When I woke up Tuesday morning after a mere 2 hours of sleep, the last thing that I expected was to meet a friend of Brother Yun; one of my greatest heros from the movement of underground house churches in China.
*Lan, one of the Hmong refugees in the Safe House had to be at the UN early in the morning for paperwork, so I opted to take him there.
While we rode along and I watched motorbikes zoom in and out of traffic, I began to think about how uncertain each of our futures are. It seems as though every time I think that I know what my future is going to look like or how it is going to pan out, I am wrong. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be where I am at today. Every year is full of surprises, both good and bad. But somehow the bad ones almost always turn out good.
I don't know about you, but personally, I take comfort in being comfortable (does that make sense?). I know that it might not be a good thing, and it probably sounds unspiritual, but that's honestly how I feel. As much as I like to "live by faith," I like to know how I am going to pay my bills and eat for the next month. I'd be lying if I said that I like to have a lot of "unknowns" hanging over my head or tensions in relationships. I don't want to experience pain, difficulty, and hardship. Sometimes I try to run away from it and sometimes I cave under the pure stress and exhaustion of it. Let's face it, it sucks and none of us like it, but we all go through it. At some point in time (actually at many points in time) each and every one of us will inevitably experience bad, difficult, and painful situations. At least we all have that in common.
Then I began to think about all the "words" that God has given me about China. From the moment that I began to read about the underground house churches there, I knew that I would be a part of them in some way, shape, or form. Before Thailand was even a thought in my heart, I knew that I was going to China.
I don't know if you know much about the house churches in China, but agreeing to go in that direction is a pretty loaded commitment. These churches are extremely persecuted. By saying "yes" to God, I am saying "yes" to a lot of hardship and uncertainty. That is the exact same "yes" that echos in the heart of every Chinese believer in these churches.
While I know that is in the future, sometimes I look around and do not see how it will come to pass. I have never even met a Chinese Christian from one of these house churches. But I've met a lot of Pakistani and Vietnamese Hmong who have been persecuted. I could easily see myself having future involvement in these countries. But how does China fit into it all? And does that mean that I would have to learn Chinese too?! That's supposedly one of the most difficult languages in the world! I would rather pick up Spanish again.
Anyways, as we waited outside the large, iron door to the UNHCR, a young Chinese man sat down across from us and started talking with an elderly couple. He then turned his attention to us and asked where we were from. When I said 'America' he was really confused as to why I was waiting with asylum seekers. I explained that I was helping my friend. When this young man found out where Lan was from he immediately inquired if he was a Christian. It turned out that the young man and elderly couple were believers too! We picked up a conversation over Google Translate (because he couldn't speak English or Thai), and I came to find out that he personally knows Brother Yun from one of my favorite books about the house church movement entitled, 'The Heavenly Man.'
That totally blew my mind. My groggy brain didn't know how to process what was going on. One moment I was confused about how I'll ever end up getting involved with the Chinese churches, and the next I was talking to an asylum seeker from one of them.
It was a good reminder of the fact that life is full of uncertainties and unexpected surprises for everyone. There will be good times and bad times. We can cherish the good times and push through the bad times. And although we may not know what the future is going to look like or how we are going to get there, we will get there, and it will be an exciting journey...as long as we choose to embrace it through the pain.
*Lan, one of the Hmong refugees in the Safe House had to be at the UN early in the morning for paperwork, so I opted to take him there.
While we rode along and I watched motorbikes zoom in and out of traffic, I began to think about how uncertain each of our futures are. It seems as though every time I think that I know what my future is going to look like or how it is going to pan out, I am wrong. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be where I am at today. Every year is full of surprises, both good and bad. But somehow the bad ones almost always turn out good.
I don't know about you, but personally, I take comfort in being comfortable (does that make sense?). I know that it might not be a good thing, and it probably sounds unspiritual, but that's honestly how I feel. As much as I like to "live by faith," I like to know how I am going to pay my bills and eat for the next month. I'd be lying if I said that I like to have a lot of "unknowns" hanging over my head or tensions in relationships. I don't want to experience pain, difficulty, and hardship. Sometimes I try to run away from it and sometimes I cave under the pure stress and exhaustion of it. Let's face it, it sucks and none of us like it, but we all go through it. At some point in time (actually at many points in time) each and every one of us will inevitably experience bad, difficult, and painful situations. At least we all have that in common.
Then I began to think about all the "words" that God has given me about China. From the moment that I began to read about the underground house churches there, I knew that I would be a part of them in some way, shape, or form. Before Thailand was even a thought in my heart, I knew that I was going to China.
I don't know if you know much about the house churches in China, but agreeing to go in that direction is a pretty loaded commitment. These churches are extremely persecuted. By saying "yes" to God, I am saying "yes" to a lot of hardship and uncertainty. That is the exact same "yes" that echos in the heart of every Chinese believer in these churches.
While I know that is in the future, sometimes I look around and do not see how it will come to pass. I have never even met a Chinese Christian from one of these house churches. But I've met a lot of Pakistani and Vietnamese Hmong who have been persecuted. I could easily see myself having future involvement in these countries. But how does China fit into it all? And does that mean that I would have to learn Chinese too?! That's supposedly one of the most difficult languages in the world! I would rather pick up Spanish again.
Anyways, as we waited outside the large, iron door to the UNHCR, a young Chinese man sat down across from us and started talking with an elderly couple. He then turned his attention to us and asked where we were from. When I said 'America' he was really confused as to why I was waiting with asylum seekers. I explained that I was helping my friend. When this young man found out where Lan was from he immediately inquired if he was a Christian. It turned out that the young man and elderly couple were believers too! We picked up a conversation over Google Translate (because he couldn't speak English or Thai), and I came to find out that he personally knows Brother Yun from one of my favorite books about the house church movement entitled, 'The Heavenly Man.'
That totally blew my mind. My groggy brain didn't know how to process what was going on. One moment I was confused about how I'll ever end up getting involved with the Chinese churches, and the next I was talking to an asylum seeker from one of them.
It was a good reminder of the fact that life is full of uncertainties and unexpected surprises for everyone. There will be good times and bad times. We can cherish the good times and push through the bad times. And although we may not know what the future is going to look like or how we are going to get there, we will get there, and it will be an exciting journey...as long as we choose to embrace it through the pain.
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