Thank you for traveling with me in the natural and in the Spirit for the past 2.5 weeks.
Today brought to a close my stay in Kaohsiung and the Lord willing I leave in the morning to start the trek home (Thursday night at 9:00 at home.).
A young man "John" became my e-mail buddy during my last trip here two years ago. Now he is 18 and what a joy to see how he is growing in the Lord. He begged and begged Pastor Bracken (Chris) to allow him to come to my hotel and see me and to practice his English. But Pastor rightfully thought it would not be best. Instead we met him for lunch and then on to see one more option for a new church building. He has no father in his life so I became "Ba Ba" to Brother John. His letter he gave me as I said good bye will tear you up.
It was so hard to tell the Kaohsiung saints good bye. While the reputation of many Asians is that they are cold, it could never be said of these folks. Their tearful good byes made it really hard. But home beckons me. And the hope of returning soon, the Lord willing strengthens me.
Typhoon Nuri went south of us by about 100 miles. But today we felt its effect. The winds were as strong as I have experienced. Late this afternoon, Pastor Bracken took me down to the coast and we watched the waves. In 46 years I have never seen any that compared in size. And this was in the Taiwan Strait which should have been a little sheltered.
After a family dinner with Abigail (age 5) and Ethan (age 3) tugging at my sides to color with them, we made one last stop....to the famous foot massage..... After all the walking of the past 2.5 weeks, it was the perfect close to the trip. It is the best $18 I spent the whole trip. Indescribable.
The boarding pass is printed and the bags basically packed. Behind I leave 1.2 billion Chinese that only know false gods and ancestry worship. But I bring home a life time of memories and experiences. I bring home a passion to reach them that has been fueled to yet higher temperatures. But most importantly, I bring home hope for a day they will be reached, faith that God is not willing that any one of them should perish and a love for souls never surpassed in me before. And the greatest of these abiding things is love.
God be with you til we meet together again!
AMH
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Wednesday Run Down
Our day started at mid-day with meeting the family of the mother that received the Holy Ghost Sunday night in service. Keep in mind she is coming from a background of ancestry worship. But we give God the glory for the good work that has begun in her.
The mix was interesting: One that spoke zero English (the husband), two that spoke zero Chinese (Sister Tiffany and myself) and two that speak both fluently (Chris and the mother). Add four toddlers overdosed on Hershey candies and we had ourselves a real interesting meal! At one point I was left at the table with husband (English name Jacob). It was pretty funny. He couldn't speak a word of English and I'm a little rusty on my Chinese. It was a long 10 minutes of silence and awkward grins. And I thought my precious mother-in-law ate slow....after two hours dessert was just starting.....
The husband is making progress. He is a little more reluctant to be baptized and embrace truth but he is coming along. He has thrown away his idols and that is HUGE start. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him!
Tonight is the closing service. If the Lord allows, I will be preaching "Get a Grip!"
Tomorrow (Thursday) will be spent getting it together to come home. And I think a couple of tourist sites here in Kaohsiung may be on the schedule. My flight takes off Friday morning at 9:00 which is 9:00 pm Thursday night at home.
Finally, I give God the glory for sending Typhoon Nuri to the south of us. No offense to the Philippines that are taking the brunt of it. My flight out heads north to Tokyo so we should be able to escape its wrath. Thanks be to God!
The mix was interesting: One that spoke zero English (the husband), two that spoke zero Chinese (Sister Tiffany and myself) and two that speak both fluently (Chris and the mother). Add four toddlers overdosed on Hershey candies and we had ourselves a real interesting meal! At one point I was left at the table with husband (English name Jacob). It was pretty funny. He couldn't speak a word of English and I'm a little rusty on my Chinese. It was a long 10 minutes of silence and awkward grins. And I thought my precious mother-in-law ate slow....after two hours dessert was just starting.....
The husband is making progress. He is a little more reluctant to be baptized and embrace truth but he is coming along. He has thrown away his idols and that is HUGE start. God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him!
Tonight is the closing service. If the Lord allows, I will be preaching "Get a Grip!"
Tomorrow (Thursday) will be spent getting it together to come home. And I think a couple of tourist sites here in Kaohsiung may be on the schedule. My flight takes off Friday morning at 9:00 which is 9:00 pm Thursday night at home.
Finally, I give God the glory for sending Typhoon Nuri to the south of us. No offense to the Philippines that are taking the brunt of it. My flight out heads north to Tokyo so we should be able to escape its wrath. Thanks be to God!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Pictures
All the pictures can be viewed (and many more) can be viewed at http://picasaweb.google.com/ahatheway777
I think if you click on any picture in the slideshow it will take you there.
I think if you click on any picture in the slideshow it will take you there.
Here Kitty Kitty
As we journeyed through the streets of Kaohsiung on the motorcycle today, I was really fascinated at some of the shops. Because 99.99% of the signs are in Chinese and are either yellow, blue, green or red in color, every street looks almost exactly the same. So you can't just look at the sign and readily figure out what the shop is.
We passed one little shop and I thought, "Cool, that looks like a nice little cafe maybe even with some western food." And this one was unusual because it was actually enclosed so it had air conditioning. I noticed a couple sitting at a table for two in the window with coffee cups in their hands.
But when I looked up and saw the sign in English, I got real nervous... "Pet Store".......
We passed one little shop and I thought, "Cool, that looks like a nice little cafe maybe even with some western food." And this one was unusual because it was actually enclosed so it had air conditioning. I noticed a couple sitting at a table for two in the window with coffee cups in their hands.
But when I looked up and saw the sign in English, I got real nervous... "Pet Store".......
Advice for the Day
Hold on and keep your mouth shut....
The plan for the day was for Chris and I to visit a couple of possibilities for moving the church into larger facilities. What a surprise when I went to the lobby of the hotel to find he was picking me up on a motorcycle. So on with the helmet and away we went.
You have to understand how traffic works in Taiwan; or doesn't work depending on your perspective. It is mere chaos on a good day. I am convinced that the lines for the lanes were provided just to give someone the job of painting them and that traffic lights are really more for decoration. Unlike China, at least for the most part, they basically all travel the same direction, but not if it is not convenient. And there are no rickshaws to contend with, only literally millions of scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and of course autos.
Thankfully Chris weighs in at about 110 pounds so there was room for me on the bike. I held on for dear life. Quickly I learned that unless a mouthful of bugs with a smog chaser is on your weight watchers plan, then you are well advised to keep the mouth shut. We had two close calls. On one of them the van that side swiped us actually was touching the side of my pants when it stopped. Of course Chris is accustomed to this and was not rattled in the least. But I'm a weenie. I'm clearly not ready for Taiwan traffic and equally as important; it is not ready for my artistic style of driving.
The first place we visited was a Language School that been foreclosed upon. The difficulty is that in Taiwan, the buildings are built with earthquakes and typhoons in mind. So, most buildings have multiple 4 x 4 foot posts throughout them. Such was the case for the first option. And there was no rhyme or reason to where they were located in the floor plan. So it clearly was not conducive to renovating into a sanctuary.
The second option was ideal both in terms of location and layout. The posts were appropriately stationed affording an area where a platform could be built and at least 250 chairs, if not more, could be arranged in good view of the platform. The drawback for this location is that the bank wants to sell the whole floor which is far more space than is needed. That of course hikes the price. But if a Bible College is in the works, then this might be ideal. With just one miracle, I am confident God can make a way for this location.
Chris got me back to the hotel as storm clouds loomed.....
The plan for the day was for Chris and I to visit a couple of possibilities for moving the church into larger facilities. What a surprise when I went to the lobby of the hotel to find he was picking me up on a motorcycle. So on with the helmet and away we went.
You have to understand how traffic works in Taiwan; or doesn't work depending on your perspective. It is mere chaos on a good day. I am convinced that the lines for the lanes were provided just to give someone the job of painting them and that traffic lights are really more for decoration. Unlike China, at least for the most part, they basically all travel the same direction, but not if it is not convenient. And there are no rickshaws to contend with, only literally millions of scooters, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians and of course autos.
Thankfully Chris weighs in at about 110 pounds so there was room for me on the bike. I held on for dear life. Quickly I learned that unless a mouthful of bugs with a smog chaser is on your weight watchers plan, then you are well advised to keep the mouth shut. We had two close calls. On one of them the van that side swiped us actually was touching the side of my pants when it stopped. Of course Chris is accustomed to this and was not rattled in the least. But I'm a weenie. I'm clearly not ready for Taiwan traffic and equally as important; it is not ready for my artistic style of driving.
The first place we visited was a Language School that been foreclosed upon. The difficulty is that in Taiwan, the buildings are built with earthquakes and typhoons in mind. So, most buildings have multiple 4 x 4 foot posts throughout them. Such was the case for the first option. And there was no rhyme or reason to where they were located in the floor plan. So it clearly was not conducive to renovating into a sanctuary.
The second option was ideal both in terms of location and layout. The posts were appropriately stationed affording an area where a platform could be built and at least 250 chairs, if not more, could be arranged in good view of the platform. The drawback for this location is that the bank wants to sell the whole floor which is far more space than is needed. That of course hikes the price. But if a Bible College is in the works, then this might be ideal. With just one miracle, I am confident God can make a way for this location.
Chris got me back to the hotel as storm clouds loomed.....
Sunday, August 17, 2008
The Home Stretch
Sunday night at home means Monday morning in Taiwan. Every Monday morning at 10:00 Tom Bracken comes down from Tainan and meets with Chris to talk spiritual strategy. I have been invited to attend. In my honor, they decided that today's meeting would be at the temple of the holy roast....Starbucks.... It will mean my having to say good bye to Brother Bracken as he and Sister Sandy Bracken are headed to Malaysia tomorrow to preach a camp meeting there. I will be hosted the remaining days by Chris and Tiffany Bracken here in Kaohsiung. They are in their late twenties and have two adorable little kids, Abigail and Ethan. They are absolutely passionate about winning the Chinese for Jesus Christ. The fellowship with them is always spiritual, just like it is with his father Tom.
The only other item on the itinerary so far for the week, other than service Wednesday night is a prayer meeting Wednesday at noon with the woman and her husband that received the Holy Ghost last night.
Chris mentioned that we likely will go out Tuesday in search of a new building for the church. They are beginning to get cramped in their existing building. I am thrilled to be a part of searching out.
The only other item on the itinerary so far for the week, other than service Wednesday night is a prayer meeting Wednesday at noon with the woman and her husband that received the Holy Ghost last night.
Chris mentioned that we likely will go out Tuesday in search of a new building for the church. They are beginning to get cramped in their existing building. I am thrilled to be a part of searching out.
Return to Kaohsiung, Taiwan
We returned from Xian safely late Saturday night. It was about 10:00 before we were in our rooms and I could sit down and begin preparation for the Sunday services.
This morning I preached for the church pastored by Brother Richardson on the far northern edge of Kaohsiung. I had preached for Brother Richardson on my last visit. What a great church! The worship was anointed and lively. Chinese Apostolics don't play church. They love to worship and they love to hear preaching. It is always harder to preach with an interpreter but they are still easier to preach to than many North America churches because of their hunger and sincerity for the Word.
I'll make no assessment about my preaching. It is not about me. But I rejoice at the work that was done at the altar. The altar service lasted a long, long time and Brother Richardson told me later that one of the ladies praying had not been at the altar in years. She wept intensely as she sought God. And she prayed intensely no less than 30- 40 minutes.
It is a growing church and their prayer life has a lot to do with it. The Chinese want true experiences. They do not want rituals and dull routine. Buddhism offered them that. They do not come to soothe their conscience. They seek authentic experiences with God. That is why their altar services are powerful.
Every Sunday morning after service at this church, the Sisters of the church serve a meal. I just prayed. Brother Bracken had cautioned me about eating local food. So many that visit here want the "authentic" Asian experience and throw wisdom to the wind when they start eating food their stomach is not accustomed to and they pay a dear price later. TB had really warned me about seafood....
I prayed because there has to be a balance between wisdom and courtesy as the last thing I wanted to do was hurt their feelings. But in the end, the food was really good. Even the fish was very good. She rumbled in my tummy a little later on, but we made it. Of course, I have no clue what some of it was, but I think most of it was vegetables. If they weren't vegetables, just let me go on thinking that's what it was... I tried a chicken curry type dish but just one taste and I knew I better pass. Way, way spicy.
Brother Richardson got me back to my hotel in Kaohsiung by mid-afternoon which gave me a couple of hours to rest and prepare for the Sunday night service there.
In short, the Sunday night service was one of the most powerful services I have been in for quite some time. I read my scripture text and then the Holy Ghost just took over. I preached about 45 minutes...without notes. I had them, I just never used them.
Without question, the altar call was an outpouring from heaven. One woman in particular repented of her sins and was filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. She had come to service off and on for 6 years but never made a move toward God. But tonight was different! She went home with a glow upon her face that can only come with the joy of the Holy Ghost taking residence in her heart. And I could write much, much more about others in the service...but suffice it to say...it was greatest service I have been privileged to be in in my two trips here. Even testimony service was an overwhelming move of the Spirit.
Sister Tiffany Bracken was on cloud nine. She has invested so much into this woman and her husband and to finally see them respond to God's drawing brought a steady flow of tears of joy to her eyes. Oh that men would praise him for His goodness to the children of men!
And my heart leaped when Jing Ting walked in! Jing Ting is a 15 year old who was in his first Apostolic service ever last week when I preached in Tainan. Last Sunday we gave him his first Bible and he read it almost all the way through in one week! So much for reading it in a year!
Immediately after service, Brother Chris Bracken asked me if I would preach again Wednesday night. I accepted without reluctance. I love the Chinese people and God is affording me the chance to live one of my dreams bringing them the Word of God.
It's after midnight....obviously well past my bed time.
This morning I preached for the church pastored by Brother Richardson on the far northern edge of Kaohsiung. I had preached for Brother Richardson on my last visit. What a great church! The worship was anointed and lively. Chinese Apostolics don't play church. They love to worship and they love to hear preaching. It is always harder to preach with an interpreter but they are still easier to preach to than many North America churches because of their hunger and sincerity for the Word.
I'll make no assessment about my preaching. It is not about me. But I rejoice at the work that was done at the altar. The altar service lasted a long, long time and Brother Richardson told me later that one of the ladies praying had not been at the altar in years. She wept intensely as she sought God. And she prayed intensely no less than 30- 40 minutes.
It is a growing church and their prayer life has a lot to do with it. The Chinese want true experiences. They do not want rituals and dull routine. Buddhism offered them that. They do not come to soothe their conscience. They seek authentic experiences with God. That is why their altar services are powerful.
Every Sunday morning after service at this church, the Sisters of the church serve a meal. I just prayed. Brother Bracken had cautioned me about eating local food. So many that visit here want the "authentic" Asian experience and throw wisdom to the wind when they start eating food their stomach is not accustomed to and they pay a dear price later. TB had really warned me about seafood....
I prayed because there has to be a balance between wisdom and courtesy as the last thing I wanted to do was hurt their feelings. But in the end, the food was really good. Even the fish was very good. She rumbled in my tummy a little later on, but we made it. Of course, I have no clue what some of it was, but I think most of it was vegetables. If they weren't vegetables, just let me go on thinking that's what it was... I tried a chicken curry type dish but just one taste and I knew I better pass. Way, way spicy.
Brother Richardson got me back to my hotel in Kaohsiung by mid-afternoon which gave me a couple of hours to rest and prepare for the Sunday night service there.
In short, the Sunday night service was one of the most powerful services I have been in for quite some time. I read my scripture text and then the Holy Ghost just took over. I preached about 45 minutes...without notes. I had them, I just never used them.
Without question, the altar call was an outpouring from heaven. One woman in particular repented of her sins and was filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. She had come to service off and on for 6 years but never made a move toward God. But tonight was different! She went home with a glow upon her face that can only come with the joy of the Holy Ghost taking residence in her heart. And I could write much, much more about others in the service...but suffice it to say...it was greatest service I have been privileged to be in in my two trips here. Even testimony service was an overwhelming move of the Spirit.
Sister Tiffany Bracken was on cloud nine. She has invested so much into this woman and her husband and to finally see them respond to God's drawing brought a steady flow of tears of joy to her eyes. Oh that men would praise him for His goodness to the children of men!
And my heart leaped when Jing Ting walked in! Jing Ting is a 15 year old who was in his first Apostolic service ever last week when I preached in Tainan. Last Sunday we gave him his first Bible and he read it almost all the way through in one week! So much for reading it in a year!
Immediately after service, Brother Chris Bracken asked me if I would preach again Wednesday night. I accepted without reluctance. I love the Chinese people and God is affording me the chance to live one of my dreams bringing them the Word of God.
It's after midnight....obviously well past my bed time.
Monday, August 11, 2008 – Kaohsiung to Xian
Of course, my sales trip was in hopes that someone would buy the truth and sell it not! But what else can you say in a country that monitors e-mails and spends billions in their attempt to thwart the propagation of the Gospel.
The summary that follows is by no stretch the sum of it. It is a mix of natural and spiritual. I am operating on just a few hours of sleep over the last 48 hours so it may appear disjointed.
Throughout this blog, TB stands for Tom Bracken, my mentor and partner in this mission into China.
Our flight from KHH was on time and uneventful. It left us with a 2.5 hour layover in Hong Kong which we filled with walking the Hong Kong Airport from one end to the other. We were sure to visit both Starbucks that were within our terminal.
Landing in Xian meant my first true steps in China. It is my first experience ever in a Communist country. Immediately we passed through security and then on to retrieve our luggage. While waiting for our luggage we exchanged some currency. We also talked with a local business man who gave us some very good advice: Go to the taxi stand. Do not accept offers from anyone else offering “taxi service”. He also said do not negotiate a set price for the ride. Tell them you want to use the meter. His advice proved quite valuable.
Customs was easier than I thought. Really got through with only a couple of questions: Is this your first time ever in China and when are you leaving. We had filled out forms on the plane that gave them just about everything else they could need except my shoe size.
The meals on the plane were quite good and really were all we would need. From KHH to Hong Kong we had a chicken and rice type meal, with a few assorted vegetables of course. Hong Kong to Xian was a beef cubes with green linguine which was basically beef stroganoff. Of course there were plenty of things in there I didn't recognize but I closed my eyes and swallowed.
The taxi ride to the Howard Johnson Ginwa Plaza was about 50 minutes. It was about $10 per person as we split the fare. The staff is extremely friendly and most, particularly the primary host, speak English pretty well.
After checking in and settling our belongings we walked out to the street. It was dark by then. We were within a block of the South Gate on the outside of the wall. The streets were lined with people. Some were playing cards. Some were playing other sorts of Chinese games of accuracy or chance. But the entire streets were full. It is just where the Chinese spend their evenings.
Music is common. Karaoke is common. In one area immediately outside the south gate a large congregation of people had gathered with scarves and fans and danced/paraded around the area while musicians beat the drums and others played Chinese style flutes. I have good videos of this. The men dancing around with scarves was just a little overboard for my tastes….
Further on down the street was a gathering with a people taking turns singing Chinese opera while an assorted group of people played various instruments including the drums. At first thought, I would say it sounded a little like pregnant cows in labor....though I have never really heard that sound..... It was dark so the lighted city was a spectacular view particularly from our hotel window. It really was a walk through authentic Chinese culture.
Upon returning to the room, I made ready for bed. After a long day of travel and not really sleeping well in Taiwan on any of the nights, I was ready for a comfortable bed. I got half of that. It was technically a bed, but the mattress was incredibly hard. All through the night I awoke aching, quickly turning to put the pressure on another part of my body. But the room was “fairly” clean… You don’t want details.
The water from spigets is not "potable". So they leave 3 bottles of water for you. Except some of mine were opened and half empty...or half full...depending on your perspective.
The next morning upon arising, I showered and readied for the day. The mirror in the shower was kind of weird. TB and I met for breakfast at the hotel restaurant which was a nice buffet with a mix of both eastern and western food. Plenty of good stuff for Americans or Europeans to get full on.
At 8:30 we began our first official walk. We walked across the street and down to the South Gate where after buying our ticket we headed up to the wall. The set up is fascinating. First there is the mote and drawbridge around the wall. The sides of the mote alone would be incredibly difficult to penetrate. The sides to the wall are quite rugged. I suppose someone with extreme agility could attempt to climb it, but one certainly couldn’t do it quickly or without being caught.
It was raining pretty heavy this morning as we started our journey. The path is not smooth and demands constant circumspectly walking to avoid a foot being twisted. Because of the rain, it was pretty light traffic up there so this afforded more liberty than we might of otherwise had. When I say traffic I do not mean cars as those aren't permitted on the wall, but rather people walking, riding bicycles or rickshaws.
The winds blew and the rains fell hard as we walked from the South Gate to the Western gate. What an anointing as we prayed and called on the name of the Lord. The Spirit gave us utterance on how to pray. The Lord had given me the word “laser” last night which I researched quickly. Of course, TB’s Navy Seal background provided good insight as well.
We prayed against the rebellious angels and demons (principalities). We prayed against the chains that bind the liberty of doing as one pleases and the powers of judicial decisions (powers). We prayed against persons in whom darkness is visible and holds sway (rulers of the darkness of this world). And we prayed against spiritual wickedness in high places. We prayed against kingdoms of this world.
We prayed for revelation and light. We prayed for liberty. We prayed for souls, particularly individual ones that would pass by us.
At the Western Gate, still under a heavy rain shower, we descended to ground level and walked eastward toward the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower. We did not go in them, but we walk down the shopping district that led away from them. Traditional Chinese shopping as westerners might perceive it. Some shops were selling Terra Cotta replicas. Some were selling purses. Other sold Chinese instruments and odd lots. And of course plenty of them sold food. Several were roasting walnuts for sale.
The Chinese are only allowed one child. Any more than that and they lose significant benefits from the government and there is incredible peer pressure put on them. So they cherish the one child they have. You can not watch them play without feeling compassion for them. For littler ones, it is not uncommon for them not to wear underwear. They have snaps on their pants over the groin and they just unsnap them, crouch down and urinate right on to the sidewalk. That was kind of a surprise! Moral of that story is you have to watch where you walk….
In Taiwan there are temples everywhere. Buddhist and Taoist temples of every size seem to be on every street. Not so here. In fact, I have not seen them at all. TB tells me they do not have them. They set up shop so to speak in their home and worship there.
Modesty really lacks, clearly more among the men than women. Many are shirtless because of the heat, while others roll their shirt up to mid riff. Of course, the vast majority are very, very thin.
The housing is incredibly poor. You can not believe the condition that they are even habitable. Outside the city where the factories are, there are communes basically with extremely dilapidated apartment type housing that would make our inner cities look habitable. It really looked more like what I would expect in some places in the Middle East.
The smells are not as bad as I thought they might be. Some places where they are cooking actually smell quite appealing, but of course there are some places where the combination of dirt, sweat, incense and trash are pretty disagreeable.
As we journeyed from the West gate to the Bell Tower and The Drum Tower, the streets were quite modern with plenty of traffic – bicycles, taxi’s, cars, police, etc. I even saw one Subway, one McDonald’s and one Starbucks. The city is an odd mix of ancient and modern. You can go from an ultra modern shopping center to the traditional Chinese stereo typical street shopping.
Pedestrians do not have the right of way here. Right of way is determined by size and basically courage. In just one day, we have already had a couple of close calls. Just getting across the street requires a host of angels! I’m serious…Cabs, buses, pedestrians, bicycles, rickshaws all going in multiple directions, regularly cutting people off. I just closed my eyes and prayed.
The Olympics are a big deal here. They are being shown on just about every TV we pass. They have more interest in them than I.
Bro. Bracken decided on authentic Chinese for lunch so Peking duck was the choice. It was absolutely awesome.
For dinner we didn’t need much so we chose Starbucks.
In China, the only “Christian Churches” are those that are State sponsored. So please don’t be deluded when the media says Bush attends church while in China. What he really attended was a state sponsored propaganda filled religious service. God is not their agenda. The real church, of course, is completely underground. It is illegal for gatherings of more than 10 and it certainly can not be for Christian purposes. The consequences for getting caught distributing ANY type of Christian materials can be high. Also, the Chinese get rewards for reporting it to authorities. Many Christian prayer meetings are held with loud rock music blaring so as to keep anyone from hearing or suspecting that something Christian is going on.
I did OK with the food. I learned later that Bro. Bracken took a serious ride on the "D-Train" as did some of the Sisters that journeyed to one of the coastal cities.
If no soap or towels in the restrooms, no deodorant, regular nose picking and persistent spitting are not your cup of tea (no pun intended) then China is not the place for you. All of these are common as oxygen. And with the pollution issue right now, I would say they are more common.
But the hardest part is the oppression. It is all over their faces. They are blinded to truth and need deliverance and revelation. But greater is He that is in us, then he that is in the world. And truth marches on in the underground. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We will continue to win them one by one. There is no government or military that can stop it. But the field needs laborers. And my passion to see the truth be brought to the Chinese is consuming.
The days that followed brought a mix of weather. After raining hard the first day...the whole live long day...it was hot and humid the next, followed by hazy, overcasts days the last two days. Those were the best for walking.
We did make the complete journey around the city on the wall. And perhaps upon my return, I can better express the spiritual experience of walking the walls. In the natural, the wall seemed much longer than we had read it would be. Upon finishing the journey, I have to admit, I was rather grateful that we did not have to walk the wall 13 times as they did around Jericho (once eacy day for 6 days and 7 times on the 7th day). But we would have without reservation if meant immediate deliverance for a people bound by a communist regime and intense spiritual darkness.
There is just too much to tell about Xian.
Lastly, I am not writing this in "novel" form....just thoughts and experiences along the way...hoping something I say will ignite even an ember within you to pray for the Chinese. Remember your prayers go a long way for when you pray for them you are praying for 20% of the world's population all at once!
Of course, my sales trip was in hopes that someone would buy the truth and sell it not! But what else can you say in a country that monitors e-mails and spends billions in their attempt to thwart the propagation of the Gospel.
The summary that follows is by no stretch the sum of it. It is a mix of natural and spiritual. I am operating on just a few hours of sleep over the last 48 hours so it may appear disjointed.
Throughout this blog, TB stands for Tom Bracken, my mentor and partner in this mission into China.
Our flight from KHH was on time and uneventful. It left us with a 2.5 hour layover in Hong Kong which we filled with walking the Hong Kong Airport from one end to the other. We were sure to visit both Starbucks that were within our terminal.
Landing in Xian meant my first true steps in China. It is my first experience ever in a Communist country. Immediately we passed through security and then on to retrieve our luggage. While waiting for our luggage we exchanged some currency. We also talked with a local business man who gave us some very good advice: Go to the taxi stand. Do not accept offers from anyone else offering “taxi service”. He also said do not negotiate a set price for the ride. Tell them you want to use the meter. His advice proved quite valuable.
Customs was easier than I thought. Really got through with only a couple of questions: Is this your first time ever in China and when are you leaving. We had filled out forms on the plane that gave them just about everything else they could need except my shoe size.
The meals on the plane were quite good and really were all we would need. From KHH to Hong Kong we had a chicken and rice type meal, with a few assorted vegetables of course. Hong Kong to Xian was a beef cubes with green linguine which was basically beef stroganoff. Of course there were plenty of things in there I didn't recognize but I closed my eyes and swallowed.
The taxi ride to the Howard Johnson Ginwa Plaza was about 50 minutes. It was about $10 per person as we split the fare. The staff is extremely friendly and most, particularly the primary host, speak English pretty well.
After checking in and settling our belongings we walked out to the street. It was dark by then. We were within a block of the South Gate on the outside of the wall. The streets were lined with people. Some were playing cards. Some were playing other sorts of Chinese games of accuracy or chance. But the entire streets were full. It is just where the Chinese spend their evenings.
Music is common. Karaoke is common. In one area immediately outside the south gate a large congregation of people had gathered with scarves and fans and danced/paraded around the area while musicians beat the drums and others played Chinese style flutes. I have good videos of this. The men dancing around with scarves was just a little overboard for my tastes….
Further on down the street was a gathering with a people taking turns singing Chinese opera while an assorted group of people played various instruments including the drums. At first thought, I would say it sounded a little like pregnant cows in labor....though I have never really heard that sound..... It was dark so the lighted city was a spectacular view particularly from our hotel window. It really was a walk through authentic Chinese culture.
Upon returning to the room, I made ready for bed. After a long day of travel and not really sleeping well in Taiwan on any of the nights, I was ready for a comfortable bed. I got half of that. It was technically a bed, but the mattress was incredibly hard. All through the night I awoke aching, quickly turning to put the pressure on another part of my body. But the room was “fairly” clean… You don’t want details.
The water from spigets is not "potable". So they leave 3 bottles of water for you. Except some of mine were opened and half empty...or half full...depending on your perspective.
The next morning upon arising, I showered and readied for the day. The mirror in the shower was kind of weird. TB and I met for breakfast at the hotel restaurant which was a nice buffet with a mix of both eastern and western food. Plenty of good stuff for Americans or Europeans to get full on.
At 8:30 we began our first official walk. We walked across the street and down to the South Gate where after buying our ticket we headed up to the wall. The set up is fascinating. First there is the mote and drawbridge around the wall. The sides of the mote alone would be incredibly difficult to penetrate. The sides to the wall are quite rugged. I suppose someone with extreme agility could attempt to climb it, but one certainly couldn’t do it quickly or without being caught.
It was raining pretty heavy this morning as we started our journey. The path is not smooth and demands constant circumspectly walking to avoid a foot being twisted. Because of the rain, it was pretty light traffic up there so this afforded more liberty than we might of otherwise had. When I say traffic I do not mean cars as those aren't permitted on the wall, but rather people walking, riding bicycles or rickshaws.
The winds blew and the rains fell hard as we walked from the South Gate to the Western gate. What an anointing as we prayed and called on the name of the Lord. The Spirit gave us utterance on how to pray. The Lord had given me the word “laser” last night which I researched quickly. Of course, TB’s Navy Seal background provided good insight as well.
We prayed against the rebellious angels and demons (principalities). We prayed against the chains that bind the liberty of doing as one pleases and the powers of judicial decisions (powers). We prayed against persons in whom darkness is visible and holds sway (rulers of the darkness of this world). And we prayed against spiritual wickedness in high places. We prayed against kingdoms of this world.
We prayed for revelation and light. We prayed for liberty. We prayed for souls, particularly individual ones that would pass by us.
At the Western Gate, still under a heavy rain shower, we descended to ground level and walked eastward toward the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower. We did not go in them, but we walk down the shopping district that led away from them. Traditional Chinese shopping as westerners might perceive it. Some shops were selling Terra Cotta replicas. Some were selling purses. Other sold Chinese instruments and odd lots. And of course plenty of them sold food. Several were roasting walnuts for sale.
The Chinese are only allowed one child. Any more than that and they lose significant benefits from the government and there is incredible peer pressure put on them. So they cherish the one child they have. You can not watch them play without feeling compassion for them. For littler ones, it is not uncommon for them not to wear underwear. They have snaps on their pants over the groin and they just unsnap them, crouch down and urinate right on to the sidewalk. That was kind of a surprise! Moral of that story is you have to watch where you walk….
In Taiwan there are temples everywhere. Buddhist and Taoist temples of every size seem to be on every street. Not so here. In fact, I have not seen them at all. TB tells me they do not have them. They set up shop so to speak in their home and worship there.
Modesty really lacks, clearly more among the men than women. Many are shirtless because of the heat, while others roll their shirt up to mid riff. Of course, the vast majority are very, very thin.
The housing is incredibly poor. You can not believe the condition that they are even habitable. Outside the city where the factories are, there are communes basically with extremely dilapidated apartment type housing that would make our inner cities look habitable. It really looked more like what I would expect in some places in the Middle East.
The smells are not as bad as I thought they might be. Some places where they are cooking actually smell quite appealing, but of course there are some places where the combination of dirt, sweat, incense and trash are pretty disagreeable.
As we journeyed from the West gate to the Bell Tower and The Drum Tower, the streets were quite modern with plenty of traffic – bicycles, taxi’s, cars, police, etc. I even saw one Subway, one McDonald’s and one Starbucks. The city is an odd mix of ancient and modern. You can go from an ultra modern shopping center to the traditional Chinese stereo typical street shopping.
Pedestrians do not have the right of way here. Right of way is determined by size and basically courage. In just one day, we have already had a couple of close calls. Just getting across the street requires a host of angels! I’m serious…Cabs, buses, pedestrians, bicycles, rickshaws all going in multiple directions, regularly cutting people off. I just closed my eyes and prayed.
The Olympics are a big deal here. They are being shown on just about every TV we pass. They have more interest in them than I.
Bro. Bracken decided on authentic Chinese for lunch so Peking duck was the choice. It was absolutely awesome.
For dinner we didn’t need much so we chose Starbucks.
In China, the only “Christian Churches” are those that are State sponsored. So please don’t be deluded when the media says Bush attends church while in China. What he really attended was a state sponsored propaganda filled religious service. God is not their agenda. The real church, of course, is completely underground. It is illegal for gatherings of more than 10 and it certainly can not be for Christian purposes. The consequences for getting caught distributing ANY type of Christian materials can be high. Also, the Chinese get rewards for reporting it to authorities. Many Christian prayer meetings are held with loud rock music blaring so as to keep anyone from hearing or suspecting that something Christian is going on.
I did OK with the food. I learned later that Bro. Bracken took a serious ride on the "D-Train" as did some of the Sisters that journeyed to one of the coastal cities.
If no soap or towels in the restrooms, no deodorant, regular nose picking and persistent spitting are not your cup of tea (no pun intended) then China is not the place for you. All of these are common as oxygen. And with the pollution issue right now, I would say they are more common.
But the hardest part is the oppression. It is all over their faces. They are blinded to truth and need deliverance and revelation. But greater is He that is in us, then he that is in the world. And truth marches on in the underground. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We will continue to win them one by one. There is no government or military that can stop it. But the field needs laborers. And my passion to see the truth be brought to the Chinese is consuming.
The days that followed brought a mix of weather. After raining hard the first day...the whole live long day...it was hot and humid the next, followed by hazy, overcasts days the last two days. Those were the best for walking.
We did make the complete journey around the city on the wall. And perhaps upon my return, I can better express the spiritual experience of walking the walls. In the natural, the wall seemed much longer than we had read it would be. Upon finishing the journey, I have to admit, I was rather grateful that we did not have to walk the wall 13 times as they did around Jericho (once eacy day for 6 days and 7 times on the 7th day). But we would have without reservation if meant immediate deliverance for a people bound by a communist regime and intense spiritual darkness.
There is just too much to tell about Xian.
Lastly, I am not writing this in "novel" form....just thoughts and experiences along the way...hoping something I say will ignite even an ember within you to pray for the Chinese. Remember your prayers go a long way for when you pray for them you are praying for 20% of the world's population all at once!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
Taipei 101
It was hard leaving the hotel in Tainan (pronounced tie-non with emphasized syllable being "tie"). Hard because I had only gotten my luggage at 2:06 this morning and at 9:30 I was leaving it behind to go to Taipei with only my carry on bag. I had some serious separation anxiety.
Once arriving in Taipei and checking in, it was back on the streets again. We took a cab further into town near the main train terminal station. Upon exiting we went to visit the YWCA. And for a good reason. Currently there are no established English/Chinese works in Taipei. A Filipino group is meeting regularly at the YWCA. This location was chosen because of its proximity to the intersection of where all the major train lines and bus lines meet. But as one would expect, to be located near such is very costly. They rent a meeting room there for three hours every Sunday in the afternoon. It costs about a typical full months rent for housing in the midwest for the 12 hours.
After a nice lunch we headed to the subway station where I experienced my first subway ride in Taiwan. Clean but congested. There are ample signs in both Chinese and English so if you can read a map you'd be OK. Taipei as I learned today, is much more prepared for international visitors than the cities in the south half of the island. We took the train to the City Hall Station and paid NT $20...which translates into about 30 cents. So far this has been about the only bargain I have seen here....
Our destination was Taipei 101. You have to see it to really understand it. Wikipedia does OK with it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101). It is the tallest building in the world or thereabouts depending on what is measured. We made our way (for a fee of course) to the Observation Deck on the 89th floor. In Taiwan the floors are taller than in the US so it is higher than the Sears Tower. I took pictures but I am not sure they will do it justice.
On the spiritual side, there are not words to describe the impact of praying over a city from the 89th floor. To the east, west, north and south there are literally millions of people that need the gospel. And thank God there is freedom here to preach it.
After about an hour prayer meeting, we headed back to the ground level and over to the Grand Hyatt to meet the Votaws for dinner. There is an incredible story there I will share upon coming home. It was the Votaws that first instilled a burden for the Chinese in me. Later I can divulge the signifcance of meeting them here in Taipei.
Brother Bracken is doing nothing to help my diet. Cold Stone Creamery has come to Taipei as a smashing success. It is his weakness too and we fell to the temptation.
It is Friday night here and already I am being well schooled with what I will need to know next week in Xian. The risk is greater than I thought and I will not risk posting while there. We head back tomorrow to Tainan with a stop at a Filipino church on our way. It is then time to get focused on the Sunday services in Tainan and Kaohsiung. That will be Saturday night and early Sunday morning in the US.
Once arriving in Taipei and checking in, it was back on the streets again. We took a cab further into town near the main train terminal station. Upon exiting we went to visit the YWCA. And for a good reason. Currently there are no established English/Chinese works in Taipei. A Filipino group is meeting regularly at the YWCA. This location was chosen because of its proximity to the intersection of where all the major train lines and bus lines meet. But as one would expect, to be located near such is very costly. They rent a meeting room there for three hours every Sunday in the afternoon. It costs about a typical full months rent for housing in the midwest for the 12 hours.
After a nice lunch we headed to the subway station where I experienced my first subway ride in Taiwan. Clean but congested. There are ample signs in both Chinese and English so if you can read a map you'd be OK. Taipei as I learned today, is much more prepared for international visitors than the cities in the south half of the island. We took the train to the City Hall Station and paid NT $20...which translates into about 30 cents. So far this has been about the only bargain I have seen here....
Our destination was Taipei 101. You have to see it to really understand it. Wikipedia does OK with it (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_101). It is the tallest building in the world or thereabouts depending on what is measured. We made our way (for a fee of course) to the Observation Deck on the 89th floor. In Taiwan the floors are taller than in the US so it is higher than the Sears Tower. I took pictures but I am not sure they will do it justice.
On the spiritual side, there are not words to describe the impact of praying over a city from the 89th floor. To the east, west, north and south there are literally millions of people that need the gospel. And thank God there is freedom here to preach it.
After about an hour prayer meeting, we headed back to the ground level and over to the Grand Hyatt to meet the Votaws for dinner. There is an incredible story there I will share upon coming home. It was the Votaws that first instilled a burden for the Chinese in me. Later I can divulge the signifcance of meeting them here in Taipei.
Brother Bracken is doing nothing to help my diet. Cold Stone Creamery has come to Taipei as a smashing success. It is his weakness too and we fell to the temptation.
It is Friday night here and already I am being well schooled with what I will need to know next week in Xian. The risk is greater than I thought and I will not risk posting while there. We head back tomorrow to Tainan with a stop at a Filipino church on our way. It is then time to get focused on the Sunday services in Tainan and Kaohsiung. That will be Saturday night and early Sunday morning in the US.
The Silver Bullet
This morning Brother Bracken and I took the "silver bullet" train from Tainan to Taipei. I'm not actually sure why they call it the "Silver Bullet" since nothing about the train is silver. It is high speed and extremely smooth. The Red Line in Chicago could learn a few things here.
The ride was about an hour and 40 minutes. I wouldn't trade this time with Brother Bracken for "all the tea in China". Very personal, priceless time of listening to his heartbeat for missions and his listening to mine.
Upon arriving in Taipei, we found a cab. If you don't have faith, just don't get in one...... We were able to check into our hotel: The Dong Wu Hotel. The paper says the website is http://www.dongwu-hotel.com/. It's very nice and you can't beat the price of $2,240 a night. (Wait for the site to load. Do NOT load the Chinese characters when prompted. Just let the jumbled page of characters load and you will see the word "English". Click it and you should be in business.)
We have already made contact with Brother Victor Votaw who is based here. The plan is to meet him for dinner.
I have a few pictures but will have to wait to get them uploaded.
The ride was about an hour and 40 minutes. I wouldn't trade this time with Brother Bracken for "all the tea in China". Very personal, priceless time of listening to his heartbeat for missions and his listening to mine.
Upon arriving in Taipei, we found a cab. If you don't have faith, just don't get in one...... We were able to check into our hotel: The Dong Wu Hotel. The paper says the website is http://www.dongwu-hotel.com/. It's very nice and you can't beat the price of $2,240 a night. (Wait for the site to load. Do NOT load the Chinese characters when prompted. Just let the jumbled page of characters load and you will see the word "English". Click it and you should be in business.)
We have already made contact with Brother Victor Votaw who is based here. The plan is to meet him for dinner.
I have a few pictures but will have to wait to get them uploaded.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Friday Morning in Tainan
Our first full day in Tainan, Taiwan is behind me. The Brackens met me at the hotel for breakfast before we started our day. The day was intended to be a day of recovery from the travel over.
After breakfast we drove into town to do a little shopping....mainly to get me some underclothes and a sport shirt to get me through the day with anticipation that my luggage would arrive by night fall. From there was we went to their off site storage site to pcik up some suitcases for our up coming journeys. From there they took me to see the new home they purchased in Tainan. They were able to sell their property in Kaohsiung and more than cover the new place. It would remind you more of a condominium. It is four floors. Because of a huge shortage for land, houses are built tall and narrow.
From there we found a nice authentic Chinese place to eat. Sister Bracken was very helpful in picking me out a couple of choices. But using the chop sticks to pick up noodles was a challenge enough. The place would remind you a little of a garage with a few cooking facilities. But the homemade noodles were awesome. We were covered by a shelter but you felt like you were eating in a garage with the garage door open. And the shelter proved valuable as the skies opened up and it poured. They really haven't had much sunshine since the typhoon moved through last week. Today's rain was a remnant of a major storm that hit Hong Kong.
Our final stop was to visit the church and the current studio apartment above it. The church, like the Taiwanese housing is deep but narrow. Sunday morning I'll get a picture or two to add here of it. Very nice facility in the business district of a campus area. We met a couple of the sisters of the church who were there working. They were all smiles.
As soon as I could after the visit to the church, I got back to the hotel, took a shower and changed into my new clothes, took a nap and got in some reading.
About 8:30 we went about a block down the street to eat. I really enjoyed the dish I found. It was a lightly fried quarter of dark meat chicken coated in a sweet honey sauce. The soup was good too...but the side dishes had me a little concerned so they remained as a nice decorations.
About 10:00 pm while finishing dinner, Brother Bracken got a call from the airport that my luggage had arrived and that they would bring it up tomorrow. He and Sister Bracken protested strongly on the phone that we wanted it tonight! By the time I got back to the hotel at 10:30, the airport lost and found had already called to say it would be 3:00 in the morning! With great difficulty, I was able to relay to the hotel staff that I desired to be woken up when it arrived.
Finally at 2:06 in the morning, after 52 hours of separation, I was reunited with my belongings.
Brother Bracken is planning to pick me up at 10:00 and we are headed to Taipei for the day and night. It is about a 4 hour drive. We will accomplish some business he needs to take care of, spend the night before returning to Tainan tomorrow. There is a small work in between that we will stop in to visit tomorrow on our way back. So tonight I will be in Taipei for the first time and tomorrow night the plan is to be back here at the Justwin Hotel in Tainan. On their website, it you look at "Room Services" and then "Fashionable Single Rooms" you have an EXACT picture of my room including the red chairs and the huge bath tub.
Time to go!
After breakfast we drove into town to do a little shopping....mainly to get me some underclothes and a sport shirt to get me through the day with anticipation that my luggage would arrive by night fall. From there was we went to their off site storage site to pcik up some suitcases for our up coming journeys. From there they took me to see the new home they purchased in Tainan. They were able to sell their property in Kaohsiung and more than cover the new place. It would remind you more of a condominium. It is four floors. Because of a huge shortage for land, houses are built tall and narrow.
From there we found a nice authentic Chinese place to eat. Sister Bracken was very helpful in picking me out a couple of choices. But using the chop sticks to pick up noodles was a challenge enough. The place would remind you a little of a garage with a few cooking facilities. But the homemade noodles were awesome. We were covered by a shelter but you felt like you were eating in a garage with the garage door open. And the shelter proved valuable as the skies opened up and it poured. They really haven't had much sunshine since the typhoon moved through last week. Today's rain was a remnant of a major storm that hit Hong Kong.
Our final stop was to visit the church and the current studio apartment above it. The church, like the Taiwanese housing is deep but narrow. Sunday morning I'll get a picture or two to add here of it. Very nice facility in the business district of a campus area. We met a couple of the sisters of the church who were there working. They were all smiles.
As soon as I could after the visit to the church, I got back to the hotel, took a shower and changed into my new clothes, took a nap and got in some reading.
About 8:30 we went about a block down the street to eat. I really enjoyed the dish I found. It was a lightly fried quarter of dark meat chicken coated in a sweet honey sauce. The soup was good too...but the side dishes had me a little concerned so they remained as a nice decorations.
About 10:00 pm while finishing dinner, Brother Bracken got a call from the airport that my luggage had arrived and that they would bring it up tomorrow. He and Sister Bracken protested strongly on the phone that we wanted it tonight! By the time I got back to the hotel at 10:30, the airport lost and found had already called to say it would be 3:00 in the morning! With great difficulty, I was able to relay to the hotel staff that I desired to be woken up when it arrived.
Finally at 2:06 in the morning, after 52 hours of separation, I was reunited with my belongings.
Brother Bracken is planning to pick me up at 10:00 and we are headed to Taipei for the day and night. It is about a 4 hour drive. We will accomplish some business he needs to take care of, spend the night before returning to Tainan tomorrow. There is a small work in between that we will stop in to visit tomorrow on our way back. So tonight I will be in Taipei for the first time and tomorrow night the plan is to be back here at the Justwin Hotel in Tainan. On their website, it you look at "Room Services" and then "Fashionable Single Rooms" you have an EXACT picture of my room including the red chairs and the huge bath tub.
Time to go!
Somewhere between here and there
My flight to Kaohsiung arrived just fine on schedule....but somewhere between Indy and Kaohsiung are two very nice pieces of Dockers luggage....with all my belongings. Talking in English to a Chinese lost and found was an experience, but they have an APB out for my luggage.
At least I left my toothbrush in my carry-on!
At least I left my toothbrush in my carry-on!
Geting There
Asia 2008 had an inauspicious start. Heavy rains in Indianapolis delayed most flights in and out. When my scheduled departure was delayed one hour and 45 minutes, I knew we had a problem. With haste I got to the counter and NWA was able to re-route me through Minneapolis and on to Tokyo where I could at least, in theory, still catch my flight to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Even with the change in flight plan, I was supposed to arrive in Tokyo 2 hours before my flight to Kaohsiung, which I assumed would be plenty of time.
I knew I lost my aisle seat by the re-routing for the 6097 mile journey from MSP to Tokyo. When I approached the counter in MSP, they said, “We’ll see.” From my childhood I know that means “No”.
But God did exceeding abundantly above what I asked of Him. Not only did they call my name for a seat assignment change, they got me an aisle seat with no passenger seated on my immediate right. But God went beyond that. In the next seat over from the vacant one, was Preston. Preston is a middle school student in Japan. His father is stationed there. He loves roller coasters and thrill rides and has spent the last couple of weeks in Nebraska.
I lost my ear somewhere over Alaska. Once he knew he had an audience he was non-stop. But I was eager to learn about his experiences. His family has been stationed there 4 years and after a month in the states, they are headed back to Japan for 3 more years. After a couple of hours, he got knee deep in his game boy…at least until the battery died… and then there was a tug at my shirt and a small whisper, “Hey Andrew….Are you awake?” At dinner we made a trade, I got his shrimp cocktail and he got my Oreo’s….I still think I got the better of the deal. (We had long since covered personal tastes in food and his disdain for seafood in a country that eats it three times a day.
The landing in Tokyo went well...until as we were waiting to de-board and in broken English I hear, “Now paging Andrew Hatheway. Please see an agent outside upon deplaning. OK….I was tempted just a little to panic.
Finally I got off the plane and ran up the jet way to see a trim Japanese lady holding a sign in English with my name. (It is my first official souvenir.) She said, “Right this way. I am going to help you get through security and immediately over to Japan Airlines. I told her I didn’t have a boarding pass yet and she said not to worry.”
The agent clearly was a retired track star. She ran and I just couldn’t keep up. After several flights of stairs and turns we came to a security checkpoint that had at least 300 people standing wall to wall. She opened the tape and took me to the front of the line. I am not ashamed to admit that tears started to fill my eyes. I am just sure it would have taken me double the time just to find where to go, not to mention the hours I would have had to wait in the security. She took me straight from the security check point to a private shuttle. She then escorted me to the JAL ticket counter who gave me a boarding pass instantly. Within just a few minutes I was standing at gate 83 with 45 minutes to spare before boarding.
I can’t explain it. Why I was singled out, I simply can not tell. But watching God work on my behalf as He has done sure makes this simpleton to know, God is working even now.
As I write, I am the tallest (and likely the heaviest) person on my plane to Kaohsiung. God added a cherry when after we got in the air, the stewardess saw how cramped I was and moved me to the front row in front of the screen which has 2 extra feet of leg room. Of course the news they are showing is in Japanese…. But the news can wait…..
I haven’t shaved in 28 hours. I slopped on my pants and my hair suffers from terminal pillow head. I am sure I’ll be quite a sight for the Brackens!
I knew I lost my aisle seat by the re-routing for the 6097 mile journey from MSP to Tokyo. When I approached the counter in MSP, they said, “We’ll see.” From my childhood I know that means “No”.
But God did exceeding abundantly above what I asked of Him. Not only did they call my name for a seat assignment change, they got me an aisle seat with no passenger seated on my immediate right. But God went beyond that. In the next seat over from the vacant one, was Preston. Preston is a middle school student in Japan. His father is stationed there. He loves roller coasters and thrill rides and has spent the last couple of weeks in Nebraska.
I lost my ear somewhere over Alaska. Once he knew he had an audience he was non-stop. But I was eager to learn about his experiences. His family has been stationed there 4 years and after a month in the states, they are headed back to Japan for 3 more years. After a couple of hours, he got knee deep in his game boy…at least until the battery died… and then there was a tug at my shirt and a small whisper, “Hey Andrew….Are you awake?” At dinner we made a trade, I got his shrimp cocktail and he got my Oreo’s….I still think I got the better of the deal. (We had long since covered personal tastes in food and his disdain for seafood in a country that eats it three times a day.
The landing in Tokyo went well...until as we were waiting to de-board and in broken English I hear, “Now paging Andrew Hatheway. Please see an agent outside upon deplaning. OK….I was tempted just a little to panic.
Finally I got off the plane and ran up the jet way to see a trim Japanese lady holding a sign in English with my name. (It is my first official souvenir.) She said, “Right this way. I am going to help you get through security and immediately over to Japan Airlines. I told her I didn’t have a boarding pass yet and she said not to worry.”
The agent clearly was a retired track star. She ran and I just couldn’t keep up. After several flights of stairs and turns we came to a security checkpoint that had at least 300 people standing wall to wall. She opened the tape and took me to the front of the line. I am not ashamed to admit that tears started to fill my eyes. I am just sure it would have taken me double the time just to find where to go, not to mention the hours I would have had to wait in the security. She took me straight from the security check point to a private shuttle. She then escorted me to the JAL ticket counter who gave me a boarding pass instantly. Within just a few minutes I was standing at gate 83 with 45 minutes to spare before boarding.
I can’t explain it. Why I was singled out, I simply can not tell. But watching God work on my behalf as He has done sure makes this simpleton to know, God is working even now.
As I write, I am the tallest (and likely the heaviest) person on my plane to Kaohsiung. God added a cherry when after we got in the air, the stewardess saw how cramped I was and moved me to the front row in front of the screen which has 2 extra feet of leg room. Of course the news they are showing is in Japanese…. But the news can wait…..
I haven’t shaved in 28 hours. I slopped on my pants and my hair suffers from terminal pillow head. I am sure I’ll be quite a sight for the Brackens!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Zion is Calling!
Thank you to all those praying!
ZION IS CALLING ME TO A HIGHER PLACE OF PRAISE
TO STAND UPON THE MOUNTAIN AND TO MAGNIFY HIS NAME.
TO TELL ALL THE PEOPLE OF EVERY NATION THAT HE REIGNS.
ZION IS CALLING ME TO A HIGHER PLACE OF PRAISE.
ZION IS CALLING ME TO A HIGHER PLACE OF PRAISE
TO STAND UPON THE MOUNTAIN AND TO MAGNIFY HIS NAME.
TO TELL ALL THE PEOPLE OF EVERY NATION THAT HE REIGNS.
ZION IS CALLING ME TO A HIGHER PLACE OF PRAISE.
Monday, August 4, 2008
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