As the year ends I finished reading a fascinating love-story! As it is normal with man, I can't stand romantic movies and stories. But this one is different. It is a love-story of Hudson Taylor and Maria Dyer who served together in China and established an incredible ministry in the midst of unimaginable oppositions and attacks from the whole Christian and missionary community in England and in China and also from political forces. But it is not their love for each other that is the most fascinating in this story, but their love toward their Master and Lord they've served with such eagerness and through so many sufferings, sickness and losses. Three of their children died in the mission field (and mostly because they were in the mission field) and than Hudson Taylor lost his wife after 12 years of an incredible marriage. Taylor's faith in the Person of Jesus and his commitment to Purposes of Jesus always stayed strong. Reading this story reminded me a verse in the book of Daniel (11:32): "...the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action."

Stepping into a new year will bring new challenges for all of us! 2009 can bring blessings or pain, joy or sorrow, health or illness, life or death, but can't change His Faithfulness to us! As a love-story helped Hudson and Maria Taylor to endure un-imaginable troubles, the same love-story can help us, too: our love-story with our Saviour!

Do we know God? Than we shall stand firm and take action in 2009 for His Glory and to Advance His Kingdom! Millions will die this coming year without Christ and will perish! God wants us to do brave things to help rescue them with the message of the Gospel Hudson Taylor wrote this after his visit in a church in England: "I couldn't stand that thousands in this church are rejoicing over their own security while millions are perishing."

The end of a year is always a good time for a little self-evaluation before the Lord and it's time to ask ourselves: What motivates me? What do I do to identify more with the Person and the Purposes of Christ?

I'm ashamed to see how little I do for Him comparing how much He did for me! I'm ashamed to see how little I do for Him comparing how much more has been done for Him already by other human beings like me in history!

Let us further Advance the Kingdom of God together in 2009 and in every year until He comes,

Gabor and Edina

P.S.: I suggest for you to read: Hudson Taylor and Maria by John Pollock