December 2014
The Asia Pacific COG Conference is held every other year in various locations around Asia. It is a valuable time of fellowship as leaders and lay people renew friendships and make new ones. It’s also a chance to talk with others about the struggles and successes they are experiencing in their lives and ministries, finding encouragement, hope and new ideas as they compare experiences.
This time it was in Hong Kong, which made it possible for 64 of our pastors from mainland China to attend. We were excited about this chance for them to meet their counterparts around Asia for the first time but we were not prepared for their shock that there could be Christians from Japan. They have long believed that the Japanese are evil.
This made for some very interesting dynamics at a Christian conference, but it ended beautifully. It was inspiring to see old prejudices set aside, words of forgiveness spoken, and a bond established
that says we go forward from here, together.
Merry Christmas from Chiang Mai,
Don & Caroline Armstrong
