I guess I should tell you why on earth I was in China, eh? Well, my friend Kristin and I went with a group of close friends and family to open up the hearts of the Chinese to Jesus... with passports and the cover story that we were English teachers. That was not a lie though, we did teach English. Six days a week. We had to compose lesson plans, and games, and activities to help enhance the verbal communication skills of our students. We had students divided into classes A1-G2. The lowest English speaking students were in groups A B C etc. and the higher their communication skills, the higher level classes they were in. Every three days the teachers and I would rotate classes. So if I had group A the first three days, I would have group B the next. We really had to customize our lessons to the level of the students.
Now with teaching, we were strictly prohibited by the government to speak about our faith, Christ, or God at any point in our classes. They actually sent spies into our class rooms to be sure we were listening to their commands. I really didn't listen. There was this side of me that thought "if I am going to die, what an epic way to go, speaking the word of God". I saw a few "students" I had never seen before leave the class room a couple of times. But I never got approached as far as my mentioning Christ.
We had Bible studies at the end of the nights on the top floor of our teaching building, in a classroom that was hardly used. We also would discreetly meet in a little campus coffee shop (where they served banana chips, and where they ran out of banana chips because of me and Kristin... we were hooked). We had SO many students just opening up and asking questions. Some even said they wanted to call their parents and tell them about their new found faith. Which honestly scared the crap out of me. I was sure their parents were going to hate me for helping their children accept Christ into their hearts, but most of them said that their parents were excited to hear about their new faith! Word truly cannot express the joy it was leading these beautiful people into a relationship with God. You could see the change in them instantly! Their eyes lightened, and their faces glowed, and sometimes it was like a physical change completely took over them. I can't tell you how many lunches Kristin and I didn't eat because we were to busy being used by God to feed students the true bread of life.
While we were there we are obviously completely submerged into the chinese life style. It was the most bizarre thing i had experienced. first and foremost - the toilets, or lack there of. we dubbed them, squatty potties. they were pretty much holes in the ground. some buildings filled with shopping booths had bathrooms, where you had to pay to use it, and when you got inside it was actually just a trough that you did your thing in.... yeah about that, i decided I was just gonna hold it for 6 hours instead. children's clothes actually had a slit cut in the butt, so when they had to do their thing they could just squat wherever they were and let loose.
The forbidden city was probably one of my favorite places. you could feel the weight of a suppressing spirit falling on you when you walked in. i prayed the whole time we were walking through. every statue i touched, i poured out the name of the Lord on. structurally it was magnificent. nothing like you will ever see, unless you go there. It was a history text book brought to life. the details and the creativity were beyond my belief!
When i was there, i was on fire for God. nothing could stop me, not even the chinese government. how is that i will let one random customer at work stop me, or a new friend? NOT ANYMORE. i want to be more bold, while still being respectful and showing love and mercy.
