Day 1 (of our China excursion): rode a sleeper train to a China University to spend a couple of weeks in a cultural exchange program.

Day 14: rode a second sleeper train 18 hours to our next destination.

Day 28: hopped a plane to Beijing.

Day 30: saw the Great Wall

Day 31: rode a 24 hour sleeper train back to Hong Kong for debrief

Days 1-14:  We spent the mornings in various classes learning - Tea Art, Calligraphy, Mandarin and a multitude of other wonderful Chinese subjects.  In the afternoons we conducted English Corners.  We conversed with students for a couple of hours every afternoon to help them improve their English/accents.  This also allowed us the opportunity to develop relationships with the students and potentially share more about the Lord with them.  It was a wonderful ministry opportunity, but, as I wrote in my prayer journal, not as fruitful as you might experience in Africa. 

The Chinese are nice people.  My heart goes out to them in their ignorance.  How can you live without even knowing the option of Jesus.  Working at the University was disheartening in many ways.  The feel of the spiritual oppression there depressed me.  I found myself dragging to get out of bed in the morning.  And talking to the students left me feeling like someone doused my heart in swamp water and then coated in soot.

We weren't allowed to go to church while in Mainland China - it could have severely endangered our contacts and gotten us kicked out of the country.  Please pray for this country.  They don't know Jesus and have so little resources for finding out about him.  Pray that the Father would infiltrate the government with his love.  Pray that the Chinese Christians would be encouraged and would perservere.  And pray that the country would seek the Lord while he may be found!  My heart goes out to this country.  They need the Lord.

If you'd like to gain a better understanding of what it is like for the Chinese believers check out the Heavenly Man.