. They practiced with each other. As of today, I know of 6 people getting saved. The church we partner with is doing the follow up.
The Lord provided two awesome translators for this camp so we were able to make a lot of progress with the students. These two translators were so impressed with out team that they definitely want to join us again when we are back.
Our Asian leader / partners told us that the students loved the camp, were changed and definitely wanted us to keep coming back to speak into their lives. They had not experienced a camp/conference like this before.
City #4 (July 10-12)
Spiritual Disciplines
 |
| digging in the Word together |
Originally we planned on sharing on 8 spiritual habits but these students (30 students) were very young in The Lord and we had. My translator had never translated before and was very young in The Lord so he did not know Christian ideas, the books of the Bible very well but he stepped up to this challenging assignment and everyone appreciated him when all was said and done. I was very impressed and have made a life-long friend. Sharon and I were in the same small group. We had a great time working with 5 students for the three days.
We only were able to cover two of the 8 disciplines with this group but it we drilled down deep into the Word and taught them the Sword Bible Study Method. Many said, they had learned so much from our time especially the time learning how to read, study, memorize, meditate and obey the Word.
We spent one evening on top of a roof building praying over the city in every direction. This was a very special time of uniting our hearts toward The Lord and to each other! We were different by the time we were done. We had become good friends as a result of this time.
 |
City #4 - Church Training (July 13-14)
Live a Holy Life
 |
| Key ideas from Romans 7 |
After the previous camp, I taught from Romans 5-8 as my base passages on living a holy life. We had some of the students who were in the spiritual disciplines participate in this time as well.
I had a new translator who also was quite good. He needed to be to be able to talk on this subject especially from Romans. I broke this topic into two parts around the themes of being "IN CHRIST" and "CHRIST IN ME". This training was a rich experience and it also was very engaging/interactive for the attenders. I then helped them think through their own "battle plan" in living a holy life.
There were two other Americans with me. Sharon and our team went to Hong Kong for another camp with students for the next 3 days. We were invited by one of the campers who attended the spiritual disciplines camp out for dinner. We did not know that she had invited us to her wedding dinner party for her friends. We were honored and had one of the best meals ever.
City #5 College Student Leaders Conference (July 15-16)
Leadership and the Armor of God — Standing Firm
 |
I traveled to another city on the 14th, stayed overnight and then traveled to my destination city for another training.
On the 14th, in the evening, I went out to get dinner and I found the public square where 1,000's of Asians gather at night - line dancing, ball room dancing, badminton, and many other activities. It is quite common and it is a beautiful sight to see a community come out at night to exercise, engage and enjoy each other's company. The sad thing is this experience is starting to fade.
I met up with Ching Yu whom I have known since 1986 and have partnered with since 1991. We were invited to an annual college student leader conference with over 150 student leaders. The students come for all over the country. We had the privilege of sharing from the Word on the Armor of God and standing firm in The Lord. It was an incredible time of worship and teaching.
We met with six key leaders. We were amazed that we knew 5 of them from previous trainings! The Lord gave us favor in their eyes. The main leader explained that they have a vision for reaching the college generation for the future of the church and for their country. Most of the churches don't have this vision. These guys have organized a network of college campus ministries throughout the country and asked us if we would want to become strategic partners with them in building into the lives of these valiant men and women. We said, "we know you". we have worked with you and trust you and we would like to walk slowly together in partnership as we seek the Lord's guidance together. We are planning on following up this conversation later this summer and later in the Fall. This was a very significant step forward in reaching the Asian world.
City #6 (July 16-17)
Catching Up
Ching Yu and I traveled to one of our main cities to encourage a group of believers that have gone through much persecution both in their church and in their personal lives. Three dear saints have been imprisoned on bogus charges. Some of the "sheep have scattered" and others are standing firm. We had time together and prayed together and left our dear brothers and sisters to travel to Hong Kong the next day.
City #7 (July 17)
City #7 (July 17)
Team debrief
All of our teams converged and met in Hong Kong for dinner. After dinner we heard team reports from 5 different projects and then each person (16 in all) shared a highlight of what God has been doing in their lives. It was a great time of boasting in The Lord and in His work. As of this writing, we know of 22 people that told us they were trusting in Jesus for salvation. We have also hear a number of other stories of how lives have been changed by The Lord, His Word by His Spirit!
Trip to Burma (Myanmar - July 18-22)
Training and Exploration
 |
The Teams began to leave Hong Kong for the U.S., while Michael Mayor and I headed to Burma. However because of a typhoon we were delayed and missed our connecting flight in Singapore. The airline put us up over night. I have friends in Singapore and we were able to meet with a long time friend and his daughter (Tom Estad and Amber) for dinner. It was a good time of fellowship and a treat from The Lord to have us connect after many years.
We arrived in Yangon on the 19th and went directly to a Bible Training Center where I gave an overview of the ConneXions leader model for healthy leader development. It was greatly received by all and we hope to continue in this kind of training here.
I was invited by one of the pastors who attended the leader training to speak in his church the next day. I was the first foreigner to visit his church and to share a message from the Word. What an honor!
We talked with a couple of pastors and an international school director about possibilities of sending a small team of Americans to help out with their school and their church plants in the country-side. They and we are looking for long term partnerships in the Gospel. So, we have begun this conversation for future possibilities.
 |
OPPORTUNITY: much opportunity to partner in MYANMAR for helping work with churches, Bible training center, orphanage, -- VBS; Nutrition, water purification systems and personal hygiene, orphan care, Pastoral / leader development - assist. Also, we made some connections to CAMBODIA.
Hong Kong (July 22-23
Two emerging leaders and pray time
I arrived in Hong Kong late in the evening of the 22nd. On the 23rd, may last day in Asia, I spent time with two men I am equipping and mentoring in leader development - "Asian Timothy's". I am planning on starting an online Leader Community including these two men ( Ken and Lawrence).
Next Steps
Next Steps
Need: workers for the harvest field. Come on join us.
"We must make Jesus' last command our first priority" - A. Judson
No comments:
Post a Comment