Hey! I’m home! That’s right, after about 42 hours of travel I arrived back where I started in New York. That was 5 days ago, and I’m just starting to feel like I’m making real progress on my jet-lag. Unfortunately, I got the flu over the weekend, but I’m almost over that as well. So here’s to healthy living back in America!
Right now I’m attending the EF Leadership Conference, which is one of my favorite conferences of the year. Its been a bit wild going from my small “parties” in Asia of about 15 people to the 1000+ here at the conference, but I’ve been learning a lot.
I wanted to share some amazing news. Do you remember way back in the fall I wrote an email about my Asian friend Ling who’s brother had cancer? I mentioned her again more recently too, how she’s stepped up as one of the leaders of the fellowship we planted this year. Well, right before I left Asia she had to unexpectedly return home because her brother’s health was declining. In addition to the cancer, Ling’s brother is also mentally handicapped, and she had worried all year that even if she tried to share the gospel with him he wouldn’t understand it.
I was with her when she found out she needed to go home, and we had an awesome time saying our final (unexpected) goodbyes. I was able to encourage her that the gospel is simple, and if she was faithful to share it with him God would be faithful to help him understand it and work in his heart to help him believe. As we said our teary goodbyes she assured me, “I know now I can tell my brother the truth. Dad will help me, and Dad will help my brother understand. I’m not afraid to tell him about Dad now.”
Early Sunday morning I got the email letting me know that Ling’s brother is now my brother too! He became a Christian!
This is why I do what I do. This is why I’m proud, happy and honored to be a missionary. Because haven’t been able to just impact Ling’s life, but also her whole family and all the students she’s going to reach at the campus I served on. Wow, I am so blessed!
Please pray for her brother that he would grow closer to God, and that he would be healed. Also pray for Ling’s parents, grandparents, oldest brother and sister-in-law and their baby to be born at the end of June. I know God desires that all of them would be part of the family as well.
Both Ling and I thank you!