Communal living allows us to openly share the Christian spiritual life with others; or rather, it provides a transparent environment for others to see the Christian lifestyle and heart. In close community, God gives us ample opportunities to talk about our relationship with God and our understanding of God through prayer, scripture reading, memorizing scripture, and the application of scripture to our life circumstances. Sharing our struggles and our goals with a non-Christian shows that our faith is not only one that is spoken with the mouth, but it is practiced and wrestled through daily.
Read MoreOne night M and Ayi came back from their evening stroll and M immediately came up the stairs to excitedly tell me, “I just had a really good conversation with my mom!” I felt privileged to share in M’s excitement about her mom’s change of heart toward God throughout the summer. M shared that her mom was starting to tell her own friends to go to church and that learning more about Jesus is important. This was a huge change from the beginning of the summer when Ayi said she would only start considering God and Jesus after she got a little older.
Read MoreBut how then can one attain significance in life? It seems that Ayi would encourage M to find significance through her career, working up to management one day and being needed by the company. “M shouldn’t get married too early. She needs to find a stable job first, become financially independent, get settled on her own, and then think about marriage.” If you are financially independent, you can also send money to your family and fulfill your filial duty, gaining significance in that way. My speculation is that to Ayi, a big part of a person’s significance is found through career accomplishments and being a loyal daughter.
Read MoreThe most American experience I think Ayi has had so far is coming with us to an end-of-VBS BBQ. She sat and observed while we went up to the buffet line to get food. We ate hot dogs, burgers, fruit salad, raw vegetables, and lemonade. She wanted to see what foods we combined and ate together, and then she wanted to go by herself to get food. She was excited to eat hot dogs two days in a row (we had Costco hot dogs the previous day). She watched the VBS kids perform their VBS songs and commented that it was wonderful how the church provided an opportunity for kids to sing together.
Read MoreThis summer, we will have a female Christian student, M and her mom, Mrs. M, staying with us. They will arrive in the middle of June and leave in the beginning of August. M has shared with me that she is excited for her mom to experience living with a God-fearing, Jesus-following family. We are all hoping that God will work on Mrs. M’s heart during her stay with us - that she will see Christ lived out.
As I document our family’s journey through cross-cultural hospitality this summer, experience life with M and Mrs. M through our stories told in this blog series. Through my posts about M and Mrs. M, I hope to share with you our interactions and commentary significant, comical, and awkward. Stay tuned for more scribbles from my diary as I document what it is like being the “hostess with the mostess” for God’s Kingdom (corniness intended).
Read MoreThe fields are ripe for harvest among Chinese hearts. Chinese young people and middle-aged adults are eager for relationship and eager for things that are never changing. Those that come to study or further their careers in America are here and are open to cultural experiences and new ideas. They are open to new perspectives. It is because of this readiness that I think it is crucial for Chinese Americans to use their position as ambassadors to both cultures, to grow Christ’s kingdom. That is why I am doing it. This season will not last and we must be obedient to God’s calling, whether that means educating others about the need or taking part in the action yourself.
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