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We've had some ups and downs lately.
Here is one of the ups.
Sunny has been coming to English class for about 6 months now. For months it has been quite obvious that Jesus is in passionate pursuit of this Chinese daughter. She listened with great attention as we discussed Romeo and Juliet. This turned to a conversation about the necessity of Christ’s death in order to deal with the hate and fighting (sin) in our human context.
I recall one significant day when we were talking about greed. The greed of the U.S. housing market crisis gave us great material for this discussion. We discussed how greed in the housing market helped bring down the world economy and caused loss for many people who had borrowed nothing. So as not to be overly negative about my “homies,” we also discussed the greed of Chinese businessmen who are willing to put unhealthy chemicals in the milk they sell in order to make it look fresher and boost their sales. They are all very aware that this was done with no consideration of the consequences for the health of the young people drinking the milk. As we traced greed back to its roots of emptiness, we contrasted greedy emptiness with fullness (Christ in us the Hope of Glory) that leads to giving, joy and life. During this discussion, Sunny sat with eyes begging to be in on what I was offering, but the time was not quite yet.
Last month Sunny returned to China to visit her family for her school break. I had the feeling that this was to be a significant time for her. On her way out she dropped by to say, “so long.” I gave her a Chinese New Testament and encouraged her to read the book of John to learn more about Jesus. She was happy to receive this, and I felt fairly certain she would read at least a little. A few weeks later she sent us a message from China. It read:
Dear Mr.Brent
How are you?and how's your famil your wife and children.
I arrived home have 1 month I'm fine in my home and so happy.i read the book and told my grandma, she was glad to heared the story about Jesus.I try my best to understand but you know some chinese people cannot .
I read another stroy It let me know the god is brave. He kind and love.Although i cannot read the book every day but when i have free time i will pray especially . when i happy and sad .Now i learned to talk to god with my mind I feel so happy ,sometimes god let's me rest and take me left evil.
Christmas is coming soon.take my best wish for you and your family. Thank you for you teach me every thing.
Good luck with you in the new year!
Merry Christmas !!!
sunny
What a great joy to read in her own words about Jesus’ pursuit of this daughter. He was even teaching her how to pray in the process. On Jan 14th she returned to Thailand for her studies. After talking about her break in China, I asked her about her Bible reading and her opportunity to read to her grandmother. A huge smile came on her face as she told me of the joy she had found in this story and in sharing it with her grandmother. She went on to share about the peace she finds in talking to God in her heart.
The obvious question was, “Are you ready to believe in Jesus now?” We had spoken so many times before about Jesus’ admonition that we receive His righteous life in exchange for our old life of sin through belief in Him and what He did. “Yes, I am ready,” was her joy filled response.
She asked Jesus to come and take away her “bad things” (sin) and give her Jesus’ “good life” in a glorious trade. She prayed for Jesus to come and be her King. She pleaded with Jesus to make her a follower. She prayed for a new life, a born again life.
When she finished praying I asked her how she was feeling. She said she was so happy and especially glad to hear “the beautiful music (quite literally her words).”
I asked, “Music? Really?
“Yes.” She said with a joyful smile.
I wasn’t hearing music, so I went on to ask, “Do you still hear it?”
No,” she said, “Only when I am praying.”
“Well, do you wanna pray again?” I replied.
“Yes!” adamantly spoken with a beautiful smile.
We prayed a bit more and I asked her if she was still hearing the “music.”
“Yes,” she answered, “And I think ‘The God” speaks Chinese as well as English.”
A little confused, I replied, “What do you mean?”
She said, “When you are talking to me in English, I understand most of it. But just now He is speaking in Chinese and I understand it all, every word is in Chinese. I understand it much better than I understand you”
“Of course,” I said, “He is quite good at Chinese, isn’t He?”
“Yes,” with the biggest smile yet and a laugh.
We went on to discuss John chapter 1 and how God makes children for himself not out of “natural descent, human decision, or a husband’s will.” But the Father God’s children are those who are born of Himself by His will and through “believing Him and receiving Him.”
She left after we discussed her role as a daughter of this extraordinary Father. She seemed quite happy to recognize her place as a daughter as well as my place as a son of the very same Father. For a new believer from China in a place that so opposes “the Light,” it was very comforting for her to hear me thank our Father for this new little sister. We truly are one family with one kind Father; she was, and I am once again, overwhelmed with the beauty of this truth.
Clearly she is at the very beginning of a long beautiful journey into “this reckless, raging fury that we call the love of God,” as Rich put it so well.
5.2.09
Coneheads
Jak and Jones on sports day at the school. Jones is the son of one of our churchplanter friends here. You would love 'em.
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