Thanks to all of your prayerful and financial support, Kezia and I are happy to announce that the process of naturalization has advanced to the next and final step! Kezia has an appointment on July 13, 2011 with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services for an interview. After passing the interview she will take the US history and civics test and an English proficiency test, then the oath, all on the same day! She’s a little nervous and would appreciate your prayers. We are so excited! If everything goes as planned, the best case scenario looks like this:
July 13 – Kezia becomes a US citizen
August 1 – Move to Boise to and acquire a US passport
September 1 – Move to Thailand J
Again thanks so much to all of you who are praying for us and please, don’t stop now!!
China Highlight (sensitive material, don't repost)
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
Hebrews 11:1
We’ve all heard the stories about the underground movement in China. Stories of whispered worship in hidden houses and secret studies of smuggled bibles. A church pursued but never captured. By the Holy Spirit cloaked and by the Truth divinely daggered. It’s enemy, vast and tireless yet confused, because the prey it hunts seems to grow stronger by the chase. Those who do get caught turn to God joyful, grateful for being found worthy of suffering in Jesus’ name, persecution only fans the Christian flame. Inspiring stories from what we call “HC’s”, and if you’ve ever been to one it was probably the highlight of your trip to China. Whenever I go to one I feel overwhelmed, what a blessing it is to join these people in praise. But this highlight isn’t about an underground church, it’s about something more, it’s about an underground school.
Now I know some of you are thinking that’s nothing new. They’ve had these for a while. Pastor training seminars, discipleship training schools, etc. and you’re right, these have been around a while. But where I went these last two trips is something totally ground breaking, it’s revolutionary to what God is doing in China, and it’s taking faith to a whole new level. You see before all the underground schools were for new believers, usually adults, to help them mature in their walk. But this school’s totally different. This school starts at grade one and goes through high school. They cover all general education using Christian curriculum. It’s basically like our homeschooling with one major difference, according to the Chinese government they don’t exist. All schools in China, to be recognized with accreditation, must teach Party approved curriculum. You can imagine what that entails (Darwinism, Socialism, Atheism, etc.). Therefor, Christian curriculum will never be recognized. The problem is that if you go to a non-accredited school in China, according to the government, it’s like not going to school at all. Which means no education, no job, no life.
Well, a few “HC” parents got together and came to the conclusion that their children would be better off going to a school that “doesn’t exist” learning the Truth, than going to a school recognized by the world in hopes of securing a comfortable future. Welcome to the next step. The parents of these kids are trusting that if Jesus doesn’t come back before their kids graduate, that God will simply provide jobs and security for them. Amazing. Upon crossing the threshold of this place I could feel my seed-sized faith finding fertile soil, sprouting and growing. Their fearlessness was contagious. A room full of children, ages 6 to 16, welcomed the team and I with a sweet version of “Jesus Loves Me”. It was powerful; the whole team was moved by the implications of what was taking place. These kids’ futures, their lives, were in God’s hands now. But can you think of a better place to be? Even the teachers had to drop off the grid for this, it’s full time work, they quit their government assigned jobs to teach there and now live solely on the support generated for the school through the Christian community. But for them it’s worth it. No turning back. They know that their children + Jesus = hope for China.
The dictionary defines faith as “belief in something without proof”. The bible however, defines faith as “the proof that something is believed”. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. I like that. I’d like to thank the students, parents, and especially the teachers, of a school that doesn’t exist somewhere in China, for actually showing me what faith looks like. What a huge blessing you were to my teams, and will be to the future of your country.
