We’ve been here for two weeks and it’s been a wonderful mix of getting settled into our apartments, training, guessing what food we’re ordering and getting onto the campuses—making friends, sharing and seeing people come into the family. Already, our team has seen eleven come into the family! This has been really exciting for us!
I want to share a story that has been, truly, a monumental occasion for me. My roommate and I were eating dinner on campus. We spotted someone sitting at a table behind us and we debated the idea of inviting him to eat with us. We decided to go for it and I, somewhat awkwardly, went over to him and asked him if he wanted to eat with us. He was excited to do so and we were surprised to learn that his English was good. We chatted with him for a bit a shared contact info. My partner friend stayed in contact with him and we planned to go out to lunch together about a week later.
We met up on a Saturday and our Asian friend had brought two other friends! He, kindly, took us to a Muslim noodles restaurant. It was a spectacular spread of a bowl of noodles, beef, and fresh pickled veggies. He ordered us all bing fengs (an orange-like soda found in our city) and further into the meal we all toasted to friendship.
This gave me a great bridge to talk about a really good friend that I have, Jesus! My roommate and I laid out the Gospel and when we asked for a response our friend, excitedly, said, “Yes!” It was there, in the upper room of the restaurant, that we all joined hands and talked to God to receive this great adoption as sons and daughters and three came into the family that day! I am very, very thankful to do Dad for that.