“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” August was a lesson in faith. God has made promises to man, and God intends to keep those promises. I was reminded of the promise in Proverbs 16:9, that the Lord will direct my steps, when the date of our original return tickets drew close. I reminded the Lord daily of the things He had waiting back in China. He reminded me to trust Him and wait. I told the Lord that changing the tickets would not be cheap. The Lord told me He owned everything. I worked at patiently waiting for Him, and He blessed. We were able to change the tickets for about half the amount first expected. Praise the Lord for His guiding hand!
My wife has been doing a little better also. Thanks to the Lord’s direction, we have more wisdom to help us understand how to maintain her back. Each chiropractor we have seen has had a bit of knowledge that, when combined, has given us a clearer direction for her health. We are far from a 100% recovery, but we are joyful to be seeing the steps moving in the right direction.
Also in August, I was able to meet the L___ family from Chicago. God’s promises to direct their steps were as true as the promises given to me. A friend who has been attending the Chinese Sunday school invited them to come. The first week, the father and son came, but the wife had to work. I was privileged to walk the father and son down the Romans Road. Both decided to pray and accept Christ! Afterwards, Mr. L___ said his wife would come the following week. I was out of town speaking at another church, but the family came together. Not only did the wife trust Christ, but all three of them decided to be baptized! Praise the Lord!
On another occasion, I was able to meet Ivan, Brenda, and Shawn. These three young people were hanging out in a doorway on a street in Chicago as I passed by. I stopped to say “Hello” and give them some tracts. The conversation easily budded into a discussion about their eternity. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I was able to help these lost souls find the Saviour.
Another recent event was that the W___ family returned to N___ in late August. The church is happy to see them and to resume a somewhat normal schedule. Please pray for them and the church as they re-acclimate to each other. Also, please be in prayer for the safety of the school and the church.
Lastly, I want to ask for your prayers for several things. First, please pray for a Chinese man named Wi___ W___ in Chicago. He is a nice man, but he needs Jesus. At this time, he has heard the Gospel a couple of times, but he has not yet seen his need. Please pray for his soul to be saved. Secondly, there has been some information that we may need to get a new visa before returning to N___. The validity of this information has wavered back and forth from fact to hearsay. At this point, it seems we will be able to return to China on November 28 with the visas we have and all will be well. However, until we get off the plane and through customs in S___, it could change. Please be in prayer that there will be no hindrances to our reentry. It will be great to return to the work just in time for the Christmas season.
Thank you for all your financial and prayer support.
Missionary 6004 and Family
