This past July I had the awesome opportunity to go to China with 15 other members of my Church. Even though the trip was in July, the journey began way before last July. As long as I can remember my family has always been involved in the missions program at our church. My mom was very involved in GA’s ( Girls in Action, a mission program at our church), and my dad was involved in Mission Friends ( another mission program at our church). In these programs, I learned about what a missionary was & also what their work was like from day to day.  My family & I would do a lot of mission projects in our city. I remember cleaning the Missoon centers & giving shoe boxes to the sea man’s center. I was in GA’s for six years, I loved learning about all the missionaries all over the world. My favorite missionary ( the one God used to impact my life the most) was Lottie Moon. Lottie Moon was a missionary to China in the 1870s. She brought the Good News of Jesus to the Chinese people. She gave everything she had to the Chinese people. Her money, food, clothing, and even her life. Her story inspired me. I wanted to serve God in such a way. I wanted to share his name with people who have never heard of Him ( little did I know that I actually would and in China of all  places). 

God used Lottie Moon’s story to stir my heart towards missions. In the fall of 2006, my youth pastor annouced a trip to China would happen the next summer. I was so happy. The second he annouced it I knew I was suppose to go. I went home that day and asked my parents if I could go. They didn’t really say anything,  my dad just kind of looked at me and asked me why I wanted to go. My mom said she didn’t feel comfortable with me going over seas. Around this time a close family friend asked my sister Sarah & I to spend the next summer in Mexico. Her parents are missionaries in Mexico. They run a children’s home. I had been there before and I loved it down there, but I knew God was calling me to China. Both my parents said they would be more comfortable with me going to Mexico, because they knew the people and where I would be staying. I knew I was suppose to go to China. I kept asking my parents about China, telling them I really wanted to go. 

The week before Christmas last year, my dad took me to Half Price Books. We were looking at books and my dad started handed me all these books about China. He bought me a map of China, a tour guide book, and also a biography of Gladys Aylward ( a missionary to China in the 1900s). I was confused, because my dad had been telling me I couldn’t go to China. I asked him if he was telling me I could go and he said YES!!! I was so excited. I knew if my dad would let then my mom would too. I had been praying that God would change their hearts & He did!!!

I started raising the money to go. It seemed impossible, but I knew with God all things are possible. I just had to trust God that He would provide the money for me to go. And He did. Through babysitting & the support of family & friends all the money was provided!!! God is so good. The two months before the trip were very busy. I helped out with my local swim team & attended my church youth camp. God moved in big ways in my life those months.

Before I knew it I was on a plane heading to China. I had to pinch myself several times, because I couldn’t believe I was actually going. When we arrived in China, my roommate was Tasha. This is where I really got to know her. We were  roommates the whole trip and are now really good friends. I remember the second day we were there. Tasha & I went for a walk in the gardens right across from our hotel. We sat on a rock ( the rock Tasha is standing on in picture in her blog) and just talked about how much we had fallen in love with China. We both loved the culture & the Chinese people. We both also felt an intense burden for the Chinese people to come to know Christ. A burden that continue to grow throughout the trip.

Our time in China was focused on spreading the news of Jesus, by building relationships with Chinese students. I loved meeting the students & finding out about their lives. I loved being able to share with them the freeing news of our Savior. Most had never even heard His name before.  This astounded me, But also made me sad. I wanted them to know how much our God loves them & what He has done for them.

Before I knew I was on a plane heading home from China. Tasha & I couldn’t believe the trip had gone by so fast. When we got home from China, Tasha & I would call each other every night and tell each other how much we missed China. We would also talk about which of our Chinese friends had emailed us. Like Tasha said, “ we couldn’t get over China.” God had changed both our hearts there. He had given us a burden for the people of China. A burden for their hearts to know Jesus, one that is growing stronger everyday.  

Tasha & I have the amazing opportunity to return next summer to China. We are both excited and cannot wait. We know there is a lot to be done before we leave & that is one reason we have set up this blog. We want you to know what God is doing in our lives the months before the trip , as well as during the trip. We hope you will pray with us for what God has planned for next summer.

Thank you for letting me share something God has not allowed me to get over…China.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.

May God bless you and your family.

A China sick,

Fran

My name is Tasha, and I am one of the missionaries chosen to go on this trip. I wanted to use my first blog to write some thoughts of mine concerning this trip.

First off, this is an amazing opportunity that I am so thankful to be given! This past summer, I joined a group of students from my youth group in a mission trip to China. We visited Bejing, Guilin, Yangshou, San Jiang, and Shanghai and met students in every city. Our time was mainly focused to present the Gospel as well as build relationships with these students. What I found most difficult about this trip was the short amount of time we had with our new friends as we went from city to city. We would only spend about a day and a half and then we would move on. Even in this short time we had, friendships still grew. To this day, I still email some of my Chinese friends. There are long periods we will go without hearing from eachother, but I am always happy to find an email from friends such as my Chinese sister Sonya, or from Helen, a girl we spent only 3 or 4 hours with in the English school. Although our memories face to face were short-lived, I know there is a time that I will be able to visit them again.

This summer was one of the most life changing summers in my life. In May, I turned 17 and graduated from High School a week later. Shortly after that, I attended Camp Tejas with my youth group and was able to volunteer as a Junior High Sponsor. This opportunity opened my eyes and really brought a refreshing experience that I really needed, I learned alot that week. After camp, I had family from New Jersey come in town to visit. It was fun as it always is to see them after such a long time. A week after they left, I was heading to China. I want to take this time to talk about myself before this trip to China this summer.

I am still sort of a newbie at my church. I have only attended about two and a half years, but I feel I’ve been there all my life. Before this trip was announced, I had been talking to one of our youth ministers, Grant, about how I felt God was calling me to be a missionary. For a long time now, I have been interested in traveling and learning about new cultures. When I heard of a mission trip the youth group announced to go Afghanistan, I went straight to Grant to add my name to the list. Shortly after it was announced, it was cancelled. I was a bit upset because I really wanted to go, but I’m sure my mom was relieved. Not too long after that trip was cancelled, another mission trip was opened to the student ministry, China. I was ecstatic! I have always had a love for Asian cultures, and would always daydream of what it would be like to one day go to China. I attended the meetings for this trip and soon began to raise the support I would need to go for 2 weeks. I became discouraged at first when I realized how much I needed to raise in order to go, but I continued to remind myself that if it was God’s will for me to go, I would go. I sent out letters to friends and family and in the end, came up with just what I needed. I was convicted for doubting that it could happen and thankful for those who stepped in to help. (By the way, THANK YOU to you all again and again!!!) It finally came down to the last few days, then the last few hours before we boarded our plane to China. My family came to my house to say goodbye and to pray for me before I left. It was a really special time for me to see my family come together in such a way. I am always thankful for their love and support. After the long goodbye, I headed up to the church and we had a quick meeting before we loaded up our luggage and headed off to the airport. I don’t think it really hit me what was going on until I was actually in China. I guess I was in shock that it was all actually happening. During the 17 hour plane ride to China, I met You Jing. After sitting next to him and talking for about 13 hours, I felt like I had known him all my life. We talked about all kinds of stuff and he taught me and Ben some Chinese. You Jing was the first of many friends we would make on our journey through China.  

While in China, Fran was my roomate. The first night, we stayed up for hours talking about everything, literally spilling our guts out. It was so wierd since I had never really been close with Fran in all the time I had known her, but once we started talking, I knew I had found someone I could call my best friend. We stuck close together throughout the trip and have been buddies ever since. I remember the first night, Fran and I opened the window in our hotel room (as we always did throughout the trip), and talked about how much we had already fallen in love with China as we watched the night life in Bejing. I believe that there is a reason Fran and I were chosen to go this summer and have also been chosen to return again this coming summer. It’s not just because we love being in China, but because we feel that’s where we are supposed to be. I think there is a reason why Fran and I can’t get over China, I really do believe we are called to be there. I won’t let myself become discouraged by how much money we need to raise for the trip this summer, because if it’s God’s will for us to go back, it will happen and he will provide it. Suprisingly, my mom is in support of letting me stay for 2 months. She says if it’s God’s will she will be at peace with the whole trip. I know this doesn’t mean she won’t miss me and all, but it’s good to hear that she is in support.

SO! All in all, I’m really excited about this trip and anticipate the coming months as I raise support and get through this next semester in College. It’s going to be tough, but I believe it will strengthen my faith and stretch me for the better. I’ve told a few people that I have decided not to worry about how I will raise the money and how I will get through school while trying to balance my job and other things that may come up during this time that will try to make me doubt that this is my calling. If I’m not supposed to go, I won’t and that’s that! But I know that God knows my heart and sees that it is truly one of my desires to return to China.

With that said, I would like to recite what I believe is my heart’s prayer:
Our Father, in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Please, let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. AMEN!

This ends my first blog…