Black Friday and Beyond

 

Metro Beat
Vol. 2, Issue 5

A Time of Discovery
Black Friday was a source of fascination for many of my international students this year. They were full of questions before the event as to when to get to the stores, how many times had I gone in the past, was I planning on going to several sales, etc. They were absolutely stunned when I told them my biggest plan this year was to stay home and miss the shopping entirely. Didn't every American go to Black Friday sales?

This experience serves to illustrate one of the most interesting challenges of ministering to people from other cultures: the battle against misconceptions. Just as we sometimes have preconceived notions as to what people from a foreign country are like or find important, so, too, do visitors to our country often have false ideas about us on their arrival here. For example, some internationals believe that the majority of Americans are Christians. We know from experience that, sadly, this is far from being the case.

A related challenge is the fact that so much of the teaching about Christianity in their home cultures is vague, at best. Even some of the believers from these other countries have had little solid teaching, resulting in huge gaps in their knowledge of the Bible and how God works in our lives. Although the teacher in me enjoys shedding light on these areas during our Bible studies, at times the task seems very daunting.

Would you pray for me as I attempt, in God's strength, to teach truth in a way that all the people I work with can understand? Language and cultural barriers can be formidable, but with God's help they can be overcome.

A Time of Giving
 One thing that seems to be extremely important to many of the people I work with, no matter the culture, is the spirit of giving. The gifts are sometimes fairly expensive, but more often they are small things, tokens of friendship that serve to brighten my day. I wish I could learn to put into practice the habitual generosity my students are teaching me. But more importantly, I pray that the gift that I do share with them, the Gospel, will be accepted for the life-changing present that it is.

As we move closer to that time of celebrating God's phenomenal gift to us in the person of His son, Jesus Christ, may we truly learn to embrace that spirit of giving by offering more of the hope we have in Him to others in the year to come. May we learn to share the love of Christ daily with a world that is desperate for the Good News.



Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for my father. The new medicine has helped Dad a lot with his pain, and his appetite has improved. Pray for even better days for him.

Continue to pray for my progress in Chinese. I did well on the mid-term exam, but my final is next week.

Pray that both Joyce and I would be the best possible parents to our children. With all of the craziness associated with balancing two households and maintaining a ministry, our family life often suffers.

Please continue to pray for our support needs. God continues to meet our needs in miraculous ways, but more support would definitely help ease some of the pressure on us.


May your Christmas and New Year be filled with the joy of His presence.

Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

Sisters, Sisters...

Metro Beat
Vol. 2, Issue 4

A New Sibling in Christ

 "I accepted Christ two weeks ago!"

I'm sure my face must have been glowing when I was told that. Her face was smiling and bright, as well. She followed up her announcement to me by saying she was looking forward to her baptism. "Susie," as I'll call her for sake of anonymity, is from a restricted-access country and is one of the individuals I have been working with off and on for the past year. She started to attend a local church a few months ago, and after several exposures to the Gospel and the lives of Christian friends she discovered that she needed Jesus in her life.

I feel so privileged to play a role in the lives of these young people coming to Christ, and it is truly humbling and awe-inspiring to see how God uses not only me but so many other people and experiences to bring these individuals to Himself. Your prayers and support are a huge part of the overall pattern that God weaves together to call these foreign visitors to the Oklahoma City metro area into His kingdom. So please celebrate with me the joy of our having a new sister in Christ.

And Yet Another Sister (and Brother)

 One of my other students that you have been praying for recently came to Christ, as well. "Julie" made her decision in August and was baptized along with her husband (also a new believer) last month. The church she attends is loving and warm and has been crucial in bringing both her and her husband to Christ. To say that this couple brings new joy to my life would be an understatement. In our Bible studies they are like sponges, absorbing the Word with an eagerness and enthusiasm I have rarely witnessed. Julie, especially, seems to hang on every word. Please pray that her love for God and His Word will continue to grow and that He will use both her and her husband mightily in the future.

More Family Coming?

The Lord continues to touch the hearts of the people we are working with. Two other girls from Asian countries are asking good questions and showing interest in the Gospel. One asked me to give her a name from the Bible the other day to use among English speakers, which prompted Julie to ask me for one, too. Names have special significance in Asian cultures, so please pray that I will have God's wisdom in choosing which names to give when I am asked.

And Even More Opportunities

The work with Haitians may be expanding for us. I recently met a refugee woman from there who is interested in learning English. Her employer, also a Haitian, is willing to give her time off to study. Please pray for wisdom to know when and where to meet. Also, please pray for the Haitian couple we have been meeting with occasionally for a Bible study. Due to their work schedules and how far away they live, getting together is very difficult. Please pray for the Lord to clear the way for us to have more frequent times together, or provide someone who lives closer to work with them.

Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for my parents' health. Dad has good days and bad days, but is in pain for most of them. Please pray for some relief from the pain and for his spirits to be lifted.

Pray for my progress in Chinese. I'm doing well, I believe, and my general comprehension of the spoken language is growing. Still, I am miles away from being where I want to be.

Continue to pray for Joyce and her roles in managing both households while I'm out and about. I couldn't do what I do without her, but her load is heavier than either of us would like.

Our support is still very low, but God recently added a new church, Christ's Church of Yukon, to our support team. Please keep praying for more support to come in. We value you so much as our partners in this ministry.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

A Reason to Celebrate

Metro Beat
Vol. 2, Issue 3

New Freedom

 America celebrates its independence this month, but recently we had the opportunity to witness a freedom of a different kind in the Chinese Fellowship group. Francis, a Taiwanese man who was attending the Fellowship's Friday night sessions for the last few months, came to know Christ as his savior a few weeks ago. He was always very quiet during the meetings, and I often wondered how much of the teaching and discussion he was taking in. However, when a personal crisis came in his life, he decided to accept this Jesus that his Christian friends had been talking about as his Lord. One of our members was instrumental in counseling him through both the crisis and his early days of decision, but Francis has now returned to his home country. Please pray for Christian friends, a solid church family, and good follow-up in the Taiwanese city he is now living in.

Moving On Up...

 The strategy of teaching English to people from other cultures as a tool to reach and disciple them for Christ may seem strange to some of you. Let me show you how it works. Recently, three young ladies from mainland China began coming to my English class. The class is extremely non-threatening and secular in instruction, but I don't hesitate to discuss aspects of my faith in context. After they were comfortable in the class, the young women also became comfortable with the idea of attending a second class with me where I teach English using the Bible as our text. After that class they stayed on to attend the Chinese Fellowship. As of this writing, all three ladies are now attending the Chinese Fellowship on a weekly basis, have received copies of the Jesus film, are often seen taking copious notes from Chinese/English Bibles, have started attending an international church, and are being shown love by members of the Fellowship. Will you pray that this intense exposure to the Gospel and God's love through his people will see them come to Christ soon?

New Opportunities

The Lord has recently opened up two new opportunities here in Yukon, Oklahoma City's western suburb. Joyce and I started a weekly Bible study this last Saturday with a couple from Haiti. The following Thursday morning I launched a new English class with a woman from Japan and a man from mainland China. Please pray for both of these new ministries.

Words of Encouragement

I wanted to share with you part of an e-mail I received from one of my students exactly as she wrote it:

"You are a really charming teacher who can explain the Holy bible vivid and minded. My husband and I impressed the sacrifice sprite of you. We are appreciate you to share those beautiful stories with us and lead us to understand the deeper meaning of the Bible."

No, her English isn't perfect yet, but her sentiments are heartfelt. I wanted you to read this because your partnership in this ministry is what helps make such reactions possible. Your prayers and support are truly helping to change lives here in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for my parents' health and for our role as caregivers.

Pray for one of my Japanese students who was in a car wreck. She wasn't hurt, but the people who ran into her sustained some minor injuries. The accident was her fault, so she is pretty shook up over it.

Pray for Joyce as she has such a heavy responsibility managing both households while I'm teaching. Next fall looks to be very busy with my new class schedule, so even more stress is coming her way.

Our support is still terribly low, but our God is good to us. Please keep praying.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

Ministry Multiplication

Metro Beat
Vol 2, Issue 2

Multiplication Theory
 A few weeks ago I received a goodbye call from one of my ESL students. She has been recalled to China to fulfill an obligation but is hoping to get permission to return here in a couple of years. She wanted to let me know, though, that I was the best English teacher she had ever had. Despite how good such a compliment felt, I was naturally sorry to see her leave my class. The next day I arrived at the BCM expecting to teach a smaller group only to have the pleasure of welcoming seven more of her fellow exchange students to my course. Please pray that God will open doors during our times together and as I get to know each one of these new arrivals.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

 Sometimes we describe a moment of revelation as a bell ringing or perhaps a light bulb suddenly going on over our head. A young man from Taiwan in our Chinese Fellowship had an experience like that recently. During a discussion on the enemy's influence in the world, he questioned the degree of this as he understood that Satan was lord of Hell and not of earth. When we explained that Hell was actually a place of punishment for Satan, that he wasn't there yet, and that he is still exerting control over the world today (1 John 5:19), our friend was flabbergasted. He, even as a Christian, had mistakenly believed in the dualistic idea promoted by much of the media that God reigns in Heaven while Satan reigns in Hell as his polar opposite. You should have seen the wonder and excitement on this man's face as suddenly everything fell into place in his thinking. He saw the influence of sin in our lives and our desperate need for Christ in a completely different light. As I was explaining all of this to him, part of my attention was on one of the non-Christians in the group. She was absorbing our words like a sponge. Please pray for God's truth to continue to shine forth and impact lives in our discussions.

Tennis, Anyone?

Last night during my Bible study I was suddenly bombarded on two fronts. Two non-Christians, one from Taiwan and one from China, were peppering me with questions. One wanted to know why God bothered to save Noah's family (since only Noah was called righteous) and didn't just start afresh with new people after the flood. The other wanted to understand why God didn't just wipe out Satan before he could tempt Eve in the garden. Not only are these questions difficult to respond to as they are "Mind-of-God" questions and have no clear-cut answers, both people were asking them at once. I found my head swinging back and forth from one side of the room to the other like a spectator at a tennis match. Praise God for the keen interest  and pray that the Holy Spirit will guide my responses.

Other Prayer Requests

My father is getting weaker all the time, yet his vital signs are usually pretty good. Still, we spent this last week making funeral arrangements. Please pray for all of us during this difficult period of our lives.

Many of my students will be traveling during the summer as will several members of the Chinese Fellowship. Two of the men will be returning with their wives in the fall and are eager for me to meet them. Please pray for traveling mercies and for the classes as we transition to a summer schedule.

Pray for Joyce and the kids as they also transition into a summer schedule in the next few weeks and have to adjust to the changes in responsibility and time management that will bring.

Praise the Lord for those who increased their support of this ministry. Continue praying, though, as we are still struggling financially.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers

A New Opportunity

 

Photo credit: tj.cuthbert

MetroBeat
Vol 2, Issue 1

The Chinese Connection
 In the last update I mentioned that I was planning on starting to work with Chinese in partnership with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry on the UCO campus. That new ministry has blossomed dramatically in the last two months, exceeding even my initial expectations for it.

Fridays in Edmond are now exciting but exhausting for all involved. One of my friends and co-workers in this outreach, Kimily, teaches an American culture class at 3:00 to many young Chinese, discussing not only national customs and norms but also weaving in Biblical truth. When the class ends at 4:00 I take over with my English as a Second Language (ESL) class. Although I have my own Chinese students, some of the members of Kimily's class are now joining mine. Once again, I try to incorporate Biblical truth in with the discussion of American idioms, slang, and proverbs. With their interest now whetted, most of the class now heads off campus with me to the apartment of a Chinese Christian and fellow classmate. There I teach an English Bible study to the students and also to some older Chinese adults from 6:00 to 7:00. Then from 7:00 to 9:00 it is time for the Chinese Fellowship to meet, a family worship time for all ages held in the same apartment. On the 45-minute commute home my brain usually feels like mush, but there is still plenty of residual praise for all God has done during the day.

The Korean Front

 The evangelical ESL classes targeting Koreans are also going well, although now that I have a Japanese student attending they are probably more pan-Asian in nature. One of the non-Christian students has started going to church with some school friends. I have volunteered to answer any of his questions on our faith that might arise. Please pray that we will see "Luke" come to Christ soon. Please pray also for "Samuel," the only Christian in the class, who has been running a fever for about a week now.

The Financial Report

As most of you know, our finances have taken a heavy hit during this transition. We are currently lacking approximately $3,000 a month in support. Please pray that God will touch the hearts of others to make an eternal investment in the lives of internationals through this ministry. If you are already partnering with us financially, please pray also about whether you or your church might be able to increase your support of this work. We also want to thank all of you who have continued to faithfully encourage and support us both in prayers and/or finances over the years.

Other Prayer Requests

Pray for "Marc," my Haitian friend here in Yukon, who lost some friends and family members in the recent earthquake. One positive thing that has resulted from the tragedy is that it has raised even more Christian topics in our discussions. In fact, every time we talk now the majority of our conversation revolves around issues of the faith. Continue to pray for his openness and possible willingness to begin studying the Bible with me.

At the same time as my ESL class is meeting on Fridays, a Bible study in Chinese is being held upstairs. Please pray for this class and the committed young woman leading the study for her fellow female students from mainland China.

Continue to pray for my progress in Chinese. My pronunciation is still terrible, but my understanding of the written and spoken language is growing quickly.

Pray for Joyce as she somehow manages to run both households while I'm in Edmond three days a week.

Dad has recently been placed on hospice, and we would covet your prayers for all us during this trying time.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers