Just a happy event to tell the Family:
The two Underground churches here met in the only vegetarian restaurant in the capital after worship today to break bread....errr...rice...in peace and celebrate my birthday.
I say peace for several reasons. No muslims go there as it is a Buddhist place, complete with little shrine with candles and incense in the back of the room. So we could talk about the Lord with no limits, pray over the meal (NO; the bill will be settled tommorrow, not on Sabbath), and continue Adventist style Sabbath conversation, some of it about you, dear Mission supporters and MSDAOL posters.
Also, it was a rare occassion for the two groups to meet together, as it is illegal to have even home gatherings of over 10 people for religious purposes.
It was a new thing for the saints of four nations to praise God and be together. The irony of being in a Buddhist place, where few speak beyond basic basic English didn't go unnoticed.

And, many saints got to try the yummy veggie treats that only the Chinese know how to make. Of course the Twenty-somethings were a bit picky!

So unity in a odd setting: I'll take brotherhood in Christ whenever or wherever He is.

Oh! And the birthday cake was the best I have had since the Mission began four years ago!

What a wonderful story Ikan! It sounds as if it was a fabulous time, birthday notwithstanding. Fortunately for us, God sees no setting as unusual, only as an opportunity!

Happy Birthday to you! I pray God's blessings will continue to be on you in the coming year.

Hey there, Momma Moss! How's the wee baby?
Yeah, that was an unforgettable birthday, alright. The Chinese owners have never had so many non-Chinese in his tiny eatery before. Jesus spans all cultures if we open the doors of our hearts to Him and them.

Amen Ikan! What a blessing that must have been to be with brethren of one accord.
Yet for some reason I can almost imagine the good food that was eaten!! (I think I am getting hungry)
It's hard for me to imagine such restrictions placed on our brethren in such an unlikely place to meet i.e. Buddhist location, but the Lord will make all things work out for the better.
Oh by the way happy 21st hahaha
God Bless & Happy Sabbath,
Will

That is one birthday celebration I would have liked to have attended! I have always supported Missions every way I could...except to go. When several of my church went to Hondouras, I didn't try to go, but we gave personal support in the preparations. My husband even made two trips to an Army base to buy 10 large duffle bags for the pastor and members to take clothes, medicines, etc.

But, I have gotten so personally involved in your work in *Borneo*, I have wished we were young enough to go help in a mission somewhere. The young man, Josh, mentioned last night how "neat" it must be. Of course, he doesn't have any idea just how it is, nor do we. But, I know you have to rely on our Lord every day, every hour.

Our prayers are with you and the others there.

In His Love,
Dora

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* = Removed but then replaced again after seeing it was used by Ikan in another post. - Daryl.

[ March 28, 2004, 12:23 PM: Message edited by: Daryl Fawcett ]

Isn't it amazing how God leads his people!

When i visited Taiwan it got to be a ritual around meal time to look for the backwards swastika because that meant vegetarian food!! (yes, i know it is a religious symbol).

In many parts of the world, especially India, being vegetarian is a great entering wedge for the gospel of Jesus Christ. They think all Christians are ancestor eaters (beef, pork etc.). God gave us the health message so we could reach these groups more easily too.

Here in Japan you don't have to do anything underground, but i still doubt you could get 10 members from any one church to meet together for a vegetarian meal. God doesn't want us to be persecuted, but we too often get lazy when we have it good, and follow our own inclinations.

Do they eat with their fingers there Ikan-san? Chopsticks? Forks? Do the countrymen there usually eat lots of meat? Are you very skinny? Am i asking too many questions

I'll answer one of those -- he's NOT skinny.

haha
That's neat. You see here in Japan, people look at me with a knowing eye when i say i'm vegetarian, and say "That's why" (you're so skinny). I wish i could show them that eating vegetables doesn't necessarily mean you have to be skinny, but this way is better than being overweight i guess

No, not too many questions, Grasshopper-san!
The Chinese here eat with chopsticks or forks, whichever they are in the mood for. The Tamils (South Indians to you "round eyes") have a special "banana leaf day" at their restaurants, where you do eat with your well scrubbed fingers. My wife loves that. There's a trick to it, too.

Sadly, there are no true veggies here from what we have seen, either, Dan.

My "non-skinniness", Mr. John, is partially due to having no gall bladder, ex-smoker, ex-drinker, ex-Germany chef. But all those together and you don't get Twiggy! Oddly enough, I have been taking massive doses of B-3 all my life, thanks to a health-nut Mom, and my blood-work always comes out like a 25 year old's since salvation! It shocks doctor's and opens doors for the veggie life story and temperance.

No gall bladder? How can you live without that???

The Dusuns, and the regular Malays or whatever, how do they eat?

Are you Germanic, or just a chef in Germany for awhile?

The B-3, is that good for health somehow? How do you take it? Can you get all your vitamin needs in the food there?

You see, i went to help a self-supporting pastor in Madras (Chennai) 6 years ago (got a pic on the net with yours truly eating off a banana leaf too). After being there for 3 months my hair started to fall out in alarming quantities. A travelling Australian evangelist who goes to India often says the ground is so poor, that even if you eat to be full, you don't get your vitamins. He gets white hair after being in India a few months. Getting back to beloved Japan after that, i downed tons of seaweed, and the hair loss pretty much stopped after 3 days. Maybe being away from a bad situation there with the constantly-looking-for-a-way-to-cheat-you Indians helped too

[ April 11, 2004, 10:44 AM: Message edited by: danielw ]