Well, I am currently sitting in the Seattle airport headed back to Beijing in a few hours. I know I have been really silent on here…a lot has transpired over the past few months…well year…but, not all of it needs to be shared to the worldwide web! Too personal, emotional, and leaves me feeling a bit too vulnerable.

However, in the midst of everything, God continues to move, to work, to provide, to lead…

and I am trying to continue to follow and be faithful to His calling.

There is much I want to write about what He has been doing…but with 2 hours of sleep, I am wrestling with putting coherent sentences together

For now I want to share today’s thoughts out of my awesome “Jesus Calling” book, which I find extremely providential for today:

“You are on the right path. Listen more to Me, and less to your doubts. I am leading you along the way I designed just for you. Therefore, it is a lonely way, humanly speaking. But I go before you as well as alongside you, so you are never alone. Do not expect anyone to understand fully My ways with you, any more than you can comprehend My dealings with others. I am revealing to you the path of Life day by day, and moment by moment. As I said to My disciple Peter, so I repeat to you: Follow Me.”

Thank you, Father for going before me, walking beside me, and even in those moments of loneliness…reminding me of your promise to never forsake or leave us. I pray that you will go before me as I travel back to China, prepare the hearts of those who are and will seek you there, be with the children we will serve in Cambodia in a few weeks, those in the Philippines who need our help as they recover from disasters, and help our eyes be open to whoever you place in our path to serve. Thank you for being a Father who provides for your children!! I love you, Abba!

Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!

~William Arthur Ward

My good friend, John Dobbs sent me this e-mail today to encourage me, and I had to share it!! Hope you are also blessed by it…

No, Never Alone

And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.
John 16:32

Jesus twice told His listeners that despite the solitary nature of His work, He was not alone. In John 8:16, He said, “I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.” And in John 16:32, He said similarly, “You will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.”

Sometimes our work for Jesus yields a loneliness that can tempt us to self-pity. Yield not. Even if you’re the only Christian in your school, office, or apartment complex, you’re not alone. Jesus has promised to be with you to the end of the age and to never leave nor forsake you.

Perhaps you’re serving the Lord far from home, but by opening the Bible you have Moses, Job, David, Isaiah, Peter, and Paul as your companions. You have the Holy Spirit whispering to your heart. You have Jesus standing beside you and the Father listening to every prayer. You are not alone today. The One who sent you is with you.

When darkening shadow ‘round me falls and light and hope seem gone, there is one thought my heart upholds. It is, I’m not alone. ~Mary B. Peck, hymnist

Wow, there are so many wonderful things going on right now in China!! We are on our 3rd straight back to back Let’s Start Talking team this summer, with several more to follow until October (and hopefully beyond!) I have basically been mostly or solely in charge of the last 2 teams, so it has been super busy and I am loving every minute!!

I have made several decisions about the future lately. It is funny because when I first arrived in China, I was not even sure if I would survive a week, much less a month, a full year…or now 2 years!! Yet, here I am…and I am forever grateful for the opportunity our Father has provided for me to be here. I stand back sometimes in awe that He called me here, and for the doors He continues to open in Asia and in my heart. It really is amazing, humbling, and beautiful. Thank you, Father!!

My plan when I came back at the beginning of this year was to stay through May…then I changed to August, and now…it is officially October when I will be leaving. When the beginning of June arrived and I was looking at leaving in August, I knew it was not the right time. Then I started thinking that the last LST team will come in October, my visa expires then, and my roommate will have a place to live for awhile longer. Plus, it would be perfect because it would be right before the holidays and I could be home with my family.

But, that is not the end of the story…Asia has stolen my heart. I have no clue how to leave. I have loved my time in China and the wonderful people here. Everywhere I go, it seems like new doors of my heart open to the people, the stories, the experiences and relationships that continue to develop. Last August when I attended the Asian Mission Forum in the Philippines, I somehow knew it would be my next home. That passion, desire, and calling has continued to grow over the last year and every time I return. The ministry opportunities are endless and I have many invitations to come work with several different groups. I am excited about the possibilities that await there…

So, my plan is to return to Texas in October, remain there until February or March, and then return to the Philippines to continue doing ministry there.

I am about to embark on what I am deeming my “Awesome August Asian Adventure“!! I am super duper excited about these opportunities God has provided. First, I will be in Thailand for the Asian Mission Forum. There are 250 people signed up and many of them are my friends! I was so very blessed by this experience last year, and I know this year will be amazing, too! It has long been my dream to go to Thailand, so this is such a wonderful opportunity!!

Then I will head to Cebu, Philippines to be in a wedding of some friends; and will be staying there an additional week to explore & be a part of all of the ministry opportunities there. After the Philippines, I will go to Cambodia to spend time with my awesome kids from the Angkor of Faith, and I cannot wait to see those precious faces again!! Then, I will swing by Singapore to visit some of my friends that I was able to serve with at the AofF, and back to Beijing.

Thankfully, I was able to get all these tickets cheap on several amazing Asian budget airlines. I truly feel blessed to be able to have made so many friends throughout Asia who are family and who I dearly love. They are and forever will be in my heart, and I plan on soaking up every minute I have with them!!

I will keep you posted on my Awesome August Asian Adventure…I am sure I will have pictures to share and stories to tell!!

Wow, there have been so many great things going on lately!! It seems like everywhere I look, there are new opportunities and connections. I can see and feel our Father working in mighty and amazing ways all over…and I am SO very thankful!!

On Saturday, I got up super early to meet many other brothers and sisters from our groups in Beijing for a mountain hike!! We traveled by bus to a beautiful place out of the city. It was definitely a very hot and humid day, but we had a blast!! It was basically a straight incline up the mountain with an endless amount of steps! We stopped in a pavillion area where we had lunch, sang, played games, and enjoyed some wonderful fellowship time of getting to know each other better, lots of laughter and picture taking!! It was worth getting up so early on a Saturday to create these wonderful and lasting memories I will always remember and cherish. Thank you, Father for these beautiful opportunities to connect with the Body and your beautiful creation!!

Here are some pictures from our day:

This has been a really wonderful few weeks! Honestly, the last 2 months or so have been quite a roller coaster of emotions, so I have certainly welcomed the last few weeks. They have been filled with wonderful connections, surprises, opportunities, and a feeling of restoration and rejuvenation. I am certainly grateful for all of these things!!

We currently have our first LST team of the summer on the ground and they are doing great. I always love having teams here and it keeps us extra busy! 3 of them have been here before, and they are all connecting well. I really enjoy when teams are here for the new spirit they bring and the opportunities they provide. I am thankful for the work God is doing through this team and looking forward to what else He will do through those that follow over the next several months. We have a super quick turnaround of teams this weekend as this team will dropped up at the airport as we pick the next one up!

I have also been running into more and more people from our church and other friends in our neighborhood lately. More than I ever have before, and I love it!! In fact, a few Fridays ago, I was standing out waiting for a bus with Yuan Yuan and we had been waiting quite awhile…when one of the awesome brothers from our church drove up in his Honda, asked where we were going, and told to us to get in! What a blessing!! I have been able to have some wonderful conversations lately with seekers and members of the church, and I feel a stronger connection than ever to people here. I am constantly amazed at what God does and can do when we offer up ourselves to Him…

I also feel such a renewed sense of joy, purpose, and peace…something I had really been seeking and praying for. I am grateful beyond words for this and praising our Father for His sustaining spirit.

It has been hard to put my thoughts into words, and too many of them have been too painful…therefore, my inconsistent blogging has continued. But, hopefully…that is about to change! My mind is clearer and I hope to finish many of the drafts that have been lingering in my box.

For now, I will share what I am good at…taking pictures!! To begin, here is a picture of my Saturday night group from a few weeks ago:

More pictures to follow…

I absolutely LOVE these lyrics from Starfield’s song “I Will Go”

Father, let this be my prayer:

To the desperate eyes and reaching hands
To the suffering and the lean
To the ones the world has cast aside
Where you want me I will be

I will go, I will go
I will go, Lord send me
To the world, To the lost
To the poor and hungry
Take everything I am
I’m clay within your hands
I will go, I will go, send me

Let me not be blind with privilege
Give me eyes to see the pain
Let the blessing You’ve poured out on me
Not be spent on me in vain
Let this life be used for change

I wanna live for you
Go where you lead me
I wanna follow you

Send me!

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” ~Isaiah 6:8

Hello friends,

It’s amazing to look back and see what God has done.

It is humbling to watch His faithfulness.

I love witnessing and being a part of what He is doing and continues to do here in China. I have been honored and blessed by the people I have met here and the opportunities He continues to provide. It is an amazing country with beautiful people who have touched my soul and will forever have a special place in my heart.

His message is spreading here, His family is growing, and it is humbling to be a small part in what He is doing here.

When I moved here, I was not sure if I would make it a month…much less a year, and now almost TWO!! Seriously, sometimes I still sit here in amazement that He brought me here as I watch His Spirit move and work.

I am committed to be here through August as we continue to share the Good News and welcome LST teams this summer.

To do so…I need YOUR help!! I am beyond grateful for those of you have already partnered with us prayerfully and financially…for without you, none of this would be possible!! I need your help to finish my commitment, particularly around $2500 this month as I am needing to pay rent for the next 3 months and fulfill other financial commitments.

I am also doing some English teaching to help in this effort.

If you are able to contribute in any way, please message me and I will give you further details on how you can do so.

It has truly been amazing to witness His faithfulness and how He has provided each step of the way, and I trust He will continue to provide. I would love to have you partner with us to further His Kingdom and I truly believe that is what this is…a partnership!!

Above all, please keep our ministry, the people we are reaching, our growing family, and the future in your prayers. I pray our Father continues to use each of us wherever we are to further His Kingdom, as we are all missionaries wherever we are and everywhere we go…

Blessings from Beijing~

IN HIM, Katherine

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ~Luke 10:2

April 14th.

My spiritual birthday.

20 years ago to this day I was baptized. I will never forget that day!!

Wow…20 years. It is amazing and humbling to me to witness what God has done in my life over the last 2…20…32 years.

He was knitting me in my mother’s womb before I was ever born, making plans for my future, and preparing the family that would adopt me.

He walked with me through each day of my childhood, opened the door to go to college in Lubbock…to do mission work in Mexico, intern in Alaska, move to Abilene, struggle through a few years at home before ultimately leading me here to China….

He knows everything before I do…He has walked before me each step, as I know He is now.

I am thankful for the faith journey He has taken me on, even though at times it has been extremely challenging and painful & other times has been amazingly joyful…I know He is always working and moving.

I know the Potter does the best work when the clay is moldable, and I pray I can always be pliable in His capable Hands.

Let the adventure continue!! Father, I hand you the reins…

“For you created my inmost being;  you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” ~Psalm 139:13-14

Well…

Between broken computers, traveling, one of the most incredible weeks of my life, then being sick, emotional roller coasters and honestly… just a lack of motivation…I have not kept to my word well. I still have much to share, and will try and get back to my goal of sharing.

There is more going on in my head and heart than I could ever, or probably would be willing to share. There is a certain vulnerability that comes with that, though, and I think I feel that amplified here, so I hold back.

Anyway, the first thing I need to report on is the incredible Angkor of Faith…which I know such an amazing week cannot even be put into tangible terms, but I will do my best…actually, the phrase will ring true in this case-”A picture is worth a thousand words”

Here is a sneak peek into that truth:

Seriously, I LOVE and miss these kids so much it hurts. I cannot wait to see them again!! Look for several posts coming soon that I hope portray the amazingness of this beautiful week…and what God is doing in my heart and future.