Oh China travel day. you were as bad as our Africa travel week… only not as hot.
I can’t explain it better than my squad mate Alecia did. She was on a different train than I, but for the same amount of time so you will get the same idea…
“We arrived in China and it took about 33+ hrs to get to our final destination by train…. We get on the train and it was packed. I thought I had accidentally walked into the local saloon. Cigarette smoke was everywhere. I hoped that we would be passing through this car. No, not quite. At the moment our seats were being occupied by Chinese men. It was chaotic, loud and I was tired. So we stood in line waiting for people to get in their seats. After about 15-20 mins the line moved and we were able to get to our seats. I can’t really describe how chaotic it was. People were everywhere, luggage was everywhere. It wasn’t a dirty train, but it was packed with people and their stuff. I took my shoes off, stood on the seat (because there was really nowhere else for me to go) put my headphones in, closed my eyes and hoped the chaos would soon be worked out…”
so back to my train- when I feel asleep there was three to the bench like there should be, but when I woke up there were four in my row. Somehow another Chinese man had made his way next to me! ha. anyways, while I was sitting in misery thinking of how my grandmother would instantly come to my rescue if she could, God had me thinking.
At the beginning of the month God had led me to Grace. Towards the end of the month he was teaching me the same thing, that:
In China we didn’t really have a set schedule or things to accomplish. We worshiped every morning asking for the Spirit to lead us and set up divine appointments. There was freedom for His Spirit to lead us to new relationships and opportunities. Without giving too much detail one of the places He led us was to a tattoo/skating parlor. As I was there one day getting to know my new friends, I began to realize that no matter what country I have been in, no matter what kind of climate, no matter what month of the race we were on, no matter if the people I met could speak English or not, no matter how poor or developed the places we have lived, no matter anything… the ONLY thing that has been a constant has been God’s love.
it has been extravagant. and free. I have seen it change lives. I have seen power in his love. and it has been all we have needed to get from place to place. If you were to ask me whats the number one thing God has taught me from the race, the one thing to sum it up I would say this.
and it is nothing I have done on my own, or P squad has done or even the world race has done for…
It advances through the life of Jesus Christ flowing through His servants
who have died to themselves and their own desires.”
