China - all that happened, all my desire to return

To all friends and kind strangers, brothers and sisters loved by God all over the world-

This is my public account of the past few months travel in China, and a plea for help so that I can go back. As perhaps you've heard before, it is true that many Christians there are suffering for their kindness and their faith. But something beautiful and magical is happening as well, as more and more Chinese turn to Jesus for guidance in a brutally selfish world where communism and capitalism collide.

When I left China to return to the States I didn't have it easy. People I worked and prayed with are trapped in jail or worse. I feel like I've left my soul over there, with them. I know that God is calling on me to defend the good that I've found, and help make a better life for Chinese Christians struggling with poverty, disease, oppression, lack of schools, lack of churches, and little-to-no spiritual and financial support from abroad.

I am filled with hope right now, because even though the authorities encouraged me to leave China, I was not deported, and my return visa was not denied. I am going back there at the end of the month, to reestablish contact with my friends and fight back with medicine, defense lawyers, worship and meeting facilities, travel papers, train tickets, and whatever else the Lord provides.

I am flat broke, but my heart is intact. It may not be for long though, if I have to go back to work in New York while people who took good care of me in China are dying.

Please read my story as I continue to write everything I can remember over the next couple weeks or so. I don't know how long it'll end up being, since so much happened and I hate forgetting the details! Tell your friends, tell your church, tell every good Christian you know! More than money, I need people to be aware of what is going on.

I need all of you to pray. Pray for every good soul I meet in China and the many more that I don't. Please pray for me too.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

-more to come, I want to post everything that happened just before I left China, but I won't skip over anything! Something tells me the whole story is what's important.

donate?

The Penultimate

I've finally done it!!!

Through helping others in Jesus's name, and making sure to do the best I can for myself as well, I'm finally getting the opportunity to travel and study and live in China for the next few months!

I'm keeping a mailing list and separate blog on another site, one more journalistic and less personal in nature. Friends, family, acquaintances, and you can relish the trouble I stumble into and duly extricate myself from as I navigate the culture of the middle kingdom.

A final update with the new URL will be forthcoming once I get settled in Beijing in a couple weeks.

Take care and God bless!

trying to step lightly around politics and failing

This is a really strong argument-

Dysblog; on Bush's faith without thought.

But I'm not saying I totally agree with it! After all, this guy isn't a Christian. He says he's 'studied' Christianity, but given that his background is reform Jewish like mine, how can he know what the Spirit of the Lord is like without having experienced it?

I'm gonna have to e-mail or leave some comment for him- 'Douglas Anthony Cooper'

He's an artist on the scale I had hoped to be at in a few years. Cool stuff! I can barely imagine how much he might accomplish if he realized that working for Jesus is the only application of talent that really pays off in the end.

Anyhow, I like reading CS Lewis a lot. I haven't read the Narnia books since I was a little kid, but the Cosmic Trilogy and Screwtape Letters are a little bit more adult-oriented and relevant to daily moral decisions. Too bad he's not alive today to give a 'yea' or 'nay' on how Douglas Cooper uses his stories to bolster the anti-Bush argument.

Anyone have any thoughts on that article? I'm hesitant to delve into politics when all I've been doing for the past week has been very apolitical fundraising, but it's hard to ignore sometimes...


ok, gotta get back to work,

God Bless!

whatever is needed

After hurricane Katrina, this all seems so pointless. I don't think spiritual sustenance can be found when safety and basic necessities are lacking.

I know you are all doing everything in your power to help.

So is God.

Guilty!

Uh oh, I woke up at 11:30 today and realized there was no way I'd make it to the church I'd planned on going to.

I don't think I'm slipping because I spent practically all last night up late engaged in philosophical conversation with a friend trying to urge them to come closer to God. But as the sky lightened up, and I realized it was 5am, I realized that it was gonna be a struggle to get out of bed by 9:30.

Is it right to sacrifice time in church with the Lord in order to speak of His Glory? I didn't feel like I had a choice last night. I had to keep talking and felt an urgent compulsion to press home to my companion that the light of Jesus is undoubtedly what she needs in her life right now. We weren't arguing much, and she paid close attention to my testimony of all faith in Jesus has done to lift my spirit up to soaring heights of confidence. I'm glad I didn't talk her into coming to church with me today though, because I slept right through my alarm! (or unconsciously turned it off somehow)

I feel so horribly guilty! I feel like I probably missed another life-affirming, all-revealing moment from learning something new about the Scripture and exeperiencing that joy in harmony with others. In fact, I know I did, because the church group I planned to go to today came highly recommended! I'm thinking about going to an evening or afternoon service nearby, but the church that's for families and the stable community just isn't the same as any of the younger groups that speak to single students, artists, and professionals like me. It gives me more of a quiet, contemplative experience on the many wonders of the Lord, and the knowing that the Bible is truly written for everyone.

I'm going to pray again now.


Lord, You who are the wisest, You who are the most compassionate, You who are the most giving, having given freedom to our souls, and salvation from eternal pain, please take pity on my mortal foolishness, and grant me again Your blessing and the strength to do everything I attempt in Your name, for Your glory. I pray that I will not fail You, and that You will sent other servants to walk by me, so that we may all worship in peace and unity, enjoying the beauty of Your creation, all you have given us. Thank You Lord. Thank You Jesus Christ. I love You with all my heart and soul for eternity.

Amen.

Listen to this song!

Here's what I'm listening to right now. Beautiful and contemplative.


The Fire Theft- Heaven

follow up

I didn't have my usual camera the Sunday before last, and it's a blessing that anything came out at all!

Recently my grandma's health hasn't been the best, so I've been traveling to spend time with her and pray for her.


I'm starting to find some pretty cool churches / Christian youth groups to hang out with here in NYC. I want to document them a bit better and find out how my experiences compare to churches across the US.

I'm going to China in November! And I'll write about how it is there. I'm not really sure that I can afford it, but I'm gonna try until I run out of money. I plan to look into ministries from New York to find some contacts there. I'm already applying to a school where I can study the language for 8 weeks at least. It's expensive! But I'll be keeping the faith pure and strong so good things may happen!


Here's to Love in Christ with all my brothers and sisters,


---Pete