Bridge Building…

Posted January 4th, 2011 by John. Comments Off.

An excerpt from Jim & Jacquie Tanner’s “Tanner Times.” December 2010:
Author, speaker and Campus Crusade staff member Rick James spoke about Jesus in an engaging, funny and challenging way at an incredible event attended by 1100 students at UW-Madison, Wisconsin. (I used to work for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in Madison back in the 80′s.)

“After the event, one student remarked, ‘I liked how Rick defined religion: “bridge building.” He talked about how all religions agree that certain actions or desires are wrong: hatred, murder, rape, etc. All religions will also agree that humanity often strays from the right path and creates distance from God. Almost all will provide a solution of counter-acting this waywardness with good behavior as a way to build a bridge to God.

Rick went on to talk about what is different about Christianity. ‘God builds the bridge for us. Jesus is the bridge builder in that he came to earth and paid for our shortcomings (sins) by dying for them. Jesus put a bridge where we failed to, so we can find God without religion.’ Students saw that access to God is about a relationship with Jesus, not following a formula for how to gain God’s favor. Fifty-one of them indicated their decision to place their trust in Christ for eternal life!”

As we traveled in Asia we met a man at a road block and while we waited and talked this man soon learned that I did not have a Chinese name. (it is common to be given a Chinese name if you live in China) He decided that he wanted to give me the name “Tian Chiaow.” This means “bridge to heaven.” Little did he know that I cannot build bridges, but can only point others to the true “bridge builder” Jesus Christ. We had many opportunities to do so on the trip “West.”

Young Man at Road Block


Meeting up with same man hours later...

张天桥
My given name in Chinese. It means, “Bridge to heaven…”

Return to Point of Origin December 6

Posted November 24th, 2010 by John. Comment (1).

Next post will be no earlier than December 6, 2010. Keep on praying as we head west.
May God be with you all!

Heading West…

Posted November 24th, 2010 by John. Comments Off.

Hi! I made it to my city destination in the large country of C* Thank you for all of your prayers and love and support!!!

Today we had a planning day. We leave early tomorrow to head out West. This will be an excursion into a new world (as is C*), but this will be the world of the friends that I have now met here. I’m excited to see what they have seen and is on their hearts!

Pray for:
safety, traveling mercies (72 hours one way to destination…we will be traveling it in segments)…God’s leading and our hearing Him! Open ears and eyes…And for protection from elevation sickness and the ability to stay warm in very cold country. I am adjusting slowly after living in an eternal summer (the last 7 months has been summer for me). I feel the cold at an elevation of 1500 ft. We will be crossing a pass of 14,000 feet and then heading on to a plateau of 12,000 feet for the next 2 weeks. It will be below freezing.
John

Faces of Phuket

Posted November 16th, 2010 by John. Comments Off.
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General Images of Phuket…

Posted November 7th, 2010 by John. Comment (1).

Here are some glimpses into life and culture in Phuket, Thailand:

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