July 1, 2014

Global Impact

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–BarrĂ© 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 Blog        www.blairstan.blogspot.com

Skype  blairstan

Our Ministry
Beijing International Christian Fellowship www.bicf.org/zgc

Hear Mark’s sermons at: http://bicf.org/english-service

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