June 2007
• It has been a year of prayer and fasting for direction and effectiveness • 7 student were baptized this semester • Increase in Bible study students - 20 students are attending weekly • 10 – 22 attending the Sunday matinee (inspirational movie viewing) • Steady increase in the Sunday student English church service (Power Hour). Approx. 250 students attending. • Students prepare to evangelize their hometowns -God’s Story training • New CMP-Varella, Inc. website will be complete this summer • Brother Frank visits and gives a business seminar • Daughter Deborah visits, sings at an opera performance, and helps with the ministry. • Counseling center and bookstore is moving ahead.
In October David felt the need to fast and pray. Many things weighed on his mind. David was praying to be more effective and break through the unbelief and fear that hold the Chinese culture in bondage. Also, prayer was needed for an outpouring of God’s Spirit to open the eyes of the missionaries to see the love God has for us and for the students to see their need for Him. These prayers are continuing. David is determined to see a breakthrough on the campus and in the students.
Seven of the students that attend our Bible study received baptism this semester. One of these students is Maureen. She is 20 years old and first attended the study at the beginning of the semester. One of the regular attending students brought her. After the first meeting she attended, she told us she thought she wanted to be a Christian. She was asked how much she knew about Christianity. She said not much. David told Maureen to wait, attend his study for a while, join the share and prayer meetings that the Christian students hold and read the book of John.
A week before we left for home we had our last study, and at the end of it Maureen said she now would like to be a Christian. She asked if she had to read the entire Bible first. Of course, the answer was no, but David ask if she understood the commitment that Christ desired from her. She said yes. Maureen prayed and she gave her heart to Jesus. She expressed a desire to be baptized and was given several options for baptism. David could perform the ceremony, another teacher or the government 3 Self Church could. She wanted David to baptize her. Since there is not a river for miles that doesn’t have raw sewage running into it, David prefers to hold baptism ceremonies in our apartment. We scheduled a 2 hour teaching on what baptism meant and gave her the Nicene Creed to translate and understand what a Christian believes. Four days later she brought 5 of her believing friends to the apartment. Three other teachers were there to witness the sacrament. It was wonderful. Some photos are on the website.
Since the beginning of the semester we have had Sunday Matinee. Every Sunday we have a Bible story or inspirational movie. The students love it and ask what they will be seeing the following week so they can read the story first and be prepared. We have had up to 23 students attend the movies.
Power Hour (the English Church service held at the government 3 Self Church) is growing leaps and bounds. Three years ago there were about 50 in attendance. Now approximately 250 students come. You can see Power Hour photos are on our new website. Our daughter, Deborah, visited the 1st week of May. She was able to sing with David at the Power Hour church service. She also was asked to sing at the University’s opera house.
We have had an initiative to encourage our believing students to take an interest in evangelism. We purchased a VCD and booklet that overviews the salvation story from Genesis to Revelation in 1 ¼ hours. We had 15 student interested in using it to evangelize during the summer vacation. One of our partner teachers, Mary Alice Meeks, trained those students to use the video and booklet to share the Gospel with others who are seeking God’s truth in their hometowns.
In June our new website will be up. David has developed a simple site with our personal information, newsletters, references, photos and video presentations. Hopefully, the website gives a picture of who we are and what CMP is doing to share Christ with the Chinese people. www.cmpvarella.org
David’s brother, Dr. Frank Varella, visited our University again this April. Frank gave 2 seminars on “Personal Finance” to the students and faculty. He experienced the life at the university, visited the SANCS Orphanage, attended our weekly Bible studies, and developed closer relationships with the students.
Plans for a counseling center and bookstore are progressing. Prior to leaving China, David attended a meeting in Beijing with 4 other members of the proposed Center’s advisory board. We are putting together a business plan to submit to a U.S. University that is interested in overseeing the technical aspects of the counseling center. We will be working directly with an established Chinese counseling organization in Hong Kong. These partnerships will make it possible to establish bookstores/counseling centers in Beijing and in the city near our University. We continue to pray and expect a confirmation of the acceptance of the business plan this summer. After the confirmation, the efforts will focus on raising the necessary financial support needed for this ministry.
China is a nation hungry for the truth and meaning and purpose of life. Pray that we will be effective and that the people will be open to Christ.
Thank you for all your prayers and support.