呂子峰牧師出生於中國西安，70年代末移居香港。中學畢業后來美國先后在喬治亞大學和哈佛大學設計研究院攻讀園林建築系。自1994年起任教於麻州大學園林建築系。
在全時間教學的同時，呂子峰也是安城華人基督教會唯一的長老。安城教會過去的七年裡沒有牧者，呂長老便擔負起主要的教導和牧養工作。他的太太鐘凌姐妹也是來自中國，從中山大學的計算機科學系畢業之后到美國攻讀研究院課程，在喬治亞大學與呂子峰相識。他們已經結婚18年，有一對兒女。大女兒呂輝安11歲，小兒子呂輝中8歲。
多年來呂教授一直積極地參與海外特別是歐洲的短宣工作。經過長期的禱告和等候，他和太太鐘凌回應了神的呼召，要委身到歐洲的宣教工場去服事。他們是基督教華僑布道會的全時間宣教士。
馬艷華宣教士生長在中國幹部的家庭，有四個姐姐和兩個弟弟。大姐比她大十歲，小弟弟比她小八歲。現在他們都已經結婚，並且每家都有一個孩子。她是由外婆和姐姐們帶大的。外婆常常給他們講很多故事，從中讓她明白許多做人的道理。媽媽在她的學業和生活各方面的鼓勵，今天仍然影響著她。她爸爸已離世，但他生前教導馬艷華作人的原則，無論做甚麼只要是盡力了就行了。父母從來沒有在她的學業上給她任何的壓力。她高考預考的成績不是很理想，她坐在院子中很不開心。爸爸看見，就安慰她：「高考不是唯一的出路，盡力了就夠了。」她當時就很得安慰。爸爸患病時，她找到了耶穌；爸爸離世後，她重生並奉獻。現在她媽媽一個人住在幹部退休所裡。
馬艷華是COCM聖經學院的「教牧學學士」課程的學生，於二零零六年七月畢業。二零零五年底，她為著未來的事奉路向求問神的心意。在二零零六年初，COCM的總幹事王光霞姊妹約見她，希望她加入中國留學生事工，向中國來的留學生傳福音。她自已也曾到過瑞士留學兩年，對於留學生的生活也有一些認識，所以她相信是神帶領她加入國語事工部，向中國同胞傳福音。
Rev. Ian Ma graduated from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and has served at the Chinese Christian Church in Somerset, New Jersey as a Youth Pastor for more than 16 years. With his outstanding experience and passion, I believe he will be used by the Lord to inspire the Chinese churches in the UK to expand their youth ministry.
Rev. Ma has been participating in short-term missions since 1984, leading mission teams every year since 1992, and partnering with COCM since 1998. He has built good relationships with many local youth leaders in the UK.
We praise the Lord for touching Pastor Ma’s heart to answer the new “Macedonian Call” and dedicate himself to the mission field in Europe. He and his wife Wai Ma are planning to move to the UK in early 2013. Their annual budget will be USD 65,000. This ministry will be a great challenge and a journey of faith for them. As you know, COCM is a faith mission organization so they need to fundraise prior to their deployment. We therefore appreciate your prayers and financial support to them. If you would like to support them, please send an email to our Treasurer Mrs. Lily Chuang at Ellilyc@aol.com.
At last, Rebecca Yen Chun Mao 毛艷君here at Milton Keynes, UK! It has been almost 8 months since I first shared with you the calling of God for me to come to Europe and to work with COCM. During these months of transitions and changes, the Lord’s overwhelming peace has guided my heart and kept my focus on finishing each task at hand and moved me steadily to complete all that are required for this missionary journey. Now I am on the mission field, I know that I am in His good will.
Thank you, dear friends, from the bottom of my heart, for your strong support and for being my ministry partners. God has showered me with His love through your help, words of encouragement, faithful prayer and generous giving to this ministry. You are truly my co-labors and we are in this joint adventure together for His kingdom.
Throughout this whole process of moving, I had to “let go” in many areas. Sorting through my stuff, I had to throw away junks and let go of things there were once precious and useful to me. I am reminded of the Lord’s words: “Don’t lay up treasures on this earth…”. It is no fun packing. I promise myself that I will not take free or buy too many stuff in the future. Anyone holds me accountable?
CACW was the first church I pastored with other pastors. It was the hardest things to say goodbye to my brothers and sisters whom I have served with for almost eight years. I also needed to let go of ministries at the church. It was a deeply emotional and spiritual experience. I am so thankful to the Lord for my church family’s love and support. Bless Your church, bless your people at CACW, Lord.
Then there was the burden of fundraising. When I was seeking God’s will for coming to Europe last year, I dreaded the thought of fundraising. It was a real hurdle that my faith had to overcome. I was not dreading as much about the result as much as about the process that I had to go through. So I had to let go of myself reliance and pride, and to learn to give my burden completely to the Lord. How precious His promise “Be still and know that I am God” is to me!
Goodbye to New York and Hello to England! The plane landed at Heathrow airport on August 26. The morning was cloudy and chilly as many of you have predicted. Strangely enough, I felt a sense of coming back to a home that I left long time ago. It has been twenty seven years since I first came to know the Lord in London. I am so grateful to the Lord for His presence and guidance all these years and for the many opportunities to serve Him.
On my first weekend at COCM, I participated in a Team Building Retreat with about 35 young people. It was a real joy to be serving among them again. I was asked to give two workshops and to preach on that Sunday. There was a lot of sharing after each session. I talked with a mother who came with her son and daughter In law for two nights. She was from Northern China and a shrewd business woman. Because of her wealth and pride, she was never able to really share her situation and her heart with anyone all her life. In this retreat, she committed herself to Christ and poured her heart out. The Lord’s mercy and grace was with her.
During this week and half, with other co-coworkers, I attended a meeting with Global Connection (a mission organization) in Leominster Spar and visited our missionaries in Colchester, on the campus of the University of Essex. There were many Chinese students walking on the campus. They came before the school starts to learn English. The harvest is plenty but the workers are few…
I feel almost settled down now. Because I was busy right away, it helped a bit with my jetlag. I am getting better each day with my sleep. I live on the 2nd (3rd in US) floor of the center and my office is on the ground floor. I have had a lot of exercises walking up and down those stairs. So this arrangement will do me a lot of good. My living quarter consists of one small room and a bathroom. It will be a challenge for me to fit all my stuff in when the shipment comes next week (hopefully!).
There are still so much to learn: language (car park, not parking lot; car boot sale, not garage sale; pound, not dollar), people and ministries. Driving is so confusing to me here. It seems all the roundabouts are in Milton Keynes. Traveling will be a real challenge for me. Now I will travel by train, coach or ride with others but later I will need to drive by myself. The weather is really windy here, this was a surprise to me.
All in all, I really have this peace and joy in my heart. Please join me in thanking the Lord. I am also counting on you for your prayer for the coming two months:
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