Into the Unknown
Hong Kong looms on the horizon. What awaits us there? The unknown awaits us. This will be a team of four, a married couple, a single woman, and me, the team leader. I guess one could always look to the past to see what the future might hold.
This is my sixth time going to Asia. My first trip, I likened to setting off an atomic bomb in Lanzhou, Gansu province. That is, we hit the city, and made a great impression. On that team were, Patrick, Lindsay, Courtney, Karen, Melissa, and Jonathan. Of this team, three have gone back to China, two for long term. We ate well, we had good living quarters, and we went on great tours. It was on one of these tours we faced a dilemma. The school took us to a temple. Some on the group did not want to go in. At that moment, the story of Paul in Athens standing in a temple using the Greeks pantheon of gods and the one unknown god to share his message with the Greeks came to mind. I related this story to my team, all save one went in. From this experience, we held nine different conversations with the students about God.
On the second second trip to Tianshui, Gansu Province, PRC, the team consisted of Mackenzie, Alyssa, Karen, Laurie , Debi, Joel and Adam, and of course myself. Of these young college students, one would return as a team leader, two would go to Africa. This was a completely different experience than the first. Our living conditions lacked drastically. We had no air conditioning; China is hot and humid in the summer. We ate at the school’s cafeteria and so the food was not very good. The students misbehaved since they had no adult supervision other than the team. However, not all was lost. We were able to share our faith with the college students assigned to help us.
The third trip was a near disaster. At first, we were assigned to go to China, but then SAR’s emerged. The team went to Ha Noi Viet Nam instead of China. On this team was Coy, Johanna, Elliott, and Tom. Ha Noi is like a steam room. It is very hot and very humid. The school, a 100-year-old former French elementary school was hot and dirty. The food in the hotel was terrible and three of the team members contracted dysentery, an illness if left untreated leads to death. The one blessing that came out of this trip was a sweat young girl who would later move to the U.S. to attend high school. She lived with us for three years and moved out when she transferred to Goshen College in Indiana. While living with us she became a Christian and began working with a Christian Group. Of this team, one would lead a team back to China, another would serve in Thailand, and a third became a missionary bush pilot.
The fourth journey to China, found me leading a team to Chengdu, home of the Panda. On the team was James, Jeff, Patty, Becca, Keeper, Jennifer, and Julie. Of these young people, four would return to China, three long term. This trip was a good trip, no one get sick, our living conditions were good, food was okay, and the teaching facilities were as good as any in the U.S. Here, however, three people on a stormy night would come to accept God. It was a good trip.
The fifth trip, hmm…when I was asked to lead a team back to Ha Noi Viet Nam I was a bit hesitant, but I said yes nonetheless. Hoa, our exchange student that had been living with us for three years was also going back to Ha Noi to spend the summer with her parents. The team included, Drew, Jason, Kristen, Teisha, and Jean. This was a good summer, one that helped me to forget my former experience and to fall in love with Viet Nam. Needless to say that Hoa and her family made it easier to do so. Here as with the other schools, our job was to open the school up or make a good first impression so that they would invite us back again the following year. From this team, three are returning to Vietnam this summer.
So here I am, days from once again departing Portland for Asia. I go not knowing what is in store for me or my team. What am I going to find this year? What I do know is that it is going to be hot and humid; I am going to be away from my family for more than a month. I am also going to giving up a summer of income. I do not know how or even why I keep walking forward. I just know that I must. God calls me, and I must answer. Even in despair, I must answer the call. My teammates are similar in that they are giving up a summer to enter the unknown as well.
We are all called; we choose to answer or to ignore that call. When I think about the people now serving around the world because you have supported me and my team, I realize how much God is at work. What a better world this would be if we all responded to that little voice in our ears calling us to action, calling us to help a friend or a neighbor, to teach somewhere in the world, to take a chance and try something. My regret, not starting earlier in life and devoting my life to this work. We are never too old to start.
This is my sixth time going to Asia. My first trip, I likened to setting off an atomic bomb in Lanzhou, Gansu province. That is, we hit the city, and made a great impression. On that team were, Patrick, Lindsay, Courtney, Karen, Melissa, and Jonathan. Of this team, three have gone back to China, two for long term. We ate well, we had good living quarters, and we went on great tours. It was on one of these tours we faced a dilemma. The school took us to a temple. Some on the group did not want to go in. At that moment, the story of Paul in Athens standing in a temple using the Greeks pantheon of gods and the one unknown god to share his message with the Greeks came to mind. I related this story to my team, all save one went in. From this experience, we held nine different conversations with the students about God.
On the second second trip to Tianshui, Gansu Province, PRC, the team consisted of Mackenzie, Alyssa, Karen, Laurie , Debi, Joel and Adam, and of course myself. Of these young college students, one would return as a team leader, two would go to Africa. This was a completely different experience than the first. Our living conditions lacked drastically. We had no air conditioning; China is hot and humid in the summer. We ate at the school’s cafeteria and so the food was not very good. The students misbehaved since they had no adult supervision other than the team. However, not all was lost. We were able to share our faith with the college students assigned to help us.
The third trip was a near disaster. At first, we were assigned to go to China, but then SAR’s emerged. The team went to Ha Noi Viet Nam instead of China. On this team was Coy, Johanna, Elliott, and Tom. Ha Noi is like a steam room. It is very hot and very humid. The school, a 100-year-old former French elementary school was hot and dirty. The food in the hotel was terrible and three of the team members contracted dysentery, an illness if left untreated leads to death. The one blessing that came out of this trip was a sweat young girl who would later move to the U.S. to attend high school. She lived with us for three years and moved out when she transferred to Goshen College in Indiana. While living with us she became a Christian and began working with a Christian Group. Of this team, one would lead a team back to China, another would serve in Thailand, and a third became a missionary bush pilot.
The fourth journey to China, found me leading a team to Chengdu, home of the Panda. On the team was James, Jeff, Patty, Becca, Keeper, Jennifer, and Julie. Of these young people, four would return to China, three long term. This trip was a good trip, no one get sick, our living conditions were good, food was okay, and the teaching facilities were as good as any in the U.S. Here, however, three people on a stormy night would come to accept God. It was a good trip.
The fifth trip, hmm…when I was asked to lead a team back to Ha Noi Viet Nam I was a bit hesitant, but I said yes nonetheless. Hoa, our exchange student that had been living with us for three years was also going back to Ha Noi to spend the summer with her parents. The team included, Drew, Jason, Kristen, Teisha, and Jean. This was a good summer, one that helped me to forget my former experience and to fall in love with Viet Nam. Needless to say that Hoa and her family made it easier to do so. Here as with the other schools, our job was to open the school up or make a good first impression so that they would invite us back again the following year. From this team, three are returning to Vietnam this summer.
So here I am, days from once again departing Portland for Asia. I go not knowing what is in store for me or my team. What am I going to find this year? What I do know is that it is going to be hot and humid; I am going to be away from my family for more than a month. I am also going to giving up a summer of income. I do not know how or even why I keep walking forward. I just know that I must. God calls me, and I must answer. Even in despair, I must answer the call. My teammates are similar in that they are giving up a summer to enter the unknown as well.
We are all called; we choose to answer or to ignore that call. When I think about the people now serving around the world because you have supported me and my team, I realize how much God is at work. What a better world this would be if we all responded to that little voice in our ears calling us to action, calling us to help a friend or a neighbor, to teach somewhere in the world, to take a chance and try something. My regret, not starting earlier in life and devoting my life to this work. We are never too old to start.
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