Here we are, we have made it to china!
We arrived here on the 3rd of june and we are just finishing up our first week.
I am actually writing this update here in mongolia because I have not been able to go on this blog at all in china because of the firewall. If you do not know, China has a firewall that watches over everything we right on the internet and look at and are against anything to do with God, Christians, YWAM and all that stuff. We had to be cautious on the internet for if we talked or even mentioned about God and what we where doing they would see that and would see who we where staying with and so forth our contacts ministries would be in jeopardy. That was defiantly a big stretch for us to be cautious about what we talked about. We where free to talk about our own personal beliefs to people in conversations, that didn't stop us, but we could not mention YWAM and if they asked about others beliefs in our team or our contacts we simply just told them they would have to ask them personally. It may not seem that much of a stretch but once you don't have that freedom to just talk about whatever you want it's alot more challenging, especially when they ask why your traveling and what school your with. We would have to say we where just taking some time learning about other cultures and meeting new people. Even though we had those restrictions we did find ways to show love on people by just talking with them and encouraging them and also we did get to share our faith with others.
Because of all the restrictions we didn't have as many ministry opportunities. But we had plenty of time for worship and intercession for China.
We got to meet some studants and talked with them a little bit, then they brought us to an art gallery that only the studants where allowed to go to but they got us through as their guests. We got to see some beautiful art and just talk with them a little bit. They where really cool and nice to talk to.
Will came on the 6th to be with us for a week. It was awesome seeing him and catching up. He is defiantly been so encouraging to us and has helped us work through some things. So he will be with us for awhile, it's definatly been fun sharing some of outreach time with him.
We moved from our apartment to our contacts apartment after a few days because him and his family where going on vacation, so we got to spend a day helping tear down the bunk beds and all the furniture to storage for him and got to be blessed by staying in his home.
On sunday we got to go after church to a minesrty called sisi's. In China someone will go to a village or a very poor place and go to the familys and tell them to give them their children so they can give the kids jobs and after a year they will send the parents like $100 or something like that. So they basically sell their kids. But the children get abused and are just sometimes given like a bucket and a rag and told to make $50 by the end of the day, doesint matter how they do it. So these children will do what ever it takes to make this money by washing cars, selling flowers, stealing, whatever it takes so they don't get abused even more. They get treated horribly and rarely are fed. It's heart breaking to hear what these kids go through. So a woman named Sisi started takeing these kids in who decide to leave there boss and live with her and learn about God. She has some staff now and a place for them to live and learn not only about God but do school and hopefully catch up to other kids their age. We got to do some sports with them and play other games, ate dinner with them and then did some worship and tought them some songs. There was one boy named Happy that really tugged at out hearts, especially Joanna's. You can tell he had been abused alot and was mentally unstable. He couldint play as much with the other kids because he did not understand but we just tryed to love on him in a way that he would understand and patiently try and play with him so he would feel included.
Our group time is going really well, we are all starting to be more in unity with each other in shareing where we are all at and these everyday team time is really helping us in our relationships and also with our walk with God I believe. We are realizing how important it is to meet together for prayer and just seeing how everyone is doing. We had a morning of encouragement and telling each other how well they are doing and what we see in them and how they are growing. It was really good and helped lift one another up.
On mondays there is a small group that comes and we got to be apart of that. There are a few new believers in the group so it gives us a chance to really encourage them and answer any questions they have about God. We are reading out of John and it has been really good. When we do worship it's pretty awesome because we do some in english and than they will do chinese, for amazing grace we all sang together in both. It was just so cool to all be worshiping together in differant languages.
We all split in 2's the one day and just went off in all directions and just prayed for China and the people here.
We got to also meet with ginny and her 2 friends that she wants to see come to the lord and we got to talk with then a bunch and eat dinner with them and just really get to know them a bit.
We also got to meet with Pip, she is a worker for the Starfish ministries. Starfish is a prostitute ministry, she shared with us what they so. Pip and some women go out and just start visiting and befriending these women who are stuck in this business. They really build relationships with them and then share God with them. They also encourage them to come out of this business and come live in the housing they have for them, free of charge. they then get schooling and are apart of the bible studies they have. She took us around and the guys prayed around the corner while she took two of us girls in at a time to just visit for a few minutes. To really see how they live really hit us, They just sit around in one small room and just watch TV or knit or something until they get business. And they get VERY little time to sleep and take care of themselves. You could just see how happy they where when Pip and us came in the door, it just brightened their day to talk with someone who just wants to know how they are doing. How Pip and the women get financial support is they make jewelry and sell it. It is just such an awesome ministry and we are so happy to help with it.
The guys got to go to the forbidden kingdom with Will and pray over it and just have a guys night. They got to go see a movie and just hang out and stuff. Good times man. Us girls got to chill and watch the Starfish video that tells more of the stories of some girls lifes and more about the ministry, it was really moving.
Our team is pretty much obsessed with playing hearts right now, we even sucked Will into it. Good game to hangout and connect.
So that pretty much sums up our first week here in China, pray prayer prayer, that is our focus right now and we are looking forward to see what else is in store.
Blessings-
Far East Asia Team
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