Do you know the feeling you get when you want to transfer an experience to someone else but you don't think they'll fully appreciate what you're saying and you know words couldn't possibly do it justice? I have a feeling many of these blogs over the next couple of years will be that way.
Nonetheless, Lauren and I have rooted ourselves in the midst of the chaotic city of Beijing and we will do our best to bring you along as best we can.
We've been here for 2 weeks and it feels like 2 years. The first night we got here we hopped on bicycles (bikes are THE mode of transportation in China) to head to dinner and rode 2 miles on the shoulder of the road against 5 lanes of screaming traffic. It didn't take long for us to realize we "weren't in Kansas anymore." We have quickly acclimated to accept horrible traffic as the "new norm." Speaking of transportation, we have become quite fond of public transit. And if you ever wonder where all the 1.3 billion people are in China, hop on a Beijing subway during rush hour.
I started orientation for my MBA program the day after we arrived and have been going non-stop since. The "non-mandatory" mandatory orientation has been fully China. What I mean is that it is Chinese custom to throw a huge opening and closing ceremony for events (see Beijing Olympics '08). Aside from the strenuous battle through traffic to get to campus, it has been great getting to meet students from my class - a great cross section of talented individuals from all over the world.
Lauren is doing great and I've been encouraged to see how she has embraced China! She even ate eggplant today for lunch! This is a feat that I dare say would not have been accomplished back home. We are still looking at different options in terms of what she will spend most of her time doing here. I think she is going to post an update so she can expand on this and her thoughts on China.
Overall, we've been blessed in our time thus far. We have an incredible apartment that we pay peanuts for, we've met some amazing people, and we feel like God has called us to this place for this time in our lives. We sure do miss some "comforts" back home, but we are living and loving the expat life here in Beijing. School starts next week and I will likely be very busy, but between Lauren and myself we will try to keep you up to speed on our lives here on the other side of the pond.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
One Way Ticket to Beijing...
That's right. We are moving to Beijing.
Let me back up and explain how we got to this point for those of you who didn't even know we moved out of Texas :). God has been amazingly generous to Lauren and I in our time in Georgia. We have met amazing friends, found a young church that is trying hard, and I have had an opportunity that few young guys my age have. I haven't always enjoyed the stigma that comes with being an intern, but I would never trade this year and the value, wisdom and friendship I've gained from working with Chuck Bentley.
It was, in fact, a trip I took with Chuck that really led to our decision to move to China. In January, I had the opportunity to travel to China to meet phenomenal business leaders and to share the message of God's economy in a country growing at an inconceivable rate. While in Beijing, I had the chance to meet students from Tsinghua University, the top school in all of China and Chairman Hu Jintao's alma mater. So much has happened between the time I arrived back in Atlanta and now, but to save you from an endless read, I'll just say that I applied to Tsinghua, was accepted, accepted their offer, and now we're moving to Beijing!
As excited as we are about the move, I would be remiss if I did not take the chance to appreciate the past year. Do you ever take time to stop and look back at all that has transpired in your life? Maybe the day that has just passed, the month passed, or maybe even the year? Unfortunately, I tend to think that many of us don't. I'm typically the guy that puts my head to the plow and hardly comes up for a breath. What's in the past is in the past and I can't change it. But I'm beginning to realize that even though I can't change the past, the past can change me. The Lord has done things so obvious in mine and Lauren's life over the past year we can't help but gaze into the rearview mirror and see his handprint on the canvas of our lives. I wrote in my journal some of the obvious ways the Lord has provided for us over the past year and I'd like to share those with you:
- Many of you know that we moved to Georgia because I accepted a year-long internship under Chuck Bentley. What you may not know is that Chuck grew up in the small town of Iowa Park, Tx, the town my parents currently live in; and he was saved at Faith Baptist Church, the church my dad is currently the pastor of. We made this connection the first time we ever spoke over the phone.
- Before we moved to Atlanta last summer, we met Adam Blakely at Carter and Sarah Stubbs' rehearsal dinner in Fort Worth. Adam became our first Atlanta friend and introduced us to Renovation Church, a small church plant in inner city Atlanta that hadn't even launched at the time we moved here. Through this church we have made life changing friends. We would never have even known this church existed had it not been for the way the Lord wove our path into Adam's. By the way, we just returned from a wonderful weekend trip to Hilton Head, SC with Adam & his bride Gina :).
- One of those contacts at Renovation Church is Luke Davidson - who connected me to a guy named Barrett Parkman - who I have still never met in person - but who moved to Beijing in 2007 to go through the same MBA program I'm about to go through. He still lives and works there and he has already offered tremendous insight via email into the never predictable life in China.
- When we departed Dallas last summer we had no place to stay in Atlanta. I was trying to have strong faith and believe the Lord would provide, but I won't lie, I was scared. We'd already booked a hotel for the first couple of nights in Atlanta but the first morning we woke up, we received a phone call from Lauren's step-grandmothers stepsonk who she had never met or spoken to, offering to rent us their home they were trying to sell in a perfect location for us. And if that's not enough, they dropped the rent $300 for us.
- After renting for a month, we bought a home that we had no business buying but that dropped $40,000 in price the weekend we saw it.
- Lauren's employers allowed her to keep her job and work remotely from home. This was probably not the most efficient route for her employer, but they sacrificed and made it work and blessed us tremendously in doing so.
- Some of our great friends, Brian and Christie Holben, got married last summer (like us), and moved from Virginia to Atlanta about a week after we did. They are moving to Asia 3 days before us. The Lord has given us them to walk through this process with.
- Like I mentioned earlier, the Lord gave me an opportunity that most guys my age don't get. I have seen a great leader honor God in leadership in good times and in very, very hard times. In the process, I've had the chance to meet leaders from all over the world, many of whom are from Beijing, that God has used to shape my vision and clarify the direction in which he's leading me.
I wanted to share this with you for two reasons: 1) because the Bible is true and God is faithful when he says the he looks out for those he loves; I hope you are encouraged by this, and 2) we need prayer because we still have fear that creeps into our souls and tells us that God has abandoned us. Moving to Beijing is a big step for Lauren and I. There are lots of uncertainties and there are undoubtedly many tears that will be shed along the way. But how can I not be fully convinced that our all-powerful and loving God has not gone before us after all the ways I can so visibly see he has carried us in the past?
I encourage you to take a moment, reflect, and look for him. I think you will see him if you look hard enough. And don't be discouraged by your past; though you can't change it, it can change you for the better and it can bolster your faith. If you pray for us I hope you'd pray that our fear would be replaced with strong faith in our God who has taken us this far and who continues to faithfully show his face.
Sojourning,
Jon
Let me back up and explain how we got to this point for those of you who didn't even know we moved out of Texas :). God has been amazingly generous to Lauren and I in our time in Georgia. We have met amazing friends, found a young church that is trying hard, and I have had an opportunity that few young guys my age have. I haven't always enjoyed the stigma that comes with being an intern, but I would never trade this year and the value, wisdom and friendship I've gained from working with Chuck Bentley.
It was, in fact, a trip I took with Chuck that really led to our decision to move to China. In January, I had the opportunity to travel to China to meet phenomenal business leaders and to share the message of God's economy in a country growing at an inconceivable rate. While in Beijing, I had the chance to meet students from Tsinghua University, the top school in all of China and Chairman Hu Jintao's alma mater. So much has happened between the time I arrived back in Atlanta and now, but to save you from an endless read, I'll just say that I applied to Tsinghua, was accepted, accepted their offer, and now we're moving to Beijing!
As excited as we are about the move, I would be remiss if I did not take the chance to appreciate the past year. Do you ever take time to stop and look back at all that has transpired in your life? Maybe the day that has just passed, the month passed, or maybe even the year? Unfortunately, I tend to think that many of us don't. I'm typically the guy that puts my head to the plow and hardly comes up for a breath. What's in the past is in the past and I can't change it. But I'm beginning to realize that even though I can't change the past, the past can change me. The Lord has done things so obvious in mine and Lauren's life over the past year we can't help but gaze into the rearview mirror and see his handprint on the canvas of our lives. I wrote in my journal some of the obvious ways the Lord has provided for us over the past year and I'd like to share those with you:
- Many of you know that we moved to Georgia because I accepted a year-long internship under Chuck Bentley. What you may not know is that Chuck grew up in the small town of Iowa Park, Tx, the town my parents currently live in; and he was saved at Faith Baptist Church, the church my dad is currently the pastor of. We made this connection the first time we ever spoke over the phone.
- Before we moved to Atlanta last summer, we met Adam Blakely at Carter and Sarah Stubbs' rehearsal dinner in Fort Worth. Adam became our first Atlanta friend and introduced us to Renovation Church, a small church plant in inner city Atlanta that hadn't even launched at the time we moved here. Through this church we have made life changing friends. We would never have even known this church existed had it not been for the way the Lord wove our path into Adam's. By the way, we just returned from a wonderful weekend trip to Hilton Head, SC with Adam & his bride Gina :).
- One of those contacts at Renovation Church is Luke Davidson - who connected me to a guy named Barrett Parkman - who I have still never met in person - but who moved to Beijing in 2007 to go through the same MBA program I'm about to go through. He still lives and works there and he has already offered tremendous insight via email into the never predictable life in China.
- When we departed Dallas last summer we had no place to stay in Atlanta. I was trying to have strong faith and believe the Lord would provide, but I won't lie, I was scared. We'd already booked a hotel for the first couple of nights in Atlanta but the first morning we woke up, we received a phone call from Lauren's step-grandmothers stepsonk who she had never met or spoken to, offering to rent us their home they were trying to sell in a perfect location for us. And if that's not enough, they dropped the rent $300 for us.
- After renting for a month, we bought a home that we had no business buying but that dropped $40,000 in price the weekend we saw it.
- Lauren's employers allowed her to keep her job and work remotely from home. This was probably not the most efficient route for her employer, but they sacrificed and made it work and blessed us tremendously in doing so.
- Some of our great friends, Brian and Christie Holben, got married last summer (like us), and moved from Virginia to Atlanta about a week after we did. They are moving to Asia 3 days before us. The Lord has given us them to walk through this process with.
- Like I mentioned earlier, the Lord gave me an opportunity that most guys my age don't get. I have seen a great leader honor God in leadership in good times and in very, very hard times. In the process, I've had the chance to meet leaders from all over the world, many of whom are from Beijing, that God has used to shape my vision and clarify the direction in which he's leading me.
I wanted to share this with you for two reasons: 1) because the Bible is true and God is faithful when he says the he looks out for those he loves; I hope you are encouraged by this, and 2) we need prayer because we still have fear that creeps into our souls and tells us that God has abandoned us. Moving to Beijing is a big step for Lauren and I. There are lots of uncertainties and there are undoubtedly many tears that will be shed along the way. But how can I not be fully convinced that our all-powerful and loving God has not gone before us after all the ways I can so visibly see he has carried us in the past?
I encourage you to take a moment, reflect, and look for him. I think you will see him if you look hard enough. And don't be discouraged by your past; though you can't change it, it can change you for the better and it can bolster your faith. If you pray for us I hope you'd pray that our fear would be replaced with strong faith in our God who has taken us this far and who continues to faithfully show his face.
Sojourning,
Jon
Friday, January 14, 2011
Budapest + China
Over the course of the next 3 weeks, I have the opportunity of a lifetime! Along with Crown's CEO, a Crown board member who is also a great friend, and a guy I met yesterday, I will be traveling around the world investing in and building strategic relationships with key people.
Here's the scoop: We leave tomorrow for Budapest, Hungary. We will be there for 3 days participating in a European Leaders Summit. After Budapest, we hop on a plane for Beijing for 5 days. After Beijing we head south for 2-day stops in both Hangzhou and Shanghai. My 3 travel counterparts will return, and I will stay in Shanghai for 4 more days to spend QT with my brother who lives there.
To say I'm excited about the next 3 weeks would be an understatement.
I hope to be a more consistent blogger during our time across the pond. So, check back in from time to time and I will do my best to keep you informed.
A verse that has been close to my heart lately is Acts 4:13 "When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and realized these were uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed and took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Pray for humility in serving.
Sojourning,
Jon
Here's the scoop: We leave tomorrow for Budapest, Hungary. We will be there for 3 days participating in a European Leaders Summit. After Budapest, we hop on a plane for Beijing for 5 days. After Beijing we head south for 2-day stops in both Hangzhou and Shanghai. My 3 travel counterparts will return, and I will stay in Shanghai for 4 more days to spend QT with my brother who lives there.
To say I'm excited about the next 3 weeks would be an understatement.
I hope to be a more consistent blogger during our time across the pond. So, check back in from time to time and I will do my best to keep you informed.
A verse that has been close to my heart lately is Acts 4:13 "When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and realized these were uneducated, ordinary men, they were amazed and took note that these men had been with Jesus."
Pray for humility in serving.
Sojourning,
Jon
Revisiting Intention
For the few and proud who keep up with this blog, I extend my apologies for the long delay between posts. I have no legit excuse for the gap. I do, however, have many ideas I would like to share with you. I've recently caught myself, on multiple occasions, in the middle of an idea that is blogworthy, which I then attempt to persuade Lauren of the blogworthiness of the idea. Most times it works, sometimes she's just nice. Regardless, I've made myself notes to come back and blog about. I think you'll like it.
I want you to know that I have lofty intentions for this blog; your time is valuable and these words should be meaningful. My intention is that you gain value by spending time here. So my goal is to offer encouragement, to stimulate thought, and to challenge you to think and be more than you think you can be. Those things always help me, and maybe they will help you, too! I think it will be good :).
I want you to know that I have lofty intentions for this blog; your time is valuable and these words should be meaningful. My intention is that you gain value by spending time here. So my goal is to offer encouragement, to stimulate thought, and to challenge you to think and be more than you think you can be. Those things always help me, and maybe they will help you, too! I think it will be good :).
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Comfortable and Meaningless Life
Do you ever think about how comfortable your life is? We are extremely comfortable people! One of my biggest fears is that I become entitled to the things I have, and leveraging my power to get more. So much of my thoughts revolve around my vision, my job, my school, my food, etc... We do a fabulous job at positioning ourselves to be comfortable. Reading Ecclesiastes with beautiful Lauren the last week has once again blown me up in the truth that the rich, smart, powerful wall street banker faces the same ending as the guy who sleeps on the bench under the freeway every night. I don't believe it's mandatory to give all of my stuff away and go sleep under a freeway (though it could be necessary), I just think it's a shame how often comfort controls me and not the other way around. It is not an easy call to be a faithful steward. This idea is a great place for my heart to simmer for a while. Thank God for steadfast saints of faith who understand their "stuff" is temporary and they themselves are mortal. How freeing the idea of sacrificing comfort now in exchange for eternity with the Comforter.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wilson Cheah, and Latin American's
Today was a day that changed my life. Lauren and I have the privelege of being in North Carolina at a conference of Crown staff and volunteers from all over the world. Nothing humbles my heart more than to be in a room filled with people of different language and culture, strategically preparing to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. A man that I was fortunate enough to meet is named Wilson Cheah. I still don't know a lot about this man, but I have hunch that he will be seated close to the throne of Christ when he goes home. Wilson is probably 70 years young and he lives in Singapore. He was responsible for introducing Haagen Dazs ice cream to Asia, amongst other consulting endeavors. Wilson also serves as the VP of Asia-Pacific for Crown. Wilson was kind enough to have lunch with me today and I was blessed to see and hear his heart for Jesus. This evening, Lauren and I both were fortunate to be involved in a meeting with prominent business men from Latin America who are committed to bringing the gospel to their people. Their hearts are beautiful. God is using amazing men and women to take the gospel to the ends of the earth! Sorry for brevity, it's late and I should get some sleep.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Life in Georgia
Preface: We don't have internet in our current residence. Once we get settled permanently and we'll have internet and update more frequently...
We woke up this morning to a crispy cool morning of 58 degrees...we're not in Texas anymore. And in case you are wondering, the weather is not the only difference from Texas to Georgia. There are trees here! And mountains! It's beautiful! If we haven't invited you out to visit us, this is your formal invitation!
One of our biggest fears leaving the Lone Star State was that we would lose the luxury of finely prepared Mexican food. In the Lord's timing, we discovered what will indefinitely become a lifeblood for our time here: Taqueira del Sol. Friends, let me tell you, this place is amazing! It is a small taco joint (similar to Rusty Taco for you Dallas folk) with amazing taco's and great cheese dip (Lauren was perplexed that it's not called queso). Come visit and we'll take you there.
The Lord has blessed us with beautiful people who have welcomed us and made us feel like family. Every day when I walk into work I'm taken back to the times I walked down the aisle of dad's church and had little old ladies pinch my cheeck - what a life! I'm fortunate to be able to sit under Chuck Bentley; not many men have the urgency for the Kingdom that he has. It will most definitely be an inspiring and encouraging year.
I had a great idea to get Lauren involved in our blog. It will be called Lauren's Lines. After each blog I'll leave some room for her to input her thoughts and experiences - it will be great!
We woke up this morning to a crispy cool morning of 58 degrees...we're not in Texas anymore. And in case you are wondering, the weather is not the only difference from Texas to Georgia. There are trees here! And mountains! It's beautiful! If we haven't invited you out to visit us, this is your formal invitation!
One of our biggest fears leaving the Lone Star State was that we would lose the luxury of finely prepared Mexican food. In the Lord's timing, we discovered what will indefinitely become a lifeblood for our time here: Taqueira del Sol. Friends, let me tell you, this place is amazing! It is a small taco joint (similar to Rusty Taco for you Dallas folk) with amazing taco's and great cheese dip (Lauren was perplexed that it's not called queso). Come visit and we'll take you there.
The Lord has blessed us with beautiful people who have welcomed us and made us feel like family. Every day when I walk into work I'm taken back to the times I walked down the aisle of dad's church and had little old ladies pinch my cheeck - what a life! I'm fortunate to be able to sit under Chuck Bentley; not many men have the urgency for the Kingdom that he has. It will most definitely be an inspiring and encouraging year.
I had a great idea to get Lauren involved in our blog. It will be called Lauren's Lines. After each blog I'll leave some room for her to input her thoughts and experiences - it will be great!
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