Dan and Patrick

Before Spring Festival Dan said he was planning to move to Singapore to work. I hoped he was just dreaming or that maybe he would not follow through or that some other work opportunity would come up in Hangzhou.
As we sat on the grass for Thursday Bible study March 22, Dan announced I’m moving to Singapore “next month.” I was surprised. I said, “We need to wrestle to decide if you can move to Singapore or not.”
It is funny how friends in China speak of “next month” like it is forever away. In America we have our calendars and we schedule days according to the hour. We plan exactly what will happen next month. In China “next month” is three days from now, but it is a whole different page on the calendar. It is the next number month: March month 3, April month 4, and plan month 4, move to Singapore when April comes along.
Patrick has the most beautiful Bible I have ever seen in the hands of a young Chinese man. It is all highlighted and dog eared with notes in the margins. The pages are soft from turning and reading both the Old Testament and New. Patrick started reading the King James Bible following his teacher’s method to truly become interested in classical English literature to improve his English skills and he has found the truth of Jesus. Patrick has promised, “I will get baptized this year”.
Elaine has recommend C.S. Lewis as an interesting study to Dan and Patrick. Patrick loves English books and Dan loves English movies. Dan has been trying to download the movie Shadowlands, a biography of C.S. Lewis’ life.
After our March 22 Bible study, we were walking down the stairs and Patrick said to Dan quite at random, “Maybe you will want to get baptized after you watch Shadowlands.”
“That’s a great idea,” I quickly joined in.
“I don’t know,” Dan said, “I have not even read the whole Bible.”
“I was a Christian for nearly 15 years and 30 years old before I read the whole Bible,” I assured.
After Sunday worship, we were walking down the stairs and GaoYan suggested to Patrick, “Maybe you can get baptized before Dan moves to Singapore.”
Patrick shot back, “I will not get baptized just so someone can see me get baptized.”
GaoYan said, “You can encourage Dan’s faith by getting baptized. You can encourage Josh. You can encourage all of us. Think about it.”
Praise God for giving us these conversations with Dan and Patrick. Pray with us that God will work powerfully in Dan and Patrick’s life “next month” April, month 4.