We find ourselves saying the phrase "this is our last ..." often during these final 2 weeks in Beijing. Each day is filled with long lunch and dinner gatherings with the different circles of people we have had the privilege of befriending during our 6 months here. We fly back to Oregon in 6 days, and there will be just one more update letter to all of you as we wrap things up next weekend.
Our efforts in China have been part of a mission philosophy that is shared by many short and long term missionaries from Beaverton Foursquare Church. You may have noticed that I have not focused these updates on individual evangelism efforts from our family. In fact, we have had several specific, personal conversations with people in our home about what it means to be a Christian. However, our primary purpose in coming to Beijing was to encourage and support Chinese Christians and leaders who were already doing good work in God's Kingdom. Our church in Oregon tries to find places in the world where strong, faithful leaders are serving the Lord, and then we try to provide people and resources to bolster their efforts and encourage their hearts as we serve together.
Today at Haidian Church, my heart overflowed with joy, as the congregation celebrated with 161 men & women who made the decision to be baptized in water. In China, baptism is a huge step in a person's faith journey, as it marks his or her public identification as a Christian (and also the time persecution may come from family members or work associates who may not agree with this choice). This is one of many signs this church is healthy, vibrant, and growing with people who are committed to following Jesus Christ. These baptisms were conducted entirely in Chinese, and our family was not able to participate directly in the service. However, we are all encouraged to see the goal of our mission coming into view - we came to help build God's Church in Beijing, and although our part has been small, HIS Church is expanding here!
Now for a quick photo recap of the week ...
Perhaps you saw news stories of record rain & flooding in China ... we had a serious storm earlier this week! The church had to cancel all events for 24 hours because roads were flooded and even subway stations turned into rivers. We made the best of it by staying inside and eating homemade tacos.
The rain has been followed by this weather --- round the clock. China is famous for hot, humid summers, and this screenshot from our phone weather app could be have come from any hour of the day or night. We are thankful the air conditioner is still working well in the apartment.
I had the privilege of leading worship with Lulu at one of the Chinese services this past Friday evening. We led the congregation (actually SHE led the singing, since my Chinese singing skills are nonexistent) in a Spirit-filled, flowing 30 minute time of worship. Many in the church had never experienced informal, free worship like this, and I was moved as I looked out and saw people raising their hands and singing from their hearts.
Now that Ali & Olivia have left Beijing, Jake has finally had the opportunity to ramp up his social life. The young adults in the church have invited him to hang out WITHOUT PARENTS. He has become quite the gentlemen, even offering to pay for the meals ... If only the ladies weren't 20 years older than he is!
Speaking of scooters, Kim happened to catch a quick shot of me riding mine from her taxicab on the way home from church. This is DEFINITELY the best way to get around Beijing.
This photo is one of my favorites -- at the table, you will see worship team members from 2 churches: Haidian Church & Beijing International Christian Fellowship. BICF is a large, multi-ethnic church in the city, and their public services are only open to foreigners & expats. The guy sitting next to me is a professional musician and the full-time staff worship pastor at BICF. He invited us to sit in on their worship rehearsal (since the rehearsal is legal for Chinese nationals to attend), and he and his team members have offered to continue mentoring and training the Chinese musicians from Haidian Church.
3 pics of our final Sunday ministering at Haidian Church ... Kim played for the English service, and I had a rare opportunity to play for one of the Chinese services (with the help of a translator, or I would have been COMPLETELY lost). The lower right photo shows the culmination of a lot of technical work ... gear heads will notice 2 AVIOM controllers & 3 Sennheiser wireless transmitters for in-ear monitors in the rack. We have finally gotten the sound system running problem-free! I have a final training session for the church's sound team this coming week, and I am pleased with the improvements in the quality of their sound and the reduced stress for the volunteers.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us ... God has been incredibly generous and faithful to us these past 6 months, and we know it is in direct result to your prayers. We look forward to seeing you in Oregon very soon.
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