I received a text this afternoon from my former Chinese college roommate. She graduated from GFU in December and is now working at a shoe company in Portland. My friend wrote saying "Hi Joanna. Where are you? Do you have time later. I am in Newberg now. :)"
I immediately responded, "Yes! You just say where and when :)" I am so grateful to the Lord. I had felt concerned that I had pushed my friend too much with the day before with questions regarding she and her boyfriend's spiritual life. Unfortunately, the noisy Korean noodle restaurant where we were having lunch did not provide the atmosphere in which I should be asking such questions. I left worried I had said too much and that our relationship would never be the same. Yet this text provided me with the hope.
"I can go to your house after I visit my uncle," she said.
She arrived about a half hour later and I couldn't be more eager to open the door.
My friend wears her bangs cut short across her face. She has large glasses and a slender figure. She looks very Chinese, and very beautiful.
We sit down and chat awhile. "What uncle did you go see?" I ask, wondering why she never mentioned that she has an uncle in the area.
"Uncle? Did I say that? I've been visiting my old professor." she laughs. I realize she probably just used the word “shushu,” the name that all middle aged men are called in China by those that are younger than they and translated it into English on accident.
Later my Chinese housemate comes into the room. He sits down and begins chatting with my friend. Their conversation is in Chinese. I follow at first. They talk about my housemate's upcoming interview at Amazon. Then they move to talking about working visas, and what it takes to get one. (My housemate reads the American immigration website when he has time. He knows a lot more than I do!) Eventually I lose track of what they are talking about unless they throw in an occasional English word.
Loren, who owns the house I live in, brings in some Korean tea my housemate brought back from China. We drink the tea and eat some cinnamon buns my friend brought to us. (She's
always very considerate and brings something when she visits, another Chinese tradition I think.)
Our conversation gives way to the Christianity topic again. This time my friend is more open and tells us she has prayed to recieve Christ but doesn't know why she can't express this to others. "Perhaps I just need a party or something...," she says. I laught and tell her I'll throw her one if she wants it. We also talk about baptism. It sounds like she is interested in being baptized this summer!
We end our conversation by talking about Chinese cooking styles, which consists of about 10x the oil of Amerian cooking and a little bit of this or that versus a recipe.
Before she goes she tells us to stop by and have lunch with her next time we are in Portland...