Mushi, Muksi and Me
Life after China, or how I became the pastor of a Chinese church in Tucson.
Firsthand accounts of faith lived out in the context of Chinese Christianity.
Life after China, or how I became the pastor of a Chinese church in Tucson.
When we lived in Asia, I was constantly asked for things and especially for money. Being a typical American, I was offended with their constant asking. I discovered later that asking for favors was a means of developing relationships.
A mother shares how she and her son prayed together for his gaokao exam.
"Chinese people in Mississippi? What happened there?"
I didn’t understand that by disagreeing with my parents and older people that I was not showing them respect and returning the care they had given me.
In Asia I experienced a lot of cultural stress but didn’t know why. Not only was I trying to adjust to a different culture, but I was also dealing with unconscious American and Japanese cultural values.
For the past several months, most churches in China have not been able to hold in-person services due to concerns over COVID-19. However, some churches in China have recently begun to reopen.
I am grateful for these past church experiences. Certainly, my church view will continue to change as I grow, but what remains unchanged is the beauty in God’s church. No matter where I go, I see the passion for Christ and his kingdom in each true believer, and the transparency, vulnerability, and love for one another in the church.
A challenge and prayer for each of us seeking the God of recovery and revival.
And then finding a way to respond online in China.
We’ve heard from those who had to leave China and have continued their journeys. Is there anything we can take with us for the journeys we are on?
Today I can whole-heartedly say that whatever seeds, words, or love I gave in China are not wasted.