NEWSLETTER - January 2020 :: Prayers for the New Year

“要常，不断地祷告，凡事谢恩，因为这是上帝在基督耶稣里给你们的旨意。
Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (CCB & NLT)

Happy New Year from Asia! We pray that the new year (and new decade) are off to a good start for you and your family. As we begin the Lunar New Year holiday here and prepare for everything that lies ahead in 2020, we would like to extend our deepest thanks for your faithful prayers and gifts during 2019.

The new year also brings with it an important change for our family. I (Josh) will continue to serve in the same role through CWEF, and the work we are doing here in Asia will not change. However, the organization we are sent through will soon change. Starting from March 2020, we will be supported by Mission of Christ Network (https://missionofchrist.org). MCN’s founders and leaders have many years of experience serving in both national and international Lutheran ministries. A primary focus for MCN is to provide opportunities for lay people to serve effectively overseas.

For more, please read this transition announcement letter from Mark Hofman of LCMS Mission Advancement: click here

If you have any questions about this change, please don’t hesitate to reach out at Joshua.Lange@lcms.org (prior to February 23) or jwalange@gmail.com (after February 23).

Prayers for the New Year

For new beginnings like these, prayer is the best place to start. Coco and I ask that you join us in prayer for the following:

• For the hundreds of millions of people across China who have returned home to celebrate Lunar New Year with family. For many, including our Christian friends and colleagues, this holiday is the only time each year to see their family in person. Pray that God gives them opportunities to share the love of Christ in word and deed with family members.

• Unfortunately, this year many of us have decided not to travel during the holiday due to the growing coronavirus outbreak. Pray especially for those in Hubei province (where Wuhan is located) who are seeking care for themselves or family members, and for all of the medical professionals who are serving under intense pressure. They are running low on hospital capacity, supplies and mental/emotional energy.

• For comfort and peace for CWEF colleague Adam Herron and his wife Kristi, whose father passed away suddenly due to complications from a heart attack earlier this month.

• Thank God for His provision during CWEF’s end-0f-year “Renewal 2020” campaign. These gifts from our generous community of partners and donors will make it possible for our team to impact over 1800 people from 450 families in 2020 through scholarships for students from low-income families, renewed access to reliable, clean drinking water, and training for teams of local health advocates who will lead health promotion activities with others in their community or school. Enjoy this article from one community recently blessed with renewed access to clean water: https://www.cwef.org.hk/yanmaidi-project-complete

• At the same time, our team in China is facing unexpected issues related to government approvals of several of our projects due to surprise new requirements, shared with us at the end of December. Pray for these barriers to be removed so we can move forward.

• Remember our CWEF team members as you pray: Li Ying, Maggie, Jenny, Kanhchana, Panhary, Buntha, Adam & Renee. Ask Him to grant them faith, courage, and wisdom.

• For the Spirit’s leading for Coco and I as we seek deeper connections and opportunities to share with several new Chinese friends who are fellow parents of John’s classmates.

• For faith, hope and love from Him in our marriage and our vocation as parents to John and Sophie.

Thank you for walking together with us as we walk with Him on this journey. He has used you in a wonderful way to bless the people CWEF works with, and to sustain us as we serve. We are grateful for your partnership in the Gospel, and for your many prayers and gifts through the years.

In His Love,

Josh & Coco, John & Sophie 

NEWSLETTER - October 2019

“我们行善不可灰心气馁，因为到时候必有收获。
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

— Galatians 6:9  (CCB & NIV)

The work we are blessed to do here in Asia is an endeavor with a long time horizon. It involves years of patient investment in the rural communities we serve and in the relationships we develop along the way. Similar to the subsistence farm work done by many of the people CWEF serves, the work God has given us is never easy or straight-forward. And in certain seasons of drought and storm, it grows even more difficult. This has been one of those seasons for us. If you follow the news, you might know that the situation here is different than it has been in the recent past. We are experiencing the effects of the various geopolitical forces and changes here, and lately things have been getting ‘tighter’ on several different fronts.

In times like this, we are tempted to grow anxious and weary. But then He comes to us and gently reminds us: "Fear not! I am with you. Be thankful and be encouraged." He shows us that in His Kingdom, there is great abundance and opportunity, and He promises a harvest. So, we listen to Him. We do not give up, and He keeps providing good work for us to do. Thank you for walking this journey with us and with Him. He has used you in a wonderful way to sustain us and to bless the people CWEF serves, and we are so grateful for your faithful and generous prayers and gifts through the years.

Work Update

Our work with and for communities in rural Asia through CWEF continues:

• Check out the new cwef.org.hk and the stories about some of the people CWEF serves.

• In August, God answered a long-term prayer and provided Adam Herron as our newest CWEF team member. Adam will be responsible for managing our service learning efforts. His wife Kristi serves as a teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai.

• In September and October, Adam and I worked together to lead four separate service learning teams to connect people from Concordia International School Shanghai and Hong Kong International School with CWEF projects and local partners in rural China and Cambodia.

• We are working with our team of Chinese and Cambodian staff to finalize plans for our work in the coming year.

• Through the end of 2019, my primary focus will be on our continued efforts to rebuild a more stable funding base for CWEF through the ‘Renewal 2020’ campaign. Thank you for praying with us about this!

Family Update

• Coco and I recently celebrated our 6th anniversary, and we also had the opportunity to re-connect with many of her family members at a wedding in her hometown.

• John is enjoying Pre-K and his wonderful teacher. He loves to learn, and right now that means reading, swimming and soccer. 

• Sophie is now a walker (nearly a runner)! She is full of life and goofiness. An absolute joy.

Prayer and Praise

• For Coco and I – for strength and joy from Him for our marriage and our vocation as parents to John and Sophie.

• Thanksgiving for the gift of a new team member. Pray for Adam and his family – Kristi, Auggie and Rosie – as he settles into his service with CWEF.

• For His favor and provision during the Renewal 2020 campaign to provide the necessary funding to allow CWEF’s service with people facing rural poverty to continue. 

• For guidance, direction and wisdom for our team as we make plans for CWEF’s work in 2020 and beyond.

• For all the people connected to our family and the work of CWEF, that the Spirit would be working in their lives, and in ours.

…

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Josh + Coco + John + Sophia  //  lcms.org/lange

NEWSLETTER - April 2019 :: Serving and Seeking

“祈求，就会给你们；寻找，就会寻见；叩门，就会给你们开门。 因为凡祈求的，就得到；寻找的，就寻见；叩门的，就给他开门。”
”Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”

— Matthew 7:7-8 (CCB & NLT)

We had just wrapped up several days with a team of high school students and teachers from Hong Kong International School (HKIS), serving together at a small school and nearby church in rural Cambodia. This area in Kampong Thom province has been the site of CWEF clean water projects for several years. Our time together with the many kids at school and church had been hot, dusty, fun, challenging, and enlightening. We had been teaching, learning and exploring with the older kids in the area how they might use the gifts and talents God has given them to make positive changes in their own communities. We had been serving alongside local pastors and church members, praying before meals and sharing bibles stories and songs with the kids at the local church.

At dinner on our last day in Kampong Thom, one of the HKIS students surprised me at dinner: “So…I hope it’s okay: I have a bunch of questions for you about Christianity.” She was sitting clear across the table from me, so that the other 5 or so students at the table were also forced to listen to our conversation. “Of course that’s okay,” I replied, saying a silent prayer for grace and courage. The first question was the best: “From your perspective, what is the core of Christianity?” Wow, what a great start and a great invitation to clearly share with these students the central Gospel truth of what Jesus has done for us and how it changes everything.

She proceeded to ask me a series of more difficult questions about ‘hot-button’ issues: the relationship between science and faith, what the Bible says about homosexuality, heaven and hell, etc. I did my best to answer with grace and truth, and to make sure to always point back to the most important thing, which of course is not a thing or a concept or a doctrine at all but a Person. The One we remember and celebrate with special gratitude this week – God himself come to live with us, to die for us, to raise us and all Creation to new life with Him.

The chance to have these types of conversations is one of the reasons we do trips like this. Opening our hands in service to others has a funny way of opening our hearts to what God wants to say to us. After dinner that evening, the same student with all the questions joined an optional prayer meeting we had planned, and we got to hear more of her story. She said she was “reconnecting with spirituality” after several years away from the Church. I was able to quote the above verse from Matthew 7 and encouraged her: “Just keep on seeking. I think you’ll find Jesus.”

Mission Update

Our work with and for communities in rural Asia through CWEF continues:

• In my (Josh’s) role as director for CWEF, a current major focus of my work is to build up a stronger base of donors to provide financial support and stability for the mission we have been called to, and for specific CWEF health and education projects. This spring and summer, I will be working hard to develop new contacts and relationships in Hong Kong and the U.S. for this purpose.

• Related to this crucial fund development work, we have been putting a lot of work recently into preparing to launch a new web site for CWEF, which I look forward to sharing with you very soon!

• In addition to the aforementioned service learning trip in Cambodia, I also had the privilege of joining another service team recently, this time with students and parents from Concordia International School Shanghai. We served together at a new clean water project site in China’s remote Yunnan province. Our main focus was to visit many of the 40+ families in the village and collect data and stories as part of a baseline survey for this new project site.

• In the next few months, we are preparing for several additional service learning trips in China, as well recruiting and managing interns in Hong Kong and Shanghai this summer.

Family Update

John (now 4!) thoroughly enjoys his classmates and teachers at Concordia here in Shanghai, and he has a great time helping his little sister develop his love of cars and all things fun. Sophie (10 months) is now mobile – she started ‘scooting’ this month.

Prayer and Praise

• For the many international school students who join CWEF service learning teams each year; that they would seek and find Jesus as a result.

• For all of CWEF’s health and education work planned for 2019 in Asia, that God would use our service for his good purposes.

• For God’s provision of funding for all of CWEF’s planned programs and operations support.

• For CWEF’s board of directors – for wisdom and vision as they make decisions about the future direction of the organization.

• For all the people connected to our family and the work of CWEF, that the Spirit would be working in their lives.

…

If you wish to provide financial support for the work God is doing through our family and through CWEF in Asia, please visit

www.lcms.org/lange   /  888-930-4438

www.missioncentral.us  /  712-882-1029

…

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Josh + Coco + John + Sophia  //  lcms.org/lange

NEWSLETTER - December 2018 :: Welcoming New Sisters

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
盗贼来，无非是要偷窃、杀害、毁坏。但我来是要羊得生命，并且得到丰盛的生命。我是好牧人，好牧人为羊舍命。”

— John 10:10–11 (ESV & CCB)

Mission Update

Advent Greetings to you and yours! We pray you are doing well in the Lord.

In our corner of the world, life has certainly felt abundant these past few months. Actually, it often feels a little too abundant. Does that sound familiar to anyone else…?

As our inboxes, schedules and shopping carts overflow, we pray that God’s Spirit helps us to resist the world’s tendency to pull us around in every direction. May we instead be grounded in the Greatest Gift: our Good Shepherd, who came to lay down his life for you and me. Centered on him and his perfect birth, life, death and resurrection, we can “take hold of that which is truly life” (1 Tim. 6:19).

That is good news worth celebrating.

...

More good news worth celebrating: Coco and I had the joy of welcoming two people we love into God’s Family recently through the “washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).

The first was Mona, whose family lived one building over from us at our previous apartment complex and became one of Coco’s closest friends over the past few years. We thank God for his perfect design in bringing Mona and her family into our lives for friendship and encouragement, as we have been growing together in our marriages and in raising young kids. Mona was also there for our family in a big way when Coco was going through her recent bout of hospitalizations and surgeries right after Sophie was born. And in the midst of all of this life together, the Spirit was working in Mona’s life as she got to know Jesus and was introduced to a great local church family, who have welcomed her and have lovingly walked with her through the first steps of her journey of trust in Him.

The second person we dearly love whom we now also call a sister in Christ is our baby girl, Sophie. We were so grateful to be surrounded by friends and colleagues from Concordia International School Shanghai (where John is now also attending preschool), as we welcomed Sophie into God’s Family.

…

Our work with and for communities in rural Asia through CWEF continues:

• We recently welcomed Panhary to our team in Cambodia, who is doing great work with our education programs there, one being scholarships for university students. The young people we support through the University Scholarship program come from various connections within the Cambodia Lutheran Church community, and from ­a local partner home for orphaned or abandoned children called Child Rescue. In October, we were thankful to be able to partner with Child Rescue and another local non-profit called Stronghold Cambodia to carry out a ‘Teen Health Retreat’ led by two Cambodian pastors – Jesse and Joseph – which was focused on God’s good design for relationships.

• Several Drinking Water and HEAL projects (with a focus on health education) are ongoing in China’s Yunnan province. These projects are led by CWEF’s Jenny Chu and are focused on bringing renewal of bodily health to children and families in five communities, impacting over 800 people. Soon, Jenny will begin working to develop relationships and HEAL projects at a new project site near her hometown in northwestern Yunnan province, which is very close to the border with Tibet and Myanmar.

• Working with churches, schools, partner non-profits and other groups, CWEF has more than ten Service Learning experiences planned for the coming year, which will provide support for CWEF health and education programs. 

Family Update

Many people continue to ask about Coco’s health and ongoing road to recovery these past few months. Deep thanks to everyone who continues to pray and show concern for her. We are very happy to report that she is now nearly back to 100% physical health. Which is great timing, because now Sophie’s sleep is starting to get less and less peaceful, so we all need to be at full strength!  

 

Prayer and Praise

• For Mona and her family – Gary, Mia and Gabe.

• For Sophie, as she grows into the person God has made her to be.

• For Coco, as she continues to recover and gain strength for her service to our family and community.

• For all of the health, education and service learning work planned for 2019 in Asia, that God would use our service for his good purposes.

• For God’s provision of funding for all of CWEF’s planned programs and operations support.

• For CWEF’s board of directors – for wisdom and vision as they make decisions about the future direction of the organization.

• For all the people connected to our family and the work of CWEF, that the Spirit would be working in their lives.

…

Please Consider a Year-End Gift

As the year comes to an end, please pray about and consider a special year-end gift to support us as we serve God’s people in Asia. We thank God for your faithful prayer and financial support through the years. We have been so blessed by you and the many supporters who stand with us in the work God has called us to.

www.lcms.org/lange   /  888-930-4438

www.missioncentral.us  /  712-882-1029

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Josh + Coco + John + Sophia  //  lcms.org/lange

NEWSLETTER: August 2018

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
“因为上帝爱世人，甚至将祂独一的儿子赐给他们，叫一切信祂的人不致灭亡，反得永生。 上帝差祂的儿子到世上来，不是要定世人的罪，而是要借着祂的儿子拯救世人。”

— John 3:16-17 (NLT & CCB)

Mission Update
There has been much exciting activity at the beginning of the school year here as Concordia Shanghai is celebrating its 20th anniversary. It has been one of the great privileges of my life to learn with, be encouraged by, and to contribute to this community of learning and service through my work with CWEF, a long-time strategic partner of Concordia Shanghai. We are excited to see what God has planned for the next 20 years at His “miracle school” in Shanghai. 

With the start of the school year, I have also been blessed to reconnect with several teachers at Concordia Shanghai who joined members of Christ Lutheran – Costa Mesa, CA for a CWEF service trip in mid-May to one of our HEAL health education project sites in China’s Yunnan province.

We were very blessed on this trip to be able to make great God-ordained connections with several members of the local community. One such connection was with Mrs. Yang, a delightful and cheerful older woman who I first met one morning as I was heading from the church building where we were sleeping to the latrine building down the hill. I ran into LeeAnne, one of the team members, who said: “Hey! Could you help translate so I can talk with this woman I just met?” With some difficulty, I was able to translate for LeeAnne and communicate just enough to make a good connection with Mrs. Yang. It was Sunday morning, so as we were parting ways I took the chance to say: “Will you join us at the church this afternoon?” Mrs. Yang replied: “Is that okay? I’m a Buddhist.” “Of course!” I said. “Everyone is always welcome.” Later that day, we were all thrilled to see Mrs. Yang as she ambled up the hill in her nicest clothes to sit with us at the foot of the stairs and tell stories, and then eventually as the service began to head into the sanctuary with the small contingent of local Christians, who welcomed her with open arms and sat beside her in the front pew, as the preacher stayed perfectly to the basics and spoke from John 3:16.

There is more to the story, which was written about beautifully by team leader Rev. Mike Gibson (previously of Christ – Costa Mesa and now LCMS Pacific Southwest district president) in this three-part blog post: https://stories-of-faith.blog/2018/06/09/mrs-yang-and-mr-li/

We are amazed to see how God continues to use the service of our CWEF team members, volunteers and partner organizations to bless people and make Himself known in powerful and often unexpected ways. It’s fun to play a part in what He is doing in this part of the world, and we are grateful for the opportunity.

...

I am writing this letter from Hong Kong, where we had our quarterly CWEF board meeting yesterday evening. Later today, I leave for southern China to take part in our annual CWEF Team Retreat. Our entire team from all 4 offices in China and Cambodia will gather together for a time of planning, team-building, mutual encouragement, prayer and worship that strengthens all of us for our work in the year ahead.

Following the team retreat, we will be going full steam ahead with the beginning of the school year, which means many of our education programs will resume, in addition to our annual collaboration with Concordia Shanghai – the TrIBES service learning trips, one of which I will be helping to lead in rural Yunnan province.

Family News
Thank you once again to everyone who offered prayers and notes of encouragement during Coco’s recent bout of hospitalizations and surgeries after Sophie’s birth in June. Words cannot express how thankful we are to God for providing mercy and healing for Coco, and to all of you for your faithful love and support during a difficult few weeks. Among other things, this experience has impressed upon us the power and importance of prayer in our lives, and the true beauty of the Body of Christ as it cares for those in need.

It has now been a full month since Coco’s release from the hospital after the last surgery, and she is getting stronger and stronger each day. Her need for pain medicine is finally starting to diminish, but she is still not able to pick up Sophie for at least a little while longer, so we continue to be grateful for her mom's presence and loving help.

Sophie is doing quite excellent as she has been since entering the world. At times, she is now able to sleep for 4+ hour stretches at night and has begun to smile and 'talk' with us. We are definitely having fun with her and are so thankful.

Last week John started preschool at Concordia Shanghai and he LOVES his school and new teacher. She and her husband are new to Shanghai this year, most recently at a Lutheran school in the Houston area. 

With John going to school on the opposite side of the city from our previous home, we had to make a move to a new apartment, which we just completed over the last several days. The timing of this was a little tough, as I had to leave for this current work trip the day after the movers did their thing. Please join me in praying for Coco and the kids as I am away for about a week and the new apartment is still in need of a lot of work.

Prayer and Praise

• For our family, especially Coco, John, Sophie and 婆婆 (Coco’s mom) as I am traveling for work, as we all adjust to life in our new apartment and neighborhood, and as Coco continues the long and slow recovery process.

• Thanksgiving for the wonderful May service trip in partnership with Christ – Costa Mesa and Concordia Shanghai. Ask that God would use the relationships and connections made during the trip to advance His work.

• For Mrs. Yang and Mr. Li, that the Spirit would be working in their lives.

• For our upcoming CWEF team retreat this week.

• For the TrIBES service learning trips at the end of September.

• God’s provision of funding for all of CWEF’s planned programs and administration support.

• For CWEF’s board of directors – for wisdom and vision as they make decisions about the future direction of the organization.

• For all the people connected to CWEF’s work, that the Spirit would be working in their lives.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support!

Josh + Coco + John + Sophia  //  lcms.org/lange