The Doorstep, is published bi-monthly and contains current ISM news, upcoming events, and prayer requests and praises.
From the July - August issue:
The Baptism Butterfly
by "Amanda" Li, an In-Depth participant
[Editor’s note: Amanda Li came to us during the In-Depth Bible Seminar immediately following the teaching time on baptism. Her request, "I am ready to be baptized!" was received with joy.]
The following evening at the closing campfire, when Scripture blessings and prayer were shared with each participant, Amanda received the washing of life. She boldly spoke about a second miracle, the butterfly. A butterfly (symbol of the resurrection) alighted on her baptismal paper and lap three times (symbolic of the Trinity). For Amanda, it confirmed the power of Jesus. Her story follows:
I knew very little about God when I was in China. Before I came to the United States, I knew just a little about Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I had also read some biblical stories from the Old Testament like Adam and Eve and the serpent, and Cain and Abel, but I had never taken any interest in the New Testament. Actually, I didn’t even know what the word "GOSPEL" meant because I thought that the Bible was just a story book at that time.
In August 2009, I looked forward to and was excited about the opportunity to come to the US to pursue further study as a visiting scholar. After I arrived, I started to go to church regularly in order to have a deeper understanding about the local people and the local culture. The more time I spent with the Christians however, the more I wanted to know what on earth made these people so caring and benevolent. That was the reason why I attended the family and church Bible study. And, it was also the first time in my life I had started to get close to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
I have a 14-year-old daughter who is still in China. Age 14, you know, is the age of adolescence and the age when parents have difficulty to probe their minds. What is even worse, I am not with her! Two months ago, she had a big problem with both her health and her study. I was so worried about her that one night I went down on my knees to pray for God’s mercy and blessings on my daughter. I I did get His response! My daughter has gone out of the shadows into the sunlight. She is now happy and in good health.
I thank God for giving me the opportunity to learn more about his Word at this seminar and also the joy of making new friends. I appreciate so much the teaching I received from the trainers, which was impressive and rewarding. This will be special in my mind for the rest of my life.
Read more about the In-Depth Bible Seminar on page 2. Your gifts to support this outreach are greatly appreciated. As one participant said, "It totally changed my life! It strengthened my faith in God."
The Doorstep, is published bi-monthly and contains current ISM news, upcoming events, and prayer requests and praises.
From the July - August issue:
The Baptism Butterfly
by "Amanda" Li, an In-Depth participant
[Editor’s note: Amanda Li came to us during the In-Depth Bible Seminar immediately following the teaching time on baptism. Her request, "I am ready to be baptized!" was received with joy.]
The following evening at the closing campfire, when Scripture blessings and prayer were shared with each participant, Amanda received the washing of life. She boldly spoke about a second miracle, the butterfly. A butterfly (symbol of the resurrection) alighted on her baptismal paper and lap three times (symbolic of the Trinity). For Amanda, it confirmed the power of Jesus. Her story follows:
I knew very little about God when I was in China. Before I came to the United States, I knew just a little about Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I had also read some biblical stories from the Old Testament like Adam and Eve and the serpent, and Cain and Abel, but I had never taken any interest in the New Testament. Actually, I didn’t even know what the word "GOSPEL" meant because I thought that the Bible was just a story book at that time.
In August 2009, I looked forward to and was excited about the opportunity to come to the US to pursue further study as a visiting scholar. After I arrived, I started to go to church regularly in order to have a deeper understanding about the local people and the local culture. The more time I spent with the Christians however, the more I wanted to know what on earth made these people so caring and benevolent. That was the reason why I attended the family and church Bible study. And, it was also the first time in my life I had started to get close to the Lord, Jesus Christ.
I have a 14-year-old daughter who is still in China. Age 14, you know, is the age of adolescence and the age when parents have difficulty to probe their minds. What is even worse, I am not with her! Two months ago, she had a big problem with both her health and her study. I was so worried about her that one night I went down on my knees to pray for God’s mercy and blessings on my daughter. I I did get His response! My daughter has gone out of the shadows into the sunlight. She is now happy and in good health.
I thank God for giving me the opportunity to learn more about his Word at this seminar and also the joy of making new friends. I appreciate so much the teaching I received from the trainers, which was impressive and rewarding. This will be special in my mind for the rest of my life.
Read more about the In-Depth Bible Seminar on page 2. Your gifts to support this outreach are greatly appreciated. As one participant said, "It totally changed my life! It strengthened my faith in God."