0711NL

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=120 BGCOLOR="#FFCCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="0443f781egdyul.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" ><B>Proclaim His Praise in the Islands - the Hallowells</B></FONT> <B> </B><B>|    </B><B> </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Proclaim His Praise in the Islands the "><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=360 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> 0711NL</div> <bR> <div> November 19, 2007</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2d383680.gif" border=0 width="131" height="104" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Dear Friend, </div> <bR> <div> “It is so good to be doing what the Lord has called us to do!”  Amor answered when asked about what she considered to be the highlights of the past six months.</div> <bR> <div> Amor also noted how she likes the freedom she feels from being able to use the widely accessible public transportation network here.  </div> <bR> <div> Most of all, she said, she finds it fulfilling to mentor a variety of ladies one-on-one.</div> <bR> <div> Jay answered more concretely when asked the same question.  “I continue to like to watch the eyes of my students light up when a significant truth from God’s word hits home.”  He gets to see this on a regular basis both in the classroom and out.  </div> <bR> <div> A recent highlight was seeing the eyes of our students light up as they shared what they did and learned on their recent mission trips.  Thirteen groups from BSOP went on mission trips in October, each led by a faculty member.  Jay was overall facilitator of all the groups.  He and Amor also led a group themselves.</div> <bR> <div> We continue to teach and mentor.  Students continue to learn.  Because you continue to pray!  Thank you!</div> <bR> <div> Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!</div> <bR> <div> Because God spoke and speaks,</div> <div> Jay and Amor</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2d58ebf0.gif" border=0 width="142" height="191" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In October we led a group of eight of our BSOP students to the Muslims living in Baguio City, about 7 hours north of Manila.  Besides visiting the main mosque (above left), we visited two neighborhoods where they live, one of which involved a bit of a hike (photo not included for <A HREF="id42_securityprivacy_policy.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Plans, purposes, policies, parameters, "><U>security reasons</U></A>).</div> <bR> <div> Upcoming Events: </div> <div> Dec. 12 – End of 2nd Quarter, Grading</div> <div> Dec. 14 -- BSOP Christmas celebration</div> <div> Dec. 16-17 – BSOP Faculty Retreat</div> <div> Dec. 27-31 – OMF-Philippines Field Conference in Davao City</div> <div> Jan. 3 – BSOP 3rd Quarter begins</div> <div> Feb. 13-14 – BSOP Student Retreat</div> <div> Mar. 20-22 – Easter Break: We both speak at a church camp for youth</div> <div> Mar. 26 – End of 3rd Quarter, Grading</div> <div> Mar. 30 – BSOP Commencement</div> <div> April/May – Vacation; doctoral studies, research, & writing; preparation </div> <div> June 2 – Start of new academic year</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Page 2</div> <bR> <div> <B>A Christmas Reflection</B> </div> <div> by Jay</div> <bR> <div> <I>Part 1 – Reflections from the experiences of thirteen BSOP groups on their mission trips in October 2007</I></div> <bR> <div> Filipinos from an animistic or folk religious background continue to be open to the gospel and to respond to it.  The groups from BSOP that went on mission trips to Filipinos of those religious backgrounds returned full of joy at the openness of people to the good news about Jesus.  Children and young people, in particular, prayed to accept Jesus as their savior after our BSOP students presented the gospel to them.  PTL!</div> <bR> <div> The BSOP groups, however, that focused on reaching those of Muslim or Buddhist background found less response.  Those of Muslim and Buddhist background in the Philippines continue to be the least reached peoples here.  These BSOP groups worked equally hard, prayed as much or more, but had less fruit to show.</div> <bR> <div> The perception that Christianity is a European, American, or western religion continues to hinder adherents of the great Asian religions of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism from listening to the gospel or responding to it.  This perception continues even when the evangelists are Asian, like the students from BSOP.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2d7ea8d0.gif" border=0 width="234" height="397" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> “<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >Three Wise Men Come To Worship"</FONT></div> <div> by Xu San Chun, ca 1926.</div> <div> From: www.asianchristianart.org/news/article5c.html</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>Part 2 – Reflections on the Christmas story</I></div> <bR> <div> The characters and places of the Christmas story remind us that Christianity is an international religion. </div> <div>  </div> <div> For the birth of His son, God used a European, Caesar Augustus.  He also used Joseph, Mary, shepherds, Herod, and others from western Asia.  An unknown number of magi came from further east in Asia.  After the child was born in Bethlehem the family fled to Africa before being able to return to their home in western Asia. </div> <div>  </div> <div> No other religion traces its origins to such diverse regions and their peoples.  I sometimes tell my students, only half-joking, that I, as an American, feel left out of the Christmas story.  None of the events occurred on my home continent.</div> <bR> <div> We will never know all the details of the Christmas story.  Astronomers, theologians, and historians continue to try to use information from other sources to fill in some of these details.  For example, </div> <bR> <div> “…many Chinese Christians believe at least one of the Magi came from China. They cite anecdotal evidence about Liu Shang, the chief astrologer during the Han dynasty in China at the time that Jesus was born. Liu Shang discovered a new star the Chinese called the "king star" - which was associated with the birth of a new king. Liu Shang disappeared from China's imperial court for two years shortly after this star was discovered.  Was because he was traveling the Silk Road to Bethlehem?”  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >Hattaway, Paul; Brother Yun; Yongze, Peter Xu; and Wang, Enoch. Back to Jerusalem. (Authentic Publishing, 2003), cited by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi, 11/16/07.</FONT></div> <bR> <div> The famous Silk Road was already in use at the time of Jesus’ birth.  It was a long, exhausting, and dangerous trip from China to Judea.  But the trip was possible.  There is no way to be sure if Liu Shang (or someone like him) made the journey from China in order to appear anonymously in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ childhood.</div> <bR> <div> I find that I like the idea of a Chinese magi.  </div> <bR> <div> Why might not God bring someone from the most populated nation at that time to worship Jesus, provide resources for Jesus’ trip to Egypt, and then to return to his own land to prepare the way for later evangelists?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2d802a70.gif" border=0 width="514" height="167" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <I>A Christmas Reflection, Part 3 </I></div> <div> <B>It is significant for us!</B></div> <bR> <div> God considered the birth of His son so important that He just couldn’t keep it quiet.  God used the Old Testament prophets to speak about it to those in tune with the prophets.  God spoke about it through astronomy to those in tune with that part of His creation.  And God spoke about it through angels and dreams to those most directly involved in the story, like Mary, Joseph, shepherds, and the magi.  </div> <bR> <div> God continues to speak through His word, His creation, and, at least sometimes, through special means.  Amazing!</div> <bR> <div> •     May we be Merry this Christmas by remembering the ways the triune God spoke to us, not least of all by being born.</div> <bR> <div> •     May we be Happy this New Year by listening to His voice and heeding it.</div> <bR> <div> •     May this international news story indeed be heard and accepted by more and more members of Asia’s major religions.</div> <bR> <div> •     May God use us and all at BSOP to help make that happen, especially among those from a Buddhist background.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2dae45a0.gif" border=0 width="228" height="346" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <I>“Christmas Scene”</I></div> <div> <I>by Kim Heung Jong, Korea</I>  </div> <div>  (<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#009900" FACE="Arial" >http://www.asianchristianart.org/galleries/nativity/nat-gall/nat10.html)</FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  </B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> by Jay and Amor Hallowell</div> <div> Last update: November 20, 2007</div> <div> --------------------------------- end of Hallowell content ----------------------------------------------</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>