Bibles at a shop
We were told about a shop whose shopkeepers were giving tracts to the Americans so I thought I'd check it out. I walked in the door and was immediately handed a fan "for all adopting parents!" she said with a smile. I immediately noticed the Bibles in the case and smiled and gave a thumbs up. She came over and said, "Yes! We're Christians!" and then pointed to the two other shopkeepers and said they were Christians too. "He be Christian for 20 year and raising son to be Christian. I have 5 month old boy who I raise to be Christian too." I told her I was Christian and she gave me a book in Chinese that she said was the book of Psalms.
As I looked around the store I was amazed and aghast at the amount of Christian items. It was like walking into Family Christian Store only about 100 times smaller. These stores are only about 10 x 20 feet. There were all sorts of plaques with verses engraved on them in Chinese and English. They cover things like I Cor 13, to "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord". I bought one that says "Christ is the Head of our Home."
I asked, "So many verses. How are you able to do this in China?" and she said, "Oh, no problem! We able to believe whatever we like. We believe Jesus. We go to church." I asked which church she went to and she said, "The church on corner. Very good church! They teach Jesus." This is a state church.
I then saw a little magnet with a map of China and the words, "Pray for China" and I said, "What would you like us to pray for you?" She laughed and said, "For me?" as if the concept was totally foreign to her. Then she translated it to the man and he laughed and shook his head in bewilderment. So I tried, "How would you like Americans to pray for Chinese Christians?" and again a bit of bewilderment and talking back and forth. Finally he gave a response and the woman nodded her head in agreement and said, "For HEALTH! Yes, good health!" And then she added, "and for peace! Good health and peace!"
I left them with a CD of John Piper after making sure that one of them understood English fairly well.
As I looked around the store I was amazed and aghast at the amount of Christian items. It was like walking into Family Christian Store only about 100 times smaller. These stores are only about 10 x 20 feet. There were all sorts of plaques with verses engraved on them in Chinese and English. They cover things like I Cor 13, to "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord". I bought one that says "Christ is the Head of our Home."
I asked, "So many verses. How are you able to do this in China?" and she said, "Oh, no problem! We able to believe whatever we like. We believe Jesus. We go to church." I asked which church she went to and she said, "The church on corner. Very good church! They teach Jesus." This is a state church.
I then saw a little magnet with a map of China and the words, "Pray for China" and I said, "What would you like us to pray for you?" She laughed and said, "For me?" as if the concept was totally foreign to her. Then she translated it to the man and he laughed and shook his head in bewilderment. So I tried, "How would you like Americans to pray for Chinese Christians?" and again a bit of bewilderment and talking back and forth. Finally he gave a response and the woman nodded her head in agreement and said, "For HEALTH! Yes, good health!" And then she added, "and for peace! Good health and peace!"
I left them with a CD of John Piper after making sure that one of them understood English fairly well.
