My Food adventure continues…. encountered a flaming dumpling while we were in China.
They were really tasty and we ate many of them.
One day, I hope that you all will be eating flaming dumplings with me too.
The preparation of the wonderful food… Presentation, and grab your chop sticks… they go fast!

We were asked if we could visit a former communist official. He was an elderly man who had a stroke. A family member had been ministering to him and he received Jesus as his Lord and Savior. He wanted to be water baptized. Interesting thing about China, many houses do not have bathtubs, just showers. It was way too cold to go outside and find a pond to baptize him in.
The Holy Spirit of the Lord gave us the answer. use warm water and a basin. Plan was given, ministry went to the man about the meaning of baptism and as the water trickled down his face a Holy Reverance fell in that place. His face expressed “awe” or “of being overwhelmed”. My words cannot accurately describe.

After water baptism, we washed his feet. Here was the communist official who grew up and was taught there was no God, was now saved and baptized. Praise the Lord.

We then ministered to the rest of the family and prayed with additional family members to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

My trip to China was amazing… our plans were changed from what we originally thought, but we felt it was the Lord protecting us and the believers there in China.
One of my missionary rules is “When things don’t go as expected, don’t lower your expectation of God. “ “He’ll often do more that what was expected in the beginning.”

This was the case as I saw how the Lord took the cold heart of a communist administrator in a Special Needs Orphanage and turn it into a heart of love.

I stood amazed as this was our 5th trip back to the orphanage. I believe in my heart the administrator was saved in the past year as there was a love for the children as a father would love his own.

To have that love had to be a divine influence upon the heart.

When we were there before, he treated the children as “numbers” and he was doing a job. I noticed as we went from room to room to pray and hold the children he joined in with interacting with the children. Laughing, holding and talking. It was interaction that I recognized as the “Love of the Lord” because he saw a purpose for their lives. They were not just “numbers” anymore.

It had to be revelation from God.

Being that there were other officials with us, we were restrained by the Holy Spirit in asking him if he indeed was now a Christian. The Word of the Lord says that “even the hardest hearts of kings are like water in His hand”, that “the Lord will turn it to where it pleases Him to have it go.”

Right before we left, he handed me a little boy and told one of the others with me to take a photo of the boy and me. That is absolutely Forbidden in any state run orphanage. And yet here I was getting my photo taken with a boy. Again, God influencing his heart.

Greetings Faith Friends.

Now onto what is at hand. I came home with just enough time to say hello, wash my clothes and change to a suitcase. I will be departing on today on a return mission to China. I have to laugh, as for the first time in my life, I realized that I can do a two week trip in a 22” carry on! Selah! I never thought I’d see the day. Truly it is the Life transforming Power of Jesus Christ that got me there.

Our ministry schedule, like usual, is not firmly set. We have an “outline” of what we can be doing, but that is all subject to change once we land in Beijing. None the less, I am really excited about the trip.
Tentative schedule has us off to Kaifeng.. the overnight train journey to visit the Chinese Jews and see the state run orphanage we have been ministering at. The relationship that has been built is one where we know we have the favor of God. Specifically I ask you to pray for this location as there is an elderly care center in the same complex. The elderly come to the “gates” and reach their hands out for contact with us. Pray for these doors/gates have remained locked. I believe that God will open them for us to go and minister as He is wanting to touch the people with His love. In addition, we believe that we will be allowed back at the state run handicap school that they took us to last time we were their. Please continue to pray for the Favor of God to abound as we minister in the places that are not open but by God.

After Kaifeng, the initial plan includes a return to Hayden ~ the special needs orphanage I share often about. Another place that has meant so much to me and has my heart. We have opportunities to minister to the churches that are underground as well as to university students. But all of this is subject to change as the Holy Spirit leads.

It is time to go back and I am really stirred about that….

Prayer request as we do this next journey… I can not thank you enough for standing alongside of me as we venture out….

1. For the Holy Spirit to operate freely through us (no hindrances) so we accomplish all that is planned and purposed by the Father
2. For us to speak with words from heaven so hearts are touched and lives changed
3. For the places we are to go and stay… for those places have been prepared and all we need to do is step into them
4. For the people who are being persecuted to be encouraged and strengthened from heaven
5. For the Children at Hayden and Kaifeng and all the orphanages to have their adoptions approved and completed
6. For the protection of the team, spirit, soul and body.
7. For safe food, transportation, ministry and conversation
8. For all the connections for the team as we travel to be without hindrance and delay
9. For us to abide in the shadow of the almighty as we minister to the believers underground and university students.
10. For the Favor of God and man to operate for the team
11. For the Holy Spirit is our Guide, for our hearts to see what God wants us to see as we travel and experience China
12. For the people to experience the Love of God in a way that further strengthens their grip on the Lord and allows them to see Him in His beauty and majesty

My prayers over all of you is:
For the Lord God Almighty to continue to fill you with His Joy so that you have strength to accomplish all that He has assigned you to do. That there is strength to endure any trials and tribulations you are going through.
For you are a dream of God, He has dreamed a plan and purpose for your life. A plan where there is success and a HOPE for a FUTURE.. One to prosper and not for harm. He has breathed life into you and made a way for each of you to walk in. May you come into His presence and sit at his feet so that you can receive all that He has for you.

Ephesians 1:16-23
For I do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
I always pray to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of wisdom and revelation [of insight into mysteries and secrets] in the [deep and intimate] knowledge of Him,
By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),
And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,
Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],
Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world which are to come.

With Love in Christ Who is the Giver of True and Everlasting Life.