Like smiles, or ‘Simon Says’, or ‘Head and Shoulders, knees and toes’ or maybe a hello even, or just a high five. Some things span across borders and across oceans… things like goodbyes.
Today was our last day of the first camp. Just like a VBS in the states, the kids have a little performance for their parents on Friday night. VLS in China is no different and so we spent 13 hours with the kids today. It was… a ferociously long time. At the beginning of the week the kids are very shy and don’t test you at all. By the end of the week, when they’re comfortable, they realize that we aren’t like their Chinese teachers… we won’t beat them if they misbehave, and so they do… the entire day. But really, they’re just like American children. The boys beat on things with their chopsticks. And the girls stick their tongues out when they don’t like your corrections. Haha. Andy kept pulling my hair and spitting water on me today. By 4 o’clock (when the camp normally ends) I was thinking goodbye couldn’t come soon enough!
The American team met in our room for dinner and had a little meeting before going back to the chapel for the final closing ceremony. The place was packed! Honestly, it was packed with just the kids in it; then try adding all their parents and grandparents... packed! But somehow we all fit.
The entire event had to be translated, so it took twice as long as it would. Anything said in Chinese needed to be translated to English, and everything said in English needed to be said in Chinese. It was cool to hear some of our children’s testimonies in English, and then the interpreters translating it back into Chinese for their parents. :) Loved that.
Each group (blue, red, green, gold) performed a song. It gave me goose-bumps to hear these Chinese children singing praises to God. They sang “It Is Well” and “Blessed Assurance”… Wait?!? Are we still in China?? “My sin not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more! Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul!” Are we really in China? They asked the American team to sing too… “You are holy! Great and mighty! The moon and the stars – declare who You are!” We’re in China, right!? I truly felt His presence.
The service ended and gifts were given. At first it was a very exciting thing – the week was over! We had accomplished what we set out to do… then Snow came up to me, tears running down her face as she hugged me and buried her face in my shirt. And then Tony… Happy, An-Li, Amy, Gloria… I didn’t know until that very moment that maybe I had touched one of their lives. The entire week Sandy and I had stressed about how well we were communicating (English or otherwise) and it wasn’t clear until that moment. I only spent 5 short days with these kids, how could this be so hard? But, I know it was because of the reason we were brought here together. Months and months were spent on our knees, asking for hearts to be drawn. It was only tonight, that I got to put faces with my requests. I know seeds were planted this week. I know they saw Him. He was the reason we were brought together… and He’ll be the reason we meet again.
You see, goodbyes are universal…
But soon there will be a day when no more goodbyes are said… and maybe I’ll see An-Li and Snow again and together we’ll sing: “You are holy! Great and Mighty!”
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