A Report from Juan Wu's Memorial Service

I got the following report about Juan Wu's Memorial Service. I just wanted to post it here for your info...and for prayer:

From: EILEEN FREY [mailto:eileenfrey@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2008 9:34 PM
Subject: JUANA WU MEMORIAL SERVICE 4/13/08

Dear Ones, I left Richmond 8 am today and arrived back in Columbus at 5:30 pm. I praise God I arrived safely. I'm very tired but very blessed. I felt God's hand on me the whole weekend. The spring buds were beautiful and even got some snow flakes today going through the mountains.

As you know, the memorial service for Juana Wu was yesterday at 3 pm in one of the Chinese churches. As sad as this was I can't begin to tell you how God blessed in so many ways.

The three Chinese churches in the Richmond area worked together and provided for her parents: transportation, housing, meals, translators, etc. Several worked on the "Facebook" which her parents liked. I was happy to see so many pictures of Juan and her friends in various activities/ministries. All notes were translated into Chinese by one of the young ladies. What a labor of love.

I stayed at Colleen and Chris' home. What lovely Christian people. Colleen had coordinated many things to help make everything nice for Juan's parents. So many of the people who volunteered didn't even know Juan.

Saturday evening I was able to meet her parents at the host's home. Yui Yui translated while I gave my personal testimony. And Peling (she and her husband were the hosts) who has a beautiful voice sang in Chinese "Jesus Loves Me" for her parents. Her parents were amazed that so many were helping them. Her mother asked "why do you do this?" I also gave them copies of "The Four Spiritual Laws".

The memorial service was held at one of the Chinese Churches. Pastor Dave Kennedy from the Grace Brethren Church, Richmond, gave the eulogy. It was also translated into Chinese. There were about 250 people at the service which consisted of friends, church members, students, and professors. Pastor Geoff Chan from the Chinese church closed with prayer. What a humble servant he is. I understand he has helped in various ways. After the service everyone was given an opportunity to greet her parents in the front of the church. Many people wept with her parents.

Two of Juan's classmates from China traveled from Baltimore and Connecticut and visited with her parents at the host's home after the service.

I do not have the total amount collected for her parents but I know it is probably close to $6,000. Today the parents were making arrangements to sell Juan's car.

I learned from one of her friends that she had turned in her paper 3/24.

The police report shows two anti-depressants were found in Juan's apartment.

I continue to pray that much good will come from such a sad situation. God is able. Keep praying for her parents. Thanks. Eileen

04.17.08 thequest UPdate

thequest family,

I wanted to take one more chance this week to share something with those of you in our family. From my email earlier this week you have been alerted about our transition. Some have inquired about the plans for thequest. One of our key leaders inquired to me about if we should have a leadership meeting before our time on Sunday. That is often how we have done things. In prayerfulness I submit to you some of the text I shared with him:

I have believed for a long time that God communicates to everyone in the body, because everyone is a priest. Not just a special group of leaders, or priests. Everyone can be a part...and everyone should. I think that in the past, I weakened our Body, by doing "pre-meetings" and stuff with just the leaders...or those who we thought were leaders.

I am convinced that we all should be praying for divine guidance for thequest--and that we have already been seeking His guidance. I trust that in our pursuit of God's voice He will use everyone at the assembly on Sunday night. I am not hoping that we come to resolution on anything as a product of the night together. I just want us to pursue God, to pray, to seek His wisdom and acknowledge what He is stirring up in us. I think that if we had a "plan" that we brought to the meeting and asked God and the folks of thequest to bless it, that would be short-circuiting the process that God wants to use. I look to Acts 13 & 15 to see this modeled. The outcome was "it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us."(Acts 15:28) That's where I want everyone to land--it's the agreement we and God made!

I invite you to pray often for this and to walk this risky step forward into the unknown of what God is stirring up for the future of our humble band of servants.

It is interesting that fasting is a part of the scenario in Acts 13. I want to count that discipline into my preparation as I will fast for the day Sunday and have my first meal of the day with our community. I'd invite others to join me as well. If you want more info on fasting here's a link to a helpful site about it.

Please pray

Press on,

Mike

for the rest of thequest UPdate click HERE

04.14.08 thequest UPdate

thequest family,

I wanted to share with you the transition that is going on in our lives. You know that through the awesome support and launch of the East Side Grace Brethren Church (www.esgbc.org), we started thequest nearly 8 years ago. It has been a joy to see thequest impact many people's lives, serve our urban communities and start many house churches. Starting in the Short North and spreading all over Columbus and around the world, the light of Jesus has shone through the people and the churches connected to thequest.

At the end of January, I was offered a position with Church Multiplication Associates (CMA). CMA is the District Mission Board of the Southern California and Arizona Grace Brethren Churches, with our friend and mentor Neil Cole as executive director (www.cmaresources.org). I've been working alongside them for a year & a half in a part-time role alongside my work with thequest. At this time, I know that God is calling me to step into that fuller role with CMA. One of the parts of that opportunity is that I would be in Long Beach, CA to fulfill the responsibilities.

To help make that happen the Los Altos Grace Brethren Church in Long Beach has invited us to come on their staff and help them too. (Phil Helfer- senior pastor, on the Fellowship Council of FGBC, and on the board with CMA - www.lagbc.org ) It is just like our God to make a win-win-win situation!

We came to the decision in the last month or so to follow God's call to serve in these roles. We are now in the process of telling others about our decision. And you who are part of thequest local and extended family need to know about this.

As far as timing is concerned, I have already stepped up my responsibilities with CMA. We are also looking at making the move to Long Beach at the end of July. There are obviously LOTS of details and things still to come together for a cross-country move. We'd covet your prayers for everything to come together for our family.

In addition, we BEG for your prayers for thequest as choices have to be made about the future. My prayer is that the best days of thequest are still ahead!

To begin the process of prayer & conversation about the future, we are having an Assembly on Sunday night with only three things on the agenda:

1) Pizza 2) Prayer & 3) Conversation about the future.

Please make every effort to be with us for this important time!

We are excited about the opportunities to serve the Lord now, in the transition and into the future.

With love from the bottom of our hearts,
Mike for Mindi and the whole Jentes family-- Kayla, Korey, Kevin, & Katja.

the rest of thequest UPdate can be found HERE

Meet Baby Delania

Baby Delania Angel joins mommy Shanta and big sissy Shanna on April 4th at 11:50pm.