March 24, 2017

Our Tribe is Growing

Spring-time Greetings from Beijing,                                                                      March 2017
A Precious Gift!


KaMakanaOKeAkua Blair was born 8 lbs. 5 oz. on March 15 in a birthing pool in their home in Portland, Oregon. Nathan and Heather and Kekoapomaika’i are rejoicing in their “Gift from God” (in Hawaiian)! We are too!!
We have jumped back into life and ministry here at Beijing International Christian Fellowship ZGC and things are going well. We thank the Lord for our faithful colleagues who carried the ministry forward well. Highlights were our Christmas outreach ministries. We had our 6th International Christmas Concert at nearby Haidian Church. For each of the two nights there was a full house (almost 1500 capacity), to receive the Gospel in song, drama, and proclamation. Then first the first time we held 2 Christmas Eve services because of the demand! Now Mark has jumped into the preaching Book of Judges in the morning, Gospel of John at night.

Our first Sunday back we hosted Mark’s Bible professor from Covenant College, Dr. Henry Krabbendam. He was a great encouragement. Our members greatly appreciated his preaching (morning and evening) and focused times with preachers and ministry leaders. He have a special connection as he has visited us in Uganda, Kazakhstan, and now Beijing!
Home Assignment Report
What can we say about the privilege of being in Hawaii…escaping Beijing winter…with such wonderful family, friends, and churches? It was delightful. The Lord allowed us to keep all our Sunday church appointments. It is very humbling to receive such faithful “aloha,” prayers, and support from such dear brothers and sisters. Words are not enough to express our deep appreciation. Thanks – Mahalo nui loa!! - for the hours of friendship, “ono” food, and warm hospitality.


In addition to Sunday services, we enjoyed many home visits. We made many new friends and met up with dear ones who have faithfully prayed for us for many years!
In February we were able to lead a workshop entitled “Is Jesus Enough?” in the “Demolishing Strongholds” conference sponsored by Evidences and Answers in Honolulu.  http://evidenceandanswers.org/
It was a special joy to have Nathan, Heather, and Kekoa spend their Christmas vacation with us in Hilo. And Josiah and Maylee were with us for two weeks in February, Maylee’s first visit to Hawaii.


We had lots of fun sharing in Maylee’s first time for wave riding, ocean canoeing, whale watching, and snorkeling – along with all the great food that she…and we…enjoyed!! There were lots of aunties, uncles, and cousins for Maylee to meet for the first time – see us at City Church in Honolulu (below).
And back on the other side of the world, Maylee just placed 3rd in all of Kazakhstan in Super G Women’s skiing! She is 13.   
Next month Maylee travels to St. Petersburg, Russia for schooling. Thanks for keeping her, and her Dad Josiah (who continues to work in Almaty, Kazakhstan).
Thanks for praying for our youngest son, Aaron, who still lives and works in Eugene, Oregon.

Spring Outreach
There are thousands of new International students who have come to Beijing for the new semester. A couple hundred have found their way to the English, Mandarin, Korean, and Indonesian services of our church. Next month we will add a 5th service, Japanese. A small group has been meeting for over a year, and our BICF Japanese pastor thinks its time for them to launch a church! Please pray with us that they will reach many from that mighty nation with so few followers of Jesus.
We now have Small Groups meeting on more than 20 University campuses around us, and new ones are forming on 3 more campuses! We have a great team that is guiding our small groups ministry.
As we finish the Book of Judges soon, I will begin preaching through Hebrews in the mornings. We plan to have Baptism in all of our services on Easter Sunday and a number are considering this step of faith.
Later in April we will have a Ministry Leaders short retreat. We plan to host and hear from a leader from “Serve the City” (https://www.servethecity.net/) and considering new ministry opportunities.
 In May we will travel to Kuala Lampur for the Missional International Church Network conference. (www.micn.org) We have been asked to co-present a workshop there on International Student Ministry with Leiton Chinn. From KL it is a short flight to Indonesia. We may have an opportunity to share in ministry in churches there, pray that the Lord will work out the details if He wills.
So we are “good busy” back here in Beijing. We continue to be staggered by how many people are here. And troubled to think that millions of our neighbors are utterly lost with no knowledge of the saving love of Jesus. Keep praying that God will pour out His Spirit of grace and mercy on this great nation.
Yours in the Lamb, Mark and Dayna Blair

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