More Photos from China and Guatemala

These are shots Joyce took on her camera:

The The Ming Tombs, factories, Great Wall, Olympic Pavillion
The Forbidden City, Old Beijing
Old Beijing, Tiananmen Square, Tientsin
Tientsin, Shanghai, Guatemala

Gloriously Wasteful

An ancient Celtic name for God was Gloriosly Wasteful. He's given us so many things that we don't need just to bless us.

From garbage to gifted

When Aury (left) was 8, she went door to door to take out people's trash in exchange for two-day old bread. At school no one wanted to be her friend because of her work. They called her trash. Compassion has helped her rise above all that. As a part of the Leadership Development Program she is in her final year of college, studying business management. She thanks Compassion for changing her future on earth and in heaven. "It's meant that I can dream again." Now she is pleased to be sharing God's great love for children that grew up the way she did.

His father's son

Our speaker here at the Compassion (RichDrama.com/Compassion) Artist and Speaker Retreat is Mark Yaconelli. We heard his father Mike speak, only months before his untimely death, at a Compassion retreat at Michael W. Smith's ranch. Mike founded Youth Specialties. Mark is just as funny.

He's talking about the call to retreat. The artists and speakers here are constantly on the go, giving. Compassion has invested in us as partners in ministry. We're here for about the same price as it would have been to be sleeping on bunks in the US. He said we are the poor and needy, just as much, though in different ways, as the ones we serve here. We're here to rest and be served. We're here for Sabbath. He said, on the same level of importance, God said, "Don't kill anyone, and take a day off."

He said there's a tribe in east Africa that counts a child's birthday from the day the parents conceived the idea of having a child. The mother would then go out alone to hear the song of that child. She teaches it to her husband. The song is sung throughout the child's life from conception to death. We're hear to listen for God's song for each of us.

Artwork everywhere

The grounds on which we're staying is filled with incredible works of art everywhere we look.

En Guatemala

We've touched down in a most remarkable land.

Emperor worship

This is where the emperor was worshipped with insence, candy, and every animal but the pig because its name sounds like the family name of the emperors: Ju.

Old Beijing by pedicab

We're seeing a part of the old city that may be torn down for the Olympics.

This is a jeepney

These are the small buses or large taxis of the Philippines. I got to ride one, which was quite fun. You can ask them to stop anywhere on their route. Before you get there you hand your fare to the person next to you. It's passed along until it gets to the driver. Then your change is passed back. Each jeepney has it's very own artistic design, and many of them have Christian themes. Dr. Donahue who arranged several of my performances and workshops wrote an article on the theology of jeepnies.

911 memorial

Ann Van Hine, the widow of Bruce Van Hine, the firefighter featured in my play Five Bells for 9/11 gave me permission to post the following:

Dear family, friends and fellow believers,

    My apologizes for requesting again that you sign another petition but...  The save the 911 memorial group is trying to get the "powers that be" to do the right.  Currently the first responders will be listed together by their firehouse -- which is one battle that has been won. However, it will not state if someone was a FF. or LT. or Chief or Chaplain.  Also the families of the civilians want their love ones listed with their fellow employees.  All of cantor fitzgerald's employees need to be listed together so history can remember that one company lost over 600 people.  The website explains the current plan and what the families would like to see.

    I believe that the listing of the names will either teach the truth of that day or in will blur it. If you have a moment please read the information on the website.  www.savethe911memorial.com

    

Thank you.

 

Ann Van Hine

A NIGHT OF ARTS: Music, Song, Dance & Art

Date:	Jan 27, 2007
Time:	7:00 pm

A NIGHT OF ARTS: Music, Song, Dance & Art!

  

WHAT:  A Night of Arts features both classical and contemporary music, modern dance, and a few artistic surprises! We'll also have an art gallery and creative jewelry sale. Join us to celebrate God's creativity!

 

WHEN:  Saturday, January 27th, 7pm

 

WHERE:  Westchester Chapel Community Church, 214 Central Ave., White Plains, NY

 

TICKETS:  The event is FREE. A special offering will be taken to support future arts projects. No need to call ahead, there are plenty of seats...see you at the door!     

For more information contact:

(914) 287-7620 or

WestchesterChapel.org

Amazing Grace featured in Charisma

Charisma Magazine just ran a great article on Amazing Grace: The Day Slavery Died.

Joyce recently saw a preview on Times Square and loved it.

Be sure to catch it opening night: February 23.

Between the Tropics

While I was in the Philippines last week people kept oppologizing because it was too hot. I told them I'd soak it up for my return to winter. Pittsburgh gave me enough cold to make me appreciate next week in Guatemala even more.

Last night, when I performed Lazarus by Sean Gaffney I picked a gal to interact with, based on where she was sitting. She asked me afterward if it was based on her Lazarus story. She was told she'd need heart surgery, but her friends (including Jim and Pat LaBossier, who invited me to perform) prayed for her. When she returned for a presurgery scan the doctor questioned whether he had the right image! He compared it to the scan that convinced him she needed the surgery. He said they looked like two completely different hearts! Praise the Lord, our Healer. Pray for her continued healing as she recovers from the cancer that caused the heart condition.

That story warms my heart now that I'm back in NYC, where the temperature is dropping fast.

Happy Birthday Uncle Eric!

This was the second time I performed Beyond the Chariots in Hong Kong. Dr. James "Jamey" Hudson Taylor III is a great-grandson of Hudson Taylor, who spearheaded missions in China in the late 1800's.

Jamey had agreed to speak afterward, but he came down with a cold and asked if I'd excuse him. I saw him on the first row, so after the play I thought I should at least acknowledge his presence. Much to my surprise he came to the stage. He said, "Rich didn't think I was going to speak, but I had to tell you that today would have been Eric Liddell's 105th birthday." He went on to describe how Uncle Eric was a father figure to so many children who were separated from their families.

Dr. Taylor saw the play for the second time, and he brought his wife, Leone, and their grandson. I introduced him to the audience after the show as Jim Hudson Taylor, V, but that's this young man's cousin. This great-great-great grandson of Hudson Taylor is Devin Taylor Alsin. He attends University of Washington in Seattle (the only place I ever came in last in a race: steeplechase against some big schools). Devin is here to study finances for a semester. I was quite honored to hear how much he enjoyed the play. I told the audience that he may not have the name, but I'm sure he carries the mantle to accomplish great things for the Lord.

The fastest blog on earth

I'm posting from the fastest train on earth. In actual fact we're not touching the ground. Shanghai's Maglev, as its name suggests, levetates on powerful magnets.

Article on Liddell in China Daily

On January 5 there was an article on Eric Liddell in China Daily. It
recaps his decision not to run on a Sunday and goes on to say, "What
fewer people know about Liddell is his connection with China." It
tells how he was born in Tianjin, was schooled in the UK, and then
returned to China in 1925. "He would spend the rest of his days in
China, in Tianjin and then Shaochang near Shanghai, before dying of
illness in a Japanese prison camp in Weifang, Shandong, in 1945.
There is a memorial for him in Weifang, and he is interred at the
Mausoleum for Martyrs in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province."

9th Grade Abolitionist

A young man recently left the following post on our blog. I wanted to be sure more people saw it, so I'm posting it here:

Zach has left a comment on your post "Amazing Grace opens February 23":

Hi, I'm a 9th grader who is an abolitionist. I'm grateful you're helping educate my generation about God's heart for the oppressed and how we can take our place in history. This is something I care about a lot and speak to students around the nation about. I'm also the student spokesperson for The Amazing Change. One of the things we're trying to do is to get 390,000 signatures on a petition to abolish slavery. Wilberforce was able to do this 200 years ago without technology. I'd appreciate your help. People can sign a hard copy and mail it in (and gather signatures of friends) or they can sign online at www.TheAmazingChange.com.

Freedom. IS 1:17 Zach.

Qie zi

That's what they say in China to get people smiling for a photo. It means eggplant, which makes me smile even in the US. These are students of a home school consortium from USA, Malaysia, Singapore, and England. They are the Shanghai Scholars.

They're celebrating Jessica's 15th birthday. This afternoon I'm giving them an acting lesson.
Oh, by the way, it's crazy hair day.

Sunsets

The air here does make for nice sunsets.

An explosion of light

My camera can't capture it, but that's a boat with a jumbotron on its side.