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The most memorable moment for me was when Pastor John told us to face one wall, then face the other as we made the choice to say yes to God as Father. It was an extraordinarily powerful moment for me, and the culmination of the past couple of weeks as I had been focused on the concept of God as Father, and me as one of His beloved daughters. I found Pastor John's mannerisms amusing and personable, but more than that, I felt that he spoke with so much grace, gentleness, and frankness. His clear explanation of how we could respond to God's calling as Asian Americans pinpointed many hesitations within myself, including my need for good hygiene and knowing (and controlling!) what lies in the future. The subject of the conference brought up much for me in the past week and a half since then, where I have confronted more of my own beliefs about my failures as a "good" Chinese daughter (such as the fact that I don't attend an Ivy League but a private, liberal arts college, am majoring in English instead of computer engineering, math, or science, and haven't finished all levels of Academy or CM for piano.) 

The entire day was really amazing and incredibly personal for me; it addressed through the workshop and 'special music' time some of my personal issues with music (although I help lead worship at my college fellowship, I am very self-conscious and constantly feel inadequate in terms of my musical and leadership skills). Although I'd been thinking about attending the music in ministries workshop, I had reservations concerning it because I was afraid of my own inadequacy and thought that it only applied to professionals. After Larissa Lam sang the song she wrote, however, I repented of my hesitations- it was so heartfelt, so simple, and so true. I stood there in that auditorium weeping, shaking silently. The truth I learned, and am still learning, is that it is truly about Jesus and how He continues to show His love to us and through us. My admissions concerning my insignificance and thus an inability to reveal God through my voice, music, and way of living paled in comparison to this truth; so I went to the workshop, and had a pretty fantastic time.   

I was called to missions for the rest of my life at Urbana 2009, when a lady, the wife of one of the aid workers who was recently murdered in Afghanistan, stood up and gave her testimony. Since then, I have become steadily aware of the pettiness of my own problems, and how lacking my heart is when I face the sorrowful heart of God, who so longs for reconciliation, justice, and mercy in the world. Although I lead a Bible study and play on worship team, I am still just as inadequate, just as deficient in my heart for other people. My hope while in college is to volunteer and teach at a transition home for those who previously had no homes, and to seek (with greater intentionality and prayer) more spiritual conversations with others. I hope that one day, when I see my God and Redeemer upon the earth, He will say that my meager gift to Him is enough and that it glorifies Him.  Thank you so much for hosting this conference. 

I truly believe it was a gift from God to those who attended.     - Vicky Yang, Alhambra Christian Fellowship
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We had the awesome privilege to interview Kay Warren of Saddleback Church.  She is supportive of our conference and believes in our cause to mobilize the Asian American church for global evangelism.  In this video, she shares the passion that God has put on her heart to reach out to the AIDS victims in Africa.  Please take a minute to hear her heartfelt testimony.  You can also read about her story in her new book "Dangerous Surrender".   
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Hi everyone!  The PFN T-shirt is finally here!  Please support the cost of the conference by purchasing a Tshirt.  We printed our shirts through Faces Behind the Label www.facesbehindthelabels.com  which use the profit to share the love of Christ with migrant workers around the world.  
The cost is $16 each shirt, but if you purchase 2 more more, they are $15 each.  We only made 300 of them.  Once they're gone, they're gone.  Colors available: RED, BLUE, BROWN
It makes a great birthday or Christmas gift for anyone 15-35 years old. 
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On Friday Night, September 10, 2010, we promoted PFN Conference at a "Back to Jerusalem" event at Cottonwood Church.   The main speaker was Brother Yun, the "Heavenly Man".  He was a powerful evangelist in China who got persecuted for many years.  He now travels all over the world to share the vision of bringing the gospel back to Jerusalem.  For me, the most memorable moment was when Brother Yun said that "God is moving mightily in the Middle East, and there is going to be a massive holy book exchange!"  He meant that God will move greatly among the Muslims and they will exchange their Koran for a Holy Bible.  The Word of God is able to change lives!  


We were privileged to meet him and had him pray for us.  
KC Liu
Director of PFN2010
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On Sunday, June 13, 2010, I had a chance to promote Passion for the Nations at First Chinese Baptist Church of Walnut for their annual missions conference.  Thanks to Glenys of OMF International for inviting us to participate!  I had the privilege to talk to many college students as well as little kids.  Seeing all the children around, I sense God's love for them and wanting to use them for His Kingdom. I hope we will have a Children's Track within the next 3-5 years.  I was also glad to see Faces Behind the Label next to our booth. 
KC Liu
Director of PFN 2010
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Thanks to everyone who attended the May 1, 2010 Breakfast Vision Sharing!  We had about 35 Asian American leaders come.  It was very informative and interactive because everyone had valuable input.  Here are some pictures from the event.
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“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

In January, I first heard about a certain missions conference.  I immediately knew that it was NOT for me. Several weeks went by when someone mentioned it again in a meeting. My curiosity heightened for the sake of sending other people there.  While I was perusing the brochure, lo and behold I strongly sensed that God was nudging ME to consider attending too…I thought, “I came back from overseas serving as a missionary for more than a decade…”. 

However, the Lord didn’t leave me alone…he kept saying, “just go and see what happens”.  Another reason I couldn’t go was because Ross and I had a previous engagement that day. I started to pray for wisdom since I knew God is more stubborn than I am.  To make a long story short, the Lord arranged to reschedule our previous appointment to an earlier date… Finally, I gave in to His plan…no more excuses I could come up with. So, I went.

Through the conference, God not only spoke to my heart, rekindling my passion for the nations, but he also initiated a divine appointment to orchestrate the process of bringing the movement to our EBCSGV site on Saturday, October 2 next fall. I am so thankful to be a catalyst by responding to his voice in my heart.   

We are grateful for this opportunity to host and partner with Passion for the Nations because its purpose coincides with the focus of our outreach ministries.  Our emphasis encourages and educates people to grow further in their faith by developing a stronger burden to bring Christ to their community, nation and overseas.  Moreover, Evergreen’s new slogan is to love God and love others (Matthew 22:37-39; the greatest commandment).  Isn’t God’s timing so perfect!    

It will be an awesome opportunity for our church family to participate in the movement with this heart-awakening one-day missions conference not only for us, but for others in Southern California and beyond.  You will be hearing more about this exciting event as the New Year unfolds.  Looking forward to ministering with you!

  Kay Carey  (Evergreen Church Staff)
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What kind of event would draw over 400 Asian-Americans from 85 different churches in southern California?  A one-day seminar on “Finding the right spouse”?  Or “Discovering a career that’s right for you?”  How about “Ways to improve communication with your parents?”  Or “Growing Asian-American churches”?  Actually…none of these!  Rather, the participants of this event all came together because they were captured by one common vision:  To exchange their Asian-American dream for the God-sized dream that impacts the nations! 

The Passion for the Nations Conference was held on March 14, 2009. Behind Passion for the Nations conference is a partnership of over 10 different organizations, united together by a single desire: to mobilize the Asian-American congregations to abandon their own plans and become more intentionally engaged in God’s global purpose.

The attendance far exceeded everyone’s expectations!  But it wasn’t just that a lot of people showed up; it’s that they showed up with a sense of readiness to respond.  The atmosphere throughout the entire day was one of longing to hear from God and eagerness to take action! A number of pastors and missions leaders commented during the conference: “God is definitely doing something very special here!”

At the end of the conference, as the various missions organizations were wrapping up their display booths, one representative said to me:  “We have had more people sign-up to join our ministry from this one-day conference of 400 people, than from the past two years being at a local seminary’s missions conference which lasts 3 days and has over 2,000 people in attendance!”  Incredible!  Indeed, God has been preparing this demographic of people to respond to His global heart!

One of the plenary speakers, after the evening session, said to me in amazement: “Wow…I was not ready for this!”  I responded: “You know what?  Neither were we!”  Once in a while you just happen to get involved in something and suddenly, it becomes clear that what is happening is way beyond any group of people or any organizations’ doing.  And that the only reasonable explanation is that it is simply the work of God! Passion for the Nations was such an event.

People at the conference were inspired by messages from Asian-American pastors with global visions. Furthermore, their perspectives were broadened from workshops held by missionaries, seminary professors, and missions mobilizers on topics ranging from Business as Missions to Cross-cultural Ministry, from HIV/AIDS to Spiritual Warfare, from Reaching Int'l Students to Serving Long-term Overseas.  The hope is for each person to discover their unique place in God’s salvation plan for the nations!

Could it be that God desires to raise up thousands of Asian-Americans…some to be released into the most neglected parts of the world, and others to live intentionally radical lives in the U.S. with a love for all peoples? Is it upon God's heart to invite more Asian-Americans to invest their lives for the sake of the gospel and on behalf of the poor and the oppressed around the world?

God has given Asian-Americans a unique and strategic role in declaring His glory and displaying His love among all nations. Caught between two cultures, the Asian-American has the blend of American education and resources together with Asian family and social values. This bi-cultural identity makes them very suitable for cross-cultural ministry among some of the least reached people groups on earth!

The overwhelming response to Passion for the Nations 2009 conference confirmed what many already had an intuition about...namely, that God is doing something unique and significant among this generation of Asian-Americans in terms of global missions involvement.  Essentially, here is an army of bi-cultural, educated, motivated, tech-savy people, hungering for a purpose greater than what their parents have in mind for them and what the American society tries to sell them. 

The question now is: Will we move from inspiration to action?  Will this generation of Asian-Americans rise up and take their role in the expansion of God’s kingdom into all the world?  For us to respond to what God longs to do through us will require significant sacrifice, perseverance, faith, and courage?  Are we ready?

A large number of post-conference surveys indicated that people are wanting to see this conference held on a regular basis.  But more importantly, it is clear that God is moving.  So plans are already progressing for Passion for the Nations 2010!  Be on the lookout for what the King of kings is doing!  We hope to see you there…for the sake of His renown among all nations, language, tribes, and people.

 

 
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Mia shared her testimony at the '09 PFN Conference
Our family immigrated here and like many other immigrants, my parents wanted the best for my brother and me. I went onto a major university and became a Christian there. Towards the end of college, I met a guy who was very successful and had my heart set on marrying him. But the relationship eventually ended. Things with my parents at home had also been rough for years since I started seriously pursuing God. There was a lot of persecution. My brother would curse at God then and taunt me frequently about my faith. Those days I felt as though I was walking alone. But God was in control. Soon an opportunity came up to spend a year in China to do missions. I never thought about missions before, but being single suddenly made me stronger and hungry for God.  All my hopes and dreams were wrapped around a guy and a status of life, is that all I am? The mission field seemed the perfect place to experience God.  The only obstacle was my family. I think God in his wisdom knew then I was not strong or wise enough to deal with my family, so He made it easy for me. And surprisingly my dad gave me the green light. Truly, neither my dad nor I knew what he said yes to at that time in my life.
And the year I spent in China was amazing. I saw what I read about in the book of Acts with mine own eyes. There was a moment when I moved to a smaller rural town that I felt God distinctly spoke to me about being a long term missionary. You see missions have its costs too. For a single woman, it was mostly loneliness and the lack of comfort of home.  I lived on the 7th floor and there were no elevators. For half a year, I have lived alone and climbed up and down those steps carrying heaters, luggage, groceries, my tired body, and that simple place was what I called home. My last day there, as I moved out that evening and took a final look up those dimly lit steps again, I felt like God was assuring me all those times He was watching me. It was a very short moment, but I felt very loved. And I pictured all my life up till that point and it made total sense to me. I am to use what I have to reach the world.

Two months after that moment, God impressed upon me the need to fast and pray for my family. So I committed to fast every Thursday and was not going to give up. These fasts really gave me faith to make my next decision. My initial one year mission commitment ended, but I wanted to stay longer because I just knew my work was not finished. Then again came the pressure of my family. I was 25 years old and they were worried about my job situation and whether or not I was going to get married. I remember my dad threatened to disown me and never see me again. I did not know how to honor them without disobeying God. My team leader at the time challenged me to keep communicating my heart to my parents even though I was faced with discouragement. I felt God’s challenge to take honoring my parents seriously. In my heart, I have always seen them up to that point as sort of enemies to the gospel. They were simply in my way. But scripture is very clear in the command to honor them. I did not in my heart give much thought to my parents.  With a changed attitude, I called my dad again and was able to really talk to him about staying longer. For all my life, he has seen me like a little kid, but that conversation he felt that I was sincere. He felt heard by me. He said to give him three days to decide and he will call me later. I thought for sure he was going to say no after three days. But I was comforted by the verse in proverbs that says “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, he directs it wherever he pleases.” I thought if the kings heart is in the Lord’s hands, surely my father’s heart is! I had peace about whatever decision for I knew through scripture the Lord was going to guide my dad. His call came three days later and granted me 9 more months in China.

And God used those additional 9 more months to have me pray and fast every week. After a year of fasting, I began to see changes in my family. First it started with my brother. I saw him when he came to visit me in China and gave him a Bible track to read. He emailed me a few days later and said, “Mia, tonight I read the Bible track, it was everything I have been searching for. I have become a Christian tonight.” Ever since that day, my brother has been growing leaps and bounds in his faith. God had gotten a hold of my brother’s life, and a year after I got back from China, my brother answered God’s call to him and spent a year as a missionary in China too. After coming back from that year, he is waiting now to return long term.

My brother was not the only exciting thing that happened since I have been back. The month of my return, my parents went to church with me for the first time! When we stood next to each other shoulder to shoulder in church that Sunday morning, I experienced God’s faithfulness. I could not even stand through one whole worship song without pinching myself to wake up from it all.  Later that week, the pastor of the church visited my parents at home and shared with them the gospel. I remember my mom looked at my dad and said, “Well, I am ready, are you ready?” My dad said, “Me? I have been ready” And that night my entire family celebrated.

It’s been 5 years since I have been back from my time as a single person in China. Since then, God has provided for me a stable job in teaching and I have also gotten married to a wonderful man whom I actually met on the mission field. A year ago, God blessed us with a beautiful daughter, and I am now going through the stage of being a first time mom. My husband and I have not forgotten that sacred call God placed in our hearts. We are planning to return to China with our daughter sometime next year.

Of course, my parents are not thrilled about this.  Missionary was not what they wanted me to become. I am still applying and learning what it means to honor them. I have learned that honoring our parents takes a lot of wisdom. It has looked different each time, but the bottom line is listening and solving their concerns, speaking truth in love, more listening, being gentle, proactive, and sometimes all these things at the same time, so it really requires me to be spiritually vigilant. I shall try and do everything possible to get their blessing for us to go. And if I have done everything possible and exhausted all the resources, then I will follow God. 

My lifetime mentor told me that, God is not a useful God who we use as a means to our end, but he calls us to surrender to His sovereign care so we can be used by God. I encourage you who are considering going overseas to simply begin pursuing it daily in prayer, ask others who have gone what it may be like, actively search out answers to your questions. Brothers and sisters, let’s leave behind the things that entangle and hinder us. Jim Elliot says “God makes his ministers flames of fire.” He asked himself “am I ignitable?” I leave you and me with that same question “are you ignitable?”

It says in Matthew 13:44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field." Jesus is worth our possessions and securities. And Jesus will take care of his workers. I encourage you to seek and spend time with God. Ask him to bring revival to your heart. Die to him daily and bear up our crosses. Take the persecution, take the uncertainties, loneliness, build up long suffering for your family, and God will help you at the break of day.

Interested in serving in China or simply want to connect with Mia?  Email her at inobedience@gmail.com






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