Arash

Dear Pastor Lao,

I thank God so much for sending you to Thailand to light His fire among us. We could never be where we are in our walk with God without you and we appreciate Him and His love through your life. I would like to share about our church and I hope it will be an encouragement to you.

Everything seems like a divine dream that the Lord is taking us through. I want you to know that within the past eleven years of my walk with Jesus, I have never seen such a speedy move of God within the church. The Rivers of Life Church has become a true vessel of God. His wind is blowing non-stop through the church and out of its windows. We cannot close the doors and windows of our church anymore. The Holy Spirit has come to us with all that Heaven has.

The time is right for Thailand to be touched by the Fire of God. I feel as if the Holy Spirit is following me wherever I go and He is leading me in every step of my life. He has placed a passion and love in my heart for both God’s people and unsaved ones to see Jesus as He really is. Pastor Lao, this is the greatest time to be alive and to be here in Bangkok.

I pray always that Lord keep me awake as He moves; I don’t want to be found asleep at these divine hours. It’s time to work hard because He is so close to us. I rejoice and praise Him for all that He is doing.

Jenny Hu

Our God is an awesome God and he is so wonderful to me and to my family!  I give praises and Glory to God!

Tonight May 11, 2006, 8:30pm, while Arthur, me, Eric, Peter and Henry are praying to God, the presence of God showed up in our house, God touched me so strongly, he made me laugh so hard for long time, he also touched my son Eric.

I would like to give a testimony to glorify our great God!  God has changed my life totally; He healed me and made me become a stronger person.  He blessed my business in the past while I was working for Countrywide Home Loan as a home loan specialist, he gave me the job at Countrywide Home Loan so that I can learned how to become a businesswoman, how to reach out to people and how to organize my time.  Being a loan officer was not easy, but God blessed me with a lot of customers and good finances.  Now he blesses me with a great job at General Electric (GE) with a wonderful boss and a lot of helpful friends.

I always remember Ps. Lao and Ps. Da’s teaching – Be a generous giver and do not rob God.  I have been giving my tithe to our church and help the needy.  I found my life has been improving a lot; God has pour out his blessing to me and to my family.

For the past year, I have been praying to God that I really need to have a bigger house, not just because we need a little more space but the main thing is my heart really want to have a bigger house so that our family can evangelize more people and I want to use this house to serve God and to bless many people thru God’s power. As for that our family have been praying aggressively to God and ask God to show us a right house, a house that would be pleasing to God.

On the night of April 18th, God came; it showed me the house in Bothell over and over in my eyes and my head.  I could not sleep and feel so many burdens for long time; I got up and prayed again.  I knew if it is from God then I need to follow.  I called up Ps. Da next day and share with Ps. Da how God touch me.  I really appreciate Ps. Da, she is my best advisor and my best friend, she has so much wisdom, she said if this is what God mean, go forth it.

The next day, we went to offer the house that we liked, however, some other buyer also wants to buy that house, it was funny the house was on the market for two months, no one offer, until we came, the other person also offer the house at the same day and at the same time.  We tried to bid the house with a higher price.  Peter and Eric asked the Youth Group to pray for us if this is right house for us to buy.  It ends up we did not get that house.  After a day God showed us another house in the same neighbour hood with the same layout and design but it is even better than the house we lost from the offer.  This house has a lot of guest parking, closest walking distance to elementary school and junior high school, and a very good school.  The builder gave us a free refrigerator and garage door opener. We went in that house and prayed to God to make sure that this is the right house for us.  The offer was accepted.  The next day, the builder increases the rest of houses in that development by $20,000 to $30,000 for each house.  We got in just the right time before the price was increased.  How wonderful God is, we can save some money.  Our new house will be completed by end of summer.

Now we think back about it, if we bought the other house, we would have no parking for visitors and we will need to move in right away and pay for a higher price, compared with this new house we have more times to prepare for moving and prepare for selling our existing house.  My kids, my parents, Arthur and I are so happy to have this new house and we are amazed that how much God know what is best for us, God has far vision and better view than man.  My son Peter wants to share with his group that God’s vision and God’s way is far more better and exceed than man, just like the instance of our house, if you let God choose, God will choose the best for us.  We really give praise and glory to our God and thank our Holy Spirit, we love him and want to serve him and please him all the time.

On Sunday April 30th, Ps. Lao taught us how to connect with the Holy Spirit, after service, Ps. Lao asked people to come up to the altar to pray for.  I was so hungry for God on that day; I grabbed Arthur’s hand and went up to get prayed for.  The presence of God came down to our church on that day, I got touch and screaming and laughing so hard for long time.  God reviewed to me that “He wants to bless me, so that I can bless others”.  That whole week I was on fire, I kept sharing God’s good news to my co-workers and my friends and tell them how wonderful God is.

Today May 11th, 2006.  God gave us another blessing, Arthur got a new job, and he is going to work for Microsoft as a consultant.  God is so awesome and he blesses our finance.  Ps. Lao and Ps. Da always emphases that we will never out give God, it is so true that we will never out give God.  My life has changed dramatically since I committed my life to God and committed to serve Him, to obey him and to have a strong relationship with him.

I really appreciate Ps. Lao, Ps. Da and all leaders at our church work so hard to server God so that we can have such a blessing church.  Thank you very much.

Jenny Hu

HONG JIN, My Cancer Fighting Journey

The first time I heard Ps Lao’s teaching was some time last July.  In the middle of his sermon, he said, “This morning on our way to church, I said to Ps Da that for over 20 years, we have never done a funeral service in our church.” He then went on to say that we didn’t have any cancers in our members…A butterfly fluttered inside my stomach when I heard that.  After the service, I went up to Ps Lao and said, “Ps. Lao, I am sorry that I am messing up your statistic because I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.”  Ps. Lao looked at me in the eyes and said, “You are going to fall into my statistic.  In Jesus mighty name, you shall be healed!”  I then said, “Ps. Lao I like your statistic better.”   I felt the butterfly gradually flew away from my stomach.

My first appointment to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) was on July 14.  While looking at the mammogram and ultrasound images, the radiologist flatly told me, “highly suspicious”.  A wave of unspeakable heat blasted through my body then I felt the physical draining of my blood away from my body.  I was chilled to my core.  I was shivering beyond control.  The nurse kindly wrapped two warm blankets around me.  Cancer is bad news.  The worst part of facing bad news is the uncertainty and loneliness that often results in fear.  I experienced the full spectrum of God given emotions for the following 48 hours – I cried; I screamed; I whined; and I complained.  Three of my very close Christian sisters came over and started our weekly prayer evenings.  On July 17, one of them emailed me the first four verses of Psalm 91.  Out of desperation, I opened Psalm 91.  I literary forgot to breathe while I was reading all 16 verses in the passage.  I quickly called my friend who sent me the passage and screamed over the phone, “Carol, the entire passage is for me.  I am claiming it! My God, I can’t believe He is actually speaking to me!”  In short, Psalm 91 tells us that our Mighty Father will protect those who love and have faith in Him.  Since that day on, I read so many times of Psalm 91. Though I can’t memorize it, I hold it so dearly to my heart.  Here is my version of Psalm 91:  “Since God is dwelling in my heart, therefore He is my refuge, my fortress and my rampart.  God will not let me be fear of any nasty stuff; evil stuff may come near me, but won’t touch me. God will send angels to lift me up; therefore, I won’t strike my foot against any harmful things.  Because I love God, He will rescue me.  Because I call upon His name, He will answer me; be with me when I am in trouble; deliver me and honor me with long life and show me salvation.”

This passage alone took care of my uncertainty and loneliness.  From that day on, my outlook has changed.  I called and emailed many friends about my diagnosis.  Most of them started with “Oh, my God…”  Then they became speechless.  Some could not repeat the very word of “cancer”.  Some cried right there on the other end of our phone line.  One actually needs to use bathroom right at the middle of our conversation.  No one seems to be able to make sense out of my diagnosis, because everyone knows that my life style is just about medical textbook perfect.  I ended up have to console them.  I later asked my husband, “Who is having cancer here?!”  On the other hand, I felt great peace upon me.  The type of peace only the Creator can grant to His creation, just like the peace an infant experiences as soon as she is in her mother’s chest. I am hanging on every word from Psalm 91.  I waited for over a month for my surgery, I was not anxious at all during my waiting; even the night before the surgery I slept so well that I didn’t wake up till my alarm clock ran off the next morning.  I asked my husband, “Am I normal to be this calm?”  He gave me a hug and said, “God is with you, that’s why.”

Six months ago, everything about my illness was a blur.  We don’t know the stage and the treatment plan.  Six months later, amazingly I am able to line up my unfolding events with each verse in Psalm 91.

In verses 3 to 10, God talks about terror, flying arrows, deadly pestilence and plaque will come my way and yet none of these can harm me because He is protecting me.  I had done three biopsies.  The results were ductal carcinoma in situ with an invasive component in one area.  This one area turned out to be so small that it was 0.4cm.  Therefore, the surgery that was the first step of treatment also became the only step of treatment, no chemo, and no radiotherapy.  SCCA is a world-class facility.  I am very fortunate to be treated by very good doctors.  But it is a very expensive facility too, especially for someone who has no medical insurance.  Diagnosis alone caused us over 30K dollars.  While my husband and I were thinking about whether we needed to sell our SH house, I accidentally ran into an insurance agent and learned that I was qualified to purchase a new Washington state insurance—Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan with no waiting period required.  It is true that something very dreadful has happened to me and my family.  But God makes sure that we have had the means to get through it.  To me, these were truly nasty stuff came my way, but they missed it because God tugs me under His mighty wings and I am lifted and protected!  Amen.

In verses 11 and 12, God says that He will send His angels to guard me and the angels will lift me up so that I won’t strike my foot against a stone.  My younger son is 15 and attending school in SH.  I won’t be able to settle myself in Seattle for a long period of time if no one can look after him in SH.  One of my very best friends in Shanghai and her husband offered to be Deric’s guardians while my husband and I have stayed in Seattle for my treatment.  Deric moved in to stay with this family after the summer until now. At the beginning of the summer, I rented a basement apartment.  The staircase was very steep.  My husband and I had this fear that I might fall down the stairs after my surgery.  Well, at the end of last July, one of my very good friends whom I know for almost 30 years returned back from her trip and heard my situation.  She called me immediately and invited our entire family to stay with her.  As for herself, she and her husband have been going through some tough personal issues.  We moved in her beautiful home before my surgery and I am still staying there now.  My friend and I have spent a lot of time venting out our thoughts, fears and feelings.  We often collapse in each other’s arm.  But we always are able to draw strength from each other’s support.  After my surgery in Sept, Ps Da and Mary Jo showed up at my door one day to invite me to join the lady care group.  I feel that I have leaped a giant step towards God since attending New Hope International Church and this group. Yes, there is only one word to describe all these people – angels, angels of the Lord.  I love you all.

These are the few jaw-dropping events lined up perfectly with God’s words.  How can one plan for an invasive tumor to be spotted out when it is so tiny?  How can any insurance company be willing to take a customer with a serious condition?  This insurance plan was new and available for less than a year when I have purchased.  How can any one unrelated to you willing to take up the responsibility of being a guardian for a teenager for an unspecified length of time?  My friend who has opened her home to me and my family had never hosted anyone more than a week for the last 30 years in her home and yet I have lived there for six months now.  After listening to all these, one of my friends put everything in perspective, “If this is not by God’s grace, what it is?”  Amen.  Apart from these, there are many small wonders too.  I won’t be able to go through them in detail now.

I have heard a wise saying, “If you can get through the adversity, it will become your treasure.”  I thank God everyday for being so faithful to me and never leave me while allowing me to experience a fuller spectrum of life.  Through this experience, I have drawn a lot closer to God and a lot closer to His people.  I have started to feel that He is not just the all Mighty we need to look heavenward to find.  He is so real like one of my closest friends.  Every night before I go to bed, I long for a moment alone with Him, with His words.  Every Thursday, I long for our care group gathering.  Every Sunday, I long for Ps Lao’s teaching and our fellowship.  Although I am a believer for over 20 years, these longings are new to me.  Thank you, God for reaching out and never giving up on me.

Six months ago, I was forced to open a dreadful chapter of my life—declaring war with breast cancer.  For the past six months, I have been longing to end this chapter with a pleasant note.  That day has finally come.  I went to my oncologist to have a check up last week—my check up result was: “So far so good”.  Although I won’t be able to say that I am cancer free; that precious sentence is reserved for survivors after five years.  For now, “So far so good” is as good as it gets!  Praise the Lord.  I often hear cancer survivors say, “I don’t know how to live before I had cancer.  Cancer is the best thing that happened to me.”  I am not sure I am ready to say that yet.  But don’t be surprised that if you hear me say the same thing in the near future.  Because our God is the expert in turning sufferings into blessings!  Amen.

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