UPCOMING TRIPS
STATESIDE
2009
August 9-12 Gospel Meeting – Charbo and Karen, St. Charles, MO
September 26 – October 3 WVBS – Filming
November 6-8 – Leoni Lectures, Woodbury
November 12-14 – TFTW Mission Forum
OVERSEAS
2009
December 1-15 – Taiwan (Hualien, Taichung) Tickets Purchased
2010
March 9-30 – Singapore and Indonesia
June – CABL (Singapore), Klang, Malaysia, and other places – TBA
I am looking forward to being in all of these places in the next few months. I am still working on speaking appointments for the Texas trip. I hope to speak at three different places in the area. I will speak twice at the Leoni Lectures again this year. The two times I speak will be on Sunday morning. I am still working on details for the 2010 Asian trips. Details are just about in place for the Singapore-Indonesian trip in March.
Young Men’s Leadership Camp
I was privileged to speak in Ashville, AL at a Young Men’s Leadership Camp. I spoke two times on the subject of mission work. I did PowerPoint presentations emphasizing general principles of missions as well as discussing working among the Chinese people. There were about seventeen young men who attended these sessions. Some good questions were asked by those who were in attendance. Thanks to Mark McWhorter for the invitation to inform these young men of the great need we have for missionaries now and in the future. We need to take advantage of these opportunities to get young men thinking about what is involved in preparing to carry the gospel to the world.
News and Letters from Around the World
TERRE HAUTE, IN: My mother’s 85th birthday will be celebrated with an Open House at the Torner Center located in Deming Park, 500 S. Fruitridge Ave, Terre Haute, IN 47803. This event will take place on Saturday, August 15th, from 11 AM to 3 PM. If you are in the area and have the opportunity, please drop by and greet my mother. If you cannot make it, but would like to send my mom a birthday card, you can send it to: Barbara Grubb, 1708 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. If you are not able to send a card, but would like to send her an email greeting, you can send it to me and I will pass it along to my mother. JMG.
SOMEWHERE IN CHINA: “In the month of May, our (Name withheld) family group encountered a little bit of trouble. During Mother’s Day, all members and friends planned to have a BBQ at the local beach after Sunday Service. On that day we had about 24 members including a few visitors to join our Sunday Service. While we were singing Gospel songs in the morning, our door bell was rung. I asked, “Who are you?” A male voice said, “Are you out of power?” At that time, I did not pay attention. I said that we had power. Then I opened the door to see who rang the door bell. Suddenly, there were more than 18 men and women rushed into my apartment. All of them were government religious officers except one. That was a policeman in our residential area.
When they saw we were singing Gospel songs, they filmed us at once. They told us to be still. They said that we breached the policy of Chinese religious regulation. One of the officers said that if people wanted to hold a religious activity, they must go to an appointed place (a registered place). A register place is also called three-self church. The officers dropped down everyone’s name. And then they separated some of us and questioned us when we started this family group. They also wanted to know who the leaders of this family group were.
In the beginning, some of us argued with these officers. We wanted to know in which law we violated. On the other hand, we were told that if we do not have more than thirty people gather together, it will not breach the law of China. But, these officers said that this law did not apply to religious activities. They said that we had song books, many bibles, and Lord’s Supper on the table. It was a religious activity. They forced us to quit this activity.
These religious officers also brought our students back to school. After they sent them back to school, they let the school teachers question them. Our students were warned to stop taking part in any religious activity at a non-registered place. Otherwise, the school will take action to punish them. Because of their warning, some of our students were afraid to attend our activity.
After the religious officers stopped our activity, next day I visited the head of religious bureau in (Name withheld). I asked him what freedom I have if I want to learn and share the Truth with my friends. He told me that my family and I have freedom to believe and worship our Lord. But, the university students should not attend this religious activity at my apartment. I asked him what the bottom line is if we do not like to attend the government church. He told me that if there are two or three families sharing Christianity at my apartment, it is okay.
On the other hand, this officer told me that they already knew our activity for a while. They had their man in our group. When he said this thing, I was so surprised. We did not recognize that there was a spy in our family group. Anyway, after I talked with this officer, I went to consult a local lawyer. This lawyer was introduced by one of my former Bible students. He told me that if you hold a foreign passport or Hong Kong Identity, the Chinese government treats me as a foreigner. Therefore, a foreigner cannot teach the Bible in China. But, sharing the belief is okay. So when our members came to our apartment again, I told them that we were sharing the Truth with each other instead of teaching the Truth. Anyway, in future we must be careful to sow the seed of God to others. We also need all of your prayer in our safety while we are serving our Heaven Father in mainland China” – Name Withheld. (NOTE: I thought you would want to read this account and see there still are challenges to preaching the gospel in China. JMG.)
ROCKY MOUNT, VA: “It is good to hear of your safe return home, and your good trip. Your work (the Lord's in the Far East) has always encouraged me. Mariann and I will be leaving July 15th for the Caribbean Lectureship (our 40th anniversary 7/19/09) then on to Guyana to the work in New Amsterdam. I will preach 7/26 - 8/2 and Mariann will teach several ladies classes. Plus we will have a one day VBS for the Children in the New Amsterdam area. Thank you for letting us hear about the Lord's work in lands far away. The work on our building here at Rocky Mount is moving forward. We have 99% of the excavating done, the basement is done. The contractor should start on the walls next week. Our attendance has been real good over the last several weeks” – Glen Willcut. (Note: I went up to Rocky Mount, VA this past March to give a report of our work among the Chinese people. We appreciate the good work these brethren are doing for the Lord. JMG.)
VALDOSTA, GA: “I appreciate receiving your reports, as it is always interesting to read of the good work you are doing. May God bless you in it. Our work and summer travels are busy in Latin America as well. Just returned from a month long trip to Peru, where 15 souls were baptized into Christ during our campaigns. I’m off to the San Blas islands of Panama in a couple of weeks for another campaign. Keep up the good work you are doing” – Jonathan Winchester. (NOTE: We are thankful for all of the efforts being made through Latin American Missions at the Forrest Park church in Valdosta. Check out their website: www.forrestpark.org/lam/.
KNOXVILLE, TN: “Thanks for the very interesting report of your trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I found the report from the brother in China very interesting. I sometimes hear brethren say there is religious freedom in China today, but this certainly shows it is not so. Jody Apple told me he had a great visit with you.Stop and see us sometime when you are passing through” – Rod Rutherford. (NOTE: Rod is now preaching at the Gatlinburg church in Tennessee. Stop by when you are there! If you do not have his books, you need to get them. You can contact him at the following email address: rodrutherford@comcast.netJMG.)
DULUTH, GA – UPDATE ON THE TRIAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MURDERED JERRY ANN ELLIOTT: Many of you remember the report we made concerning the death of Jerry Ann Elliott almost two years ago. She was the mother-in-law of our production engineer, Dave Komisak. According to the verdict, the man who was convicted of this crime will spend at least fifty years in prison. I know the Elliott, Komisak, and Graham families are thankful for all the prayers offered on their behalf. JMG.)
S. SAN FRANCISCO, CA: One of the elders at Duluth, Thomas Reid, and his family went to San Francisco recently. While there, they were able to visit with the William Chen family and also to meet with some of the members of the Airport Rd. church. He was able to take this picture while there. We are so thankful for the Chen family in the cause of Christ.
SAN MARCOS, TX: “How are you doing after that trip to the east? I’m glad everything worked out well and that you got to catch up with the brethren there again. As I was watching the fireworks yesterday, it dawned on me that it has been 1 year and 7 months since I have been here in the States…. I just remembered that I might be able to pay you a visit in December if you and Libby are still up for it. Hope you and Libby are doing great!” – Beverly Leong. (NOTE: It was great to hear from Beverly. I am looking forward to seeing her when I visit Texas in September. In June, I was able to visit with her family in Malaysia. If things work out, she may pay us a visit here in Georgia in late December. JMG.)
MELAKA, MALAYSIA: “Appreciate your regular updates on your work and mission. It was really good to see you at the 2 seminars held lately. I am really appreciative of the lesson on worldliness in the 4 Sea College lectureship. A very powerful, persuasive and soul searching lesson. I am glad I was there and heard that lesson, and am taking to heart and mind of your godly exhortation. Many thanks” – Steven Loo. (NOTE: We appreciate so much the Steven Loo family and their influence for Christ in Malaysia. I hope to see them again next year when I travel over that way. JMG.)
ROANOKE, TX: “Was praying for you this morning and reading your report. Appreciate your labors, and the grace of God working in you to bless many brethren” – Tyler Young. (NOTE: I really appreciate all the prayers offered on behalf of the efforts to evangelize the world. We are so thankful for Tyler and his work for the Lord. JMG.)
MEMPHIS, TN: Our sympathy is extended to the James Bobbitt family. Brother Bobbitt passed away on July 15th. He used to be an elder of the Knight Arnold church of Christ and was a good friend to Truth for the World. JMG.
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Chinese Sermons and Outlines” Project Continues
At this writing, I have completed seventeen DVD’s (51 lessons) along with the two books of full content outlines (155 pages). The rest of the teleprompter scripts are now completed. I hope to finish this series of 60 lessons (filmed, edited, and duplicated) by the middle of September. I still plan to go to World Video Bible School at the end of September to begin filming the Chinese series on “Leadership.” While I am at WVBS, I will also hope to film some more English sermons as well. I have filmed almost 130 lessons at WVBS since April, 1993. I will also have some speaking appointments in the area while I am there. I am continuing to work on turning the audio lessons from WVBS and from this current Chinese sermons series into radio programs. Eventually, we hope to have between four and five years worth of programs (between 200-260) without repeating any lessons.
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Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 24,500 visits to our Chinese website from people in 128 countries. This includes over 9,084 visits from at least 301 cities in China. It is very encouraging to know people are accessing this site around the world. We are continuing to prepare additional materials to place on this site. Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, more people are becoming aware of our website.
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TAIWAN – A MOST UNIQUE WORK!
When the apostle Paul was in Damascus waiting to be told what he must do, the Lord appeared unto Ananias and told him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:15,16). The apostle Paul was selected to do a special work during his lifetime. In addition to teaching the Jews, he was to go to the Gentiles to give them the opportunity to obey the gospel. Paul points out that as Peter was committed to preaching to the Jews, he was also committed to preaching to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7,8).
Throughout the book of Acts we see Paul first going to the Jews, then turning to teach the Gentiles the gospel (Acts 13:46-48; 14:1-18; 15:3; 17:1-5; 17:16-30; 18:6). At times, it was necessary for Paul to make tents to continue his work (Acts 18:3). During this period, Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ. He was stoned by his enemies at Lystra (Acts 14:19), put in prison in Philippi (Acts 16:24), and was sent away by night in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10). We only need to read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 to understand the suffering Paul endured for the cause of Christ.
No missionary intends to compare their lives and the work they are doing to the work and life of the apostle Paul, but naturally there are some similarities between his work and the work being done in Taiwan among the twenty three million people living there.
Plenty of Work in America
In 1982, when we were preparing to go to Taiwan and work among the Chinese people, many said to us, “there is plenty of work to be done here in America, why do you want to go to Taiwan, so far away from your family and friends, to preach the gospel?”
I am sure that in Paul’s day there was plenty of work that could have been done among just among the Jews, but Jesus said, “Go into all the world.” In order for us to take the gospel to the entire world, some must be willing to leave our homeland. In Paul’s day, there were many more Gentiles than Jews in the world. For every one American there are four Chinese people in this world. We must not neglect to teach 20% of the world’s population.
Sacrifices Have to Be Made in Mission Work
When we decided to go to Taiwan, I am sure we did not fully realize the sacrifices that would have to be made during that time. I realize the sacrifices we made in can in no way compare with the sacrifices made by many of the earlier missionaries and certainly do not compare with the sacrifices made by the apostle Paul and other missionaries in the first century.
Whether it is the separation from friends and family, the adjustment to a new culture, learning a new language, or the aggravations in getting things done when desired; in order to get the gospel to the world, we must realize our responsibility in the sight of God to preach the gospel in spite of sacrifices that must be made.
If you are considering a work in a foreign country, be sure you understand these sacrifices have to be made to accomplish the work for God. King David understood the concept of sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24), the Macedonian Christians understood it (2 Corinthians 8:1-5), Paul understood it (2 Timothy 4:7,8), and we also must understand it!
The Work in Taiwan
The Chinese Mandarin is the prominent language among the Chinese people in the world. Although there are many Chinese dialects, the majority of Chinese speak Mandarin. To our knowledge, there are very few men who have the ability to preach the gospel in the Chinese Mandarin who are standing for the truth of God. Just a few men in the whole world – what a challenge! We are in need of a new wave of workers who are willing to make the sacrifices to learn this language and help spread the gospel, not only in Taiwan, but also in Mainland China.
So, you can see brethren, the work in Taiwan is truly unique. We have faithful local brethren who are doing their best to see that the gospel in presented to the Chinese people there in Taiwan, and it is our hope, our prayer, and our goal, to see the gospel preached to all of Mainland China as that opportunity arises. Please continue to pray for this most unique work. Also pray that the more than 1.3 billion Chinese people will have the opportunity to hear the precious gospel of Christ before it is eternally too late. (NOTE: I will again travel to Taiwan in December to work with some of the brethren there. JMG.)
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You can view an video update on the work we are doing in preparing Chinese materials at the website below:
http://oabs.org/Archives/Lectures/msop2009.htm
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PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
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“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
– John M. Grubb
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Mission Trip Update
In addition to the lectureship every day, there was a Gospel Meeting conducted in the evening on the theme: “The Eternal Home.” I was only able to attend three of these five sessions, but the lessons were outstanding.
Because one of the speakers was unable to attend, I spoke on Thursday morning on the subject: Destructive Forces on the Home – Worldliness.” Immediately following my lesson, I departed to attend the CABL across the Causeway in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Thanks to the Singapore brethren for their hospitality during this part of the trip. 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship
I was invited to speak on the 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship (CABL) this year. My topic was: “The Will of God.” The lectureship was conducted in the Johor Bahru area. There were Chinese brethren there from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.
Among those who attended this lectureship were: John Yo (Taiwan), Tracy Yang (Taiwan), the Wangs (Taiwan), Jedidiah and Amy Yuan (Singapore), David and Abigail Chew (Singapore), Wang Eng Boon (Klang), brother and sister Kwan and many, many others. Thanks to all of the brethren who made this lectureship possible. The lectureship was conducted at the Crystal Crown Hotel in Johore Bahru. It was a very nice facility for conducting the lectureship. In addition to my speaking, along with brother Eng Boon, we provided sixteen full sets of my DVD series on “Chinese Sermons and Outlines.” All of the sets were taken by various church members in Singapore and Malaysia. Some of the sets will be taken to China to be used among the brethren there. A CD was also provided to give the brethren hundreds of Chinese documents that can be used in their work as well. All of this material was well-received and the Chinese brethren are grateful for it. Brother Kwan asked me to prepare a CD of the melody of the songs in the songbook they use. I did this on tape in Taiwan many years ago. This book is different than that one. I will add this project to my list of things to do.
Speaking at the CABL I will continue to supply the brethren here with the materials that will help them to evangelize among the Chinese speaking people in this part of the world. Klang and Subang Jaya On Saturday afternoon (June 6), I traveled with brother Eng Boon back to Klang. I had the privilege to spend the night at his house. We arrived back in Klang in time to attend the Gospel Meeting there at Klang. Patrick Swayne, from Melbourne, Australia was the speaker. On Sunday morning, I presented two lessons to the Chinese congregation at Klang. During the Bible class hour I discussed the “Identity of the Church,” and “The Deity of Christ” was the topic for the worship hour. This is the first time I have spoken at Klang since 1985. I was very pleased to meet a family at Klang who were ethnic Indian but all the children spoke Chinese. It was a very pleasant surprise. Usually, other people are surprised to hear me speak Chinese. This time, I was the one who was amazed at the fluency of these brethren who spoke wonderful Mandarin Chinese. On Sunday afternoon, I traveled to the Subang Jaya congregation (in the KL area) to present the same lesson I used at the CABL – “The Will of God.” The last time I spoke there was in 2005. Again, we are so thankful for our supporters who continue to make it possible for me to make these kinds of trips. While I was in Singapore and Malaysia, I talked to the brethren from Taiwan about a trip to go there later this year. Tentatively, I will go there December 1-14 for efforts in Hualien and Taichung.
I also talked to Alex Daniel about a trip to Indonesia next year. Discussions were about teaching at the school and speaking in Jakarta and possibly Surabaya. I may be able to coordinate that trip so I can also conduct Gospel meetings in Singapore as well.
The Chinese brethren at the CABL also hope I will be able to return next year to speak on the Chinese lectureship, which will be held in Singapore arranged by the Jurong Chinese congregation in Singapore. Dates and topics are yet to be determined. I would hope to be able to conduct gospel meetings at Jurong and Lim Ah Pin. Possibly I could also teach some kind of class at Four Seas College as well. More about these possible trips in future reports.
Because one of the speakers was unable to attend, I spoke on Thursday morning on the subject: Destructive Forces on the Home – Worldliness.” Immediately following my lesson, I departed to attend the CABL across the Causeway in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Thanks to the Singapore brethren for their hospitality during this part of the trip. 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship
I was invited to speak on the 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship (CABL) this year. My topic was: “The Will of God.” The lectureship was conducted in the Johor Bahru area. There were Chinese brethren there from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.
Among those who attended this lectureship were: John Yo (Taiwan), Tracy Yang (Taiwan), the Wangs (Taiwan), Jedidiah and Amy Yuan (Singapore), David and Abigail Chew (Singapore), Wang Eng Boon (Klang), brother and sister Kwan and many, many others. Thanks to all of the brethren who made this lectureship possible. The lectureship was conducted at the Crystal Crown Hotel in Johore Bahru. It was a very nice facility for conducting the lectureship. In addition to my speaking, along with brother Eng Boon, we provided sixteen full sets of my DVD series on “Chinese Sermons and Outlines.” All of the sets were taken by various church members in Singapore and Malaysia. Some of the sets will be taken to China to be used among the brethren there. A CD was also provided to give the brethren hundreds of Chinese documents that can be used in their work as well. All of this material was well-received and the Chinese brethren are grateful for it. Brother Kwan asked me to prepare a CD of the melody of the songs in the songbook they use. I did this on tape in Taiwan many years ago. This book is different than that one. I will add this project to my list of things to do.
Speaking at the CABL I will continue to supply the brethren here with the materials that will help them to evangelize among the Chinese speaking people in this part of the world. Klang and Subang Jaya On Saturday afternoon (June 6), I traveled with brother Eng Boon back to Klang. I had the privilege to spend the night at his house. We arrived back in Klang in time to attend the Gospel Meeting there at Klang. Patrick Swayne, from Melbourne, Australia was the speaker. On Sunday morning, I presented two lessons to the Chinese congregation at Klang. During the Bible class hour I discussed the “Identity of the Church,” and “The Deity of Christ” was the topic for the worship hour. This is the first time I have spoken at Klang since 1985. I was very pleased to meet a family at Klang who were ethnic Indian but all the children spoke Chinese. It was a very pleasant surprise. Usually, other people are surprised to hear me speak Chinese. This time, I was the one who was amazed at the fluency of these brethren who spoke wonderful Mandarin Chinese. On Sunday afternoon, I traveled to the Subang Jaya congregation (in the KL area) to present the same lesson I used at the CABL – “The Will of God.” The last time I spoke there was in 2005. Again, we are so thankful for our supporters who continue to make it possible for me to make these kinds of trips. While I was in Singapore and Malaysia, I talked to the brethren from Taiwan about a trip to go there later this year. Tentatively, I will go there December 1-14 for efforts in Hualien and Taichung.
I also talked to Alex Daniel about a trip to Indonesia next year. Discussions were about teaching at the school and speaking in Jakarta and possibly Surabaya. I may be able to coordinate that trip so I can also conduct Gospel meetings in Singapore as well.
The Chinese brethren at the CABL also hope I will be able to return next year to speak on the Chinese lectureship, which will be held in Singapore arranged by the Jurong Chinese congregation in Singapore. Dates and topics are yet to be determined. I would hope to be able to conduct gospel meetings at Jurong and Lim Ah Pin. Possibly I could also teach some kind of class at Four Seas College as well. More about these possible trips in future reports.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Mission Trip to Singapore and Malaysia
On May 29th, I departed on my first mission trip for this year. Thanks to Thomas Reid for taking me to the airport that morning. I learn something new almost every time I make an overseas trip. This trip was no exception. When I went to get in line for check-in, there was a long line. Someone mentioned they forgot if you have a Silver or Gold Medallion Card, there is a separate check-in which is much faster. Fortunately, I have a Silver Medallion Card, so was checked in quickly.
The first stop on the trip was the Seoul/Incheon Airport in South Korea. We landed safely after the fourteen hour flight. Because of the flu scare, each passenger had to have their temperature taken before leaving the area of the plane. After getting through there, it was just a matter of waiting a couple of hours before the flight to Malaysia. I arrived in Malaysia on Saturday night, May 30th, about 10 PM (local time).
Michael Leong was there to pick me up. Because I had to arrange my luggage to only take part of it to Singapore the next day, it was 1:15 AM before I went to bed. The next day I spoke at the Damansara Utama (DU) congregation. It was good to see the brethren there again. After a potluck lunch at the building, Michael Leong took me back to the International Airport (just 18 hours after arriving there) to head down to Singapore to speak at the Four Seas College lectureship. One of the speakers was unable to attend, so I asked to speak on Thursday morning. This is my 35th overseas mission trip. I am thankful for everyone who made this trip possible who lives on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Arrival in Singapore
After a short flight from Kuala Lumpur, I arrived in Singapore. It had been twelve years since I had traveled to Singapore to speak at a function. After arriving at the hotel, I prepared for my first normal night’s sleep. I was able to get a full eight hours sleep and get up in time to get a short walk completed before attending the first day of the Four Seas College Lectureship. It was good to renew many friendships in Singapore. Of course, there were a number of friends from the states, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines. There were several in attendance I had not met before. This included Tim Burroughs, Patrick Swayne, and David Quidem. It was good to Alex Daniel and his son from Southern Sumatra Bible Institute located in Lampung. Billy Bland, Peter Chin, Eddy Ee, David Chew, the Kwans, Ken and Clyde Ann Willis, Lee Davis, and Mary and Charlie DiPalma were in attendance as well. Phillip Vanwinkle has been in Singapore for several months now working with the school. It was good to meet him as well. I also had the opportunity to visit with Jerry and Susan Cheong, and Susan Goh from the Lim Ah Pin congregation. The theme of the lectureship was: “The Christian Home.” One of the young men we met in Wuhan back in 2003, Paul Wang, is now a student at Four Seas. There is also a sister Tsai from Hubei province attending the school. I have DVD sets to both of them. Hopefully, they will be able to put them to good use in China. I also gave DVD sets to several brethren who can put them to good use. I still have several sets to distribute at the Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship (CABL).
The first stop on the trip was the Seoul/Incheon Airport in South Korea. We landed safely after the fourteen hour flight. Because of the flu scare, each passenger had to have their temperature taken before leaving the area of the plane. After getting through there, it was just a matter of waiting a couple of hours before the flight to Malaysia. I arrived in Malaysia on Saturday night, May 30th, about 10 PM (local time).
Michael Leong was there to pick me up. Because I had to arrange my luggage to only take part of it to Singapore the next day, it was 1:15 AM before I went to bed. The next day I spoke at the Damansara Utama (DU) congregation. It was good to see the brethren there again. After a potluck lunch at the building, Michael Leong took me back to the International Airport (just 18 hours after arriving there) to head down to Singapore to speak at the Four Seas College lectureship. One of the speakers was unable to attend, so I asked to speak on Thursday morning. This is my 35th overseas mission trip. I am thankful for everyone who made this trip possible who lives on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Arrival in Singapore
After a short flight from Kuala Lumpur, I arrived in Singapore. It had been twelve years since I had traveled to Singapore to speak at a function. After arriving at the hotel, I prepared for my first normal night’s sleep. I was able to get a full eight hours sleep and get up in time to get a short walk completed before attending the first day of the Four Seas College Lectureship. It was good to renew many friendships in Singapore. Of course, there were a number of friends from the states, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines. There were several in attendance I had not met before. This included Tim Burroughs, Patrick Swayne, and David Quidem. It was good to Alex Daniel and his son from Southern Sumatra Bible Institute located in Lampung. Billy Bland, Peter Chin, Eddy Ee, David Chew, the Kwans, Ken and Clyde Ann Willis, Lee Davis, and Mary and Charlie DiPalma were in attendance as well. Phillip Vanwinkle has been in Singapore for several months now working with the school. It was good to meet him as well. I also had the opportunity to visit with Jerry and Susan Cheong, and Susan Goh from the Lim Ah Pin congregation. The theme of the lectureship was: “The Christian Home.” One of the young men we met in Wuhan back in 2003, Paul Wang, is now a student at Four Seas. There is also a sister Tsai from Hubei province attending the school. I have DVD sets to both of them. Hopefully, they will be able to put them to good use in China. I also gave DVD sets to several brethren who can put them to good use. I still have several sets to distribute at the Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship (CABL).
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Asia Trip to begin on 29 May
I am scheduled to depart the Atlanta airport on 29 May. Scheduled to arrive in KL on 30 May at 10:25 PM local time.
I will preach at DU (Damansara Utama) on Sunday AM. In the evening, I will fly to Singapore to attend and participate in the Four Seas College Lectures. I will speak there on Thus. 4 June. Immediately after, I will travel about 30 minutes into Malaysia to attend the 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship. I will speak at that lectureship on Friday 5 June.
I am looking forward to seeing brethren from many nations while attending these two lectureships.
More later.
I will preach at DU (Damansara Utama) on Sunday AM. In the evening, I will fly to Singapore to attend and participate in the Four Seas College Lectures. I will speak there on Thus. 4 June. Immediately after, I will travel about 30 minutes into Malaysia to attend the 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship. I will speak at that lectureship on Friday 5 June.
I am looking forward to seeing brethren from many nations while attending these two lectureships.
More later.
Anniversaries and Birthdays
Andrew and Emily's anniversary was on May 18th. Dan and Anna's anniversary is June 1st. Anna's birthday is on June 16th and Meghan Grubb will have her tenth birthday on June 18th.
Happy Anniversary and Birthdays to members of the Grubb family.
Happy Anniversary and Birthdays to members of the Grubb family.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Update in the Studio
I will finish editing the last of the six Chinese DVD's I recorded last week. I am also getting ready to make copies of a CD that has our written materials from the Chinese website. I will be taking 15 complete sets on my upcoming trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I will also be taking 10 partial sets to go along with sets I took last year.
I am scheduled to depart for Asia on 29 May.
I am scheduled to depart for Asia on 29 May.
Monday, May 11, 2009
DVD editing continues
I will continue working on the audio and graphics editing on the 6 DVD lessons I recorded last week.
I hope to finish all 6 this week as well as duplicate so they can be taken to Asia at the end of the month.
I hope to finish all 6 this week as well as duplicate so they can be taken to Asia at the end of the month.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Editing DVD Lessons
I began the process of editing the DVD lessons I recorded on Monday and Tues. I hope to have all 6 lessons edited and put on DVD's by May15th. This brings the total in this series to 45. There are an additional 99 lessons I have recorded at World Video Bible School. 39 of these are on DVD, the other 60 are on VHS.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Bethesda Elementary School Field Day
My son, Sam, is a 5th grade teacher. His is one of 8 fifth grades in the school. The 8 classes competed in the annual field day. I was able to go over for a couple of hours of the competition. This is one of the pictures I took that day. His team was called Courageous Dragons (永氣龍隊).
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Filming Completed
I was able to film the other 3 lessons in the Chinese Sermons and Outlines series. I will begin the editing process today.
Yesterday's filming went off without a hitch. No problems. Thanks to Dave Komisak for providing the technical support to enable this project to go forward.
Yesterday's filming went off without a hitch. No problems. Thanks to Dave Komisak for providing the technical support to enable this project to go forward.
Monday, May 4, 2009
3 More Chinese lessons filmed
I filmed three more Chinese lessons this morning. We had a power surge and had to restart one of the lessons. Otherwise, everything concluded without any problems.
These lessons are 37 minutes in length. I will do the editing on these lessons later this week.
These lessons are 37 minutes in length. I will do the editing on these lessons later this week.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Filming New Chinese Lessons
I am planning to film 6 more Chinese lessons on 4 and 5 May. This will bring the total to 45 in the "Chinese Sermons and Outlines" series.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Grubb Mission Report - May 2009
A Work of the Duluth church of Christ
Singapore and Malaysia Lectureships
At the end of this month, I will depart for my first mission trip for this year. The day after arriving, I will speak at the Damansara Utama (DU) congregation before heading down to Singapore. This will be my 35th overseas mission trip. There will be lectureships conducted “back to back” in Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia in the first week in June. The lectureship in Singapore is the “Four Seas College” Lectureship. The lectureship conducted “next door” to Singapore, in Johor Bahru, is the 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship (CABL). It was my privilege to speak on the 1st Annual CABL conducted in Melaka in 2006. I have been invited to speak on the CABL this year. My topic is: “The Will of God.” I have already sent in my outline for the lesson. I will use PowerPoint for my lesson in Johor Bahru. There will be Chinese brethren there from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China. In addition, there are some Chinese students who are attending Four Seas College in Singapore. Therefore, I am going to attend the lectures in Singapore in hopes of visiting with these students as well as all the brethren who will be attending this lectureship. I have also offered to “fill-in” in case one of the speakers is not able to attend and speak. I will also present lessons at two other Chinese congregations in Malaysia before returning to the states. Again, we are so thankful for our supporters who make it possible for me to make these trips.
Letters Received From Around The World
QUINTON, AL: We were happy to hear from Tommy Alford recently. Later this year, he hopes to make a mission trip to Taiwan to teach and encourage the church there. We are so thankful for the good work the Alfords do in the Kingdom. JMG.
CLEVELAND, TN: “Just wanted you and your supporters to know that I am honored you will join me on GBN’s FOCUS ON FAITH from April 21st through May 19th. The times of the broadcasts are Tuesday at 1:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM; Friday at 4:00 AM and Saturday at 7:00 AM. These times are Eastern Standard Time. You can access GBN either by cable, KU-band dish or live streaming from www.gbntv.org. Below are your subjects and projected dates of broadcast. These are lessons recorded for the World Video Bible School and we truly appreciated their support especially brother Rudy Cain who granted us permission to use these lessons. It was a joy to have your lessons on FOCUS ON FAITH, and we give our Father above all the glory” – Jeff Archey www.eastsidecoc.org. (NOTE: These programs began airing on April 21st. They will air for four or five weeks. I am thankful these programs can be used to teach the lost as well as brethren around the world. I plan to go to WVBS in September to tape more lessons like these that can be used by brethren. Thanks to Jeff Archey for letting us know. JMG.)
BRAZELTON, GA: I had the privilege to speak at the Chestnut Mountain church on April 5th. I delivered a three part lesson on “Overcoming Discouragement.”
CONGRATULATIONS: To my son, Daniel, who began his eleventh year in the USAF and was recently promoted to the rank of Tech Sergeant. He and his wife, Anna, and their children, Caroline and Gabe are stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OH.
FRANKLIN, TN: “I understand that you have been involved in mission work in China for several years…. Do you distribute Bibles in your work in China…? We currently support Jimmie Hill and the Truth for the World” – Joe Russell. (NOTE: Brother Russell had some questions about Bible distribution in China. I tried to give him some information from my experience and perspective. I also sent him some of our Chinese materials. JMG.)
IRVING, TX: “I just read your latest report about your visit to KL. Charlie and Mary DiPalma plan to stay with Carolyn and me, the week of September 27. We knew them before they went to India. I spent a week with them in India in 2005. Mary had to return to KL because of respiratory problems around April 1st. Charlie has had new complications with his eyes. Please pray for their health and the decisions they have to make. May God bless your efforts to convert the Chinese people around the world. I am one of the elders at Belt Line in Irving, TX” – Richard Renfro. (NOTE: We are thankful for the many years the Beltline church supported our work among the Chinese people. We are also thankful for their support of the DiPalmas. We are so appreciative of the great work of Charlie and Mary. JMG.)
CHARLESTON, SC: I had the privilege to be with the North Charleston congregation the weekend of April 19th. Don Blackwell, a former staff member at TFTW is the good preacher there. I presented information concerning our Chinese work.
DACULA, GA: While the Jimmie Hills and the William Howards were in Iceland on a mission trip, I had the opportunity to speak at the New Hope Rd. church. I was able to give an update on the work we are doing among the Chinese people as well as present two sermons from God’s Word. It was good to see the brethren at New Hope Rd. again.
“Chinese Sermons and Outlines” Project Continues At this writing, I have completed thirteen DVD’s (39 lessons) along with the rest of the outlines in the second phase of this project. I will have the rest of the teleprompter scripts completed in the very near future. I also hope to film another six lessons during the first part of the month of May.
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 21,900 visits to our Chinese website from people in 125 countries. This includes over 8,379 visits from at least 283 cities in China. It is very encouraging to know people are able to access this site around the world. We are continuing to prepare additional materials to place on this site. Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, more people are becoming aware of our website.
Chinese Radio Program Support
We continue to broadcast our Chinese radio program every Saturday. Thanks to all of those who have helped replenish this fund. There were two congregations and some individuals who have provided the necessary funds for the program for about the next 18 months. Thanks so much. I continue to take the audio off the DVD lessons I have done in Chinese and edit them to use on our weekly radio program that we broadcast in China. Completing these lessons will provide more than four years worth of programming without repeating any programs.
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
– John M. Grubb
Follow my trip to Asia on this blog site: http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com/
Singapore and Malaysia Lectureships
At the end of this month, I will depart for my first mission trip for this year. The day after arriving, I will speak at the Damansara Utama (DU) congregation before heading down to Singapore. This will be my 35th overseas mission trip. There will be lectureships conducted “back to back” in Singapore and Johor Bahru, Malaysia in the first week in June. The lectureship in Singapore is the “Four Seas College” Lectureship. The lectureship conducted “next door” to Singapore, in Johor Bahru, is the 4th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectureship (CABL). It was my privilege to speak on the 1st Annual CABL conducted in Melaka in 2006. I have been invited to speak on the CABL this year. My topic is: “The Will of God.” I have already sent in my outline for the lesson. I will use PowerPoint for my lesson in Johor Bahru. There will be Chinese brethren there from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and China. In addition, there are some Chinese students who are attending Four Seas College in Singapore. Therefore, I am going to attend the lectures in Singapore in hopes of visiting with these students as well as all the brethren who will be attending this lectureship. I have also offered to “fill-in” in case one of the speakers is not able to attend and speak. I will also present lessons at two other Chinese congregations in Malaysia before returning to the states. Again, we are so thankful for our supporters who make it possible for me to make these trips.
Letters Received From Around The World
QUINTON, AL: We were happy to hear from Tommy Alford recently. Later this year, he hopes to make a mission trip to Taiwan to teach and encourage the church there. We are so thankful for the good work the Alfords do in the Kingdom. JMG.
CLEVELAND, TN: “Just wanted you and your supporters to know that I am honored you will join me on GBN’s FOCUS ON FAITH from April 21st through May 19th. The times of the broadcasts are Tuesday at 1:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM; Friday at 4:00 AM and Saturday at 7:00 AM. These times are Eastern Standard Time. You can access GBN either by cable, KU-band dish or live streaming from www.gbntv.org. Below are your subjects and projected dates of broadcast. These are lessons recorded for the World Video Bible School and we truly appreciated their support especially brother Rudy Cain who granted us permission to use these lessons. It was a joy to have your lessons on FOCUS ON FAITH, and we give our Father above all the glory” – Jeff Archey www.eastsidecoc.org. (NOTE: These programs began airing on April 21st. They will air for four or five weeks. I am thankful these programs can be used to teach the lost as well as brethren around the world. I plan to go to WVBS in September to tape more lessons like these that can be used by brethren. Thanks to Jeff Archey for letting us know. JMG.)
BRAZELTON, GA: I had the privilege to speak at the Chestnut Mountain church on April 5th. I delivered a three part lesson on “Overcoming Discouragement.”
CONGRATULATIONS: To my son, Daniel, who began his eleventh year in the USAF and was recently promoted to the rank of Tech Sergeant. He and his wife, Anna, and their children, Caroline and Gabe are stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OH.
FRANKLIN, TN: “I understand that you have been involved in mission work in China for several years…. Do you distribute Bibles in your work in China…? We currently support Jimmie Hill and the Truth for the World” – Joe Russell. (NOTE: Brother Russell had some questions about Bible distribution in China. I tried to give him some information from my experience and perspective. I also sent him some of our Chinese materials. JMG.)
IRVING, TX: “I just read your latest report about your visit to KL. Charlie and Mary DiPalma plan to stay with Carolyn and me, the week of September 27. We knew them before they went to India. I spent a week with them in India in 2005. Mary had to return to KL because of respiratory problems around April 1st. Charlie has had new complications with his eyes. Please pray for their health and the decisions they have to make. May God bless your efforts to convert the Chinese people around the world. I am one of the elders at Belt Line in Irving, TX” – Richard Renfro. (NOTE: We are thankful for the many years the Beltline church supported our work among the Chinese people. We are also thankful for their support of the DiPalmas. We are so appreciative of the great work of Charlie and Mary. JMG.)
CHARLESTON, SC: I had the privilege to be with the North Charleston congregation the weekend of April 19th. Don Blackwell, a former staff member at TFTW is the good preacher there. I presented information concerning our Chinese work.
DACULA, GA: While the Jimmie Hills and the William Howards were in Iceland on a mission trip, I had the opportunity to speak at the New Hope Rd. church. I was able to give an update on the work we are doing among the Chinese people as well as present two sermons from God’s Word. It was good to see the brethren at New Hope Rd. again.
“Chinese Sermons and Outlines” Project Continues At this writing, I have completed thirteen DVD’s (39 lessons) along with the rest of the outlines in the second phase of this project. I will have the rest of the teleprompter scripts completed in the very near future. I also hope to film another six lessons during the first part of the month of May.
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 21,900 visits to our Chinese website from people in 125 countries. This includes over 8,379 visits from at least 283 cities in China. It is very encouraging to know people are able to access this site around the world. We are continuing to prepare additional materials to place on this site. Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, more people are becoming aware of our website.
Chinese Radio Program Support
We continue to broadcast our Chinese radio program every Saturday. Thanks to all of those who have helped replenish this fund. There were two congregations and some individuals who have provided the necessary funds for the program for about the next 18 months. Thanks so much. I continue to take the audio off the DVD lessons I have done in Chinese and edit them to use on our weekly radio program that we broadcast in China. Completing these lessons will provide more than four years worth of programming without repeating any programs.
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
– John M. Grubb
Follow my trip to Asia on this blog site: http://grubbmissionwork.blogspot.com/
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Libby finishing first year at Gainesville State College
Libby is finishing up her finals for the spring. She will take one class this summer. She has three finals today.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Preparing Chinese DVD's for Asian Trip
I continue to duplicate and label (by hand) 15 sets of DVD's for my upcoming trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I am also preparing an additional 10 sets for lessons 28-45. I took 1-27 last time I went to Malaysia. Also, I will film lessons 40-45 the first week of May.
I have now edited 25 Chinese radio sermons to be used on our Chinese program aired in Taiwan. I will continue work on this project.
I have completed all of the full-content outlines for all of these lessons.
I have now edited 25 Chinese radio sermons to be used on our Chinese program aired in Taiwan. I will continue work on this project.
I have completed all of the full-content outlines for all of these lessons.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Malaysia and Singapore Trip 2009
I am scheduled to depart for Asia on 29 May. I will try to post something everyday on this site to give people an idea of how things are going while I am over there.
Please pray for the efforts we will make on this trip.
Please pray for the efforts we will make on this trip.
McCaysville Lectureship
It was a privilege to attend the Thursday night session of the lectures in McCaysville, GA. It was good to see the brethren there as well as the Dearmans (Jim and Janis), Campbells (Roger and Donna), B.J. Clarke, and several others. Thomas Reid, one of the elders at Duluth attended the lectures with me.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
North Charleston Church of Christ
I will be speaking at the North Charleston church of Christ on 18 and 19 April. Don Blackwell is the good preacher there.
I will be speaking at a Teacher's Appreciation Meeting as well as present my Chinese work on Sunday night.
I will be speaking at a Teacher's Appreciation Meeting as well as present my Chinese work on Sunday night.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
What is going on in my work
I have been working on translating sermon outlines I am recording on DVD's. I have just about completed book #2.
I will record 6 more of these lessons the last week in April, which will bring the total to 45 lessons in this series.
I am scheduled to attend the lectureships in Singapore and Malaysia in late May and early June. I will also speak at three different congregations in the Kuala Lumpur area before returning home on 11 June.
I will record 6 more of these lessons the last week in April, which will bring the total to 45 lessons in this series.
I am scheduled to attend the lectureships in Singapore and Malaysia in late May and early June. I will also speak at three different congregations in the Kuala Lumpur area before returning home on 11 June.
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