Missions and Missionaries
Sometimes, our foreign missionaries have to keep a low profile in the region where they serve the Lord as not all countries allow free speech and freedom of religion. We strive to support many different outreach efforts of the hand of Christ.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Dear Family and Friends,
Peace to you. We thank God each time we think of you and your family. Thank you for your
partnership in the Great Commission.
God’s Calling: During the first time (1977) I read Roman 12:1 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.”, I responded by offering my life as a living sacrifice to God. Quickly, I found a secret place to meet God - a hole under the staircase! Immediately, I knelt down and whispered, “Lord, I am here. Speak now.” Silence. I repeated my presence. It was quiet. I was expecting to hear God’s voice, “Go to Africa!” Strange. I thought every Christian should to go to Africa to preach the gospel. Africa was the world mission focus in the 70’s.
During my very first date with Esther in 1982, I asked, "If you have a son and he told you that God wanted him to go to Africa as a missionary, how would you respond?" Esther said, “If it is God’s will, I will support him.” Excellent answer!. Esther passed the test and I proceeded to chase her and marry her 3 years later. I was just preparing for the day that God might call and my family to Africa. Now, 32 years has passed….
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The rest of the story: One day a close friend Jon said, “Let’s go to Africa to reach the millions of Chinese there!” I smiled – he must be kidding. I have long ‘forgotten’ Africa. Few months later a person I hardly knew walked up and handed me a note. With a smile and respectfully I put it in my wallet. I did not understand the note because it was written in Chinese. Soon, I got an email from Jon asking me to cancel all my appointments in order to meet this person from Africa. As I pondered upon this I remembered the strange note in my wallet. I asked someone to read it for me. Stunned. I don’t believed what I heard so I asked another person to read the note again. Shocked. The person on that note was the same person Jon told me to meet. Few days later 3 of us from 3 different countries meeting in a noodles shop discussing about reaching Africa for Christ.
God is always at work. God has Africa in His heart and He is sending us to Africa for short term mission trip – in the next 4 weeks. The political situation has been unstable for centuries. We hope to do discipleship training in South Africa, Zambia, and Angola….As I share this with my wife, her immediate respond was, “I am afraid of snakes and lions!”. Pray for Esther. She promised to go to Africa with me 28 years ago. I think it would be really fun driving through the Safari with wild animals surrounding us! I could just imagine shouting and screaming with joy and Esther will be shouting and screaming with fear. Pray for us!
This morning I got up to pray for this Africa trip. Security is a major concern. Later, in my devotion this word came to me: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." (Acts 18:9-10)
Praise and Prayer:
1. South Africa – Pray for our obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Co-workers Chamine and Frank coordinating the trainings. Crime rate high in Johannesburg.
2. Zambia – Pray for outreach to families and children. Lily and Wu – our coworkers in His Kingdom.
3. Angola – The Lord provided friends Scot, Ed and Mel to receive us. He rules even in chaos.
4. Malaysia- Iban’s longhouse outreach – He is Awesome! About 50+ decisions and the local Ch will follow up. The Lord has prepared a person of peace to reach out to thousands of these longhouses communities. Pray for local chs to harvest in these spiritual gold mines
Crazy Happy Bear Family
