The power of one tract

This is a great article showing the impact one gospel tract can have!!

Chinese woman leads dozens to Christ with 70¢ tract

Posted on Jan 28, 2011 | by Sue Sprenkle THAILAND (BP)--No one notices the young Chinese woman silently crying in the back pew. It's the only place she finds solace from her deep depression and fear of death.

She's not even sure why she sits in this church every afternoon; her communist education and Buddhist religion teach against a belief in God. Yet something keeps drawing Lily Wang* here.

She pulls a Bible from the pew. It's not in her native Mandarin, but she flips it open anyway. She learned to read a little Thai after moving to Thailand a few years ago to teach school, but she hasn't learned enough to really understand this.

So many questions cloud her mind that she finally musters enough courage to speak to a man carrying the same book. He brushes past the petite woman and goes about his business. The rejection reinforces everything she's feeling -- no one is interested in her; no one cares.

Distraught and angry, Wang walks to the foot of the cross and screams, "Are you real?

"I don't want to die. I want to live," she cries. "Please give me a way."

Wang storms out of the church, vowing never to return.

HOPE COMES

A few weeks later, Wang is sitting at her desk preparing lessons when a student rushes into her international school's classroom.

"Teacher! Teacher!" the girl exclaims. Wang jumps up, startled and concerned, until she hears, "I found your book."

The student hands her a soiled booklet. She found it in the trashcan on the playground. Wang scrunches her nose against the stench and explains it isn't hers. The girl must throw it back in the trash.

"But teacher, it must be your book," the girl insists. "It's written in Chinese."

Wang quickly scans the first page. Her heart leaps. The story is about Jesus' death and resurrection. She thanks her student for the book and sits down to read. The booklet, a tract called "Song of a Wanderer," answers every question she whispered in the church. The information is shocking. Her education since childhood taught only evolution, but this booklet claims life started from a complete human form, not a single cell.

"This has to be true," she mutters to herself.

The book opens a new world for Wang as she discovers a Creator-God. She stuffs the booklet in her back pocket and takes it everywhere, spending every spare second reading and rereading.

For weeks, her whole world revolves around the torn book. Finally, Wang decides she needs more. The booklet quotes Scripture throughout; she wants a Bible -- but she has no idea how to find one. In her home country, China, you can't just go out and buy one at the corner bookstore. Wang decides to write to the address on the tract requesting a Bible.

"No matter the cost, I will pay for the Bible," she adds to the letter, fearing the Christians might reject her again.

"I don't really believe anything will happen," she thinks, preparing herself for disappointment. "It will be just like when I prayed in the church -- nothing. God isn't interested."

Wang can't help herself, though. She watches the mail daily, but nothing arrives. Just as she's about to give up hope, a woman speaking Mandarin calls. Southern Cross Project, a Chinese Bible distribution ministry, received her letter. The woman offers to deliver the Bible in person.

Over coffee, Wang learns that as she was screaming at God months ago in the church, some American mission volunteers were distributing Mandarin Bibles and Christian literature packets to Chinese tourists. Somehow, one of these books made it across town to her.

"I'm in God's hands. He does care about me," Wang admits. "I need to accept these teachings."

HOPE SHARED

After her meeting, the teacher rushes home to call her mother in China. She excitedly recounts her new discovery and urges her mother to tell her sister.

"How can I share if I do not understand it myself?" her mother asks.

It hasn't occurred to Wang that her uneducated mother might not understand the tract. It speaks to educated Chinese, those who learned about evolution and were taught to doubt God's existence. Wang wants her family to find the same Creator-God, so, she calls everyday, reading from the tract and talking about God. By the end of the book, her mother and sister also decide to follow Jesus.

The first time Wang visits a Chinese church in her city, she notices everyone gathered around two women. The discussion about God heats up but the two remain stone-faced, unbending in their denial of God's existence.

Wang pulls the precious tract out of her purse and discreetly hands it to the women. They read parts of it together and discuss it with the young teacher. Both ask Jesus into their hearts.

Wang takes the soiled booklet everywhere she goes. Even when she travels to England to work on a master's degree, she slides it into her carry-on. While in Europe, she uses the tract to lead more than 20 people to Christ during her two years of study -- not to mention 20 others in Thailand.

When Wang goes to China for vacation, her childhood best friend, Chen Wu*, notices something different about her. Wang starts to tell Wu about the change in her life but her friend stops her mid-sentence. Wu doesn't want to hear; she thinks God is only for lucky people. Rather than argue, Wang comes up with a compromise.

"If you promise to read this book, I promise not to talk about God until you bring the topic to me," Wang says, inwardly grimacing about leaving her precious, worn-out book in China.

Her friend agrees, not really believing something that looks like a piece of trash really holds answers for her life. It's months before Wu opens the book. But when she does, Wu reads the entire thing in one sitting, then immediately calls Wang. They kneel together -- one in Thailand, the other in China -- and Wang helps her best friend invite Jesus into her heart.

"Isn't it amazing how God uses a piece of trash to call people to Him?" Wang asks her friend about the 70-cent tract. Then she adds, "Now, give me my book back!"

Wu ignores her. She now uses the booklet to tell others in China how her life changed. She's lost count of how many have prayed with her to receive Christ.



I got this article from here http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=34540&ref=BPNews-RSSFeed0128

Comics

I love reading comics. Chad thought it was strange and always mocked me when I would laugh while reading the Sunday morning comics in the paper. I still like reading them.....even though we do not get the paper anymore. Here is one that made me laugh:

 

~N

Top Five movies I have cried in

I saw this on a blog and thought it might be interesting so here goes:


The top five movies that I have cried in: 

1. The Pianist: I not only cried watching this movie, I bawled. After the movie I went for a walk and sat on a hill overlooking the city and just cried my eyes out. In college I majored in history and the Holocaust was my emphasis. Whew, it really got to me.

 2. UP: I went and saw this movie with some family, and I had to leave the theater a few times to hide that I was crying. My father-in-law was battling cancer at the time and I instantly thought of him. I don't think I could watch this movie even now. It was cute though.

3. Flipper: No joke, in the movie theater with my little sister, mom and cousins I was hysterical. My mom gave me a blanket to quiet my crying LOL!! The part where they make flipper leave....SO sad!

 **Ok so I only have three listed! Chad just reminded me that I make it a point to not watch any movie that might even be a little sad and he is right. Our movie library is full of funny movies and TV shows. I know....I know... "what about Schindler's List?" you say.....well I have it....but I know that I will cry so I have to prepare myself to watch it! So I have been waiting. So here are two books that have made me cry.....not that you guys really care....but they are very good books and I would recommend them!!

1. Tears of My Soul: I am finishing this book up right now. I was reading it during a day substitute teaching and had to put it down because I started to cry in class. These people had nothing, they were tortured, this boy watched his whole family suffer through horrible atrocities. The part that really got me was when he was talking to his brother who was beaten so badly he couldn't see, he is saying his good bye to him and it just broke my heart...I'm tearing up just thinking about it. What is great about this book is that the man eventually becomes a Christian and it shares how his anger toward those who murdered his family turns to love, something only Christ could do! This book broke my heart for those who suffered in Cambodia during this horrible time in their history. GREAT BOOK!!!

2. Night: This is a book I recommend to people all the time. Its a great way for people to understand what happened to the Jewish people during the Holocaust and what they had to go through in the concentration camps. One portion of this book shares an argument between the boy and his father over a fork (or spoon I'm not sure) which was their only family possession. The father thought he was about to be lead off to die, it was so sad. The book is beautifully written and a quick read.

Ok, well I hope you all have a great day. Sorry for a sad post, but I thought it would be interesting!


~N

A day at work...

        So I noticed that Chad has written 21 blog posts this month already, and I have only written three. I figured I should probably write one. While I was thinking of what to write, I decided to change my blog background. I really love those Russian dolls that when opened have more inside, and when I saw that background I had to have it!

Warning: This blog is not written to make you feel bad for me, just for me to share my experiences. 

          I think I will share with you all about my most recent job substitute teaching. It was at a "Educational Opportunities" school, which means its for kids who want to do independent study, are very sick, or were suspended or expelled from the district. I have subbed at this school before and usually the job is really easy. I sit at a desk, while kids trickle in and out (by appointment) and do work at a table by themselves. Occasionally I administer a test, or grade their work. For most of the day I can enjoy peace and quiet, and catch up on my reading and quiet time in God's Word. This sub day was not like my previous sub days. Not five minutes into class I had already called campus supervisors to come escort two kids out of the classroom (I think this is a record for me!). I hate sending kids out of class and I usually move the student or verbally warn them to stop what they are doing and that works. This time it did not. The students in this class were some of the worst I have seen. I have been a substitute teacher for four years and few days have come close to this day. The kids in this class were continually challenging my authority, arguing with me, calling me racist and a white supremacist (not exactly sure where that came from), I was called a "B" by two different students (who were promptly sent to the office), there were many sexual references in class and the F word was used as often as a valley girl uses "Like." I called Chad and told him that a substitute should not have to put up with students like this and I wanted to leave. I didn't leave and after lunch the new bunch of kids were even worse! Two came in reeking of Pot! They started talking about their criminal records and who had been arrested in class. I had to have about four kids sent out of that class, two who after being kicked out were threatening towards me and made me afraid (big high school boys). One even hit my hand when I tried to show him something on his referral he had placed on the teachers desk!!! I had a kid who kept yelling the N word over and over, and did not understand why I was sending him out!! It was ridiculous.
    Sitting in that class, I was saddened at how those students acted and treated me. They cussed at me, argued with me and just flat out ignored me. I thought, Christ loves these kids the same as He loves me. I, at that moment, did NOT love those kids in that way. These are kids who need Christ (well we all do, but with these kids it was really obvious). They are so heavily influenced by the overly sexual TV shows and music out today. They see movies where its "cool" to hurt others, and even looked at as justified (like on the show Dexter). I know these kids have a God given conscience as it says in Romans 1. Further in that same chapter Paul goes on to describe those who are disobedient to God "being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful..." Romans 1:29-31. My heart aches for them, they need Christ.         Later that night as Chad and I were sitting on the couches discussing our day, I received a call from the sub line (that is how I get a sub job). It was a three day sub job.....and to my horror it was for the same class I had just subbed for where all those problems occurred. It turns out that was a class full of students who had been expelled from the district. I did not take that sub job and actually did not have a sub job today. I don't think I could have handled that class again.

By the way....Substitute teaching is a great way to practice holding your tongue, patience and gentleness, just in case you were looking for practice LOL!!!!


~N

PS. Not all my days are like this....sometimes I feel like I'm getting paid to read my Bible all day!

Read the Bible Daily?

I read a blog today, written by a man who leads worship at many different churches and has a few Christian CD's out. He wrote about his struggles with reading the Bible and asked his readers what programs they use or how they are able to read the Bible daily. As I read the comments, I began to feel a bit sad, seeing people who were completely honest. One comment said this:

"I used to read the 

Bible daily … now I’ve given up. 

Too much guilt when I don’t do it,

too much anxiety to even approach it."

What would you say to somebody if they told you this? This comment makes me sad. Sad to think that a person feels so much anxiety when reading the Bible. The Bible is full of God's wonderful promises to us: never to leave us or forsake us, He will forgive us when we ask (and repent!), to hear when we pray, to comfort us, to guide us and so on. His word has comforted me more times than I can count. For example, when my uncle passed away suddenly I was going through a Beth Moore bible study on the Psalms. In Psalm 17 verse 8 it says "Keep me as the apple of the eye, Hide me in the shadow of your wings," I clung to this verse asking God to hide me in His protective wing. The next day while I was at work our school bus driver came over to me and gave me a bag. He said he was sorry for my loss and bought something for me when he took the 2nd graders on their annual field trip to Oak Glen. I opened the bag and saw two bright red candied apples inside and immediately that verse popped into my head. I started to cry. God comforted me with two candied apples :). It may sound silly, but I really did feel better after that knowing that God was in control of everything and my uncle's passing did not catch Him by surprise. Now can you imagine if I had not clung to the scriptures and God during this time? Where would my comfort have come from? God's word speaks to us, it is living and active, we should read it daily. God's word is also convicting! Chad was able to speak at a chapel service for his school today and used 1 Peter 3:8-18, in verses 8 and 9 it says "To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted and humble in spirit, not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing." Kinda convicting, I know that I do not always act the way this verse says we should! There are many verses like this in the bible! They are convicting for a reason, to show us our sin. Our conscience is convicting us and letting us know that we need to repent!


On a side note, there were a few people who mentioned Professor Horner's Bible study which I am currently using. I love it!


~N

Racism

       Today was the first day back to school after Christmas break and I actually had a sub job!!! I was a bit nervous about it because usually the day before and after a break the kids are especially rowdy. Today they were ok. The teacher left me a worksheet to go over with the class each period. It was on the words Connotation and Denotation. The students had to complete a few exercises to show they understood what the connotation and denotation of a word was. While teaching the class what to do for the first exercise, where they were to write if a word had a negative or positive connotation, I asked them this question: "Using the word given, "penny pincher," do you think that has a negative or a positive connotation?" To my shock I had a student ask "do you mean like a Jew?" I could not believe he said that. This is the second time I have heard a student use a racial slur towards a Jewish person. The strange thing is that there are hardly any Jewish people in the area I live, so where are they getting these racial stereotypes from? Is it on TV? Do their parents say things like this? Do their friends? Teachers?

        As I was reflecting on what happened during that lesson, I came across and article that said :  "Hate crimes across New York state jumped 14 percent in 2009, led by an increase in attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions, state records released yesterday show...Anti-Semitic incidents, which made up 37 percent of the reported hate crimes, were up 15 percent in one year, from 219 in 2008 to 251 in 2009."I found this information HERE. I also found some interesting information on the FBI website. "In 2009, the Nation’s law enforcement agencies reported that there were 8,336 victims of hate crimes...

• 48.8 percent of the victims were targeted because of the offender’s bias against a race.
• 18.9 percent were victimized because of a bias against a religious belief.

Of the 1,575 victims of an anti-religious hate crime:

• 71.9 percent were victims because of an offender’s anti-Jewish bias. 

Yikes, these statistics are startling. Please pray for the Jewish people. For courage, and most importantly for their salvation. 

~N

So cute!