Christmas in China?

Mele Kalikimaka!

Last Sunday at a church in San Diego someone asked, “Do they have Christmas in China?” Indeed they do! In fact, as I write they are having it right now. In a country as big as China, Christmas means many things.

Commerce
Like I have seen here in California, there are more people in the malls than in the churches! Chinese were businessmen long before the King of the Jews was born. Today is a work day in China – it is not an official holiday. Their economic engine runs at full throttle on Christmas day. Strolling through the lavish shopping malls in China’s cities you might easily think you are in Anytown, USA. Yet the malls are filled with Christmas decorations, English language carols, and even Santa.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-santa-20101224,0,1188901,full.story

Couples
Many of China’s huge malls will be open all night. Young couples stroll arm in arm wearing the latest fashions. Many girls proudly carry bouquets of flowers. From the malls they’ll head to night clubs, restaurants, and movie theaters. Christmas has become a ‘must’ date night in China. Hotel ballrooms will be filled with parties – dancing and drinking through the night for all who can afford it. I am borrowing heavily from a great article, “Through the Narrow Gate: Celebrating Christmas in China” by Kurt Selles, written last year:

http://www.reformedworship.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=1328

Confusion
This afternoon on my walk through beautiful La Canada I enjoyed the Christmas decorations in the manicured yards. If I were visiting from another planet, what would I think Christmas means to these alien Californians? The huge electronically inflated snowman stands on warm green grass. His shadow falls across the manger scene, located right next to Santa, elves, reindeer and a present-filled sleigh. What does it all mean? Can we blame the Chinese – for whom Christmas is a foreign holiday – for getting their holiday symbols confused? They learned it from us. Americans don’t know whether to say, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” But the only reason it is a HOLY-day is because the Holy Child has come. Yet, no matter what you call this day, Christmas in China is a time of great opportunity. There is a magnetic attraction to the Christ of Christmas.

Curiosity
Our Beijing International Christian Fellowship worships in a large, modern, office complex. Every year the management asks us to sing Christmas carols in their lobby. They did so this week:

Among the dozens of people that passed by to listen was the staff of the complex. Their interesting mix of costumes shows they do not yet have the Christmas story straight, but they are intently listening!!! This sincere interest thrills us as we serve in China.

Concern
A few months ago I was visited in our Beijing International Christian Fellowship office by four Chinese police officers. These two men and two women, were very polite and friendly. But they were concerned. Four police officers don’t make two hour long office calls for nothing. Their main cause of concern was the babe from Bethlehem. The hottest ticket item on Christmas Eve has become entrance to church. They asked many questions about our Christmas plans at BICF and wanted us to know there would be police at our services. There was. I just got an email from one member who attended….

Dear Pastor Mark and Dayna,
I wish you a very very merry Christmas, too! I have just come back from the Christmas service in BICF ZGC. It was so good! We are so thankful to have Jesus, the best gift ever!

Last Christmas Kurt Selles observed: Christmas as a Curiosity

Not all Chinese go to a nightclub or party on Christmas Eve, however. Thousands flock to church, as clearly evidenced by the large crowd gathered outside Beijing’s Gangwashi (pronounced gahng wah shur) church on this bitter cold night. Though young couples dot the crowd, there are many others too: older couples wearing dull blue “Mao suits” and children in bright red “Hello Kitty” parkas, Beijing’s urban professionals, peasants from the countryside, men and women of all ages and walks of life. All are waiting to pass through the narrow gate into the church.

Considering the long wait ahead, the crowd outside is remarkably orderly and patient. It’s not quite six-thirty, but every seat inside the church is already taken for the seven o’clock service. That means around eight hundred people are seated in the main sanctuary, with more than a thousand others packed into several adjacent halls and rooms to watch closed-circuit television. Those waiting outside hope to squeeze through the narrow gate for the nine o’clock or even the ten-thirty service. If they don’t get in tonight, there may be room at one of the two services scheduled for Christmas Day. Altogether, as many as ten thousand people will pass through Beijing’s Gangwashi church during the Christmas holiday.

According to Zhang Yongqiang, an evangelist in his early thirties who is helping to lead the services this evening, “Probably less than half of those who come are Christians celebrating this holy night. The rest come for a wide variety of reasons, but mostly out of curiosity. They want to know the meaning of Christmas.”

Here are pictures from services in a Beijing church this Christmas night…from a web site in India!

http://iplextra.indiatimes.com/photo/0eUscvVeeSciu?q=Beijing

Today I received an e-card from one of the 12 pastors who serve the 7000 member Chinese Protestant church near our BICF location. I am sure they had a full house for their many Christmas services also.


Christ
Yes, they have Christmas in China. And just as when Joseph took his young wife to Bethlehem people today worry about many things – wealth, weather, and weariness of body and soul. And just as on that Holy Night, many people around still have no clue about the significance of that Child. Lots of people are mixed up, some get it totally wrong. Christmas has become a season for decadence, drunkenness, and death by suicide for many.

But it all comes back to Him. All the celebrating, commerce, and curiosity that spans the whole world this night has been sparked by the fact that God has come in Christ. He has stepped into time and history will never be the same. At the end of time the whole world will stand before the Christ of Christmas. Some will only meet Him as Judge, but we have the privilege of knowing Him as Savior now.

Dayna and I look forward to celebrating more Christmases in China. This is the first Christmas in 30 years that we have not been together. I am at my sisters in California and Dayna is back in Hawaii with her family. Please continue to keep her elder sister, Gaylyn, in your prayers. Dayna will be here Monday night, along with our 2 sons from Oregon for a few days visit.

I pray you will know the love of family and friends this Christmas. But most of all my prayer is you will know Jesus who has come to bring you the fullness of joy – now and forever. Like Taylor Swift sings, “Christmas Must be Something More.”

Thank you so much for your support and prayers for our ministry to China. Maybe next Christmas you can come and see His work there!

Our Schedule

December 26 First Baptist Church of El Segundo, El Segundo, California
January 2, 2011 Montrose Community Church, Montrose, California
January 9 Valley Presbyterian Church, North Hills, California
January 16 La Canada Presbyterian Church, La Canada, California
January 23 Kalihi Union Church – Honolulu, Hawaii
January 30 Hawaii Kai United Church of Christ, Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii
February 6 North Shore Christian Church, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii
February 11 – Return to Beijing

Rejoicing in His Advent! Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Mobile (until February 11) 808 315 5364

Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)

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

Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc

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

Lausanne Reflections

Aloha from Maui,
We have had a refreshing time in Hawaii - so good to be with family, friends, and churches here again. We are very grateful for your faithful friendship and prayers. Our mobile number until February 10 is 808 315 5364. Our journey continues… we fly to Oregon today.


We just received a very encouraging report about the Third Lausanne Conference which Mark attended in October in Cape Town. If one man can be credited with bringing everyone and everything together for this tremendous gathering it is Doug Birdsall. The Lord used him, and the team he wisely gathered, in a wonderful way. We think you will enjoy Doug’s reflections and by viewing the links he cites:

Cape Town 2010 Reflections From Doug Birdsall
22 November 2010

It is far too soon to fully assess the significance of CT2010. Indeed
only the Lord truly knows how CT2010 will impact his church and the
world in the years to come. As I reflect on the Congress, read blogs,
emails and articles from participants, I am in awe of Gods blessings on
this gathering. Please join me in praising the Lord for the following:

• Sense of wonder at Gods people coming together from nearly
every country and corner of the earth - joy that the Majority World
Church was the actual majority at CT2010!

• Global community of men and women who worked tirelessly to
plan and serve CT2010.

• Powerful testimony by an 18-year-old North Korean girl.
Unforgettable.
(http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/11671, posted
with permission)

(Note from Mark: This is REALLY good, you can also see this at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KEFbo2tJ_8 )

• Glory of the gospel expounded daily from the book of
Ephesians. May the message of Ephesians reverberate around the world.

• Miraculous provision of stewards from India, cousins Vijay and
Daniel, who took just two hours to solve sophisticated cyber attacks on
our websites.

• Unity of speakers whose presentations provided a ringing
endorsement for truth.

• Significant impact of the Table Groups.

• Timeliness of Libby Little’s presence with us honoring Christ
as she also honored the life of her recently martyred husband in Afghanistan.

• Stories and images of God on the Move in every region of the
world.

• Significant media coverage of CT2010, from 100 onsite media
and many more offsite receiving reports from our Communications team.

• Creativity and growing energy around issues like Diaspora
People, Mega-Cities, Children, Orality; developments in the Global
Anglican Communion; Ziya Merals fresh thinking with respect to Islam;
an eagerness for a global Kingdom equilibrium as articulated by David
Ruiz and Patrick Fung; and a meeting with World By Radio leadership.

• Beauty and vibrancy of worship as a global community, the
pageantry of the Opening Celebration and the foretaste of heaven
experienced in the holy and majestic celebration of the Lords Supper
during the Closing. Personally, the Closing Ceremonies were the most
glorious experience of worship I have had anywhere and at anytime.
(http://conversation.lausanne.org/en/conversations/detail/11010.)

Additionally, each time I joined the Global Executive Leadership Forum
and the Government, Business and Academia Think Tank, I sensed
excitement as these leaders were finding one another and finding their
voice in the work of world evangelization. Similarly, I enjoyed visits
to the Womens Global Cafe; where hundreds of women and men who share
passion for the gospel and bearing witness to Christ were able to
connect.

Perhaps the most exciting meeting I participated in was with the Younger
Leaders. Organizers had planned on 250 people for the Friday evening
gathering. However when I arrived in the ballroom a half an hour after
it started, there were nearly 900 younger leaders there. The vibrancy
and enthusiasm in the room was electrifying! I stayed until I could
barely stay awake, talking with leaders keen to learn how they could be
involved in the future of Lausanne.

Certainly the most surprising meeting was with the official observers
from the Vatican, the Orthodox Churches and the World Council of
Churches. After expressing appreciation for being invited to the
Congress, they wanted to know how to continue their involvement,
conversations and friendships begun during the Congress. When I asked
what had captivated their imagination, three things were mentioned:
first, they were impressed by the intellectual vigor of the discussions;
second, they were moved by the personal stories shared by the North
Korean girl and by Libby Little; third they found the worship and
fellowship with such a vibrant global community to be a source of
personal and spiritual renewal.

To keep us connected and to highlight resources and research related to
world evangelization, plans are underway for an expanded Lausanne
website (www.lausanne.org ) and Lausanne
Global Conversation. Please check the website regularly for Congress
resources, videos, photos and meeting notices…

Our prayer is that all that was invested in the Congress and in the
ongoing work of The Lausanne Movement will be multiplied and bear much
fruit as we seek to be responsive to Gods call…

Thank you for your faithful partnership in the gospel.

Yours in Christ,
Doug Birdsall
Executive Chairman, The Lausanne Movement

December 5 Sierra Presbyterian Church, Nevada City, California
December 10 Biola Congregational Church, Biola, California
December 12 Meadowlark Community Church, San Marcos, California
December 19 New Life Presbyterian Church, La Mesa, California
December 26 First Baptist Church of El Segundo, El Segundo, California
January 2, 2011 Montrose Community Church, Montrose, California
January 9 Valley Presbyterian Church, North Hills, California
January 16 La Canada Presbyterian Church, La Canada, California
January 30 Hawaii Kai United Church of Christ, Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii
February 6 North Shore Christian Church, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii
February 11 – Return to Beijing

Rejoicing in His Advent! Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)

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

Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc

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

Thankful in Hilo

Aloha from Hawaii!

At this season of Thanksgiving, we are grateful to be in on this beautiful island with family and friends once again. Mark’s Thanksgiving message to the Beijing International Christian Fellowship is below.

L to R – Mark, Dayna, Nathan, Heather, Ala, Kerrine, little Kingston, Tavia, and Aaron

We have a US mobile phone until we leave the States in February – 808 315 5364. We’ve begun to share with our supporting churches. Hope we see you along the way….see schedule below…

Health News

Mark had a CT scan just before leaving Beijing which showed him still cancer free!

Sadly, news of our family is not as good. Mark’s brother-in-law Larry passed away this month after a long illness. Please keep Mark’s sister Judy in your prayers.

Also, Dayna’s sister Gaylyn has cancer and an aneurism in her heart. Your prayers for her and her husband George are much appreciated. They are currently in Pennsylvania, trying to get home to Hilo.

Our Schedule

November 21 Puna Covenant Church, Keaau, Hawaii
PM - Kalahikiola Church, Hawi, Hawaii
November 28 AM - Waipuna Chapel, Kula, Maui, Hawaii
PM – Wailuku Door of Faith Church, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii
December 5 Sierra Presbyterian Church, Nevada City, California
December 9 Biola Congregational Church, Biola, California
December 12 Meadowlark Community Church, San Marcos, California
December 19 New Life Presbyterian Church, La Mesa, California
December 26 First Baptist Church of El Segundo, El Segundo, California
January 2, 2011 Montrose Community Church, Montrose, California
January 9 Valley Presbyterian Church, North Hills, California
January 16 La Canada Presbyterian Church, La Canada, California
January 30 Hawaii Kai United Church of Christ, Hawaii Kai, Oahu, Hawaii
February 6 North Shore Christian Church, Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii
February 11 – Return to Beijing

Very Gratefully in Him, Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)

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
Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc

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

Thanksgiving. In some lands it is a holiday. But many do not know who – or what – to ‘thank.’ We hear their ambiguous appreciation, “Higher power, Mother God, Lucky Stars, Blind Force, God of My Nation Only…whatever you are - I am just lucky to be alive…I guess.” Sounds like Bart Simpson’s prayer, “God, we worked really hard for this stuff, so thanks for nothin’!”

Amidst a staccato of final commands, the Apostle Paul tells the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5.18). According to the Bible, Christian thanksgiving is far different from the Simpson’s or the society.
Most important, we know who we are thanking. We are a people instructed by Holy Scripture. By the wonder of His grace we know the central person of the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ. We hold the greatest promise from the book, everlasting life. We are now alive by the greatest power declared in its pages, the Holy Spirit. For some reason we will never fully know, this God we love as Father, Son, and Spirit is ours. We do not know Him exhaustively – eternity will not be long enough to do that – but we know Him truly.

Second, Christians thank God as an act of trust. Not all of life is ‘happy clappy smiling all the way.’ Sometimes life stinks. Last year my Thanksgiving ‘dinner’ was in I.V. bottles of chemo, with side orders of fear, uncertainty, and nausea. Paul is not asking Christ-followers to give thanks ‘for’ all things. We don’t thank God for cancer, misery, or any of the junk this life sometimes holds. But we are commanded to thank God ‘in’ all things. This is a declaration of faith. It is a confession of God’s sovereignty, spoken from an eternal perspective. We know life holds no surprises for God. We see through a glass darkly, but He has seen the end from the beginning. He works in and through all things for His glory and our good. Do you believe that? Joseph did – even after suffering ‘underground’ much longer than the 33 Chilean miners. He told his guilty brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50.20). Joseph trusted God ‘in’ good and bad.

Third, saying ‘thanks’ is a way to keep us thankful. Scripture indicts the ungrateful, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1.21). But speaking His praise changes our posture – He leads us from grumbling to gratitude, from whining to worship, from darkness to light. The glass may be half empty, but it is also half full! And for people that deserve to burn in hell – like me – that ‘half’ is a marvelous undeserved gift. Lift your sights heaven-ward. We may not be healthy, but our God is the Healer. We may not be fully supplied, but our Father in Heaven owns it all. “The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine upon us…You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Psalm 118.27-29). Declaring His praise directs your heart to Him. May we at BICF be a grateful people, in every season.

Thankful to be in His family at BICF with you, Mark Blair, Pastor ZGC

Greetings from Dubai!

I am en route to Beijing in a couple hours. I am on the ground but still ‘in the air’ from the Lausanne 3 Congress in Cape Town. Many of the messages have been posted at www.lausanne.org
I have just spent the last 9 days with over 4000 brothers and sisters from over 190 countries from 8.30 am to 9.30 pm! Tired? Yes! Exhilarated? YES! Speakers – on just one day I heard John Piper, Tim Keller, Nicky Gumbel, Os Guinness, and David Wells! Music – string symphony, choirs, singers from many nations, loud, vibrant singing! Updates from many nations – it is astounding how rapidly the Church of Jesus is growing around the world – even in ‘very resistant’ lands – often through suffering! Reports about global challenges, one example, did you know there are more slaves today than ever before in human history! Workshops and Discussion – extremely valuable opportunities to network with colleagues from many lands. Truly the work of mission today is ‘from everywhere to everywhere.’ Clear evidence that the Church in the majority world – Asia, Africa, and Latin America – forms the vast majority of contemporary Christendom – 60% of the delegates were from these lands. I have been trying to drink from a fire hose! It will take me weeks to process all I gained. By the grace of God I will spend the rest of my life putting it into practice.



It was very rewarding personally to reunite with dear brothers and sisters from the 8 years we spent in Uganda and 11 years in Kazakhstan. What a joy to see those we have had the privilege of sharing with now key global leaders in His Church. The African host of the event was our colleague in the 1980’s, Henry Luke Orombi, who is now Archbishop of the Church of Uganda (Anglican).



The Church he oversees has 8 million members!! There were also friends from my seminary years there. It was truly a rehearsal for heaven. Cape Town itself foreshadows the Celestial City, breathtaking beauty abounds.
One group not there was the delegation from China. There were over 200 empty seats which had been reserved for Chinese leaders from inside the nation. There were Chinese representatives present, many who live/serve/study outside of China came – as well as foreign workers inside China. To be fair the communication with the Chinese authorities could have been better. The Chinese government has a huge job to create order and security for their population of more than one billion. We Christians – everywhere – need to do a much better job of giving a clear and compelling reason for the ‘hope that lies within us.’ It would NOT be correct to say the absence of our Chinese brethren was an act of persecution. Indeed, there are great freedoms in China. There are MORE followers of Jesus Christ in China than in any nation in the world! Actually their absence has already prompted more people in China to consider the message of Lausanne – world evangelization – than ever!
Just as I get over my jet lag from this eastward trek, Dayna and I will head west to Hawaii. We are eager to be with our families and report to our supporting churches. We are so grateful for your sustaining prayers and support.

Very Gratefully in Him, Mark Blair, for Dayna too!

Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)

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

Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc

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

Fall Push

Dear Prayer Warriors,

Thank you for lifting us up! We’re at the threshold of a number of ministry opportunities here in Beijing. Our health is good! We thank God for your support and prayers allowing us to serve Him here.

We’re in our ‘Fall Push’ in the Beijing International Christian Fellowship. Zhong Guan Cun is surrounded by 82 of China’s top universities where thousands of international students have come to study. We’re busy reaching out, starting new programs, small groups are launching on campuses, and worship services are expanding for English speakers, Koreans, Indonesians, Pacific Islanders, and Africans all under one roof as one big diverse family.

In our last letter we shared about an Ethiopian Ph.d. student who received Jesus in June. Mark had the privilege of baptizing him and a young Englishman recently. Their testimonies stirred our hearts with a fresh reminder of His saving grace for all nations. We are in the planning stages for a new Friday night outreach program for University students. Pray with us us that many will follow Him as these two brothers have chosen to do. There is a wide door of opportunity before us!


After a nine month series on the Gospel of Luke, Mark will begin sermons from Genesis 1-3 this Sunday. Pray these ancient, foundational, truths will equip and embolden our church to faithfully testify to the one true God in their distinct settings. Many new students come every year to BICF and they are coming now! We rejoice with them in their accomplishments as Daniel and Marcus earned Master’s degrees in Journalism and returned to Zambia and Malawi. Change is the one constant in an International church!


Our leaders jumped for joy over the 60+ young people who attended our ZGC English Camp for the children of the employees in the Info Tech Park complex where we worship. These children and their parents were eager and appreciative of this opportunity. The Lord has given us a number of ways to show His love and concern for our nearest neighbors. Pray for our Jerusalem! Several thousand young professionals work daily in the buildings where our church offices and meeting venues are located.


Mark has been asked to be a delegate in The Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelization in Cape Town, South Africa in October. This is a wonderful opportunity and privilege to meet with 4000 delegates from around the world. The Africa Host is Henry Orombi who was a friend and colleague when we lived in Uganda. Now he is the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. We last saw him 16 years ago when he preached in our church in Hawaii. Believers around the world are asked to pray that this conference will be a great advance to His cause. The prayer opportunity is GlobaLink www.capetown2010.com/globalink. Check out www.lausanne.org/globalinkreg to register as a remote site (for free). They are asking for people to do this by September 10 if possible.



We are planning to be home in the States from November through January 2011. We hope to visit family, friends, and churches. We look forward to being with family for Dayna’s mom’s 85th birthday (in Hawaii) and Mark’s sister’s 50th wedding anniversary (in California). We plan to be in Hawaii from November, and California from mid December to mid January. Please let us know if you would like us to visit. We would love to see you.

Thanks again for your faithful partnership!

Yours for the Nations,
Mark and Dayna Blair

Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or markblair@bicf.org or blairstan@psmail.net (secure)

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
Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/sermon-zgc

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

Warm greetings…really warm!

We’re thankful our apartment has A/C as Beijing has often been over 100 degrees this summer. But we are more thankful for your prayers and support which keep us ‘cool’ here! The Lord is faithful in each new season.

Dear Pastor Mark
I am student here in Beijing and I came from Ethiopia. I am in search of GOD to live in him. I strongly demand support that shows me the right way in which I can get GOD. I already started church attending since three weeks. I was also there yesterday and shared your blessing. GOD will, I can come tomorrow. But would you let me know the time you will be available? With kind regards ---------

A couple Monday’s ago I got this email. Not being familiar with Ethiopian names, I was not sure if the appointment I fixed by reply email would be with a man or woman. Now I can share that he is a new-born brother in Jesus. He’s in a Ph.d. program here while his wife and three children carry on in Ethiopia - (a difficult but common financial necessity for most of our African members in BICF).

He described himself as “orthodox, but not strong.” After a brief chat I asked, “Do you want to receive Jesus.” He quickly said “yes,” fell to his knees, bowed his head, and folded his hands. I took that as a confirmation and got down on my knees to pray with him. We had a powerful moment there in that ‘spiritual delivery room’ in BICF. I then had the privilege of presenting him with his first Bible and spent some minutes pointing out its details. Since then he, and his Nigerian Christian roommate, have been with us every Sunday! Yesterday he brought another Ethiopian man from his University.

He is among those pictured here who gathered for our Africa Connect Ministry service:


Our long time friend, John Svendsen (the one who introduced us back in 1981!) was with us. It was great to have him and his wife Susie here in China. John pastors one of our supporting churches in California.

Summer Harvest

There are actually 16 different fellowships within Beijing International Christian Fellowship. Five of them – English, Korean, Indonesian, Pacific Islanders, and African – gather on our facilities on the west side of the city – Zhong Guan Cun. Here are our Pacific Islanders:


Each Wednesday Mark gathers with all 16 congregational leaders for fellowship, prayer, and instruction. Last week great reports of what the Lord is doing were shared:
• A humble housekeeper in one fellowship works for a wealthy Chinese family. During her time of rest her employer found her reading the Bible. She was asked, “What are you reading?” She responded, “A Bible.” “What is that?” “The Word of God.” “Who is God?” Our sister then asked her curious employer if she wanted her pastor to come and share. He did. Heaven is rejoicing as our family has grown.
• Numerous doors are open for BICF Mandarin speakers to teach in 3 Self Protestant seminaries around this nation. More invitations than they can handle!
• A team just came back from Russia where they met with an unreached people group to our north.
• Teams from Russia, Ukraine, and Russians living in USA are doing summer outreach with our Russian fellowship.
• One congregation has outgrown their venue and need a new meeting place.
• A team has just returned from a BICF outreach project to the Congo.
• Our Indonesian congregation, pictured below, recently had a seminar for Indonesian college students in Beijing to consider the claims of Jesus.


Vital Need

We are praying for a person to work with us in our outreach to the dozens of Universities which surround our church. There are thousands of international students open to meeting and growing in Jesus. We would love to have a person with experience in multi-cultural student ministry partner with us. Please pray with us and let us know your suggestions.
We pray the Lord will use you this summer for His Kingdom advance. Scripture has much to say about our privilege and duty to be fruitful disciples. May this lament of the ancient prophet not describe us, "The harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved" (Jeremiah 8.20).

Trusting Him for saving mercies,
Mark and Dayna Blair

May Flowers

Warm greetings from Beijing,

See the green peeking outside our apartment window? It is a beautiful Spring in Beijing! We’re thankful for flowers and warm weather. Winter here was no colder than Kazakhstan. But it was more grey and bleak, the ripping winds bore down to our old bones! But now we have busted out shorts and rubba slippahs and we’ll soon be complaining that it is too hot!

Mama Dayna invited six young men from our church over for Mother’s Day lunch. As they wolfed down the grub – single guys don’t get home cooked meals very often – they shared stories from their homelands of Malawi, Tanzania, England, Liberia, California, and India. What a joy to be in the family of God. We are thankful to be serving Him who is faithful in springtime and harvest here in the Beijing International Christian Fellowship. Your prayers and support are very much appreciated. Last week Mark had a PET Scan and the doctor says he is still cancer free! God has been very gracious.

Dayna continuous her rigorous schedule of studying Chinese five full mornings a week – with homework late into most nights. She is having fun through it all, and learning much. Keep praying for the Lord to open the Chinese part of her brain to full throtle. A couple afternoons a week she has been enjoying meeting with local and expat women.

In addition to the handsome guys seated around our dining table, there are also a few unusual looking people at BICF. This young man (his real face is on the other side of his head!) partipated in an auction, his friends gave over $200 for him to ‘shave on this face.’ Proceeds benefit homeless children here in Beijing.


After an intensive Old Testament Survey course Mark’s students still managed to smile! It was a great joy to learn with these friends from Singapore, Nigeria, USA, Korea, Taiwan, Mauritius, Indonesia, England, Hong Kong, and Ukraine. At the end of May Mark will teach another Master’s level course for the BICF GEM Seminary on ‘Preaching.’ A number of the preachers from our various congregations will attend. Pray the Master Preacher Himself will help us all to more faithfully declare Him.


Our oldest son Nathan and his wife Heather will be moving from Eugene to Portland, Oregon this summer. They will both be studying this coming academic year. Nathan is in a Product Design course and Heather will pursue her teaching credential. Aaron will remain in Eugene. Josiah and our granddaughter Maylee still live in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Josiah will be visiting us in July!



Easter Sunday we held our very first baptism in BICF Zhong Guan Cun. Of course a number of people have been baptized during the 6 years of this ‘daughter’ church’s history. But they have been held quite a distance away with just a few friends present. More than 400 worshippers witnessed the testimony of this sister from Barbados. On May 30 we have another baptism scheduled. We rejoice as the Lord builds His Church.

We are privileged to be your ‘hands and feet’ here in Beijing, and from Beijing to the nations.

Yours in Him who owns them all,
Mark and Dayna Blair

Easter Blessings from Beijing!

Easter Blessings from Beijing!

He is Risen! We have celebrated this truth in California, Hawaii, Uganda, Kazakhstan, and now China! This will be our first Easter to serve the Beijing International Christian Fellowship. It is our great joy to acknowledge Christ’s Victory with brothers and sisters from dozens of

nations here. A few die-hards may gather at Graceland to think about “King Elvis,” perhaps a few more will trek to Forest Lawn to remember Michael the recently passed “King of Pop.” But untold millions will gather in every nation to honor Jesus the Living King who died almost two thousand years ago. And they’ll be praising Him the Sunday’s after too!

GEM Classes

BICF is offering MA level seminary classes to the ex-pat community in Beijing and beyond. Modular week-end courses are offered for people who are busy in work and ministry. Mark recently taught his first course - “Introduction to the Bible” - for GEM (Growing and Equipping in Ministry). In April he will teach “Old Testament Survey” and at the end of May he will teach a course on “Preaching.” Students have come to Beijing from many lands and will return home better equipped to serve the Lord. Last month Mark taught leaders from Fiji, Taiwan, Singapore, Rwanda, Ukraine, Nigeria, Canada, Mauritius, and USA. Who would have thought this unlikely nation would be such an ideal venue to equip global leaders for His Church?!
Last week the entire BICF staff – about 35 – had their weekly meeting in

our office on the West side of the city. You can see how much Dayna and some of our team-mates enjoyed a fun and tasty lunch together.
BICF is quite ‘e-tronic’ – perhaps you have visited their web site. This month Mark had the privilege of writing the “Elder’s Note” for their monthly e-bulletin. You can see his Easter message there at http://bicf.org/component/acymailing/archive/view/listid-1-bicf-enews/mailid-12-bicf-enews-042010-april/Itemid-163

Chinese Language

Dayna is in the thick of her second semester of Mandarin. She continues to enjoy her studies and works very hard to keep up. Classes are five mornings a week and homework goes late into most nights! She already can carry on basic conversation and read many characters. Mark’s respect for the Chinese people has grown tremendously as he realized they can read, write, and speak Chinese! It is amazing to him that all those cute little squiggly lines mean something!!
Dayna has been sharing her ‘aloha’ with many in our Church family and beyond. Many of our members are students and a number call her “Mom” (the Africans say “Mama”!). She has also been giving English lessons and encouragement to a Chinese sister who serves as a pastor in the Three-Self Protestant Church near us. More than 6000 people worship there each Sunday, 1000 in their English language service. Without a ‘ticket’ (given out at their church for free) you’ll have no hope of getting inside on Easter. Even with this attempt to control the crowd there is near bedlam. When Dayna mentioned our Easter plans at BICF to their pastor, she replied “We are making 7000 Easter eggs for our members.” Volunteers blow out the egg and paint each shell! “Then we make omelets!”

Jesus – Savior of the World

Our Sunday attendance at BICF is growing too. Right now we are going through the Gospel of Luke. Last Sunday we had our 2nd Children’s Dedication. More than 15 little one’s were dedicated to the Lord by their parents this month, including beautiful little Ellen from Namibia.

Last Sunday we also recognized three new Elders and will receive seven new deacons next Sunday. With our very transient, mobile, global congregation these leaders are very much needed and appreciated! It is a joy to be a part of this special family of faith here in Beijing, gathering each Sunday to worship Him and hear His Word. The global Church of Jesus Christ is one of the most remarkable evidences to His truth. His innumerable family confirms the old Gospel chorus, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!”

We are very grateful for your faithful prayers and generous support which allow us the privilege of serving the Lord here in China. We pray the joy of the Risen Jesus will fill your heart in a special way this Easter and forever!

Yours in His great love, Mark and Dayna Blair

Happy New Year…watch out!

Explosions rumble across Beijing already – this is real Chinese New Year! Wow! We’ve had some noisy New Year’s nights in Hawaii, but they don’t hold a Roman candle to these rockets. And it is only two in the afternoon, wait until dark…yikes! We’ll see it all through the windows of our sixth floor apartment. Hope we get some sleep before church tomorrow.

Fun in the Sun

We thank the Lord for good health and open doors to serve Him. Once the doctor gave Mark the ‘all clear’ cancer report we jetted to Southeast Asia. There in the warm tropics we had a week with brother servants, exploring Paul’s letter to the Ephesians for lessons on ministry.

This opportunity was scheduled several months ago and we were thankful the Lord allowed us to go. It was an honor to learn many lessons from these brothers about faithfulness in adversity. Their friendship and encouragement was a great tonic to us. After a week of teaching we spent time on a warm, beautiful beach. We arrived back to cold Beijing eager to continue serving.

Winter Conference

Back in Beijing Mark was a speaker at the Winter Conference held at BICF. Three hundred international students gathered from around China. This conference has been held during the Chinese New Year’s

holidays for the last several years. Most of the delegates are from African countries, so the messages were translated into French. Twenty-one students received Christ and were baptized right there!

Mass Migration

Perhaps you have read about all the people moving around China in these days of ‘Spring Festival’ (lunar new year) holidays. Over 300 million citizens have traveled to meet the new year with their families. The vehicle of choice is the train, the world’s fastest, some average 215 mph! Beijing, a city filled with people from all around the nation, is quite ‘empty’… maybe only 10 million here now! It’s a festive time of gift giving. Shops and businesses are closed for at least a week. Dayna has a break from her Chinese language school until early March. We have church every Sunday at BICF, of course. Mark is preaching through Luke’s Gospel. But many members are traveling too.

This week the pastor’s of the government-sanctioned ‘Three Self’ protestant churches in Beijing invited the pastors of BICF for a holiday lunch. It was quite interesting and encouraging to meet these leaders. Each Sunday their churches are filled with thousands of people who hear the Christian message. The door is open for them to preach to their people and they are trying to be wise and faithful in this opportunity. The woman pastor in the red sweater told how both President Bush’s have worshipped in the church she serves. George Sr. rode to her church on a bicycle each Sunday as the US Ambassador to China. His son attended during a presidential visit.

Family News

We are always glad to ‘Skype’ with our sons to the west (Josiah and Maylee in Almaty, KZ) and the east (Nathan and Heather, and Aaron in Oregon). They are all doing well. Recently Nathan was featured in a running magazine. You can read the article at:
http://www.fluxstories.com/2010/01/a-couple-hundred-miles/
Dayna’s elder sister Gaylyn is now battling cancer. We would be grateful for your prayers on her behalf. We are so thankful for the way you have stood with us and our family for many years!

Yours in Him who is faithful through the years,
Mark and Dayna Blair

Rejoicing

Dear Praying Friends,

Just a short note to share our good news. Today Mark received his last chemotherapy treatment and found out the results of his scan. Both tumors that he has been under treatment for cannot be seen. They are gone! We are so thankful to the Lord for His mercies and to you for your prayers.

We have been very blessed by your love and encouragement through these weeks of treatment.

God is good....all the time!

Let us serve Him in 2010! Mark and Dayna Blair

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