Late autumn->early winter

Dear blog readers/family/friends,

I just finished blogging about the end of summer and I realised that it is also the end of autumn now, a changing of seasons again. Not only weather-wise, but also in terms of work and life.
In the past three months, I had been going out with the COCM Gospel Team (福音布道队) to do outreach in 18 different places in France, the Netherlands, and the UK. Even though I had experienced going on "short term missions" with the GT last year, God taught me new things this year and cultivated in me a bigger heart for missions and evangelism. He taught me a lot about humility, faith, unity in the body of Christ, and let me experience Him in an intimate way through the challenges that we faced on mission (and the hardships brothers and sisters around me had experienced--a faithful missionary sister who faced cancer, a childhood sister whose dad passed away, a dear brother who is part of our team facing illness...). God also let me see how it is Him who works and brings everything together for His glory in ways we can never think of.
Our theme song this year that we sing with joined hands every time is “活出爱” (living out God's love) and our motto is "one team, one spirit, all for Jesus!"

So yup, the last gospel team event ended this past Friday and we had our thanksgiving/sharing gathering on Saturday.
This week, it's time to prepare for the upcoming Isaiah Bible camps (3 consecutive ones for Mandarin, restaurant workers, and Cantonese groups). Music worship practice for Year-end gospel camps had started too. It is time to gear up for the last two months of the year!

In life, lately, I have been informed that three of my closest friends will be getting married sometime next year (exciting! but I have to think of how to attend their weddings). Also, Nick has finally been granted progress in his year-long job search: two interviews in a row since last week and by God's grace he will probably start working soon back in Hong Kong. I grappled a lot with God about what He wants me to do with my life next in these few months and I have learned more to wait on Him and become the person with the character that He wants me to have first, and to learn to worship Him instead of seeking self-worth in what I would do.

I have been listening to Kyuhyun's music a lot--his new album is basically my soundtrack for this autumn/winter season. I just realised a few days ago that it is appropriate to start listening to Christmas songs (which I sort of forgot because you don't hear Christmas music playing everywhere in the UK as you would in the US). I miss the warmth that comes with everything Christmas-season related in the US. But hey, in this bleak and grey place, the message of Hope that Christ brings can shine brighter (we're learning about the #hopeeffect in church lately i.e. having the living hope gives us joy...). So even though we won't have chestnuts roasting on an open fire or carols sung by a choir, we will have lots of Chinese families and students coming to hear about the Good News and how their lives can be changed by knowing and loving their Creator.

ps: Please pray for our upcoming camps and ministry. :)
pss: I am impressed that I managed to summarise the second half of my year into one post. ;P