jenlee's week 9
Hey everyone,
this update will probably be short cuz I worked on a class presentation until 530am this morning and only got about 5 hours of sleep...so i should hit the sack sooner than later :)
but it's important that I give praise to God for seeing me through the week, so here goes:
1. On Wed I joined people from my church (specifically the folks from the uni outreach group called Campus Christian Movement) to go around campus offering prayer to students. We would also write them encouraging messages on notecards and give out some candy (which people here call "lollies"). The aim is to be a blessing to them as they go through midterm exams, which are happening around this time. This was the first time I was doing something like this and I wasn't sure what the reception would be like.
I really thank God that He opened the door for prayer in many students as we went around in pairs or threes. There were a few who declined prayer but most of them expressed appreciation. Within just 15 minutes or so, I was able to pray on the spot for 4 people - Heidi, Chris, Liz and Os. Please pray they will cast their cares on God, for He cares for them (1 Peter 5:7 this was the verse that I wrote on their notecards) and that this little act of random kindness will bear eternal fruit in their lives. amen :)
2. At some point in the week, i enjoyed a good conversation online with my friend H. Sometimes, I feel that I have deeper talks with people when I'm not physically in the same place. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's great. My friend is looking for a job in an unfamiliar field, after a mid-career change that was sort of unexpected due to misjudgement. It will be challenging, please pray for H to master the steep learning curve, and for H to experience the love and compassion of God, who is a God of second chances. God knows what H's passion is and I believe H will be able to get back to that one day.
3. I've been having a somewhat challenging time in a couple of my classes. Not because of the workload (although that can be pretty heavy and prayer is always appreciated for my readings and assignments) but because there is quite a prevalent anti-Christian sentiment that is expressed through the discussion topics.
For example, just the other day, my lecturer said the abstinence strategy, advocated by the church, to fight the spread of Aids is "crazy" because it's going against what's "natural". I tried to speak up, but my words just seemed hollow and I ended up saying something like "abstinence is not crazy, it can work in some circumstances" - which is really quite lame actually, but I just didn't wan to keep quiet as if I agreed.
Another more problematic topic is how the Aboriginal people of Australia have gone through much oppression in the past from people who called themselves Christians. Their race was considered inferior and so, for 60 years, it was government policy to take children from their parents, and put them to live with white people in order to breed out the indigenous race. The children were not allowed to speak their language and were forced to give up their culture. A national enquiry in the 1990s by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission found that "many of the people who managed the removals, including both the government and churches, abused their power and breached their supposed obligations as protectors and ‘carers’". In light of this, it's not surprising that Christianity is rejected as being oppressive.
I've encountered this in the US during my studies at UC Berkeley before where the early settlers, again in the name of what they believed was their "manifest destiny", did terrible things to the native american people. In Berkeley, I stopped expressing my Christian convictions. I don't want to do that here. Please pray for wisdom for me as I sort out how my faith relates to these issues.
I have questions of how I should respond to the issues that Aboriginal people are facing today e.g. they want to restore their culture, which is animistic. One classmate who is an activist in this area talked about how no journalist would come to an art exhibition featuring indigenous art. If I was one of those journalists, and the art features animism, should I choose to go for that instead of an event that's more "spiritually neutral"? Are there aspects of my own Chinese culture that is spiritually problematic? How do I show love for the Aboriginal people if their felt need is cultural revival due to the past injustice, which robbed them of choice? We pray for people who want jobs, health, things like that...but how about when they want to pool together money to have a totem statue that features the Rainbow Serpent? As you can see, these are hard questions, and I'm still searching for answers. I believe they, like all other races on earth, need a true transformational encounter with Jesus, and my questions pertain to how we, as His hands and feet, can bring Jesus to them in real ways. Would appreciate prayers, and any comments you may have.
4. Wow, i've rambled quite a lot. Will just end with a thanksgiving for Sunday, the day my uni celebrated its 100 year anniversary. the centenary celebrations on campus included nature walks, which I took part it. I saw a long-necked freshwater turtle digging a hole to lay eggs! quite a rare sight...will try to get the picture up online soon. later when I went to church, the message was about how to have deep convictions (2 Tim 1:13-14) - Paul exhorts believers to ground themselves in sound teaching and to guard what God has placed in our lives. I went forward during altar call because I do sometimes feel afraid that I won't be able to guard what God has placed in my life, especially if I go through depression again.
I don't go around focusing on whether I'm going to be depressed starting in May (that has happened for the past few years, with the low-energy period lasting for a few months), but sometimes when I look at the calendar, I do wonder. I know God can heal me and I do claim His healing, while at the same time, I recognise that God is sovereign so when and how He chooses to heal is up to Him. I don't know if this is a lack of faith, but I just know that I have these moments where I wonder and I don't have clear-cut easy answers to the questions I have. Anyway...I went forward and once again, I'm amazed at how the Holy Spirit can impress on people what to pray. I didn't have to say anything but the lady who prayed for me, whom I've never seen before, was so spot on when she said: "God will heal you. He will hold you together. God's victory is in your life, I see a banner over you". God knows how much I needed to hear that. Tears just flowed.
I share this so that you, my family and friends, can remind me of this truth, if ever I forget. The banner vision is particularly special to me, because I rededicated my life to God in 2003 in the middle of a worship session when I was waving a rainbow-coloured banner over my head and God reminded me of a vision of a rainbow over me that a preacher had prophesied over me years earlier. Praise God for His affirmation. I pray that you will also receive His affirmation, wherever you may be, because His love for you is unconditional. amen!
Okay that's all from me...hmm, this update didn't end up short after all. haha. oh well.
oh yes, one last last thing, I was saying I had a presentation today - it was for my Communications for Social Change (CSC) class, it went smoothly - praise God! I have one more class presentation coming up, based on a team project, it's on May 6. I also have a 2000-word essay for CSC due on May 4 and within that same week another essay for my participatory development communication - I've to do a lot of readings for these assignments so please do pray. Thank you so much!
In-Christ,
jenlee
this update will probably be short cuz I worked on a class presentation until 530am this morning and only got about 5 hours of sleep...so i should hit the sack sooner than later :)
but it's important that I give praise to God for seeing me through the week, so here goes:
1. On Wed I joined people from my church (specifically the folks from the uni outreach group called Campus Christian Movement) to go around campus offering prayer to students. We would also write them encouraging messages on notecards and give out some candy (which people here call "lollies"). The aim is to be a blessing to them as they go through midterm exams, which are happening around this time. This was the first time I was doing something like this and I wasn't sure what the reception would be like.
I really thank God that He opened the door for prayer in many students as we went around in pairs or threes. There were a few who declined prayer but most of them expressed appreciation. Within just 15 minutes or so, I was able to pray on the spot for 4 people - Heidi, Chris, Liz and Os. Please pray they will cast their cares on God, for He cares for them (1 Peter 5:7 this was the verse that I wrote on their notecards) and that this little act of random kindness will bear eternal fruit in their lives. amen :)
2. At some point in the week, i enjoyed a good conversation online with my friend H. Sometimes, I feel that I have deeper talks with people when I'm not physically in the same place. It doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's great. My friend is looking for a job in an unfamiliar field, after a mid-career change that was sort of unexpected due to misjudgement. It will be challenging, please pray for H to master the steep learning curve, and for H to experience the love and compassion of God, who is a God of second chances. God knows what H's passion is and I believe H will be able to get back to that one day.
3. I've been having a somewhat challenging time in a couple of my classes. Not because of the workload (although that can be pretty heavy and prayer is always appreciated for my readings and assignments) but because there is quite a prevalent anti-Christian sentiment that is expressed through the discussion topics.
For example, just the other day, my lecturer said the abstinence strategy, advocated by the church, to fight the spread of Aids is "crazy" because it's going against what's "natural". I tried to speak up, but my words just seemed hollow and I ended up saying something like "abstinence is not crazy, it can work in some circumstances" - which is really quite lame actually, but I just didn't wan to keep quiet as if I agreed.
Another more problematic topic is how the Aboriginal people of Australia have gone through much oppression in the past from people who called themselves Christians. Their race was considered inferior and so, for 60 years, it was government policy to take children from their parents, and put them to live with white people in order to breed out the indigenous race. The children were not allowed to speak their language and were forced to give up their culture. A national enquiry in the 1990s by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission found that "many of the people who managed the removals, including both the government and churches, abused their power and breached their supposed obligations as protectors and ‘carers’". In light of this, it's not surprising that Christianity is rejected as being oppressive.
I've encountered this in the US during my studies at UC Berkeley before where the early settlers, again in the name of what they believed was their "manifest destiny", did terrible things to the native american people. In Berkeley, I stopped expressing my Christian convictions. I don't want to do that here. Please pray for wisdom for me as I sort out how my faith relates to these issues.
I have questions of how I should respond to the issues that Aboriginal people are facing today e.g. they want to restore their culture, which is animistic. One classmate who is an activist in this area talked about how no journalist would come to an art exhibition featuring indigenous art. If I was one of those journalists, and the art features animism, should I choose to go for that instead of an event that's more "spiritually neutral"? Are there aspects of my own Chinese culture that is spiritually problematic? How do I show love for the Aboriginal people if their felt need is cultural revival due to the past injustice, which robbed them of choice? We pray for people who want jobs, health, things like that...but how about when they want to pool together money to have a totem statue that features the Rainbow Serpent? As you can see, these are hard questions, and I'm still searching for answers. I believe they, like all other races on earth, need a true transformational encounter with Jesus, and my questions pertain to how we, as His hands and feet, can bring Jesus to them in real ways. Would appreciate prayers, and any comments you may have.
4. Wow, i've rambled quite a lot. Will just end with a thanksgiving for Sunday, the day my uni celebrated its 100 year anniversary. the centenary celebrations on campus included nature walks, which I took part it. I saw a long-necked freshwater turtle digging a hole to lay eggs! quite a rare sight...will try to get the picture up online soon. later when I went to church, the message was about how to have deep convictions (2 Tim 1:13-14) - Paul exhorts believers to ground themselves in sound teaching and to guard what God has placed in our lives. I went forward during altar call because I do sometimes feel afraid that I won't be able to guard what God has placed in my life, especially if I go through depression again.
I don't go around focusing on whether I'm going to be depressed starting in May (that has happened for the past few years, with the low-energy period lasting for a few months), but sometimes when I look at the calendar, I do wonder. I know God can heal me and I do claim His healing, while at the same time, I recognise that God is sovereign so when and how He chooses to heal is up to Him. I don't know if this is a lack of faith, but I just know that I have these moments where I wonder and I don't have clear-cut easy answers to the questions I have. Anyway...I went forward and once again, I'm amazed at how the Holy Spirit can impress on people what to pray. I didn't have to say anything but the lady who prayed for me, whom I've never seen before, was so spot on when she said: "God will heal you. He will hold you together. God's victory is in your life, I see a banner over you". God knows how much I needed to hear that. Tears just flowed.
I share this so that you, my family and friends, can remind me of this truth, if ever I forget. The banner vision is particularly special to me, because I rededicated my life to God in 2003 in the middle of a worship session when I was waving a rainbow-coloured banner over my head and God reminded me of a vision of a rainbow over me that a preacher had prophesied over me years earlier. Praise God for His affirmation. I pray that you will also receive His affirmation, wherever you may be, because His love for you is unconditional. amen!
Okay that's all from me...hmm, this update didn't end up short after all. haha. oh well.
oh yes, one last last thing, I was saying I had a presentation today - it was for my Communications for Social Change (CSC) class, it went smoothly - praise God! I have one more class presentation coming up, based on a team project, it's on May 6. I also have a 2000-word essay for CSC due on May 4 and within that same week another essay for my participatory development communication - I've to do a lot of readings for these assignments so please do pray. Thank you so much!
In-Christ,
jenlee
posted by thejenlee at 7:47 AM
1 Comments:
hey Jenlene,
huiyan here:)
thanks for sharing your blog. this is quite inspiring, because you are constantly looking for ways to serve God and share the gospel with those around you; although you have school work and all. i m still in hk and have been trying to focus on fellowship-ing with pple in a church call ICA. exams are round the corner for me here, but i know God will help if I continue to stay focused on Him. Thanks for sharing and I will pray for your essays and assignments. Jiayous!
Post a Comment
<< Home