Preparations for our transition are proceeding quickly - more quickly than is comfortable for us. It goes without saying that there is a lot to get done in the next three months. Some of our tasks have seen a start, others are on our "to do" list.
We leave for a visit to our new field of ministry on Memorial Day. We'll be there for a little over a week while we meet the faculty, staff, Board and some of the students at the school. I've been asked to submit a list of topics on which I can lecture for one or two session (three hours each!). I find the thought intriguing and wanted to say "yes" quickly. Determining what topics would be options was more difficult. I should find out soon whether I have to (get to?) teach or not.
There are also a number of things that we hope to clarify during this visit to Central Asia. We hope to be able to confirm where we will live during the next year. The options are a house on the school grounds or an apartment in the city. There is a significant difference in costs and convenience between the two options. We look forward to seeing what's best next week. We also hope to learn more about the school schedule. We know that we'll need to be in the country by the end of August. We have a couple questions about the possibility of traveling during the year. I should make a visit to Japan, hopefully in October in conjunction with a training session. Another opportunity would be to Bangladesh in March. I don't know if those will be possible, but we hope to get answers during this visit.
We'll spend a few days in Hong Kong on our way home. I've wanted to show Suzanne some of the things that God is doing there since I had the opportunity to visit in the Spring of 2007. At that time, our team visited several churches in one district of Kowloon and were very impressed with the vision and energy of the church leaders. We also visited some of the other religious sites that showed us something of what the enemy is up to. I was surprised at the darkness in Hong Kong. I would have expected a greater penetration of the Light into that city/region due to the British influence over the many years. Unfortunately, there is a smaller percentage of the population that identifies itself as Christian than the government of China acknowledges lives in the mainland. Suzanne and I hope to do some follow-up visits to a couple of the churches.
In the midst of all the hub-bub getting ready to go, there is still a strong undercurrent in our soul that this is the right direction at the right time. Yes, we are anxious about the details. Yes, we are concerned about the future of our present church. But, God has consistently said that he will never leave us or forsake us. We have read that all the promises of God are "Yes" in Christ Jesus. We understand that he will meet all of our needs through the riches of Christ. We're in good hands.
