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posted by Esther on 06/29/09

Lives are changed one decision at a time. Small decisions set the pattern for all decisions. And that’s why our family is rejoicing over the testimonies of obedience that we heard from several young children this past weekend. It is a delight to share them with you!

Hannah was told to go to bed and she obeyed even though other children were having fun staying up.

Jonathan’s mom told him to make his bed and he obeyed instantly. He also went the extra mile by giving his sister a glass of orange juice.

Grace: “I cleaned off the table before being asked!”

Jeremiah: “I was told to put my toys away so I did.”

Amanda: “I knew my mom wanted me to make my bed so I made it before she told me too!”

To see more pictures and discover what motivated these children to overcome the temptation to disobey and successfully honor God in their decisions, click here.

7 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Esther on 06/20/09

“The boy teased and picked on his classmate endlessly! He knew just what would make him mad. He knew what name to call him to irritate him the most and said it often. He was merciless, loud and rude. Finally the classmate ran into the restroom crying and wouldn’t come out.”  This was the prayer request a friend of mine shared as our team gathered for prayer meeting one night while I was in Oklahoma. The offender was only 10 or 11. Why would he want to be such a bully? How could he be so resistant and hard when my fellow teacher tried to talk to him? Whatever she said met a brick wall; until she asked him one question. He showed no sign of caring; until she asked him one question. This boy seemed like a problem and I viewed him as a hopeless hindrance to our work until I heard his response to this one question. He had glared at her and everything she said seemed to go in one ear and out the other. But then she asked, “Where is your dad?” Immediately the hardness melted and he burst into tears. It seemed rather like an out-of-the-blue question to me as my friend continued the story behind her prayer request. But that was the question that cut through the tough front he was putting up and revealed the pain in his heart. It revealed the confusion of a young man who lacked the influence and example he needed from his Dad. No, he had no excuse for his actions, but I could see that it was deep hurt that contributed to the hardness of this young boy and it gave me a whole new love and desire to reach out to the “problem kids” that I so easily judge.

As we prayed together for him I couldn’t help but think how easily I take my Dad for granted when so many other families are being ripped apart. I would like to take the chance as it comes up to Father’s day to send a message first to those of you who can’t get to know your dad: God can be your father because God tells us in 2 Cor. 6:17 & 18 “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2nd: When your dad does something fatherly, thank him for it. And last of all: Dads, never forget that your role is important and worth the sacrifice that it takes to do right.           

5 Comments » | posted in Family News

posted by Jonathan on 06/18/09

As we were enjoying a wonderful lunch outside, something in the orchard caught my eye. “Oh no! Michael look what’s hanging on the apple tree! Quick get your Equipment. Do you need help?” I ran to get the camera and followed him to the orchard. The following video is what was in the orchard and how we took care of it.

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8 Comments » | posted in Possessing the Land

posted by Michael on 06/16/09

Before the word “Christians” was invented in Antioch, the followers of Christ were commonly called “disciples” (Acts 6:7 and over 20 other times in the book of Acts) and “saints” (60 times in the Epistles and Acts). The significance of the use of the word “saints” is that it means “holy” (hagios in the Greek, Strong’s #40). No other word other than hagios is translated “saint” or “saints”. But hagios is used 178 times in the New Testament! How else is it translated? Every other time it is translated “holy”. Hagios is never translated any other way other than “holy”, “saint”, or “saints”, the vast majority being “holy”, speaking most often of the Holy Spirit. This indicates that the correct translation of hagios is “holy”, including when it refers to Christians. When the recipients of Paul’s letters read the word “saints” they actually read “holy”. When the Apostle Paul wrote “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints”, he was actually saying “…called to be holy.” And when he wrote “unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia…” he was actually saying “…all the holy which are in all Achaia.”

Do we understand that to be born again is to be made holy? And do we understand how much Christ wants our lives to be holy? The highest aim

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6 Comments » | posted in Tidbits

posted by Donald on 06/11/09

Yesterday about a third of the young men and women, the 9th-grade students, of Nan Jung Junior High School all concluded their time here and commenced a new chapter of life. It was graduation day. Our time as teachers is also drawing short but without quite the same level of significance. As we drove to school this morning, Austin and I realized what it must be like for them–to wake up and have no need to catch the 6:52 train to school–for practically the first time in three years! It was an interesting thought. To share a little of what their relationships have meant here are some pictures of ‘A Student’s Morning’, part II of the story of our Junior High School.

6 Comments » | posted in Family News, The Bright Side