Update from July 2018

This past month we were able to go on our church's missions retreat in Taiwan followed by our survey trip to China. We spent a week in Taiwan where received more training and spent time with our friends. We received a lot of practical training and spent some time as a group working through passages in Acts. We were also greatly encouraged by our missionary friends. Some we hadn't seen for a few months and some we had not seen for a couple of years. It was helpful to learn from them as we will be where they are, by God's grace, in a year or so.

After the retreat we were able to go to Qingdao for almost a week. Qingdao is a city of 9 million people. It is a large city and were able to see a lot of it. We praise God for the many ways He helped us on this trip. One way was by allowing us to get in touch with a Chinese church planter and pastor there. This pastor's testimony was greatly encouraging as he was able to share with us the difficulties and the amazing ways God has brought them through. He is doctrinally and philosophically on the same page as us and this is an extraordinary thing to find on such a short trip. It was so kind of God to allow us to meet Pastor David.

Now we have seen and felt where will live and minister the gospel. This has just caused a greater urgency for us to get there! Thanks to God that we are at 34% of our needed goal to serve in Qingdao, China. We thank you all for supporting us financially and through prayer. Please consider to pray for us as we are almost finished with our first year of deputation.

Aerial view of Qingdao:

Qingdao at night:

Prayer Requests:

Pray that we would not only gain financial partners, but real friends and gospel partners that are also spiritually invested in what we are doing.
Pray that we can completely fill up our calendar with meetings that will lead to the type of partners described above.
Pray that we would be an encouragement to the churches that we will be with.