To mark the Chinese New Year, Disciples Today is publishing a series of articles written in China. For the previous article, see Part 1: Pray a New Year Prayer for China.
Part 2: The Story of a OYC Volunteer in China
I first moved to China on the One Year Challenge in 2010. Now in the middle of my fifth ‘One Year Challenge' here and leading a new mission team I wonder if God has a ‘One Life Challenge’ planned for me.
My time serving and living in China has been a period of incredible growth in my life. The decision to move to China sounds like some incredible and spiritual feat, but I was far from either of those qualities when I made the decision.
I was in my mid-twenties confused about life and not sure which direction I was going. I only knew that I wanted to do something for God with my life. Taking the One Year Challenge was my attempt to figure out what God wanted me to do with my life.
Slowly God has been revealing his heart and his plan for the people of China to me. God has been giving me a China Dream during these five years.
The China Dream, similar to the American Dream, is a big topic here. They post it on billboards and talk about it in TV commercials. I had a God Dream, I wanted to do something for God with my life, but I never thought I would have a China Dream.
Every day on the OYC here I get more of a China Dream. Every friend I meet that wants to study the Bible. Every person I watch go from considering faith in God unthinkable to making the decision to make Jesus the Lord of their life. Every person I come across that is hurting and defeated by sin. They all help me to see the bigger picture of God's heart for this nation.
When I first moved to China, I saw the people here as strangers; people from a foreign culture with a different language and different customs. Now more and more, I am seeing with God's eyes. These people are not strangers; they are God's lost sons and daughters and my lost brothers and sisters.
God has taken me far during these five years. I have received much training in leadership and learned many lessons. I now have a China Dream to build God’s church here and to raise up young men who will do the same. By faith I know that we will see God do incredible things in this country, much more than we could imagine.
I sometimes think about returning home to America to find a comfortable job and live in my familiar culture. But there is no greater thing I could do than join in the privilege of working toward God's China Dream!