Each February, several  ACCTS staff partner with Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) to take cadets to the National Prayer breakfast in Washington.  The China Ministry also hosts a dinner for supporters in the DC area as part of this event.  Here is the staff report on this years' events.

 

Thank you for praying over the annual National Prayer Breakfast trip with VFMAC cadets.  This year's theme was "Loving your Enemy" and it really applied!  2020 established a new "high water mark" in terms of the spiritual development of the cadets who participated.  

 

The China Dinner this year was an encouraging blend of old and new friends.  We heard an amazing example of marital cooperation and partnership in one couple's experiences loving internationally.  It was a remarkable example of professionals who are prepared, practiced, and aware of how they present to an audience.  We are very thankful for the Godly example they provided to the several other married couples in attendance. 

The dinner also provided a fantastic opportunity for ACCTS staffers to encourage two recently retired military families as they look forward to entering supportive new relationships with ACCTS ministries.  Through their many questions and excited engagement, we could see the Lord working in their lives.  Asking one to close in prayer, I was " blown away" by the amazing, heartfelt prayer which was prayed over everyone that night, for the blessing of China and Chinese everywhere. 

 

The National Prayer Breakfast theme of " Love Your Enemy" was integrated into all of the events.  A particular highlight was the opportunity for the cadets to meet for twenty minutes with Pastor Andrew Brunson, the American-Hungarian pastor who in October 2016 was arrested in Turkey, where he had lived since the mid-1990s.  His arrest came during the purges occurring after the coup d'état attempt earlier that year.  He was imprisoned for two years, and his case created a crisis between the U.S. and our NATO ally, Turkey.  Since his release, he has been speaking on the ordeal and sharing about the deep crisis of faith it put him through, and how God was faithful in taking him through it.  This was a wonderful afternoon for our cadets. 

 

On Friday, the morning of our return to Valley Forge, we visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  Afterward we " huddled-up" for some Q&A about the museum lessons and the NPB week overall tie-in, to cement some of their thinking and let everyone know what others were thinking.   One cadet was aglow about the impact the NPB had on her outlook.  She was very touched by many of the speakers and the lessons they shared.  She had posted several pictures and positive comments about the experience in her social media.  Sadly, some people in her network responded with highly negative replies, using racially tinged phrases.  The amazingly awesome point here is that she then said to us all;  "I wanted to lash out in anger, but I stopped and realized that I did not want to fall into hate in my heart, that instead I should apply the lessons I learned this week about  loving them"  Wow!

 

Two cadets shared that they had never heard of the " Green Book."  We had a short discussion about the need for such a book.  It was one of those moments in a young person's life when they begin to see the hurt in the world which touches them and now shapes their adult perspective, even though as children they had been oblivious to such things.  I was glad they both wanted to share about that discovery. Another said,  "I realize now that in my own extended family there is actually a lot of racism which has affected my own thinking.  This is wrong and I need to think deeply about my own life and what I'm going to do about it."  I thought this was a pretty brave thing to openly admit in front of everyone. 

 

A Chinese cadet spoke about the fact that he had really learned a lot about American culture and now recognizes that he can hardly compare it to home because the two are so different.  He commented particularly on how he's learned to appreciate and enjoy the fact that our society is so racially diverse, but that in his own country " everyone is the same".  There are positives both ways, he said, but he is glad to be having a good time here learning about people and making friends, which he knows he is doing well.  We encouraged him to share this week's lessons with others. 

 

Another school group near us was hearing our "wrap-up" discussion and I can only hope they were struck positively by our group's racial diversity and comments of openness and sharing. At the end I asked everyone to put their hands in the center - as in a team getting motivated to start a game - so we could close out the week with a ceremonial shout of unity.  I asked them collectively "How shall we shout to end this?"  A cadet quickly said, " Thank you, Jesus!" -- very, very cool!  One cadet pleaded to not shout too loudly, but then immediately remembered  "there's no need to be ashamed about that"!

 

On the flight home, I sat with a young Rwandan man who had survived the genocide as an infant and became a Christian!  He was flying from Nebraska (where he had received the kind of hospitality we deliver in ACCTS) to interview at Microsoft.   We talked about " paying it forward,"  and he was so excited to learn about ACCTS that he wants to stay in touch.  A very touching "add" to the themes of this week.