Warm Summer Greetings from Beijing!
What a great season of celebration we have been
enjoying! As our Beijing International Christian Fellowship Zhong Guan Cun is
largely comprised of University students (we’re surrounded by 82 Universities!),
many have just crossed the “finish line.” It is bitter-sweet. We rejoice that
young adults we have come to love have attained great accomplishments,
Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Ph.D.’s. But now
they must go back to their homes around the globe. The Elders who preceded us
in this congregation wisely coined our church motto - “Gathering, Growing, and
Going.” We are not just “loosing members and leaders” – we are impacting the
world. The spiritual investment we have made in the lives of these young people
that China has sent us to disciple J,
will bear fruit a hundred-fold as they have many years of Gospel-ministry from
influential positions before them.
Kids Chat
Dayna was one of the teachers for recent a BICF-wide
Christian Education program. About 40 people who are leading children’s
ministries throughout our fellowship
spent the day considering how to more effectively
reach and teach children. Her subject was “Classroom Management” – something
she has had many years of experience in! We are thankful to see the Lord raise
up more and more to reach the coming generations.
Sent out to Serve
It will be especially hard to say good-bye to
Mbazingwa and Lina. He is a dear brother from Tanzania who has been a key
leader in our church for 8 years. During the years of his Bachelor’s studies he
was a Deacon, as a Master’s student he has been a faithful Elder and Preacher. Now he plans to teach
in a University in
Tanzania. He has set the bar high for our young African
leaders by his faithfulness, humility, and careful expositions of Scripture. He
shares freely that no matter what door opens for him in teaching, his main goal
is to preach and teach Jesus Christ to young adults in Africa.
Lina is from Burundi. Two years ago she battled Guillain–Barré syndrome. She was hospitalized for three
months, two weeks in a coma. Our church rallied behind her in prayer and God
was very gracious to heal her completely. She worked hard to catch up with her
classmates and received her degree with them. She is seeking the Lord’s will
for the next step of her life. Please pray for Mbazingwa, Lina, and the dozens
of other students we are sending to their homes around the world.
Spanish Fellowship
Last Fall we hosted a dinner of our Spanish speaking
students and challenged them to begin their own Spanish language small group in
our church. They did! And they have had a wonderful year of growing in the Lord
together. As several of them are graduating and heading back to their
homelands, we gathered for another meal in our apartment to celebrate all the Lord has done in and
through them this year! The majority will stay and continue their ministry in
the coming academic year.
One young Cantonese lady (near my right shoulder,
wearing glasses) was born and raised in Panama. Her parents moved there from
China in search of a better life. She has been accepted into a demanding
program in Peking University, China’s finest. In 1990 a Cantonese evangelist
from Canada went to Panama to share the Good News with the many immigrants
there and led her family to Jesus. Today their Cantonese language congregation
in Panama (there’s a picture to contemplate) numbers over 500. Now the church
has begun a Spanish language ministry with over 100 people so far! In Christ
there is no East or West….
Kid’s Camp
We were both invigorated as we served as Counselors
for our recent BICF Kid’s Camp (ages 7-11). We had a busy three days just one
hour outside of the city, boating, games, go-karts, good food, and Bible programs. It
was a joy to see the Lord work in the lives of 96 kids, and us leaders, from
all around the
world. We were able to be with kids who are from our BICF ZGC
congregation and get to know them better. Their desire to worship and follow
Jesus was inspiring. Pray for them to press on faithfully in the years ahead!
Summer Plans
In ZGC we have finished our preaching series through
Revelation (morning) and Mark (evening) and will be looking at 1 Timothy and
Daniel this summer. Many of our “regulars” are away for part of the summer but
we often have a good number of summer teams. We are also launching a Mandarin
language ministry in our church for foreign I.D. holders. Many thousands of
Chinese have returned from work/studies abroad and are in spiritual search.
Pray for our team as it forms and reaches out. At the end of July we plan to
visit our family in Almaty! We will also have a chance to share with the ICF we
served there for a number of years, as well as a local church led by a dear
brother. We are eager to see Josiah and Maylee again.
During our warm summer nights the ministry will be
coming to us as we host gatherings on our roof-top patio of our apartment. What
fun!
It is through your prayers and support that we are
able to share the Lord with many here in the capital city of the world’s
largest nation. Thank you! Glory to God!
Yours in our Eternal God, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission
Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Drive -
Orlando, FL 32832 – USA www.pioneers.org
(Checks should be made out to ‘Pioneers’
– with a separate note attached saying: ‘Mark and Dayna Blair, Beijing.’
Electronic transfers can be sent to: http://www.pioneers.org/Give/AutomatedGiving.aspx
)
Our Email blairstan2@gmail.com
or blairstan@psmail.net
(secure)
Skype blairstan
Our Ministry
Beijing International Christian
Fellowship www.bicf.org/zgc
Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/english-service
