"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."I love music, but I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the old hymns. There are times when I can learn more about our Father from the lyrics of one song than I can learn from hours of reading. This week I was blessed to find a hymn that I had forgotten, "Hiding Place."
Hiding Place
Amidst the sorrows of the way
…, teach my soul to pray
Let me taste Thy special grace
And run to …, my hiding place
You know the vileness of my heart
So prone to act the rebel's part
And when you veil your lovely face
How can I find a hiding place?
…, guide my wandering feet
Draw me to Thy mercy seat
I've nought to trust but sovereign grace
Thou only art my hiding place
How unstable is my heart
Sometimes I take the tempter's part
And slight the tokens of Thy grace
And seem to want no hiding place
But when Thy spirit shines within
Makes me feel the plague of sin
And how I long to see Thy face
'Tis then I want a hiding place
…, shine and then I can
Feel sweetness in salvation's plan
And as a sinner plead for grace
…, the sinner's hiding place
Our hiding place is His sovereign grace!
Why we are grateful this week:
1) Jessie and I spent the first days of this past week in Beijing celebrating our 3rd Anniversary. We had a good time visiting the Forbidden City for the first time and eating dinner at TGI Fridays afterwards.
2) We spoke with the administration about our pregnancy this week and everything went well. Jessie and I should both be able to leave by May 30, and we'll only need to make up one week of classes. They were also receptive to the idea of us returning next year with our child.
3) Our college hosted a Christmas Eve celebration on Wednesday night. All five American teachers sang "Joy To the World," followed by the girls singing "Silent Night" and Peter singing a Chinese rap song. We also announced to the students that we are expecting a child, and they were very excited.
4) We had a great time in Baoding celebrating Christmas with the IECS team! We met Wil and Courtney on the train and arrived in Baoding on Christmas night, ate Christmas dinner, and exchanged gifts. The next morning we had a "candlelight" service, which was organized by Peter, Shannon, and Jon. We spent the rest of our time playing games, going to KTV, and eating plenty of leftovers.
Please continue to "think" about us:
1) Please continue to keep our future plans in your thoughts. We are still trying to sort out where the Father is leading us for the upcoming year. There are some opportunities in the States that we are investigating, and we have not ruled out returning to China for a third year. Most of all, we want to follow the Father's blessing.
2) We will met again with the College's administration this Wednesday to decide on the details of next semesters schedule. We are hoping that they will allow Shannon to teach the Bible class that they offered last Spring.
3) We don't really have any big plans for New Year's Eve, but since our classes are finished, this week should provide plenty of opportunities to spend time with our students. Some of the activities we are hoping to do include baking with students, guitar lessons, basketball, watching movies, and maybe hosting a small concert. We are excited to have three weeks to spend with students, free of teaching obligations, before we leave for our IECS Conference.
4) Also please continue to think about the Philip Hayden Foundation. You can look at the pictures from our most recent trip at: http://www.facebook.com/album.
Following His Blessing,
Brad
