Connie’s Newsletter Connie’s Newsletter November 2012 November 2012
Chinese Overseas Christian Mission 2 Padstow Avenue Fishermead Milton Keynes MK6 2ES, UK Tel: +44 (0)1908 300 537 Mob: +44 (0)7771574799 E-mail: mail: yuwangxiaoyu@gmail.com Website: www.cocm.org.uk
Leicester gospel event (first left, on front row)
Dear friends, How are you? Thank you for your emails email and prayers. It's been a few months mon since I last wrote. I went back to China in July and spend some time with my family. family Update on my parents God has answered many of my prayers regarding my parents: when I prayed that they would begin to have Christian friends, my mum’s m’s best friend since childhood has become a Christian! When churches are far away from where where they live, a new church wass planted close to home! When they found it hard to fit into the students church, this new church is full of people with the same age and background as they are! They had been to this church, as well as its house group. They took it seriously to go to church and studied the Bible sincerely in the house group. Every Monday when I talked to my mum m on skype, she would ask me questions from her notes of the Sunday sermon or Saturday bible study. She also wrote down all the names of the songs they sang on Sunday and looked for them on Internet at home to listen again. Being a Christian for a while, I seem to forget how foreign a Bible ble is to a non-believer. non One day my mum told me she and my dad were troubled by a question and they
Connie’s newsletter (Nov. 2012)
couldn’t figure out why: why is there a time on the top of every page of o their Bible, e.g. Matthew 11:28? (Italics added by me) Do they need to be read at a certain time of the day? But then why sometimes it is not a time, e.g. Isaiah 55:8? 55 (Italics added by me) As I was getting excited about their progress on the faith journey, it was suddenly stopped by my grandma andma coming to stay with them - she he began to have symptoms of dementia, needing constant care; care but her children don’t want to take her in, except my dad. So she came to live with my parents; as a result of that, only one of my parents could go to church and fellowship. Though not willing to take her in, her h other children would come to visit her on Sundays, days, so in the end both of my parents had to stay at home to cook and entertain them. So please pray that even when they don’t have a Christian environment (e.g. church or fellowship) to nurture their faith, my parents would have a hunger for God. God My mum’s mum also so has dementia, and my mum mu goes to stay with her for a few days each week. Both of my parents are ar becoming full time carers rers of their mums, mu and it’s not easy. Please pray ray that they would not be entangled by the busy sy and stressful daily mundane,, but to have space in their daily life to think about things above, and some quiet time to read the Bible. As the only child in the family, my parent’s salvation and welfare is heavy on my heart, especially when I live and work in the UK and cannot be near them. them Please join me in prayers for my parents in China. Thanks! COCM Gospel Team Since September, half of my time was spent on travelling with COCM Gospel Team to universities around the UK to have evangelistic meetings for Chinese students. Because of my commitment to Leicester, I could only go to half of the events; but altogether our ur team went to 18 cities. In those 18 cities, over ver 1000 students heard the gospel through our meetings, were Preaching in one of the gospel events
Connie’s newsletter (Nov. 2012)
connected to their local churches/students fellowships, and about 200 of them have raised up their hands in respond to the altar call and filled in our feedback form to accept Jesus as their Saviour aviour and Lord. Please pray for the following up work of the local churches and fellowships. Take Leicester for example, on that evangelistic Friday there were 17 students raised their hands in response to the altar call, and ticked on our feedback form ‘after this evening’s evangelistic meeting, I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour’. More than half of them came back to church in the following Sunday and some came to Saturday students Bible study. study. While they show interests in the faith, and as I began the following up work, the students have entered their exam/essays season. As a result, they spend their time in the library instead of coming to church, and the newfound found faith is pushed out of their schedule. There is a Chinese saying: ‘shape the iron while it is hot’, but how can we help them to grow in their newfound new faith when theyy don’t have the time for it? Many of the students struggle with the English language, age, and to read and write for their assignments demands lots of time and effort. ort. Please pray for me to have wisdom as how to encourage and nurture them in their newfound faith. Leicester Chinese Christian Church Among travelling with the Gospel Team to various universities, I still go to Leicester two weekends a month. Many of you asked me what do I do there, here ere is a typical weekend in Leicester is like: Friday evening, English-speaking English students fellowship, I would give workshops on various topics, cs, e.g. How to read your Bible. Saturday morning, visit students in their dormitories; in the afternoon, leading a Mandarin speaking students Bible study; in the evening, having dinner with students. Sunday morning, preach in the Mandarin congregation and in the afternoon, discipleship training course with either students or families.
Having a good time with students
When I am back to Milton Keynes, I prepare these workshops,, Bible studies and sermons,, as well as telephoning individual students in Leicester - being their 'pastor' but doesn't live near them, that's the only way I can have contact with them outside weekend ministries. In the limitations of what I can do, do I learnt that prayer is a powerful way of reaching them when physically I cannot cannot be with them. There were many occasions when I couldn’t do anything but pray, and then witnessed how God has moved their hearts and circumstances to further His Kingdom.
I have gained more confident in preparing sermons/talks as well as delivering deliv them lots of practice certainly helps! help I personally learnt so much from studying and preparing the sermon series on 1 Samuel this year. Thank you! Just spent a weekend in my sending church, and had nice fellowship with the church family. How nice to see people touched by Jesus and have one heart for mission. Thank you all for your ongoing support and heart for mission, may God bless you! Connie
Prayer points 1. Please pray for my parents in China and their salvation. 2. Please pray for me to have wisdom as to how to encourage and nurture the students in their newfound faith. 3. Please pray for or my road safety as I travel to different places for weekend ministry.
Dear Connie, I want to partner with you in your ministry of ‘Reaching the Chinese to reach Europe’ through COCM. By God’s grace, I will continue to stand with you in months ahead. My faith commitment is to: PRAY: I will lift you up daily, weekly, or as God prompts me (please tick one). CARE: I will do something to support and encourage you weekly, monthly, annually (please tick one). GIVE: enclosed is my gift of £＿＿＿＿ ＿＿＿＿ Give regularly: I will send regular support to COCM, referenced for your ministry, in the amount of £_______ monthly, quarterly, annually (please tick one).
Name: Address: Phone: E-mail: Cheque: Please return this slip, with your cheque payable to COCM and Gift Aid Form (if applicable) to COCM Headquarters. Address: COCM, 2 Padstow Avenue, Fishermead, MK6 2ES, UK Phone: +44 (0)1908 234 100 E-mail: cocm@cocm.org.uk
Bank transfer or standing order: order Account Name: C.O.C.M Bank Name: CAF Bank Ltd Sort code: 40-52-40 Account number: 00006767 Reference: Please write down your name, and note “for Connie Yu’s ministry”. Thank you for your contribution in advancing God’s kingdom ☺