Hello again dear Christian friends,
It's been a few days since my last update and yet many beautiful things have happened. I begin first with the 3 orphan boys who returned to their orphanage after being released from the hospital. With their new "hearts" after critical open heart surgeries, they are doing very well.
Yesterday was Sunday of course and yet by Sunday morning here, I am already through Christians services with several groups of Christians there in China. As most of you know, I use Skype to have prayer, bible study and even singing at times on line. This world of instant communications is beautiful when used for the glory of God. Amen?! I had Samuel travel to the orphanage in Beijing to meet with Pan Hai Bo 14, Pan Shu Ren 13 and Lu Ya Ming 11. Then while Samuel (29 year old Chinese man I led to Christ when he was just 15) was there at the orphanage, he connected with me on Skype and we were all able to talk and even study God's word. The boys teacher was there for some of the time and for now, he enjoys me connecting with the boys. It is virtually impossible to get inside a State run orphanage and yet this orphanage knows I paid for the boys to have the surgeries and know I need to check up on their physical conditions as they recover. Pray about this very sensitive situation.
One of my favorite passages in the scriptures as it relates to my love and desire to help orphans comes from a seemingly unlikely place in the book of Job. As we can read in Job 31, Job defends his innocence and tells of how he loved and cared for orphan girls and boys.
Job 31:18 "(but from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and from infancy I guided her.) "
verse 19 "If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering."
What blesses my heart is that verse 18 mentions both boys and girls and then in verse 19 it also blesses my heart to know that God has used me to save many children's lives from dying in the elements from neglect. Even Gold Bar and Gold Flower would most likely have died from the elements if they were left to remain on the street with their biological father. As you all may know, 5 siblings of Gold Flower had died from the elements and one other sister was abducted. Can you imagine losing 6 brothers and sisters? God's grace is truly on "The Gold kids".
Besides remaining in contact with my adult people while I am in the US, I have maintained daily contact with Gold Bar (1 year old boy) and Gold Flower (4 year old girl), as well as having Samuel keep in contact with the 3 orphan boys who are in the State run orphanage. They are all doing well and it is such a neat thing to see them live on Skype and watch them beaming with joy to talk with me. It must be remembered that all these children had no one to call family, even the Gold kids have no one, including a biological dad and mom, to really care for them. As my other 10 orphans, still in virtual prison, all see me as their true family member and desire to be with me. Even though we would all desire for every child to have parents, these children have a great love for me and want to see me care for them. Did you know that less than 2% of orphans in China will ever have parents? This plight is my fight!
I continue to follow many of the children who had heart surgery. To the best of my knowledge, all of them are doing well except for Jiang Jia Yi. She is still struggling but I am helping the family with some expenses and also staying in contact with the parents to study God's word, pray with them and do what I can to help them. Jiang Jia Yi is the 6 year old girl who had a successful open heart surgery but later when she was recovering, suffered a staff infection and went in a comatose state. She has improved but the infection is not completely under control. Please continue to pray for this little girl. Pray also for her Christians parents, although they are doing well in Christian growth, you would know it is not easy to see their daughter in this condition.
Enclosed is a picture of Pan Shu Ren (13 year old orphan boy) while he was in his hospital bed. I gave him a Chinese bible and all the boys use this even while they are in a State run orphanage. You can imagine how dangerous that is and how we need to pray for them to be able to keep studying. The risks I run are great but God protects. God gives me the words to say and the wisdom to plan but we all need to pray for supernatural protection in the entire process. Remember though, I have my visa for another complete year and that tells all of us one very important thing.....God wants me in Beijing.
Keep the faith brothers and sisters! Keep up the good work of prayer and may God bless all of us with a great year in 2016
Ray and the 10 in virtual prison, The Gold kids, the 3 orphan boys and many more.
It's been a few days since my last update and yet many beautiful things have happened. I begin first with the 3 orphan boys who returned to their orphanage after being released from the hospital. With their new "hearts" after critical open heart surgeries, they are doing very well.
Yesterday was Sunday of course and yet by Sunday morning here, I am already through Christians services with several groups of Christians there in China. As most of you know, I use Skype to have prayer, bible study and even singing at times on line. This world of instant communications is beautiful when used for the glory of God. Amen?! I had Samuel travel to the orphanage in Beijing to meet with Pan Hai Bo 14, Pan Shu Ren 13 and Lu Ya Ming 11. Then while Samuel (29 year old Chinese man I led to Christ when he was just 15) was there at the orphanage, he connected with me on Skype and we were all able to talk and even study God's word. The boys teacher was there for some of the time and for now, he enjoys me connecting with the boys. It is virtually impossible to get inside a State run orphanage and yet this orphanage knows I paid for the boys to have the surgeries and know I need to check up on their physical conditions as they recover. Pray about this very sensitive situation.
One of my favorite passages in the scriptures as it relates to my love and desire to help orphans comes from a seemingly unlikely place in the book of Job. As we can read in Job 31, Job defends his innocence and tells of how he loved and cared for orphan girls and boys.
Job 31:18 "(but from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and from infancy I guided her.) "
verse 19 "If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing,
Or that the needy had no covering."
What blesses my heart is that verse 18 mentions both boys and girls and then in verse 19 it also blesses my heart to know that God has used me to save many children's lives from dying in the elements from neglect. Even Gold Bar and Gold Flower would most likely have died from the elements if they were left to remain on the street with their biological father. As you all may know, 5 siblings of Gold Flower had died from the elements and one other sister was abducted. Can you imagine losing 6 brothers and sisters? God's grace is truly on "The Gold kids".
Besides remaining in contact with my adult people while I am in the US, I have maintained daily contact with Gold Bar (1 year old boy) and Gold Flower (4 year old girl), as well as having Samuel keep in contact with the 3 orphan boys who are in the State run orphanage. They are all doing well and it is such a neat thing to see them live on Skype and watch them beaming with joy to talk with me. It must be remembered that all these children had no one to call family, even the Gold kids have no one, including a biological dad and mom, to really care for them. As my other 10 orphans, still in virtual prison, all see me as their true family member and desire to be with me. Even though we would all desire for every child to have parents, these children have a great love for me and want to see me care for them. Did you know that less than 2% of orphans in China will ever have parents? This plight is my fight!
I continue to follow many of the children who had heart surgery. To the best of my knowledge, all of them are doing well except for Jiang Jia Yi. She is still struggling but I am helping the family with some expenses and also staying in contact with the parents to study God's word, pray with them and do what I can to help them. Jiang Jia Yi is the 6 year old girl who had a successful open heart surgery but later when she was recovering, suffered a staff infection and went in a comatose state. She has improved but the infection is not completely under control. Please continue to pray for this little girl. Pray also for her Christians parents, although they are doing well in Christian growth, you would know it is not easy to see their daughter in this condition.
Enclosed is a picture of Pan Shu Ren (13 year old orphan boy) while he was in his hospital bed. I gave him a Chinese bible and all the boys use this even while they are in a State run orphanage. You can imagine how dangerous that is and how we need to pray for them to be able to keep studying. The risks I run are great but God protects. God gives me the words to say and the wisdom to plan but we all need to pray for supernatural protection in the entire process. Remember though, I have my visa for another complete year and that tells all of us one very important thing.....God wants me in Beijing.
Keep the faith brothers and sisters! Keep up the good work of prayer and may God bless all of us with a great year in 2016
Ray and the 10 in virtual prison, The Gold kids, the 3 orphan boys and many more.