January/February 2017
February 28, 2017
Dear Prayer Supporters,
At the end of December, at a conference where my brother-in-law spoke, God met me in a special way. It dawned on me that God makes covenants with sinners and once He makes them, He keeps them. I marveled at how God would covenant to be faithful to me, a sinner prone to unfaithfulness, and how His faithfulness to me is independent of my faithfulness to Him. It was as though God affirmed, “Yes, you haven’t been faithful to Me. But I am faithful to you. I want you to keep following Me on this path of missions. I have promised you My faithfulness and this promise is irrevocable. You have all you need to go on.” In the two months to follow, God has richly shown and kept His wondrous faithfulness to me.
I had the privilege of having my first out-of-town deputation meeting at an extraordinary church in Wisconsin. What can God do through a church of 50 in a small town? He can send 18 missionaries with 25% of this church’s budget to reach the world with the Gospel. He can warmly welcome a missionary newbie, help her feel at ease and at home, let her taste sweet and deep fellowship as though with old friends, give her a stress-relieving weekend of games, snow-tubing and belly laughs, send her off with an unexpected and tender gesture of hospitality, and leave her feeling the sadness of farewells after but a brief weekend with the pastor and his wife. It was a very special church where I made very sweet memories.
Then, two weeks ago I made a week-long adventure to the East Coast with the primary purpose of running an important errand. It provided an opportunity to stop by Boston on my way back. While the errand was unavoidably unsuccessful, the Lord successfully carried out His plans for this trip. I experienced many divine appointments, spent fruitful time with special and dear people, learned to travel alone in big cities, and attended Sunday worship at the church in Boston. There, I had the chance to give a heartfelt update and meet church members I had previously missed, along with three Chinese seekers. Not only did I overcome my initial intimidation of the urban aspects in Boston, I left with a deeper appreciation and respect for the team. I am all the more eager to join them and learn from their wisdom, love, and winsomeness in evangelism. As icing on the cake, I was treated to my second rock-climbing experience and scaled my first (beginner) walls. :)
Since December, I have had four deputation meetings. With every passing meeting, I am growing in assurance, determination, and enthusiasm for God’s work awaiting me in Boston. The Teacher is teaching this slow, weak child to stand and to walk.
Finally, the Lord has graciously raised my support level from 5.5% to 17% through the kindness of my employing church and three individual donors.
Because of His faithfulness, Jean