I know all of you are probably in the midst of celebrating with your families now. Happy Thanksgiving to you. My sister’s family and I celebrated last night together with the family that has “adopted” me here, and we had a very nice time together.
The campaign has really taken off, and all is going well. We’ve had lots of good activities, with good participation. One of our young boys, who is my nephew’s age, has been going around with us everywhere. It is a big step for him, as he has not been very involved in the past. It is good to see him growing up, coming out of his shell, and finding his way into the life of the body here. I am really enjoying watching him. There has been a clear change over the past few months. This campaign has worked out just right, having the 2 parts like we did. The foundation was well-laid in June and is now being built upon. In this particular boy’s development, the benefits of a two part campaign are especially obvious.
One of the other young guys took us on a long cycling trip on Wednesday. When we got as far from home as we were planning to go, the monsoon rains settled in, right on top of our heads. We put my sister and her kids in a cab with their bikes while, the two guys and I cycled home. It was quite an adventure for us, and all agreed upon reaching home that it was a wonderful day of fellowship together.
The nightly Bible study groups have been going very well. The ladies really enjoyed having my sister and niece with us on Wednesday, and the boys were thrilled to have my nephew and brother-in-law. In fact, they kept my nephew with them over night, and pretty much tried to do the same with my brother-in-law! Our Friday study last week was very good, with a long discussion — the very night our poor jetlagged travelers arrived! It was a long, long day for them.
On Sunday, our day together was a good one. My brother-in-law’s lesson during worship was very targeted, and very good. He is such a gifted speaker, and the lesson could not have been better. He exhorted us from 2 Corinthians 3, talking about Moses’ veil, and how we today have no need of a veil because the gospel to which we are called is a glorious one, with an unfading glory. I understand from those in the Chinese Bible class later that morning that the teacher really built on that lesson, and that it was a wonderful morning for all of them. My sister and I taught the kids’ class, and my brother-in-law taught the youth. All of them went well. We spent most of the afternoon with the congregation, and really enjoyed renewing the bonds of fellowship that have been built over the years.
This morning we will go for our church-wide retreat. We have 15 adults and 11 kids signed up to stay overnight, and some more who will join us during the day for activities, but can’t stay due to work commitments. We are looking forward to the time together. I think it is going to be a very good retreat.
Next week will be a busy one for us. We will have VBS every morning, followed by a special session for the older kids in the afternoon. Each evening we will have our regular small group studies. Do keep us in your prayers, and pray that the time spent together will be effective for all.