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Dear family and friends,
Thank you for your pr*yers. We have returned to the field safely and completed all quarantine requirements successfully. We celebrated Chr*stmas with friends and brothers and sisters of the fellowship. The Lunar New Year was on January 22 this year, which is less than one month after the Chr*stmas. We organized activities for outreach and gatherings during both seasons. We are so grateful that we had some precious moments with new and old friends.
Early December, the nationwide COVID restrictions, which are the tightest in the world and have been imposed for three years, were unexpectedly removed after widespread protests. It no longer requires the proof of COVID negative test result or the proof of vaccination to enter shopping malls and offices, to take public transportations as well as domestic travels, and to attend indoor events and medical services, etc. Several COVID-related QR codes were also annulled. While the majority were excited to celebrate and enjoy the “freedom” after three years’ strict confinement, uncountable COVID cases happened throughout the whole country. Over 95 percent of our friends were infected within few weeks in December. Sad to know that a few of our friends have lost their elderly parents due to COVID-related illnesses. We comforted them with hope in the Lord. On the other hand, with the ease of COVID regulations, we look forward to resuming the on-site Sunday worship services after the Lunar New Year.
Kayla, a university student we got to know at an outreach event few years ago, lost her grandfather in January. She posted an article on a social networking platform to share her sorrow and missing her grandfather. Iris had an opportunity to read the article. Iris contacted Kayla and comforted her. Kayla realized that Iris is a Chr*stian and asked questions about human’s life after death. We praised G*d that Iris had a spiritual conversation with Kayla and shared the faith on the Creator of the universe. We pr*y that G*d opens Kayla’s heart and mind to search for the purpose of life and directs her to seek reconciliation with our Heavenly Father.
With love and appreciation,