June 2008

Greetings from China!

With all of the negative news coming out of China I want to take a moment to share some positive news. Recently, the headlines have been filled with stories about human rights issues, pollution, problems with the Olympics, and the devastating natural disasters. These are important news stories, of course, but we should not forget about the positive things and take a moment to celebrate them.

Sixteen people were baptized at the small church in Longzhou where Kyle attends. Two of them Kyle had invited to church for the first time the year before.

I was privileged to witness 16 baptisms at the church I attend here in Longzhou. This sounds like a large number, but when you consider that the average weekly attendance is around 25, it makes this number even more impressive. This small church does not have a pastor, so they brought in a pastor from another city. The thing that gave me the most joy is that two of my former students were among those baptized on this day. I had invited these students to accompany me to church last year, believing that they needed to hear the message in their native language instead of only through me. They have been attending regularly ever since.

In the last two years, I have wondered what impact I have made upon those who I have met. It would be wonderful to go somewhere to serve and leave with a list of how you have changed lives and done amazing things for Christ. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to work this way, since God’s timing is different from our own. I have heard the comparison to planting a seed that will bloom in God’s time. I think about the farmer who goes out into the field and toils all day in the field planting the seeds. When he leaves at the end of the day the field looks the same as when he came in the morning. If the farmer is unable to return to the field he may continue to think that he has made no difference.

Chinese rice farmers.

That’s why I am thankful to be here long enough to witness these baptisms. I have been blessed to witness the blossoming that has come from the seed that I have helped nurture. Christ has been doing great things here, and I am thankful for being witness to them and at times being able to participate in them.

I am sad to say that this will be my last letter written from China. I am coming home in late June after two years in China. It has been a wonderful experience, and I am glad I was given the opportunity to come here. I will be getting married in August, and we will be starting a new life together in Philadelphia shortly after the wedding. I trust that God will continue to lead my fiancée and me as we start on this new journey.

I want to end with a challenge to you. In 1 John 3:17 it says “But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help––how can God’s love be in that person?” We are called as Christ followers to serve those around us. Find somewhere, whether is it China or your neighborhood, to serve those around you. Give of your time, your money, and yourself to serve those in need.

God bless!

Kyle Fryling

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 99