Spiritual Warfare

 Some people have asked when I would write another blog post. How do I describe the last 12 days? Do I say things like “Well, that worked yesterday. It might work tomorrow. But it doesn’t work right now.” Or “how many trips and how many hours does it take to set up a cell phone?” Or “This must be spiritual warfare.”

We had issues with WiFi, VPNs, internet, Google, cell phones, lights, printer, etc.

As I write, Mark is currently on his way to the cell phone store for the fourth time. We made the first trip last week to our old neighborhood where we knew where the store was and where we had other errands as well. The travel time alone was an hour. We arrived to meet our good friend Rodney who planned to help us. We had brought copies of our passports but not the actual passports. Therefore, the store couldn’t help us. Copies weren’t sufficient even though the store agent would make a copy and keep it. We made the second trip on our side of town with an American/Chinese couple in our building who walked with us and helped communicate our needs. We set up Cheryl’s phone but discovered that in order to keep Mark’s same number that he used last year, we needed the SIM card from the old phone, which we had left in the States because we planned to retire that phone. Thankfully, a United airlines pilot friend brought it over to us last week. That gave us an opportunity to spend some time with him. We met him at GBC this summer as he and his family started attending GBC while we were gone this past year. We made the third trip this morning and spent three hours trying to get the old number onto the new phone. One store location took the old SIM card, cut it to fit the new phone only to discover that it wouldn’t work in the new phone. However, since they really only deal with selling new phones, they sent us to another location in the same mall that sets up phone plans. It turns out that maybe the SIM will work but before they can assign us the number, we have to prove that we ‘own’ that number. Understandably, they don’t want to give us a number that may belong to someone else, even though we used that number all last year. They match the number to a name. That took a lot of communication back and forth. Our friend the American wife of a Chinese went with us but made multiple phone calls to her husband during his work day. Therefore, we all decided to wait until he came home from work to go to the store again. The fourth trip. UPDATE: It seems we will have Mark’s phone available in about 3 days.

Nothing here is ever easy or quick. Not only does it take a committed effort to travel to a destination, whether on foot, by bus, or by subway, it takes a lot of mental and emotional energy.

On the other hand, we now feel more settled in our apartment. We have spent quite a bit of time fixing things up, cleaning up, and making it home. Mostly little things like burned out light bulbs, non-functioning printers, spotty WiFi. 

We had a repairman scheduled to come yesterday about 1:30 to look at the cold water pressure and a light fixture. At the same time we had a couple over for lunch. We had such a great time the repair office finally called 3:00 to say he was on his way just as all four of us had our shoes on and door open ready to go for a walk in the park. Thirty minutes later the repairman shows up. He fixed the water pressure and tested the light fixture only to discover that the fixture itself is broken. Ok, we can live with that. Three hours later when I went to prepare dinner, I noticed we had no lights – not in the kitchen, not in the living room, not in the bedrooms. Apparently the repairman had shorted out the circuit when he tested the fixture. One of our summer couples warned us that could happen. However, although I knew where the circuit box was located, I didn’t know which switch to flip. Another walk to the repair office. On the way we met a lady on the hall and Mark tried to explain our situation in his limited Chinese. I understood enough of her communication that she thought we needed to swipe our electric card. No, that wasn’t the issue. Thankfully the repair office is nearby, and they had someone available immediately. He came up, flipped the switch, and we had light. I asked specifically which switch in case it happened again.

So it has been a trying 12 days.

On the other hand, we are delighted to return to BBC. We feel like God has blessed us with such a great body. It seems a good fit. The last two Sundays we have had a wonderful time of worship, Word, and fellowship. In addition, with the new school year, many new people came. We have also had time during the week with several families. Spending a solid five hours Sunday afternoon with one of the couples reminded us of our purpose here – to build up the saints, to encourage them, to teach them, to live life with them. Please remember us as we fulfill our calling to apply the Word to ours and others' lives.

Tomorrow Cheryl starts language school again. I look forward to studying Chinese again. I recognize the difficulty and fully expect to be bombarded with only Chinese beginning tomorrow. Last week we also met with one of our former teachers to see if she would tutor Mark for a few hours once a week. We thoroughly enjoy her friendship and hope to schedule time with her on an afternoon when we both have available time.

Well, for those who prefer short posts, sorry about this long post. How can I convey it all in a few short words? Maybe later I can try to post pictures.

In all this, God reminds me of his faithfulness and steadfast love. That never changes. Even though we experience change, He doesn’t change. We serve a steadfast God.

Trophies

Our boys’ shelves hold many trophies of the sports they played in their youth. The trophies remind us of seasons of swimming, soccer, baseball, and bowling. By counting the trophies, we can count the number of years they swam and whether that included guppies/tadpoles or big swim team. We can look at the dates and figure out when they began. When I dust off the trophies, they bring back great memories.

All throughout the Old Testament God commands the Israelites to remember all that He did for them. Kind of like spiritual trophies. He tells them as they move into the Promised Land of all the ways He provided for them in the wilderness. How He held back the walls of water so they could walk across the Red Sea on dry land, nary a puddle. How He drove out the nations in the land of Canaan so they could live in cities that they didn’t build. How the land had already been cultivated so they could harvest produce they didn’t plant.  The Israelites even set stones into altars in specific places to remind them of what God did for them in that location. God told them to take care lest they forget Him. Many of the psalms recount all that God did for the Israelites. The apostles in the New Testament also used reminders of what God did in Israelite history. These are all spiritual trophies. They prove that God is who He says He is by what He does for His people.

Thursday was a trophy day for us. After much anticipation, we returned to China. Here’s how the day went. Mark checked email first thing in the morning and discovered at 7:30am that our 9:55 flight out of GSP would be delayed 1½ hours and therefore reduced our connecting time in O’Hare to 20 minutes. We arrived at GSP shortly after 9am and spent the next 1½ hours looking at our options. It soon became apparent that our ticket agent had already had a stressful morning and could only focus on one task at a time. She even told Mark at one point that the more he talked, the longer the process would take. Ouch! Thinking that we wouldn’t have enough time to catch our connecting flight, the agent looked at us switching to flying through Washington DC only to discover that we had missed the cutoff for boarding that flight. So now what? We decided to take our original flight and when we got off the first plane in O’Hare, we would try to reschedule our flight to Beijing. I imagined that since the flight travels overnight, there may be only one flight to Beijing per day and we would end up staying over in Chicago. Not our preference.

We spoke with other passengers regarding our dilemma as we waited to board. People familiar with O’Hare were certain we would have to change to the international terminal which would definitely take more than 20 minutes. The flight to Chicago went uneventfully. We landed after the connecting flight had begun boarding. However, on a whim I decided to go to the counter at the gate to inquire about the flight while Mark waited for our gate-checked bag to arrive in the tunnel. The agent at the counter told me that the plane was boarding just a few gates down the corridor. So I went back to the tunnel to inform Mark that if we hurried, we could still make our flight. We dashed down the corridor and, indeed, did get on the plane. Then we waited for nearly a half hour. Typical hurry up and wait. I learned earlier in the morning that FAA rules state that if an international passenger does not make his plane, then his luggage will also not make that plane. So it stands to reason that if we made our plane, our luggage would also have to make it. I’m sure that’s why we ended up waiting longer for take-off.

So after a very relieved flight, we arrived at our new borrowed apartment around 6pm Beijing time (5am EDT).

The events of the day became just another trophy to remind us of God’s goodness to us. For those who want proof that God exists, here is one more evidence. Dust off those trophies. Polish those monuments. God is real and His name is YHWH.

Ten Lessons from Nine Months

In approximately two weeks we return to Beijing and begin another chapter in our lives. We really enjoyed our first nine months in China's capital city yet I feel we were just getting our rhythm by the time we left for the summer. We had our routine down; we knew our way around the city; we began to grasp the language little by little; we developed our method for hospitality and ministry. We also watched our Father work in amazing ways - changing lives.

We have filled our summer with many family activities, travels to visit out of town supporters, and general life. We have reflected on what we have learned and tried to share our hearts and our Father's heart with others. Mark crystalized his thoughts into Ten Lessons we learned from our first nine months in Beijing. We shared these with a PowerPoint summary wherever we went. I list them here, slightly edited.

      1.      It’s never too late to go. We met two couples in their 70’s while we were in Beijing this past year. Bothers & sisters of every age can make a contribution to the Great Cause: children remind us the future, young adults have energy and idealism, and older saints can offer wisdom and balance.

      2.      Our Father has His people in every place. The scene in Revelation 5 became much more personal this year: “Worthy are you take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for G-- from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

      3.      We take it with us when we cross cultural boundaries – our sins, our idiosyncrasies, our weaknesses. A full scan through security at Greenville, Detroit, and Beijing could not eliminate the sins. We brought them with us to China. If the ring doesn’t change you in marriage, then neither does a change of address.

      4.      We need to leave our biases and prejudices at the gate. Living in another culture especially exposes our prideful bias against other people, countries, and cultures. Wisdom is needed to understand what is cultural, and what is distinctly Christian.

      5.      Just because we both speak English doesn’t mean we’ll understand each other well. Brits, Scots, Aussie’s, South Africans, Americans, New Zealanders, and most Canadians all speak English. But we employ English and many words differently.

      6.      Language is the non-negotiable bridge to another culture. You cannot successfully access it well without an increasing ability – however humble – with the native language. Are you interested in overseas work? Consider learning another language – now! Axiom: Anything worth doing well eventually is worth doing poorly initially.

      7.      The G0spel is good news for every person and nation in every corner of the globe. Others need the G0spel as much as we do here in the States.

      8.      Love is a most necessary ingredient in work across the world. If I cannot love others with Chr!st-like love, I will be ineffective in reaching them with the G0spel, encouraging them to grow, or engaging them in true community. Are you interested in overseas work? Pray for grace to grow in your practical love for all types of people.

      9.      It takes the whole body to support someone serving in another country. You either send or are sent. We could not have gone without the support of our body. They provided prayer, financial support, and counsel and friendship for our children. They provided maintenance for our residence in our absence. They spoke to other bodies on our behalf. They took us to the airport on our departure & greeted us on our arrival. It takes a family.

10.  You are never too young to think, dream, and prepare for cross-cultural work. BBC averaged 32 years of age, but we had many in their early 20’s. If you are 10, 15, 20, or 25 years of age you are not too young to pray, read, study, prepare, or plan for cross-cultural service.

She said -------

Friday, May 30

Engagement Party for Brent & Kristen

She said ------ YES!!

再见 Packing, Moving, & Flying - Zaijian

 Well, the time has come for us to return to the States for the summer. Today is packing day, after our Chinese classes of course. Tomorrow we move our things to our new home for the fall. And Wednesday we fly out. It's a strange feeling to 'go home' to a place we haven't seen for 9 months. Hmm.... I wonder if my houseplants will still be alive? I will try not to be disappointed if my 21 plants are 'on life support', as our daughter confessed a few months ago.

In the midst of packing suitcases and deciding what things stay and what things go, we still have opportunities to plant the seeds of Truth. Mark met a neighbor the other day and since then we have had her to our home three times and she joined the BBC lunch crowd yesterday. Amazing how hungry and thirsty some people are. We will connect her to others who will stay here during the summer for them to water and nurture growth.

We look forward to seeing our family soon. Time to be with our 'kids' who grow into adulthood. Who, we think, still need parents around to talk about life, about maturing, about the future. Yet at the same time we leave another family behind. A family that is also growing in maturity and the Xn life. We have 'children' here in all stages of life - some babies in the faith, some strong disciples and leaders, and some anywhere in-between.

So for the time being we say Zaijian to our family in Beijing. People use this to say good bye but it really means "See you again."

Another "China" Day

We had another one of those "China" days this week.

After coming home from Baoding, Mark & I looked forward to a good night’s sleep. It’s always better sleeping in your ‘own’ bed no matter where ‘home’ is. For the last week or so, we have not had cool air conditioning in the apartment. I never figured out why. We had blowing air, but it wasn’t cold air. So we ran our fan, moved it around day and night, and opened the windows, even on bad air days. This week the temps were supposed to climb toward 99 degrees F.  Tuesday night we went to bed lightly clothed, throwing off sheets due to heat and humidity with the fan turned up. About 4:30am Mark & I both noticed at the same time that the air no longer ran, the fan stopped, and it was dead quiet. Uh-oh. No electricity. Bummer. And we had not loaded the electricity card the last time we used it. Ok, so we went back to sleep for about an hour. I got up to take a shower. No hot water. Apparently the hot water heater, although it is gas, still uses electricity. Cold water. So no shower that day, just a cold water face and hair wash in the hall bathroom. 

At that point, we knew we had to go to the Postal Savings Bank to load up the card, come back home, swipe the card, and then be on our way to class. We assumed the Bank opened at 8am so Mark headed out about 7:45am. He got to the bank and saw a notice that said beginning that day, May 21, the bank will now open at 9:00am. Ugh. So when he called to tell me that, I suggested he go to NorthStar to purchase a few groceries we needed. He went, got to the mall, and saw a notice posted that said the mall now opened at 9:30am. A woman came up to him, saw him waiting, and said the mall opened at 8:30 like usual. He pointed at the sign and she said something like “oh” and agreed. So he went back to the bank. By this time there was a line. Ugh! Now it’s later and we will be later for class. Well, he did get the card loaded quickly and came back, we swiped the card, flipped the switch, and voila, power restored. Then off to class.

Mark had a meeting last night after our full day so while he was away, I fiddled with the temperature controls. I don’t know what I did, but I got the cool air back. I kept punching buttons back & forth, together, separately, this one, that one until I noticed cool air blowing from the vents. Success. I still don’t know what made it work, but we are very thankful as today has been very hot. Today, our ‘day off’ (sort of), we went to MingFuJu for lunch and felt the hot, dry air as we walked. It reminded me of SC but much drier. Like a dry sauna.

People Stories - Lindsay

One day in the Fall of 2013, we received the following email from a man named Lindsay.

Dear Pastor Mark

My apologies for this rather unusual email from stage left.  I came across your website whilst investigating the death of my great grandfather, Reverend William Cooper. William was deputy director of the China Inland Mission and lived in China from 1880 to 1900.  Tragically he was beheaded in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 at Pao-ting Fu (now called Baoding in Hebei province). He had been in China for 20 years and spoke fluent Mandarin. The China Inland Mission was a British Protestant organization established by Hudson Taylor and William had become something of a Chief Secretary who looked after the various missions whilst based in Shanghai.

It seems that he was traveling the country visiting various missions when he was caught up in the Boxer Rebellion. The CIM did not have a formal mission at Pao-ting Fu but did have a business office run by Mr & Mrs Bagnall.  The largest Christian missions in the city were the American Board and the American Missionary Mission. Accordingly, most of the missionaries martyred on that day (June 30, 1900 or July 1, 1900) were American. The events are quite well known as they were subsequently investigated by an American expedition. It seems that one set of missionaries were killed at the American mission compound whilst another group, including William, were rounded up, given a mock trial in a temple, marched out of the city gates and beheaded.

9 months later, the Europeans marched into the city and put to death a number of officials deemed responsible. They recovered what was left of the bodies (often just skulls) and gave them a Christian burial (with quite a bit of pomp and ceremony) in a cemetery next to the American Board compound. There is a photo of the 23 graves lined up with a small church in the background.

I am attempting to find this site to determine if the remains of William and his American counterparts have been preserved. As you can imagine, this is a difficult thing to do from a distance (I am based in [another city]) and so I thought I would reach out to you for any advice/contacts that could help in identifying the location of this cemetery. I’m wondering if someone at the US Embassy might be interested in locating this historical site or if there are records that could identify the location of the American Board compound and the cemetery. The burial seems to have been well documented at the time and is even recounted in a report held in the Library of Congress. If we can find the location, we may be able to find the mortal remains of the American missionaries and also William.

I’ve attached a chapter from a book I obtained which tells the story of that very fateful day.

One for Sherlock Holmes but you never know….it may be possible to find them.

With very best wishes

 Lindsay ---

And so began a contact and a friendship.

Mark and Lindsay arranged to meet for coffee last fall when Lindsay was in Beijing on a business trip. Lindsay brought a colleague of his and Mark brought a friend and they all gathered for a couple-hour chat.

As Lindsay continued to research his roots, he and Mark remained in touch. Fast forward to the week of May 19 when Lindsay was again in Beijing for business. He arranged a trip to Baoding with us to try to locate the gravesite of his great-grandfather. In the process, one of his Chinese co-workers made contact with a Chinese pastor who then helped by asking older people in the city what they knew about the Boxer Rebellion, the American missionary activity, and related locations. The pastor and one of his parishioners escorted us around Baoding on the hunt for Rev. William Cooper’s grave.

Based on information gathered from a 90-year-old local citizen, we found the location of the American Mission Board compound and walked around what is now rubble. We discovered broken down walls, foundation stones, walls that defined rooms, and an archway that may have been the entrance to the chapel. Many such sites were completely destroyed during China’s Cultural Revolution so there wasn’t much left of the compound. We imagined the direction of the gravesites running east to west of the compound based on a historical picture. We also noticed that out of the rubble grew a beautiful flowering tree. A bit ironic that beauty springs from death.

Then we drove along the walls of the city, imagining William and the others being marched outside the city to their death. We also drove to what was a Presbyterian cemetery until just five years ago when a hotel development was built on the site. A small overgrown area of the former cemetery remained across the hotel parking lot. But the graves had been dug up in the name of economic progress.  We walked along the stone-lined rock-laid paths wondering which of the martyred missionaries had been buried there. A large rock edifice surrounded by flowering plants marked the entrance to the cemetery. Not like in the States where statues of Jesus dot the burial grounds.

As Mark & I got caught up in this adventure, we grew to appreciate the legacy of William Cooper. In our discussions with Lindsay, we learned that the great Christian preacher Charles H. Spurgeon greatly influenced William to serve in China. We learned what kind of godly man William was and that he was slated to succeed Hudson Taylor at the China Inland Mission.  We learned that Lindsay truly admired his grandfather, the youngest of William’s four children who were left fatherless.

Knowing about Rev. William Cooper's life and death reminds us of Hebrews 12:1 that says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who encourage us to run the race of life with endurance, focusing on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith.  May we be imitators of Rev. William Cooper just as he was of Jesus Christ.