Dearest Friends,
An update is long overdue: Please forgive the delay. Many things have occurred, making us both busy but also grateful for our Lord confirming the call here in China. Oh! Bless His name with us!
Hard to believe, but we have been in Beijing for six weeks already. With the amount of things done it feels like a year and yet with the speed that time has passed it feels like a few days. Rich is in his third week of teaching at Shunyi Beijing Number One High School. He is teaching first year students, which means they are 15-16 years old. This High School is just what the name implies - Number One in this area. All students in Shunyi, participate in very difficult and competitive placement tests for high school. Top scoring students are invited to the school Rich is teaching at. Most can speak english in this grade, having had about 3 to 8 years of English already. And yet, for having 3 to 8 years of English already, their English is not very good. Rich’s teaching curriculum is not provided for him so he has much latitude and freedom to write excellent English classes, that gently introduce a worldview far-removed from their atheistic and evolutionary thinking they have been immersed in.
Jody is doing wonderful things with the 3 boys in their own home school. She found small desks and, praise God! a whiteboard to use for daily teaching in the home. This was quite a challenge to find. In trusting and waiting upon God, both Rich and Jody found Him to be a faithful provider. Just yesterday (from the date of writing), Jody was in the nearby playground with the boys as Rich was at work teaching, and struck up a conversation with a young mother. Soon she was hearing that they both share the same Lord and Savior and that the young mother’s husband is a bible teacher leading a home fellowship. What joy! Oh! and the prayer of their hearts was answered - to find a Chinese brother & sister in the faith to work together with. Hallelujah!
A dear and precious member of the Canadian family we have, in part, teamed up with and have weekly fellowship with, has been a victim of a horrible crime. The local police have apprehended the man and wish with all swiftness, to bring him to judgment, but nonetheless, would you pray with us for dear Tina (name changed for security reasons). Oh, that God would have mercy and keep her and all the family from the wicked schemes of the evil one. As a result, we have taken 2 orphans into our home for respite during this time of grieving and healing. Please pray for Peng Peng and Yang Mei as we love them in Jesus & that they would find a forever family soon!
An update is long overdue: Please forgive the delay. Many things have occurred, making us both busy but also grateful for our Lord confirming the call here in China. Oh! Bless His name with us!
Hard to believe, but we have been in Beijing for six weeks already. With the amount of things done it feels like a year and yet with the speed that time has passed it feels like a few days. Rich is in his third week of teaching at Shunyi Beijing Number One High School. He is teaching first year students, which means they are 15-16 years old. This High School is just what the name implies - Number One in this area. All students in Shunyi, participate in very difficult and competitive placement tests for high school. Top scoring students are invited to the school Rich is teaching at. Most can speak english in this grade, having had about 3 to 8 years of English already. And yet, for having 3 to 8 years of English already, their English is not very good. Rich’s teaching curriculum is not provided for him so he has much latitude and freedom to write excellent English classes, that gently introduce a worldview far-removed from their atheistic and evolutionary thinking they have been immersed in.
Jody is doing wonderful things with the 3 boys in their own home school. She found small desks and, praise God! a whiteboard to use for daily teaching in the home. This was quite a challenge to find. In trusting and waiting upon God, both Rich and Jody found Him to be a faithful provider. Just yesterday (from the date of writing), Jody was in the nearby playground with the boys as Rich was at work teaching, and struck up a conversation with a young mother. Soon she was hearing that they both share the same Lord and Savior and that the young mother’s husband is a bible teacher leading a home fellowship. What joy! Oh! and the prayer of their hearts was answered - to find a Chinese brother & sister in the faith to work together with. Hallelujah!
A dear and precious member of the Canadian family we have, in part, teamed up with and have weekly fellowship with, has been a victim of a horrible crime. The local police have apprehended the man and wish with all swiftness, to bring him to judgment, but nonetheless, would you pray with us for dear Tina (name changed for security reasons). Oh, that God would have mercy and keep her and all the family from the wicked schemes of the evil one. As a result, we have taken 2 orphans into our home for respite during this time of grieving and healing. Please pray for Peng Peng and Yang Mei as we love them in Jesus & that they would find a forever family soon!
In closing, our own observances here in China of the Chinese people has been one of profound hope and sadness. The Chinese are precious people with a rich history and are on the surface very kind and compassionate. They are quick to befriend us and quick to show their kindness. Yet, the heart is just the same as you and i; Nay, all people everywhere. What does Romans say? “There is none righteous…there is none that doeth good, no not one.” Yet, armed with the hope and love of God in our breast, we pray salvation for them, that the glorious redemptive sound of the Gospel may be heard in their ears and the promised mighty rushing wind would blow upon them. Please, Rise to Prayer, dear friends; it is vital! Serve Jesus well and be faithful unto the end.
Prayer Requests/Needs
1. Please continue to pray for us as we “get settled” & learn our new way of life & that Jody & the boys would learn Mandarin quickly.
2. We have an opportunity to help establish a needed orphanage/learning academy in a poor, rural area of China. The vision is to not only rescue abandoned infants, but also provide a place where rural & “ghost” children can be educated & cared for, & to provide a “hospice” area so precious babies won’t die all alone but will know love and nurture in their final days. Please pray that we would hear the voice of God and every provision provided.
3. We helped prepare an “American Style BBQ” for over 100 people who were celebrating the 2nd year anniversary of their Equestrian Riding Club & Ranch. “Guanxi” in China is everything! Guangxi is RELATIONSHIP and we enjoyed serving these precious people in the love of Christ. Please pray for the relationships we formed! We were asked to return and do it again at Christmas!! What a blessed opportunity that will be to share with them the hope we have!
4. Pray for Jack & his family; William & his family; Lee; and Kris & her family; for their salvation!
5. We were recently made aware of PayPal's association with Planned Parenthood. Therefore, please pray that we can find an alternative payment solution for our online donors.
"I will go down (into India), if you will hold the rope." - Wm. Carey
How can you help?
1. Pray- as the Holy Spirit gives utterance. Pray the Lord would stand by us, strengthen us and that through us the truth and power of the Gospel might be fully known, that all the Chinese might hear: & that the Lord would protect us and deliver us from every evil work preserving us unto His heavenly kingdom (2 Tim 4:17-18)
2. Go - The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few (Luke 10:2). If God is calling YOU, we pray you GO!
3. Give - as you are led of the Lord Jesus Christ. Click here for one time or recurring donation: http://hagennation.weebly.com/support-or-contact.html
Prayer Requests/Needs
1. Please continue to pray for us as we “get settled” & learn our new way of life & that Jody & the boys would learn Mandarin quickly.
2. We have an opportunity to help establish a needed orphanage/learning academy in a poor, rural area of China. The vision is to not only rescue abandoned infants, but also provide a place where rural & “ghost” children can be educated & cared for, & to provide a “hospice” area so precious babies won’t die all alone but will know love and nurture in their final days. Please pray that we would hear the voice of God and every provision provided.
3. We helped prepare an “American Style BBQ” for over 100 people who were celebrating the 2nd year anniversary of their Equestrian Riding Club & Ranch. “Guanxi” in China is everything! Guangxi is RELATIONSHIP and we enjoyed serving these precious people in the love of Christ. Please pray for the relationships we formed! We were asked to return and do it again at Christmas!! What a blessed opportunity that will be to share with them the hope we have!
4. Pray for Jack & his family; William & his family; Lee; and Kris & her family; for their salvation!
5. We were recently made aware of PayPal's association with Planned Parenthood. Therefore, please pray that we can find an alternative payment solution for our online donors.
"I will go down (into India), if you will hold the rope." - Wm. Carey
How can you help?
1. Pray- as the Holy Spirit gives utterance. Pray the Lord would stand by us, strengthen us and that through us the truth and power of the Gospel might be fully known, that all the Chinese might hear: & that the Lord would protect us and deliver us from every evil work preserving us unto His heavenly kingdom (2 Tim 4:17-18)
2. Go - The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few (Luke 10:2). If God is calling YOU, we pray you GO!
3. Give - as you are led of the Lord Jesus Christ. Click here for one time or recurring donation: http://hagennation.weebly.com/support-or-contact.html