It’s been a blessing having a few college students with us here for about a month and a half this summer. They were a fantastic help and encouragement to my wife and I. I wanted to put some of their testimonies on the blog so you can get someone else’s view on life and work in China. The following is a testimony of one of our friends that worked with us here in China this summer:
“I once heard it said that we were not the ones to have an influence on others on a missions trip, but the people are here to influence us. I have found that this summer there may have been more changes to my Spiritual growth than what I did for these Chinese friends. In the time of being here I was challenged to spread the Gospel in a Communist country.
I came here expecting that it would be difficult to do such a thing but found it very open to talk about our beliefs. However, when we established friendships at the English Corners we found the college students very eager to hear more about God and what His Word says. Over the 6 weeks in China they constantly asked about Christianity and we found it very exciting to share the Gospel. In America, I was shy but within me stirred a desire to spread the Gospel and thanks to the Missions Conference two weeks before this trip the people around me were able to encourage the spread of the Good News. It prepared me to know how and what to say to the Chinese when I arrived. I can remember the first night at English Corner and telling Bible story after Bible story and so many questions were being asked that I did not think I knew the answers to just started flowing out. It was amazing to be able to share.
That broke the ice for the trip. It allowed me to be open about my faith. It was not only what I could share that made a difference either. The girls I have met on the trip have helped encourage me as well. After talking to the Chinese about God we were on fire to tell one another what God had done in the conversations and that helped each of us be encouraged to tell more and learn from one another what else we could have said or what we should say next time.
Many days I took the bus with the girls and as I looked around at the Chinese sitting there it bothered me to not be able to share more about my faith to those who did not know English, but I did not know enough Chinese to communicate either. I still do not know Christian words in Chinese but now I have been challenged to learn them to be able to better communicate with all of China that deserves to hear the Message.
The need is there and it is not up to just the missionaries and the few that have accepted Christ to spread the Gospel, it is up to all of us to be willing to serve the Lord wherever He would have us to be. The real challenge is to ask ourselves are we willing to give a summer to God to use us? We were willing and we found ourselves in China. The need is not only in China or in Harbin, but it is all around the world and we need to find where we can serve. If God has not called you to be a missionary, it does not say in the Bible you cannot be a volunteer! In fact, there are some people in the Bible who voluntarily went for God. Volunteer your life for God and see where He will lead you. This summer I let Him direct me to China and I would not change it, and if God would have me to return I will go, but if not I have learned a lot and have seen a huge Spiritual growth in myself that I can see will help in the future wherever God will send me.”
I really think this student did a great job this summer. She worked hard, and I believe God used her. Summer trips remind me of one of my favorite principles: “where” is as influential as “what.” Your same summer, lived in a different continent, might change someone’s life. Maybe even yours. Your winter break, spent at a missions conference (like the Our Generation Summit), could change lives. Your gifts, taken to the other side of the world, could make a Christ-glorifying difference. Some of the greatest men that we study made such an impact on the world because they found a black hole in God’s work – a job no one else wanted, a need no one else saw, a people no one else cared for. But had they remained in the ranks of Christian-clusters, their light would not have seemed to shine so bright.
The Gospel in China 
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