Tales of a Modern-Day Missionary

"Your life is not a problem to be solved but a gift to be opened." ~ Wayne Muller


I have been writing several blogs on various topics to share ministry and life in China with my supporters and friends.  One is nearing an end... the "110 Faces of China" Project.  The project is expected to be finished sometime in May.  I will continue to update it monthly or so with exhibition information. 


Which reminds me...if you have a church and would like to display (exhibit) the project within your church either temporarily or permanently, just give me an email.  September this year is booked.  I prefer to give churches a priority to exhibit the project over other venues to encourage missions (either locally or overseas) within their churches. 


The project shares the lives of a few who are transformed just by hearing and hearing the Word of God through a church planted in China.  The focus of the exhibit though is to encourage people to think about their sphere of influence and the lives who have been or can be transformed by the display of God's Word in their own lives and the effect it has on those around them. 


The finish of this project will give me the needed time to turn my attention to another blog that I started many years ago, Tales of a Modern-Day Missionary.  I have really procrastinated with this blog.  I think that is because I desire to write from within my deepest thoughts and experiences.  Write about the ups and the downs.  My failures and my victories.  This can be very intimidating.  Opening up to others around the world, knowing that they may or may not approve. 


I have come to realize that we all make mistakes.  Some of us are meant to display those along with the victories so that others can be inspired and move on to victory within their own lives.  I have been playing tug of war with this for at least two years now.  This summer is a great time to just do it!  I look forward to your input (the good and the bad), and know that my life can change that of others...because even with the mistakes and all, my life is ultimately a testimony unto Jesus Christ.  In the telling of it, overall it brings Him the Glory.


With that in mind, the spread of the Gospel message is told through my own life.  How I am going to write this, and the direction it will take in the details of the writing I don't know.  I do know, I will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as I write the blog. 


I look forward to spending time with you through, Tales of a Modern-Day Missionary, beginning early summer.   -joy

Tales of a Modern-Day Missionary

"Your life is not a problem to be solved but a gift to be opened." ~ Wayne Muller


I have been writing several blogs on various topics to share ministry and life in China with my supporters and friends.  One is nearing an end... the "110 Faces of China" Project.  The project is expected to be finished sometime in May.  I will continue to update it monthly or so with exhibition information. 


Which reminds me...if you have a church and would like to display (exhibit) the project within your church either temporarily or permanently, just give me an email.  September this year is booked.  I prefer to give churches a priority to exhibit the project over other venues to encourage missions (either locally or overseas) within their churches. 


The project shares the lives of a few who are transformed just by hearing and hearing the Word of God through a church planted in China.  The focus of the exhibit though is to encourage people to think about their sphere of influence and the lives who have been or can be transformed by the display of God's Word in their own lives and the effect it has on those around them. 


The finish of this project will give me the needed time to turn my attention to another blog that I started many years ago, Tales of a Modern-Day Missionary.  I have really procrastinated with this blog.  I think that is because I desire to write from within my deepest thoughts and experiences.  Write about the ups and the downs.  My failures and my victories.  This can be very intimidating.  Opening up to others around the world, knowing that they may or may not approve. 


I have come to realize that we all make mistakes.  Some of us are meant to display those along with the victories so that others can be inspired and move on to victory within their own lives.  I have been playing tug of war with this for at least two years now.  This summer is a great time to just do it!  I look forward to your input (the good and the bad), and know that my life can change that of others...because even with the mistakes and all, my life is ultimately a testimony unto Jesus Christ.  In the telling of it, overall it brings Him the Glory.


With that in mind, the spread of the Gospel message is told through my own life.  How I am going to write this, and the direction it will take in the details of the writing I don't know.  I do know, I will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as I write the blog. 


I look forward to spending time with you through, Tales of a Modern-Day Missionary, beginning early summer.   -joy

98 faces down, 12 more to go.

The 110 Faces of China Project has an end in sight.  Yeah!  The project began 3 years ago.  Many drawings, two strokes, Parkinson's, and a complete change in direction later...completion is just around the corner.

Tonight I completed the 98th silhouette and canvas.  I will be going into the city soon and purchasing wood to stretch the canvases.  Each canvas measures 10"x10" once is stretched on the frame. 

I will then assemble and join the canvases, creating a wall of Faces.  The inspiration for this project came from a few different directions combined.  One of which is a wall of hand prints surrounding an orphanage in Beijing, China.  The hand prints represent children successfully adopted. 

Once the canvases are stretched and joined together, I will begin the details on the paintings to make the overall project resemble a stone wall.  I will save the description of the details and let you be surprised. 

I have also found a way to incorporate the drawings from the original version of the project into the revamped project.

I hope you will enjoy the project when it is completed.  There is a possibility it will be displayed for an event in Clarksville, TN during September.  Details are a little sketchy right now.  I will keep you posted. 

What makes or breaks a missionary?

I loved sharing with you over the past few weeks the notes (the rough draft) for the creation of the youth prayer series "EMPOWER ME! Talking with God" of -- one of four yearly youth rallies to be translated and used to spread the Gospel across Asia.  The English version will be made available with the "Empowering Children and Teens Today" ministry materials that are currently underway for the Asian people.    (Note:  If you would like to assist with this project, just go to the "Donate" link in the sidebar of this blog.)

Be ready, this next July will be the 2nd annual 30-day Prayer Challenge for missions here in Asia.  

Prayer is an essential ingredient in the success of overseas missions and the life of the missionary.  

Prayer or the lack of prayer will make or break a missionary.  Prayer support from faithful and committed partners paves the way to success, taking ground from the enemy for God's Kingdom.  

I pray that you will join me in prayer for the move of God here in Asia.  Please share with us here at 'simply prayer' that you are praying with us and for us.  It is a great encouragement to know others are supporting the spread of the gospel here. 

You can learn more about me (Joy Neasley) and the work in spreading the Gospel Message in Asia at the JoyfulWorks International Ministries website . 

Moving right along

This project is moving right along, and on schedule.  

I have worked out a good background for all the canvases, inspired by a wall in Beijing, China.  This wall was made up of square stones with a handprint and name of a child adopted from the orphanage.  It was so beautiful and touched me so much, I drew it as one of my first drawings in 2009.  

I have completed 80 silhouettes out of the 110 so far, and I am in the process of transferring them to 108 canvases 10" by 10" each.  Each one representing a square brick on a wall of some of the lives who have been transformed by the Word of God in Asia.  The completed project will measure 12' long by 9' tall.  

Once completed with transferring the silhouettes, the canvas will be stretched.  Each brick is painted with Chinese watercolor to represent a part of the wall.  

The silhouettes are drawn from people I personally have met and know the impact that the spread of the Gospel message throughout Asia has made within them.  

I am not positive yet, but I may include sporadically throughout the wall some of the drawings I did of a few before the strokes and Parkinson's hit, 

which cause me to change the direction of the project if I was to complete it.  I will know for sure once I have completed the silhouettes and see how it will look. 


At the end of the project the canvases will be assembled to create a completed wall.  

How many fingers do you see?

A man holds up four fingers, asking another, "How many fingers do you see?"  When the other answered four, the man holding up the fingers became irritated and left.  This is from a scene in the movie, "Patch Adams".  Patch had admitted himself into a psychiatric hospital, and on his first day, a genius who was considered to be crazy held up the four fingers.  

Later in the movie, Patch went to the genius and asked him the correct answer.  The genius held up four fingers again, and told Patch to look past the problem (the fingers) to the solution.  When Patch did, he clearly saw the answer, eight fingers.

"Casting the whole of your care -- all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all -- on Him; for He cares for you affectionately, and cares about you watchfully."  1 Peter 5:7

Too often we focus on the situation at hand rather than the solution.  When we look to our Helper, our Savior, our Comforter, our Mediator, we are seeing past the problem (the four fingers) into the solution (the eight fingers).  

The problem in front of us can prevent us from seeing the correct answer.  Rather, we see what we want to see.  When we walk by faith, and not by sight, we are focused in on Jesus.  We are focused in on what the Word says about our situation.  We are focused in on what the Holy Spirit is telling us.  And we can go to him in prayer expecting to see past the obvious and right to the correct solution.  This solution may not be what we thought, but it is the one that will not only get us through the situation, but bring us into the abundant life in Christ Jesus.  

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5