Thankful

So here we are after Thanksgiving and I still haven’t said anything about my recent trip to Rizhou. It’s been a busy week, but we’ll get to that later…

The purpose of the trip was to visit a university teaching team to see what work and relationships in that setting look like, as well as the more long-term side of my organization. The Rizhou team is three great gals (from L to R: Janice, Sandra and Rufina) who have been together at their school for the past three years.

As a result, His work through them on this particular campus has been substantial. We got to witness some of that the Friday night when we helped the girls host a “family dinner.” At least thirty like-minded Chinese men and women came to their apartment on campus to fellowship; we served them dinner we’d bought from a local restaurant and helped to lead a Book study and some games. About 2/3 of the people there the girls had never met as the group they’ve helped to start is growing quickly. This has it’s own problems, but it’s also easy to see the strong belief and eagerness to share in the Chinese brothers and sisters. I’m pictured with a student named Jordan and another named William (along with Matt and Dave), two guys I met over the weekend.

This part of the trip—witnessing the relationships you have an opportunity to build at the university level—was both an encouragement and a challenge to me.

I also had the chance to observe the girls teach. I saw a writing class Rufina gave about the 5-paragraph essay, Janice led a discussion about Internet dating and speed dating and whether or not they’re a good way to meet a mate (that was a funny, funny class), and Sandra showed the pilot episode of the show Felicity and used it to talk about locus of control. I was eating the stuff up, partially because it was such a difference from the Kindergarten classes I’m used to and partially because it was just really interesting stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I love interacting with the little guys and gals, but singing songs about turkeys is not the same as being able to discuss what we’re truly thankful for—stuff like that. I could easily see myself teaching at this age level here in China in an EFL classroom and loving it.

The more I observed and thought about it, the more it seemed to be a perfect fit. I’d love the content. I’d be in a college setting without the need for a doctorate or difficult college-level thinking (not my cup of tea). And I’d love the students—questioning everything like all college students do—and there I would be, pushing them to question even more and figure out just what it is they believe (and showing them how to write a 5-paragraph essay along the way). The attraction was there, and the thought followed with it: maybe I’ll stay in China. Maybe He’s calling me here long-term.

But I have doubts. I’ve never felt the call to serve overseas in this way, for one thing. Sure I’m here for a year, but the end is well in sight. What these girls are doing is so much more long-term. It’s a commitment like one I’m not sure I’m ready to make or that I’m called to make. Likewise, I’ve never quite felt I had those sort of gifts—sharing my faith and probing people’s hearts. Two pieces of Scripture really came to me during this time, one being the charge we are given at the end of Matthew’s book. I know we’re all called to this, but I also know we have different gifts and are called in different ways. How exactly am I being called?

The second was the story of the rich young ruler found in Mark’s book. The Teacher tells the young man to give up all he owns and follow him, but the man can’t. While it says the Teacher still loved him, he also said “it’s harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom than for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle.” Right after this Peter reminds the Teacher that he did follow him, that he left his family and friends and possessions and answered the call. The Teacher promises reward in this life and in the life to come for such an action as Peter’s.

Don't get me wrong, I’m no Peter—I’m the rich young man. I’m the one who asks what it takes to get into the Kingdom and doesn’t like the answer. I have things I just won’t give up to follow Him—real things, like my friends and family. Good things, but things I know I’m holding onto—even in my year overseas, away from my family and friends and the holidays and everything I’m used to.

The trip left me with questions and also a reminder of my purpose for being here for the year—to further His Kingdom here and wherever He calls me to. If that's China, I have to be willing to go. If it's home, I'll go there, too. The point is, there can't be anything in the way when He says, "Follow me."

Thanksgiving week provided an opportunity to share some of our hope by telling the story of the first Thanksgiving and what it means to be truly thankful. With my kids I did a lot more playing and singing (as always)—though I did do my best to teach them the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians. They liked the name “Mayflower” and liked my rendition of a turkey hunt. They also loved to gobble. We sang the classic Thanksgiving ballad, “A Turkey Sat on the Backyard Fence” and made turkeys by tracing our hands and coloring them.

We held a dinner for our cooperating teachers Thursday evening, and about thirty or so of our colleagues came over for chicken, mashed potatoes, some pies and a lot of veggies. It was much more of a Chinese/America Thanksgiving dinner mix, but it was a fun time to talk and eat and share more about why we celebrate the holiday.

Yesterday, Saturday, was my real Thanksgiving dinner, with two big turkeys and about forty people who all cooked some amazing food. I made two pumpkin pies from scratch (with some improvisation on my part) that turned out surprisingly well. We had all the classics… some great mashed potatoes and stuffing and gravy, sweet potatoes and all kinds of dessert, though I think I missed our homemade rolls the most. I was so thankful for a pretty normal Thanksgiving Day—it was a huge help to not missing everyone back home (though I still did). I’ve been really reminded this week of how much He’s blessed me here and has provided all that I was worried about and more in coming to such a strange and exciting place. Friends and food and fellowship and a feeling of a real calling, as well as the opportunity to see a part of his Kingdom on earth I never would’ve witnessed otherwise.

I have so much to be thankful for, now, on two opposite sides of the world.