Last week during my adult oral English class at the FOC school (probably my favorite class), one of my students, Tom, invited me to his house for a ‘party.’  He told me that there would be about 13 people there for dinner and a few of them spoke English. Great!  I wasn’t nervous at all because even if their Engish was poor, I could practice my Chinese, right? 🙂 

Tom is a believer and one of the nicest people I know. He’s married to Amy, also a believer, and they have a child on the way.  They already have a name chosen for their child (路加), which is ‘lu jia’ and is the Luke from the B!ble.  I asked them if they would use that name if the child is a girl. They said they would keep the same pronunciation but use different characters and it would be a girl’s name.  Her English name would be Lucy. 🙂 Tom has a fire for the Gspl. During our first oral English class I mentioned to him that I was also a believer, and he asked me when I study. I gave him some study times and he was so excited! He is now a regular studier on Tuesday nights.  He also studies on Saturdays with the male FOCers in more advanced B!ble classes.  (We call them CSI–Chrstn Studies Institute)  Tom loves Saturdays. 

Back to last week… Tom and his brother-in-law (who is also the father of one of my 4th grade students) came to pick me up to take me about an hour away in the city. I enjoyed this very much because I didn’t have to be in a crowded bus or underground on a crowded subway.  The traffic was still bad but we had an enjoyable time in the car. We made one stop along the way to pick up some sushi for the party–yum–and then we were at Tom’s house.  (when I say ‘house’ I mean apartment) It is a very modest dwelling–one bedroom, small kitchen, small living room. I wonder where they will put the baby!

Dinner was very enjoyable! Some people did speak a little English and I was able to understand more than I could speak when the conversation moved to Chinese. After a delicious supper, the friends gathered in the small living room to sing hymns and study!  I basically walked into the Chinese version of what I do in my studies! Most of the people that were there are believers–I think two were not–and they shared what the cross means to them. I understood much less during this time. Thankfully, Amy and another girl, Esther, helped me out by giving me a basic translation. I now know what it feels like to sit in my B study and not understand what’s going on. It gave me a new perspective on the low-English speakers who come to learn about their Savior and cannot understand me. I really need to improve my Chinese!! It also makes me thankful for my Chinese believer friends who come to studies and translate for me.

I have no doubt that Tom and his wife will continue to hold their own fellowship/singing/pryr/B study gatherings. He told me he wants to be a Shepherd. I wish you could meet him. He is an inspiration, especially to life-long believers who get a little stale. 
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IN OTHER NEWS:

I have a very special visitor coming in April!  First person to guess who it is (correctly) gets a prize!  (Probably some chintzy Chinese souvenir…hehehe….)   (And to the person out there who is coming…you are not eligible!)