It's been 4 - 5 months since our last report before we travelled to China for missions thus were thinking of all of you! While we were there, it was too risky to write any report which would circulate around the world as the Chinese cyber-government detects all kinds of email as well as tapping mobile telephone lines. In mid - July 2009, the government blocked various websites including Facebook, blogs, religious websites, company proxies etc. We are thankful to God for protecting us while in China although the Lord spoke to us to exit from China on June 23rd, 2009. Had we not left the place and returned back to the city (i.e. been disobedient to God’s instruction), we may have been arrested or deported as there were many warnings by authorities. As such we decided it is better not to write anything about our mission there and this time and instead we are planning to return again later on. …like the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Raw Deal, “I'll be back!”.
When we arrived to Macau on the April 16th, 2009, a friend who works in Macau offered us a condominium apartment to stay, Praise the Lord! We spent a week there during which time we had fellowship with OasisInternationalChurch. I shared my mission experiences in various countries but concentrated on the Mainland. It was a tremendous fellowship together and we gained various insights towards the ministry in Mainland. During the 7 days in Macau, we met up with a Brazilian pastor from ICA and spent time praying together. As well, I could feel the power of Satan is very strong there because of the casinos and the historical buildings that are link to the Book of Revelation. Let us gather our hand together and pray for the country to weaken Satan's grasp. Jesus Christ is always the winner…Hallelujah!
Meanwhile, I was offered a position as a Business Lecturer in the college at HaerbinCity, Province of Heilongjiang and had signed the contract to enable me to have an official title. When I accepted the job, I had not spent time on seeking the Lord’s permission to work for a college as the package seemed too good so my mind was overjoyed. Then weeks passed, I felt my spirit getting weak and asked God what happen to me. God sent me back to the past when God told me “Resign from your job and work for Me only". That time I had surrender fully to Him and the time was near. This made me realize that God wants me to fulfill the tasks that He had given to me. It's not been easy without a basic salary or stable mission support and having a family, but I must obey God’s direction and walk by faith. Therefore I decided to drop the employment opportunity with the college but even before the offer was finalized the college had already rescinded the offer! When God wants us to do something, we must do it!
On April 24th, 2009, we left from Macau to Guangzhou, Province of Guangdong and spent time a night with an African brother Desmond who is doing a trading business there. The next day, we depart from Guangzhou and directly to Xiangfan, Province of Hubei. We had been offered an apartment to stay, Praise the Lord!
While in Xiangfan, we discovered something different from other countries we visited. The public bus will turn off the engine before the bus reach the bus stop, then pick up the passengers and then start the engine again. The young children trouser is cut below for free air to go in and we guess that the children can’t take cold weather. The senior people play Chinese Mahjong on the road side and the police don’t bother them at all. During our visits to supermarkets around China, most of the vegetables are extremely large due to the good fertilizers and watering.
We had a difficult time due to the Chinese Visa and we have to depart from China every 30 days otherwise we will be fine for overstay that it will cost RMB 500 per day (USD 73) even through we are having 6 months multiple visa but each entry is permitted 30 days inside China.
On the May 14th, 2009, we depart from Xiangfan and directly do a transit in Guangzhou to Hong Kong. The train ticket from Xiangfan to Guangzhou cost RMB 330 per person (USD 48). When we reached Hong Kong, we stayed there for 4 days 3 nights. The guest room is very small (like a size of a normal car) and cost us HKD 160 (USD 23) per night. Everything in Hong Kong is so expensive especially the transportation and foods.
On the May 19th, 2009, we went back to Guangzhou and spend a short time with Helen who is from Province of Hebei. Two days later, we took the flight from Guangzhou to Beijing and then we took a coach bus to Tanggu, Tianjin. One of my former office colleagues has a house there and offered us the pent room to stay. Praise the Lord again! We also met Stone from Wuhan, Province of Hubei there and spent time on sharing the Word. Almost everyday from evening till early morning, I spent time with the people online from USA and UK, to do counseling service and bring them to have Faith. Jenny kept telling me to spent more time on sleeping but I can’t, because too many people needs help even the morning sun rise around 4am, I was still awake. “How Greats is Our God who work 24 hours per day”.
We went to Beijing for a short trip from June 2nd - June 5th, 2009. It was great that we spent time with Bryon’s family and his friends together. We were amazed with the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is very cheap, RMB 2 per entry (USD 0.30) anywhere you want to go. Our first arrival, we had been treated the Peking Ducks, the famous food in the world. We raised our hand to the Lord for the Lord is Good always!
We can’t stay long in Tanggu, therefore we left on June 15th, 2009 to Hong Kong again to do a re-stamp the Chinese Visa and then return back to Guangzhou. We spent a week with the African brother Desmond and Helen before depart back to Kuala Lumpur.
When we were in Tanggu, Jenny felt the Lord want us to return back to Malaysia but I denied it. Till we were in Guangzhou, I felt my spirit is struggling and I keep insisting want to visit XiangfanCity. At the end, we decided to return back to Malaysia for a short break.
