These last several weeks have been the best of times and the worst of times. It has been painful to say goodbye to so many friends and family, and we've dealt with some major curve balls. Praise God, we have a potential buyer for the house, but our working visa still seems distant. Our plane tickets are ready for us to leave on March 11, so we are praying for visas! It has been quite complicated. Once we receive some paperwork from China, I will need to travel to Austin to see the Secretary of State to verify some notaries. We pray that God can use the trip to Austin for his good and that he will clear a way for us to get to China ... quickly.
There have been many wonderful moments. After our glorious trip to California with Joni and Friends, I was able to volunteer for two weeks at the Little Light House in Tulsa, a Christian school for young children with special needs. What precious preschoolers! Not only was I able to learn some practical training, but also the Little Light House has offered to serve as a resource. Along with Joni and Friends and a few individuals in Texas, the Little Light House will be part of our “special team,” experts in the area of special needs. Thank you, Lord!
Also, we are so thankful for your continued support, which has been extremely encouraging. We are beginning to disperse our photo magnets, and we look forward to our Commissioning Service at 5 pm on Sunday, March 4, at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Waco, TX. If you are anywhere in the area, we hope you will come. Last Sunday, we had a great send off from the Tulsa area at Braden Park Baptist Church, and the Sunday before, we were blessed by a Free Methodist congregation near Stillwater, OK. Even in the midst of trials and setbacks, God is so good!
~Kevin
“You must be tired,” the man said. He was right, of course. Our whirlwind trip to California was tiring – exhausting – but I smiled and said, “Empowered.” We will always remember these days as amazing and challenging and invigorating and rewarding.
We didn’t get a chance to meet Joni Eareckson Tada herself, but we got to embrace her vision and ministry and legacy. When Joni’s accident left her paralyzed in 1967, she thought her life was over. Her injury was so severe that she wasn’t capable of suicide, but she was ready to shut off emotionally and spiritually. But through the gracious hand of God, Joni has done way more than survive. Motivated by love and redemption, she has been able to impact the world. Her organization Joni and Friends currently ministers to people with disabilities in 45+ countries, including the city in northeast China where we will be living. The organization we are joining partners with Joni and Friends.
From the time we landed in California to the time we left 48 hours later, Dayna and I got to visit with leaders in Joni’s organization. A conversation with one of these leaders would have impacted our lives ... much less several staff members. It’s hard to describe the effect of speaking with one leader after another after another. It’s why I can only smile at the end of the day and say, “Empowered.”
It is truly incredible how God brings people together for his purposes. Divine appointments have consistently surfaced throughout our lives, but they never cease to amaze us. Today, we were at Baylor to have lunch with a friend who is from Beijing. In fact, she just returned a couple of weeks ago from visiting her family in China. She shared how she was privileged to lead 64 people to Christ in 14 days – 64 divine appointments with taxi cab drivers, family members, store clerks and fellow passengers on the plane. God is so good!
While still at lunch, we randomly (or not so randomly) encountered some friends we haven’t seen in months. Also, I (Kevin) was able to visit with Dr. Gloer, my favorite professor from seminary. I hadn’t seen him since I graduated in 2006.
God has been bringing others into our lives as well. While speaking at First Baptist Crawford on January 4, we were able to meet a leader in the special education field. She has passionately worked with children affected by disabilities for over 20 years, and she wants to help us in any way she can, giving advice, creative ideas and even equipment if possible. In a few weeks from now, we are excited to meet with more special education experts, and we’ll be honored to meet with representatives from Joni and Friends, a ministry that “is dedicated to extending the love and message of Jesus Christ to people who are affected by disability around the world.”
And we believe that you who are reading this post right now are not reading by accident. In some way, you too can serve the Chinese people. Even if you aren’t fluent in the Chinese language or aren’t an expert in the field of special education, there are still important roles to be filled. After all, we are not fluent or certified either. We just care.
So whether God’s divine appointments are “planned” or “spontaneous,” they are exciting. We are honored to be a part of God’s plan; we hope you will join us.
We are eager to begin what God has called us to do. Our ministry in China will involve many different responsibilities, sharing Christ’s love with those in the hospital, orphanage, churches and community at large. Our primary focus is to start a school for children with disabilities. (Currently, children with disabilities have no access to education unless their families are willing to carry them up and down stairs, take them to the restroom, serve as their aides, stay with them all day ...)
Initially, we will start small with a few conversational English classes for children already connected to the nondenominational Christian humanitarian group we are joining.
Later, we will begin a formal elementary school/training center. We pray that we’ll be able staff the private school with Christian professionals (i.e., teachers, aides, a nurse and a therapist), and the building should be wheelchair friendly.
We plan to provide classes in both Chinese and English, focusing on key subjects like math, science, literature and computers.
When Molly and Hudson are old enough, they will also attend this school because it is intended to be inclusive – where kids with disabilities can learn together with kids from other countries. As the foreign kids (i.e., American or European kids) mature and develop, they can buddy up with their classmates in acts of love and service. What better way to teach our kids about the love of Jesus?
Not only will this school open doors to share the Good News with the students and their families, but also, it will allow others to come to China who otherwise couldn’t – teachers who themselves have a disability or parents who have children affected by disabilities. It is amazing for us to join God in what he is doing.
Hudson had a look of panic. “Daddy, my diaper, my diaper.” I stood there. Did Hudson really just say that? Wow, I didn’t even know he could say the word diaper much less put together a phrase like that. I was really impressed. He’s growing up. But then my proud moment turned into concern. I couldn’t remember the last time I changed him, and I knew Hudson generally doesn’t like his diaper to be changed – that is, unless things had gotten particularly unpleasant … “Oh, okay, Hudson. Sorry. But wow, good job just now.”
We weren’t exactly sure how January would look, though we knew this month would be about preparation. We’re still preparing our house to sell; we just paid for a new roof (ouch). We have long to-do lists of arrangements and China VISA requirements and last-minute doctor visits. We are meeting with people and speaking at a few churches. It is amazing how God brings us together to carry out his work. It’s exciting.
We also have been able to practice the Chinese language. Of course, this often translates into repeating phrases while building foam block castles with Molly and Hudson. But hey, just two days ago, Molly told me, “Dad, I want to speak Chinese,” and Hudson joyfully threw in “wu” (the number “five”) when Molly and I were counting, “yi, er, san, si ...”
Most importantly, though, Dayna and I have been able to devote more time these days in spiritual preparation. God is empowering us and teaching us that he is enough, that we can fully trust him as we move across the globe. And maybe just maybe … God will empower us with great perseverance as we guide Hudson from the land of diapers to the land of potty training. Now that will take much prayer, indeed! Thanks for journeying with us. ~ Kevin
The plane tickets are purchased! On the morning of March 11, we will be flying from Houston to Beijing. On my birthday, March 13, we should arrive in our new apartment in northeastChina. Of course, there’s still a lot to do in the next few months. For one, our house hasn’t sold yet. It may seem surprising, even crazy, that we have already purchased plane tickets, but we are trusting God’s provision and timing.
Also, in terms of timing, my last day as a hospice chaplain will be December 31. From a human perspective, this does not make sense either. Being a chaplain with Texas Home Health Hospice has been a wonderful job, allowing so many ministry opportunities, and it has allowed us to take care of our financial needs since I started in 2007.
But a few weeks ago, when I was reflecting on a passage in the book of Matthew, the words “40 days” and “preparation” really stood out to me. I asked the Lord what this meant for us, and immediately, the thoughts that were given to me were: ‘You need to resign in 40 days.’ Really?
Later that day, I asked a coworker, “What’s 40 days from now?” She looked at me and said, “Why? Will that be your last day?” In surprise, I said, “I don’t know. Maybe.” 40 days were the remaining days of 2011. When I mentioned this to Dayna that night, she said, “Let’s pray about this some more.”
I agreed. I didn’t want us to do anything foolish. If God was behind the thought of 40 days, he would confirm it. So we continued to pray. Every time I read Scripture, God confirmed it with words of trust and faith and obedience. Every time I simply thought about it in my own perspective, the resignation seemed ridiculous. I would say things like: “But God, we’re able to do so much good ministry right now, right here in Texas. Besides, I could at least work another month or two.” And each time I would debate with God, he would remind me of passages like Acts 8 when God sent Philip away from Samaria (which was in the midst of revival) so that the Good News could impact another country.
The Sunday after Thanksgiving, Dayna and I were in agreement. We felt God’s peace for me to turn in my resignation for December 31, 2011. China, here we come.
Our house is going on the market. (Anyone out there moving to Waco, Texas?) The Avery family is moving to China! This is a big step of faith for us, and one we know God is leading us to take. When Kevin and I first moved to China in 2001, we were there to teach English in a northeast college and build relationships with our students and fellow teachers. Those two years taught us many things. Our American teammates and others serving there from New Zealand, South Africa and Europe mentored and encouraged us. We grew to understand and appreciate the Chinese way of life and formed lasting friendships. We also made countless mistakes in the process but learned valuable lessons from those, too. We were stretched, challenged and forever changed. When we moved back to the States, Kevin completed his seminary degree, I helped care for my grandparents in their final years in Waco, and we welcomed two precious additions to our family, Molly and Hudson.
Kevin and I began to talk about the future – where we could serve God and help people in need. In Waco, we’ve worked with urban youth and community development, Bible Study Fellowship and discipling new believers. Kevin ministers to terminal patients and their families through his job as a hospice chaplain. I worked as managing editor of the Wacoan city magazine before “retiring” to stay at home with our kids. Yet we felt there was work we could do overseas, reaching out to a people group somewhere on the fringes of society, in a place with less resources and willing volunteers than in our local community. We began to pray and dream about what God had in store for us.
In the middle of this, Kevin was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This certainly wasn’t our dream, and we struggled to process it. We researched MS and its debilitating effects. The leading MS specialist in Texas is an hour and a half away from us, and Kevin sought him out as his doctor. We began to adapt to this kink in our plans, and we began again to seek God’s direction for our future but this time through the lens of MS. Kevin’s doctor listed the countries around the world where MS medicine was available and quality healthcare readily accessible. China wasn’t on the list. We sought ministry opportunities in Europe and found a promising one in Southern Spain. We bought the Spanish Bible on MP3 and Kevin began to study the language daily. And then God intervened.
During a conference at our church on Saturday, June 26, 2010, Kevin was confronted by how much he was living in fear of his condition and limiting the work God had for us to do because of it. We weren’t allowing God to show us his plans for our life; rather, we were deciding where we could help others and share God’s love in a “safe-for-us” environment. Kevin repented and felt God’s reassurance to trust him fully. “Your will be done, God,” Kevin prayed, and he immediately sensed God’s affirmation of our family’s return to China. After he shared all of this with the congregation, the keynote speaker felt impressed to pray for Kevin’s healing. This was certainly an unexpected turn of events, but in the coming days and weeks, Kevin’s healing was confirmed in several ways. Six months later, an MRI revealed absolutely no progression of MS since Kevin’s initial diagnosis in April 2010.
Through this, we have again felt ourselves being stretched, challenged and forever changed. We believe God has a clear purpose for our family in China, at this specific time in our lives. We are unsure how long our stay will be, but we are responding in faith, determined to seek God’s direction each year and be obedient to this role he has for us. And it’s a different role than before, in a different city, working more with the community at large than in a college setting. There will still be opportunities available to build relationships through teaching English, but the group we will be working with is a Christian humanitarian aid organization with an emphasis on medical care.
The group has been active in northeast China for nearly 30 years. It has a vision to serve children, the handicapped, elderly and poor in China through health care and community development. It works with a local hospital to provide chaplaincy care (a relatively unknown concept) and facilitate clinics by short-term medical teams (doctors, dentists, optometrists, etc.). It has a foster care program and hosts an annual summer camp for disabled children and their families to attend and receive respite from the challenges of daily life.
During our initial time in China, Kevin and I realized one of the heartbreaking effects of a country of 1.3 billion people is that disabled citizens are largely ignored. They are not valued as contributing members of society and often denied opportunities for education or employment. Cities and buildings are starting to become more handicapped accessible, but there are tremendous quality-of-life restrictions simply due to wheelchair confinement, much less greater disability issues. We know, however, that every person has great value and worth. The handicapped need to be included, not shunned. They need to be seen, acknowledged and loved.
We hope to care for disabled children and build relationships with their parents and immediate family members. We want to encourage them and teach them about living with purpose. We want to raise our children alongside them and reach out to their friends and teachers. We want Molly and Hudson to see firsthand how loving and serving others can make an eternal difference.
There is so much more to share and explain. We will be updating regularly as we prepare for this life change. We appreciate your prayers and support during this time. There is much to learn and do in the coming months!
~Dayna
