Friday, March 11, 2016

God is Sovereign and Loving

Liquid crystals, discovered at Kent State, draw scholars from around the world.
There are no coincidences.

Our friends Ernie and Lois Carnes have often been taking a Chinese scholar and his wife to church over the past year. The Carnes’ asked this scholar, “If you could meet your hero, who would that be?” The scholar, a post-doctoral fellow in liquid crystals at Kent State, responded that he most highly regarded a Chinese scientist who developed Apple's touchscreen technology.

Ernie and Lois, who serve alongside us as International Friendship Connection volunteers, are snowbirds. As they departed NE Ohio in early winter, they prayed that the Chinese scholar and his wife would continue to seek the Lord and grow in faith. Soon after arriving in their second home, The Carnes’ were excited to learn that an academic conference would afford the scholar from Kent a visit with them in Florida.

One week before the scholar’s arrival in Florida, the Carnes’ visited a local Chinese restaurant. They struck up conversation with a Chinese man in line at the restaurant and learned, to their amazement, that the scientist whom the Chinese liquid crystal scholar so revered had become a Christian--the pastor who discipled him was the very man the Carnes' happened to meet.

Through this new connection, the Carnes’ arranged a face-to-face between the two scientists. The hero was able to share the testimony of his faith journey as well as the doubts and questions about the Bible and the Gospel he had early in his Christian life. The scholar from Kent was greatly moved by the words of his hero since he has struggled with the very same issues in regard to faith in Christ.

As we listened to this tale retold over dinner with the scholar and the Carnes', we were all rejoicing. God’s goodness in orchestrating events, calling full time pastors and missionaries, and providing earnest volunteers are overwhelming evidences of his personal care for us, his beloved ones.

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