07/17/20 MISSION TRIP TO CHINA #7 — Our translator/interpreter was a delightful young woman I’ll call “Dee.” She was a native Chinese, but she had studied at a Bible college in Colorado. She urged us to speak in short, choppy sentences. She told us she could not even begin to translate until we had said the main verb in our sentences.

This sounded like an interesting game of sorts; I could do this. I had already decided that my culture and theirs were so entirely different that I would do my best to avoid jokes or cultural references. I would just stick to Scripture and my own person testimony. The entire trip I think I only failed once: I said I had been a “linebacker”; puzzled, Dee asked me, “What’s a ‘Rinebacker?’” I told her to forget it; I would abandon that story!

Every time I gave an invitation at the end of my messages, nearly every Chinese person in the audience came forward. I’m not sure I ever really “caught on.” Each time I told Dee to tell them to go back to their seats (often a 2x4 board laid on cement blocks!) unless they needed to saved or be assured of their salvation. Dee patiently explained to me, each and every time, that almost none of these people owned any more than a tiny scrap of a Bible, maybe just a few pages! They had never seen or heard the Scripture I focused on and had never experienced a powerful, Bible-based sermon before. She strongly suggested that I stop complaining and get busy praying for and counseling with them!

I think Dee made us into a great team. God bless her! The Lord willing, you’ll hear more about Dee in subsequent posts soon!