Chinese version (requires a PDF reader)

From the beginning, ACCESS has built its program on a foundation of prayer and listening to God’s direction. Join us at our site in Chinatown for the next quarterly prayer meeting on Saturday, April 12, 9:00-11:00 a.m. as we seek God’s guidance in being God’s extended hands in Chinatown. Whether you can come pray with us on site or will pray at home, please bring to the Lord the following:

ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL)

Thank God for …

• the opportunity to tell the Easter story.
• three classes that are doing well.
• teacher unity and fellowship.

Pray for…

• registration for summer classes, that we will be able to reopen levels that were running in winter semester.
• student openness to the Gospel and opportunities to follow up after the Easter celebration. A seekers’ meeting is being tried.
• the family of a student who became a Christian in December just before returning to China, where he died of a heart attack.
• recruitment of a new ESOL coordinator.

ENRICHMENT PROGRAM (EP) (for children K2 to 5th grade)

Thank God for …

• Park Street Church Kids who are collecting supplies for our students as part of their Spring Community Outreach.
• free Science Curriculum from the National Science Foundation for 3rd-5th graders.
• funds to purchase a curriculum addressing the issue of bullying from a Christian perspective.
• many opportunities to integrate spiritual truths into our everyday lessons.

Pray for…

• wisdom in dealing with “bullying” in our 3rd-5th grade level.
• new students, especially in K-2nd grade.
• summer staff for our Summer Enrichment Program.
• ongoing prayer for the 8 students (and their families) who will be “graduating” from ACCESS this spring.
• site visit on April 14 for our EEC license renewal.

FAMILY LIFE

Pray for…

• EP parent discussion meeting on April 18 and May 23.
• leadership for the Social Services/Family Life subcommittee.

COMPUTER LITERACY CLASSES

• volunteers who help as IT support and teachers.

• planning to start an Adult Computer Literacy class in April.
• teachers for the class.

IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance PROGRAM

• 27 volunteers who filed 65 Federal and 34 State tax returns.

Technology Support

Thank God for …

• video projector and DVD player purchased with mini grant from Tufts University.

• a new technology coordinator.
• planning for an Americorps intern from TechMission.

BOARD & COMMITTEES

Thank God for …

• an active and committed finance committee.

Pray for…

• good people to hear God’s call to join the board and committees.
• follow-up work to be done as a result of the Board Retreat March 28-29.
• wisdom to address the decline in ESOL enrollment.

FUND RAISING

Thank God for …

• CCTF (Chinatown Community Trust fund) grant of $25,000, including half the Parent Liaison’s salary and support for children.

Pray for…

• success for several submitted grant proposal applications.
• effective use of the 15th anniversary video.
• funds needed for 2008, deficit projected at almost $80,000.

Mr. X, a middle-aged new immigrant student started coming to one of our ESOL classes in the fall of 2006. He was very outgoing and came to talk with me before or after class sometimes. He said that he was open to the Gospel and “will go to church and listen more about it when I have time.” He worked long hours as a kitchen helper. I lent him books for seekers that he sometimes took, but he kept telling me that his priority was to learn English first. I also found out that one of his former classmates had come to the US a few years earlier, had become a Christian, and had been urging him to do the same.

At the end of last semester, he came to tell me that he would not be paying tuition for the spring semester, as he needed to visit China for a month. He assured me that he would come back to class upon returning to the states.

I was pondering this and had the urge to pin him down and present the Gospel to him. I actually told my colleagues, “I would not forgive myself if he were to die while in China and I had not presented him an opportunity to commit his life to Jesus.” God created an opportunity. On the last day of class, Mr. X came to ACCESS around 8 a.m., as he had done many times (classes start at 8:30). I grabbed him into a classroom, went over the Gospel message with him and urged him to give his life to Christ, not waiting till he understood everything or had time for church. He told me that he had a college education and had a good job in China, but did not like how they treated the poor. He was glad that his daughters were doing well in high school here. However, he felt that his temper was worse than when he was in China and he needed help. I told him that Jesus cared about him and his family and would help him whenever he asked. He repeated the sinner’s prayer with me before going to dim sum with his classmates. I later found out that his teacher actually asked one of his classmates, who was normally very reliable, to tell him to go to the restaurant directly that morning because the class wanted to take their teacher out for dim-sum. However, he wanted to escort his teacher to the restaurant and so he was at ACCESS early, as usual. That gave me the opportunity to talk with him. Our staff all rejoiced in his salvation; and we were sure that the angels did as well. (Luke 15:7, 10)

Before he left for China, I gave him a small Bible and a group member’s book for evangelistic Bible Study and asked him to self-study. He told me that he “felt very good and very peaceful” after accepting Christ. I encouraged him to talk with Jesus any time he wanted. He really wanted a Chinese-English Bible, and I was going to buy him one upon his return from China.

On 3/10/08, two teachers came to me and said, “Do you remember what you said before bringing Mr. X to the Lord?” I told them, “Of course I remember–that I would not forgive myself if he were to die in China without having a chance to commit his life to Christ.” They told me that another student in a different level told the teacher that Mr. X had died in China of a heart attack. I asked them to confirm this and make sure they were talking about the same man. We found out that it was indeed true. GOD WAS SO GRACIOUS, TO BOTH MR. X AND TO ME!!! He saved Mr. X shortly before the end of his earthly life. He not only allowed me the privilege to play a role in it, but also saved me from the grief of losing a precious opportunity to do so.

Please pray that we would be able to bring his family to Christ in their time of sorrow.

Jesus said, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (John 9:4) Please pray that we will be alert to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and be faithful to His bidding. —Mei Kee Wong

Despite the stormy weather on November 3, 400 people attended the ACCESS (American Chinese Christian Educational & Social Services, Inc.) 15th anniversary celebration at Empire Garden Restaurant. The banquet opened with a prayer by Rev. James Tan, who founded the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church in 1961. Later in the evening, City Councilor Sam Yoon greeted the audience and prayed for the City of Boston and, in particular, Chinatown. Two awards were given. The Innovative Partnership Award was given to the Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston in Lexington, in recognition of their initiative in starting the Summerbridge Program and the Adult Computer Literacy Class for ACCESS this past summer. The Friends of ACCESS Award was given to Mr. and Mrs. David Wong, owners of Empire Garden Restaurant, for their long time generous support of and dedication to the Chinatown community. Mr. Wong presented ACCESS with a $3,000 check at the award ceremony. An eight-minute video was shown to dinner guests to illustrate what ACCESS means to staff, board members, volunteers, and students in the adult English classes and Children’s After-School Program. The highlight of the evening was the announcement that the silent auction of over 200 donated items raised $18,000 to fund ACCESS’ various programs.

This successful event was the handiwork of the Planning Committee: Joann Yung (Celebration Chair), Jackie Wang (Auction Chair), Jocelyn Chen, Kiki Cooper, Erin Shyamji, and Mei Kee Wong (Executive Director). Many volunteers and the ACCESS staff also contributed countless hours to the dinner and auction.

Chinese version (requires PDF viewer)

Rev. James Tan saying grace before dinner

City Councilor Sam Yoon praying for the city of Boston and for Chinatown

Mr. David Wong, owner of Empire Garden Restaurant, giving a check to ACCESS board chair Cliff Chuang and Executive Director Mei Kee Wong.

Innovative Partnership Award presented to the Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston in Lexington

Friends of ACCESS Award presented to Mr. David Wong