Dear friends,
I am so grateful to God and so blessed by Him just to be here and serving Him and beginning my life's journey doing His work. It's so awesome and words alone cannot say how I feel, but everytime there's chance, I would be singing and shouting praise to the Lord our God. Halleluyah! Generally, it's good to know where I'm heading, and good to know that God knows the way there.
This past week, I have two highlights that I would like to share with you. And the first is this, my parents have given me their blessing for my work. I didn't expect this, because first, I am the oldest son in a Chinese family, and second, they've given me so much, it's become hard to see how they'd let their son go into fulltime missions work, and possibly go to Africa and be really out of reach. And with their blessing, I feel complete and I feel that there is no way that anyone can keep me out of Africa, and I'll definitely do my work there, soon as the Lord sends me. I am so encouraged by this, and I just really want to thank God for showing my parents how to let go, and for taking care of them, so that I can be free to serve Him all my life.
I love my family very much and I've been stuck between wanting to serve and wanting to provide for my family for a long time, and I think it's the only thing that's anchored me here and kept me from leaving. But this time hadn't been wasted, because God had used it to show my parents that I'll be stuck at this point if I can't make up my mind about this, and I know I can't, so they made it for me. My parents let go, gave me their blessing, and told me to make that choice, between putting family first, or putting God first. I guess they realised after all these years that unless if I'm doing my true calling, I won't be happy, and that my calling is to serve God in the front lines.
This is really encouraging, and it brings my mind back to the story of the Jailer who believed in Christ and then through his faith, his whole family is saved. (Acts 16:16-35) I've always wondered at what that means, because obviously salvation is a personal choice, and you have to choose to accept Jesus, to be saved. But I guess, what I'm getting from my experience in this situation is, God is definitely and willingly going to take care of my family, whilst I'm choosing Him and choosing to serve Him with all of my life, because then, I would not have the time or resources to do what I need to be doing as a son. And what I didn't bank on was that God isn't just going to stop at physically keeping my folks healthy and living, but He's really going to show them more how to also be spiritually well, even though I won't be there to show them myself. This is really amazing! Praise God!
The second thing that I wanted to share about is a grave mistake that I've made over the last 6 weeks of serving here at HOLF. There are other volunteers who are here for a much shorter time than I intend to, and a lot of them are youth and university students, so naturally I took to them and had chosen to spend more time being in the same place and doing the same chores as they are, and forgot that my responsibilities, if I wanted to serve fulltime, included a lot more than what is demanded from the short-term volunteers. Pui Yee, the head nurse, reminded me, and I felt very ashamed of my actions, and became very gloomy for a couple of days, especially because she mentioned that if I'm not suitable, then I won't be able to serve for a year, and that came as a very shocking reminder. Now the pressure from the reminder was immense and very overwhelming because Pui Yee was going to leave on a missions trip 11 days from the serious talk that we had, and I wasn't sure I could change her mind in that few days, but I realised that there was time left and I wasn't going to give up on God. I needed to shape up and to be working hard, remembering hard how to run things, and become as able as any of the fulltimers to run the entire operation, because unless if I know full and well how everything goes, I will not fulfill their requirement.
And that's what I did. I am a bit slow still, but I haven't made any mistakes or needed any reminders from the other fulltime health workers, and I'm working my butt off and God is really giving me enough energy to last it out, and I feel that I'm doing quite well. Praise God! Pui Yee's now on the trip, and will be back in 10 days, now there's still a chance that I will be made to leave on August 12 with all the other college volunteers, but I'm no longer worried about Pui Yee not being here, and that I can't show her that I'm capable of serving, because I know God is in control, and what I do unseen by others is seen by God, and if God has a mind to keep me here or to send me to Africa, noone can take me away. And between Pui Yee's reminder, and my parents' encouragement and advice, I'm really choosing God each and every day. That is so great!
And that's my update for the past weeks. Thanks for your prayer support, it's what I need most. Keep praying for my work, and my health, and also for the kids' health and for their joy and their own unique spiritual experience and journeys. I don't know how receptive they are, but maybe they have a better way of talking with God and we're just missing out.
I now have $1,700 (US$213) of sponsorship for each month, together with my tutoring ($1,800/month), it's enough to cover my expenses, but after the summer, I won't be able to tutor as much, and that may change the way things are. So also please keep praying for my financial support, and for God to really help me out here. I'm sure He will, but it's really good to pray and ask about it, we are His children after all.
God bless you, my friends.
James
Monday, 27 July 2009
Thursday, 16 July 2009
Contact information and sponsorship.
In the case where you'd like to sponsor me, and have already given it deep thought. Here are a few methods that you can send me your money.
1. Call me or talk to me in person if you are in Hong Kong, and I can give you my bank account number, and you can transfer directly.
2. If you are not in Hong Kong, I have a Paypal account and you can donate to me through there.
3. You may also choose to give it to me directly, though I would always encourage you to give it some thought and prayer first, because I like things to be intentional rather than spontaneous.
My Paypal account email is jameswithorphans@gmail.com.
If you are sending money on Paypal, it would be good if you can let me know in advance how much you'd like to give, either through email (jameswithorphans@gmail.com) or through Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jameswithorphans). It would also be good if you can send your gifts quarterly if you'd like to support me on a regular basis, that way we can cut down on the transaction cost on Paypal.
Thanks for raising this question, and thanks for following my work.
On a side note, prayer support is also very much needed, so be sure to pray for my health and the health of all the residents and workers at the orphanage. Thanks!
1. Call me or talk to me in person if you are in Hong Kong, and I can give you my bank account number, and you can transfer directly.
2. If you are not in Hong Kong, I have a Paypal account and you can donate to me through there.
3. You may also choose to give it to me directly, though I would always encourage you to give it some thought and prayer first, because I like things to be intentional rather than spontaneous.
My Paypal account email is jameswithorphans@gmail.com.
If you are sending money on Paypal, it would be good if you can let me know in advance how much you'd like to give, either through email (jameswithorphans@gmail.com) or through Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jameswithorphans). It would also be good if you can send your gifts quarterly if you'd like to support me on a regular basis, that way we can cut down on the transaction cost on Paypal.
Thanks for raising this question, and thanks for following my work.
On a side note, prayer support is also very much needed, so be sure to pray for my health and the health of all the residents and workers at the orphanage. Thanks!
Friday, 10 July 2009
The past few weeks..
My dear friends,
Life has been so filled with joy and praises, God has been blessing me in so many ways. I love everything about being here at the Home of Loving Faithfulness, from changing dirty diapers to taking the kids out on their walks. I don’t always find the work exciting, and there are some boring parts, but all in all, I end each of my days feeling very joyful and very tired, and my health has also been improving a great deal. Though I’m still somewhat careless, and end up getting hurt. Last week I hurt my back, and this week I had my toe stitched up. But both injuries are healing well, so praise the Lord!
I’ve been sharing a very close fellowship with some of the other volunteers here, as well as keeping a good relationship with all of my other colleagues. This has been a real blessing, as I had been worried about having difficult colleagues. Please pray for me and my association with both the Christians and the non-believers amongst us, as I would like to grow deeper in my bonds with both of these.
As far as volunteers go, there are a lot of volunteers that come once a few times a week for several hours, as well as ones that come and live in for a few days at a time. Almost 3 weeks ago, four American students, 3 girls and 1 boy, came to work with us and they’re staying for 6 weeks, and two of them are in my unit, the boy (Lap Ching) and a girl called Anna. And through my association with Lap Ching, actually, I’ve been spending more off my “off” time in fellowship and talking to different people that lived in the rooms next to us, and it’s been wonderful, because we’re starting to expand our nightly fellowship from just us two at the chapel, to include a nurse from the Ark called Joanna. It’s been a lot of fun, and we’ve been doing a lot of sharing and it’s been a real blessing.
There was a lady that volunteered a while ago, and she only stayed for two weeks, but during her two weeks, she’s done such amazing work, just serving however possible, either helping the kitchen staff with the dishes or cleaning, or helping Pui Yee with the garden, and throughout that entire time, she’s also been witnessing to one of our unbelieving colleagues, and she also spent a lot of time with Lap Ching and I. She’s very humble and very blessed, and she’s taught me a few things and has been a great source of encouragement and a reminder for each day, even though she’s back to her family almost a fortnight ago. We’re still keeping in touch, and through her sharing with her fellowship, one of her friends has been enlightened and has offered to sponsor me for my work, and I feel greatly blessed. Between the two of them, they’ve committed to giving $1,200 a month for a year, and that brings my deficit to $3,800. I’m still in need of funds, but I know God will take care of this for me. My rule for offerings is that if God leaves you no doubts about giving to me, then I’ll accept it. For non-believers, I’ll accept your gifts without asking you to pray, because I know God’s association with you is very different from what He has with ones who listen for Him.
Recently, I’ve been responsible for leading a small group on Sundays, we’re going through a book called Holy Conversation, and this week’s chapter is about Talking about Jesus. Since I’ve cut my toe, I’ve been sent home to rest, and I’ve been spending this valuable time meditating and getting my homework done for the week. I realised despite knowing all the stories in the Gospels, and knowing about Christ’s miracles, I cannot retell His story from another angle, or in more depth. I’m just limited to what I know from the Gospels, and the Bible isn’t exactly a highlighted studying guide, and I’m stuck! So I realised that one of my first and foremost goals for this year has just revealed itself to me. I need to know Jesus. I need to know who I claim to be my Savior, who I accept as my heavenly Father, and who I call Lord. I need to know who I am serving. It’s such a big shock that I’ve been serving Him for so long and I haven’t even scratched the surface of who He really is. Blind faith indeed! So I’m going to work really hard, and study and really get to know Christ. That’s my first goal.
My second goal is to, of course, prepare my way to Africa. That’s where I’m called to serve, so I need to know how to get in, how to survive, and how best to train for it. So that means kinds of ministries, living expenses, travel and medical insurance, cost of training, etc. My first step towards this is to get back in touch with my friend, Cheuk Chung from OM that I bumped into on Doulos, and from there, who knows.
So those are my goals. And now for some prayer requests. My dad might be transferred to Australia for a year, so please pray for my family, for our health and for our love for each other. Pray that I’ll be able to really get some housework done on my day off, and really show my brother and my mother that I do care for them, despite needing to be away most of the week to seek my purpose. My parents don’t believe in Christ, so please pray for that. And also, please pray for my brother’s studies, he’s going into year 11 (grade 10, or form 5) next year, and there’ll be a lot of coursework to do and a lot of important exams that he has to work with. Just pray for clarity of mind, and steadfastness and patience in his studies. And that he’ll know when to rest, and how much to work, and that he’ll have a goal to work towards, rather than just letters on a grading sheet.
My dear friends, also pray for my work, my clarity of mind, as I do have a bit of attention deficit and that becomes apparent sometimes, but God will account for that for whatever plans that He has for me, and He will give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Please pray for my steadfast love for our King, and my health and my love for the kids.
In Christ’s Name I serve,
James.
Life has been so filled with joy and praises, God has been blessing me in so many ways. I love everything about being here at the Home of Loving Faithfulness, from changing dirty diapers to taking the kids out on their walks. I don’t always find the work exciting, and there are some boring parts, but all in all, I end each of my days feeling very joyful and very tired, and my health has also been improving a great deal. Though I’m still somewhat careless, and end up getting hurt. Last week I hurt my back, and this week I had my toe stitched up. But both injuries are healing well, so praise the Lord!
I’ve been sharing a very close fellowship with some of the other volunteers here, as well as keeping a good relationship with all of my other colleagues. This has been a real blessing, as I had been worried about having difficult colleagues. Please pray for me and my association with both the Christians and the non-believers amongst us, as I would like to grow deeper in my bonds with both of these.
As far as volunteers go, there are a lot of volunteers that come once a few times a week for several hours, as well as ones that come and live in for a few days at a time. Almost 3 weeks ago, four American students, 3 girls and 1 boy, came to work with us and they’re staying for 6 weeks, and two of them are in my unit, the boy (Lap Ching) and a girl called Anna. And through my association with Lap Ching, actually, I’ve been spending more off my “off” time in fellowship and talking to different people that lived in the rooms next to us, and it’s been wonderful, because we’re starting to expand our nightly fellowship from just us two at the chapel, to include a nurse from the Ark called Joanna. It’s been a lot of fun, and we’ve been doing a lot of sharing and it’s been a real blessing.
There was a lady that volunteered a while ago, and she only stayed for two weeks, but during her two weeks, she’s done such amazing work, just serving however possible, either helping the kitchen staff with the dishes or cleaning, or helping Pui Yee with the garden, and throughout that entire time, she’s also been witnessing to one of our unbelieving colleagues, and she also spent a lot of time with Lap Ching and I. She’s very humble and very blessed, and she’s taught me a few things and has been a great source of encouragement and a reminder for each day, even though she’s back to her family almost a fortnight ago. We’re still keeping in touch, and through her sharing with her fellowship, one of her friends has been enlightened and has offered to sponsor me for my work, and I feel greatly blessed. Between the two of them, they’ve committed to giving $1,200 a month for a year, and that brings my deficit to $3,800. I’m still in need of funds, but I know God will take care of this for me. My rule for offerings is that if God leaves you no doubts about giving to me, then I’ll accept it. For non-believers, I’ll accept your gifts without asking you to pray, because I know God’s association with you is very different from what He has with ones who listen for Him.
Recently, I’ve been responsible for leading a small group on Sundays, we’re going through a book called Holy Conversation, and this week’s chapter is about Talking about Jesus. Since I’ve cut my toe, I’ve been sent home to rest, and I’ve been spending this valuable time meditating and getting my homework done for the week. I realised despite knowing all the stories in the Gospels, and knowing about Christ’s miracles, I cannot retell His story from another angle, or in more depth. I’m just limited to what I know from the Gospels, and the Bible isn’t exactly a highlighted studying guide, and I’m stuck! So I realised that one of my first and foremost goals for this year has just revealed itself to me. I need to know Jesus. I need to know who I claim to be my Savior, who I accept as my heavenly Father, and who I call Lord. I need to know who I am serving. It’s such a big shock that I’ve been serving Him for so long and I haven’t even scratched the surface of who He really is. Blind faith indeed! So I’m going to work really hard, and study and really get to know Christ. That’s my first goal.
My second goal is to, of course, prepare my way to Africa. That’s where I’m called to serve, so I need to know how to get in, how to survive, and how best to train for it. So that means kinds of ministries, living expenses, travel and medical insurance, cost of training, etc. My first step towards this is to get back in touch with my friend, Cheuk Chung from OM that I bumped into on Doulos, and from there, who knows.
So those are my goals. And now for some prayer requests. My dad might be transferred to Australia for a year, so please pray for my family, for our health and for our love for each other. Pray that I’ll be able to really get some housework done on my day off, and really show my brother and my mother that I do care for them, despite needing to be away most of the week to seek my purpose. My parents don’t believe in Christ, so please pray for that. And also, please pray for my brother’s studies, he’s going into year 11 (grade 10, or form 5) next year, and there’ll be a lot of coursework to do and a lot of important exams that he has to work with. Just pray for clarity of mind, and steadfastness and patience in his studies. And that he’ll know when to rest, and how much to work, and that he’ll have a goal to work towards, rather than just letters on a grading sheet.
My dear friends, also pray for my work, my clarity of mind, as I do have a bit of attention deficit and that becomes apparent sometimes, but God will account for that for whatever plans that He has for me, and He will give me a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). Please pray for my steadfast love for our King, and my health and my love for the kids.
In Christ’s Name I serve,
James.
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