Japan - Josh Chan (7/1/11)

Seeking Signs

When I went to the first Briefing here in Japan, one of the most interesting things that I learned is that apologetics will usually not be as important as it is in America. The Japanese people are not as interested in hearing wise logical arguments for God as they are in seeking signs from God. Being a person who loves to use apologetics, this is definitely going to force me to rely and trust God to move as opposed to relying on my own wits. Please continue to pray that God will move powerfully in their lives, making himself very real to them.

Mexico - Grace Chiang (6/25/11)

This photo is of some of the Spearhead leaders putting on a Jesus-centered clown show at a park in Mexico City. Clown shows are a popular form of street entertainment here and a very good way to get kids involved. It’s pretty cool seeing how Spearhead has found different ways of putting “the light” in a place where this culture can see it. (This really cleared up the confusing request on our packing list that said “clown stuff.”)

I’ve been reading “Speaking of Jesus” by Carl Medearis and it’s really speaking volumes to me right now as I’m also sumultaneously reading through the gospel message of Mark. Both are completely radical ways of thinking of Jesus, different from Western Christianity. Both have an extreme emphasis to not worry about theology or doctrines or anything else created by man to make sense of our FAITH, but to just follow Jesus because there is just no other way to get to God. Both speak of simply pointing to Jesus and not worrying about results because our job is simply to worship him and talk about “the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).”

This is definitely radical from the Western thought of Christianity because as C. Medearis puts it, Christianity is different from Jesus and when we try to convert someone to Christianity, we end up having to defend all the crap that comes with it.

What is there to defend about Jesus? Nothing. He speaks for himself and has from the beginning. No documentation of the life of Jesus has he ever had to explain himself and why it would be beneficial to follow him. It’s either FOLLOW ME and be saved. Or don’t.

All I have to do is point to Jesus and the rest is not for me to worry about. This is the courage and strength and hope that I was really seeking from my last post. Thanks for continued prayers, and keep ‘em coming! Mas! Mas!

Prayer request specifically now for believing and living out 100% of what I just preached >.<

P.S. If interested, here’s a short video clip of the clown show!http://qik.com/m/video/9b24be7f0a0b47da82ccdcbf7483b09a

Honduras - Bethany Tsui (6/28/11)

Hello everyone!

Again, here’s the link to my blog that now has more updates about my time here. I’m two days behind on blogging, but I’ll try to catch up tomorrow. 

http://bethohog.tumblr.com/

Now begins my time in Honduras that does not have any definite plans or schedules. I’m excited to see what God’s going to spring on me, but I also need a lot of prayers for the remainder of my time here. 

I have a big desire to utilize the next 14 days here well and NOT to use it to just bum around and just wait until I can go home. I am really hoping that the rest of my time here in Honduras would be Spirit led and that this half of my trip would be even more stretching than the first. 

Updated prayer requests:

- To listen and hear God’s voice clearly, that I would be obedient and Spirit-led in everything I do, especially in the ways that I decide to spend the rest of my time here in Honduras.
- To seek out and find community, which I feel like I’ve been lacking for one reason or another. 
- That I would continue break out of my shell and be more at ease… I still feel shy and not myself around Signs of Love people who are here. 

I can’t say it enough, but thank you again for all your love and support and prayers. Y’all are amazing!

Love in Christ,
Bethany “Betho” Tsui

Japan - Josh Chan (6/25/11)

Fund Raising

Hello everyone, sorry for taking so long to post my first blog, it took a while before I finally got internet. I will begin this blog by sharing an interesting experience during my fund raising process. A week before it was time for Epic Summer Project Japan to begin I was short by about $1300. I always trusted that God would completely provide for my project but I wasn’t sure if he would do it without using my father (who is an atheist). I was also really hoping that I would not need him for I wanted to show my father that I could be independent from him. Having no choice at the time, I had to ask support from him. When I asked him to help fund my missionary trip, I was backed into a corner. My father asked me “Is it me that is supporting you or God supporting you? If I don’t give money for your trip, will God provide?” For a while I was unable to figure out what a good response would be when all of a sudden, something clicked in me. I began to tell my father that I am going to clear a hidden assumption that my father believes in: The belief that the provision from God and my father (or people) are mutually exclusive. I told him that even though I believe that it all ultimately comes from God, it does not mean that my father did nothing and should receive no appreciation. My father was satisfied with that response and was willing to cover the rest of what I needed. While that was certainly wonderful, what was really great about what had happened was that one of the biggest problems that my dad had with Christianity was finally gone! I now see why God forced me to do something that I really did not feel comfortable doing.

Mexico - Grace Chiang (6/22/11)

Oraciones, Por favor

Feeling slightly defeated with the language barrier today.

FULLY realizing this comes from strength that is not my own.

NEED prayers for much more of His strength and encouragement, por favor.

:)

Mexico - Grace Chiang (6/20/11)

VIDEO! Tour of mi casa.. http://qik.com/41247287/f579bd6d

Feeling really blessed right now with my host family and my new roommate/teammate Brenda. Both have been really wonderful to me and really patient in speaking to me in Spanish. I think I´ve been learning a lot, but it´s hard to think that when I still have trouble understanding simple things people are trying to say to me. Definitely picking up a lot of phrases. I can usually express what I want to say to people, but then I have no clue what they are saying back to me. Thank you for prayers in my willingness to learn! I´ve definitely gotten a lot of ¨wow, I´ve been really impressed how much effort you´ve been putting into trying to speak Spanish,¨which translates to ¨wow, I can´t believe how dumb you are willing to sound.¨But it´s definitely part of learning! I do make up a lot of words just to see if I get a good reaction and make up a lot of conjugations. I think Spanish class tomorrow will be good.

Apartment set-up is 6 people, 1 bathroom. Not the worst. And sharing a room with 2 other girls, 1 being Brenda and the other being my 15 year-old host sister. Please watch my video that took forever to upload for more details!

Mondays are our day off to reset. Mi papa works long hours y mi mama works til 5 but has a 2 hour commute home. Mi hermana Vivi has school starting at 7. She has to wake up at 4:10am to get to school on time. Mi hermano Raul has school at 8. Not sure when anyone will get home today… It´s been a good day of rest though. Just catching up on sleep, prayer, reading, journaling, emailing, Flickr uploads, learning Spanish at home with Brenda, etc.

Continued prayers for willingness to embrace learning the culture and language, and for my relationship with God to continue to grow through this experience. Additional prayers for my team (me, Jenna, and Brenda) and our work with the church we are at. We will be teaching English, helping with a short vacation bible school type thing for the niños (young kids) and Jevones (teenagers), and much more. Our church reminds me of my church back in Austin, Vox, a lot. Only 2 years old, runs as a kids party place the rest of the week (kids parties are a really big deal here), emphasis on community and doing things in the community. Yesterday was my first day at church and I have to say, they really know the meaning of hospitality here. Lots of hugs and kisses and ¨bienvenidos.¨

More to come. Hasta luego!

Mexico - Grace Chiang (6/16/11)

Arrived safely yesterday. This is my window view from my room at the hotel we’re at for orientation until Saturday afternoon when we move in with our families. Orientation has been good. There’s 13 people on the summer team with 4 facilitators and then the director and AD.

I feel like I’ve learned so much about MC already. One very important link between Mexicans and their faith is understanding the Virgin of Guadalupe and just how much the Catholic church looks to her for guidance and spirituality rather than Jesus. It was actually noted by someone who went on a tour here that when they passed by a “Christ-centered” church, the tourguide noted that it was a really strange sight. What the hell!

I also took the Spanish placement exam today. To no surprise, could barely read the exam. Excited to learn though! Our language classes will start Tuesday.

That’s it for now! Adios, mi amigos!

Mexico - Grace Chiang (6/15/11)

TAKE-OFF

Flight tomorrow at 12:10pm.

Prayers for me to be open to LEARN anything and everything. Prayers for me to LISTEN to HIM.

This is what I’ll be eating for the next 8 weeks, right???

Honduras - Bethany Tsui (6/23/11)

Hello!!

Thank you very much for praying for my requests from the last e-mail. I am completely better health wise right now, and I definitely attribute that to your prayers and the Lord’s healing over my body. 

We are now done with ministry in the villages, and tomorrow is the start of a 3-day long Deaf Camp!! I’m definitely going to need a ton of prayers while I’m serving there. In fact, I’d say that if there was ever a need for your prayers, it’s now! Camp will be very tiring, uncomfortable (sleeping without A/C, cold showers from pipes, probably gross bathrooms, etc.), and very packed days. Despite those things, I’m hopeful for God to do GREAT things in making a difference in these children’s lives. I think we’re expecting over 100 Deaf children to be at this camp! 

Prayer Requests:
- ENERGY and HEALTH and ENDURANCE to pour out everything that’s in me to these kids these next 3 days
- The ability to LOVE LOVE LOVE these kids with the love of Christ
- For these children to UNDERSTAND the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that many would choose to give their lives to Christ
- For me to be VULNERABLE and willing to take part in team community 

I won’t have any Internet access while at camp, so there won’t be any updates over e-mail or my Tumblr until after camp is over on Sunday. 

Hope everyone is doing well! Thank you thank you! 

Love,
Betho

Honduras - Bethany Tsui (6/16/11)

Dear Friend,

In less than 12 hours, I will be in the air and on my way to La Ceiba, Honduras! I will be there until July 13th. 

I wanted to thank you so much for being such a wonderful encouragement to me throughout this whole process. If it weren’t for your support, prayers, financial generosity, and words of encouragement, I think I would be an anxious mess right now. That’s not to say that I’m completely care free. As I was packing today the reality of leaving began to hit me, and I admit that a bit of nervousness began to form in my gut. However, at the moment, I feel much more at peace!

But if you could please keep me in your prayers as I make my way to Honduras, I would greatly appreciate it. These are my current prayer requests.

1. Please pray for safe and stress-free/smooth travels! This is my first time to travel by myself, so this is actually a source of some nervousness for me.

2. Please pray that when I feel lonely/homesick, that I would persevere and remember that I have Jesus by my side and the Holy Spirit within me… pray that I would truly realize this whenever I am struck with these feelings. 

3. Please pray that I would be quick to accommodate to a new culture, new language, and meeting many new people. I’m hoping to befriend some people who are coming in to serve with Signs of Love (like me) pretty quickly. I’m typically not very good in these situations and am very shy at the beginning. Please pray that I would break out of my shell quickly. 

4. Please pray that I would have ears to hear God’s voice always. And that on this trip, I would realize that He is enough for me and that I’d fall more in love with Him. 

The next e-mail you get from me will be coming from Honduras! Yay!

Excited to share with all of you what the Lord will show/teach me on this trip. =) 

Love,
Betho

Thailand - James Yu (6/15/11)

Last-minute prayer requests

These last few weeks after school ended and before the trip starts have been some of the most spiritually sluggish times I’ve had for a while. The sluggishness isn’t because this trip hasn’t been on my mind, but rather, because it’s constantly been on my mind. I’ve talked so much with people about preparation, and ministry, and dying to oneself that these terms have taken on a mundane air. Never for once have I consciously acknowledged that I’m capable of going on this trip and braving it through sheer force of will, but subconsciously, all this talk, preparation, and anticipation have ironically made this trip into a commonplace thing, a “no big deal” that I’ll go to and return from in forty days and already, post-trip plans drift into my head. I know that this trip isn’t to be taken lightly, but my heart has been off and I didn’t even realize it. I now understand that there’s a great danger in over-preparation. I hate the fact that I’m only catching this now, but I’m glad I did, so that I can repent and start praying against this mentality.

Prayer requests:

1. Realizing my error means that I’ll probably start feeling inferior to my fellow trekkers, wondering why they are spiritual giants compared to me. It’s a natural impulse and something I struggle with a lot. But I know that’s not what God wants for me. Pray that I’ll discover healthy humility.

2. Pray that I truly encounter God. I didn’t realize consciously until now that I’ve been making God in my own convenient image. I’ve been putting words in his mouth and he’s been saying what I want him to say.

3.  Pray that this trip changes me for the better. I know that this trip will be life-changing, but the question is whether that life-change is traumatizing or renewing.

Thailand - James Yu (6/9/11)

Dear supporters,

Here are the complete details about what I will be doing in Bangkok this summer. From June 15th to July 25th, I will be living with a host family in Klong Toei, the largest slum community in the city, where I will be working at Baan Chivit Mai (House of New Life), a ministry that works to keep children out of prostitution and drug trafficking. My work there will be primarily relational and incarnational. I have been placed in Klong Toei to live as the urban poor live, to understand what they go through, and to experience in a very tangible way God’s heart for those who are marginalized and oppressed. This will not be a conventional task-oriented mission trip. I am not going to Thailand to build wells or houses, or distribute little bottles of hand sanitizer. If your conception of a missions trip is task-oriented, then this may bother you. It may seem like I am simply taking your money to go on a personal “poverty tour”. This used to bother me too. But the more I come to understand incarnational ministry (ministering to others by living life with them, just as Jesus ministered to us by dwelling among us), the more I realize that the Church has become comfortable with simply doing things for the poor. In the process, we have started to treat the poor more as projects than as individuals. Having understood this, I find value in relational and incarnational ministry.  I am unapologetic about my role in Bangkok this summer, and I am infinitely grateful for the financial support and prayers that you all have provided for me.

Please continue to pray for me. Pray that God would protect me and my team from all the possible logistical mishaps that might occur. Pray that I would learn to be selfless and not selfish and that I would be moved to love those I am serving. Finally, pray against spiritual attack from the Evil One, something that many of our modern minds (my own included) find dubious and circumstantial, but which we cannot afford to ignore. Finally, pray that I can live out the Scripture that says:

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 6:25

Blessings,

James Yu

Canada - Chrissie Harsh (6/13/11)

Vancouver update #1

Hey team,

The past few weeks have been like a roller coaster ride as I’ve been discerning where God is taking me next year. I’ll be sending out more updates on that later. Your support and prayers have really encouraged me. Also, my trip is fully funded now. Praise God for such a great team of supporters! 

A couple nights ago, our Love Corps team had a phone conference. I really enjoyed meeting the team. They’re funny people. It looks like I’ll probably be doing women’s ministry in Vancouver. I’ll send more details as we define our roles on the team. 

Please continue praying for us. We need the support of many prayer warriors! Pray for
-team unity
-spiritual protection
-humble hearts
-fundraising for the rest of the team

In Christ,
Chrissie

Malaysia - Joseph Kwan (6/11/11)

Im sorry for not updating yall more however there is very limited
internet here and the blog isnt working for us however we got back
from camp yesturday afternoon. God did some amazing things stories
later. During the last day, i got sick from dehydration and food
poison. Im taking some meds right now and waiting for it to go
throught my system

so praise god for what he did at camp
and pray for our health

Canada - Chrissie Harsh (6/10/11)

Hey team,

The past few weeks have been like a roller coaster ride as I’ve been discerning where God is taking me next year. I’ll be sending out more updates on that later. Your support and prayers have really encouraged me. Also, my trip is fully funded now. Praise God for such a great team of supporters! 

A couple nights ago, our Love Corps team had a phone conference. I really enjoyed meeting the team. They’re funny people. It looks like I’ll probably be doing women’s ministry in Vancouver. I’ll send more details as we define our roles on the team. 

Please continue praying for us. We need the support of many prayer warriors! Pray for
-team unity
-spiritual protection
-humble hearts
-fundraising for the rest of the team

In Christ,
Chrissie