Sep 02 2011
POP stories, Big howdy’s and Expanded Friday Nights
When you are looking for people of peace(POP’s), you find them. Or at least it seemed that way this week. the Big Howdy party was remarkable on many levels. We had our usual 500-600 people. We had our usual 200 volunteers. (all amazing blessings from God) But it seemed like more Americans (students and volunteers) were mingling and really connecting with more international students than any other year. Then Friday night was huge as we expanded to two groups. We still had any very open kids again many POP experiences.
The UTA Big Howdy was a huge success on many levels (see videos and pictures) the namesake party was a huge blessings to so many students (they said so themselves) and we had so many Spiritually geared conversations. A student asked about why the American kids were so kind and open and how was it that we were able to organize such a special events. I was able to share the story of the feeding of the 5000 and how the food and everything is almost every year something similar, an exercise in faith. Huge kudos to Ron and the team to putting it all together.
We recently heard a story from a volunteer who shared that they have been able to take their friendship partner student to church with them and recently that student brought 13 friends and several kids along from the same program. On coming there, ten signed up for a Bible study in preparation for the movieCourageous, (by the people who did Facing the Giants) about being a better father. Further a discussion on ESL programs for the students’ wives came up and the ladies of the church offered to look into starting a special one for them and inquired to us about that.
The Friday night groups at our house continued to be huge with 50+ people even after we expanded to two groups. The fruit though came in the second group which was considerably smaller but the intimacy encouraged some that usually go into discussion group to be a part of Bible discovery instead. Praise the Lord! No doubt they are learning and finding truth in God’s word. Also next week one of the students offered to facilitate Bible discovery group. Wow! (our discovery facilitator always asks the same questions and so is not a “teacher”). 
Can you all say POP… One new Korean student said that after the group he finally, for the first time in America felt comfortable like he was at home. Continue to pray for Friday night(www.utaisi.org) as we continue to transition to two groups. Pray that enough student go to each group for critical mass and that both thrive in the new environment and yet we remain as one community. Pray that students will flow from the overly packed one to the less full one. Pray for workers for the harvest being intentional about harvesting and moving students towards harvest. Pray that we can recognize pop’s.
At the TCU welcome party we saw many new faces as over 70 were present. they came from all over the world including Russia, Armenia, China, Vietnam, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, etc. All enjoyed the time thoroughtly and felt love and appreciated. We also met many new potential volunteer students.
The talk at Southfield Community Fellowship was just like coming home as we felt loved and we were amazed by how many people we knew from different part of our lives there. Roy was able to share from Luke 11 about doing ministry on purpose looking for people of peace with many, many student examples of POP’s going home and being different makers.
Roy was a part of the Big Howdy Rides to Walmart, the Used Item (Garage) Sale and the Airport rides the last two weeks. God really blessed with some people of peace like relationships with several people. Roy connected well with a student from Bangladesh and Korea through airport pickup and a couple of Indian students through the rides to Walmart. That is just a microcosm of what is going on all over. This year it seems like the volunteers and Americans are being much more focused on the task and there seems to be more POP’s being found. In addition, one HUGE addition was a concert of prayer related to all this. We’ve also had more students than ever volunteering and helping. It’s almost every day that people like Mark from China or Bethany from Columbia are helping with something. Praise that Lord for all he is doing.
We connected with one of the first students we worked with, Jane from Taiwan who became a follower of Jesus while here through her helping us out with music. She is now married and she visited with her husband and young son from Indiana. We also saw Joyce (also from Taiwan and a Jesus follower from her time at UTA) and her husband Culley who were great friends with Jane. It was good to reconnect with both families and encourage one another in the Lord.
Pray hard all day today (on Saturday, August 27) as we have the Big Howdy Party at UTA. This has been an unusual Big Howdy in that there has been some push back by some students from certain communities which is spread easily on facebook. The plus side of that is that POP’s are much more obvious as they are the one who are coming. Pray for our volunteers, students and staff teams of the different groups and ministries there that they can identify POP’s and route them where they can build on what God is already doing in their lives. Pray also for enough food, safety, and a good aroma among those who go. Pray as our students also go out and pass out cards about Friday night as the party is the main place we allow people to share about their ministries, etc. (
The Big Howdy begins (
Our family continues to meet for Discovery Bible study with another family, our dear friends from Tajikistan. Wednesday was the husband, Alex’s birthday but the Alex and Maria insisted that we did Bible Discovery group before we celebrated with Alex for dinner. Praise the Lord for their excitement over studying together. Pray that as Wednesday church and other things start up again, we can find a day of the week that works for everyone to meet.
Many students are going home after the summer long term. One student shared on Friday that she was “concerned” when she came here and was worried about not having anyone here. She shared she never would have thought that she would have found a place that felt like family like the Friday night group was to her.
When we look back on the summer, the obvious HUGE thing was the trip. I was asked the other day about post processing the trip with my kids and we have done that in a way. Jonathan’s interest in Anime and doing art has been re-kindled by the trip. He used a lot of his birthday money to buy a digitizing tablet that allows him to sketch and draw on the computer and he spends much of the day perfecting his skill. I asked Tim the other day if he would like to eventually do an exchange program, even to Europe. He said no… while he is our most adaptable traveler, he is also our staunchest Texan and loves it at home. Charis seems more “secure” in terms of thinking of her Chinese family and stuff since she returned. She has also become a huge part of our ministry of late as she acts as a great host to a fairly large group of kids who have been coming to Friday night group.
One of the blessings this summer has been the team who did the UTA Friday night groups while we have been gone. The Friday night groups are healthier than ever and we are so blessed by this wonderful team. In fact it has been so healthy, the group has outgrown any single home and we are looking at expanding to two homes. God has been very very good and we praise Him for this.
Their Host families were also there. Many of the students this year will be bringing their own families over. This was a wonderful time of swimming, talking, connecting, showing God’s love… It was a huge blessing for all who were there and it had a real sense of family together. Also with this group we have the honor of being the host family to two of these students. One of the students has told us that he has been baptized and he has such a sweet spirit about him, always wanting to serve people and he also has a keen interest in studying the Bible. A different students who has been regularly coming to our Friday night and has been a regular part of our Bible study has been going to church with us the last couple of weeks. In fact last week he brought three friends with him. We also have some really good friendships with several of these students. It has been amazing how close we have become in such a short time.
Lisa changed jobs and will be working at DBU this fall teaching ESL in their Intensive English Program. She begins teaching there on Monday of this week. While she is sad to leave her previous post at El Centro college after so many years, this new challenge as brought a real jump to her step and a real sense of purpose in he eyes. Needless to say, there will be adjustments that we will have to make as anything new always does but working at a ministry oriented university where one of the President’s goals is to be a beacon to and reach out to unbelieving international students is truly refreshing for her.
They’ve got two of the sweetest girls who are around Charis’ age. These three girls, and the daughter of the Phillips, key volunteers, enjoy every Friday night playing together. This precious family stayed at our house when we were gone to Asia. They just got a taste of what it is like to live in an American home for a while. We also are meeting together doing family church on a weekday night together using the discovery Bible study format. It has been a real blessing seeing their eyes light up as they study God’s word and learn the joy of studying it. We are really blessed by their friendship.
We learned how to be more effective prayers in ministry. We also evaluated where God took us last year in light of the goals he gave us last year and we established new strategic goals that we felt we needed to set for this next year. Among the things we felt we needed to do was continue developing and improving the new model of ministry that we have been developing already, strengthening our leadership in prayer, developing creative ways for young people could serve as staff, and looking for special staff with unique gifts for unique large projects. For example we need someone who is good with the internet and facebook who could be a “internet minister” for students… to make initial contacts before they come, to keep up with students so that when we hear of their needs on social networks we can serve them with Christ’s love more effectively, and to help with the follow up with students from a distance. We also felt the need for an entrepreneurial business savvy and networked staff person who could be a point person in developing a new way of doing international student ministry where we help develop them and get started in the work place. (more to come on both of these things in the future)
Jonathan is working on his digital art skills with a new graphics pad that he got for his birthday. He is getting really good. Timothy is working on his cello and his game playing skills. Charis has been visiting with her neighbor friend Olivia a lot and enjoys doing many art projects.
We are sitting in the plane with one hour to go before we arrive in Los Angeles. Then a long layover in LA and then the three hour flight home. We have travelled exactly a month already. It will be nice to be sleeping in our own beds tonight.
In our last few hours in Asia, God answered several prayers reminding of how blessed we have been on this trip. Our restful hotel stay in Shanghai was just what we needed and when we got to the desk to check into our China Eastern flight there were no problems. Honestly, if China Eastern worked on their stateside customer service they might just be okay. The in flight service was okay and the food was good.
One phrase I heard from several students was that they are thankful that we came because it reminded them of the special time and the things they learned and experienced while in Texas. They were reminded of the blessings shown by God’s people and God’s grace experienced with them. Some were challenged to stay faithful to commitments made in the past.
The time in the two orphanages were also very special. The five of us got to see a different side of China. One that we never see through our students. We were able to see the poor and the less fortunate and you and we were able to help. I know we have places like there too. Perhaps it is important to expose the students to them too.
Once home we will share some other stuff, we will upload pictures and videos and all. So for for now, high above the Pacific Ocean we bid you adieu.
Our time in Fukushima was very nice. The people in Fukushima and in the region are working hard to bring normalcy back to their lives. Still the ground is not stable as evidenced by the small tremor last night. In the days prior to our arrival my parents attended a seminar for those who live within 50 miles of the troubled nuclear plant. Right now, in Fukushima, they have relaxed the recommendations and short sleeves and being maskless is okay. Food is also okay if washed properly.
Our family is doing okay though age is starting to creep up on our uncles and aunts. I have one uncle who is very close to death as he struggles with a rare form of spinal cancer. We were able to bring some comfort to his family as they deal with this. 
My parents were able to pray with him but things seem bleak. As we drove by my late grandparents abandoned home this trip I was taken by how short life is and how much I miss them and how much our little seen but much loved Japanese family means to us. I fear we have not done well in getting to know the next generation and we may loses the connection when my parent’s generation passes.
When we visited my aunt in Kami, Miyagi prefecture, we were able to drive though some of the parts of Sendai most affected by the Tsunami and earthquake. What contrasts! In the main city you would never know that anything happened as there was little major damage… But as you move toward the sea, you see more and more evidence of destruction. As we drove towards Sendai airport you start to see cars in huge piles. You also see debris also piled up neatly all over. 
Every once in a while you might see a boat or a train where it should not be or a car in a field. Where there were once many homes we just fields, mud and felled trees. It was amazing seeing the destruction in that place but also how much cleaning up has been done but also how much still has to be done. There are so many sub stories from there. I wish I has the tim to tell you some of them. Also we find small evacuee communities all over Fukushima, Miyagi, and surrounding prefecture including next to one of my aunt’s homes.
Three stories both involving my parents strike me and show God at wortk through our time here As they were serving at a evacuation center, they were talking to a young man. They saw he had the same last name as my mother’s family. They asked him where he was from and he said Soma. We learned earlier because of the Tsunami that a long lost relative was from there. We asked him if he was related. He was! He was th grandson of my grandfather’s cousin. God brought them together.
The second story is very personal to my father and his family. 70 years ago his uncle who lived in the States donated a piano to my dad’s elementary school in war damaged Japan. It was a huge deal with the governor’s wife coming out to play it in a special ceremony. A couple of days ago my dad was talking with his siblings about this On a whim my dad and his brother visited the school and to their surprise, the piano was still there! It had a plaque saying it was from the states and that is it. They told the story to the principal who was a good friend of my uncle. They took a picture of someone playing the piano with my uncle and dad and the principal. My uncle was touched.
With all these stories my parents were able to point my family to Jesus. The relatives were able to see that God is not distant but REAL!
Next we head for Fukushima. Pray for safety in this place recently ravaged by earthquake and nuclear disaster. Pray that we can be an encouragement to family members there. Pray also that we cab physically handle the walking and other visiting stuff we’ve lived with the last three week.
Today was the last day of the ISI conference in Hong Kong. This time together was very sweet for us. To be able to share with friends who have a passion and love for the same things, for the same people, it was as if we were suddenly put in the presence of over 200 kindred spirits. It was such a blessing. We learned so much from each other about international students and the best ways to serve them. There were quite a few ideas that we will be taking back with us when we get back to Texas. One of the special things about this particular time was that we as a Dallas, Texas team were able to contribute in many ways because we were able to share what God was already doing in our midst. Praise the Lord that we could make a difference in even other ministries through His grace.
While we were here though, while we were here there was a great tragedy back in Arlington… but this illustrates the importance of this conference and the networking and partnering it brings. During the breakfast of the first day, our co-worker friends from Michigan asked if we knew a young lady from Taiwan that moved from their area to ours. Lisa and Charis had been meeting with her and her daughter for some time now and so we did. Well, our Michigan friends told us the sad sad news that she just passed away via a stroke a couple of days earlier in Arlington. Wow… that was a total shock. She was only 35 and left behind her young husband and three year old daughter. Well, we weren’t sure what to do but we wanted to figure out a way to minister to her husband whom we met one time when he visited for Thanksgiving. All we had was her contact information and not his and we were thousands of miles away.
Our colleague Ron had to stay home due to Doctor’s orders in recovering from prostate cancer surgery. It was a struggle for him to be home. Anyway, we decided to Skype him early Sunday morning in Texas from Hong Kong to see if he could muster someone to visit the husband. Ron was much more recovered that we thought and was able to visit the husband… but we still didn’t have his contact information. We tried several avenues and in the end it was a volunteer from Michigan who closely interacted with the couple who sent us the information. Armed with this information, Ron was able to visit the grieving man and his daughter and prayed with him and encouraged him. The husband also requested information about the process of becoming a single father after death. Several of our staff had gone through a similar situation and we were able to let Ron know about another of those who happened to also be “stuck” at home because of illness from New Jersey.
Since arriving in Southern China, our trip has been a whirlwind. We met in Guangzhou with the first Chinese student that we were friendship partners with Jack with his friend Phillip. Jack has a daughter the same age as our little girl and they were friends when he was a student at UTA in 2005. Jack took us around Guangzhou and saw us off on a train for Hong Kong.
On arrival to Hong Kong, I exited the subway and I felt like we just came into a new world. It reminded me a lot of the day that one hikes out after a backpacking trip. The trip is wonderful and beautiful and full of wonders, but when you get to the snack bar or store you are suddenly overwhelmed with the stimuli that you encounter. It felt that way in Hong Kong. So many lights, so many shiny buildings, so many bustling people, so many non-Chinese. It was truly and experience. We also realized a lightness in a sense as restrictions on things such as internet are suddenly gone. BACK ON FACEBOOK! Yeah.
We then had the distinct pleasure of doing Church with a very good friend from college and his family. After Princeton and after some jobs and degrees while in the states, he moved back to his native Hong Kong to help with the family business. At first he was not a believer but was married to a Taiwanese believer. but in the 6 years since we were last here, God got a hold of him and he chose to follow Jesus and he was baptized. This Friday, he and his family will be traveling to Africa to do mission work. I really saw a difference in him. I really felt like our friendship also went to a new level as the most important things in our lives, thing things that drive us are now the same.
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