Our purpose in going to China, in large part, was to get a firsthand look at China Now Ministries, one of the major mission points we support at JRCC. Although we missed Janet, his wife, who was tending to family matters back in the states, it was terrific watching our missionary, Danny Thurston (far right) interacting with the Chinese Christians in Hong Kong.
Here we are standing at the front door of the Good News Church of Christ. The church rents space upstairs in a commercial area of Hong Kong.
Although meeting in a small facility that will hold about 75, they have a full praise band and projection system on a stage that is about 10' by 15'. Talk about making the most of your space! And their worship was as enthusiastic as any we have been in, using many of the contemporary songs we sing but doing so in BOTH Chinese and English.
The Chinese Christians were unbelievably friendly, and many of them wanted pictures with me or with Linda and her sister Danette.
It was a great thrill for me to preach the gospel in the Good News Church of Christ. Their Chinese pastor, Mark, interpreted for me and as you can see, we had a good time in the process.
During our time in Hong Kong and China we rode in every conceivable form of transportation: small bus, double-decker bus, taxi, subway and ferry.
The Hong Kong harbor is a bustling place, but the night time harbor light show was absolutely fantastic-- and free!
Our visit to the Great Wall was truly awe inspiring. It draws crowds as big as our country's amusement parks, and runs as far as the eye can see. I did four short video devotions, but with a non-stop Chinese P.A. going in the background. It was hazy the day we went there, but you could still not escape the magnitude of this ancient wonder.
The next day we went to the ancient sites of the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City in Beijing. The sheer size of these spectacles with their vast courtyards and multiple temples and halls staggers the imagination. Although the ancient Chinese worshiped numerous gods, they did have a concept of a supreme god that even the emperors felt compelled to worship.
On the culinary side of things, we ate authentic Chinese food every single day and it was scrumptious. Here Danny is teaching his sisters the fine art of using chopsticks.
We did not have too many exotic dishes, but did have ones that included eel, pigeon (with the head still attached), and an unknown shell fish. In a "cultural mall" in very modern Beijing, I did eat a couple of fried grasshoppers. Linda asked me how they were and I truthfully told her I thought they were good. She tried one and by her reaction (after she spit it out), you can tell what she thought!!
One of the impressive parts of our trip was seeing the far-reaching effects of Danny and Janet's ministry at China Now. After worshiping with the Good News Church of Christ in Hong Kong (which they helped establish), we traveled one day to Guangzhou (a city of 3 million) where we met one of Danny's Chinese co-workers, Barnabas and his family. Then in Beijing we met Adam Ensign, a Central Christian College Graduate who now lives in Beijing studying Mandarine Chinese and working with the Chinese church. Danny has been one of his mentors and Adam is so grateful for Danny's influence. We also met a Chinese man, brother Guan, who is a product of their ministry. So we saw with our own eyes, up close and personal, how the mission of China Now Ministries has touched the lives of people in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing and beyond.
And from the Great Wall you find yourself, like Jesus, having compassion on this great people who, just like their American counterparts, are like sheep without a shepherd. Thank God the mission of Christ in China is touching people's lives so that they can know the Great Shepherd.
Our purpose in going to China, in large part, was to get a firsthand look at China Now Ministries, one of the major mission points we support at JRCC. Although we missed Janet, his wife, who was tending to family matters back in the states, it was terrific watching our missionary, Danny Thurston (far right) interacting with the Chinese Christians in Hong Kong.
Here we are standing at the front door of the Good News Church of Christ. The church rents space upstairs in a commercial area of Hong Kong.
Although meeting in a small facility that will hold about 75, they have a full praise band and projection system on a stage that is about 10' by 15'. Talk about making the most of your space! And their worship was as enthusiastic as any we have been in, using many of the contemporary songs we sing but doing so in BOTH Chinese and English.
The Chinese Christians were unbelievably friendly, and many of them wanted pictures with me or with Linda and her sister Danette.
It was a great thrill for me to preach the gospel in the Good News Church of Christ. Their Chinese pastor, Mark, interpreted for me and as you can see, we had a good time in the process.
During our time in Hong Kong and China we rode in every conceivable form of transportation: small bus, double-decker bus, taxi, subway and ferry. 
The Hong Kong harbor is a bustling place, but the night time harbor light show was absolutely fantastic-- and free!
Our visit to the Great Wall was truly awe inspiring. It draws crowds as big as our country's amusement parks, and runs as far as the eye can see. I did four short video devotions, but with a non-stop Chinese P.A. going in the background. It was hazy the day we went there, but you could still not escape the magnitude of this ancient wonder.
The next day we went to the ancient sites of the Temple of Heaven and the Forbidden City in Beijing. The sheer size of these spectacles with their vast courtyards and multiple temples and halls staggers the imagination. Although the ancient Chinese worshiped numerous gods, they did have a concept of a supreme god that even the emperors felt compelled to worship.
On the culinary side of things, we ate authentic Chinese food every single day and it was scrumptious. Here Danny is teaching his sisters the fine art of using chopsticks.
We did not have too many exotic dishes, but did have ones that included eel, pigeon (with the head still attached), and an unknown shell fish. In a "cultural mall" in very modern Beijing, I did eat a couple of fried grasshoppers. Linda asked me how they were and I truthfully told her I thought they were good. She tried one and by her reaction (after she spit it out), you can tell what she thought!!
One of the impressive parts of our trip was seeing the far-reaching effects of Danny and Janet's ministry at China Now. After worshiping with the Good News Church of Christ in Hong Kong (which they helped establish), we traveled one day to Guangzhou (a city of 3 million) where we met one of Danny's Chinese co-workers, Barnabas and his family. Then in Beijing we met Adam Ensign, a Central Christian College Graduate who now lives in Beijing studying Mandarine Chinese and working with the Chinese church. Danny has been one of his mentors and Adam is so grateful for Danny's influence. We also met a Chinese man, brother Guan, who is a product of their ministry. So we saw with our own eyes, up close and personal, how the mission of China Now Ministries has touched the lives of people in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing and beyond.
And from the Great Wall you find yourself, like Jesus, having compassion on this great people who, just like their American counterparts, are like sheep without a shepherd. Thank God the mission of Christ in China is touching people's lives so that they can know the Great Shepherd.