China Images

I remember Shanghai. Three pictures you took above, the alley, the cycle with a 10x load and the crowded (everything) train bring instant memories of my trip to China. I actually miss being there from just one trip. I want to go back (after a trip to Jerusalem though!) someday.

Our guide and mentor during the trip was a Korean husband/wife team. We went to a “small” city of only 12 million! They estimated that probably only a tiny fraction of a single percent of the population had ever had any mention of Yeshua. I’m sure a general educated guess, however, I took it as a probable scenario.
Our group pooled our money and bought a motorized scooter (there were hundreds of thousands of those in the streets!) to get around a bit while there and then to leave with some local believers to have and use.
Our Korean leader made the comment that none of these people in this city had probably ever been prayed for personally or specifically in regard to God and his blessings. No one could know for sure but I took it seriously. I rode around the city for about 3 hours up and down many little roads and alleys like the one pictured above simply praying for them about whatever came to mind as I passed by.
Many of the college students we met with spoke English enough to communicate with. Otherwise, we had our Korean hosts translating between us and the Chinese.

I can’t say how profound and moving an experience it was to just ride around praying for people for those hours. Sometimes I stopped and tried to speak to some that looked friendly. We just ended up smiling and nodding to each other even those most of my words were specific prayers for them looking them straight in the eyes as I prayed. Most just nodded, smiled and acknowledged my presence in friendly manners. As an American, I stood out like a sore thumb so I suppose I was somewhat of a novelty.

It was a moving experience for me. I was moved to tears several times as I viewed some pretty rough living conditions right in the middle of a city populated with 12 million people. (We were asked by some students why we picked such a “small” city to visit!) I was also filled with laughter, awe, anguish and many other emotions as I rode and prayed. As I think back I try to think that some of my prayers, maybe the only ones ever for some of these people, have been answered as our Father has provided a clear knowledge of himself, somehow, to some responsive hearts since that visit.

I didn’t see the Great Wall of China, but I did see the great dividing wall IN China that is the awkward and difficult living conditions produced by such a huge population.

There was and is hunger for life in China. And the underground body of believers is bigger than many of us has estimated. I think. Many are very guarded to follow the rules of the society that with every step a new environment presents itself. You really have to stay on your toes as a believer there.

Anyway, it would be great and welcome to get to go back someday.

Thanks, Skip, for the visual memory jogging photographs. You have a good eye.