Strategic City

Looks like the place we are going is quite the strategic city for China's future economy.  It will be great to see work being done there for something other than financial benefit to the people.

http://english.runsky.com/2008-11/28/content_2756020.htm

Encouragement

What an amazing experience I have had watching God provide for this trip.  The encouragement has come both in the variety and amounts of funds that have come in, as well as the notes that I have received along the way.

Let me start with how much was needed:  $2200 was the base cost of the trip, $2500 was the goal to provide a blessing to the missionaries there by bringing supplies and items they asked for.  I committed to the $2500 amount.  Sandy and I committed at least 10% of the amount from our personal funds.  I also committed any money I made from preaching in January and February to the trip.  Here's what happened:

Donations came in from my home church, family, friends, neighbors, and church members. Total amount given:  $1400
Opportunities came to speak at Leonard, Joplin, and Timber Lake (twice).  Total amount received:  $850
Total amount needed out of personal funds:  $250

Unbelievable.   Everyone who gave something gave the right amount to meet the needs.  God provided, just like He always does.

But more encouraging have been the notes.  Let me share a few, just so you'll have an idea of the encouragement I have received from more than just the finances:

David, we will be praying for you.

Dear David, just a little money to help you go to China.  The Lord's going with you so maybe you will get there and back on the plane.  Hope you can help the Christians over there.

Hope your trip goes really well.

I wish we could send more to help you out with such an endeavor.  you have our thoughts and prayers with you all and wish you the best of everything in China.

David, We can hear the enthusiasm in your letter.  Please use this $200 towards your mission trip to China!

Dear David, I received your letter telling me about your trip.  It sounds very interesting and I wish for you a safe trip. I am sending a small gift.  I wish it could be more, but it will be a little help.  I think of you folks often.  Hope you are all well and I know like everyone else you are busy.  Take care and have a wonderful trip.  You are in my prayers.

I know others haven't contacted me and are thinking about me also.  Thanks for your thoughts, prayers, and kind words.

David

China meeting information

Tonight was our next to the last China meeting.  We spent some time on video conference with one of our alumni that serves with CRAM.  He gave us an idea of some of the things that will be happening while we are on the trip.  Here are a few details you might be interested in.

We will arrive at midnight after approximately 27 consecutive hours of travel (losing 19 hours on the way over there to the International Dateline, which we will get back on our way home).  The last leg of our journey is a 65 mile bus journey (http://tinyurl.com/c9go8h).  We have to get up in time for a worship service at 7:00 am the next morning.  Then we will eat breakfast, followed by travel to a place where we can simultaneously see North Korea and Russia from within China.  We will be on the run the whole time we are there.

Part of our work will be teaching the faculty of their school how to speak some English.  This is important because their teachers know little to no English. 

We will spend a couple of hours a day at the orphanage and will take some of the Hope School students out into town just to spend time with them.  Most of them are not Christians and they know we are.  Yet we have to be very careful not to be too outspoken with them.

We were told tonight that we have to take our own toilet paper when we are out in public, because the toilets often have none.  Better to find that out now rather than later.

Part of our work will be with concrete, although it's pretty cool there this time of the year.  We will hopefully be able to visit "Broken Bridge," which is between North Korea and China.

Time is flying.  I'll try to keep posting regularly.

Ten Days to Go

The trip is coming quickly!  We leave early in the morning on April 2.  I'll try to keep updating the blog between now and then.  I will also post to Facebook so that those of you on there can see new posts and pictures.

At this week's team meeting, we got a crash course on speaking Chinese.  Dezi Worstell taught us the top 20 things we need to be able to say if we are in the situation where the people we are with don't speak English.  I still need to practice!

The final check is due Monday and I have written it to finish paying the $2500 cost of the trip.  Thanks to all who sent support for this trip.  I was amazed at the generosity of family and friends and how much the Lord provided through the churches and through the people.

Part of what I had to do to finish preparing was write my testimony for CRAM to have on hand.  You might enjoy reading my story, because all of you have been a part of it somewhere along the way.

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            I grew up around the church, going to Vacation Bible School every summer and Sunday school every Sunday.  Our family regularly attended revivals, both at our church and others.   The summer before my 6^th grade year, I went to church camp for the first time and found out what it meant to follow Christ in a biblical way.  While I didn’t make the decision that summer, the impression was certainly made in my heart.

            That December, we went to a revival and I went forward to decide to become a Christian.  My brother and my mom ended up being baptized the same Sunday as I was.  I was baptized by immersion by a Methodist preacher in a Free Will Baptist church for the forgiveness of my sins.  In the years of junior high and high school, I kept being exposed to several opportunities to grow in Christ through camps, college trips, and youth group.  Along the way, I decided to go to Bible college, because I wanted to be a minister.

            Going to Central Christian College of the Bible, I started preaching almost immediately, and had my own church by January of my freshman year.  I ended up preaching at three different churches during my college years, as well as singing on multiple teams and traveling on behalf of the college.  It was clear that my future was in full-time ministry, and the the girl whom I dated and married only further confirmed that decision.

           I was ordained in May of 1993 and I started preaching in my own church in July of that same year.  For three years, I served the Liberty (IL) Christian Church, where we found wonderful people and lots of opportunities to work with young people through camp and television ministry.  Sandy started her own daycare in our home and we ministered to that community until I was called to become a professor at Central.

            Finishing my master’s degree in May 1996, I moved in June back to Moberly, where we began serving the College in a variety of capacities.  By 2001, I had been named Vice-President of Academics, where I have been serving ever since.  In the time that I have been at Central, we have seen some great growth and had an opportunity to send lots of mission teams out to places around the world.  I’ve never been, because I was too busy keeping things running back at home. 

            I’ve also been quite involved at our local church, where I have served as a worship leader, Bible teacher, deacon, elder, and Bible bowl sponsor.  Our church has a couple of people serving in Taiwan and China that we support, so I really want our elders to have the benefit of someone who has visited that field.

            When I heard about the one trip to China this year, I wanted to be part of it.  So I signed up to see what it was like to go on a trip and to become more united with the students and staff.  I’m looking forward to using my gifts in language, music, and speaking to be a blessing to the people and the missionaries there.  Between the support of friends and family (over $1,000 in donations) plus my own funds, I am fully committed and supported in my decision to come for the trip.  I can’t wait!