This journey began over 5 months ago when 10 people were led by the Holy Spirit to go beyond the ordinary on an extraordinary adventure.  These people did not know each other but knew God was bringing them together.  This finally came to culmination on Friday, June 10, at 2:00 A.M at Castle Hills church.  We all met and departed to catch our first flight in Austin that would eventually get us to China.  These are the aspects of mission trips that no one talks about but are often the most important.  It is in these times of travel and transition that God who has physically assembled the team begins to emotionally and spiritually assemble the team as well.  The drive to Austin, the connecting flights, the 13 hour flight from Canada to China…yes lots of time to talk and begin to see why God assembled this team the way he did.  

Our first touch down in Guangzhou, China was amazing after months of praying for these people.  Getting off the plane and seeing thousands of Chinese people everywhere helps one understand what it means when Jesus looked upon the multitudes and was moved with compassion.  We stayed at a hotel at the airport before our last flight the following day.  Ten of us huddled around a table eating food we were unaccustomed to eating some of it delicious and some of it….interesting.   
The next day was one full of anticipation and excitement as we headed for the airport.  Our flight was delayed by two hours because of bad weather. However, believing in a sovereign God makes us evaluate things that seem like accidents and wonder how it fits into his amazing plan.  During that two hours of waiting, you could see the relationships on the team continuing to grow.  The unity of this travel experience has been critical for the work that God is going to do.  If we can’t be unified then how can we give a unified message of the love of Jesus.  We touched down at our final destination and were greeted by Chris and Rayna (Chris & Melissa’s daughter).  We traveled to a small village nestled in the middle of the mountains along the YuLong river to Kavanah House Ministries (which means intentional prayer).
Kavanah House Ministries is comprised of a house of prayer and retreat lodge for weary ministers of His heart in Asia. Kavanah has 10 guest rooms used for orphan ministries, university outreach to the local students in these mountains, conferences for local pastors, and training for tentmakers and missionaries all over Asia. Chris and Melissa, along with their two children, Rayna (3) and Jamin (2), have been serving as tentmakers in China for more than a decade and have just recently transitioned into full time missions to open Kavanah.There are endless ministry opportunities in this unique tourist attraction because of the breathtaking scenery and opportunity to experience the preserved charm of ancient China here that is next to impossible to find in most places in China today
Please pray that God will do something so amazing that it can only be explained as His work.  Please pray for tender hearts of those we are working with and that their hearts will be moved by God’s Spirit. Lastly, pray for boldness and wisdom to do the work He has set aside for us to do, in His name.