This will be the first of 11 posts I’ll do about the countries I’ll be visiting! First on the list is China! China is the first country we’ll visit in September. For many years now, I’ve wanted to visit China. Something about it has drawn me. I’ve been interested in the culture, and prayed for the underground churches there. It’s still really surreal that in about two months, I’ll be getting on a plane and going there! Here’s some fun facts about China!
Official Name: People’s Republic of China
Population: 1.35 billion people! That’s four times the population of the United States, and about 20% of the world’s population!
Capitol: Beijing
Official language: Standard Mandarin, although many other dialects (like Cantonese) are spoken, depending on the region. However, there is traditionally one written form of communication, so Chinese, no matter the region, can communicate through writing!
Official Religion: Atheism is what the government identifies with. During the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao denounced religion as backwards and feudal. However, now the government claims to offer religious freedom; as long as they approve of it. Buddhism and Taoism are accepted religions, and Christianity has been growing. Christians in China have suffered persecution, however, and many times worship in secret.
Possible ministry opportunities: As of now, I don’t know where in China I will be traveling. I could be around Beijing, teaching English or doing college ministry, or I could be elsewhere, working in an orphanage or school. Since China is a Communist government that doesn’t identify with any religion, especially Christianity, we will likely have a “platform” such as tourists or English teachers in order to enter the country without scrutiny. As such, I likely won’t be able to post details about where I will be while in country.
Famous Landmark: The Great Wall of China
Strange Foods I May Eat:
-Not really strange, but I will be eating a LOT of rice!
-Tea…again, not really strange, but I don’t like it. I expect that to change!
-Sparrows
-Grasshoppers
-Scorpions
-Sharkfin soup
-Snake
-Lots of other strange things…the Chinese are extremely resourceful, and they eat a lot of things we Americans would never dream of eating!
FUN FACTS:
-Toilet paper was invented in China in the late 1300’s. Originally it was for emperors’ use only…hopefully we’ll be able to use it, since other months we might not be so lucky!
-The Chinese also invented ice cream, paper, printing, gunpowder, the compass, the bristle toothbrush, crossbows, fireworks, the fishing reel, kites, nail polish, paper cups, playing cards, and many more things!
-Even though China is HUGE, it is all one time zone. To compare, the US has 9 time zones.
-Ping pong is one of the most popular games in China.
-The most popular hobby in China is stamp collecting.
-One of the most important holidays in China is the Chinese New Year. Most Chinese traditionally believe that everyone turns another year older, so the New Year is considered to be everyone’s birthday.
-When a child in China loses a tooth, they don’t put it under their pillow for the Tooth Fairy. Instead, if they lost a tooth on top, their parents plant the tooth in the ground, so the tooth will grow in straight and healthy. If they lost a tooth on the bottom, they toss it up on the roof so the tooth will grow upwards.
-Currently, China has the most cell phone users in the world! However, I will not be one of them…I’m leaving my phone in the States!
-The majority of Chinese people drink polluted water. My squad will definitely need to filter our water and be careful with what we drink.
-Giant pandas are the national treasures of China. Any pandas in zoos outside of China are still considered China’s property and are on loan from China.
-When you write your name in China, you put your last name first, then your first name. Most Chinese do not have middle names.
Prayer Opportunities:
-Pray for the underground churches in China, that they would be kept safe and be allowed to worship God without fear
-Pray for the government, that they would be exposed to the Gospel. Also pray that they would learn to make wise decisions for their country. China is coming close to a crisis, started by the Cultural Revolution and continuing today. There is extremely bad pollution, especially in the east near and in major cities. China has been in the largest mass migration in our planet’s history, with record numbers of people moving from the countryside to the cities to find work and improve their station in life. The Chinese as a whole have become obsessed with increasing wealth at any cost, and China’s resources are quickly being stripped. In the race to be the best, very few people are concerned or show respect for China’s natural resources. Some measures have been put into place, but it’s not enough. These measures are either not enforced, or they are too little, too late.
-Pray for the repercussions of the One Child Policy. There are currently 32 million more boys than girls in China. This gender imbalance is due to women abandoning or giving up their girls for adoption, aborting them, or killing them after birth. The desire for boys is deeply ingrained in the Chinese culture, and girls are often not wanted. As a result of the absence of enough women, China is starting to see desperate measures taken for men to find wives, such as kidnapping.
-Pray for my squad, that our bodies would be protected from the pollution in the country and be kept healthy.
-Pray for my squad, that we would be kept safe while we are in country. With that though, pray that we would have a lot of opportunities to share the Gospel with those we come in contact with. Pray that those we witness to will be receptive and come to know Christ.
-Pray for my team, that wherever we are, we bond together and learn to work together for God’s glory.
I can’t wait to share China with you!!!
