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Showing posts from December, 2024

Those Difference-Making Candles

 Good Morning Friends ….. from one of the remotest places we’ve been for quite awhile. Can’t say much because it’s pretty closed up here, but suffice it to say it continues being an adventure.  (I’ll talk later) We had lunch with some of Tony’s students and my jaw was hanging just hearing some of their amazing histories.   But today I want to tell you a story about a woman that I can talk about from a country nearby. She’s my specialist Dr. back in Australia.  On a recent visit, I noticed a small plaque with a cross in her window and asked point blank (you can do this in Australia),  ”Are you a Christian”? She smiled at me for the first time ever and then went on to tell me her story.  It seems that four generations ago, a missionary wandered into her village in the extreme north of Burma.  After arriving and settling in just a short time, he was able to introduce the village head man to Jesus Christ. Today, there are over 80 descendants, includin...

Looking for the Spirit

 Good Morning Friends, Tony said I shouldn’t make this a travel blog so I won’t.  Suffice it to say we’re still traveling, yesterday arriving from Japan to Hong Kong.  If you can imagine Hong Kong being even more crowded (and charming) than ever before, you’ve got it. We’re having a wonderful time, although going from one basically non-Christian country to another, it’s been a real stretch to feel any kind of Christmas spirit. And unfortunately it won’t get any better next week, being in a place where we’re prohibited by law to even speak with anyone about Christ and the real reason for the season. But then, with the Holy Spirit close at hand, I’m praying for some quality time with the Babe in the manger, no matter what the situation may be. Thanks as always for your prayers. Here in Hong Kong, church and old friends are of course always a blessing, even though we saw everybody just a few months ago. We had hoped to slip in unannounced this time before they had a chance t...

That Old House

 Good Morning all. When Tony slips back into his “country” roots, he likes to sing a song some of you might remember. We first heard it sung by the Cathedrals and the chorus goes like this: Ain’t gonna need this house no longer Ain’t gonna need this house no more Ain’t got time to fix the shingles Ain’t got time to fix the floor Ain’t got time to oil the hinges Nor to mend the window pane Ain’t gonna need this house no longer I’m gettin ready to meet the saints Well, as Tony would say, “That song just preaches itself!” And it’s true, whether you’re talking about an old house or an aging body. This week, we’ve had the wonderful chance to spend a few days in our own “old house” in Japan. It was built with materials shipped from America and put together by an American team of volunteer carpenters, working with a few local Christian Japanese builders. That’s a story in itself that I’ll have to share with you sometime. All this happened about 35 years ago, and as they say, “If only thes...