Do you ever have those experiences in life where so much has happened but you really have no idea where to begin in telling the story? Welcome to my life, where everything is an experience. It's not always life changing but it is always moving me closer to my identity in Christ and that is a difficult thing to explain sometimes. It has been at least a month since my last blog post. This is due to a little (or very large) place I like to call China. We have spent month 8 of the race internet free because of certain restrictions that China places on its citizens and visitors…In China, Christianity is not welcome with open arms. A practicing foreigner is allowed to practice but the sharing of the Gospel is a big time no no. We wanted to make sure that those that we had contact with in China were protected as best as possible.
But now I am in Ukraine and I have to do the best I can to share about what it was like in The People's Republic of China. Hopefully I can do this in a few different posts to keep you all interested but go easy on me, it has been a wild ride. I think I'll start with China itself…Spit.
If there was one word that I can use to describe China, it is spit. Lots and lots of spit. These people have so much saliva flowing that the Yellow River itself could be made of it. My goodness. It is imperative to watch your step. The food is so freaking good though. I love Chinese food. And I mean REAL Chinese, dumplings, pork spare ribs, broccoli, not American knock offs (though Panda Express still has good Chow Mein). Chopsticks are not just a novelty, the people really are short, and the Chinese language is very difficult. This month was the first cold month of the race. We were all frantic to get warm clothes as soon as possible. Welcome to the land of knock-off everythings. The people toast to everything, but they don't clink. Never clink. Lazy susans are necessary at all meals because of the MASSIVE amounts of food placed before you. We like ice cold water right? That is almost taboo and very strange to the Chinese. They drink hot water, which I actually kind of like, especially in the cold weather. When trying to board a train in China, you will be stuck in a stampede of people trying desperately to get on the train like they will never find a seat, though everyone has their own assigned seat so there is really no reason to freak like they do. At meal times anything goes. The slurp and burp method is the way of the Chinese. With all this said, here is the conclusion of the matter…
I love the Chinese. They are so kind (most of the time), very hospitable, friendly, welcoming, intense, pushy, dedicated, and just plain fun. They need God. And they are hungry for Him. Many just don't know it yet. In my next few blogs I will talk a little bit about my experiences in ministry in particular, and also our 8 month debrief. I hope you are all still on this ride with me…I feel like I am just getting started.
The Man With Unclean Lips,
Brandon Barnum
