Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
No time is good to fight cancer, but Advent is a great time for hope. Doubt and despair were the context of the first Christmas. Imagine being the people of God and never hearing from Him. That is what the remnant which was Israel had become. Nearly four hundred years passed since Malachi brought God’s Word to them. They strained to hear the echo of God’s voice….if He was there. For most, tradition trumped true and living faith. The day anticipated by the Prophet Amos had come, "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD.” (8.18). Those who heard the Advent announcement responded with incredulity. The priest Zechariah asked, “How can I be sure of this?” (Luke 1.18). “How will this be?” Mary asked the angel (Luke 1.34). Elizabeth exclaimed, “But why am I so favored?” (Luke 1.43). Even people of faith lacked faith….it had been so long!
Wise Fathers built seasons into the ‘Church year’ because they understand our weakness. They know how easy it is to forget and even fall away. Nothing in my body, or my feelings, gives me hope for tomorrow. But everything in Him and His Word - which can never fail - lifts me beyond my small circumstances to confidence in Him. Thus Churches around the world now celebrate Advent because we need to hear again that, “Christ has come! Christ is come! Christ will come again!”
Monday, November 30, I finished round 2 of chemo. I have one more five day session to go; hopefully starting December 17. I hope to finish around Christmas. The biggest news about round 2 was no news. I still eating normal food and keep it in. Vital signs are stable. I am very blessed to get this far so uneventfully. My two oncology nurses who have been so kind and helpful through it all now even echo the refrain, “People are praying!” I thank Him and you.
Friday night BICF had a “Christmas Around the World” party. Each of our congregations – Korean, Indonesian, Mandarin, African, and English – shared songs and skits of the Season. More than 300 people, lots of visitors and friends, enjoyed the program with us.
The best part about ending round 2 in Chemostan was that Josiah, Maylee, and Masha arrived in the very early hours of Tuesday morning, December 1. We have had a great time together. Maylee’s happy spirit was good medicine for Grandpa…and Grandma. They returned to Kazakhstan Saturday. I am in a dilemma as to which hair color suits me best if I decide to get a wig? What do you think?
Last week two sisters from our Beijing International Christian Fellowship French African ministry came to visit. Dayna spoke to their Women’s ministry last month and has developed a close bond with them. So when they heard I am going through chemo they wanted to pray. When they walked in Maylee got a bit shy as she does not spend much time with Africans in Kazakhstan. But she was not too shy to accept a Chinese doll they brought for her with thanks. So Maylee sits on the floor near us all, happily playing with her new doll. And they say, “We have come here to pray for Pastor Mark” and launch out. One prays in French, the other translates the prayer into English. I opened my eyes and saw Maylee’s look of wonder. Here we were joined in heart with a French-speaker from Africa, with understanding thanks to a sister from another African nation. We are from California and Hawaii now with our American/Kazakhstani granddaughter whose main language is Russian playing with a Chinese doll in Beijing! How did this all happen? God sent His Son for us all!
Our denomination – the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference – printed an article they asked me to write about serving in an International Church. On page 5 of their bulletin.
http://www.ccccusa.com/Foresee_newsletter/Foresee_2009_12.pdf
Our prayer for you and your family is that you will come to Jesus this Christmas – to His manger, but also to His cross, His tomb, and His throne on high. Come and find His power and grace afresh. Come to Him who is nothing less than God, lovingly sent in human flesh. Come to Him who became poor so that you through His poverty will become rich. Come to Him who holds the entire universe in His grip. Come to Him who lives forever to make intercession for you. Come to the God with whom all things are possible and indeed nothing is impossible. Come and live by faith in the Son of God who loves you and gave himself for you.
Yours in Him who is Come, Mark and Dayna Blair….and Maylee
Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com or markblair@bicf.org
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive - Orlando, FL 32832 – USA www.pioneers.org
Our Blog www.blairstan.blogspot.com
Skype: blairstan
Our Ministry
Beijing International Christian Fellowship - www.bicf.org
Our Mailing Address
Beijing International Christian Fellowship / Zhong Guan Cun
Raycom Infotech Park, Tower C, Room B115,
2 Kexueyuan Nanlu, Haidian District, Beijing, China 100190
