Melinda

From the hotel lobby couch of Chris....

Hey guys! Sorry for the delay in blog posts... it's a National Holiday in China and we've travelled to Yangshuo. The internet in our hotel is sketchy so we're limited on posting (probably no pics/videos for awhile). Sorry for all the text in this post!

I share this story not for my glory, but for the glory of He who sent me....

Before we left Hengyang I gave a lesson on "money and happiness." Aside from helping to improve their English, one of the key themes I was trying to get across was that having money does not result to being truly happy. So often in Chinese culture people are consumed with the idea of getting ahead-- pursue success and status at all costs. This was the first time in class I felt compelled to reveal a little more about my past to my students. At the end of the lesson I told them that in America I had a great job; I worked with people that I liked, I enjoyed what I was doing, and I was paid very well. I felt led to reveal to them my prior salary so that the discussion would be more "real" to them. As I did I was showered with questions of "why would you leave??" and "why did you come here?" It was amazing to be able to tell my class that I believe that God has a purpose for everyone's life and when you follow this purpose, that is when you are truly happy and fulfilled. My wife and I left everything and came to China because we feel like this is God's plan for our life right now.

Later in the day a junior student, Melinda, came to my office hours. She had never before heard about living a life for others. She had spent her whole life chasing success and trying to better herself, having never once done anything to serve others. I know this because those were her words to me. She was intrigued by this new concept and wanted to try it out, to experience it for herself. A few days later Melinda joined us at a volunteer event at a local orphanage! Even though she had an important event to prepare for later in the day, she wanted to come and see what this new lifestyle was all about. Please continue to lift up Melinda as she is experiencing this new life for the first time!

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love seve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." -- Galatians 5:13-14