Warm Springtime Greetings from Beijing! May 2019
We are sorry that it has been hard to stop long enough to send out this update. We are so thankful for your faithful prayers and support for us here in China. We have a daily appreciation for the mercy and grace of our Lord God who continues to strengthen and sustain us in this changing religious landscape.
Easter 2.0
We were privileged to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus two Sundays in a row. April 21 we had a great celebration in Beijing International Christian Fellowship Zhongguancun – our 10th Easter here! April 28th we celebrated Easter – according to the Orthodox calendar – with the International Fellowship in Almaty, Kazakhstan – where we served for the previous ten years.
This year in Beijing we had 3 Easter Sunday services! We also had a special prayer meeting, Children’s program, and Easter lunch for 200 in the dining hall of a nearby University. We also had the great joy of witnessing two people confess their faith in Baptism!
Here is our 2019 Good Friday Team – 7 speakers (sharing the words of Jesus from the cross) and 2 musicians from USA, England, Burundi, China, and Uganda.
ZGC Bible Week 2019
A Hui Hou, Johnny! (see
you again!)
The certain hope of our own resurrection in Jesus has
been brought closer through the confidence of the man who introduced us. John
Svendsen, who taught me how to follow Jesus for almost 50 years,
showed us how to enter heaven with joyful hope on Palm
Sunday. Over the years John has visited us in Kazakhstan and China to share the
Lord and His Word with the people we have served.
After Chinese New Year we began an expository sermon series through 2 Corinthians on Sunday mornings. It has been one of my favorite Bible books for a long time, but this is my first time to preach through it! What a blessing to learn ministry from the Apostle Paul!
Growing Kingdom Leaders in Several Languages
Last time we shared we have a new pastor for our ZGC Korean congregation. He is doing very well. He, and two other men, are currently preparing for Ordination to the Christian ministry by the BICF. Pastor Steven attended the Bible week and has now asked Mark to teach through Romans one afternoon a week for about 20 young leaders from their congregation. After graduating from Uni here, they each went home and raised support in Korea, and have now returned to focus on reaching international students in this huge harvest field. Most of them are now doing Masters or Ph.D. as a visa/residence platform and friendship builder.
Life for Central Asia
During our week in Kazakhstan we caught up with our friend John Ensor, President of Passion Life. (Take a look at their great free Gospel resources and global impact at www.passionlife.org ). This was John’s third trip to Central Asia. About two years ago we had the privilege of introducing John to church and pro-life ministry leaders there. They keep inviting him back for his clear message of how to apply the grace for the Gospel to the guilt of abortion. What a joy to pop in on John’s last day of teaching key church leaders in Almaty. About one third of these leaders were once our students in the seminary where we both taught. Now they continue faithfully making Jesus known.
It was a special joy to hear the pastors share their reflections on John’s seminar. One who came from Tajikistan tearfully confessed that, even as pastor, he asked his wife to have an abortion when he learned his wife was pregnant with their daughter (the first girl after four boys!). She refused and they now have a beautiful girl. But the pain of his “wish” damaged his relationship with both wife and daughter – now a teenager. After John’s first day of teaching he tearfully called home to apologize to both wife and daughter. His phone buzzed through the next 2 days as they texted messages of love and affirmation across Central Asia.
A pastor from Taraz, Kazakhstan told how he and his wife resisted the pressures of family and physicians to abort their third child who was severely handicapped. Indeed, their daughter has been born with many challenges and may not live long. Yet, he said how this gift from God has been the hardest and best thing for their family, church, and wider community. What a powerful moment as brother pastors affirmed him with tears, hugs, and conviction to honor God and the life He gives even amidst the strong message of death in our society. It was also a reminder that the local church is God’s family for us to bear one another’s burdens which can, by ourselves, be almost overwhelming.
We took this picture with dear friends and colleagues for many years just before John and team left for another teaching conference in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Even more New Life…
We have ten sisters with child, and two pending adoptions, in our church! So ‘Mama Dayna’ and a team of sisters have planned a great party for them all this Sunday afternoon - ‘Celebration Mama’s’ for them and our soon to be newest church members from Kenya, China, England, Malawi, Nigeria, USA, and India.
Asia Missions Advance
The Asia Missions Association devoted their January 2019 issue of Asia Missions Advance to the challenge of reaching international students. “AMA promote partnership and cooperation among the people of God from Asian countries for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. AMA seeks to help every Asian national church actively participate in the Mission of God.” They asked Mark to write about the opportunities we have in Beijing… http://www.asiamissions.net/looking-for-gospel-laborers-dont-forget-the-university/
With Great Thanks for your Prayers and Support for our Family! In our Risen Lord, Mark and Dayna Blair
Our Mission Pioneers - 10123 William Carey Dr - Orlando, FL 32832 USA
Checks to ‘Pioneers’ – with attached note: ‘Mark and Dayna Blair, Beijing.’
(Our Account # is 110565, Mark and Dayna Blair)
