Updizzly Dates

Hello again from Hong Kong everyone! I hope that this newsletter finds you all in good health and in good spirits! I have been working extremely hard trying to keep up with all of the assignments I’ve been given during my School of Frontier Missions (SOFM). There is a lot of hard work involved, but so far I’ve loved every minute of this school. I’m learning so much about missionary work, and there is only more to come! I’m also growing an even bigger heart for Asia and an especially big heart for the Chinese people. I’m excited to see how God will use me here in Hong Kong and what it is that He is truly about to show me in the coming months! I’ve also been jumping at a number of opportunities to share with others about what kind of work I’ve been doing, visiting churches and house groups throughout Hong Kong. I’ve even done some ministering over internet chat and phone calls. It’s been great to know that God is still using my recent adventures to reach out to the people He loves so much, and what an encouragement it has been for me to know that my time on my DTS Outreach was not only beneficial for me, but for so many others!

We held a baptism service on June 26th after our Friday morning worship time, not something I’d experienced with YWAM up to that point. I was really enjoying listening to the different peoples’ testimonies and witnessing them make their commitments to the Father, when God started to speak to me about my baptism in 2005, and how I’d fallen away from him not long afterwards. While I was meditating on this, our base directors Joe and Nancy invited anyone who felt like God was calling them to be baptized to come up and do so. Three people lined up, and I began to pray to God in repentance for how I’d dirtied the appearance of my baptism by falling into sin for as long as I had. And he answered me back. He said, “Well, you could always go wash it off...” and as soon as I heard that, they made one final call for anyone who wanted to be baptized to come forward. And so I did, bringing my mentor and close friend Harold with me. After giving a brief testimony of what was literally the conversation I’d just had with God, I made my recommitment to my loving and gracious Father, and was baptized by Joe and Harold! It feels so good to be committed to Jesus Christ!
On one of our last days of DTS Outreach, my Ministry Partners Manuel, Ryan and I were doing some university evangelism. We were waiting under a lychee tree, where we met a guy named Edward. Edward was very open to talking about Jesus, and after getting to know him over a couple of days, he came to accept Jesus! After Edward made his salvation decision, Manuel, Ryan and I suddenly found ourselves very busy and it wasn’t until the very last day of Outreach that we were able to meet with him again and do some discipling with him. When we met him for lunch that day, he came packed with questions about the Bible, about God and about Jesus, all of which we were more than happy to answer. We also taught him about the importance of thanking the Father for the food he provides for us, how to hear God’s voice, and spent as much time as we could just encouraging him and pushing him to press into God as much as possible. Edward felt the desire to bless us that day as well, so he paid for the four of us to go bowling together, and we had an amazing time together, and I recognized during that time that it was actually a way of worshiping Jesus with Edward, by rejoicing with each other in a Godly fellowship. At the end of the day, we sat together in a park and prayed for Edward, getting a few Scriptures and encouragements for him. And then he floored us! As we were about to leave, Edward started praying for Manuel, Ryan and I, and it was one of the most touching prayers I’ve ever heard! Edward truly did receive the blessings of God, and was only too happy to start sharing them!