This week marked the end of our “first quarter” to the academic year, which in Asia of course meant exams. Going in, the team had great attitudes and His peace was definitely upon us (this was helped by the fact that we really can’t fail – if you’re not on a scholarship, you can pretty much do what you want).

Yet there was still that temptation to worry about what we haven’t learned well, and try to cram to impress our teachers, classmates, or each other, and to feel successful (or disappointed) based on our scores. It’s the way Asian schools are to the utmost degree, and, even though we’re separated from the regular students, these worldly ideals permeate the academic environment.

I ended up the week with my brain feeling like mush, but rejoicing because of the 200 character essay I had just written in which I mentioned being thankful to the Lord Jesus! There’s SO much we all know that we didn’t two months ago, and I’m truly proud of each of us.

In the same way we really can’t fail in our classes, I feel Father saying that we tru1y can’t fail Him either. Perhaps a better way to put it is that we have all so obviously failed Him by sinning, but once we receive His gracious atonement, we are part of the very body of Christ, who we KNOW will be triumphant. “…I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

When the Lord looks at us, He sees us as perfect in Christ. Nothing we do wrong can or will change this.  In Him, there’s only good, and better. This ongoing revelation has been freeing us of the trap of working anxiously, out of a sense of religious duty, and bringing us to a place of being motivated by His love and the joy that brings each of us.

Praise the Victorious One!

Please join me in lifting up: 

Rita & Ivy (the cafe barista/students who we’re believing could be very instrumental on this campus)

Jing Wen (my language tutor who we have been sharing some scriptures with)

Sinbad ( a believer from another school I met on a prayer walk)

Yu Jia (a guy I met today and shared the Gospel with — all in the local language!;)

Sonny (CT leader who is with us now and will be traveling to all 4 cities over the next few weeks)

His best,

Clive