LA to Tokyo and beyond!

No matter how you look at it, 12 hours on a plane is a long time! I had a window seat. After a while, I could tell the poor Japanese chaps sitting beside me found my requests to get up a bit tiring. 

It was a great weekend in Laguna Beach. The resort we stayed in was probably one of the nicest places I've ever visited. I shared a room with Christie Borthwick and enjoyed getting to know her a bit better. Our balcony looked out over the Pacific. Humming birds would sometimes whiz by. Waves crashed on the beach and rocks below. We even saw a local rescue group release a young seal which had been nabbed by a fishing hook and was severely malnourished. The seal hung around close to the beach and then after 10 minutes or so, frolicked off into the deep, hopefully to be reunited with lost pals. It was nice enough weather for our group to enjoy eating several meals outdoors. Over two dinners, we watched the sun set over the ocean-spectacular! What a gift to my eyes and my spirit. Thank you Lord!

The weekend was sponsored by Partners International, a smallish mission agency based out of Spokane, Washington. In its beginnings, returning WW II GIs supported Chinese national, idigenous pastors which was a very radical idea at the time. Now, Partners serves around the world in some of the hard (least evangelized) places, supporting indigenous ministries/ministers who "already know the language and the culture and like the food." We heard from a Sudanese pastor, a female Vietnamese minister, and a Venezualan brother living in North Africa working with folks with physical handicaps. They are doing remarkable work, often facing persecution and suffering for their faith. Because they are nationals who live at the same economic level as those they minister to, it's amazing how little it costs to start a church ($1900) or support a worker. If Grace Chapel had money to invest right now, Partners would certainly be worth serious consideration. Besides, Paul Borthwick serves on their board so you know they have to be good!

This afternoon when I left LA, it was Sunday. Tonight, in Tokyo, it's Monday evening. The first leg was a 12 hour flight. Now, I'm sitting in a comfortable terminal waiting for the next, 4 hour flight to Beijing. 16 hours sitting on a plane is a long time. No position feels comfortable and sleep is erratic.

GC partner, Stephanie Diamond who teaches teachers for ELIC (English Language Institute in China) will meet me at the airport and take me back to her flat. She says her place is not far from the Olympic stadium nicknamed the "Birdsnest." How cool is that!

I've read a guidebook on Beijing on the last flight to help me understand a little more about Chinese history, culture and customs. I'm excited to be able to visit with our GC partners and see them in their homes. I'm looking forward to eating all kinds of Chinese foods-yummo! But, I've some trepidation about my language skills. Please pray that I'll know what to say when, use the right language and above all be "present" to listen to and care for our partners.

Thanks and more to come!

Specifics & map of the journey

Friends:

Here are some additional specifics about my trip -- a map, when, where, with whom etc. If you don't want such detail, that's ok. Just skip this posting. If you want to pray along with me, I'll be very grateful!

• Oct. 15-18, in Laguna Beach, attending meeting of Partners International (a mission agency) along with Paul and Christy Borthwick. Yes, I suspect I'll be suffering for Jesus at this beach side hotel.
• Oct. 18-19, travel from LA to Tokyo to Beijing, arriving late in the evening on Monday, Oct. 19th after 16 hours in the air 
• Beijing, China is 12 hours and 1 day ahead of the East Coast time zone
• Oct. 20-21, with Stephanie Diamond
• Oct. 22-23, with David & Jackie Ro and kidniks
• Oct. 23-24, with Gary & Phyllis Ayers and kidniks in Tianjin, 3rd largest city in China, south of Beijing
• Oct. 24-25, with Ro's and Stephanie and Grace Chapel missions task force member Bob Williams. Bob is in China on business and will join us for an evening meal plus church on Sunday. How cool is this?!
• Oct. 25th, will worship at a House Church with the Ro's and Bob, and then at an official Three Self Church with Stephanie and Bob before heading for the airport.
• Sunday evening, Oct. 25th, arrive in Manila, crash the night in a local hotel my hosts have arranged for me 
• Monday, Oct. 26th travel to the conference hotel in Tagaytay City, south of Manila and overlooking the Taal Volcano. I'm told it's a really beautiful place and because it's on the side of a volcanic mountain, it's cooler temperature-wise and the air is cleaner than one finds in hustling, bustling Manila. 
• Oct. 27th, leading a workshop on "Single women in ministry: an all-time challenge." (I didn't choose the title, honest!)
• Oct. 28th, speaking at the evening revival meeting (this is the big kahuna gathering for the entire conference). I'll be translated into Chinese. Should be funky. I've only been simultaneously translated a few times.
• Oct. 30th, visiting a ministry to urban Muslim garbage dump dwellers
• Overnight in the airport (should be fun, NOT!)
• Oct. 31st, homeward bound! I'm leaving Manila at 6:20 a.m. The plane will make stops in Nagoya, Japan and Detroit, MI before arriving in Boston at 3pm. I'll be in the air 17+ hours. 
• Home at last to a delirious Penny and happy housemate, Linda -- hooray!

 More to come... hopefully, if I really get into this blogging thing...

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Maiden voyage

Well friends, I'm trying out the blogging phenomena. (Yes, I'm a late adapter.)

Soon, I'll be leaving on a 16 day trip to Los Angeles, Beijing and Manila, Philippines. In LA, I'll be attending a gathering to learn more about Partners International. In Beijing, I'll be visiting three Grace Chapel partners: Stephanie Diamond, David & Jackie Ro and Gary & Phyllis Ayers. In Manila, I'll be speaking at a conference.

This whole trip began almost a year ago because I was invited to speak at "the 3rd Worldwide Chinese Women Missions Conference," October 26-30, sponsored by CCCOWE (a ministry related to the Lausanne movement). Wow, there will be 700 attenders! Time to get really nervous.

Here's a link to the conference: http://www.cccowe.org/eng/content.php?id=86

I've been invited to give one of the evening talks called a "Revival Meeting," a term which I suspect loses something in translation. I'm not prepared yet but am thinking on speaking on "suffering." How's that for an inspirational topic? (Please pray! I'm a last minute preparer but I've been pondering the topic for a while.) I'm also leading a workshop on "singleness" which I guess I'm qualified to lead because I is one. The conference hotel is in Tagaytay City which is outside of Manila. I've been watching the news reports about the flooding and recent typhoon damage in Philippines with great concern. The conference organizers say that the co-workers are ok.

The conference organizers have arranged for me to visit urban, Muslim, garbage dump dwellers for a day. I know that visit will break my heart but it's important for me not to hide from the "least among us" whom Jesus so loves.

OK, enough for now. Need to do lots of administrative work so I can leave on Thursday morning feeling that I've "carried my weight" in the Global Awareness Week preparation process.