Gloria is a pastor

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

Hello!

My son-sleeping

He is so beautiful!

My son on his 100th day

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

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

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

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.