CHINA (Thursday)

Up again at 6; prepared to leave the hotel to meet Pastor and Mrs. Huang. They have a 14 year old son in school in Moscow, currently staying with a sister (who is now getting divorced). So they are looking for a new opportunity for him for school. Probably high school. I told them I would check Christian schools in Wisconsin. Elijah, the son, was baptized in 2010 and apparently is a sincere Christian. If you read this and know of some possibilities, please be in touch (I’m thinking of the Green Bay or Milwaukee area.

But not before we had spicy noodles and a pork based soup.

We said our goodbyes and left by car with Evangelist Hu heading for the Yueyang train station for a three hour train trip (one transfer - Wuhan) on high speed rail.

All along the way, the sights were interesting. All manner of plants drying on front cement slabs or wooden poles, people carrying buckets, branches for cook stoves or veggie baskets on a pole over one shoulder (two like containers, one on each end); cars driving on the wrong side of the road – almost hit by one coming down a ramp the wrong way (common?); little motorcycle cabs with room for two; farmers in fields picking vegetable leaves or pulling onions; masons mixing cement and laying brick; shop owners opening up their metal doors for morning business; street vendors selling breakfast; pedestrians crossing the street at ANY old spot; and grandparents coddling babies on their front stoops.

Michael standing before the HUGE railway station in Yueying.

I had a hard time believing the air pollution last night. At dusk, the skies became hazy and soon one could smell the coal smoke. They must have stoked up all of their manufacturing plants. The pollution increased so much that I was happy to get to our hotel room with closed windows. This morning the air was still heavy with pollution. I was taken back in spirit to Gary, Indiana, with the frequent pollution from the steel mills.

On the train (Lu An is the transfer station) there is ample opportunity to share with Michael (I won’t use aka Jason anymore) about his work in China. We’re planning our next trip now. I will spend a week with Michael and a week with Steve (more about that at a different time). Since they cover different areas, we will have to coordinate flights and times – it may be a bit more challenging. But I will plan to return to China at the beginning of March 2014. 

Michael is passionate about sharing the Lord. He travels regularly offering leadership training courses both for church leaders and also for the laity. And he’s good with both groups. If you’ve looked at any of the videos, you notice that he involves people in his presentations; and they DO get involved. He’s willing to live simply as he travels, and everyone he meets is always his friend.

Arrived in Sucheng (Anhui Province) about 3:00 and another 1.5 hours to the church. We are only about 100 km from Anqing where Matthew once taught at the university. We arrived, sat around, met people, and used the bathroom (is that too much information?). No flush toilet just a cement casing (and that certainly is enough information!). [postscript: the next morning I asked about a restroom and they led me to the place where they did have a Western flush toilet]

The entryway to the church grounds (looking from an exit perspective).

One pastor serves this congregation. Three worship services on a Sunday with a total attendance of 1000. Three hundred to 350 would pack the sanctuary, so I’m assuming that they use their canopied overflow area. Two Sundays ago (Oct. 27), 41 people were baptized (near as I can figure out from the pictures was that it was a “blow up” plastic pool. The pastor was visibly excited to share those figures.

Pictures of the baptisms inside an outdoor bulletin board.

The only other time Michael was here, he got laryngitis because of the many presentations he shared. A younger women listened to his whispers and spoke for him. She has an 11 year old daughter. Michael asked me to give her an English name.  Sarah. I told her that she was now my adopted granddaughter, and I gave her the bracelet that Taylor had made for me (Thanks, Taylor – it was really a special gift for Sarah). Sarah speaks a few words of English, but not much. She has a catchy smile and delightful laugh.

Out to dinner about 6:00 – a dozen people including the local department head of “homeland security.” The gentleman is interested in Christianity, but is also a member of the communist party – prohibiting him from becoming a Christian. Michael commented later that there seem to be many who are members of the party and also Christians. Wonderful meal with about 20 dishes including cold gizzard, an eel dish, stomach, a tasty fish with big bones, chicken parts, pork dishes, egg and tomato soup and vegetables – it really was a wonderful, tasty meal (although the stomach was really chewy). In addition, they brought in two red bottles of Emperor “Baiju” rice wine. The stuff must be close to pure alcohol and is strong (but not too bad on the palate). An unbelievable number of toasts – sad to say I was in the seat of importance, so I had lots of toasts, but kept a clear head. [The table place directly opposite of the entry door is the place of honor. Michael said that I had to be the first one to take some food – then everyone would follow]

Deacon Wu and Pastor Tao (right)

Now we’re at our hotel. Hundreds of people dancing in the plaza below; toilet doesn’t flush well; 17^th floor with view of huge plaza; room is VERY nice, but there is no internet password. Go figure!!

Will sleep well – perhaps presenting to 200 people tomorrow morning.

[There was some issue today about my presenting on the morrow, but I’m not sure I understood it well. Some Bureau person in the city concerned with foreigners sharing. Technically it is illegal, but often there is special permission to share. Michael assured me that he would take care of it.]