Prayer Card

I ran across this poem in my Bible the other day. It was a poem my grandmother Culley had given me at some point in my life. As with many inspirational poems, I read it and tucked it away for a day when I could really return to it and think upon it. Years later...and many tears later...I ran across it again and felt a tugging at my heart. It is extremely relevant to my life right now and thought that maybe you would be challenged by it as well.

"Not for the Hesitant"

It is a daring prayer.
"Thy will be done!"
If answered, it might
well destroy our ways.
there may be heights
where we are called to run
With victory eluding our days.
But cautious prayers
produce such timid souls,
And dreams can die
while waiting for their time.
My hands might never
touch the high-set goals;
Yet I must stake
my life upon the climb.

So, Yes, Thy will be done! Amen.

--by Hazel Nowell Ailor

Blessings today...and remember that "cautious prayers produce timid souls!"

You are all so happy

We only saw this young lady once...and for a very short period of time. I do not remember her name, so I will call her Sarah.



One evening when we were finishing up at Mr. Yang's school Sarah came into the courtyard and began talking with a few of the gentlemen in our group. As they were talking, she told them how beautiful we all were. Naomi walked over to thank her and let her know how beautiful she was as well. Through the course of their conversation, Sarah told Naomi that she wanted to be happy like we were. She noticed that there was a joy in our faces and it was enough so that she understood that it was different from what she was used to. Naomi asked her if she was happy and she said no...but she wanted to be.

Naomi exchanged information with her because our time was cut short...but God is good to reflect His glory and His joy because I know many of us (myself included) did not feel particularly happy after teaching that day.

Yang's School

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.

Our Challenge to Bless

After our first day in Shanghai we were confronted with the challenge to bless as tourists. We technically wouldn’t be in our “missions” part of the trip until a few days later, but we were really struck with the reality that we didn’t want to just be another tourist that came through. As we were on the Bund that day we were approached by various Chinese asking for money or trying to sell us cheap and unnecessary toys. We knew that by just brushing them aside and ignoring them would be acting exactly the same way that many tourists act everyday. However, we also knew that we couldn’t give money or buy from every person that approached us. So in our debriefing meeting we examined some ideas that would allow us to bless in a different way. One young lady in our group was struck by the many older Chinese who would approach us during the day and ask for our plastic water bottles. We assumed they were able to recycle them for money...and for many this was their career. We decided that we would save all of our bottles for the next day. We would store them in our backpacks…and when someone came to us we would just open our bags and bless them by providing a profitable work day.

The next day we waited…and waited…and waited. It was not until about noon that we were approached by an older lady to ask for the water bottle one of our students was drinking. The student quickly drained the remaining water as the rest of the group crowded around her with their open backpacks to pour the empty bottles into her bag. The look on her face was priceless as in a chaotic rush each person kept going back for more bottles to fill her bag. At first, she wasn't sure what was happening as the crazy tourists crowded around her. But once she realized their actions,she just kept giving the group a “thumbs-up” sign as her smile grew exponentially with each load that was emptied in her bag. And honestly, as her smile grew our hearts were filled with such joy it brings tear to my eyes even now.



Why is this story…this one moment on our trip so memorable and emotional for me? Because we don’t always know what God does with our obedience. I have no idea if this older lady gave our group another thought…but I can pray that she does. God used us to hopefully plant a seed. And in our obedience to serve Him, He received the glory and we felt unexplainable joy. The needs are there…I just have to open my eyes and see where God is asking me to bless for Him today. A wise lady told me once, “bless or be blessed.” I think that often times both end up happening.

Blessings today!

The Buddhist Temple

One can hardly explain the impact of visiting a temple where false gods are worshiped and adored…pleaded with and hoped in. I have visited mosques and various other houses of religious worship, but this experience was beyond what my heart could bear. Honestly, in the guidebook it indicated that this was not an active temple so my heart and soul were not prepared to see the many Buddhists praying and honoring their religion. I cannot say that they honored their god because they do not even believe that Buddha was a god…but he was a good person who achieved nirvana. I don’t understand it all…but I do understand the emptiness and heaviness as we entered the courtyard.

As we walked through the entrance there were people paying money for rods of incense. After they paid for this, many waited in line to toss coins into a type of wishing well. This seemed harmless enough. But as soon as we walked through the door and into the courtyard there was an oppressive air that snapped our entire group to serious attention. There were various activities that seemed to be going on…and none of them were simple sightseeing of an inactive temple.
First, in the very center of the courtyard was a large object similar to the one in the picture below…except much taller and much bigger. On each of the overhangs there was a bell that would ring loudly whenever the wind would blow. The harder the wind blew, the louder the bells would ring, and it appeared the more desperately people would throw money to the top most pier of the tower. There seemed to be a need to get their money to the top while the bells rang. I’ve read a bit about Buddhism but I don’t know enough to give you even a short summary. However, I do know that it is empty and leads to destruction.


Secondly, in each of the buildings that surrounded the courtyard there were hoards of people blocking the entryway. I was a bit shy and really tried to stay inconspicuous so I could simply observe and really try to understand what was going on. It was as I was quietly making my way to the doorway that I saw an idol barely visible, though rather large, through the crowd before me. My heart sunk as my brows furrowed to hold back the tears that suddenly fought forth. The building housed a big, golden, fat Buddha with offerings of food lying all around and standing in the door were people praying, offering sacrifices, and honoring this man-made god. It was at this time that a few of our students could not take the oppression any longer and had to leave. One of the students pointed out that we read about idol worship in the Bible but to actually see it as a reality is an entirely different experience. We see people living empty lives all around us, but to see them pour their emotions, hopes, and desires into a god of wood and stone like we would pour our emotions, hopes, and desires into Jesus is quite unsettling…as it should be.


The third activity that seemed to be the most empty were the prayers in the courtyard lifted up to the various idols. As you can see in the pictures, they would hold the incense in their hands and bow towards the idols each in turn and offer some sort of plea. Some appeared to intimately bow in desperation while others just went through the motions of prayer. After watching in the courtyard for a few minutes, I found some stairs and climbed as far as they would take me. There was a second level of the temple that I chose not to explore…but as I stood on the second level looking down, I was struck with the emptiness…the complete rejection of the true God…and the stronghold that the enemy has in China. If this was an inactive temple, I’d hate to enter an active one where people “take their religion seriously.”

In our debriefing time that evening there were various reactions to the temple. Some were struck with curiosity. Others were overwhelmed with the desperation in their faces. One young lady who waited outside the gate was approached by an older lady asking for money…begging for money. Our student noticed the desperation in her eyes and tone, but realized that there was nothing that she could give outside of Christ. No amount of money would help the lady-beggar’s spiritual state. This was such a helpless feeling to have when our hearts were so incredibly eager. Another young lady in our group shared Psalm 4 where David says, “Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord will hear when I call to him.” She shared that she felt a sort of guilt that God would set her apart and that He would hear her…while those in the temple were lifting empty prayers to an empty sky. They “love delusions and seek false gods.”

I do pray that God would show His mercy upon this country and the people of China. They are stuck in the only tradition they know…and even though all of creation cries the splendor of the Creator the Chinese have placed their hopes in a lie. It’s a lie that condemns them because by accepting the lie, they reject the truth. Oh God, show them your great mercy…and may this truth bring us to our knees in gratitude.

We're Back!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Find great Clip Art Images.


These are a few of the faces of China that Brian and I fell in love with. Truly, you are about to embark on a series of blogs that may talk about nothing but China. We loved it. It was difficult, dirty, emotionally and spiritually challenging...but among all of that our God was so faithful to give us a deep love for the people there...and I think by the faces that you see you can understand why. My goal is to choose a few of the faces and tell you stories about their lives and our experiences with them. It is important that this trip does not just become an experience that we once had early in our marriage, but that it becomes a part of us. I believe that by sharing with you it will help to filter through my thoughts and feelings. So...in the next few weeks, grab a cup of coffee or tea...and let's get to know a few of the faces. Until next time...I pray that God would touch each of you deeply and intimately as you reach to know Him.