News From Luke!

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There and Back Again!

From China to the U.S. and Back to China

I'm sitting in the living room of my new apartment. It's not new to Denise. She's lived here for several years already, but it is new to me. (She graciously agreed to let me move into her apartment after we married.) Our two dogs, the ones I talked Denise into adopting, are milling about. Bilbo -- yes, we named one of them Bilbo -- likes to bark at everyone that walks by our front window, especially the man that delivers 一桶水, a large bottle of water, to the neighbors. All of this feels very normal; however, being married to Denise is so new.

If you've missed the last few updates on my life, you've missed a lot! May 2016: I started dating Denise. August 2016: We got engaged. January 2017: We got married in South Dakota.

Denise and I headed back to the U.S. in December to catch Christmas with our families. I was lucky enough to meet Santa at the mall. (More about that in the photo link below.) I drank lots of coffee while meeting up with friends. I played mandolin at my church. Everyone kept welcoming me "home." The problem was that the U.S. didn't feel like home. It was strange to be back in such a familiar place and feel like I didn't belong there. China seems like "here" now. The U.S. seems like "there."

After New Year's Day, I planned to fly up to Sioux Falls before the wedding. I missed my flight out of Charlotte to Chicago and pleaded with the gate agent to help me get to Sioux Falls. He had mercy on me and booked me a flight into Omaha, Nebraska. That's as close as he could get me without me having to wait in Chicago for the next flight to Sioux Falls a day later. I made it to Omaha, booked a rental car, and drove the four and a half hours up to Huron, South Dakota where my inlaws live. I pulled into the driveway at two in the morning, and Denise was there on the front porch waiting for me. She was a sight for sore eyes -- even if we had only been apart for a matter of weeks.

The wedding was January 7th, and it was cold and beautiful. There were patches of snow on the ground in the corn fields. I was surprised at how many people flew from so far away to come to this midwestern wedding. Even family from Sweden came! Denise was in her element after the ceremony. She danced with her nieces and nephew and bridesmaids at the reception. I wanted to talk to everyone even though my energy was quickly fading. I asked Denise if we could sneak out. "Let's dance until at least 10PM!" she entreated. I gave in.

Within two days, we were both sick. I was over it in a morning, but Denise definitely had strep throat. It wasn't going down without a fight. Denise slept all day and kept telling me how sorry she was that she had gotten sick on our honeymoon. I went out into town and brought her back lots of juice to drink. We stopped in Sheridan, Wyoming at the urgent care clinic for antibiotics. We both said that it was the "go, go, go" of getting ready for a wedding that broke down our immune systems. Regardless, we were glad that we felt better by the time we made it to Yellowstone National Park.

A few people said we were crazy for wanting to go to Yellowstone on our honeymoon. "But it's so cold," they said. That it was; however, the beauty of the place robed in snow more than made up for the temperature. We had the place to ourselves! Only a few hundred people stay overnight in Yellowstone in the winter. In the summer, that number skyrockets to thousands and thousands. Denise and I watched Old Faithful erupt. We were the only ones there. Well, it was us and a few bison trying to keep warm near the steam vents.

Before returning home to China, we stopped off in Charlotte so Denise could see my 老家, my hometown. More food. Lots of laughing. Lots of late night conversations. It was a wonderful way to finish off our time in the U.S.

When we arrived back to our 家, our home, in China, our neighbors waved and smiled. “你们回来了，” they said, "You came back," a typical understated Chinese way of saying, "Welcome home!"

The Pictures

Below, you'll find a few photos; however, I couldn't fit all of them in an email. Therefore, if interested, here's a link to more photos from our time in the U.S. There are a few wedding photos, lots of photos from Yellowstone, some frome Christmas, and a few more from a day trip we took to the Smoky Mountains while staying in the Charlotte area.

Photos taken by Luke Johnson and Studio 413.

Pray For wisdom as we house five high school girls. Denise and I have agreed to house five high school girls for one week every month during the school year while they attend a homeschool co-op here in Kunming. All the girls are foreigners and live in small towns throughout the province with their families. Without this homeschool co-op, they wouldn't be able to get a Western education easily where they live. It's a great help to their parents for us to house them while they are taught English, Math, and Science here in town. (Denise teaches Biology. I'm substitute teaching English next week.) I'm sure you'll hear more about this in the future... For language learning. Learning Chinese isn't easy or quick, but it is really important. Denise and I don't want to give up or become slack in our Chinese study because this is what continues to help us communicate better with our Chinese friends. For wisdom in how to care for other foreigners. This is something that has been heavy on our hearts. Living in China isn't always easy and sometimes the pressure of living in a foreign country wears you down! We want to learn to care more and more for our foreign friends -- both Christians and non-Christians. How do we do that? We are still working on the details. One way we want to do that is by opening up our home to those who live in cities around China that aren't as nice as ours. Kunming can feel like an oasis to some people coming from desert-like conditions or heavily polluted cities. For our marriage. I have talked to so many people who are ex-pats around the world that say the first thing that usually gets attacked by evil spiritual forces is a marriage. We don't want to live in fear, but we do want to be aware that if we are quick to forgive each other and keep short accounts, the spiritual enemy will exploit that.

Take care,

Official Newsletter for December 2016!!

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"In the meadow we can build a snowman,Then pretend that he is Parson Brown.  He'll say: Are you married? We'll say: No man, But you can do the job, When you're in town. Later on, we'll conspire, As we dream by the fire To face unafraid, The plans that we've made, Walking in a winter wonderland."

Merry Christmas!

I hope that this year finds you surrounded by family and friends. But even if it doesn’t I hope that you have the hope that truly matters. A hope rooted on the life, death, and resurrection of the man whose human life we celebrate on Christmas day!!  

I am spending this Christmas with my family. It will be the first Christmas since 2011 that I have spent with them. I am so excited to be with them. I am excited to fill stockings for my two nieces and two nephews and to sing carols together. It is so exciting to contemplate being with those I love the most. 

This past year has been a very busy one. One that had so many surprises and changes. Last Christmas I was still going to the clinic that I thought may work out for me to be employed by. Last Christmas I was not dating anyone. Last Christmas I taught Biology at the homeschool co-op but I was not housing students. Last Christmas all five of my close women friends were still living in Kunming. Last Christmas I was on a team that was working on Permeate. Last Christmas if you had told me that I would be a year away from almost married I would have laughed in your face. 

This Christmas I plan to continue working with Eden and the Home School Co-op but don’t anticipate any medical work for the time being.  This Christmas I am engaged. This Christmas I am a teacher and a dorm mom. This Christmas all my closet women friends except one have moved out of Kunming. This Christmas I find myself on so many teams but there is no team for Permeate. This Christmas if you told that I would be a mother in a year I may actually believe you. 

There are lots of changes ahead-please continue to lift Luke and I up. I feel a little overwhelmed by all the possible changes. However, Celebrating the King of kings puts everything into perspective.  What changes are upcoming in your life? Please pray for me and Luke to continue to grow in favor with God and man, that we would seek Him first in all our ways, that we would trust and obey, and that we would walk humbly. Please contemplate what or who you are trusting in for your future. I pray that you also will trust in the King of kings to guide and direct your path. 

You will not get a newsletter from us until We have returned back to China sometime after Feb. 

Love and Merry Christmas!

Denise and Luke too!!

Official Newsletter for 2016 October!

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Hi. Last Spring, I told you that I would be coming to America to do more fund raising-which did not happen. I wanted to share with you some of the reasons that I did not return this past summer as well as give you some information about my future. The main reason that I did not return home this summer was mostly to accommodate future plans and decrease additional spending. 

As the time approached for me to return to the States,  I encountered a new life situation. I had been dating my boyfriend, Luke, for a very short time but we had already begun talking about marriage. When my parents asked us what our possible timeline was and we discussed a U.S. wedding in January and then again returning to America in June for required training with Luke’s organization. My mom suggested, I consider not coming back in May and instead when Luke and I return in June of 2017 doing fundraising together. This allows me to be a good steward by limiting the amount of times I return to the states during this next year. I discussed this with Luke as well as my team leader and everyone agreed that this was a better use of funds and time.

By staying here this summer I was able to attend Luke’s team meetings and go with a short-term team to a village. At this point some of you may have already inferred that perhaps this means some changes for me in the future, and that would be correct.  It was not an easy decision, but after careful consideration and much discussion between us as a couple. I have decided to start the process of joining Luke’s organization. In many ways his organization is very similar to the group I work with now.  I encourage you to contact me regarding how to learn more about his organization.

I anticipate continuing the work that I am currently doing with the added bonus of being on a team that is actively working toward helping a people group have access to the Good News in their own heart language. 

Our wedding is planned for January 7, 2017 and we would love your petitions as we prepare things from a distance as well as for our future.  Joining a different organization not only includes many changes for myself, but if you give financially to me there will be changes that will effect you in the future. Since I am not yet accepted as an SIM employee and I don’t know what they will require I will try to keep you all informed. However, I am currently still under supported and could benefit from either 25 supporters raising their monthly support by $20 each or by 25 new supporters giving $20 a month. 

I am excited about the summer of 2017, not only for the opportunity to get to know his organization better but also for the opportunity to introduce you all to Luke. 

2016 Permeate-Return of the King

Thank you to all the people who have donated to, prayed for, inquired about, and attended Permeate 2016. It was a blast. Let me tell you about some of the awesome things that Father did as well as some of the really fun things that we did!

This year, was very different for me personally. I had shared with you all in a previous post/newsletter that I was taking on a new role on the Permeate planning team. Since the two who have been more publicly in charge of Permeate are returning to the States in May, planning the next Permeate (Permeate 2017) will be much more of my responsibility. Therefore, this year we have begun to transfer many of the titles and duties to me. This is exciting and terrifying. Please lift me up.  So because of those new responsibilities, I did not have a small group this year. This was both sad and a blessing. I missed hearing the comments first hand from students who are encountering Father's work in their lives. I missed the enthusiastic excitement about candy or treats from the USA. I missed talking to Father with specific girls for specific things that are on their hearts.

However, I got to be involved in many areas that in the past I just thought magically happened. :) It is exciting to be in on the behind the scenes activity.  One of my favorite parts of the organization and preparation of Permeate was working on the games. Who would have thought games would take so much planning? I didn't. But the student leaders that we had involved did a fabulous job coming up with them.

The really great thing that happened in relation to playing games, was that Father changed the weather for us. The weather forecast stated snow. 

Thursday, the day Permeate started it was cold. Really cold. So part of my job included brainstorming how we could have all the games in doors. This meant that we were also brainstorming how to modify and change some of the games so that they no longer included water. 

 However, Friday afternoon came and the sun was shining and the grass was dry and so we didn't need to use the alternative locations or activities! What a fantastic show of Father's all powerfullness!

We had four different speakers this year, each one spoke on a different aspect of how the truth of The Son's second coming should impact our lives. As a planning team we were not sure how well it was going to go. It was one of the things I was praying for. Asking that Father would help all the speakers' messages to meld well together. Praise the Lord that one of His chief concerns is that His word would be understood and taken in by His children.

Spoke on: The way to the Father and his house: John 14:1-14 

Spoke on: Resurrection life and being anchored on Christ: 1 Corinthians 15: 35-58

Spoke on: Suffering and Future Glory: Romans 8:16-25

Spoke on: New Heavens and New Earth: Revelation 21:1-22:5

 I feel that Father used their messages to not only touch the students by me as well. It is exciting to remember that we have a King who is preparing a place for us. A place where there will be no sun because He will be the sun for us!


Every year we have one night where we have extended worship and prayer. We usually take the the theme of the year and do something related to it during the evening. Since our theme for 2016 was Return of the King we focused on Revelation and the prayers for the seven churches. We talked about what each church needed prayer for and encouraged them to see where their needs fit into one of those prayers. We spent time praying for ourselves and for one other student. Then we spent time praying for the nations. That since Jesus is the Hope of all Nations and that one day there would be people from all nations, and tongue, and tribe gathered before His throne we could be praying for His Kingdom on earth. One of the leaders posted on Facebook: "During our Permeate worship night, we prayed over our nations as a mixed group and one of the kids brought up the amazing fact that we as believers get to be united in every election. Not because we agree on the candidates, but because we agree we should honor, respect, and pray for our elected officials! Beautiful reminder from a great kid!"

This night is often one filled with tears and excitement. The planning team received a note from a student telling us that the worship night was hugely impacting her to see God's heart and that she would be forever changed by it. Another young woman chose to start a new start with her King that night. 

 

 

"The Band" was exhausted after 3 hours of playing Rock and Worship Music. Epic is generally how it is described. Songs like: My Lighthouse, God's Not Dead, Happy Day, and Forever were just some of the anthems we proclaimed late into the night. 

  

It was a weekend full of fun, laughter, growing, and experiencing the Holy Spirit. For those of you who donated scholarships to students I wanted to let you know that we were able to provide scholarships to 18 families. Thank you so very much.  


Thank you to all who signed up for prayer slots. Having it covered in prayer is very important to us and you partnering with us in this way is very precious. I strongly believe that our minimal medical problems is in part due to your faithful petitions. 

  

One thing that we got to participate in this year was a homeless ministry. Every year the conference center requires us to purchase a dinner meal that we do not use. This year, instead of just forfeiting that money, we chose to purchase the food and packaged it up and sent it to some individuals who carried out a homeless feeding ministry. We were able to provide food for 35 families, and 40 individuals. We were also notified that that night, one person who received food also received a new life in JC. PTL!!

The last night we had arranged to have a bon fire and s'mores. It was very lovely. When the guards lit the fire the anticipation was very high. We are very thankful that no one died. 

 

All in all it was a great success. We were tired but happy by the time we got home. 

Next year we will miss Nate and Mikayla. They have been wonderful examples of God's hands and feet to the ex-pat youth of Kunming. We have been blessed to have them in our lives and we look forward to seeing how Father uses and works in them in their next season of life. 

For those of you scrolling through these pictures and thinking-Wow that looks like fun! You too could be involved. We are also in need of some full time youth workers-so if you are or know someone who wants to work with youth feel free to contact me. These kids are precious and thirsty to know God more. 

Thank you for all that you have done to support this conference and to support me in it! 

Denise