Jonathan Wong Macau Mid-term Mission August 2006 - August 2007

July 6, 2007
Macau Prayer Update 17: last 30 days!

"God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you" ~ "Our God Reigns" by Delirious

"Even though we are faced with so many challenges, so many heartaches, don't you enjoy this? I mean, I LOVE this. I don't ever want to forget what a PRIVILEGE it is to do this". ~having an epiphany about serving God after a long meeting with Tina


L-R clockwise: students pointing out their names, 11th grade class pic, listening students, me giving my students one last serenade.
Using the music of Twila Paris' How Beautiful, I created lyrics specific for each class to express the funny memories we shared and how beautiful they are not only to me but to their Creator. 


L-R clockwise: Jay sharing his testimony, Millie and Yaya baking birthday cheesecake at my house, Connie (orange) after a spontaneous makeup session, Casper (leaning over top) at school track meet.  These 5 students all recently accepted Christ!  Jay made his decision to follow Christ after our weekly Bible study meeting, Millie and YaYa shared with me their decision after student group 2 weeks ago, and Connie believed in Easter but didn't tell us until last week.  This week older students in our church begin new believer training with them.  Please pray each develops a strong foundation in the Word.

7/4: PC High School Graduation
7/5: My dad arrives for a 2 week visit (he's here safely)
7/20: Chinese Faith Baptist team from Portland OR arrive!
8/5: I preach at Great Love and take the ferry to HK to fly home the next morning.

In my last 30 days...
1. Pray for the establishing of an accountability group for Pong and Jacky, our 2 male student leaders.
2. Pray for a strong finish to the basketball season and brothers to step up to form a 2007-08 basketball leadership team.
3. As a year end reward, I (and Pop!) am cooking for 12 groups of students coming to my house throughout July.   Pray they would see Jesus in my home and take the next step towards him.
4. I have ~20 students I'd like to meet with 1 on 1 to say goodbye to and share the gospel with. 
5. Pray I would fulfill my role to pour out my heart and bring closure to relationships with my minister and church family, doing my best to prepare them to grow in my absence.

Thank you to the 120 people who have committed to praying for me this year!  I cannot express my appreciation, but one day I have hope we will see what God did through your petitions.  I venture to say many of you have committed to praying for me but have not in a while or have never contacted me.  Can I respectfully ask you to fulfill your commitment ? One way to do this is write me a quick note asking for a student you can pray for.  As I share the gospel and see the end, I am desperate for your prayers because we are talking about souls and eternity. 

In the love that never fails,
Jonathan

May 28, 2007
Macau Prayer Update 16: Want my job? If you had 2000MOP, what would you do? Drafting GREG ODEN!?

Simplicity. Silence. Solitude. Surrender. ~Charles Swindoll's 4 keys in Intimacy with the Almighty

"What I want to say is only this: are you really pursuing a life or a sermon which can have positive impact on people’s life or behavior? Or you only care much about how perfect structure in your testimony was, or how professional your performance was. Performance is temporary but the influences on lives last a long time...Let’s add oil!!! We can see the harvest soon when we put his criterion on the top status of our hearts because we are selected by him among all the people in this world."  ~Donnie, one of the student leaders at Great Love church to me after I preached last Sunday

Want my job?

Our wonderful little international (1 Japanese, 4 Americans, 1 Dutch) Macau field.  Is God calling you to Macau?  Right now, we are looking for a young couple or single to replace my position as a youth mentor/minister and conversational English teacher.  Do me a favor?  If you have a heart for youth and for the gospel, be open to God and find out more by clicking here!

If you had 2000 MOP (=$250), what would you do?
Recently, I asked my Pui Ching HS students this question.  Most of them said “buffet”, “PSP”, or “cell phone”.  But after learning about some of the devastating social problems Africa faces (they were surprised to learn a child dies every 15 seconds from not having clean water), they began to realize the need and their ability to care for the poor.  Their assignment was to work in groups to make an English video on how they would spend 2000 MOP to help Africa .  I committed to award 2000 MOP to the most well-planned and powerful video to fund their plan to help Africa .

Though my students have many tests and homework and my class is only 2.5% of their overall English grade, many groups worked very hard to make excellent videos.  I decided to plan a ceremony where the students could show off their videos and that would hopefully inspire the Pui Ching community beyond my classroom to seek to understand and care about the beautiful but troubled people of Africa.

Below are some pictures documenting this special ceremony!


Snapshots of the top 6 videos chosen for the 1^st Africa Video Awards Ceremony.


We had ~100 students, teachers, and friends come to watch the videos and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere.  The posters around the room explain how through the help of World Vision, children can overcome hunger and AIDS.   After watching the videos, guests voted for the most creative, powerful, and specific video. Guests also gave almost 1400 MOP to World Vision to support the winning videos’ plans to help Africa.

I really have to thank Pui Ching (for food and facilities), World Vision (for coming, presenting, supporting), and the Student Council (for decorating, set/clean up, and listening to me bark orders) because without them, it wouldn't have been possible.


The winning team and their v. happy classmates.  See their video here.

Drafting GREG ODEN?!  My ode to Portland winning the #1 pick in the NBA draft lottery.

Thanks to my basketball(i.e.Yao Ming)-crazy friends here, I have followed the NBA and rooted for my Blazers more this year than I have in the past 10.  I check the gem called True Hoop daily.  My parents sent me a personalized Brandon Roy jersey.  I planned months ahead of time to watch the ONE time my team was on TV here (vs Yao Ming).  I have started saying "Rip City" every time I shoot a basketball (like Gilbert Arenas says "Hibachi").  All to say, Thursday was the greatest day in at least 15 years to be a Blazers fan.  I mean, I was screaming.  I called and woke up my parents. I watched this throwing my fist up and saying "yes!  YES!". I walked around my house thanking God that I am alive at this time to be a part of this.  I know it's over-the-top, but it's not often in life you actually GET your wildest craziest happiest just-4-fun fantasy that you've been dreaming/obsessing about all year (just ask my small gp brothers), but Rip City, congrats Portland.  We are gonna savor this :P.

Two weeks ago, I had my 1st student in Bible study accept CHRIST.  Now, was I happier about the lottery or my student?  The lottery!!!  I was jumping up and down going crazy.  My student?  I was happy.  Smiled a little.  I can't help but know God is the opposite.  When Casper accepted Jesus, was He not, along with the host of heaven screaming, jumping up and down, pumping His fist?  But when the Blazers won #1, maybe a little smile.  maybe.  

In sum...how i'm really doing
The past month Tina mentioned I get angry easier.  More impatient.  More pent-up frustration.  After the Africa Awards Ceremony, I walked home steaming and cursing, not because people weren't touched or had a memorable time but because it was 'my dream', I worked like a dog and still didn't get the results I wanted.  Same with preaching last Sunday. 
I think the reason why I have all this emotion is because I'm leaving and I know there's so much more I could accomplish, so many more lives I could impact, and it feels like I'm leaving my work in the middle and letting my community here down.  So in the short time I have left, I really really want everything to be perfect.  I want some validation that I'm making the right decision.  Then I received a letter from Donnie (see top) asking "do you care more about God's people or your performance?"  And I realized I could either work really hard and hinge it all on my performance or I can abide in Christ, minister from that heart and trust God will care for His people with or without me.
Pray:
1. I would love my 10th and 11th grade students like Christ as we cry and say goodbye in my final classes with them these next 2 weeks.  Pray for inspiration for a farewell song and for those God has chosen to join our church and be saved.
2. for Casper, a 10th grader who I have Bible Study with who accepted Christ 2 weeks ago. She's a dedicated clarinetist, enthusiastic, open character. Pray she have a strong foundation in Christ and in the church.
3. for our student leadership team: Donnie, Jessie, Jackie, and Pong as they have final exams. 
4. Summer schedule planning.   That I would put my relationship with God 1st, my church 2nd, and my students 3rd.  That it would be about God and His people and not about me and my performance so that I might be faithful and wise to prepare the basketball and youth ministry leaders to lead and grow in Christ after I leave. 

Thanks.  Love,
Jonathan

April 23, 2007
Macau Prayer Update 15: i'm going to Dallas to be a cowboy

"Only those who believe obey and only those who obey believe...he who is called must go out of his situation in which he cannot believe, into the situation in which, first and foremost, faith is possible...Had Levi stayed at his post (or Peter stayed in the boat), Jesus might have been his present help in trouble, but not the Lord of his whole life...The new situation must be created, in which it is possible to believe on Jesus as God incarnate; that is the impossible situation in which everything is staked solely on the word of Jesus." ~exciting stuff from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship explaining that what we wonder we lack in our faith, Jesus explains by our lack of obedience.  We snort and scratch that we cannot find the faith, but Jesus calls us to the costly grace of discipleship.  It is costly because it calls you to leave everything (every master you presently serve who cares and provides for you) and follow, and it is grace because it calls you to follow Jesus.  It is yes or no.  If yes, then your faith proves genuine for only those who believe obey.  But as long as the answer is no, you will never have faith for only those who obey can believe.

"a child dies every 15 seconds due to diseases from dirty water" ~www.one.org, www.worldvision.org

"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD."  ~Jeremiah 22:16


On the night of April 18, the doors of my residence were ajar and the inside was ransacked.  I first checked for my laptop.  It's missing along with my guitar.
Astonished and with a growing sense of trepidation, my gaze rose to my balcony where outline of a man became visible...is that a video camera?  Isn't that our head deacon?!


Surprise!


My parents gave the cake, my brothers & sisters the prank, and my coworkers the gifts to give me an unforgettable surprise birthday.  Thank you SO much!

"I hate Texas." "People from Texas are always so proud", I told my dad (despite the fact that everyone i know from TX is actually very very sweet).  "Have you ever been to Texas?" he asked.  "No".  "Well, then how do you know you don't like it?"  From that point on, I began to kinda like Texas.  As I researched seminaries, Dallas Theological Seminary stood out.  They answered my questions fastest and while it's quite rigorous (DTS uses a 4 year Th.M instead of a 3 year M.Div which covers all 66 Bible books & more semesters of Greek and Hebrew than the other seminaries I considered), they also seemed most ready to accommodate and develop young men like me having two residence halls for single males, weekly spiritual formation groups, and a strong faculty.  Finally, their application and financial aid process went the smoothest so that in this case, I praise the Lord for making it an easy decision.  New student orientation begins August 23.

1. Thank God for His guidance and ask He would continue to confirm his calling and give me a part-time job in seminary.
2. Pray my school Pui Ching would know God (Jer. 22:16).  I challenged my students to make a video on how they'd spend $250 to help Africa.  The top 5 groups I will invite to a banquet to view their videos and vote for the winner, whom I will award $250 to pursue their idea.  My great hope is that the entire school would be moved closer to God's heart for the poor and defenseless.
3. Pray for Sun, Oilworker, Jay, and Casper who don't yet believe but meet with me for weekly Bible Study.
4. Pray for Great Love Church.  For encouragement, wisdom, and refreshment to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to God to resist temptation.  My heart hurts especially over our single sisters because there's not enough Christian men.  I have great admiration for those who courageously trust God to give them the best but it is difficult to wait, not everyone makes the same decision, and i feel we are drawing near as a church to a crucial point of decision on this sensitive yet future-directing issue.
5. Pray for me.  That knowing God would be the greatest joy and goal of my life for Jesus Christ and His love alone fills the other joys and goals of my life - relationships, quiet times, ministry, future prep, my schedule and energy level, basketball, dim sum - with the life breath that moves them from being burdens to being joys. 

Love,
Jonathan


Special thanks to all those facebook/emailers who took the time to give a birthday shout-out and to Auntie Yammie who makes the best cakes unimaginable!
March Photos!

March 27, 2007
Macau Prayer Update 14: Restraint

If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of
Then "cool" is just how far we have to fall
~Sanctus Real "I'm Not Alright"

"The joy of intimacy is the reward of commitment"
~Joshua Harris, I Kissed Dating Goodbye


L-R: Great Love Church team with new uniforms, running Macau Tower with Bill and Samuel , babysitting some special kids, new student leadership team

Dear friends,
The past 2.5 months can be summarized in a word: R.E.S.T.R.A.I.N.T

Reveling in new experiences like running, squash, and Chinese New Year/amusement parks
Encouraging the basketball team which has gone undefeated and doubled our student group
Studying and preaching 3 times on Face the mountain, Remember the mustard seed, Keep the Faith
Testing and giving final grades to my 400 students (& then not saving & doing it all over again)
Realizing power to overcome temptation as I've applied the Pause sermon series by Andy Stanley
Applying to Dallas, Trinity, Talbot, and Southwestern seminaries for Fall 2007
Interviewing students to form our 1st Student Leadership team
Never learning from too much time spent following via the net my Blazers (and Ducks and Commodores!)
Traveling:
Last last week, I went to a Chinese city on the east coast.  What I saw there blew me away. 
*Feeling stained glass to be shipped to 1st Methodist Church, Murfeesboro TN or Saks 5th Ave. in a factory that produces 5x's what equivalent competitors produce, pays for workers' children's education from K-12, has received the government's "best company" 6 years running because the workers keep calling the public office saying "give them an award!", and most importantly sees scores of lives changed holistically, eternally.
*Practicing English with college students who are so open and pure-hearted that they ask me if I believe and say "I will believe too"
*Touring a class for disabled orphans which started because Christians went to the Government and said "How we can help you do your job..."
*Cramming into a house with 200 college kids on a Saturday morning to openly learn Amazing Grace which half the group sang for the 1st time
*Getting pampered by a great family & realizing how much sleeping habits change when you have little kids.
There's something about being denied the opportunity that produces a hunger to know.  It was inspiring to know those satisfying that hunger did so with a holistic creativity, servant-like excellence, and abiding faithfulness second to none.  I used to think the most professional, effective American ministers were in America.  I was wrong :)

Why the acronym RESTRAINT?  The past 2.5 months I've needed restraint to sacrifice present relationships for future preparation: ogling admission essays, forming a student leadership team, practicing preaching.  I returned from my trip inspired and focused on spending the next 2.5 months building relationships with my students whom I feel I have neglected.  Taking a note from the factory, I began praying for my students by name and had meaningful classes last week on the ever-enjoyable topic of dating.  This weekend however, I had a fever and only today have stopped my rumbling stomach from erupting out both ends.  I think it's not that Satan attacks my health, but that he uses my health to attack my faith.  It makes me slow down, practice restraint yet again, and give up to God one of my most precious possessions: my schedule. 
Thanking God for each of you by name,
Jonathan

Losanna and Tony's wedding pictures (sorry so late but they're good!)
Macau Pics (Jan/Feb)

January 17, 2007
Macau Prayer Update 13: Making the Move

A few choice morsels of Mom and Pop’s advice from their visit to Macau

1. Stop looking at that stupid computer (wasting time)
   
2. (Instead) sit in the dark and think about your life. 
   
3. Get in decision making mode.
   
4. Ministry for you is like a drug.  A high. 
   
5. Think about the ultimate goal for your life.  If what you are doing now does not help you achieve your purpose, leave it.
6. Clean your house.

1st practice of the new season; Christmas Eve service at St. Paul's Ruins; Happy Birthday!

Dear Friends,

The week after Christmas I had 3 fun trips canceled which left me a week to sit/kneel/pace with my old journals, guitar, and Bible saying "God, whatever you want me to do, I'll do it".  I sought God to learn 1) what he wanted me to do next year and 2) how to navigate this significant, hairy process of making future decisions. 

Reflecting on the past 4 months
Hearing my parents' advice above was sobering, but hearing my Great Love Minister Tina confirm it forced me to face the dirty side of my life.  I have tried to be a missionary while living like a college kid.  I run from activity to activity and don't care for my personal and spiritual life so that my life and relationships lack the discipline, stability, and maturity that come from abiding in Christ. 
The past few weeks I've been cleaning my house, schedule, and life. It feels refreshing!  I have learned that I enjoy teaching as a great tentmaking job but it is not really my passion, unless I'm teaching the Bible. I have become more convinced that my gifts are pastoring, preaching, teaching and encouraging. These abilities along with leadership also align with the activities I most enjoy doing such as discipleship, sharing the Bible, and working to build the youth/basketball ministry.

The Feint
Thus I am encouraged, because although I have made a myriad of mistakes, God has been teaching and growing me as a minister, an adult, as well as culturally/linguistically while still building his kingdom here. I began the week deciding I'd seek to remain here thinking that 1 more year would be sufficient for me to complete this practical education I'm receiving, but I had no peace.

The Logic
Talking with my parents and Pastor Mayhugh, helped me see that 5-10 years from now, if I could live any life, I'd want to be like a Seattle Pastor named Mark Driscoll...planting a church, discipling leaders, bringing it up in the word, and shepherding it through the spiritual and organizational issues that arise.  When I consider my whole life, my spiritual gifts, my personality, my values and passions, where I have spent my time and energy for the past 8 years, I think that being a Pastor would be the best use of all of who I am. 

The Wrangle
It was a week of wrangling.  I have been counting the cost and considering the calling- sometimes I think I can't bear the cost and become distressed that I don't feel called by God but am using my own logic to pigeon hole myself into a position I consider highest on the spiritual ladder. Other times, such as the other morning after reflecting on the cost and call of the Levites, I finally get quiet enough to stop the other voices in my head and listen to His voice alone.  Then I know it's not about my doubts, misgivings, and fears nor is it about my abilities, talents, and personality.  All these cloud the real reason i pursue pastoral ministry: because i love the Lord, love his people, love his word, and know i am set apart to do this.

The Move
It became clear then, that as southern baptists say, "the call to ministry is the call to prepare." It hurts to tear myself away from the church, school, and place I love, but now that I have made my decision, it is time to build the foundation. God willing then, in August I will return to the States to attend Seminary.  Now I am researching and narrowing down my list of Seminaries to the 3-5 to which I will apply.

The Faith that leads to Action
I can go through the whole process-reflect, pray, fast, worship, seek counsel, sweat, say 37 times "God, whatever you want me to do, I'll do"-and still not get what I want: a call that does not require any decisiveness on my part.  I don't want to have to decide to believe "this is what God wants" just "this is what God can do because He's told me (preferably audibly!) this is what he wants". 
The people in Jesus' day didn't want to decide either.  "The work of God is to believe in the One He has sent" (Jn 6:29). Jesus made it clear.  But how we can be sure they thought.  "What sign will you do that we can see and believe in You?" they asked.  "You see, but you do not believe," Jesus replied.   Peter stepped out of the boat not because he could be sure it was Jesus in the midst of the darkness, waves, and wind but because he heard Jesus' command "Come".  Because he believed Jesus was willing and able to receive him, he obeyed without hesitation. 

Thank you for all your love!  If you are facing decision, I pray the Lord would speak to you through this letter to fix your eyes on Jesus and obey Him.  As always, your feedback is welcome and appreciated. 

Love,
Jonathan

PS December photos
PPS My late but sincere Christmas wish from Macau!

December 22, 2006
Macau Prayer Update 12: From Mom and Dad

Not having gone abroad before, we didn’t know what to expect as we started our journey to Macau .  Little did we know what God had in store for us these two weeks!

Having been used to hopping in a car and going places, our first day in Macau was quite an eye-opening experience.  We did a lot of walking to get from one place to another (which was very good for John’s blood sugar level) but our feet were dead tired by the end of the day.  We dodged traffic, mainly mo-peds while crossing the street.  Macau doesn’t have traffic lights so you need to look left and right and then run for your life.  The street in front of Jonathan’s apartment building and the boulevard in front of the school where he teaches and the church which he attends are congested with people and mo-peds.  So many people who need to know the Lord!  In fact, the pollution was so bad that it affected John’s health, and he ended up wearing a mask for the rest of our trip.  We were overwhelmed by how many people live and work on that small area of land…Chinese people everywhere!  Another observation is that you have to be ready to climb stairs and lots of them…not only to Jonathan’s 4^th floor apartment but also at his school, church, and the language school he attends.  Buildings rise up rather than horizontally. By the way, Bev experienced her first ride on a mo-ped!

What John remembers about Macau is that it is a food paradise.  Even the US restaurants like McDonald’s and KFC are more expensive compared to the local cuisine.  We filled our tummies full of Chinese, Thai, and Portuguese food including the famous Portuguese pork chop buns at the Wharf.  

What Bev remembers about Macau are the people.  She was able to use her Cantonese almost everyday and found that it opened the door to many conversations with the Macau people whether they were church people, shopkeepers, or students.  We were a team of two on a Short-Term Mission trip.  Half of our vacation was following Jonathan around and seeing how he is involved in ministry work.  We served alongside him and ended up helping him to plan lessons and teaching nine groups of students about goal-setting.  We also spent time having lunch with some of his students.  Can you imagine a two-hour lunch break off campus!?!  On several occasions, we were asked to share why we let Jonathan go so far away from home and us…great times for us to share the gospel.

Our second Saturday in Macau , we prepared an Outreach program for the Pui-Ching students.  John shared how he shows care for Jonathan by hugging each young man there.  One young man had never been hugged by his dad before and he said it felt great!  Jonathan shared about the last time we spanked him and how to respond when we do wrong and when our parents wrong us.  God really opened up our eyes to see that Macau young people half way around the world have the same needs, desires, and struggles.  Bev shared how she shows care for Jonathan by building his self-esteem and taught the students how to make a Christmas ball ornament.

The first Sunday John gave his testimony and gave greetings from our home church in Portland.  What did we remember about Jonathan's church "Great Love"?  We were impressed that though they had never met us before, by the end of our vacation they had become good friends.  They are such a loving and sacrificial people.  Every Sunday someone sat next to us to translate for us since the service was in Cantonese plus they gave us song sheets with the pronunciation of the Chinese characters.  There were countless occasions for us to get to know the church family as we ate together and traveled with them on sightseeing excursions.

You might wonder being as busy as we were, how we even got in any sightseeing but we did.  We visited Macau Museum , Sun Yat Sen Museum , Chinese gardens and...

St. Paul Cathedral


a day in Hong Kong with Losana and Tony!


The highlight of our travels was that John was able to visit his childhood village, Toi San.  Seeing the rice paddies, vegetable farms, water buffalos, and banana palms brought back memories of his boyhood when his family owned a buffalo! 


A sight that brought tears to my eyes was the A Ma Temple.  A Ma is the goddess that protects sailors.  On our visit, it was heartbreaking to see so many people offering incense to the statues and even encouraging their young children to do the same, not realizing that this goddess can’t save them but only our Heavenly Father can!  

Visiting Macau gave us new perspective on a mission field….the people Jonathan ministers to and the packed schedule he lives each day.  It has helped us to know how to pray for him more effectively.

Merry Christmas to one and all, far as the curse is found,
John and Bev

84 of the ~500 Pictures taken of our trip

November 27, 2006
Macau Prayer Update 11: Happy Thanksgiving!

"What does it mean to be truly thankful?  truly thankful.   The 1st thanksgiving the pilgrims celebrated in 1621 after half their community had died the winter before.  They owed their lives to an Indian named Squanto who taught them how to grow, fish, and harvest.  Captured and smuggled not once but twice to Europe, he returned to his homeland to find his entire tribe had been killed by smallpox.  Now, these clueless, freezing Englishmen (the same breed that had clamped irons on his hands and feet and enslaved ~14 years of his life) were now living but mostly dying on the land that used to belong to his people.  And he had a choice to make.
There is always a price to thankfulness.   As they sat down to food Squanto had taught them to cultivate and with Indian chieftains that Squanto had helped them mediate a treaty with, I wonder what the pilgrims thought and felt as they looked across the table at this lone native american who had somehow been able to pick up the shards of a broken life of betrayal and loss to spend the past year of his life saving theirs. 
I was thinking, we receive everything from God, but who gives God stuff?  Everything God has, he had to make.  What if everything I had- family, web design, sunshine, Jesus Christ-I had to make? or buy?  There is always a price to thankfulness.  On Thursday eating turkey with WorldVenture and friends, i don't remember ever being truly thankful.  But I hope every time I have another meal of a cracker and grape juice, I remember I am sitting at a table to eat food that Jesus provided and with a King that Jesus mediated a truce with.  Can I save my soul?  Can't afford it.  But he bought it, with his own body and his own blood, and he gave it to me.  what?!  why?!  scandalous. truly thankful.
~thoughts from saturday's youth group talk on this American holiday called Thanksgiving

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.  But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. ~2 Timothy 4:16-18

Wedding Choir, Wingkit&Annie visit, Food Festival (aka small group), Thanksgiving sharing.

Hi friends,
Hello from mild/perfect sunny weather-for-my-parents Macau!  My heart is full and my brain is moving too fast so I'm just going to write.  Thanks.
In depth conversations seem to mark my weeks.  I had a great one with Sim & GJ (2 guys in lowest right corner) about puppy love.  It's when you love someone because you feel good or receive something of benefit by being friends.   It's not bad, but it's primarily self-focused-what i get.  Puppy love is fun.  It characterizes most of my relationships.  Sim said young guys always run around with lists of all these things they want in a girl.  puppy love.   He does a lot of marriage counseling, and guys will get married for puppy love.  Just wait 'til she's got a gut, an apron and a cigarette she's smoking while she yells over her shoulder, "yea, yea, your fries are coming".  I like to put this picture in men's heads he says. 
1. Personal Character Growth Team: Don't ask God for a wife for me.  Ask him to mature my love from puppy to sacrificial. 
My parents are coming this Thursday!  I hope to have a good talk with them about next year.
2. Future Decisions Team: Pray like crazy.  This is your time.  I hope to update you soon.  Thank you.
3. Pui Ching School Teaching team: Praise the Lord!  PC cut back my teaching load from 6 to 4 classes so I only teach 10th-12th grade.  I also gave 400 students their end of quarter exams and grades. 
4. Great Love Church Making Disciples Team: I was able to clarify (with Sim and GJ again who are on a roll) that basically if I could disciple 3 church and 3 PC youth and build up the student fellowship, I'll leave satisfied.  Pray for what "build up the student fellowship" means.
5. Language Learning Team: The good news: I sang in Cantonese (see above)!  The bad news: I don't really know what I sang.  :)
6. Evangelism Team:  Pray that God would use my parents coming to make the impact he wants on the students and create opportunities to share the gospel.  pray reallllly hard!
7. Personal Purity team: thank God for Peter, the 1st student to meet  with me every week.  He is the one guy that purposefully keeps me accountable where it counts.

See the attached doc to see what team you're on!  If anyone wants to change a team, just let me know.  If you're not on a team, np, keep writing me!  If you are b/c you have committed to pray for me once a week, i am truly thankful :).

Jonathan

November photos
Wedding photos


Please click here for Jonathan's Macau Prayer Updates 1-10.