Notes From China

April 26, 2009

Here are a couple notes from our China Team members. Please continue to lift us up to the Father.
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We are so excited about what is happening here! We took a bus from our last town and arrived in the new one yesterday. We were able to give a few gifts on the bus, and in the last town.

When we got to town we went to drop off dirty laundry and were quite the show! I guess they want to know what American laundry looks like! We have to get used to being watched and crowded upon, and have a sense of humor.

Later we were shopping for a few items and encountered a 17 year old student "Lu" who was eager to speak English with us. We chatted with him a little and said goodbye to finish our shopping. We spent the next few hours at the hotel, resting and sharing together with Father. As we were doing that, we received a knock on our door! Guess who it was? It was "Lu" with 2 girls from his school. He had searched at different hotels until he found us! We were overjoyed to go down into the lobby and talk them for an hour or two. Two of them are Hui Muslims and one Han nominal Buddhist. They were so friendly! The girls held our hands, considering us as dear friends, as we took a walk later. Lu is trying to arrange with his English teacher to have us come talk talk with the students in one of the classes later today. We are hoping for this and many open doors. What a revelation three and eight I ask for.

The previous day we had such special times of interaction with people. Just simple things, without many words, but gifts of time, and connection that transcends language barriers. We stopped by a music store as they were getting ready to close. We motioned that Cori could play the violin and asked to come in. They had some unusual traditional Chinese instruments hanging on the wall, and I asked the young man if he could play them. He could not, but they summoned a man from upstairs, and he played this 2 stringed, long necked instrument with a small cylindrical base. I was so touched! I felt that this was a precious gift, that he would share his talent as a gift to the foreign visitors. Cori played a song for them on their violin.

Then we went into a tiny family-run restaurant for dinner. There were a 13 yr old and 16 year old girl there making paper birds (Origami). I asked the 16 year old to show me how to make one. (I had done Origami with my oldest sister when I was young.) I went over to her table and we sat there making flapping cranes from colorful advertising pages. We had a delicious dinner with so much food. The humble man and woman who ran the restaurant, with their two children were so gracious, kind and giving. We went away blessed by their humble and generous hospitality. We treasure these interactions as a bridge of the love of our Father.

Thank you for all of your thoughts and best wishes. Keep on! We are so touched for all of the many people of China!

A.F.

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Dear Prayer Partners,

It seems so much happens every day we are in China, I don't know what to write in the little time I have at the internet cafe, or how much is wise to write from here by email. I hope to type out my journal for whoever is interested after I get home. We have had an amazing time since my last letter. It seems that our steps are guided and opportunities are strewn in our path. You are praying and we are seeing the answers on the other side of the world. What an awesome and priveledged place to be!

On Friday morning we left Lanzhou and traveled by train to Zhongning, about a 7 hour trip. We arrived in a strange town surrounded by strange people who spoke a strange language. At least there were two of us. We use our phrase books a lot to communicate here, and we got the message across that we want a hotel. We were also assigned to visit a Buddhist monastery near this city, and in the course of things and man and his wife (?) took us to see the monastery and then to a nice hotel. The next day we started down the street, hoping to find someone who could speak English, and hoping to find the bus station where we could buy tickets to leave the next day.

We walked to the south side of town, then we saw a place with a sign that said in English, "Westerners Travelers Association." Ah, we thought, here surely we can find someone who speaks English. It turned out that no one there could speak English, but they called in an English teacher from down the street to translate for us. We were not too interested in any of there tourist attractions - all of them were out of town a ways - but then the teacher invited us to visit her school. So we had a very interesting and worthwhile day talking with children, some of whom had probably never had a chance to try out their English on a Westerner before. We ate lunch with 7 of the English teachers, who wanted to spend as much time with us as they could to prctice their English.

This morning we left Zhongning by bus and arrived in Xiji shortly after noon. On the same bus as we was an English teacher from a middle school (a boarding school) that is located about 15 km from Xiji. He was also happy to practice his English and helped us make reservations in a decent hotel before he had to rush off to get to work on time. He said something about us coming to his school before he left, and gave us his email and phone number, so I am waiting right now for an email answer from him. If we do not get a response in time we will probably assume that is not the Plan for this town.

We took a walk this afternoon, and when we got back their was a young lady waiting for us who speaks fairly good English, and was delighted to be able to practice it with native English speakers. Her dream is to be a translator, and she would love to be our tour guide around the city tomorrow. So we agreed to meet her at 8:00 tomorrow morning and let her be our translator.

I feel like I am writing too many of the trivial facts without the really important details. But many of those will have to wait until I get home. For now I can just say that some precious seed has been sown that may through your continued prayers have eternal results, and so many still lack even the first crumb of living bread. I wish I could convey to you the burden I feel.

Thanks to each one who took the time to write me. It is so encouraging to read my emails and feel that connection to each of you. May God bless each one.

R.Y.

Posted: April 26, 2009 11:21 PM