Dear Supportive Friends:
For the last week we have been traveling in the Huang Shan (Yellow Mountains) area which is famous for tenacious pine trees twisting out of granite spires wrapped in clouds; and a lot of steps. Somehow they have made stone staircases that protrude right off the face of rock cliffs. The paths wind into places that mountain goats would not dare to approach; places with names like, ‘Beginning to Believe Mountain,’ ‘Clouds Pavilion,’ and ‘Rock Flying From Afar.
As we first approached the mountains while driving through bamboo forest and flowering dogwood trees, we stopped in a local village for lunch. We were traveling with a Chinese sister we have known for some years; we will call her Daisy (because she is like a bright cheery flower.) Daisy agreed to go with us as translator. She turned out to be that and so much more, like travel agent, negotiator, evangelist, personal shopper, and the serving hands of Christ all rolled into one.
Anyway, Daisy took us to the non-tourist restaurants. As we ate our very Chinese lunch, Daisy slipped across the street to buy a hat for Dani. We watched as she persistently went next door and got a bent-over old man to open the store. Daisy returned without a hat but with fresh vegetables for our meals.
The Lord touched me with sadness at the plight of that hunchbacked man, suffering through his years, then perhaps entering an eternity with no reward. So when Daisy returned, I suggested we both go back across the street and tell him about Christ. She enthusiastically agreed. The man was destined to have his entire lunch interrupted.
We sat under a tree and, through Daisy, I told the old man I felt sorry for his suffering.
“I was a porter and carried loads up and down the mountain in my youth. That is how my back became so distorted,” he explained.
“I do not have an answer for your back now, but I want your permission to tell you how you can have an eternity with a perfect new body, much better than mine.”
He caught my humor then gave permission to proceed. Using two bricks we demonstrated the gulf of sin between man and God and how the sacrifice of Jesus allows us to bridge that gap.
“By accepting and following Christ as Savior while we are in these temporary bodies, we are promised an eternity of paradise and God wants you to have that because of all the suffering you have had during these days.”
By now his wife was standing by and listening in. We asked them both if they wanted to follow Jesus, “If you do, we will lead you in a prayer right now; however, you must be sincere about this.”
The wife snickered and refused, however, to our delight, the man said yes. Daisy had him repeat a long prayer, which I could not understand but I know it was to repent of sin and open his heart to Jesus.
In every conversation we have had with Daisy we have all stumbled and stopped to look up words necessary to convey our full meaning. It is a wondrous side note that during the conversation with the old man, there was no sign of that limitation between us. The Holy Spirit was present and on the job in multiple ways.
I am happy to report that it looks as though there will be a Chinese hunchback for you to meet in heaven, but of course he may be difficult to recognize because he will no longer have that or any other infirmity.
After a cable car ride up the mountain, we had to climb the thousands of stairs to our hotel. How, you might ask, did Dani manage to make it to those heights? She sat in a wicker chair and two porters carried her on bamboo poles. The attention and stares from other climbers meant this was not her favorite method of conveyance. She ended up in many Chinese vacation photos and videos. Nevertheless it gave Daisy and me another opportunity to encourage the hardworking porters.
At a rest stop along the way, we were again giving the gospel message to the attentive porters by using the parable of Jesus about four types of soil that represent four hearts. When I tossed seeds unto the path, rocks, weeds, and good soil, the porters were quick to attempt an interpretation of the story. They were not too far off.
We laughed together and then we cleared up a few important details the porters had miss-read. As I drew illustrations in the dirt with Dani’s walking stick, she whispered to me, “Don, police.”
An officer joined the small group that was by now attracted to our message. I drew the lines for tic-tack-toe and proceeded to teach how to play the game. The policeman was not going to allow the foreigners to hold any teaching audience on the mountain, so Dani returned to her chair and Daisy completed the real message later on. She walked, first beside the porter at the back, then by the one at the front. Daisy was arrested and interrogated last year so she knows the risks first-hand.
“Because of the policeman, we cannot pray with you now, but you can pray to receive Christ by yourself,” she told them.
So the outcome of this encounter will remain unknown to us until a future date. However: “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” Lk 12:2 –Lk 12:3 NIV
In the meantime, thanks for joining the proclamation of the good news by your prayers.
On the way back we rode across Thousand Island Lake in a boat crammed with noisy Chinese. We met a friendly mother and her 12-year-old daughter and gave them the gospel through a few magic tricks. It was a bit difficult because the culture has no taboo on staring or eavesdropping. When I finished a trick, people on the other side of the boat clapped and commented. To avoid a crowd, I roamed my eyes elsewhere to appear as though not engaged with the woman and girl.
For lunch we gathered around tables in groups of eight to ten and communal dishes of fish, tofu, vegetables, rice, and sour greens were placed on the tables. Each group ate with chopsticks from the table and spit bones and fat onto the table. I don’t think Emily Post made it to China.
Next, was a taxi, then a four-hour bouncy bus ride, another taxi, a smoky pressed together four-hour train ride, another taxi, and finally home at 1am.
The next day was a meeting with 37 pastors and leaders to brainstorm how they can work together for revival. A wealthy businessman has offered a large conference center for whatever purposes the pastors tell him.
The man yelled with conviction, “God is calling me back to him and whatever you pastors tell me to do with this building, I will do; even if I have to tear it down and rebuild.”
The pastors are discussing a combined Bible school, youth training center, common sanctuary, 24-hour prayer room, administration and resources offices, and a retreat center.
God is definitely calling the pastors in unity and waking up the churches in this city. Even the official three-self churches are filled with thousands beyond capacity. New sanctuaries are being built, but not fast enough. Many want to organize, share resources, and take their city for Christ. There are big challenges, but it is started and it will be fun to see what happens over the next years.
Last night we led a couples Bible study with great encouragement on both sides, and this morning we preached at a cell church. The topic was on how each believer is called to deep intimacy with Jesus, without hiding behind Biblical head knowledge, or an intervening pastor, or false doubts of God’s love.
How awesome it is that God wants unfettered, passionate, dependant friendship with each of us.
After church, we met with three baptism candidates and prepped them by explaining the purpose of the ceremony. We showed them pictures of Dani’s sister’s, niece’s and nephew’s baptisms in Hawaii and several that were done in Africa. They had never seen a baptism and were curious. It was exciting to see past the language barrier and catch the eagerness in their eyes to be officially united to Jesus; like a bride who can’t wait for the wedding day. We also gave them gospel bracelets that the ladies at Sequim Bible Church made, so they would have a way to share with friends and family, the decisions they had made.
Next time we expect to write of the outcome of the pastors’ retreat that will be over the next three days.
Thanks for your prayers.
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