ADVANCE – RETREAT

Thank you for praying with us for a Hokkien Harvest across our people group. You know they are scattered all around the world, so we are talking about a big opportunity.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus tells us  . . . Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. That is talking about all of us. And you know, Hokkien workers who are busy seeking to love their family, neighbors and community also need rest. It is so easy for us to get so busy that we burn out. We need to have some fun and fellowship along the way too, right?! So taking the opportunity to get away, get some rest and get recharged is very important. Our Hokkien Harvest Singapore team just sponsored a retreat for this very reason. Pray for those who attended to maintain balance, know when to say yes and also know when to say no.

But you know, on the other side, Colossians 3:23 exhorts us  . . .  Whatever you do, work at it will all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.

So we definitely know that we are not to be slackers, but people of integrity who look to the calling that God has given to us to share His most precious love.  HOWEVER, speaking from personal experience, maintaining balance is not easy. And you know, when you love your WORK, it is even more difficult at times. The photos above reflect some of our leaders in Hokkien ministry. BUT there are many more. Of course, the truth is that God has called ALL of us to be his hands and feet right? So we ask you to not only pray for these precious people who attended the retreat, but also pray for our Hokkien churches and workers as they try their best to trust God and live out HIS calling in their lives.

So what’s the CALL —- Well, I would say the CALL is to ADVANCE and RETREAT.

Thanks so much for believing that God loves ALL the people of the world and doing your part to get that message out there. Blessings!

 

UNITY

In 1722 a small group of Moravian Christians, who lived in what is now the Czech Republic, found refuge from persecution on the estate of a generous German count. Within four years, more than 300 people came. But instead of an ideal community for persecuted refugees, the settlement became filled with discord. Different perspectives on Christianity brought division. What they did next may seem like a small choice, but it launched an incredible revival: They began to focus on what they agreed on rather than on what they disagreed on. The result was unity.

The apostle Paul strongly encouraged the believers in the church in Ephesus to live in unity. Sin would always bring trouble, selfish desires, and conflict in relationships. But as those who were made “alive with Christ” the Ephesians were called to live out their new identity in practical ways (Ephesians 5:2). Primarily, they were to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (4:3).

This unity isn’t just simple camaraderie achieved through human strength. We are to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (v. 2). From a human perspective, it’s impossible to act in this way. We can’t reach unity through our own power but through God’s perfect power “that is at work within us” (3:20).  (Our Daily Bread September 15, 2019– Written By:  Estera Pirosca Escobar)

UNITY is something God desires for us, but truthfully speaking there are all kinds of chinks in our armor. Look anywhere you want to . . . we can always find problems of disunity. Let’s not talk about non-believers. Among believers, we can get upset and angry over just about anything.

What color we paint the church building . . .

Choir robes or no choir robes . . .

Contemporary or traditional music . . .

How we live our lives . . .

Who serves as leaders . . .

Who gets the credit . . .

Oh, I could get a lot more personal, because ALL of us have different opinions and ways of doing things. AND if we are not careful we ALL fall into the pit of complaining or judging others. DISUNITY!!! Remember the words about Jesus being the vine . . . you know, we MUST stay attached, right?!

Hokkien ministry is no exception. Pray for Hokkien believers to be people who are characterized by “THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOVE PEOPLE.” Pray for ministries through East and SE Asia to reflect the love that Jesus displayed. He gave HIS life.

Thanks so much for your prayers.

 

TWO IN ONE

Sunday, September 15 is a very special day for us for TWO reasons.

First of all, one of our partners on PK Island in SE Asia is having their grand opening following the purchase and renovation of their building. This is huge — definitely a God thing. God provided resources for the purchase and enabled them to overcome obstacles along the way. So we are excited and celebrating with them. So many people want to attend that they are having 3 different openings in order to handle the crowd. These are exciting days. View the video as they prepare for Sunday.

Secondly, our church here in Texas is also having our grand opening as well. It has been long coming. Things that we work hard for, pray about and dream of are definitely appreciated when they arrive. We are also very excited about this special time.

Pray for these two ministries as they reach out to their new communities.

Pray for ministries to increase and for people to be drawn to Christ.

 

STRETCH . . . ED

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Alaska with Lori, Josh and their family.

We had nice cool weather — no rain — and fun family time. We have three children.  and of course  Lisa, Jonathan and their families both live in Texas, but about 4 hours apart. Robert and I also have siblings and their families who are spread all over the place: Texas, Alaska, Arkansas, Alabama, Virginia, Oregon, Minnesota and Costa Rica. There have been times when our own immediate family was located in 4 different countries, and none of us were in the US. Trying to keep up with time zones and family needs really can make anyone feel stretched.

Well . . .

this phenomenon is not just something that we as a family deal with, but is also very common among our people group, the Hokkien. Many have migrated to different countries such as Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, England, the United States, Canada as well as countries in Africa, South and Central America. There are more than 57 million people in our people group, and relatively few are believers —- about 1% worldwide — larger percentages exist in a few places but just a few percentage points. It is not uncommon for children to go abroad for school and many eventually immigrate and settle there. From personal experience I can tell you that keeping balance with family needs in these days is not easy. Living cross culturally adds another layer of issues that also must be addressed. Believe me there are many stories we could tell you about families doing their best to love on each other and keep their heads above water so to speak.

We know of many families who are hurting and need your prayers because they are STRETCHED and trying to find answers along the way. These are huge issues for many families. Pray with us as we seek to address this need among our people.

♥ Pray for the T family as they struggle to meet family challenges.

♥ Pray for the H family that is dealing with some deep family hurt.

♥ Pray for a family in SE Asia doing their best to love their family with complicated issues.

♥ Pray for families contemplating immigration due to persecution in E and SE Asia.

♥ Pray for East and SE Asia friends who live in the US but also do their bests to keep in touch and meet needs in their families back home. Some of these are Taiwanese/Hokkien pastors.

♥ Pray also for Hokkien pastors and church leaders who attempt to set healthy boundaries, but also often feel STRETCHED to balance family and ministry.