In the past 48 hours I have been amazed at how God can and does use even the smallest, seemingly most benign things to share or to touch someone.

- Before I left for China, one of my dearest little sisters (age 10) from my home church, gave me a green plastic bracelet that says "Everything is possible for him who believes." She has one too and, on her own initiative, has promised to wear it until I get back so that we'll match. It's small, but in sharing about a girl that I miss so much and her unbelievable cuteness and thoughtfulness, I am able to share the message on the bracelet as well.

- Two nights ago my classmate Joyce from UCLA came over to hang out. Both being foodies, we pored over the food pictures on my laptop from HK and Europe. My mom called, so I told Joyce to just keep going through pictures on my laptop. She came across the pictures and video clip of the sunday school kids singing "Alas and did my Savior Bleed" from Easter this year. I don't know how it affected her, or if it did, but even the video clip that I had forgotten about was a way for someone to be exposed to God's good promise.

- I sent out a general update from Beijing with a link to my xanga so that people could see pictures. I've had very mixed thoughts about xanga, the idea of putting ideas out there for people and not knowing who is reading them, but now I see that even a xanga can help build the kingdom, share the good word. My update list is a diverse group of people that I've some how had the blessing of coming to know over the course of my life. This time I added my UC EAP advisor as well. The head of the Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad just wrote me saying that my advisor had shared my narrated pictures with everyone in the office, and they appreciated being able to see what the students that they work so hard for to send abroad were actually doing. I've always been concerned about leaving things on xanga that are appropriate for such a diverse community as the one I've been blessed with, and realized that in my current xanga postings, there is sharing about God. About how I attribute the incredible experiences to Him, seeing them as His blessings. A couple years ago I would be, not ashamed, but uncomfortable with having these words up there for the world to see, but praise God, not today. They are part of who I am, and I am amazed that even something like xanga can be helpful in sharing with others about God.

- In my Asia-Pacific International Relations course, students have to make periodic presentations on the relationships between China and other countries. Yesterday, my friend Adam finished his powerpoint presentation with a slide saying, "TGIF." While I know that his intention really was to convey the cathartic joy that comes with the weekend, even this little phrase led a conversation with the Beida professor about God as I explained what TGIF meant. He says that 20 years ago when he went to Illinois to study, he didn't know anyone and had never spoken a word of English to anyone. It was thus difficult to meet people, but to do so, he would go to fellowships and local churches around campus every weekend. While I don't know if he is a believer, I know that he has been exposed to the good word and awesome message. And we'll look forward to the conversations to come.

So... why all these anecdotes? Besides simply wanting to share with you, I hope that these incidents encourage you to seek God first, living a life focused on Him. And then to be amazed at how God works, in the tiniest but most amazing ways. That the planting of seeds, the pouring of water, the harvesting, can take place in any form or at any time. But the bottom line is, how is your relationship with God? To empty us of ourselves and be filled with His spirit. I pray that you are strengthened day by day as you seek Him unyieldingly.

Hi. It's been a long time since anyone's updated this account, and I don't think that that's because God's been inactive in our lives and in the communities in which He's placed us. Nonetheless, I saw it and wanted to share.

I'm in Beijing for the semester. I wonder how outreach is going at Crossroads, on the Berkeley campus. How pathfinders is. I pray that God continues to use those ministries to reach people and to grow those serving in these ministries. I desire so much to be with you, to share in person and pray together (haha, it's like Paul in the opening of Romans). Whenever I receive AK's prayer meeting notices I also pray with you.

Being here has been amazing, not in the senses in which you would think, but because God has shown me so much. And I can't even begin to articulate and share all the blessings He's lavished, his faithfulness, and the ways in which He's challenged and grown me. But I will try, because I want to share that you might join me in praising Him.

Lots of good times with the Word. I have learned that it is the air I breathe, the food I eat. And how powerful the word hidden in your heart is. And how vital it is that we have a firm foundation in the word. And how much the apostles experienced similar situations. How good His love is. If I could, I would be more elegant in my sharing and relate them to phrases from praise songs, as for those of you who know me, music is.. well.. huge/important/a way of expression/all of the above.

My first week here the reality of, "you are my all in all" hit me as I rode the train to Inner Mongolia. For the first time in my x years of being a Christian, I really knew what it meant-- God is my all in all. And He's so faithful that He brought me all the way to China to teach me that. As we camped out on the Great Wall two nights ago, I looked over into Mongolia on one side and China proper on the other and prayed that "every knee would bow and every tongue confess" that He IS Lord. And as we continued our climb the next day I wanted to "shout it from the mountain tops", how great His love. There is so much more to share, how fed by the word I have been. What it has been like to pray and journal and sing, even without a piano or guitar.

But since this is technically about outreach, I will share about a man that I met on campus while I was out studying early one morning. His name is Randy, and he is interested in improving his English conversation (like everyone else here) and in studying the Word. So we got together and went over a passage together and talked about faith, salvation, God's promise. One of his questions that really hit me was, "has God forgotten about China?" To which I adamantly replied, no! I hope to find him another believer/language partner, preferably male and closer to his home. Oh how thankful I am for the body, and for brothers, and how we are not alone in ministry.

There are a handful of other Christians in my program and living on my floor. Though, faith seems to be one those topics that is harder to bring up or about which people are less open about sharing. I know a couple of the girls are struggling with their faith, and I pray through our interactions they will be encouraged. I desire to fellowship with them in His name. To share our struggles and our joys and to pray for one another, but it seems as if where to shop or eat or study is the preferred topic of conversation instead. Nonetheless, in His time, and if it is His will, may these conversations take place that we might support one another while away from the communities that normally hold us accountable. Mostly, please pray that my time here will be pleasing to Him. That I will be maleable, pliable, and in tune to the ways in which He is working. May I be emptied of myself and shine brightly His light in the darkness of this world.

Thank you for your prayers. I look forward to our fellowship in person when God's done with me here. In His love and by His grace, E.

God is good. He works in the most unsuspecting ways, which is even more reason for us to be living our lives for him, on our toes and ready to testify.

In looking back, it's almost funny. I've been going through Acts recently, and just journaled this morning about how every time Paul and Co. are asked if they have a message of encouragement for the people (ex. Acts 13:15), they always get up and speak. So yeah, he's an apostle, that's what he does. But still.. as a christian, if I were asked to do that, would I have something to say?

So it's a crazy morning and I have fifteen minutes before class to do the 50+ pages of reading for that class.. I look for a place to sit and decide that the calm of the reflection pool will be most conducive to some mad skimming. There are a few people sitting around the pool, one of whom is a girl from my high school. We catch up a bit and I suggest hanging out sometime next week. She says Friday nights are good for her. I say that I have fellowship on Fridays but she's more than welcome to come with me. She says, ooo! I'd actually be really interested in that. I respond, "oh! awesome".. while in my head I'm like, "whoaa... did she just say that she'd be interested?! wow! you go God! wait..will she feel comfortable as the only white person in our fellowship? but we're all humans.. wow, she's interested?! nooo waayy.."

In short, she's been wondering if there's more to life than just the drudgery of the things that need to get done, noticing that people with faith seem to have more peace and purpose to their lives. She'll be coming to pathfinders next Friday, and it'd be really great if you could pray for her. That the holy spirit will just be moving in her, speaking through me and Amy. That she'll hear the word and that it will just strike her. That she'll come to know Christ and share in the peace, joy, grace, and love that we live by.

Praise God for this totally unexpected, but blessed opportunity! -e