I'm not sure what I thought my month would look like in China. On one hand, I had no idea what to expect… On the other hand, being team leader and knowing our ministry placement beforehand, I pictured my team in a peaceful Tibetan village living in a hostel and serving the local Tibetans. Well, a 32-hour train ride later to a major city of northern China, the picture of what this month would look like was turned completely upside down.
We were met at the train station by a local missionary who has lived in China for a couple years, and speaks very little English. He handed me a piece of paper with my teams assignment and as I began to read it I was trying my hardest to hold back the tears:
"Team Sisterhood, you guys have the hardest task of all these teams. The places where I want you to go and spend time praying, thinking, researching, etc… Are extremely difficult to reach, and are many times places where the local authorities will be very wary of your presence because they are Tibetan cities and villages. So if you have trouble along the way, just try to keep moving to the next location and go from there."
SAY WHAT?!?! After reading the rest of our assignment I couldn't help but laugh. Honestly how stupid for them to send an all-girls team to four different locations throughout the province with no information on how to get there, where to stay upon arrival, and what to do when there. As I began to think of it, yes, so stupid in human terms, but how amazing in God's terms. Then I started to get really excited. Obviously God's hand is in this and He is going to use my all-girls team to accomplish tasks that only this group of incredible women could.
After recuperating after the long train ride for a night, my team was off to our first destination. After searching for a place to stay we were treated with immense measures of hospitality by the sweetest hotel owner who took the day off to tour us around the whole city; the university, monastery, local park, and every other square inch of the city. We were so amazed by God's faithfulness and how He provides for His children who are eager to follow Him. That night we were recapping the day and praying when there was a knock on the door and seven policemen came into the room. After questions of who we were, what we were doing and why we were there, we were asked to leave the town in the morning. (We did an excellent job of playing the dumb American backpacker role.) There was no way that fear was going to creep in and steal the joy that we had from that day. We were going to be bold and continue on to the next town and take up our cross and follow Jesus. Well, in the morning we had another surprise. One of the policemen from the night before wanted to know what our plans were. After much discussion, he decided it would be better for us to go to a different town that was quite touristy. While trying to make plans, he bought us breakfast and brought it up to the room and before leaving we took a group picture. Then he escorted us to the bus station, paid for our taxi, and gave us the contact information of his friend who is a monk in the town we were going to who would take us on a tour of the monastery there. Are you catching this? The policeman (the one who kicked us out of the town) was completely blessing us and setting us up for our next adventure and was so concerned about us having a good time.
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what was to happen next. After arriving to the new town, and touring the monastery with the monk, he brought us to his room to rest and have tea. We had great conversation – he told us about the life of a monk and their belief in the Dali Lama, about the Tibetan struggle happening and how the Chinese are trying to eradicate the Tibetan culture, language, and identity. Before leaving we asked if we could pray for him and he said yes. We prayed and sang the song "Beautiful Things" for him and he had tears in his eyes. Once again, are you catching this? I was hanging out drinking tea in a monk's room and prayed for him… Which was only possible through the policeman who kicked us out of the first town. Come on now!
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined my team horseback riding through the mountains of Tibet to stay with a Tibetan nomadic family in the snow (or as I called it that day, the Arctic Tundra). After five hours on a horse we arrived to the family's precious little tent which would be our home for the night. Then waking up in the morning and showing them the first bible they've ever seen and listen to our friend read Psalm 23. Are you catching this? We stayed with a Tibetan nomadic family in the middle of the most beautiful mountains I've ever seen, in the snow, and listened to the sweetest words of Psalm 23. I have never heard Psalm 23 read so beautifully.
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined my team sitting on a corner in the middle of main street singing worship songs for an hour while waiting for our bus to the next town.
Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined leading worship for two hours in an underground bible college where 16 students risk their lives to follow Jesus. There aren't words to adequately describe what happened that afternoon. It was such an honor, privilege, joy, and blessing to pray and encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. I mean, come on now – I want to make sure you're catching this! I lead worship in an underground bible college in China! Typing this out even now, tears are streaming down my face in utter awe and amazement at God's goodness and faithfulness.
Never in my wildest dreams could I have even imagined what happened this month…
I have experienced such heartache and brokenness here, especially for the Tibetan people. I can't imagine having the government control every little detail of my life with such intensity and pressure. I can't imagine having my native language taken out of school so my children are forced to learn Chinese. I can't imagine the feeling of having your culture and identity stripped from you… My hope and prayer is that a little seed will be planted from all we've done this month and that people will yearn for their identity to be found in Christ.
Romans 10:14-15
"How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one the have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!'"
5 hour Tibetan Noadic Horse Trekking through the Artic Tundra! So beautiful!
Nathaniel reading the Bible for the first time in the Nomadic tent. (Notice the yak leg hanging in the left corner… I hit my head on it)
The Monks room where we drank tea, learned about the Tibetan struggle, and praye for him! Ridiculous! On the other wall he had a poster of Lebron James (his 2nd favorite person in the world, the 1st is the Dalai Lama)
Hiked the Great Wall of China in my rainbows! Love me some Florida!
