update from november

Greetings from the Far East,

Rachel and I felt it time to give a somewhat more formal update about our life over here in China. Before I give any update, we want to thank all those who have helped, encouraged and supported us over here. So, I will give two versions. The first is for those that want to know that we are still alive and the most important events of the last month or so. And the second is for those who have the attention span of a... ugh... someone with a long attention span and want to know all the juicy details.

The quick version, we are indeed still alive and actually doing quite well. Rachel’s started a book study, Joash is starting to crawl, Zoe is three and acts about ten, and I have my regular work load but hope to start a breakfast prayer group before long. I encourage you not to settle as a spectator, but to join the mission and pick up your cross and follow Jesus.

Rachel
Rachel just started a book study with some young moms on Friday nights. They are working through the book, The Five Love Languages of Children. It is a smaller group of ladies, but Rachel seems to prefer that. It also provides more conversation time for the ones that are there. And if there are two things Rachel loves, it’s reading books and talking about them. As for the group, the ladies have already said they are enjoying the book and have seen positive change in their families. One mom said she has seen a huge change since starting to love her child unconditionally. Rachel’s hope is that she can bridge the rest of the way and show her group the unconditional love of Jesus and allow that to change them.

Zoe
Zoe is getting smarter each day. She spends the majority of her time with Rachel and she is the better for it. She does pre-pre-pre school stuff after lunch and can already recognize all of her letters and count pretty high. She is also making a few Chinese friends here and
there. She has mastered about ten to twelve Chinese phrases. Her favorites are the ones she uses to boss the other kids.

Joash
Joash is also doing really well. This week he started to crawl forward. This a big step for him, but it makes Rachel and I nervous to have two mobile kids around the house. He also is growing his third and fourth teeth. All the better to eat bananas with. His latest adventures have been to the clinic to get shots and checkups. He is so tough. All the other kids cry, but he just sucks on his three figures and deals with it.

Jeremy
I have my regular schedule with a few new add-ons. Teach Tuesday though Saturday, weeknights are light, the weekend is a heavier load. I recently gained a Chinese class hour which I am happy about, and I lost a teaching hour. Classes changed a little from last year, so I have more older students and also more “naughty” students. Otherwise, life is about the
same. Make money, buy food, teach students, try to follow Jesus, repeat.

Our family
As a family we started doing Bible time in the mornings before breakfast. This came about because I was challenged by a message I heard a few weeks back about service to God. 
The message was pretty simply but very applicable. If you want to serve God, it starts with obedience in the small stuff. The analogy was we come to God and say, “God, I want to serve you and do mighty works for you!” God replies back, “Okay, go clean your room.” My personal tendency, and maybe yours, is to complain and retort back to God saying, “But God, I want to do incredible things for you and serve as a missionary or become a pastor.” But that is the wrong response. We need to obey and submit in the small areas first, then God will entrust us with more. So, I am trying to get my house in order spiritually, and then I will see what God would have me do next. Other than that, we are reading through the New Testament as a church-family and becoming more organized with time and projects so that we know how to spend our days (Ephesians 5:16).

Church
We have seen a lot of similarities between the church here and the church back in the States. There are lots of people who want to be spectators and not too many picking up their crosses and following their Savior. We are spending the next few weeks or months going through the teachings of Jesus in an effort to learn how Jesus made disciples as well as encourage those in our circles of influence to go out and make them (Matthew 28:19-20). Even though growth is slow, it is happening. But I think the real growth is happening within the families of our team, such as ourselves. And I have heard, that is where a lot of big churches started, in the living rooms of homes who decided to follow Jesus. That is my encouragement to you, don’t settle as a spectator in church, but participate and pick up your cross and follow Jesus. For some it means “cleaning our rooms” or starting with the small things. For others, it means making the first of many steps to follow in obedience. And for others still it might mean having a simply Bible study in your living room to learn how you might better love and follow Jesus, then invite some people to join. But whatever the next step is for you, it should be seeking and following Jesus, because that is what disciples do.

How can you help
The most important thing is always to listen and follow the Spirit of God, and walk in a manner worthy of Gospel. Hearing those we love are walking in the truth is the most encouraging thing for us. Some particulars related to us over here are:
-That God would soften the hearts of people to listen and obey his voice, pick up their crosses and follow him.
-That God would use the “Five Love Languages” study to shine His love into the hearts of Summer, both ladies named Eva, Rita, Claire, Shelly, Tree and Blair.
-That God would bring Jeremy and Rachel people to build relationships with and make disciples of Jesus.
We hope this letter is a blessing to you. We are always eager to hear about news from you. Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to write.

Blessings,
Jeremy, Rachel, Zoe and Joash 

A friendly reminder.

I was talking with someone I met four to five years ago at an open-house when we were sitting in someone's living room in China. Every time I think the world is a big place, it suddenly gets very small. He mentioned this blog and told me it was gone, I said I just changed the name. So, I wanted to check. After nearly 3 years I am back and I thought I would write a little something.

I am back in China, if you didn't gather that already. I now have two kids, a daughter and son. I love them more than I have loved anything before. I am married to my wonderful wife and best friend. I am determined to seek the truth, learn it and live it. I believe that truth was personified in the person of Jesus Christ while he walked on earth. I am disenchanted with the normal idea of "church", but love what Jesus had set in place. People gathering together on a mission to share his story, to love one another and to love His Father who sent him. I won't pretend to be perfect, nor to I consider myself learned or even smart most of the time. But I will say again, I am determined. I want to know and follow truth, and I welcome you to join along. 

Life is pretty great right now, and pretty terrible. Let me explain. First the good. Rachel and I are finding more of our purpose and uniqueness in how God has modeled us. We have been in search and question of how we are supposed to live or what can we do, and we are finally coming to conclusions. We have long time realized that it doesn't matter where we live, the same problems and questions continue to come up. How can we work together to do His work? How can I do more than just work? How can Rachel take her love for words and books and use them for His kingdom? Along with more trivial questions as well, like what does a day off look like and how do we budget our savings. But what we found recently is that after you figure the bigs one out, the little ones tend to fall into place.

Now for the bad. Man, sin, lust, pride, death and everything else in the package. Rachel's family is hurting right now. She lost an aunt a few months ago, and just lost a grandmother a few days ago. Add to that the regular problems of her family's dynamics. I don't have time to go into detail, but it is pretty messy right now. Rachel just boarded a flight to PHL this morning and will spend some time mourning for her grandmother and spend the rest dealing with sin that has crept into her family. I hate that she has to deal with both, but they often go together; sin and death.

As her husband and the guy still in China while she flies around the world, I am not sure what my role should be. They aren't my family, it wasn't my grandmother who died. But then the thought of Ruth came to mind. Here is Ruth, a woman who has been dealt an odd hand in life and plays in well. She is faithful and true, what more could God ask of her. When trial comes on her mother in-law, she is faithful and loving. 

Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.” -Ruth 2:10-13

I know it isn't a complete parallel, but there is still a lesson to be learned here. This is loving one another, this is faithfulness is tough situations. This is self-sacrifice played out. Rachel's family isn't my family, but they have become so. Rachel's struggles have become mine, we are one family now. I love her and her family. It hurts to see her hurt right now. And as much as we don't have money to make last minute flights around the world, I sent her like I would want her to send me. I am just so thankful that God has provided as much as He has.

Take care, seek truth and live life.

Jeremy