The children we sponsor at Bethany Village often send us letters thanking us and updating us on their lives. Early this week we received 3 such letters, and we want to share their gratitude with you.

“Dear Auburn, I send my love to you in Jesus’ name. I have had a short term and a lot of class work… Send my love to all. May God bless you.” - Sharon

“Dear Grace Campus Ministries, how are you and your family? I am also fine. I am in grade 2. I am in my first term. I did well in class. I help my parents do some work at home like washing plates and fetching water. My best subject is math and I like playing dodge ball with my friends. Love you so much.” - Esther

“Greetings in the name of Jesus. Thanks a lot for paying my school fees. We are all fine with our family. I passed my first term exams. I am in my holidays helping my parents to weed crops and do some housework like washing clothes and plates. I pray for you and your family and bless.” - Allan

All that to say, thanks for your continued support, from us and them.

The Grace Campus Leadership Initiative has been a blessing for all of us, bearing much fruit as we study, contemplate, and discuss truths about scripture, leadership, and and Church history. In the past  few weeks, we have spent notable amount of time studying the book of Leviticus through the lenses of Ray Stedman in his book The Way to Wholeness.

Each of us then asked ourselves the question, “What does the holiness of God, revealed through his specific instructions for Israel, mean for my life?” 

Our various responses served to encourage our team, and we hope that by sharing them that faith would rise inside of you as well. 

Leviticus provides a blueprint for us to be whole and complete. The instructions given for temporal sacrifices point us to the permanent Sacrifice. The mandates on the clothing of the priesthood (found in chapter 6) foreshadow the armor of God that we find offered to us in Ephesians 6. The law, in every detail, points to the cross.

Leviticus allows us to catch a glimpse of holiness in the shadow of all the symbols. I learn that I am incapable of righteousness in my own strength. I find that in seeing God’s holiness, I can see my own holiness because he is in me and I in him. God says “I am,” and because my identity is in him, I live out of that. Holiness puts fear in me that draws me closer instead of pushing me away.

Leviticus comes down to two main things for me. The first is that all of our needs can only be met in Christ. The need to belong, respond, restore, confess, and to be at peace with the Lord are all met by the blood of Christ that flowed once for all. We are now whole in him when we accept that. The second truth is that we are to live as a priesthood. Our responsibility is to connect a lost and dying world to the person of Jesus Christ. The work of a priest was completed in the tabernacle. We are now the tabernacle and therefore are able to complete the work of our priesthood.

Leviticus is an outline of God’s parameters for our relationship with him. It is his invitation to us to experience his wholeness. He created us to live out of that wholeness, but we have all walked contrary to his plan for us and are broken. His law was meant for our good. It is not to measure our performance but to invite us into fullness of life.

Leviticus shows me God’s infinite holiness. It gives me a healthy fear and asks me to respond. The truth in this book reminds me of who I am and what I am worth. He tells me I lack nothing, and I live out of overflow. I belong to him. As he says, “you are mine,” I am led to repentance. 

Leviticus reminds me that He is holy and whole. He does not change. He is in me. Therefore, I am immovable in him. Even if everything else changes, this constant is comforting. 

We hope that the truth we have learned would overflow into your lives as well.

I’ve been through three weeks of intensive culture and teacher training in Southern California and now i couldn’t be more ready to get on that plane and get back to China. I’m leaving tomorrow, the 23rd, and will arrive in Beijing, China on the 24th. My classes are set and a new team of Americans will be at the school to greet me. I’m eagerly awaiting this next season of life in China.

My summer in America was everything i needed it to be, but now i’m ready to dive back into my relationships in China. I’m excited to build deep friendships and share my life of hope and joy with my students and colleagues.

There are also some exciting new opportunities coming up in the next few months that i can’t wait to tell you about. I’ll be blogging regularly here at the Give Grace blog, but if you want to follow more of my day-to-day life in China then follow along at biscuet.com.

Thank you for your partnership in this initiative to take light and love into some of the darkest places on the planet. I appreciate you being here on this journey with me.

While pancakes don’t seem that revolutionary, even in terms of breakfast foods, they have helped bring the love of God into some of the darkest places of Auburn, Ala. As Love Is Free continues to feed the hungry Friday-night bar crowd, an ordinary breakfast food helps reshape the view of God of lost and broken people. Love Is Free shows them a God who is gracious, slow to anger and rich in love. In partnering with Love Is Free, Give Grace will provide roughly 5,600 pancakes which will impact over 2,500 people and help bring life to a broken, dying world.

Meet the children that benefit from your investment and generosity. From left to right Sophia, Noah, and Maya are three of the orphans Give Grace sponsors at The Philip Hayden Foundation.

Sophia just returned from having her double cleft lip surgery (this picture was taken before the operation), and she awaits the procedure to remedy a cleft palate. She is growing and doing well. 

Noah is in the same boat, as it were. He also has had the lip surgery and is scheduled to have the palate operation in the near future. He is a shy little guy and a bit mischievous.

Maya is almost two now. She suffers from neurological deficits that are hard to identify. Her diagnosis is not yet complete, but she is going to physical therapy for help. Pray that her physician can pinpoint the cause and consequently the cure for her ailments.

Thanks for your interest in the lives of these children.We will do our best to keep you informed on the happenings of Give Grace and how your support is changing the world.