Seriously! I thought I was coming to China to serve, not to be served. I thought I was coming to live a life of sacrifice, not luxury. I thought being a teacher meant to leave your mark on children’s lives, not to be impacted myself!
…I’m learning a lot here. Can ya tell?
So, I have several students whose parents are workers here. They live simple, humble lives. I’m comfortable around these people. They have me over for hamburgers or a typical American meal. Then I have a select few students whose parents are in high society. These parents either have really high expectations, and want me to feel the weight of it by making me uncomfortable when I am pampered and given gifts, or they are just really grateful….but most likely, it’s a mix of both.
One of my students lives in a townhome (which is pretty much unheard of in China). Mom informed me in an informal way that the house cost about 300 million RMB. The exchange rate is 1 USD to 6.8 RMB. Hmm…you do the math! So her and her husband own several restaurants all over China. She invited me over to lunch on a Saturday, but I already had plans, so I told her that I could do it after my fellowship on Sunday. She said “that would be great, see you then!” So…knowing that her Korean fellowship was up on the North side of town, I hauled myself up there on my bike (which took about an hour and 15 minutes) and called her after the meeting was over. She came around and picked me up in her nice Volkswagen Mini-SUV (I’m not even sure what it was because it was so nice…). I left my bike at the location of the fellowship, in the lobby of the building. We drove for about 15-20 minutes (further North) to her home. She lives in a secluded gated neighborhood that does not look like China…on a mountainside. It was hilly throughout the complex, with beautiful landscaping and huge stone houses and townhomes. I was amazed and tried to control myself so I didn’t make her feel awkward. She and her bao mu (not sure how to spell the pinyin or Roman alphabet representation of Chinese sounds)… (bao mu means house helper/ nanny) made a really nice spread for lunch. We had a shrimp/ salmon/ oyster pasta (with homemade tomato sauce, which was delicious) and salad (with basil leaves). Then there was fruit for dessert. Followed by baked fish flakes/ chips (not a huge fan, but apparently it’s a big Korean favorite). After playing the Wii for a bit (or my student playing and me pretending to play with the one that had bad batteries), she took me for a long walk (hour and a half) around the ‘hood’. I felt like I was in a really nice neighborhood in America. There were cars outside most houses (HOUSES in China…this is a BIG deal!), people in really nice clothes, even just really nice, clean, everyday people clothes! ….
After watching the kids play in the water at the end of our walk, she asked me if I’d like to make a pie. I wasn’t sure what to say, and at this point, the sun is starting to go down…and I still have at least an hour and fifteen minute bike ride back home. I was thinking, “ooh, I’d love to…but the sun is headin’ over to mom and dad right now…so, eh….” “SURE!” I said. So, we went inside, and she began to make dough from scratch. I’ve not really ever done that before, so that was fun to watch. Oh yea, I forgot to mention….she wouldn’t let me touch anything when she was preparing lunch. She did kind of let me help. I usually do clean up and wash the dishes, because I don’t know how to cook…but she wouldn’t let me do that either. I felt totally undomesticated, lazy and spoiled! She also decided that while she was making dough, she would just go ahead and make dinner, so she made homemade pizza. Holy moly…best pizza I’ve ever had! She makes her own tomato sauce…and boy is it good! So yea…I stayed for pizza and pie. She sent me home with plum juice that she makes, pickles (that she taught her bao mu to make, so I took the ones she made), two pineapple pies, and homemade strawberry jelly. She actually didn’t send me home, she drove me home. But remember that bike? Yea…we picked it up and put it in her nice car. Dirty bike inside nice car. EWW! Once again, I felt kinda awkward. She blessed me and treated me and gave me her time.
We had about an hour long drive home, so we talked about all sorts of things. …One of them being that she just wants a friend. It’s kind of weird to be that for her, because I am her son’s teacher. But, I feel like that is something that the Father put right in my lap. I can be a friend to her. One thing I’m realizing is that teaching in China at this particular school is far different than it would be in the States! I hope to be able to share more time with her and share my culture and holidays with her. I hope to talk more about our shared faith. Though she professes to be a follower, she does not have the joy that one should have. She is lonely and feels like an outcast in her Korean fellowship. It’s primarily because of money. She has it and it makes people uncomfortable, but isn’t that what being a follower is all about? Being uncomfortable for the sake of the gospel? Loving people and becoming selfless so that others are blessed and come to know the power of His love and grace? “Love is patient, love is kind….it is not self-seeking” It would be wise for me to heed these words. Often I think about time…and rush out of conversations that could be fruitful. “…love is not self-seeking.” People just need love, and to feel loved, they need our time. I need to open up my schedule and not rush out of meaningful moments, just because I have something else to do or something on my own agenda.
I hope you’ve been blessed, because I sure have been! He’s teaching me powerful lessons. …In ways I didn’t think I would be learning them. Who knew?!
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