Young faith

Two of the young men in the picture (which two?) have just decided to put their faith in Jesus when the picture was taken. This happened in a high school somewhere in China, on the 5^th day of a 6-day summer camp. It was hot and exhausting, but it was exciting and rewarding.

When we met these boys and girls, we cannot but feel for them. Most of them are children of farmers. They have very little, except the hope that if they work very very hard, and get into a good university, then they can perhaps find a good city job and escape from the countryside.

Most of them are the youngest of a large family. I was not prepared to hear that many of them have 3, 4, and even 5 elder brothers and sisters (mostly just sisters). That’s a story by itself, and speaks much about China in the last few decades.

They have met very few outside people, hence very shy. They would lower their heads and avoid looking into your eyes when you speak to them. Many spoke to me so softly that I have to lean in to hear them, but they would shout like any other kids when they played with each other. Yet they are very observant and kind at heart. One boy alerted me when I was about to put a hot chili pepper into my mouth by mistake.

They have not learned good manners. After eating soybeans, a boy sitting next to me spitted out the shells onto the table. But when I pointed out to him that it was not good for the environment, he stopped immediately. Subsequently, I watched in disbelief one of their female teachers spitting onto the floor in the teachers’ room! Then I knew why.

I have much more to tell you about the trip into China last week. But I need a bit of time to collect my thoughts.