Speaker for Hire

Last weekend, Jason and I were invited to go to XiaSha and speak at a mini-retreat for other English teachers ministering in China. Most of the people who came were in their first year of work in China, but there were a few people who have been in China for two or three years.

I was super honored to be asked to speak and thought it was a great chance to encourage some younger people and hopefully provide some fresh ideas about what we're doing and how we're doing it. My topic was "God Goes Before Us" and the idea that God has been working in the lives of people here in China long before we arrived. That truth relieves a lot of the stress and pressure that often comes with mission work that sometimes feels like it all depends on our efforts.

We shared some of our ideas about how to find receptive people. We also tried to encourage the folks with some inspiring stories about ministry, having families in China, teaching English, and some other stuff. To be honest, I'm sure that our impact was fairly limited, but I was still honored to have the chance to share something and pass along some of the good things I've learned from others. As part of the deal, we received a free hotel room and a couple of good meals. I think I also pocketed 11 or 12 yuan in extra taxi money that we were given. So if you're needing a speaker for your next event, make sure you set aside at least 10 yuan in your event budget for a speaker of absolutely average quality.