China town(s)

 21days, 7 towns, 3 people, 1 mission: to spread the Gospel
but there's 1 small obstacle: language
 


Marnus, Darko and myself (otherwise known as the MTT - Muslim Traveling Team) were sent out from Xining on a 21 day mission to 7 towns in the Ghanzou province, which is in the western part of China. Afterwards we joined the team for debrief in Shaga.
 
First up was Dagajia, consisting of two streets crossing one another. We met one English speaking guy in the town who pointed us in the direction of the school, where an English teacher lives. The next day we walked to the school and asked for the English teacher just as she came walking towards us. She invited us to her room and we spent quite some time with her. The next day we visited her again. After we heard that she will be leaving early the next morning to go to her village, we felt prompted to give her an English-Chinese Bible. She was happy to receive the Book, as it will improve her English. We were happy that she accepted it, because we know and are praying that it would do much more than just improve her English!
The rest of the time we walked around, bought fruit (and sweets for very cheap), went for hair cuts (and beard shavings - not me, though!), played soccer and pool with some kids... and from the size of the crowds that gathered around us every time, you would think a Hollywood star was in town! After 3 nights, we left for the next town.
  Choeiematan was larger, but could still be classified under " a town". We walked up a hill and prayed over the town. On the way down, we met Je-Je, an 18 year old girl who could speak English. She insisted to organise a tour to the mountains and we agreed because it sounded affordable. The mountains was beautiful, but the trip turned out to be quite expensive because of misunderstandings, mistranslation and down-right cheating from the side of the taxi-driver. We stayed friend with Je-Je, though.
We spent a lot the four days in the town square, played a lot of table tennis and handed out a lot of tracts, mostly to the children we played with. They loved it and read it eagerly!
The last evening and we where about to leave the square, when Je-Je insisted that we go with her and the "uncles" (two men who claimed to be Christians whom we met earlier that day) to the registered church the following day to pray there. I immediately felt something is shaky and then I saw the same taxi-driver in the back of the crowd, lingering around and watching me as she and the uncles was trying to convince me. We continuously refused and finally went back to our hotel room. Then there was a knock on the door. Je-Je and the uncles. She said that we have to come with her to the uncles' house right then to visit with them, because we didn't want to go with them to the church the next day. We explained to her that we are tired, that we are leaving early the next morning to go to the next town and then finally we told her that we don't trust the uncles. Then she started crying and say that the uncles will get drunk and beat her if we don't go with them. We told the uncles to leave and a while later we sent Je-Je on her way, without being sure if she was telling the truth or trying to manipulate us. Then there was another knock on the door. I didn't want the guys to open. But it was only the cleaning ladies bringing us clean sheets.
Then we prayed for a while and was just about to go to bed when there was another knock on the door. This time it was the police. The police man and a local guy with one of our tracts in his hand, walked in and asked for our passport, explaining in Mandarin that we are not allowed to hand these out. They searched the room, and just before they left, the local guy saw the box. :( We prayed afterwards that the Lord will touch them while they read the tracts. So we only had a few tracts left and eagerly left early the next morning for the third town.    

After one night in Handje (a town that consists of one long street) all three of us felt that the Lord is telling us to move on to Liencha, so we did just that.
 
Our experience in Liencha City was very different than in any of the other towns, which made it a very special four days for me. We arrived in the afternoon and started looking for a hotel to stay at. The price was four times more expensive than in the previous towns and certainly not within budget. So not knowing what to do, Marnus suggested that we go to H.Y.Coffee bar that our contact in Xining told us about. The coffee bar is run by his friend, who is also in ministry. After 5 minutes of trying to ask the Chinese waiter if he knew of a cheaper place to stay, 7 or so Americans walked in. Five of them above 60, i would say, and then one young couple. We were so excited to speak English! We quickly realised that they are doing what we are doing - spreading the Gospel. They are part of the church financing the coffee shop and they go on short yearly visits to encourage the underground church.
After the most delicious Blue Mountain Coffee (they blessed us) and wonderful inspiring conversation, they kindly showed us another hotel, which was unfortunately just as expensive! They invited us for dinner that evening (it was their last evening) so that we could chat some more and also meet a new missionary, lets call him John, in town. We asked if we could help him with anything and he said we can babysit his little girl the next day. That evening the one American said that he felt the Lord prompted him to pay for our stay at the hotel for two evenings!!!!! And it was such a luxurious hotel room!!! :)  The next morning, John called and within a few minutes, i was babysitting and the boys were moving his furniture. His wife went to the States for her sister's wedding and he wanted to get as much done while she was gone, to surprise her. So the next two days we helped him to thoroughly clean all the antique furniture (that he bought for next to nothing) and also the apartment. We slept at his house the last two night and watched movies and talked a lot about missionary work and life in Christ. We also met another family through him and had worship with them and their 5 young children on the Sunday morning! I will always look back on the time in Liencha as a very sweet and specific God-appointment.
It was very sad to move on, i grew very fond of his little girl! 


 
In Guhn Jang we read a lot, did a lot of Bible study, visited the square and the museum and prayer-walked through the town.  


 
Kung Lu was quite enjoyable, we met English-speaking boys and went with them to their school. Marnus and I performed Jabulani in front of the multitudes that gathered. Previously I would have felt embarrassed, but now I just laugh! After being chased away, the boys took us to play basketball, pool and then they helped us to find an Internet shop.  



Celeste and Ashleigh joined us in Guan Gu. We walked up a hill (mountain) and prayed over the town. Later we found an orphanage and gave them two mission balls and a few toys and sweets. We also went to a mosque and prayed there against the lies that the Muslims believe.


 

The end destination was Shaga and the purpose there was for the three of us (MTT) to debrief Russia with Donovan and Hannatjie, so we did that. We also caught up on the other team's stories and testimonies. 


 
It was a brilliant time of seeing how God can use us even when we don't speak the language! If He says go, I will go, if He says stay, I will stay! Life in His will it not always easy, but it sure is exiting and abundant!