Assignment: locate an empty space in a small town and furnish it as a restaurant
Time frame: 3 weeks
Obstacles: language and limited budget
Modus Operandi: Chinese frasebook, a lot of hand signs and creativity
Mission: possible!
So there we were. Three team members in a tibetan town in rural China.We had to find a place to hire as a restaurant, and to furnish and decorate it to function as a pizza restaurant. Normally not too difficult, but considering the location quite a challenge! But we were up for it!
God really prepared the way for us. We were greeted with such warmth and friendliness by people who had nothing to gain by helping us. They went out of their way to assist us and support us, even though we had to communicate through Google translator to hold a conversation!
So by the grace of God we managed to paint the place, install electrical fittings ( rubber kitchen gloves seems to do the trick in case of any mishap) and organise storage and workspaces in the kitchen. We were very fortunate to be able to buy furniture from a coffee shop that is closing down, and managed to finish everything just half an hour before we had to leave town! In the end we can only look back on the experience and thank God for His favour because it was indeed a assignment against all odds.
In the proceess we had many encounters with non-believers who were extremely generous and forthcoming. It reminded me of how all things good comes from our Creator, and all the positive attributes in people are because of His nature. Rom 2: 14-15: “ Even Gentiles, who do not have God's written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, without having heard it. They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”
So there are many “good people” in this world with kind hearts and good intentions, but does not know the Lord. What makes us as believers different? Do we stand out? Is it sufficient to just be a “good person”? Surely not! God calls us to lead a spirit filled life, seperated from the world by our thoughts and actions.