The following is a blog I wrote while in China....

At 2:28 p.m. local time today, an entire nation stopped.

We are in Xi'An (pronounced she=yawn) on the last leg of our trip.  As I am sure you all know, last week a massive earthquake rocked China, killing thousands.  The next three days are days set aside for national mourning, and today, at 2:28 p.m., people lined the streets as Tornado/Thunderstorm/Bomb/Whatever-you-want-to-call-them sirens wailed.  People layed on their horns, Emergency Vehicles turned on their sirens, a nation mourned.

It is hard to not do the same, being here.  In fact, I believe we are CALLED to do the same.

Let us love.

Please pray for China, the cyclone in Myanmar, and the rest of our trip.

We will be home shortly.

I love it here, but I am ready to be back close to my girlfriend, and close to my accountability group.

Blessings,
Justin

I am back in the states, now, and though I am thankful for the opportunity to have spent almost 3 weeks of my life in another country, I am so thankful and so glad to be back.  I definitely missed my girlfriend and am definitely happy and blessed that I can see her and get to talk to her daily (numerous times a day, too!!!)

ah!  i like her so much.  shes so beautiful.  TOO beautiful for me.   (she even admits it!  she tells me, and qute often, that "Justin, I just want you to know that I am hotter than you" or "Justin, youre beautiful, but not as beautiful as me" or...while flipping her hair..."ah, yes.  i am so gorgeous.  there is truly none as beautiful as i am)

now....she does all of that, and im sure you may be thinking, "wow...what a prideful girl"

but, alas!   that is her being humble!

its true...its true.

i got a job at latham springs this summer, only an hour away from my beauty, and i am super excited about it.  with for sure weekends off, i'll get to see her ATLEAST every weekend.

so excited

God is sooo good.

period.

He is my Love and my LIfe.  There is none like Him.  I love Him so much.  All glory to our Father!

and...one last thing...

I'M IN LIKE MY BEAUTIFUL GIRLFRIEND!!!!!!

im in hong kong now, and its awesome!  i love it!  i just got off of a 25 hour train ride about 3 horus ago.

everythings so fast, its so awesome!  already, in the first 3 hours of being here, i ran into a group of native indians (from india) who were singing praises to our Father!  I got to pray with them and it was awesome!  it was also awesome to see women singing with the men, working hand in hand, spreading the Good News, because women in Indian culture are typically looked down upon.  it's amazing how Christ changes things!

I felt that my ministry in coming to china (hong kong is NOT part of China.  so I can speak openly about things) would be to encourage, and as i'm seeing now, to be encouraged by, fellow Believers.  I wondered how I would find them/how they would find me, but it's just been happening.

I went to a Chinese Three-Self Church (the registered church in China) when in Beijing, and it was awesome.  I saw the Spirit of God at work in ways that I have never seen it before.  So, for those of you wondering about the authenticy of Believer in the "Registered" Chinese Church, it's real.  It's a shame that we don't see that happening in America, where we don't have to be "registered."  That pastor at the church i went to, by the way, was a women.  again, another sad thing is that we dont allow that in our churches.  but thats just it....its "our" churches in America, and not God's Church.

Upon arrival in Hong Kong, i went to a park and heard singing.  I sat down close to the group (about 7), and a guy approached me with a Gospel track.  His name, I believe, was John.  I got to visit with him and the pastor and pray with them.   Say a prayer for him (John) and the church, please, as they minister to the people in Hong Kong.  It is SUCH  a diverse city.

Thanks for the prayers!  There is more I would like to share but time is short.  I am charged for the internet (about 1.50 for 10 mins....not too bad...but there are gifts to buy), and there is a city to see.  tomorrow is buddhas birthday, so pray for those who are coming to celebrate that, that there eyes will be open to the Truth of the Gospel, and that the Christians here, such as John and the people at Living Water Fellowship (the church the group attends) will, as Paul says, "make the most of every opportunity," that eyes will be open and that souls will be saved.....and by saved, i dont mean a "get out of hell free card" because thats not what salvation is; pray that they will recieve eternal life NOW, that they would bring heaven to earth NOW, that Christ would reign NOW.

Blessings, Grace, and Peace to you all in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has washed us with His blood!  Hallelujah, AMEN!

"Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should. Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be gracious and seasoned with salt so that you will have the right response for everyone." - Colossians 4:2-6   my favorite verses.

Also, pray for a specific group I met in China.
I know nothing more.

The Lord loves you.
Love Him.

  So, for the first time ever, I have a girlfriend, and, might I say, she is quite the girlfriend.  God has blessed me so unbeliveably much, and it's so crazy how happy Johanna is!  It makes me ridiculously happy and excited just seeing her ridiculously happy and excited!  AAAGGGHHH!!!  SHE'S SO UNBELIEVABLY FREAKIN BEAUTIFUL AND AWESOME!!!  I'M SO EXCITED AND BLESSED!!!  THANK YOU, FATHER!!!!

in other news, my grandpa had a stroke a while back, and is currently in a nursing home, and, if everything works out, i'm going to see about going down to corpus this weekend and maybe bringing the princess (aka johanna.  shes my girlfriend) with me.  we'll have to wait and see, though.

so...thus...another adventure commences, and prayer is appreciated.  heres the two pictures that most of yall have already seen, but i'm going to post them again, simply because i am proud to be with that beautiful princess!