CUTTING THE TAPE

A photo op. on our last day in China with our friends from the Underground Jimei church.

The inevitable moment has finally arrived whether we like it or not. We have reached the end our amazing God-breathed LST mission to Jimei, China. Next comes all of the cliche statements that every college students says after an experience of this magnitude: It went by so fast!, I don't want to leave., This was so powerful, I'm going to miss my readers, I was not expecting everything but am glad that it all happened. etc. Now, all of these statements are so very true--so please don't think we are taking them lightly. Such statements surface nearly every time because the Spirit never ceases to amaze,surprise, and mold us while we are being used. How could one not be changed and speak such bold and "cliche" statements as a result?

Week 3 flew by faster than most. We were chalked full with as many readers as we could literally fit into our schedule. That being said, we were worn-out for all the right reasons. There just isn't much more of a fulfilling moment when you are completely wiped out because you were drawing from the never-ending well of expressing the powerful nature of God's perfect love. All of us feel 100% confident that the work we did here was for the betterment of these people and the organization of Solomon's Courtyard. It is truly a great feeling to feel accomplished--especially when we were in over our heads as we were. And the result? Satisfaction in the fact that we serve an amazing God that has allowed us to become what we couldn't imagine, and share what we are not good enough or bright enough to patent. The love of Christ has prevailed here in Jimei--we have shared ourselves as much as we possibly could have. We have sowed seeds, we have watered already existing ones, and we have held them up in prayer. We have fulfilled the objective ahead of us. God is certainly GREAT!

In case you were all worrying about how we documented the trip, well, we are going to share that with you. Naturally, with people like us on the trip, it wouldn't be complete without a good amount of sillyness attached to it. That being said, we kept track of all the self-invented Phases we faced and conquered. Below you'll discover all them that we completed. Enjoy.


PHASES


1) Meeting
2) Break Bread (Runza)
3) Van Time
4) Aiport
5) Boarding w/o Overages
6) Security
7) Team Check-In
8) Denver
9) Oh Canada!
10) Asian Infiltration
11) Check in @ Hong Kong
12) Xiamen!
13) Customs
14) Arrive @ Solomon's Courtyard
15) Information Meeting
16) First Chinese Meal (Yummy!)
17) First Lessons
18) Eagle in the Hole (ask us later)
19) Eating KFC in China
20) Mad Scattegories Begins!
21) Best Meal Yet
22) Breaking Bread Part Deux
23) SKYPE Worked! (The Mitches were pretty stoked)
24) Party I
25) Trip to Xiamen
26) Caleb Explaining Foreign Art of Chinese Aim (ask us later)
27) Implementing of Improved Tactical Aiming (ask us later)
28) Settle into Routine
29) Dive Deeper
30) Expressions of Beginning Faith
31) Learning about Tan Kha Ki
32) Becoming Buddhist
33) Becoming a "NEW MAN" (ask us later)
34) Being a "CHAMPION" (ask us later)
35) Becoming Illegal Christians--BEST PHASE
36) Dumpring Prease?
37) Party Time II
38) Chinese University
39) Tea Time
40) Man Time
41) Beginning of the End
42) Party Time III
43) Pictures, Signatures, and Emails
44) Saying Goodbye...For Now
45) Pack and Jet

We would more importantly like to thank all of you personally for the incredible support you have provided for us. Trust me, your love and prayers were effective and helped beyond measure. You all are truly warriors to be emulated and have been just as an imperative aspect of this mission as we were. We cannot wait to get back to the "homeland" and share with you our stories, pictures, trinkets, and hearts. Please be prayerful that our travels back to the states will be as smooth as possible. Thank you again for going on this mission with us. We love you all fiercely!

~ Grace and Peace be with you