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Everyone on the team got a visa for all the time we need… YAY!

Picture by clappstar

Our passports are at the embassy now! Please pray that we’re granted visas!

Me and the rest of my Asian outreach team.

Well, I’ve got a lot more details about my outreach to Asia… Our visa applications and passports are on their way to the embassy and our flights are booked. Please pray that the visa process will go smoothly!

Also, we’ve been given final costs for the trip. The total is £1,470 (British Pounds) which is about $2,900 (US Dollars). God has already provided most of that for me, I just need a remaining $500 to pay for the outreach. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to help me go on outreach. (Details about how to do that.) I will also need funds for daily living expenses like laundry, notebooks, weekend meals, etc.

I want to ask that you join me and my outreach team in praying for Asia and specifically for the city we’ll be in. Here are a few areas that we are focusing on in prayer:

Value of Human Life - Policies of the government have helped to cheapen the value of human life in the eyes of many people. The results of which are 25,000 abortions per day, orphanages overflowing with “bad luck” (unwanted children) and lack of care for disabled people.

Materialism - Asia is, in many ways, driven by materialism. The government actually publishes materialistic goals for the people called “The Five Wants”. Apparently it is not uncommon for people to say “Money is my god”. In their quest for money many people have become workaholics, even sleeping at work and only going home two or three times a week.

Idolatry of Education - This is tied in with materialism… A “good education” and a degree are the aims of all children. Average high-school students go to school for 14 hours and then have 3 additional hours of homework. This is unhealthy emotionally, physically and spiritually!

Sexuality - “Traditional” values in Asia have eroded. Prostitution is a huge problem and most men in the city we’ll be staying in frequent prostitutes. The UN estimates that there will be over 10 million Asians infected with AIDS by the year 2010. That’s just 3 years away!

Religion - The people as well as the government are very suspicious of organized movements, mostly due to past experience with “foreign” religions. Many people believe that science contradicts faith and view faith as superstition. At the same time these people put a lot of stock in fortune tellers and horoscopes. There are also many small eccentric cults throughout the country.

Fear, Control and Un-Forgiveness - The government uses fear to control society and people. Historical bitterness toward various groups (Americans, Europeans, Other Asians, Christians, Buddhists, etc.) is taught and encouraged.

Additionally, please continue to pray for me and my fellow students as we continue our studies and prepare for our outreaches!

I’m not actually going to get to see the Great Wall, but I thought it looked “Asian”. Picture by S. Webel

I’m excited to share with you all that I’ll be going to Asia for my DTS outreach. I prayed a lot about where God wants me to go (Asia, Serbia or Ireland) and I feel clearly that he’s led me to the Asia outreach. Thank you, to all of you who were praying for my decision!

There are 7 other members on my outreach team: Mikael and Renee our leaders, Blake, Dani, Erica, Liz and Ruth. Most of us are Americans although there are a couple Europeans also. We’ll be in Asia for about two and a half months, spending most of our time in a very large city. It has a huge population and is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. There are a lot of Colleges or Universities in the city. Many of the students are learning, or trying to learn, English. Those students are the ones we’ll be seeking out at “English Corners” where they go to practice English with each other.

For the months leading up to the trip we have time set aside each week to get together as a team to pray and prepare for Asia. Already we have phrase-books that we’re beginning to study, visa applications and vaccines to get. We’re also studying Asian history so we can better understand the people and how they may feel about us. There’s lots to do! Meanwhile the “regular” lectures are rolling right along and they just keep getting better and better. God is doing so much in me. I’m so thankful that He’s provided for me to be here!