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

What Christmas Is All About

Photo credit: aconnel73170


MetroBeat
Vol. 1, Issue 3

Holiday Thoughts

The city is bedecked with Christmas lights. After spending so many years in Senegal where seasonal reminders are low-key and scattered haphazardly, the sheer volume of electricity coursing through countless colored bulbs, animated reindeer, super-sized snow globes, and musically-synchronized displays is still overwhelming to me.

A few blocks away from us here in the suburb of Yukon blinks the western metro's biggest Christmas attraction: the electrified city parks. In the evenings the cars line up outside the entrances for the chance to slowly snake through the incredible light show that the city puts on to celebrate the season. But as beautiful as the thousands upon thousands of lights are, Christmas is not about the lights. Christmas is about the Light.

Our tree this year seems to be supported by the mountain of packages under it. One of the perks of having a big family is that everyone gets plenty of presents. The downside, of course, is that buying presents for every member of the family can thin out the wallet pretty quickly. Still, we look forward to the annual madness of shredded wrapping paper and colorful clutter of opened boxes if only to see the expressions on a loved one's face when they open up one of our carefully selected gifts. But as exciting as it is to give and receive, Christmas is not about all the gifts. Christmas is about the Gift.

We are blessed this year to have all of our children with us for the holidays. Katie and Brad moved to Oklahoma City this summer and so are now local. After a trip back to Arizona last month to spend some time with family there, they ended up being with us for Thanksgiving and will also spend much of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day here in Yukon. We love our kids and love the fact that they can all be with us this year. But as wonderful as the love for family is, that's not truly what Christmas is about either. Christmas is about God's love for us.

For the Light of the world was given to us in the form of a baby, the gift of God's only son, Jesus Christ, as an expression of the Father's unparalleled love for all of mankind.

Merry Christmas

A Korean Christmas Present

I received an early Christmas present last week of a new ministry opportunity. Beginning January 4th, I will start teaching a group of Korean college students twice a week. I will be attempting to perfect their use of English while incorporating biblical truths in the lessons and in our follow-up communications outside of class. The students consist of a combination of Christians and non-Christians, which is the perfect blend for this type of ministry. When everything works, the Christians grow in the Lord and help lead the non-Christians to Christ through the invaluable partnership they bring as cultural insiders. We used this method successfully in Japan, and so we know firsthand that it works. Please pray this will be a fruitful ministry.

Other Prayer Requests

Continue to pray for the Friday night Bible study here in Yukon. Chandra is currently doing an excellent survey of the Bible that is bringing in several families, including a new one from the island of Tobago. I am hoping to do more one-on-one work with the international participants.

Please pray for one of my ministry partners, Kimily Waldron, and me as we work on forming some culture and ESL classes as an outreach to Chinese and other internationals at UCO.

Continue to pray for my progress in Chinese. I passed my first course with an A and begin level two next month. Xie xie nimen ("thank you" in the plural form).

Pray for Joyce as the new school term approaches and the extra work that will be coming her way as she manages the demands of two households while I'm in Edmond much of the week.

Finally, continue to pray for our finances and for the Lord to provide more support for our ministry.


Yours By His Grace,

John for the Rest of the Ropers