From Everywhere to Everywhere

I took this blog post from a book on global missions that I recently read, but the truth of it has hit home to us recently. The idea is that missions is not just about Americans or other Westerners going to other countries with the Good News. That's still an important thing (as evidenced by the fact that we're in China doing it!), but the reality of the world today is that Americans are going to China, Chinese people are going to America, and everybody in between is going all over the world too. We've gotten a taste of our role in this "global" mission during the last few weeks.

Three weeks ago we found out that a church in Lisa's hometown (Monteagle, TN) has started reaching out to the few Chinese people in their town. It's encouraging to hear about their work and also kind of amazing - I think there are about 4,000 people in the town, but even they are reaching out to Chinese people. We've helped them find some Chinese Bibles and provided them with some other study material too. It's really cool to be involved in cross-cultural missions here in China and in middle Tennessee!

Then about two weeks ago we had some complicated bank business that resulted in us having to call our Chattanooga bank. While on the phone waiting I struck up conversation with the worker and found out that she and her husband are looking for a new church. She grew up in the church of Christ and her father was a preacher in another city, but they've never found a church family in Chattanooga. While waiting for my business to be completed, I bragged on the family at Clear Creek and encouraged them to swing by sometime. I've also been in communication with her by email since then.

These two recent events, along with our decision to move back to the US after this next semester, have proved to me that there is good work for us to do. There are people from all cultures, from all over the world, right at our doorstep, or just a (Skype) call away!

{late edit} I forgot when I was originally writing this that Lisa's latest cooking adventure is another example of this. For quite a while, she's been friends with some foreign students from Afghanistan who attend our university studying Chinese. And recently she's been to their house to learn how to cook some native desserts. While she's there she's been able to talk to the family, play with their kids, and take them some of our food. The mom of the family is adamant that we all go sometime to have a full meal sometime, too!