The summer months are now behind us, and all of our overseas guests have returned home. But this year, there is a slightly different feeling than what the end of summer held in years past. The difference is in the large number of new members we’ve gained over the past year, making it feel a little less empty when our guests from overseas leave us at the end of their holiday period.
Perhaps the biggest difference is that we had an addition at the same time that we had our annual exodus. This year, George and Mary arrived just at the end of the summer, and we plan to hang on to them for a while! They have been stationed in Singapore and will be with us, if all goes as planned, for about 3 years. George and Mary have been with us often in the past as visitors, and we are very pleased that they are making this their home now, at least for a while. It is a big boost to have them with us.
The new members we have from the Philippines have also been a big boost to us, both during the summer and as our visitors departed. One of the men who placed his membership with us at the end of last year has taken on a big role of teaching a Bible class, and has offered the exhortation for us as well. We hope that he will continue to step into the role of offering the exhortation as often as he can. He is a good speaker, and connects well with the congregation. We are so blessed to have him here with us, and thankful for the good work he’s been doing amongst us since he has been here.
At the end of August, a group of 7 of us from Woodlands got to travel to Fraser’s Hill in Malaysia for a retreat with the church there. It was organized by the Seremban congregation, but there were members there from other parts of Malaysia too. It was a great pleasure to be with them. They are a fun and encouraging bunch, and the lessons presented by Bobby Bligh were very thought-provoking.
This past weekend, we had our Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. It is always one of our best-attended events, and we were pleased to have a lot of visitors with us this year. There were 13 visitors present, and one former member who has not been with us for many years. We were glad to see them all, and everyone really enjoyed the warm fellowship.
I am making plans for my next extended stay in Shanghai. My hope is to leave next week, but I am currently held up in the planning stage. I expect an announcement to be made today that the visa requirements have reverted back to something like what they were before the Olympics. I was told that the change would be made today, but so far have not been able to confirm that news. If that is the case, it is advantageous for me to wait a day or two to apply for the visa, as I should be able to get a multiple entry visa instead of the single (or at most double) entry visas they are currently granting. If there is no news of the changes, I will probably go ahead and make my application this week, regardless of the situation.
My plan while in Shanghai is very similar to what I did at the early part of this year. I will take language courses, having class 2 times per week. In the spring, I found that the courses I took were very beneficial, and I am looking forward to pursuing that again. I will also continue studying with the various groups that we have meeting there. The ladies who have been meeting for the past 3+ years are continuing faithfully each week, and while I am away I try to keep in regular contact by phone. They are planning to begin a study of the book of Ephesians this coming Sunday, and that should be what we are studying when I arrive in Shanghai.
On a personal note, I just returned from taking my 2 nephews (7 and 8 years old) back to their home in Texas. They spent the summer with me, as they do each summer, and we had a good time together. I left League City just before Hurricane Ike hit. My family is all doing fine, and I do appreciate those who have emailed to ask about them. Do continue to pray for all of the members of the various congregations in the area there. Many of those who faithfully sponsor my work live there, and have been in my constant prayers during the storm. Some families have been hit rather badly by the storm, and will be relying heavily on the local churches to help. Your prayers are coveted.
