STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN IN ENGLAND!!

One of our favourite performing artists of all time recently came to our hometown, Birmingham, England!!! STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN blessed us with a wonderful evening of worship and praise! We were also introduced to the young, newer band, CALEB, formed by and featuring the older son of the Chapman's, Caleb, on lead vocals and guitar, and also featuring the younger Chapman son, Will Franklin, on drums, among other instruments. What a blessing these guys are!! LOVE their music as well. (You can download some of their music at calebmusic.com.) So, it was wonderful to see that what SCC has begun is being passed onto the next generation! We carried a group from KEC to this event in nearby, Dudley, Birmingham, about a 30 minute drive from our church. The performers were passing through our area of the world as they were on their UK and European Tour. Later that weekend, they also performed at the Apollo Hammersmith in London, with Christian music legend, Michael W. Smith. On a personal note, we must confess that we feel a special attachment to Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman for several reasons. One, being their emphasis on missions. Steven released his historic CD, DECLARATION, in 2001, and as he toured later, stopping through Tupelo, MS, USA, we were so blessed to be among the audience members. His music helped to confirm the call that God had placed on our lives that He would later reveal to us, that we were to abandon all to become full-time career missionaries and become complete and true "God-Followers." The other major connection we have with the Chapman's is due to their and our international adoption experiences. In fact, their book, Shaoey and Dot, was one of our daughter, Myleea's, all-time favourite first reads. Although Myleea was adopted soon after Shaohannah, the first of the three daughters who the Chapman's adopted from China, we loved keeping up with their other two adoptions and the amazing work they have done through Show Hope, Maria's Big House of Hope, and other ministries they have established, which now provide help to suffering orphans in China. For more information on how to become involved in their work there, go to the following website: www.showhope.org Finally, there's no way that anyone could think of the Chapman family without mentioning the tragic loss of their baby girl, Maria Sue Chunxi Chapman, on May 21, 2008. The family has suffered such unimaginable grief. We have grieved with them, as so many of you have. Yet, they have chosen to give glory to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ through all that they have endured. As they have emulated, it is only by His grace that any of us can manage to get through anything so catastrophic in life. We greatly admire this entire family and their Christian leadership, which has been so clearly demonstrated through the most horrific and tragic of circumstances, as well as throughout the high points of their lives. We thank this family for their down-to-earth transparency, for the way that they have been and continue to be so "real," as they unashamedly allow the tears to flow and the praises to be sung through the same breath. Additionally, I praise God for the bravery Mary Beth Chapman has exhibited in writing her book, CHOOSING TO SEE, in which she recounts the journey of struggle and hope all of this has been to their entire family. This is definitely one of the best books I've ever read and has served as a huge inspiration to me. If you haven't read it, you are missing a HUGE blessing! You can download it from Amazon in ebook/Kindle form (like I did), or to find out more about this and the music and latest occurrences of the Chapman's lives, go to stevencurtischapman.com and/or Mary Beth's blog at marybethchapman.com. Please continue to pray for each member of this precious and truly remarkable family.