I am nearly speechless after one day of experiencing first hand God opening doors before us. What can I say about our first 24 hours in Won Gai?
We arrived on a bus, not even knowing if we would be able to identify our stop. Luckily, an elderly Chinese gentleman helped us along the way, and we stumbled out into the square, without any plans. While Ashley and Gary looked for a hotel, Sarah and I guarded our packs while greeting the surrounding crowds of curious people. Within half an hour, our Chinese Angel arrived, ready to help us.
Once Gary and Ashley returned, David led us to a good hotel, and invited us to visit his school where he teaches English. He told me, ¡°Your husband is a very handsome boy!¡±. Which, I already knew, of course! After we settled in, David showed us around town, where he pointed out the laundry, then a good restaurant. Over a dinner of chicken & potatoes and broccoli & pork, we discussed many things, mainly enjoying each other¡¯s company.
We had planned to visit his school the following afternoon, at 2:30. Our team would get a good night¡¯s rest, then pray and prepare our lecture in the morning. Imagine our surprise when David knocked on our hotel room door at 9:30 (we were still in bed) informing us that the school was expecting us in an assembly in half an hour! While we tried to subdue our panic, David told us it would be a ¡®piece of cake¡¯. There would only be 300 students, in an informal question-and-answer time. David suggested we also teach them a simple song in English.
We hurriedly threw on our layers (it was even colder today!) and ran down the street after David, trying to wake up enough to greet the 300 youth that awaited. We were led into the yard of the ¡°#1 Middle School¡±, the largest in the province, then ushered into the office of the headmaster to wait until all the students had arrived. The office was very beautiful, decorated with scrolls of Chinese characters, a collection of bonsai trees, very nice furniture, and even a bed where the headmaster can take naps!
When the assembly began, we entered the conference room, and were seated at a table in the front. I was expecting a stage in an auditorium, but it looked and felt very much like a press conference. The students were giddy with excitement to meet the foreigners coming to their school. They had prepared questions for the visitors, and I was very impressed with their level of preparation and English fluency.
¡°Hello, my name is¡. It is very nice to meet you. I would like to welcome you to our town. May I ask you a few questions? How do you like China? My English is very poor, do you have any suggestions for me? I have already taken too much of your time. Thank you and welcome again to China.¡±
A few students volunteered to present us some of their famous local folk songs. We even got a Chinese Kung Fu demonstration! We were also requested to share some songs with the students. I had asked David if it would be alright for me to teach them a well known Sunday school song, ¡°Jesus Loves Me¡±. I didn¡¯t know if this would be allowed, but I was very excited about the possibility this presented. I wrote the words up on a chalkboard, while Gary told the student body about some of our holidays, including Christmas. Then, I taught the students ¡°Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.¡± Never did I imagine that I would hear hundreds of Chinese students singing a religious song, in their school! Yet this is the opportunity God provided for our team today.
Once the first assembly finished, the English teachers treated us to lunch at the finest restaurant in the city. Course after course of delicious Chinese food was set out before us, until we thought we would surely explode! Never before have I seen such a feast! Pork, beef, chicken, fish, noodles, rice, bread, more pork, and vegetables! Not to mention, hot glasses of green tea that were refilled after every sip. Just when we could eat no more, we were whisked back to the school for our next presentation.
The second assembly was for the older students at the school, and the auditorium was packed beyond capacity. Perhaps 500 students peered at us in anticipation. Apparently (as we were told later), the students had not believed their teachers when they were told that foreigners were coming to visit them!
We introduced ourselves, and opened up the floor for more questions. Many of the questions were similar this time around, with only a few tough ones thrown in (What do you think of Chinese biology?). We began to be concerned that this session wasn¡¯t going as well, as the teachers had a difficult time keeping the crowd quiet. Often we couldn¡¯t even hear the questions over the noise of the students. We were relieved when the leader changed up the format by asking us to teach the group our song.
Fortunately, the words to ¡°Jesus loves me¡± were still up on the blackboard, and I began to teach the students. (Again, I was totally awestruck by the surreal-ness of this situation!) We sang through it a few times, when suddenly one of the teachers stopped me. ¡°I don¡¯t know if they understand. Can you explain to them what the Holy Bible is, and explain what the song means, line by line?¡±
This was an opportunity handed to me directly from God, and I was thrilled to respond! Here I was, in a town officially closed to foreigners, being asked to explain Jesus and the Bible to over 500 students! My heart leapt within me, and I joyfully explained to all those before me about how Jesus loved each one of them. It was an awesome moment, knowing that for most of them, this was the first time they heard such a message.
All too soon, our time in the assembly came to an end. Before we left, we went out to the schoolyard to spend time with the students that wanted to greet us. There was no way we could have been prepared for the reaction that awaited us¡ we were greeted like movie stars! The students rushed at us with pens and notebooks, asking us for our autograph. They pressed in on every side, sticking their paper in our faces until we couldn¡¯t see or write anything. Although the attention was flattering at first, it quickly became overwhelming and almost scary as we were pushed around by the crowd.
It’s strange to receive such attention, knowing that we’re only interesting because we’re foreigners. I just pray that their interest in us will open their hearts to the gospel message that we bring.
The evening was filled with more food and friends, and is a time I will cherish forever. But as I came home and prepared to go to bed, I couldn’t help but reflect, and pray and weep, for the beautiful faces of the school children that would not leave my mind. This was the first time in my life that I¡¯ve met so many people that I knew did not know about God’s plan for their salvation. I was suddenly overwhelmed with love and the realization of the responsibility we have to make sure they know about what Jesus has done for them. ¡°They have to know!¡± I cried out to Jesus. ¡°Send them more people to tell them how much you love them! You love them so much, and they don¡¯t even know it. Oh Jesus, they have to know!¡±
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡.
Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong; they are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes Jesus loves me.
Yes, Jesus loves me; the Bible tells me so.
Posted by: Katherine Weston
