Nathan arrived early Christmas morning. In the weeks before Christmas we were never sure if he was going to be able to make it. With Anna and Liz coming all the way from America, it just didn’t seem right that he wouldn’t be able to make it.

God is always on time.

We went to Hong Kong, Joyce and I along with the four oldest kids, to take care of a number of things related to our status before they all had to go back to schools and work. The last evening, from 10PM til 4:30AM we laughed and cried, we reminisced and we dreamed. His Presence was so real as we closed our time in prayer only hours before we would scatter to the four winds.

I turned my face Chinaward. Visiting our campus workers and their on-fire college student converts in GZ. Visiting our pioneering House Church partners over Sour Fish Head Soup to press in to God’s heart and to each other’s to chart our course for reaching another village, another people group. Visiting church leaders to plan for more advanced training, of stockpiling the tools and weapons they need, of mobilizing more workers, of raising up the next generation. Visiting team members in the border areas, reaching refugees, coordinating efforts to reach a city, a region, with revival in the air.

This blog should have been SPREAD OUT over many individual messages. But alas it is my first try. Take it as a China buffet, not a set meal.

I chose perfect timing because I could point to situation after situation in these few weeks where the timing could not have been better. I know, it should not surprise us that His timing would be perfect. And yet I always seems to come that way: surprising, fresh, unique. If we expected the things He does, we would not live in a constant state of awe. And yet it is His nature to stay perpetually novel–that our hearts may be primed to thanksgiving, and drawn to worship.

My last day in China I received an urgent document from overseas to take care of a pressing need, received back my passport with updated one year visa which was supposed to have come days earlier, and had a divine appointment which could change the course of one aspect of our work for years and years to come.

Did I just say that God is always on time?

Oh yes, I leave for our annual retreat tomorrow, beginning with our leadership meetings. Earlier this week I was asked to review a book written by our friend Bob Sorge. Its subject is exactly what we are covering during our conference, and has served to perfectly supplement and fill out my thoughts about what to share.

God has perfect timing.

Please be in prayer with us that not only HIS timing will be perfect, but ours will be as well. Pray we would be in tune with His heart, and in step with His Spirit. Amen.