2001-08-01
Newsletter China 8-01 Please Read Isaiah 61
** Effective Immediately, New e-mail addresses – jackiebell@pox.com and afranbell@yahoo.com
Dear Family, Friends, and Beloved Prayer Warriors, our thanks overflow to God for you. As we share a brief (4 page) report about our China trip, we hope you will see how God answered your faithful prayers for us.
(Note: The names of people and places are changed to preserve security of mission personnel living in China.)
Our Safety –
Our safe flights from Taipei to Hong Kong, to Beijing, and our overnight train rides to Bedrock City and back were evidence of your prayers. Travel was “touch and go??? a couple of times. We barely escaped Hong Kong before a typhoon blew in – our only suffering was a 4-hour flight delay. We did witness a couple of soldiers carrying their “oozies??? during their guard patrol. One afternoon, seven of us traveled to the East Coast via train to discover high winds and a hard rain. The train was full, so we returned via bus. (Ever been on a bus that seats 30, packed out by 50?) Thankfully the rain let up and the view of the countryside was beautiful. When traveling by train or bus through China, the sites of the beautifully green rolling hills still farmed, plowed, and cultivated with donkeys, planted and harvested by hand (not machines), and watered by stone culverts of collected rain water, deeply impresses the mind and heart.
Our Team –
The Lord put together our team of five and unity prevailed at all times! Our host, Wilma, is a fun loving yet highly organized generous lady. Wilma’s platform into China is teaching at Bedrock City University. She traveled by overnight train to Beijing to greet us and we visited in the airport for about an hour awaiting the arrival of our other team members. The three of us greeted the two college students from the states that complimented and completed our team perfectly. Fred Flintstone came toting his guitar from Alabama, and Pebbles came with a big smile and a heavy bag from Arkansas. Our first two days were spent in the Beijing area visiting Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall (see web photos.) The section of wall near Beijing is considered one of the most splendid, magnificent, preserved sections of the longest (5000 km or 3125 miles) defending walls in the world built during the Ming Dynasty. I’m amazed at how many elderly Chinese wait a lifetime to visit this great site, to climb this steep monstrous wall with all the energy they can possibly muster. Us girls found a spot to sit and watch the crowds climb past us while the guys conquered a couple of more mountain tops of The Great Wall of China. These few days of site seeing in the Beijing area helped us get to know each other and enhanced a quick bonding of personalities for the work that lay ahead. Not even once, did we experience strife among us. Such joyful unity in laughter, tears and prayers together, can only come from God.
Our Platform –
Although Wilma teaches at a university, she has connections all over her city, and she arranged for the four of us to teach English as a second language during a Summer English Camp at a middle/high school facility. Our first week of teaching was used to establish relationships as we taught 30-40 Chinese – English Student Teachers of the camp. This was truly the cream of the crop – they were eager not only to enhance their English, but also to observe our teaching methods. In between classes, they huddled around us for conversation, where we would often speak of God when their questions created an opportunity. Jackie and I co-taught the first week, three classes each morning. The second week of teaching, we taught children ages 12-16, rotating between 3 different classes of 40 minute sessions. We taught (see web photos) topics about our family, Texas, recreation/travel, holidays, weather, and nature. We opened up the class for questions, where we were often able to share our faith in response to their questions. The session on “Occupations??? was my favorite session. I hope I was able to cast a vision of hope to the students to choose to do whatever they desire, to do it with their whole heart and with a passion to serve others in the community. At the close of our session, each student stood and declared “I want to be a …… !??? Most aspire to be teachers; some want to be doctors, basketball players, taxi drivers, or soldiers.
The True work –
Wilma made requests for volunteer student helpers at her university prior to our arrival. All who responded were new acquaintances to her. The first week, we spent time with the volunteer helpers every afternoon. They took us around town shopping, helped us locate an Internet café so we could occasionally contact family concerning our safety. Some of these students made arrangements from their summer break to spend time with us. For most, we were the first Americans they had ever known. They loved to practice their English, and to ask us questions about America. Two young ladies helped Jackie and I the first week, but were unable to help the second week. They translated for me as I was measured and fitted by a tailor for a skirt & top. Two young men, Bamm-Bamm and Dino, remained faithful to help all of us our entire visit. By the end of the first week Bamm-Bamm learned enough about God to be given a Bible. Please pray that he will become a child of God soon. Dino was open to listen, but his intellect seems to hinder him from accepting God as Creator. Pray that Dino’s heart will be tender soon to listen to truth. The university hired a student to be available to see to our needs at the hotel. We visited with Hoppy often and took her with us on one of our outings. Pray that Hoppy will remember the words of testimony from all of us and that she will seek to know the Lord. All these students had pretty good English, were eager to help and hang out with us as we fumbled our way in a very different culture. We are especially thankful for Fred and Peebles physical energy as they invested many extra hours with these university students when Jackie and I stayed in for a rest.
Wilma arranged for us to meet students at her university for English corner on three different occasions. Twice, the setting was outside in the evening on steps of the school. About 80-100 students showed up on these evenings. The four of us stood separately on the steps. Groups of 20 or so would huddle around each of us for casual conversation. On the third occasion, we were in a classroom forum setting where Wilma invited Chinese – English teachers from the Bedrock area. Over 60 teachers came from at least 10 different school districts. We each told something about ourselves and then Wilma invited the teachers to ask questions. Again, such questions came that enabled us to speak freely of a personal relationship with God. For each of us, English Corner was our favorite time because the personal interaction enabled us the freedom to talk about our faith in the Lord. Pray that the young adults of Bedrock will continue to question spiritual matters and that hearts will be tender towards Christ.
Building relationships is important all around the world. One of the greatest results to relational groundwork came at the end of our first week. Mr. Barney Rubble served as our liaison with the English Camp where we taught each morning. Mr. Barney Rubble arranged for our transportation to and from the school and personally escorted us each day. He escorted us to the teachers lounge, served us bottled water, escorted us to our individual classrooms and arranged for our lunches at the school cafeteria. We had 20-minute intervals with him before and in between classes for two full weeks. On the first Friday, we had an hour wait between teaching class and lunch. During that hour Mr. Barney Rubble began questioning us about our joy and peace. As we explained it is not because we are Americans, but Christians, his questions turned towards a personal soul searching quest. (Most Chinese think we are different because we are Americans, and we pray that Christ would be accredited for our lives not American culture.) We are very thankful for this private hour of testimony to Mr. Barney Rubble. The four of us were able to testify freely of our relationship with God and his personal love letter to us found in the Bible. Forever, we will hold dearly the memory of our last time with Mr. Barney Rubble. He surprised us by coming to see us off at the train station and since our train was delayed, we had an extra hour with him. As we mingled, individually we were able to remind him of God’s love and desire for a personal relationship with him. This was not only Mr. Barney Rubble’s first time to serve as a foreign affairs liaison for his school, but also his first time to encounter Americans, and above all his first time to hear about the hope that awaits him through Christ. As our train pulled away we waved goodbye to a weeping young (24) man who we know experienced the love of Christ through us. Please pray that his heart will remain tender, and that the seeds of faith planted will take root and grow.
There is a sprinkling of Chinese Christians in Bedrock. One afternoon, we visited two of the only three registered Chinese churches in Bedrock. One was a tiny temple in a village, where we felt the presence of the Lord. We met the temple caretaker and sang a couple of hymns (one in Chinese) and then we prayed with her. She had a beaming smile and clutched our hands tightly the whole time (see photo). We then caught a taxi and went across town to the newest and largest facility that was built with the money and personal labor of the area Christians. The registered church does not have the freedom we know – it is monitored and ruled closely by the Communist Party. On our second Sunday in China, we visited the third facility of Bedrock. It was a packed house and one has to arrive at least an hour early to get a seat on the hard rustic wooden stadium chairs in a cement structure with open windows. The electricity for the microphone and fans are not turned on until the service officially begins. We sat among the crowd without any breeze, while the choir director rehearsed the congregation over and over – one line at a time for the one hymn that all would sing during the service. When the fans came on, old stagnant rain water showered down where I sat (I resisted the temptation to open my umbrella.) Keeping in mind, worship styles differ; it was hard for my heart to worship that day. I felt a heavy sadness and oppression among a communist monitored people. How I long for them to know the freedom of worship. Although the entire service was in Chinese, I was able to follow the pastor in my bible as he spoke about the requirement of taking up ones cross to follow Christ. The Lord reminded me that no matter the circumstances, His word will not fall void. Wilma had invited a couple of her Chinese Christian friends to join us, and Betty sat next to me occasionally interpreting for me, while one of the others interpreted to Peebles. The men sit on one side of the auditorium while the women and children sit in the middle section and the other side. Before the service, an elderly woman walked the isles pointing to the women to un-cross their legs (now which verse is that in the bible?). Bamm-Bamm and Dino came to church for the first time, and Fred Flintstone spent much of the time explaining the plan of salvation to Bamm-Bamm from the bible given him that day. Jackie sat next to The Great Gazoo, a long time non-Christian friend of Wilma’s who serves as her foreign affairs officer at the university. Wilma longs for the seeds of faith she has planted over several years to one day take root in him. The Great Gazoo is beginning to pray to God for some specific needs in his life and he volunteered to escort us to church, however, he did not try to interpret for Jackie but instead kept leaving and returning to his seat. Pray The Great Gazoo will realize God is not a Santa Clause, but the Only One that can bring fulfillment to life.
Wilma has done a faithful job in her five years of service while teaching at the university, however many students scatter after graduation and she ends up doing long distance discipleship. Betty is a prime example of a fairly young Christian who longs to grow in her walk of faith. One of my most treasured moments was the hour I was able to spend privately with Betty to listen to her share her heart, encourage her from the bible and to pray with her. Please pray that the Lord will raise up a kindred spirit for Betty (and others like her) someone to study the Bible with and pray with on a regular basis.
As our team had an exit orientation with Wilma about the work, she seemed excited over the new contacts that the team made for her to continue to cultivate. Pray that the Lord will send Wilma full time workers to help strengthen and multiply the work in Bedrock and that the Chinese will be discipled into mature believers. Pray house churches will multiply and that bathtub baptisms will remain unhindered in a land where religious freedom is suppressed.
Culturally-
Both the University and the English Summer Camp treated us to banquets. Often, we sat around tables of 12-20 people, loaded with foreign delicacies, where Jackie was seated as guest of honor – as the oldest male American. I overflow with love, joy, and awe over how he handled a couple of very delicate situations. I know it was the Lord enabling him to respond appropriately as the Chinese host repeatedly declared, “Real men drink alcohol and smoke???. Jackie was able to decline in such a way that neither compromised his personal convictions, nor offend the host and yet still honor God. (A communist party official was present also.) As the Chinese sought to respect (or humor) us as Christians, Jackie was even asked to say a blessing over our meals. The older Chinese men seem especially prideful and hard hearted; yet they play cultural games around the table that on one hand seems trapping, but on the other hand seems honoring. Often the host would set things on Jackie’s plate – I think just to see his reaction. Like a trooper, he downed it all (scorpions, mountain donkey, pigeon, frog, ostrich, and various sea creatures.) I admit, I sought to quietly observe and mostly tried to only choose from the dishes I felt confident that I could swallow. I got away with this because when they weren’t focusing on Jackie, Fred or Peebles, they were busy toasting (taking advantage of the opportunity to drink school purchased alcohol). Our team is very thankful that Sprite and Coca-Cola are acceptable for participating in their toasts.
Transportation was interesting in Bedrock. While riding in a van, we saw donkey pulled carts, scooters, bikes, three wheeled umbrella bicycle taxis for two, three wheel motor-cycle taxis, van and car taxis (see photos). Many of these folks have cell phones ???.
The Chinese food in Bedrock is very moist, salty and spicy hot. Only one western restaurant exists there – KFC and they only serve spicy hot chicken and French fires – no mashed potatoes, coleslaw or biscuits. If I don’t eat Chinese food or KFC for a month, I’ll be happy. We all got sick on the Thursday before departure and our stomachs are still in recovery. Thankfully, Wilma prepared a couple of western food meals for us that helped our palates and stomachs.
Chinese Laundromats? They didn’t seem to exist in Bedrock. Thankfully Wilma kept us all washed up in the undergarment and sock department.
Spiritual lessons –
If I ever thought Taipei was crowded, our few days in Hong Kong proved even more so. Crowds of people often close in on me, and I simply want to escape such pressure of people scrambling for space on the subway, bus, ferry, and sidewalks. God wants me to see these are individual hearts that scramble to grab hold of the things of this world for selfish gain, gratification and survival. The crowds of beggars at the Beijing Train Station and the crowds of beggars and children on the streets of Bedrock City leaves a heaviness upon any heart that pauses for a look. God wants me to see how hearts are impoverished without Him, aimless in purpose without Him, reminding me how I too was once a pauper of soul begging for meaningless purpose and selfish gain. God desires salvation for all who will come to the knowledge of truth (1 Timothy 2:3-6). While shopping in Bedrock, crowds gathered to stare at us. I’m reminded how crowds gathered to check out Jesus as he ministered on this earth, and how they gazed upon him as he suffered on the cross. (We were all uncomfortable as the people stared.)
The filthy living conditions are common among Bedrock City (located in one of the poorest areas of China). The ignorance of the unhealthy habits of the young (taught and practiced still by the older generations) of relieving ones-self on the sidewalks and street medians without shame – still appall me. Our water being turned off for hours without notice or explanation, and the lack of proper rainwater drainage in the streets leaves me perplexed that modern methods have yet to reach them. The Lord reminds me that only he can clean up a filthy heart and how he longs to be the fresh, free flowing spring water that replaces stagnate bitter waters of the soul among all nations.
We are very thankful to be back in Taiwan and this trip caused us to be thankful that we are Christians, Americans and free to worship God. We have a newfound understanding of our freedom and pray that in our service here in Taiwan we will fully take advantage of that freedom. Although we felt the spiritual oppression in China, we were glad there were no temples. Even though Taiwan has freedom of religion, spiritual darkness creeps on every corner where temples are as numerous as 7-11’s.
In closing, thank you for your prayers, may we all give praise to God.
Remember our new email addresses – we want to hear from you – you are very dear to our hearts!
In Christ’s love,
Jackie and Fran
jackiebell@pobox.com or afranbell@yahoo.com
Visit our Photo Album – scroll & click on tabs Bedrock and Sightseeing http://communities.msn.com/JackFran
