Dear Friends,

On June 2-5, a delegation of more than twenty members visited Nanjing, a city with a population similar to that of Hong Kong. We were delighted to have Paul Chan and our advisors from the China Liaison Office with us.

On the first day of our trip, we visited the Jiangsu Province's Finance Bureau and met with the deputy minister, the president of the Jiangsu Institute of CPAs, as well as the managing partners of selected CPA firms in the city. We exchanged views on how our profession needed to be more vigilant in upholding professional ethics. If our profession is to be trusted, we must demonstrate our commitment to quality and values like fairness, accountability, integrity, truthfulness, and holiness. We also visited the United Front and the Jiangsu Province's Religious Bureau, during which we shared how Christian accountants could help churches in setting high financial management and governance standards.

On the second day, we participated in a student forum hosted by Deloitte Nanjing. Paul and I shared our respective experiences and lessons learned in our accounting career. Members of the delegation had a wonderful time of meeting the teachers and students from three top universities and sharing their experiences with them.

The trip was not all work and no play. We were able to schedule some time to tour the Nanjing Massacre Memorial, the Amity Foundation's Bible printing facility 愛德, the Examination Hall in feudal China 貢院, and worshipped in a local church on Sunday. Of course, the trip would not have been complete without a few sumptuous luncheons and dinners.

I dare say that the Nanjing trip charted a new course for ACA. It has provided a blueprint of what we could do in future China visits. I sensed the Lord's presence every step of the way.

From start to finish, we had great fellowship time among the members. It is great to have Paul with us. His company and sharing during the visit helped us better understand the challenges of a Christian legislator. His messages were both encouraging and heart warming. Tribute should also go to our Chaplin Patrick Yuen. He explained to the members the history of the modern Christian churches in China. His leadership in steering our sharing and testimonies was also a key to the success of our trip. Vice Chairs Jacqueline Chan and Ronald Yam, board members Elizabeth Law and Ronald Chao, and many others had spent countless hours in planning and preparation. Because of their hard work, the trip was a great success.

Our fellowship impressed the officials, the guests who came to the dinner we hosted, the students, and our tour guides. A few told us that they enjoyed our visit and our discussions with them. They saw us as being different. Our love for people and the unity among us were felt.

During the trip, the Lord gave me 3 observations:

1. Songs of Heaven:

Music is a language that touches our souls. When we sing, we catch a glimpse of heaven. During the trip, we sung songs wherever we went. 唱一首天上的歌 is my favorite. It is so simple and yet so deep. It appeals not only to head but to the heart. It is heavenly but not overtly Christian. When we sung as a team, on the bus and at the banquets, it united our hearts. As Colossians 3:16 says, the singing of psalms and hymns and spiritual songs can fill us with joy and thankfulness.

2. Sanctuary of Hope:

The Nanjing Massacre Memorial captured an ugly picture of aggression and hatred. Even though it was the second time I visited the Memorial, I was still shocked by the brutality of the invaders and saddened by the sufferings and destructions. Walking through the museum the second time, I lingered at a section that described how a group of courageous foreign nationals set up a Safety Zone for the local people in the midst of the terror. I was comforted and humbled by what these foreigners, and particularly Christian missionaries, had done. The invaders slaughtered 300,000 of the 900,000 people who lived in Nanjing in a 6-week period. The vast number and the short duration should make any one shiver. But due to the courageous efforts of these foreign nationals in ways similar to what Corrie Ten Boom and Schindler did in Europe, 250,000 were saved. Nanjing still remembers this courageous work of mercy.

What I saw reminded me that there are still evil and oppressive forces in this world, and we as Christians are reminded to find sanctuary in God. We are also called to be the good Samaritans wherever we are, and provide a sanctuary for those in needs. Matthew 25:35-40 reminds: ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

3. Sights of Harvest:

Our trip saw a few people encountering the Lord, and I expect fruits that we do not see. Our Lord uses different people at different times in our lives. Some plant, others water, still others harvest. We are called to be faithful in everything we do. But it is always joyous to see the fruit of our labor. May the Lord bring the right people to follow up the new converts at the right time, so that our labor is not in vain.

We visited St Paul's Church at the end of our Nanjing trip. We were seated in the front rows, but I made it a point to look back at the congregation behind us. There, I saw a sea of worshippers, singing the heavenly songs with much fervor. There, I saw the 3 多 (婦女多，老人多，生病多） and the 3 低 (文化低，收入低，能力低) as characterized of Christian churches by the officials. But as I looked, God reminded me that these are the very people that He seeks and loves most, not only because He favors them, but because they favor Him. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. God always choses the seemingly powerless to shame the powerful, the Apostle Paul wrote. As I looked, the Lord reminded me of our Lord's words: the harvest is plentiful. 天國在中國. And I wondered: How can we help?

I was reminded to take some time to reflect on what God has taught or spoken during or after the trip. If you are reading this and have been busy lately and have missed your daily time with God, allow me to share the following portrait of Jesus in the midst of His hectic schedule in Mark 1:35: In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there. Jesus has a dedicated time and dedicated place to recharge. Do you? Do you take time daily or regularly to go to your Sanctuary of Hope, sing a few Songs of Heaven, and pray for Sights of Harvest?

Blessings,