Off We Go

If all goes well, I will be in the air on my way to China by the time you read this. It has been a long and winding road since my participation was first brought up in the Spring of 2007. One Saturday, I came to the church building to join several others in inviting those in our neighborhood to worship services. As I was the first to arrive, I sat down and talked to Bill Yasko, our former minister at Westbury, about the work we had been involved in together with our Chinese brothers and sisters. I mentioned I would love to go to China someday and Bill, a dreamer if there ever was one, told me it would happen. A month later, I was in St. Louis visiting my folks when I received a call from one of our elders in Houston, Mark Hall. Mark dropped the bombshell on me that the night before, a lady came up to him and gave him a check for $3,000 to cover my trip. The stunning part for me was that I did not even know the lady. (I assure you, I have corrected that oversight!) In the intervening thirteen months, the trip location was discussed before the decision was finalized for me to go with Ron Brown to Shenyang. Ron leads groups of doctors, dentists, and nurses to do cleft-palate surgeries on very poor children. My responsibilities are...well, I am not sure except for record keeping and being the backup photographer. You have to have volunteers to get anything accomplished and that's where I come in. It will be an experience! My one regret is that Dad, who was so excited for me, is no longer here to share the memories but his suitcase is going with me! Jordan Hall, Mark's son and one of my former students, is on the same mission but his plane left yesterday. Please keep us in your prayers as we show the love of the Lord by helping those who cannot help themselves and please pray for the little ones who will have the procedures that can give them a normal life. Please also pray that my ten day VISA can be extended to cover the eighteen day length of the trip. See you in, Lord willing, eighteen days!

Applicable quote of the day:
"You can take all the tea in China....."
Van Morrison (opening line of the song, Tupelo Honey)

*you can read aboout this great work by clicking http://www.china-mission.com/*

God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com