Born Again At 65

The Davis family took a trip to Shenzhen to visit GaoYan’s Mom, Sister GaoLi, baby, and family in Shenzhen, the overnight city.
Each night GaoYan’s Mom dances with other ladies in the Shenzhen neighborhood. Just like dancing in our Hangzhou neighborhood she quickly has a social network that knows the story of most families in the complex.
SanMei also dances each evening and became friends with GaoYan’s Mom. SanMei believes in Jesus and wanted to get baptized. SanMei and her husband live in Shenzhen helping with grandchildren. They have three sons. SanMei lives with the youngest son and watches her six year old grandson. Her husband lives with the middle son, in fortunately a neighbor apartment complex, and helps with their two small children. Their oldest son and his wife live in America, Berkley just moved to Houston, and they love Jesus. The oldest son sent his parents a Bible and more Christian books. The son and daughter-in-law call their parents and tell them about Jesus.
I asked SanMei’s husband, “Have you believed in Jesus a long time?”
“Not long. When my son sent us this Bible I started to believe in Jesus.” The son had written (in Chinese), “We pray that you will be with God.” Dated sometime in 2009.
SanMei says, “Our daughter-in-law is also wonderful.”
GaoYan’s Mom and I had some great Bible studies with SanMei and her husband. He would read a scripture out loud, I would try to explain a little bit with my bad Chinese, then GaoYan’s Mom would clarify better her understanding of the scripture. SanMei would then get excited and talk more about the scripture with GaoYan’s Mom, meanwhile her husband would re-read the scripture by himself thinking through to understand more fully.
SanMei said, “My husband can read many more characters now after my son sent this large print Bible.”
We baptized SanMei and her husband on a Friday in their bathtub. Both of them were so excited. After being baptized SanMei sat in the water wiping her head and both arms, “Now I am clean inside and outside.”
The following Sunday we met together to share their first Lord’s Supper. The oldest son and wife happened to call from America just before we got started. SanMei and her husband told them the whole story of meeting GaoYan’s Mom and then studying the Bible with us and how they got baptized. The son and wife asked to talk with the American, “Thank you for teaching my parents the Bible and helping them get baptized. We told them, after they believed in Jesus they need to get baptized, but we did not know how they could do it.”
I said, “Thank you for telling your parents about Jesus. I study the Bible with some friends for more than two years before they believe in Jesus and get baptized. Seeing your parents’ faith has really refreshed me.”
SanMei’s husband showed me his bus/subway card that certified he was 65 and could ride for free. Born again at 65 with faith like a child. Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Brief News Update

Hey everyone, Cec just posted a little something telling you kind of where we are in the ministry / in our spirits these days (look below this post, I guess); now, let me take a moment more of your time to share with you some of the activities, events, and goings on of the past month or so:
* Visit to Joanna Wang in Shanghai: We spent 3 days / 2 nights in SH seeing our dear and long-time friend and sister Joanna. We taught her (English & Bible) in Jingzhou way back when, and now she works for an international school and does lots of activities -- and even teaching -- for the local church there in Shanghai. The visit was spur-of-the-moment, and boy was she surprised and excited to see us! She had been feeling lonely in the big city far from most of her old friends, so she very much appreciated us coming out of our way to see her. It was good for us, too: she treated us to a big employee discount at a fancy hotel near her home & workplace, so -- even though Phoebe had a really bad cold -- we felt quite comfortable and enjoyed getting away from the house for a bit.
* Bread for Beggars: We've actually only done this a couple of times... we and a couple of students simply went outside, stocked with sacks of bread, fruit, etc., and handed stuff out to any beggars we happened to see. No big deal, really, but a good exercise for us, a good experience to share with a spiritually-seeking student, and hopefully a good example to Phoebe.
* * We've also been able to establish a fledgling relationship with one of the local beggars whom we see fairly often, usually with his children (and sometimes his wife). We've not asked what happened, but he's obviously been severely burned in some sort of accident, which has left him with bad scars on his head and face and missing fingers on both hands. We took some gently-used toys to his two little boys around Christmas / Spring Festival time. Maybe we'll ask him to worship with us some Sunday.
* Last but not least, Phoebe got 200 bucks (RMB) in a hong bao given to her at a recent school banquet! It's common tradition to give little red envelopes of cash to kids for the Chinese New Year, but we hadn't really expected the school to give her one, so that was a nice little surprise.
So that's about it... as Cecely mentioned, there's not too much going on right now... we might go to Hubei for a visit with Todd Wu (native church leader and longtime friend) and to see his little girl whom we've still never met; she's Phoebe's age (plus 2 months), so we think that might be fun and encouraging for us and them... otherwise, we're just chillin' -- quite literally (it's cold!)

Season of Prayer

Right now, we are having a break from teaching English classes while China celebrates Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year. This break lasts for around six weeks, and the weather, well, it is pretty cold. It is warmer inside our apartment, needless to say, but not as warm as we are used to, even for China. There are only heating units in the two bedrooms, and no unit in the main room. The days are short, and often kind of drizzly. You can kind of feel the mood of all this right? The Clarks usually kind of thrive on some kind of schedule, and to have the rhythms of preparing for classes, seeing certain students, etc., is really good for us. It is a blessing to have a break from school, but it can be kind of a test to keep spiritual momentum going as most of your ministry prospects get caught up in the holiday season.
Anyway, this month we have been focusing in on prayer. We have really worked as hard and faithfully as we know how this past semester, planting the seeds of the Gospel. We know that the seeds are there in the soil, where we and the Lord Himself planted them. Now it is time for us to pray and just let them be there for a while. I think this kind of season is much more challenging for us. We like to be getting to do something, talking to and interacting with people. Opportunities for that have been a bit more limited during the holiday, so this is what we need to be doing: being faithful in prayer and trusting that some stuff is actually going on right now that we cannot see with our eyes. And remembering that we, too, have spirits that need tending and refreshing, and trusting that the Lord will see to that as well. Please pray with us, for the growth of the gospel in the hearts of those whom it has been planted in, and for the refreshing of us, His workers. Thank You!

Hallie

I am very far behind on the things I should have blogged.  This blog should have been posted back in November, or at least at the beginning of December.  Oh well, better late than never.  By now this is old news, but you have not seen the pictures!

On November 9, Hallie turned 11.  This year she wanted a banana cake.  I made it from scratch. which is good because cake mixes have been hard to find in Hangzhou lately.

A couple of weeks after her birthday, Jon found a letter in our room from Hallie.  She said that she wanted to be baptized.  She felt that she was ready.  I am not really sure why she decided to write a letter.....

About a year ago, she thought she was ready, but when we asked her some questions about it, she did not have an answer.  Jon told her to study some and do some more praying and thinking on it.   I kind of expected something to happen this summer.  I kept praying for her but was very careful not to push her.  This had to be her decision and it needed to be for the right reasons.

After we found the letter, we talked to her again.  She told us why she felt that she was ready this time.  She told us that she had read that book twice...Am I Ready to be Baptized? (AP press).

We encouraged her to write all of her reasons down, so that if years from now, she has any doubts, she can look back at her thoughts and decide if she really did know what she was doing.

Then we decided that she would be baptized that coming Sunday.  We were all super excited.   Jon sent a message to EVERYONE in his phone.
Jay Beamon and his daughter came from Jinghua!  Some of Jon's students came.

Here Shelly is showing some of Jon's students how to find the passage we were reading.

The two girls in the front are part of Jon's English corner group.

This is Shelly.  She was very happy too!

We all shared gave her encouragement and advice.  It was really nice.  Jon did not cry (hardly at all).

Margaret and Elaine talked about how Hallie is an example to us all.  Margaret had some family in town and they wanted her to not go this morning, but she told them that she HAD to go and could not miss this.  They were actually interested and wanted to come to, but Margaret thought it would be too many people.

Lots of smiling faces in the hallway outside of the bathroom.  They were all so excited for her and our 

family.

I am so proud of her and the young woman she is becoming!

Looking back for the Hardins

 At the beginning of 2012, I thought I would take a quick look back at 2011.  I looked back at my blogs and Facebook status since last January.

In January, we gained a new sister as Jane (Ge wen) was baptized.  We also had snow twice.  Our breaker box broke and we were with out electricity for one night.  Our washing machine broke at the beginning of Spring festival time. 

In February, we celebrated Chinese new Year, and after a few weeks,  the washing machine was finally fixed. 

In March, Hallie cooked dinner for the family, and we paid off our school loans and are debt free!

In April, I had my second oral surgery.  It was not as bad this time.  I was very thankful to have that behind me.  We met a girl from Ningbo that needed someone to baptize her.  (Jon did it)  Jon’s computer died.

We celebrated Easter.  We had 18 at our apt. to color eggs, and we had 56 at the Easter egg hunt.

In May we went out to the country- side with Li wen’s family and had a cook-out.  Our Ayi (on her e-bike) got hit by a bus .  Thankfully she was not hurt too badly.

Liam turned 8!

In June we found out that Jon’s job situation was not what we had thought and he had to start job hunting.  It was stressful, but it all worked out and he signed a contract two hours before we left Hangzhou to start our trip to the US.  Hallie had a Bible study with her friend Bliss.  We flew home to the US for a needed visit with friends and family.

In July, Jon worked fireworks, Hallie went to camp, and Jon and I celebrated our 16^th wedding anniversary. We got to spend some time with our Clear Creek family.  The kids made friends with Odie (the Golden’s dog). We drank as much Dr Pepper and Sweet tea as we could and loaded up on American junk food for a year.

In August, due to some paperwork issues Jon could not make the trip back to China at the same time as the rest of the family.  Many people were nervous, but the trip went smoothly and I was fine.  Eryn turned 7! I learned to make yogurt and granola.  Eryn had an ear infection but we treated her and she was fine.

In September we had ants in the kitchen and Hallie and Eryn had their first modeling shoot.  Jon also started teaching classes at his new school.

In October, we took a trip to Shaoxing. The Rays and Proyers visited and Jane (a different Jane) was baptized. Shane was also baptized.  Our oven broke, but we got another one for free.  Hallie shot a commercial.  We celebrated Halloween with real orange pumpkins, cool costumes, and too much candy.

In November, Hallie turned eleven.  She was also baptized!  Her school computer died, but she got a new one.  We celebrated Thanksgiving with a huge dinner (30 + people) at our house.  The Russells came to visit.

In December, the Zhengs ate lunch with us after church and we celebrated Christmas. 

I had thought that especially last school year had not really been a good year, but when I looked back on it. I could really see the blessings. 

We were extremely blessed in 2011!  We are looking forward to another great year in 2012!

Winter Weather Warrior

Most days in December and January seem to be overcast leaning toward a cold mist at 40 degrees. In a concrete apartment it is the kind of cold that soaks deep into my bones even deep into my psyche. For sure I am a winter weather wimp, but these accessories change me into a winter weather warrior.
Purple water bottle. I fill it up with boiling water to start class. It works great as both a hand warmer and hot drink during long English classes.
1/4 inch thick wool socks from the army surplus store Doolittle, Missouri
SiMian 1/2 inch thick silk quilted shirt.
Wool sweater from Tibet
Tiger hot water bottle left from the short term team winter weather warriors.
HuoTong fire box electric heater to warm our toes and legs while working at the computer.
Not pictured: electric blanket, wool long underwear, stocking cap, scarf, and so on.

I guess we could turn on our heaters. But neighbors always advise, “Then what will you do when the weather gets even colder?”

Christmas Party on Tea Island

The day before Christmas we had a party on Tea Island. GaoYan’s first step in organizing a large party is to contact CoCo MaMa. Their family has an outdoor furniture business and they have loads of great stuff: lawn tunnels, fold up tables, picnic blankets, camping chairs, tents (to protect our skin from the sunshine), and a trampoline. CoCo MaMa also bought all the food and snacks. She gets so excited and does extra things like make a “Welcome to our Christmas party” sign. CoCo MaMa brought 20 Christmas lanterns. The tea house would not allow us to hang them up and we thought the kids would start a fire if we set them on tables, but we had 20 Christmas lanterns.
Dan, Shaq O’Neal, Bill Gates, and I set up the trampoline. Dan recommended using the directions which were written in German. I had helped put up the trampoline one time before so I tried to work from memory. Bill Gates, who is usually passive and shy, turned out to be our leader getting the legs assembled and springs pulled tight. A chance for guys working together to use their muscle and engineering minds always seems to be a great bonding experience.
One of my hosting responsibilities was to gather everyone together and sing two Christmas songs: Silent Night and Joy to the World. I can lead a song even in Chinese, but we always say, “God hears our hearts” after I lead singing. Turns out, there was a choir teacher from Zhejiang University at the party. GaoYan asked her to stand by me and help with the singing. She had spent the past summer traveling around China visiting many different churches to come back and encourage Christians in Hangzhou. I started in “Silent night, holy night…” And her grand voice took over. Everyone looked up surprised and smiled and started singing louder. I can imagine people by the lake and around campus would have heard the singing, it was so wonderful.
After singing, GaoYan handed out paper, ribbon, and scissors to make Christmas ornaments. She encouraged everyone to write something they were thankful for on the ornament. People became quite involved with making creative ornaments. Someone cut out a cross and another wrote John 3:16 along with reindeer and a Christmas caterpillar. We decorated the Christmas tree with our ornaments and people took pictures standing next to the tree.
We counted more than sixty people.
What a wonderful blessing that many of our Christian friends like Elaine, Margaret, Jane, Grace, and others could bring their families and mix with and meet our other seeking friends. “Joy to the world the Lord has come.”