Gloria-China

How I Moved from Under Ground Church to Public Church

2009-09-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

My first 5 years Christian life was in an underground church of Beijing. The so called "underground churches" are those churches that are not willing to put themselves under the management of Chinese government. Practically and theologically, they believe that having any kind of relationship with government is not wise or right. They don't go to religious department of the local government to register. They also teach that public church is unclean and misled on the way of truth because they receive government management. They emphasise discipleship training and evangelizm. Citizenship and ethical life in society are not their focus. Salvation is their focus. They train believers to do overseas ministry, like to go to Arab area, as well as train believers to do minority people's ministries. They have wonderful work among university students. Nowadays, underground churches grow very fast and become very strong, they begin to seriously consider about their identity in Chinese society. Some of the leaders do not refuse registration any more, but Chinese government hasn't said yes to their registration applications. More than 90% support of western ministry organizations, persons and churches to Chinese churches go to the Chinese underground church. So they have more spiritual books which public church believers may never see in all their Christian life. Underground church believers have many kinds of Bible printing versions that public church believers never see, because missionaries are told that China has no Bible or not allowed to print Bible, so they carry many Bibles to China risking with their lives. Underground churches receive all kinds of teaching from overseas missionaries, while public church believers usually are taught only by their own Chinese ordained teachers and pastors. In the eyes of most western Christians, only underground church is pure, spiritual and faithful.

Chinese public church is stricter organized. Church leaders are all in the organization of different levels of Christian Councils. Provincial Christian Council will decide who can be ordained, and who need to be disciplined. Christian Councils finance receives auditing once a year, while church's finance is required to be opened. Public churches receive management from religious department of local government in the area of the law, not in the area of belief content.

I worked in Beijing for more than 5 years, 2 years was in the general office of an American international company. That was a Christian company. They not only did business, but also did so called "heavenly business". One day I was secretly called by a policeman from Beijing Police Bureau asking me about the personnel of this company. Then I knew they had noticed this company's illegal affairs. One week later, I told my boss that the policeman found me to check the company. "Gloria, are you a spy from the beginning you came to my company?" This was the question hovering in the mind of the boss from then on. By the end, of course soon I left the company. Since I had several sisters and brothers of underground church in that company, they suggested that I couldn't go to any underground church in Beijing, for I might have policeman tails.

From bottom of my heart, I took their suggestion. Not only I didn't go to any underground church later, but also I destroyed everything that might help police find my sisters and brothers in the underground churches. I tore my address book into pieces. The next Sunday, I had nowhere to go but I had to worship my God, so I went to a public church in Beijing. I heard the pastor pray for all underground church brothers and sisters. I took this as a sign that God hugged me in this church. Later on, I joined the youth choir of this church. Gradually I grow up in the public church system: serving in the church, going to study in seminaries, coming back to serve in local church, teaching in seminary. I was ordained as pastor on Dec. 23, 2007, eight years after I stepped into public church.

Amazing Training

2009-08-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

July 12-August 7, 2009, 98 teachers from China’s main religious schools, including Buddhism colleges, Taoism colleges, Islam colleges, Catholic seminaries and Christian seminaries and from several provincial religious bureaus gathered together in Beijing Normal University. We had 4 weeks pedagogy training. This was an amazing training.

Amazing 1: different religions, close communications. In the day time, we were in one classroom listening to the lectures on different topics of pedagogy. At the night, we had dialogues focus on different religion by turns. We even had a party one night, every religion showed its own characteristic programs. Christians sang hymns. Protestant sang Amazing Grace and catholic priests sang it with us. Priests sang a popular Chinese worship song “In Love We Gathered”, pastors sang with them. Taoist performed Tai Chi and taught us how to live a longer life as well as how to keep young. A very famous imam sang Alcoran. It really liked a Soul. Islamite danced in Sinkiang music also. Another imam sang an Arab song in three different melodies. Buddhists sang together with the sound of woodblock and bell. A Buddhist nun sang a very sorrow song of mourning people’s death. It greatly shocked everyone, for the song directly came out of her spirit.
Amazing 2: State Administration of Religious Affairs was the one who offered this training. They paid everything during our stay in Beijing Normal University. Have you ever heard such a good government? This kind of class might be very rare in the whole world as I thought.
Amazing 3: Pedagogy knowledge was abundant. We learned how to design a course, how to evaluate teachers, how to create evaluation forms, and what pedagogy is about, etc. all together 36 subjects! It proved to be quite useful for us. Professors were excellent in guiding us on learning and discussions. Most classes were interesting and fruitful.
After coming back from this training, I bought some books that professor recommended. I am going to study it and not only apply the principles into my own teaching but also train other teachers in our school to make classing teaching more efficient. I also begin to record in my Chinese blog the progress and the improvement that I have achieved in my work and self study, sharing with those of my classmates. I feel that from now on I will play better and better in my role as a teacher.

How I came to the Lord

2009-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

I was born in a family of intellectuals. Both my father and my mother graduated from universities. My father worked in a medical college which later became a part of the local university. I grew up in an atmosphere which put study in a high position.

Beside study, my family has another tradition: sports. We had a homemade Ping-Pong table. My father kept every year’s short-distance race champion among all the teachers and professors of his college. They had a husband-and-wife 100 meter relay race. No matter how far my mother fell behind, my father could catch up and finally got champion. My mother is good at volleyball and so am I. I was both Women’s Volleyball Team member and Women’s Basketball Team member in university. My brother played basketball every afternoon with his fellows and their court was called “Colosseum”, for he and his fellows are the best basketball players in the city and their game is always white-hot. My brother had three times got his leg fractured in a basketball match. Each time he had to lie in the bed for several days and his friends keep coming to visit him.

I went directly into Hunan University without the entrance examination. This was very unusual; a big university with thousands of students did not have more than 10 students that were allowed to enter University without an entrance exam. It was a reward for my excellent performance both in study and sports in high school. I chose the major of Highway and Bridges Design in Civil Engineering. But this was the beginning of my hardship. I was an idiot in mechanics. Hydromechanics, structural mechanics, soil mechanics and elastic mechanics made me despair. I began to have inner pain from the struggle of trying to be the best. I failed and I couldn’t face it. Neither did I know how to change my unlucky fate.

A friend of mine came to the Lord and he shared the gospel with me. He gave me his testimony and brought me to different Christian fellowships. I kept arguing with those Christians. I had no god in my heart. If I had, that might have been my father and mother. I began to read some little gospel brochures, the ones with interesting pictures and a few words. Finally I got to know that Christians thought there was a God who loved them and this God became Jesus, who died for all human being’s sin on the cross.
“For He so loved the world”, I read one day, then I though in my heart, if there was really a God and He loved me, He should come to look for me, for I didn’t know where to find Him.

Then this God came to look for me. On August 17, 1994, that night I was sleeping in my bed in my dorm of Hunan University thinking through my life: I even have no goal, everybody goes to tomb; no standard of being a good person; success couldn’t make up the wrong thing I have done. I recognized I had done a lot of wrong things! I felt my heart was heavy. I wanted to have a new start, but how? I knew my life was burning and one day it would come an end, but for what purpose? Then I began to think; what lay after death? In other words, what would i be if I go through death? I believe that my earthly life ended at that moment and just at that moment I heard a voice said to me in Chinese, “My blood has cleansed your sin.”

These words were powerful, as they were spoken out, taking away the heavy thing in my heart. It was Jesus. I immediately knew it. I was lying there and let tears come out of my eyes. It was like my inner tap was broken and water rushed out. Jesus surrounded me with His love. I knew that He understood me and loves me more than my parents. He knew my inner struggle. I knew I had Jesus and in this life I was totally satisfied, even though I had nothing else.

I wanted to say something to Jesus although I couldn’t see Him but I knew He was there. I didn’t know what to say. After all, this was my first time to speak to Jesus. So I jumped down from my bed, finding out a brochure named “Why You Should Believe in Jesus”. A paragraph jumped into my eyes and I just wanted to read it out to Jesus. Later on I found it was a prayer that one should pray to Jesus for the first time:

“Jesus I need you…thank you for dying for me and for my sins. I give my life to you. Be my Lord and Savior. Guide me in all my life till I see your face. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. ”
The next day was a brand new day. For the first time I found the sky was so blue, the flowers were fragrant, the birds were singing and the grass was so green. Everything God made for He loved us.
Then I began to read my spiritual books. The first book I took was titled “Fasting is the Most Efficient Prayer”. After reading it in the morning, I decided to have three days fasting and that began my Christian life.

--to be continued

China Theological Education: Current Situation and Future Prospects

2009-06-24T00:46:00.000-07:00

From June 15 to June 20 all HBI teachers thought through China’s theological education situation in Lutheran Theological Seminary of Hong Kong with other two China’s seminaries: Middle South Seminary and Jiangxi Bible School. We also visited and learned from 5 other Hong Kong seminaries. This article is the result of this meaningful study journey.

To understand China’s theological education, you must first identify the stage that it is at. If we take a seminary as a factory, we can say that China’s seminaries are at the stage of family workshop. Principal is the head of every department. He names himself the highest authority. He can anytime step into any department’s territory and address his opinion as well as make decision. He is busy to move this project and that project, without him, departments couldn’t find their directions, without him the whole system will paralyze. He is the founder, the speaker and his authority can’t be offended, even in the areas he is not professional. Unlike a modern enterprise, at this stage, China’s seminary first need to find out their own mission (every seminary should have their own mission instead of one mission for everyone. China’s Christian Council wrote one mission for all the seminaries of China many years ago, it was not a practical thing), then each department’s mission. This can’t just learn from overseas seminaries. Each seminary needs experiences and to work out their own mission. Neither can the mission come out from a smart head; instead, it needs years of practice in theological education.

Now we come to the principal’s role. China’s seminary principal’s main working pressure is at fundraising area. Nanjing Theological Union Seminary didn’t need fundraising before, but after building up a glorious new school, she put herself under the same pressure of every other seminary principal. But at this stage, if the principal gives all his energy on fundraising, and don’t give nourishment to his staff and teachers, he will be just like a boss. He gives order from outside, but can’t move teachers from their inside. This is a bad thing because the principal can’t integrate teachers influence on the students. Even on the fundraising area, they sometimes pay too much attention to overseas churches instead of looking to domestic resources. They forget to share their vision with local churches. In the long run, we will find this is not wise. On the stage we mentioned first, a bossy principal can’t do theological education. Teachers can’t do it either if they do not have close fellowship.

Another area is students’ field work. Most China seminaries just need to see students serving in a church, and then everything is ok. But more detailed work need to be done to make the field work meaningful for the students. China Seminaries should know very well of the churches and the leaders, so that they can ask churches give good instruction to the students; they also should set a theme for the students as their observation goal each semester, so that students will know what to learn step by step; they should listen to church leaders of their suggestion on theological education. All these detailed things and efforts will make student’s field work totally different.

18 seminaries in China can’t meet the numbers of increasing believers’ needs, but they should try to meet more church needs. Except for full time training, they can cooperate with prefecture level training class, sending teachers to support and integrate different levels’ theological training. Seminaries can develop correspondence course for students who have to stay at home.

Nowadays, seminary students are younger and younger. Some of them do no have clear calling from God. The procedure of enrollment of new students is one thing to be reconsidered. Aptitude test is a good method through which we can know how to give instruction to a student in his study and growth in school. But no seminary in China has begun to use it. Seminary should dig more local resources and try to cooperate with professional organizations in students’ guidance.

Some China seminaries would get their graduates informed of the seminary’s news, but none has done graduates’ superintend and guide.

Most China seminaries need to electronize their library so that the books can be used more and can support teachers’ teaching as well as students’ study.

The most heartily touched problem of China’s seminaries is the shortage of mission training: no short time mission practice, no discipleship training, no mission course, no training of how to efficiently explain the gospel, etc. Students do not have chance to face unsaved souls. They only face believers. Teachers only face seminary students---very good believers. The passion for unsaved souls is obviously low. What the meaning of theological education is then, we should ask. The shortage of mission really touched the theological education’s core. It is a sad thing. We hope in the near future, more and more China seminary can become missionary training center for local churches.

Her birthday was June 1st.

2009-06-01T20:43:00.000-07:00

Her name was Shuishui. It means "water-water". Her birthday was on June 1, as all the kids in the orphanage.
I started an orphanage ministry with another sister in our local church. I remember the cold winter Saturday afternoon we first went into the orphanage. We were allowed to visit one part which was for abnormal kids. A little girl came up to me and took my hand. She was Binbin. She had such shinning smile and bright face, that no one could tell she was from orphanage. People said she looked like me. I finally fostered her. When I went to work, I put her in a kindergarten. When I came back, I took her from the kindergarten and we ate supper together. I cooked for her and she would always praise what yummy food! I taught her several Chinese characters each night and gave her a lot of applaud. She learned fast. We together watched cartoons or children’s programs. She had brain paralysis and for this reason she couldn’t be adopted. Deep in my heart I thought this girl deserved better life. I put my hand on her head and prayed for God’s healing before she went to bed. We lived together for 3 months. God healed her. She soon left me and was adopted by a Spanish family.
Shuishui was the opposite. She seldom smiled. Her face was full of fear. Her eyes seldom were without tears. She cried when she ought to have walked by herself but couldn’t. She cried when she suddenly heard a loud voice. And once she began to cry, it seemed she could never stop. “See, she cries again! Just like her name, a lot of water.”
One day Binbin told me,
“Shuishui died.”
“Was she sick, you mean?” I didn’t think she, three years old, had right concept of death. That night, as Binbin watched Animal World, she suddenly said,
“Baby elephant died.”
“What?!”
I was immediately aware that Binbin knew what death was. So Shuishui truly died!
“How did Shuishui die?”
“Mrs. Lei beat her, using her shoe.”
“Did you see it?”
“No. Wenyan told me.” Wenyan was a 12-year-old girl in the orphanage.
Binbin’s answer finished my ministry in that orphanage. I also soon moved to another city.
Today is the first of June, I think of Shuishui:
When she was born, she ought to have felt the warmth of her parents’ arms, but the coldness of the ground---she was found abandoned.
She had a big head, abnormal. She should have received more love than a normal baby because she needed more care.
More than ten kids shared one “mommy” in her “sweet home”. Her life was put to “mummy”----Mrs. Lei. She died under her shoe.
She should have some happy days if she had stronger character. But this world was full of difficulties for her. Her tears didn’t bring enough comfort.
The next morning she died, she was wrapped in matting by a stranger. Blood stain could be seen on the matting.
When she was buried, no friend of her was at the side. She had no grave, buried to an unknown place. No one would go anywhere to memorize her.
She was beaten to death. But who, would cry for her and who, would bring the killer to the court?
I can only make a grave for Shuishui in my heart. Every year I will come here, Shuishui! To memorize you. I hope you have already flied to the purest and joyful place! And the tears you shed would become a pair of glittering and translucent wings for you, bringing you to wherever you desire to go. I hope you have many family members there who live with you and love you a lot. I didn’t do much for you, I am sorry. I noticed your tearing eyes, but I just liked everyone else, walked away from you. I didn’t get you out as I did for Binbin. I didn’t think too much. I was stupid I didn’t know you could leave me so quick! Shuishui, but if you could, please forgive me, forgive this cruel world. You are in my heart forever…

An Educator's Dream

2009-05-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

"This is an absolutely undemocratic situation you face. You have no rights here. Your only right is to come to class and be wonderful. You can’t protest, you can’t be absent, you can only work…You must give your entire self in an act of faith. If you have any sort of resentment or lack of clarity, you will find heartbreak. But if you manage to live through four years of this demand upon your inner self, your life will be literally changed."

This speech was not given in our school, actually I and my students----two girls----in Theological English class read it from our study material: "Becoming a Woman of Excellence". It was spoken by Lydia Joel, the head of the Performing Arts dance department in New York City in 1982. It was under the topic of Surrender.

I was shocked when I first read this paragraph and almost wished I were one of the students there in that school.
What was that in this speech captured me? I kept thinking. Maybe they were educators' strong self confidence, school's high standard, students facing big challenges and satisfactory reward? Maybe it was just the way Lydia spoke? Maybe just because I always liked high challenges? But anyway, I began to think one question: what is my dream as an educator?

I dream to find truth together with my students. We listen to each other and appreciate contributions each of us makes in our different ways.

I dream to share inner feelings with my students not only the thoughts from our mind. We find comfort, compassion, support and union from the deepest level of our hearts.

I dream to serve people in need together with my students. While our hearts are warmed up in class, our hands can convey the temperature expressing the care of our inner sensitive beings to this world.

I dream the time stayed together with my students will be like pure gold, its color does not fade away as time goes by.

I dream my students full of patience to their children and they take time to play with them, knowing being together means everything for children.

I dream my students' faces shine upon my way as I am searching to serve them better, and their faces can still greatly move me as one day I am old, so old that I am on the wheelchair.

I dream I had a film which has taken all the interesting and meaningful moments of I and my students. So that after I go to heaven I could take my time and enjoy this film with my Lord.

I dream by the end of the film, there is a big picture: the image of the first born Son, Jesus Christ.

Graduation Tour-4

2009-04-25T06:22:00.001-07:00

Graduation Tour-3

2009-04-25T06:12:00.001-07:00

Graduation Tour-2

2009-04-25T06:08:00.001-07:00

Graduation Tour-1

2009-04-25T05:29:00.001-07:00

The third year students of HBI recently had their graduation tour. They went to Beijing. They visited SARA (State Administration for Religious Affairs), Beijing Seminary and many tour places. See these pictures, you will see how happy they were!

Our Principal Rev. Chenzhi was the leader for this graduation tour.

Shock: When Church People Met Community People

2009-04-23T23:35:00.000-07:00

After giving AIDS Prevention Training in our own school to the students, we went to Changde city right away to give the same training to 83 students--they were from both Changde churches and 49 communities of Changde city. Among them, 30 students from churches and 53 students from the communities. What happened in the first day really gave me a shock!

In the morning, a speaker from World Relief gave all the students a lecture on how to take good care of AIDS patients. She was an American and as any American liked to do, she had all the students discuss this and that. After discussion, she asked students to share their opinions. When Christians stood up, I began to shock.

"Brothers and sisters," (Do you address only to Christians? )
"Praise God for this opportunity,"(Do the community people know "God"?)
......
"Give thanks to our Lord. Amen!"(Do the community people know "Lord"? What does "Amen" mean?)

They totally forget the presence of 53 community people, none of them was Christian!

In the afternoon, the whole class divided into two: church class and community class. In order to establish future relationship with community people, we invited a local pastor to join us as one of the trainers in community class. Again, during her teaching of AIDS Prevention to community people, I heard "God""Lord""Amen".

"Sensitive", later as we finished the first day's training, we summerized, "Our church, our pastors need to be sensitive to the need of unbelievers. Be the same people as they do, don't think if we put God on our mouth we can win their soul."

Did our church become a club for saved people? instead of a training center for more workers to be equiped to go out and save more souls? We need to repent, if our church and our pastors forget the mission of the church.

AIDS Preventing Training

2009-04-17T01:22:00.000-07:00

What are we doing?

If not see the logo of AIDS, you may not know this is some activity about AIDS preventing training.

Students of the second year and the third year of Hunan Bible Institute received a training this week. It is on how to prevent AIDS. Giving students such training, we have 3 purposes:

1) Inform them of what Hunan Christian Council is doing;

2) Train them to be AIDS Preventing trainers;

3) Help them grasp new training skills, just like learn from games, group competetions, etc.

Good Friday night in HBI-2

2009-04-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

Good Friday night in HBI-1

2009-04-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Good Friday night in HBI of tonight was a special night. 33 Norweigains spent with us. Grade one students played the Drama: Jesus Crucified brought us to that day more than two thousand years ago. During the playing of the drama, a woman believer forgot this was a drama, she cried out "No! Jesus! You can't treat Him like this!" and she ran to the stage trying to grasp Jesus back from the hand of the "Roman soldiors".

By the end, Rev. Chenzhi, our principal came up to the stage. He gave a short speech and when he mentioned the name "Jesus Christ", he almost couldn't speak the name out. He spoke out at last but with a lot of tears...

A very moved night. Jesus's death on the cross left a fresh imprint on our hearts.

Our Religious Dialogue Class-2

2009-04-09T08:09:00.001-07:00

Our Religious Dialogue Class-1

2009-04-09T07:33:00.000-07:00

Learn Buddhism? You must visit a temple and talk with a monk face to face, at least. We did that this afternoon on our Religious Dialogue class. We went to Hunan Buddhism School and our students had a talk with their students face to face. Students were extremely excited!

After that, I asked some students on the content of their talk with the monks, following are some I take from their sharing:

C=Christian B=Buddhist

Mr. B: What do you eat every day?

Ms. C: Pork, beef, cheken, mutton and sometimes dog's meat, and of course some vegetable together.

Mr. B: Do you kill the animals by yourself?

Ms. C: Yes, sometimes we have to do it ourselves.

Mr. B: Are you a foreigner?(for Mr. C has some accent not belong to Hunan)

Mr. C: No, I am from Guangxi. Do you exercise Kung Fu everyday?

Mr. B: No, we play basketball sometimes and learn some Tai Chi.

Ms. C: You were just so lovely when you answered our question just now.

Mr. B: (smile and no words).

Mr. B: What is the content of the Bible?

Ms. C: See, this is the Bible that later after our school will send your school as a gift. Let me show you. It includes Old Testament, New Testament. In a word, the OT talk about Jesus will come and NT talk about Jesus has come to save everyone of us.

Mr. B: Do you teach how to go to Heaven?

Ms. C: No. Every Chirstian know they will surely go to Heaven because they trust in Jesus. After we received we then can pay no attention on how to go to Heaven. We just serve people from our love to our Lord.

Mr. B: We have to work it out and depend on ourselves.

......

The class was hot when one of our girl students asked them to sing their worship song. They sang. And then they also invite us to sing one and we sang.

"Do you have piano?" before we sang, one of our students asked them. It was obvious that they did not have a piano.

Here is another dialogue I heard about later:

Ms. C: I feel your song with be heard much better if you just put a dot there.

Mr. B: We know nothing about music.

Was this a successful class? I am thinking.

What do you think?

Welcome to Muddy, Muddy Kingdom

2009-04-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Can you recognize this is our school---Hunan Bible Institute?

"Of course", you say, "Just see that pink building with a big cross on the wall."

You are right, it is still us.

But in the raining season of Hunan, our school is like a muddy kingdom. Don't you think?

We are going to build a two floors building as the wall of our school. The new rooms can be used as students' reading room, PingPang room, book store for believers and also will be rent out some for business.

The tablet which is on the wall to memorize donors for this building will disappear. Some teachers suggest to use the room which has this tablet as our school history exibition room.

Leadership Training in Changde Christian Council

2009-03-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Changde Christian Council. They had a leadership training class and they invited me to give them lectures. I taught them for three days about Discerning Heresies, the Importance of Mission and the Importance of Social Service. 34 students were from all three level churches: city level, county level and countryside level. The most interesting was, I preached to them about How To Deal With and Release From Jealousy at the end as I saw I still had an hour's left. They had a very hot discussion after my sermon. This, was unexpected. Everyone of them all had experienced jealousy in their church life, and that day they found it was so popular, so deep in human being's heart and so destroyful.

While I taught Thelogical English after I came back, one of my students arose the topic of jealousy again. "I can't help to think, 'It is nothing worthy', when I heard my classmates gave high praises to another classmate." She said. "I can enjoy his gift, but I just can't tolerate other people praise him for that." "That is jealousy, dear." I told her. So she asked me for that sermon and learn how to deal with and release from the bondage of jealousy.

A Buddhist Monk came to give students a lecture

2009-03-19T02:06:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we had a dialogue with a Buddhist monk named "Chang Hui" from Lushan Temple. This is an activity for the students who study Religions Dialogue and World Religions.

Through this dialogue face to face, students changed their view to Buddhist and Buddhism.

Flowers 10

2009-03-10T09:03:00.001-07:00

In butterflies' eyes, flowers are different. In a new born Christian's eyes, this world is different.

Flowers 9

2009-03-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

My days working in that flower shop were very meaningful. Every day, I saw these natural thing, they were like a mirror, reflecting the parts which were distorted in my life. I always prayed to God, "Make me as natural as these flowers. Shine upon me and make every petal of my life burst forth!"

Flowers 8

2009-03-10T08:37:00.001-07:00

This flower is called "bleeding heart".

I know a girl, her first love had to flee abroad for political reasons. She asked him to bring her but he said too dangerous. They never saw each other again. She waited and waited. She hoped that man would come back one day to take her together with him and they would not depart from each other any longer. Until one day a pastor told her, " He has been married. His wife's name is..." Her heart was bleeding.

Flowers 7

2009-03-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

I know a man. After his wife died of cancer, he lived with his 6-year-old son. He shared with me his secret--he loved a girl who was working in a tea house. He brought me to see her. That young girl was really a special one. Even I couldn't move my eyes away from her. She was not that kind which's beautiful, but is the kind that made you feel home. He told me how wonderful if he could have her as his wife! But his common senses told him, that she was too young, a splendid future laid ahead of her and he might not have the ability to give her the biggest hapiness. So he gave up, but for one month, he paid a flower shop to send her a bunch of flowers each day...

Flowers 6

2009-03-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

Many Chinese man do not send flowers to their wives. Not because they do not love their wives, but just because they are not used to it and feel shy to do it. "No use. You can't eat it. You can't dress it on. Just look at it, meaningless! Let's live a more real life. We are adults, old husband and wife. We don't need flowers. What else can I buy for you?" They will often say like this to their wives.

Flowers 5

2009-03-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

My brother likes to send flowers to my mother. He will send a bunch of flowers to her on Mother's Day; But he also sends her flowers in any no special day. My mother loves him very much. Everytime when she mentioned his son, she would say with full of pride on her face, "Oh my son! What a wonderful boy! How perfect he is!"

Flowers 4

2009-03-10T07:59:00.001-07:00

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! "Psalm 139:17

When I see so many kinds of flowers, I am alway moved by the love of God.

If a boy loved a girl, he uses roses to express his love.

But, God, He created not only roses, but vast sum of flowers in different seasons in different places...

God, please help me be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth of Your love!

Flowers 3

2009-03-10T07:53:00.001-07:00

Once I prayed to God, "Please open my eyes to see the wonders of your creation." I then found that the leaves and flowers had life in it. And the life were so true! Thank God for your creations!

Flowers 2

2009-03-10T07:21:00.001-07:00

After leaving university, my first job was in a bookstore in Beijing. That was a wonderful bookstore. Till today, I still give orders to that bookstore for it has high educated staff who can always tell me what are the best books in the area I named.

My second job was in a flower shop which was located inside Beijing University. I enjoyed the days with flowers and romantic university students.

Flowers 1

2009-03-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

Spring is coming. I took many flower pictures two years ago when I visited the United States for the first time. May all these flowers bring the breath of this season to you...

Such a Young Pastor, Died!

2009-03-08T05:39:00.000-07:00

His name is Rev. Zhong-Shiyuan, the vice-General Secretary of Yunnan Christian Council. He died on January 18th, 2009, only forty years old. He was in Hunan in January 10-12 this year, accompany a German group visiting a rural area. It was a long and tired journey. Rev. Zhong-Shiyuan guided this German Group, from Shanghai to Hunan, then to Yunnan. After he saw his German friends off, he was sent to the hospital then. But this long and tired journey ended his young life. He left his family and his coworkers, in such an early year of his life, going back HOME. Many years of cirrhosis of liver and a sudden massive haemorrhage of stomach got his last breath.
I cried for his death. He was a good person, once I ate with several people and he was introduced by the president of Yunnan Christian Council to us as a diligent and capable young man. He left a humble impression on me. "My wife's English is better than mine. She can help me in many ways, thank God.” I remember he said. His wife is also a pastor.

I am on the same position as his: vice General Secretary of a provincial Christian Council, I can’t help to think through toward his death. A Chinese pastor's burden might be out of the imagination of a western country's pastor. Besides all of our daily work of taking care of believers, on a provincial level we have a lot of so called "foreign affairs", which means accompany our overseas friends to visit churches. Yunnan’s "foreign affairs" are triple than Hunan's, for they have triple believers, much more than triple minority Christians and beautiful sceneries. It is on the boundary line and next to Tibet. Yunnan is the place where AIDS are the most popular in China because of the drugs trade on the boundary. All these factors have made Yunnan a place captured the eyes of western missionaries. I don't know why but this is a truth that missionaries always want to go to the most rural area. They are so energetic, while Chinese are not so compared to westerners. An Exhausted Chinese pastor can't get any rest after he came back from his journey with the missionaries from the most rural area, except he was ill. He had to go back his daily responsibilities right away because he was so needed. Teaching, preaching, visiting believers were all the things he had to do. If Rev. Zhong had been just a pastor in a church, he would not died so early. But he was a pastor of one church, a teacher of Yunnan Bible School, a coordinator for many foreign missionary organizations (just like a tour guide in a big travel agency), he also had a position in China's Christian Council. He might have been too tired and he might have done all he has to do on the earth as a pastor.

A Chinese pastor is like a panda for our Chinese church, rare and precious. His worth is much more than gold. Such a young pastor, died! His death is speaking to our hearts. What did you hear?

How Do I Teach Theological English

2009-03-03T07:28:00.000-08:00

Only two students in this class. English is selective for second and third year students, but a must for first year students. Students go to 3 different English classes according to their English level. These two students in my class are in highest level. My slogan for them is: Stop to learn English, Use it!

Becoming a Women of Excellence is the textbook for this class, since these two students are all female. I brought this little book from America. A sister gave to me as a gift. Now I can use it in a good way.

How Do I Teach Religious Dialogue

2009-03-03T04:26:00.000-08:00

This is a selective course. I told second year students that this course shares the same reading material as World Religion. But still some second year students selected this course, for they have very strong interest in other religions, I think. Most students are from third year. This week, also about Hinduism. After having them read the same material second year studetns read in World Religion class, I listed below questions for them to discuss in groups and give report:

1) Give a proposal on approaching Hindu, at least 10 methods. You methods should not make a Hindu dislike you, instead, trying to leave a good impression.

2) Give a proposal on talking with Hindu, list at least 10 questions that you can ask a Hindu to have him or her talk more about his or her belief.

3) In your church, a Hindu just came to the Lord, give a proposal on strengthening his faith in Christ.

4) A Christian sister and a Hindu fall in love and they are going to marry. They come to you for pre-marriage counciling, please give a proposal on how you will do their pre-marriage counciling.

5) You married to an Indian Christian, you will live together with his/her parents who are Hindu. What do you plan to do in order to get well along with their parents?

6) Find interesting knowledge about Hinduism on internet to share with class.

How Do I Teach World Religion

2009-03-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

This week I learned Hinduism together with the second year students. I first collected 14 pages knowledge about Hinduism for the students most through internet. I asked them to read those 14 pages on class and showed them some pictures instead of "teaching" them anything. But then I gave them a request: Find our at least 20 points which you think can attract people's heart in Hinduism. This was not a big challenge for them, after first thinking by themselves then discussing in groups, one group among all five groups found 20 points. Next week, I will have all these groups compete on finding attracting points of Hinduism in class. This may be a challenge for them. We will see how much points they can find. Winners have reward, chocolate. After that, I will ask them to discuss: according to all those attractive points, what we can do to make Christianity more attractive for Chinese people? At last, I will ask them: what YOU can do to make Christianity more attractive in your community.

Students' Dancing Group

2009-03-03T03:32:00.001-08:00

I couldn't believe my eyes, these students, are they really our school's students? As I took my camera and seeing they're so excited before my shots, I thought. They recalled me of my days as a student in this school 8 years ago. We read the Bible and spiritual books day and night. We were not like them. They are so active, dynamic and you may smell the atmosphere of this age from them, which is very good I think. I believe their energy, one day will be greatly used by God in the mission field.

Kingdom Pioneer

2009-03-02T03:15:00.000-08:00

After the classes cut down from 26 to 18 per week, HBI students have more spare time for themselves. They established 11 hobby groups this semester, such as Dancing Group, Painting Group, Computer Technology Group, Gitar Group, Volleyball Group, etc. The pictures show one of the groups named: Kingdom Pioneer. They went out last Saturday to barbecue in a park in downtown city. "It's really cold. We barbecued on a high place, the wind was strong. We all coated in dust before the meat was ready." After they went back, they hoped they had brought some people who were good at barbecue. Girls all rushed into bathroom and soon went to bed. They were surely tired! But see from the pictures, they had a good time! They worshiped together outside.Well, if they hadn't enjoyed the barbecue, at least they enjoyed the nature. They liked birds flying here and there. See how shinning their smiles were!

King Pioneer group plans to have activity twice a month. They will go to visit different places of this city trying to understand how people's daily life is like here. They will also go to local orphanage to show love to the orphans.

As a teacher and as I have been in all the process of HBI's reformation, no words can express how enjoyable and excited I am seeing the faces of my students so fresh!

My husband's DIY-2:made it into a lamp

2009-02-27T07:14:00.001-08:00

Now we have "THE DOG" lamp.

My husband's DIY-1:saw a trash bin

2009-02-27T07:06:00.000-08:00

This is a trash bin. My husband bought from a supermarket.

"When I saw it, I saw a lamp." My husband said.

New Curriculum

2009-02-26T02:04:00.000-08:00

We have finished the reformation of our curriculum finally. This semester we begin to use it! There is a brand new atmosphere in our school. Students are excited every moment. They have been released from 26 classes a week to 18 classes a week. Some new courses like Religious Dialogue, Development Psychology, Leadership Training, etc. make their faces just red. Teachers are crazily involved into every day's preparation for their classes. I must say that they are very brave, for they know what they are going to teach only one day before the new semester was open! Surely the bravest is me. I teach 5 courses this semester: World Religion, Religious Dialogue, Christianity and Chinese Culture, the book of Jeremiah and Theological English. See on the picture a part of my reference books. Unlike some teachers who know what they are going to teach this whole semester, I would not know what I am going to teach next class. It is also an excitement for me to take such a challenge.
If you want to find the feeling of travelling through space and time, come to our school. We used 2 months gained 10 years changes, and our teaching and study moved from middle school's level to college level in a minute. Large space has been created for both students and teachers to grow through this curriculum project.

My FAQ in the United States

2009-02-23T03:40:00.001-08:00

In 2007, I got a chance to visit the United States for 38 days. That was my first time going abroad. Most of my time in the US was with church people. As I remembered, three questions I was asked frequently, following are my FAQ&A:

Where did you learn your English?

-I worked in an American company for 2 years in Beijing. There I picked up many useful expressions and got chance to use English in my work everyday.

What is your impression of US?

-Kids are outgoing compared with Chinese kids. Our kids are shy before strangers.

-Houses are so colorful: pink, yellow, black, peach, green, blue, grey, I never thought that some colors could use on painting houses!

-Americans are talkative. Good when you are fresh, bad when you feel tired. They can talk, talk and talk, while most Chinese enjoy quietness. Americans are energetic!

-Food has a lot of meat. I ended my last days in the US only eating fruit and bread. Asian food are more healthy!

-Mission: passion and reason. I can find passion in their church mission plans and acts, but also find their reason in the mission field which is good. But sometimes I feel reason is stronger than passion, then I feel not good.

-No people, only cars----people live far away from each other; a store is far away from living place; without cars Americans can't live.

-A trustworthy society, the value of honest is high. I got this impression in purchasing things in stores.

-Patriotism is extremely strong. See how many national flags in Disney Land!

How did you become a Christian?

-This question began to be asked in American embassy by the visa official. He was satisfied with my answer, otherwise he would not give me the visa. In the same way, every time I told the story about how I became a Christian, no more question was asked.

My son-spent a happy Chinese New Year!

2009-02-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

Grandma

2009-02-10T07:59:00.001-08:00

“I am already seventy, Mom.”My mother-in-law has to remind her mother often, who is ninety five this year. They live together. “Don’t blame me as I am still a child.”
I know about my grandmother-in-law most from my husband. He often addresses her as an open-minded woman, for she dared to leave her village when she was a young lady, two boys’ mother. That village was deep in a mountain. To purchase daily things like salt would cost a whole day back and forth from the town. One day she was laboring in the field, her younger son was put aside in a basket, a tiger went out from the woods and targeted at her baby. Soon the tiger quietly stole the baby away, and she only saw the back of the tiger and the disappearance of her baby. She was not mad; instead, she decided to leave the village for the town. It is hard to believe, at that time, peasants were not permitted to leave their land. They were locked to their land, moving away was illegal. She fled away at a midnight with her husband and her son. Because they were in such a hurry, the journey was long, and the mountain road was difficult, her son, the remained one also died within 11 days after they arrived at the town.
My mother-in-law was her only child. She was born in the town. My husband has 2 brothers and 3 sisters. My grandmother-in-law helped my mother-in-law bring them up. In her eyes, girls are just girls, but boys are the blood of the family. She loved her youngest grandson most. But he died in twenties in a car accident. Then my husband became her beloved.
“My deadly weakness is” once my husband was in the army, “if enemy took my grandma and try to harm her, I will surrender in a second.” He told me secretly.
“I have to come back; grandma caught a cold.” My husband often said this and once he blew the gaff, “She didn’t catch a cold, she just miss me.” Grandma was lovesickness, only to my husband. “On half of my way back her cold will disappear without a trace. When she sees me, her face is like a shinning sun! ”
“What will you do then being with grandma?”
“I just take her hands and chat with her. Sometimes if it is sunny I put her in the wheelchair to go out for a walk. I bring her to the places she likes and the places most noisy. I buy her favorite snack for her. She is always surprised how I can remember what she likes. We are scenery on the street, really. ”My husband always recalls his time with grandma full of happiness and pride.
One day my husband came back from Grandma and not happy. I asked him what happened. “Grandma showed me her treasure today.” Grandma collected some treasure like her old jewelries and the money her grandsons and granddaughters gave her. “After I die, you may take these.” She said to my husband.
She died in this February, the nature called upon her. She left a good husband to me, a man full of love and mercy.
Grandma, thank you.

Our project-give the order

2009-01-29T09:01:00.000-08:00

Rev. Chen (the left), the principal of HBI (Hunan Bible Institute) wants to give the order.

Doc.Lam (the right), the president of LTS helped him.

This was mostly what the project we just did in Hong Kong.

Rev. Chen wants to give the order to the 12 three-year programm theological seminaries in China for he has received this task from SARA (State Administration for Religious Affairs). This time he led a team target at the cirriculum.

Doc. Lam, leading a team consisting of LTS (Lutherian Theological Seminary) professors supported this project.

Hong Kong Impression-3

2009-01-29T08:40:00.001-08:00

Like this transformed glass which I took at our table in Hong Kong while we were eating at a restaruant, Hong Kong's tranditional Chinese culture has already transformed by western culture. You can't take a Hong Kong person as he or she still a Chinese. I mean, Hong Kong people they are not Chinese any more. From the outside, they still look like a "glass", but they have very different taste and thoughts inside. This is my third impression of Hong Kong, of its people.

Hong Kong Impression-2

2009-01-29T08:25:00.001-08:00

Although the project gave us little time to relax, we still find some time to go shopping in Hong Kong. We visited a shopping center not far from our living place.

Hong Kong, so called "Shopping Heaven" is really to its name: pleasant shopping environment, exciting shopping atmosphere-with so many people, all kinds of goods--a delightful surprise is somewhere waiting for you, friendly service, etc. In a word, in Hong Kong, you may feel the money in your pocket is dancing every minute, and saying "Go!Go!Go!" This is my second impression of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Impression-1

2009-01-29T08:14:00.000-08:00

They are my son and nanny in Hong Kong during our project group staying there from January18th to January 23rd, 2009.
Hong Kong is immersed in the atmosphere of Chinese New Year.
Hong Kong, sometimes is more chinese than China. People have kept something traditional and anciant Chinese taste, while in China you may hardly find. This is my first impression on Hong Kong.

We have a dream

2009-01-12T21:46:00.000-08:00

The pictures show the dream land of Hunan Bible Institute. In 2009, we are going to make this dream become partly true---we plan to locate the land by every effort. Who can live among "monsters" forever? Who can bear the school's tiny yard forever? For HBI students and teachers, the answer is NO ONE DOES! We want a change. We will move to our dream land one day in the near future.

30 years ago, when my father was teaching in a medical training school, I was his little assistant helping him check the answers of the students on their paper. Now my father retired as the dean of a university, that former medical training school is just a part of the university.

10 years ago, I was teaching English in Beijing in a private school. Today that private school teaches students playing golf, tennis, etc. in their classes. Many students from that school have gone to famous American universities. The school has graduated many "noble" persons.

For 19 years, HBI has been reopened, but it is still like a homunculus among schools and universities. It is so tiny that even the kindergaten I took more than 30 years ago was bigger and more beautiful. You can't find any pride in its size, in its building, in its environments. I usually feel embarrassed when my university classmates come to visit my home which is on the fifth floor of the school building. For them, it is a strange thing to find me working in such a school. I have no word when I tried to explain to them. We are not ashamed for who we are and what we have. But we are very embarrassed as we are so back of the society. Some people say, this is because of the Culture Revolution. The church closed for 20 years! But the whole Chinese society also stopped development during that time.

We are working for a better future of HBI, a big campus with green trees, many dependent buildings for teaching, library, canteen, students department and teachers department, and a standard sport playground. This dream is not something luxury.

Monsters around us

2009-01-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

People who visited Hunan Bible Institute (HBI) may recognize the tiny cement yard in the picture at the bottom----it is HBI's school yard---- the only sport and activity area for all 88 HBI students and 26 staff and teachers, smaller than a standard volleyball court. (One five-floor building and this tiny yard is all our school.)And now, our school was surrounded by three big construction sites, which are standing up and strentching along like monsters around. We are like a meat at the mouth of these monsters, day and night, huge digging machine's working sound is like the crying of the monsters.

High Building Monster: in front of us, this dark red and white high building has been under construction for over one year. Noises and dust are its daily production.

Muddy Road Monster: Now the road right out of our school gate is under construction. A digging machine works on this road even the whole night after a whole day! Yesterday the machine was damaged, I guess it was because over-use.

Totally-torn-down Factory Monster: behind us, is a factory recently was totally torn down. Who knows which kind of building will be set up on it. Big machine also works on the site to tear things down and more things out.

Our nerves are shaked if not by this Monster, then by that Monster. We are surrounded by Monsters.

It is said that China is like a huge construction site. This is very true from the perspective of HBI.

A wedding in HBI chapel today-4

2009-01-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

Walk into family life.

A wedding in HBI chapel today-3

2009-01-02T22:52:00.001-08:00

She is the shinning point today!

A wedding in HBI chapel today-2

2009-01-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

Waiting for the bride.

See the "heart" on the floor, made of rose petals, isn't it creative and romantic?

A wedding in HBI chapel today-1

2009-01-02T22:23:00.000-08:00

See the decoration of our chapel.

Pink, a color for "forever hapiness".

Female Group Singing: the Song of Manger

2008-12-25T01:40:00.000-08:00

Jesus was born in a manger,

What a miracle thing!

A king humbled Himself,

Born in such a simple place.

Dance: Love the Lord from my heart

2008-12-25T01:36:00.000-08:00

Love the Lord from my heart,

I am willing to surrender,

For He loved me first.

Miao Minority Dancing

2008-12-25T01:26:00.000-08:00

Hunan province has 40 minorities. Han, the majority has 90% population. Minorities include Tujia, Miao, Yao, Dong, Bai, Hui, Weiwuer, etc. Most minority people live in mountain area of west, east and south of Hunan province.

Drama: Holy Baby Was Born

2008-12-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

There was no place for Him.

Fan Dancing: Seekers of Life

2008-12-24T20:15:00.000-08:00

Do they like Butterflies?

Four Emcee

2008-12-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

They were from each of three grades. The right two were from grade one.

Silent Night (Grade One Students)

2008-12-24T20:06:00.000-08:00

2008 HBI Christmas Eve Party began with the song of Silent Night, by grade one student chior.

A Chinese official lady

2008-12-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

“I work 2 days then rest 4 days. I have a lot of spare time. I learned to drive car recently. I am also learning playing the cucurbit flute (played by minority people in Yunnan province). Tonight I will go to Hong Kong with my friends for tour. Could you recommend a church for me in Hong Kong to visit?”

Carrying baby in my arm, thinking of my huge workload and I had to work day and night after going back office, talking with this lady around 40 at lunch in a sunny day at a very relaxed teahouse in my hometown Chenzhou (a south city in Hunan province), it was like I were facing a nearly retired old person. Her life styles, in my thoughts only old people could have the right to enjoy.

She was a beautiful lady, longhair under her waist, dressed in a dark purple maxi skit; a pink flower long scarf winded around her neck and casually went down. She worked for the government in police system. I got to know her when I applied for my passport. She was one of the officials there dealing with the application procedures. She noticed that I worked in a church then she showed great interest in my faith. She began to ask about church activities and started to make friends with me. She told me when she was in university, she used to go to church in Christmas season. This summer she moved to a new unit within the police system. I had her give me a favor when I went to apply for my son's visa to Hong Kong this Friday afternoon. The officials there were “having Political Study”, which meant no application could be taken until next Monday. After giving her a call, my son's application got through that afternoon. For this reason I treated her in the teahouse. She recalled many of her memories of how she brought up her son with a lot of moved moments and events. “Once my son was seriously ill and the doctor suspected that he got blood cancer. My son was always healthy and it's first time he's sent to hospital. Blood cancer? I couldn't believe.” The next day, his son was quite ok and the first diagnose proved to be wrong.

Friendship with her helped me change my perspective of government officials. They are changing, from the image of far, cold and serious to the image of close, warm and dear. Their spirit is freer. It seems the Communist Party just like air in her life, existing but can’t be seen. She boldly seeks to her own faith, and she chose Christianity.
Some Chinese people like this friend of mine, have lived a relaxed and high quality life. They work and have time enjoying family, music, nature, etc. But they are rare. I hope these people will find more meaning in serving other people in stead of living in their own circles only.

father and son walk

2008-12-23T19:46:00.000-08:00

Two days before Christmas, we had a sunny day and the wheather didn't like in winter but like in summer.

We took a walk in our local park. I was the professional photographer of our family.

Cool son of mine

2008-12-17T04:38:00.000-08:00

Acctually my son is just out of hospital. He caught a serious cold. We dressed him up like this--warm and cool!

HBI Greetings Card DIY

2008-12-17T03:50:00.000-08:00

Inside: centual picture-6 fishes. Fish has abundant Christian meanings. 6, this number in Chinese has a meaning of "every success".

Back cover: a pair of foot print with the verse from Romans 10:15

Front Cover: Next year of 2009 is the Year of Ox according to Chinese tradition.

All the pictures we used are from Chinese paper-cut. We also used Chinese Knot. It has the function to unit inside page and outside cover, also to make this card more Chinese. It is a pity that we can't mail the Chinese Knot together with the greetings card, the post office had us take it off!

Good friends

2008-12-12T23:24:00.000-08:00

Taken By Gloria Wu

An old man's heart

2008-12-11T01:17:00.000-08:00

"10.25, 2.16 by Lunar Calendar. Never ever forget."

My brother text me the short message, reminding me those two crucial dates: the first one is my father's birthday and the second, my mother's.

The day before was my father's 66th birthday. And I made a terrible mistake--didn't give him a call. Immediately I called my father’s cell phone wanted to say a late "Happy Birthday", but he would not answer it. I didn't know what happened until I called my parent's home that night. My mother answered phone,
"He waited for your call that whole day, morning and afternoon" she said "In the evening I saw he became very unhappy. You would not know how much he wished to receive your call and knew you still remembered his birthday!" The worst thing happened. My father's heart was hurt, by me. "I might remind you his birthday that day, but I thought, better let him face the truth. You forgot this time, but won't next time, even won't forever." My Mom, I could never be as cool in the way she was. Anyway, I had to face my own mistake.
"Mom, tell you a good news! I decided to go home tomorrow morning, bringing Haozi (my three-month old baby) with me. Dad hasn’t seen Haozi, right?" I made this decision right away. "Please have Dad listen to the phone."I asked excitedly believing my Dad would also be very happy of my decision, as I heard my mother calling my farther.
"He is in bed ready to sleep; He says he has nothing to say to you... And ...he says if you come home, he will go to visit his friend in another city. He says... you have no need to come back on New Year holidays either." (My husband and I had planned to visit my parents in January 1-3.) I was there listening and feeling my heart turned colder and colder. My farther has successfully extended his feeling of hurt onto me. Fortunately I had good friends around me at that moment; we were eating a late super in a restaurant together. I told them what happened. They wisely suggested me, "Just go. Your farther sent you a very strong message--he wants to see you and Haozi as soon as possible."

I went and spent Thanksgiving Day with my parents the next day.

My farther had long face in the first half hour. Then he turned happier and happier. He had I and my brother invite him eating outside that night to make up his birthday celebration, but he paid for the meal. He enjoyed being with Haozi, my son. He carried him around the house and took pictures of him.

Recently my uncle got cancer and actually my father spent his birthday morning with him. He felt that the most important thing in his life was the relationship with his family members; he would not lose any of it.
On my way back, my heart was not lighter...my father is old, how could I take good care of him, putting him under my wings just as he took me under his wings when I was a child?

Did you call your parents on their birthdays?

Loving Hunan---HBI Mission Training

2008-12-08T16:34:00.000-08:00

Hunan Map is Like a person's head

Recently, for 2 weeks, HBI students were excited in the activity of Loving Hunan. To prepare for it, students have done their assignment of interviewing local government Religious Affairs Bureau (RAB)as well as prefectual church leaders in last summer holidays. From the government they were to understand how the whole government departments'--not only religious department's administration work were. They needed to list all the departments of the local government and describe their duties. From the RAB, they got the information on the religions' situation in that area, including Buddhist, Taoism, Islam and Catholic church. They also did investigation on the folk religion's influence in that area. Each student was required to serve in local church in summer holidays, and received comments for their performance. From the prefecture church leaders they got to know the whole prefecture's five year plan ahead.

One representative was seclected from each 14 prefectures and he or she should give the prefecture report. The report had to be short but catch people's heart. After all the reports were given, students would vote to say, "If I were recruited to be a missionary in one of the 14 prefectures, which one I choose to go and why."

Students spent two Wednesday afternoons on this activity. They were excited. After a report, students asked questions to the prefecture representative to clarify the local situation and to increase knowledge of that area.

Do you want to know the result? Xiangxi recruited the most. 18 "missionaries" wanted to work there, for that area was poor, coworkers their were a few, natural evironment was very stiff, people's heart was very hard and there were many minority people there. An interesting thing about Zhangjiajie prefecture was they recuited 10 "missionaries" but 12 tourists---many students wanted to go to Zhangjiajie just to enjoy the beautiful nature scenery there!

New pastor performing the duty right away

2008-12-04T16:50:00.001-08:00

Gloria is a pastor

2008-12-04T16:41:00.001-08:00

I was ordained as a pastor last December on 23rd.
Right after the ordination ceremony, I baptized about 40 believers. Well, is that too quick for a pastor to perform the duty? I felt so.

My son-smiling

2008-12-03T22:10:00.000-08:00

Hello!

My son-sleeping

2008-12-03T22:07:00.000-08:00

He is so beautiful!

My son on his 100th day

2008-12-03T22:01:00.000-08:00

A Chinese family has the habit of celebrating a child's 100th day.
That day for my son was just as usual. His father went to Yiyang to help a new church put up the sound system. Nanny and I stayed at home. I took many pictures of my son. This is one of them.

Winter is coming

2008-12-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

Last winter Hunan suffered ice damage. Many south citys of China also had big snow, which was very unusual. South people even didn't know how to clear the thick ice off from the street. Local government had to invite north people to help deal with the thick ice. Military troops came out on streets helping clear off the ice and even tanks were put into use. Many people couldn't go back home to have family reunion at traditional Chinese New Year time. Airports and railway stations were full of people...
I was not in Hunan during the coldest time. I had a ministry trip. I flied to Yunnan, enjoyed warm wheather there. In fact, because it was a little bit too warm there, we had to use airconditioner to cool down in the car. Then I flied to Nanjing. The picture was taken in Nanjing by Burt Reed, our partner. When I wanted to come back from Nanjing to Changsha, there was no flights to Changsha. I couldn't come back home! Then I flied to Hainan by myself to meet our coworkers there and worked with them for several days. Hainan was also cold during those days! No sun and I dressed thick like a bear.
As this winter is coming. I do wish we have a warmer winter this year.

a walk with Mr. Zhangjian

2008-12-03T05:29:00.000-08:00

Mr. Zhangjian, vice-director of the fourth Division of State Administration for Religious Affairs of P.R.C., came to have a meeting in Hunan. Forturnately, I got a chance to have a walk with him on the afternoon of December 1st, discussing with him about nowadays Christianity situation in China.
Together we visited the First Normal University in Changsha City, in which Chairman Mao spent his youth. We had a walk in the campus, and our talk touched upon several sensitive areas in Christianity situation in China.
We talked about underground church. Mr. Zhangjian said he had some friends who were in underground churches. They had invited him to join their worship, but he felt it was not convenient for him to be there, so he never went. But he understood many things of underground church from his friends. "Christian church should openly give their testimonies to the whole society. They should have their vioce heard in the public." Zhangjian said. He expressed that it's a pity underground church couldn't have their voice in China's public society, and support from overseas churches to underground church sometimes had just a short-term effectiveness. In the long run, it would not do good to strengthen Chinese church. "Underground church emphesis on salvation, neglecting the ethic hand of Christianity." I shared with him how I transfered from underground church into public church; the strength that underground church had and the strength that the public church had. My experience told me, only Chinese can sherpherd Chinese church and make it stronger.
We also talked about mission. Chinese church had many Christians, while the influence they made couldn't match their number. One day, Chinese church should grow into a missionaries sending church, I said. Mr. Zhangjian knew very well about Gospel-back-to-Jerusalem Movement, and he also knew some underground church had already prepared for that. In his opinion, this is a religious thing and he had nothing to say about it.
We shared our impressions on nowadays world and compared other countries with China. Mr. Zhangjian visited many countries. He shared with me some of his impression, "British people are interesting, when we were there, during Saturdays and Sundays, they would just put us aside. They told us, these two days were their legal holidays. They would really go away to spend their holidays and let we, the guests do whatever we want!" "Russia, the atmosphere is dignified, the pace of people's life is slow." Both Mr. Zhang and I visited the United States. We all felt that China's atmosphere was more exciting. "We are a developing country, not advanced yet" said Mr. Zhangjian, "But you can feel that it is going forward everyday."
We also shared our hobbies. Mr. Zhangjian likes playing football and swimming. As a middle-aged person, he plays football everyweek. And he likes swimming in the sea, especiall in big wind day when the sea is proud.
We spent a great time together. Our conversation continued in the dinner table that day, and my husband also joined...

2008 Christmas party is expectful

2008-12-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

We are not professional in performing on stage. But we like watching our school fellows whatever they perform. Every Christmas party for us is a time to enjoy our own "star".
Students now are praticing their programms: dancing, skit, choir and so on. Each year we will have some jokes in the party. I recalled one Christmas party, in a skit, a student came up to the stage, he acted as a policeman. He found a thief there. He should have shouted out "Stay still! I am police!". But for some reason, he shouted out "Stay still! I am a thief!" all of us laughed and laughed. But he was on the stage, totally not conscious of what happened.
Believers of our HBI church will always invite some unbelievers to join our party.
As we all know, the true star of our Christmas Party is Christ Jesus.

Christmas is coming

2008-11-30T21:39:00.000-08:00

These pictures showing Christmas celebration Party of our school. One of the pictures is like a miracle. See if you can find out the magic.

My husband likes fishing very much

2008-11-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

He fishes in sunny days and in rainy days.

My son

2008-11-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

He was born on August 14, 2008. We named him Lihao.

Got up at 4:00

2008-11-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

I felt good to get up at 4 o'clock these two mornings.
I enjoyed the quiet time so much.

Get up early

2008-11-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Getting up early is a challenge for nowadays Christians, and so is it for me.

This morning I set my o'clock at 4:30am, but my three-month baby waked me up earlier than that. About 4:10am I was called up by my nanny and I knew the baby needed mommy's milk. So I got up and fed him.

The alarming rang when I was feeding my baby. Shall I just get up and begin my day, or sleep for a little while? I struggled in my mind to make a decision as I was giving the milk. If I began my day right away, it's too early, and...I may become very tired the whole day...So I found myself continuing sleeping in bed after feeding.

I got up at 8:24am.

I miss the days when I was a student in the Bible School. I got up at 4:00am each morning and enjoyed the time reading my Bible so much. The motivation was very clear, I wanted God to use me and send me to His mission field. A missionary vision kept my heart on fire. I also pressed myself into a new world through Bible reading and praying to God. I wanted to threw my old self and my old life away. Now I am a pastor, vice-principal and a teacher in the same Bible School, but I get up 4 hours late than that time as a student. I think I need new motivations so that I can get up early.

Anyway, I miss the hours without any disturbing and just to be with my Lord. I decide to get up early next morning at 4:00am.