We had figured it out. To get the seats and space for luggage our squad needed we had to arrive at the station hours early. You arrive and go straight to the gates, claiming your territory in order to make a quick, we’ll as quick as you can with an extra 50 lbs., dash to the train when the gates are opened.
We had claimed our seats and the overhead space to go with them, and were comfortably relaxing as the bus began its journey to Beijing. About an hour or two into our 16-hour journey many passengers boarded with standing tickets. A girl that stopped next to my aisle seat was about 5’4’’ with big brown eyes and a shy smile. Her English name was Monica, and over the next 14 hours God would put her journey on my heart in such a way that I saw her as a littler sister to protect. We awkwardly adjusted to share our seat for the rest of the journey (not too difficult as both of us are quite small), and she shared with me about her story.
Monica is 18 years old, a university student studying physics, she wants to be an English teacher, she grew up in a town a few hours from Harbin and was on a 24 hour-standing ticket- train ride to Thai-Yuan to see some temples.
Like many people in China, Monica does not have faith. It is a common idea that three religions exist in China: Christianity, Buddhism and belief in self.
Between her soft giggles of which she would cover her face I saw with in her a passion to better understand these strange Americans, and why so many of us had journeyed to China to share our faith. She is very kind, soft spoken and has a servants heart. A heart that is in tune with the heart of Christ, but she is seeking out understanding. While she was going to Thai-yuan to visit some temples, she was on her own spiritual journey seeking out a better understanding of this world, and those three realms of faith. She left believing in herself, was going to experience Buddhism, and hopefully our encounter planted a seed that will seek out better understanding her one true Creator.
God’s had brought us together. Two girls with two different destinations, with two different understandings of reality, and two different stories together on a similar journey of seeking to better understand our creator.
Ministry is not a location, ministry is the heart of Christ seeking to be connected with the hearts of his people, whether in a 9-5 job, a university campus in a foreign country, or a 16 hour train ride, God is always providing unexpected encounters that present themselves as open doors to the gospel.
The train came to a halt in Beijing. The 50 mae-guo-ren (Americans) stand up to gather their belongings from above, below and things that had traveled to different tables throughout the journey. Monica grabbed her stuff and moved into the corner seat next to the window in attempts to be out of the way of all the hustle. Through her tired eyes I saw her seeking heart. It was now time to say goodbye to my new sister, and place her spiritual journey in the hands of God.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of al the fullness of God.” – Ephesians 3:17-19
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Who has God placed on your heart recently? Have you ever felt called to talk to a complete stranger?
