It was a good Sunday for me. As per most first days of the week, I was part of three worship times. Dave Yasko spoke to us in our English AM service about using words to build bridges, while in our Chinese meeting, Ronnie Chang preached on the importance of the resurrection. Tonight, our LTC (Leadership Training for Christ) kids performed in drama, puppets, singing, and signing for our English group as they did this weekend at their big convention. I also helped pass out communion in the English morning assembly and presided at the Lord's Supper for our Chinese brothers and sisters so I managed to stay busy. On top of all that, it was/is Easter!
Those things I mentioned above made it a good day but it isn't why this one will stick in my mind. You see, at the end of our English service, I baptized April into Jesus Christ. April is a freshman at Texas A & M now, but she was a student at Westbury Christian School and she was one of my favorite students. I remember one of the first times I was around her at school; I was taken back at the blueness of her eyes which was really strange because girls from China are not supposed to have blue eyes. (The naive me found out they were only contacts.) As time went on, I came to appreciate the intellect and personality of April. I've also come to value that April, like seven other of our female students from Asia, have lived with John and Gracie Greer while enrolled at our school. These eight young ladies (three from China, five from Korea) have benefited from a terrific environment in the home of Gracie, who is our WCS Director of Curriculum, and John, who is one of our congregation's elders. The blessing of residing, even for only a year or two, in a family where God is honored cannot be overestimated. Neither can the blessing of home cooked meals (Gracie is an awesome cook) and the immersion into English. As I thought about April during our Chinese service, I kept coming back to this very old Christian hymn I love whose first verse states:
Ye Christian heralds, go proclaim
Salvation in Emmanuel’s Name;
To distant climes the tidings bear,
And plant the Rose of Sharon there.
You know what's neat? Although it's a mission hymn, the truth is these teenagers have come to us instead of us meeting them in China or Korea. You know what else is neat? April, whose name in Mandarin is Wenjun, providentially picked the month of her new birth as her English name! And one more neat thing; April informed me this morning she is going to find me a Chinese wife! I don't think my day could have gone any better. Welcome to the family, April. We love you.
Applicable quote of the day:
"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life."
S.D. Gordon
God bless,
Steve
Luke 18:1
www.hawleybooks.com
E-mail me at steve@hawleybooks.com
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