Greetings from China!

This past week has been a whirlwind of new experiences! 

Tuesday was our first day of being hosted by ELIC teachers in their various classrooms. We were mostly there to observe, but we helped the students practice their conversational English in the last 30 minutes of class. Next, we were divided into groups and each of the UNW students took a few Chinese students out to lunch near the university. This was a great time of getting to know Chinese students our age and making a connection with them. Some of us were able to share our beliefs with them very clearly and others were able to spread the love of Christ through encouragement and our interactions. That evening we met up with some more Chinese students to do a photo scavenger hunt, which was also very fun!

On Wednesday we took a long subway ride to the LiangXiang university campus located a little outside of Beijing. We went to “Office Hours”/ English Corner and were able to once again have simple conversations with the students about their life, goals, and passions. In these short conversations we are hoping to impact them by displaying the love and kindness of Christ. Our host also challenged us to be “lifting up” these students, as we might be the only person to bring that person before the Lord by name. We have been learning to pray without ceasing and pray in all circumstances, constantly turning to the Lord for strength and wisdom.

Thursday was a crazy day full of laughs and cultural experiences. For half of the group the day started at 7:30 AM to visit a like-minded training center. It was a wonderful experience as we were able to be more open about our faith and encourage the students and staff there. We performed short skits, shared about biblical character values, and sang fun and interactive songs with the students. (The smaller group went to another English Corner during this time.) After lunch we met up as a large group at a public Chinese high school. They brought us into a conference room and presented us with thoughtful, traditional gifts after a brief session of self- introductions. Then they brought us out to meet the students and we were officially welcomed with a film, dance, and song. We spent the remainder of our time there chatting with the high school students. Later that evening we joined a Christian College Fellowship and sang a few songs for them. 

On Friday we did some sightseeing: Temple of Heaven and Pearl Market. The temple was beautiful and the team enjoyed taking pictures and exploring the attraction. Many of us became overwhelmed by the multitude of items for sale and the vendors at the market, and were very excited to return to our hotel for an afternoon of rest! The late evening was spent in Jordan and Sei’s room digging into the word as ICS-team students. We looked at Philippians 3 and John 15, talking a lot about abiding, love, joy, and obedience. We able to walk away encouraged and strengthened, knowing that He is the vine and we are the branches and that our citizenship is found in Heaven. Once we seek to abide in Him every moment, our joy is fully found in Him and we are better able to discern and follow His leading. We spent time in prayer asking that our team emulate the love, patience, peace, and fruit of Christ in our every day interactions, and that we would be fully used by Him to reach those around us. 

The weekend: For many of us Saturday was a dream come true as we visited the Great Wall of China! After a 1.5 hrs bus ride we rode cable cars up to the top, where we spent a few hours walking and marveling at the beauty of God’s creation, and of course the ancient wall. Around noon we (the students and Dr.E’s brother Paul) took the alpine slide down! That was a memory we will never forget. Dinner was on our own, and a group of us went out for HotPot.  Sunday morning we visited a Buddhist temple and a traditional Chinese church service. Lunch was eaten at a tasty restaurant, and our host ordered a variety of foods for us to try (yummy rice, lamb, vegetables, bread, traditional yoghurt, and much more)! Tonight the group will be splitting in half to attend two English Corners at two different universities. We are excited to see how the Lord uses us tonight, and how He guides our conversation. 

Thanks for your continued prayers as we experience both fun and challenging things. We are having a great time and are eager to continue to do God’s work in the coming weeks. The team is seeking to rest and be refreshed in Him and His Word daily. We are excited to see the people God brings into our lives during our time in China. 

May our interactions and conversations always point back to the King, and may we remember to continuously be lifting up these students to the Father who loves them all so deeply!    

Submitted by Rebecca Schoell on Monday, October 24.