Update #2: Amazing

That's the only word I can think of to describe it.

I'm back in Hong Kong at the moment (aka back to freedom of speech). I can type God as many times as I want! It's awesome. Being in China really makes you realize what you have: I couldn't access Facebook, post things on Blogger or Tumblr or watch things on Youtube in China. We couldn't type things like God or bible or pray, we couldn't Google bible verses. It was different.

The missions trip was amazing. I couldn't have asked God to make it better in any way: it was more than I had imagined. We were given a chance to talk to the teachers and believers at other churches and to see how they operate things in China. It was really different and it really showed me how blessed we are in America. They operate on the edge, all the time! They have to be super careful about everything they do - we can do whatever we want, our only limit is our willingness. Regardless of the limits they have, they excel and they never stop trying.

God is really working in China. Isn't that an amazing statement? In a country where religious freedom is proclaimed but controlled, in a country that was not founded in Christianity but rather things like Buddhism and Daoism, in a country where there are still villages without electricity, God is working. Impossible? Nope, impossible doesn't exist here.

There is so much to admire about the churches we served at! The faith that they have, the dedication that they have, the courage that they have - it's all amazing. It's inspiring to see how much they depend on God. They pray about everything and no matter what goes wrong, they just continue praying and trusting. We've heard amazing testimonies about faith here, and it's all so inspiring. God is sooooo good.

The children's program that we helped them put on went really well. All the kids were so cute! If only they spoke Cantonese... The language barrier was really tough but at the second church, we had translators! The program at the second church was even more amazing because they had 5x the amount of kids they had at the first church but they did just as well. Their creativity was awesome and the amount of people they had serving from the church was awesome.

And lastly, the body of Christ. It's amazing to see how God pulls people together, regardless of family background, language, faults or social status. I didn't know a single thing about the people at the churches that we served at and they didn't know a single thing about me except for the fact that we all believed in the same God and that was enough. They were so generous, so kind, sooooo loving. It felt like we were family but we hadn't even known each other for more than a week. I'll never forget what God has taught me here about the body of Christ and I can't wait to see how God is going to continue teaching me about this in the future. Barriers that would have otherwise been obstacles were surpassed as if they were nothing. Show me something/someone else that can do this, I dare you.

I still have a few days left in China (Hong Kong, to be specific). I miss the Bay but I can't wait to see what God does here (:

Update #1: Dependence

First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of communication :x It’s actually a lot harder to find access to the internet than I thought it would be in China, but in the hotel that we’re in right now, we have wi-fi!

It’s crazy how differently people here live. I’ve been in China before (like 8 years ago) but it didn’t really hit me until this trip. Living in the United States, I’ve taken so many things for granted. Here, nothing is taken for granted. You become aware of what you are blessed with and what other people are not blessed with. Toilets? Thank Him. Clean water? Thank Him. Good food? Air conditioning? Anti-smoking laws? Street laws that people follow? Thank Him.

This is not to say that America has it better in every way: it’s to say that we don’t realize what we have until it’s taken away.

Aside from this revelation of how we’re being spoiled in America, He has been showing me so much more about His love, grace and providence. Not only has He put us in a place where He is obviously working, He gave us the tools to be able to be a part of His awesome plan, even despite of the language barrier. The language barrier is an obstacle to say the least, but anything is possible through Him.

When we first arrived, they welcomed us like no other welcome I’ve ever received. I had no idea what they were saying (Mandarin x_x) but all the kids were clapping and everybody was smiling. All in all, this was my experience with these people: everybody is outrageously grateful for every bit of advice, criticism, encouragement, or help that you give them. When I first arrived, I felt useless. I wanted to (or more… expected to?) work with the children and to help out directly with what they were doing but He changed my expectations. When I realized I couldn’t do what I wanted to do, I looked for what He wanted me to do. Slowly, we realized that He was using our presence and the small things we can do that we thought had no significance to glorify Him. Without a common language, we can’t depend on what we can do on my own: we have to depend on what He can do through us. That’s what we should be doing in the first place though, right? My old definition of dependence has been surpassed by this new definition of dependence. If you’re out there talking to Him about us, ask Him to continue showing us new levels of love and dependence. Ask Him to continue showing us His awesomeness (:

Before we started, it felt like Margi (one of the people we’re working) prefaced the first part of this trip for me by mentioning a message she once heard: He gave us differences (like with the Tower of Babel) to ensure that the unity we do develop is genuine and the truth that we discover doesn’t go unchallenged/refined. The part about true unity is the question I’ve been asking myself: how can we show love without a common language? How can you develop a sense of unity when something so essential like language is missing? Because this is the challenge that He’s placed in front of us, ask that He gives us a solution. We’re looking to discover what the true body is and how we can find fellowship and the Body amidst people with whom we don’t share a language. It’s possible; anything is possible. He moves mountains.

He is amazing, amazing, amazing. Please continue keeping us in your conversations with Him (lol @ my awk wording x_x) and thank you all for your support =) Whether it was financial or mental, it’s truly appreciated and it’s not too late! We’re moving on to our next location tomorrow; His will be done. Sending you all tons of love from China =)

MACAU

Hello, amazing.

Say.. culture shock, anybody? It's pretty awesome here. There's so much to say about the culture that I don't even know where to begin.

Firstly, the weather. I like how it can be 100+ degrees one day, but typhoon weather the next. The people here are completely used to it but me on the other hand... not so much. The bipolar nature of the weather reminds me of California though :P

God's been showing me so much through the love of my family. They don't even know me! And they've taken me in, fed me (seriously, we've eaten SO much) and gave me shelter (in SUCH a nice apartment with AC!). How much greater should the family of Christ be if a family like mine, who don't even know me, can be so loving. God's been showing me of those comparisons lately.

There isn't much to do in Macau except relax. Yesterday, we actually spent all day going from restaurant to street vendor to cafe, eating all day. It was nice; we just talked, walked, and ate. All day. There are also a lot of museums here to look at, and a lot of malls to shop at. We've been doing a lot of site seeing and... eating.

Love it here :) Pictures:

HAD THE BEEEST BOBA.

Saint Paul's

Family!

Fish spa: stick your feet in so they can bite you :X

@ the Venetian :x