I am finally back from China. As most of you know I went on a mission’s trip through Healing Rain Outreach with Tim Eaker along with Wayne and Rod. We were there from March 1st to March 20th. It was an amazing adventure. We traveled from Kunming to Zhengpei, Dali, Wuhan, Zhengzhou, and Beijing.

My time spent in Kunming and the village of Zhengpei were more than amazing. No words could express what a change God made in my life there. We were given the opportunity to minister, pray for, and teach the people of Zhengpei, as well as reach out to the lost at English Corner in Kunming. There is such a great need for Evangelism in China, greater than I ever dreamt. And I found that the people there are searching for something… they don’t understand what it is they’re searching for, all they know is there’s a void in their life… a void that we know that only God can fill. God opened my eyes to a whole new world. We ministered, sang, encouraged, and grew spiritually. It’s hard to believe that in only three weeks that one can become so attached and so in love with so many people. Their love for me and their love for God is the tie that binds. I will never be the same. Not only were we able to do a work there, but God did a work in me that has changed my life forever. I didn’t realize how blessed I am until I saw a people that have nothing, yet they have everything.

Too many times I’ve allowed the distractions of life to get me down or to cause me to wander. We think we need money, a car, a house to make us happy… these people barely have a roof over their head and rats in their beds, yet they continue to serve God. I have a car, a home, a family, a church… I’m not threatened to speak about my God… I don’t have to walk up mountains to get from place to place… I don’t have to build a fire in my living room to keep my family warm… But which one should I feel sorry for? I feel sorry for us, as Americans who take every little thing for granted.

We expect to get up in the morning, start our car, drive to an air conditioned or heated building, work ONLY 8 or 10 hours, bring home a paycheck; yet we complain! We can walk up to anyone at anytime and share our faith, we can go to our churches and testify of a God that gives us everything… no concern of being mobbed or killed for carrying a Bible. Yet we sit back quietly… we bite our tongues when we have the opportunity to tell someone that Jesus loves them, out of fear or rejection or we don’t want to "offend" anyone. How sad!

I’m not pointing fingers, because I’m one of the worst. Instead of thanking God for a house, I complain because it’s too hot or cold… Instead of thanking God for a car and a job, I complain that gas is too expensive, I don’t get paid enough, I work too many hours or not enough, why isn’t life better..? I pass up opportunity after opportunity to offer prayer or to witness to my neighbor. How has life become so meaningless to so many? If our country is so blessed, why don’t we show it?

I met a man there by the name of Peter whose family sold him when he was born because they couldn’t afford to keep him… I met another man that we named Bartameus whose family left him because he was born blind. Yet they serve God wholeheartedly.

Peter, after years of striving to get back to the village his family was from, carried the Gospel back to them. Don’t you think he felt forsaken? Why did he think his family deserved to hear the Gospel?

And Bartameus… He wanders the mountain trails (faster than any other villager) with no help from man. He doesn’t know his name, he doesn’t know when he was born, he doesn’t know his age, yet he serves God. Don’t you think he feels forsaken? I never heard him complain "why did God allow this?"

These are only two of the many amazing men and women that I met. I could go on and on. Never let life’s circumstances get you

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

-I Corinthians 15:51-55

It's been 3 months today since Chad went to be with the Lord. It's a sad day, but God has blessed me with much peace! Looking back on this past 3 months, so very much has happened! Good things and bad things! But I have learned that God is in complete control! There have been several people that have got saved since 12/17! That is so awesome! I love when God takes the bad and works it together for good! (Romans 8:2 He knows what He's doing! We just need to place everything in His hands. The Bible says to cast all your cares on the Lord, for He cares for you (I Peter 5:7). I miss Chad greatly, but I know that his witness is greater in death than in life! Memories of him will carry on, and people will continue to be saved and lives changed because of the life he lived. My life is changed because of the mark that he left on me! I love you Chad and I miss you more and more everyday! Hope is born of suffering! And I have hope that one day I'll see him again in Heaven! And from hope is born peace! Thank God for peace that passes all understanding!