The student I visited in Ohio is someone I met several years in Newberg, Oregon. She was one of 60 students arriving from China to study at George Fox University. In that first year, “Sally” and I spent time together talking about her home and family in China, discussing boyfriends, and building friendship with one another.
I remember helping her move at one point. Though it was only a five minute drive, it was a lot of loading things into a car, waiting, and carrying things up and down stairs.
After a summer at home, Sally contacted me, and the school. “I’m going to take a summer off,” she said. I froze. Usually that meant students never returned. “I think I need to work a while so that I have something to put on my graduate application,” she said. I sighed and thought, “Another student slips through the cracks.” But at the same time I new it was in God’s hands.
But Sally did return. And she returned armed with the experience necessary to finish her applications for graduate school. I helped her edit some of the. Despite the confidence I had in her, she still clung to a lot of fear about being accepted in the graduate program. At one point she burst into tears, and confided in me her fear of the future. I prayed for her, and reassured her that she was loved. A week or two later she beamed from ear-to-ear as she told me of her acceptance in the Masters of Finance Program Ohio State University.
In the meantime, however, she and one of her housemates were in need of internships. I set them up with a friend of mine named “Grace”, who works for a financial education consulting company. Grace is a Christian, and Sally spent many hours learning from Grace.
At one point, I invited Sally and her friend, “Heather”, to attend a leadership retreat for international students that was being hosted in California. It wasn’t a Christian retreat (in that the emphasis was not that of teaching about Christianity) but much prayer goes into praying for the students who attend, and the small-group-break-outs would be led by Christians.
Sally and Heather agreed to go and we spent the week having incredible amounts of fun, sliding down waterslides, hiking in the Yosemite mountains, staying up late, and interacting with students from all over the world. I and the other ISI staff members prayer-walked around the camp, and this as the students spread out in their groups and talked about their deepest concerns to one another.
At the end of the retreat, I flew home to Oregon, but Sally and Heather stayed and toured with two of the Christian students they had met at the retreat. I continued to pray for them.
I then flew to China and India and didn’t have any interaction with Sally for a while. When I came back to Oregon, it was time for Sally to head to her graduate program in Ohio. The Holy Spirit was also nudging me that it was time to ask Sally about her relationship with the Lord.
Sally was actually very open to talking about the Lord, but shared that her father in China was urging her not to do this. “It would be like a divorce,” if she believed and then changed her mind. She was also concerned about the challenges she would face in her home country. “If I’m able to stay here I think I’ll become a Christian,” she told me. I was saddened, yet knew she needed to feel it was the right time. In the meantime, I was also able to address some of the conflicts and questions she had about Christianity.
Upon arriving in Ohio, Sally stayed in touch. A Christian family hosted her until her housing became available. She enjoyed their friendship and kindness. “When they have Bible study he does most of the talking,” she said, “but they are really nice.” She also connected with a former George Fox international student there who was a Christian. Yet for the first few weeks in Ohio, Sally called me she was feeling homesick for Newberg, Oregon. Our phone conversations, once she settled in, were sporadic, but very open and encouraging to the both of us.
At the end of the school year I felt moved by the Lord to consider attending her graduation from Ohio State University. Shortly, thereafter, Sally called, with the same idea, and asked me to come. Unfortunately, the designated weekend did not work well for my schedule, but “maybe I can come up later this summer,” I told her. And I did! (June, 2016)
In the month prior to going to Ohio, my prayer was often, “Please, Lord, may I be a part of her salvation story?” I knew she was close, but I also knew that even if an international student seems close to believing in Jesus, that might mean several more years before there would be a decision for Jesus Christ.
I was really excited when Sally and her apartment-mate, Echo (her English name), pulled their car up to the curb at the Airport! How I had missed this student! After introducing me to Echo, Sally explained to me the plans for the week. She had being working very hard to come up with an literary for the two of us. We would be visiting her church, touring her university (Ohio State University) and the business department, and making a two-hour drive to Cleveland. She had these things and more, planned for our week.
Sally far exceeded her promise. In fact, she was often on the phone arranging and re-arranging plans in the coming days. At the end of each evening she would say, “Tomorrow we will …” and then she’d explain our itinerary in detail. Often she would ask me for feedback. I usually had none it all, as it sounded like fun to me!
Our first evening, we made a circle around one section of the campus, with Sally explaining each building as we passed.
The following day some of her friends took us to her church. It is Chinese church they just so happened to have an English translation that day! The worship, in two different languages, was incredibly moving. The large sanctuary was full of hundreds of people. And when the pastor spoke, he explained the importance of evangelism, and it made me realize that this is probably one of the reasons the church was so successful. They presented three different missions teams who would be traveling overseas to teach English and share Jesus in the coming month and a half. The Church also reaches out to Chinese students on the Ohio State University campus. Afterward the church service we ate dinner with her friends, and in the evening we spent more time touring the University, using the gym, participating in a soccer game, and trying out some “Buckeye” doughnuts.
The second day, she had arranged for another friend to pick us up and show us around downtown. We took many pictures of the State Capitol, ate a hearty lunch at a restaurant in “German Village,” visited a 32 room bookstore, and visited a park (at my request) instead of going to a movie. The evening was spent with her Chinese student church friends. During that time, I also spoke with the woman who started the Chinese student cell group movement at the church. They now have 6 student cell groups, all led by Christian students themselves who are mentored by 2 different couples. I learned from her process, and hope to see more of what she told me about put into practice here in Newberg.
The third day found us again on the University campus. I knew I wasn’t in Newberg anymore! Afterwards, I asked Sally if we had seen everything, “At least all the parts I have seen,” she said. The night finished with dinner with one of her former elementary school classmates who was driving through the area with his girlfriend.
“I’m a Christian,” her former classmate said at one point in the conversation, in response to a remark that Sally made about attending church. “What does that mean to you?” I asked him. He was a wonderful person, but didn’t seem to have the same spirit as Sally did. “When I was in Arizona, I stayed with a priest’s family. I used to go to church with them and it made me feel calm. It helped me get through a lot of things,” was his reply.
“A Christian has a relationship with Jesus, and it means that we know we need a connection with God, and so we believe that Jesus saves us,” I stated, “Do you believe that Jesus saves you?” I asked.
His response was ambiguous, maybe even negative.
“Then you aren’t a Christian,” I heard myself say.
Looking back on this conversation, I can clearly say that I am quite surprised at my audacity. Why I uttered some of those things from my mouth, when I barely knew him, I do not know. Maybe I was thinking I would never see him again, so I found myself being more bold … and not requiring the extra context I normally would wait for.
“I think you become a Christian when you are baptized,” he continued.
“But being a Christian is about what you believe, not what you do,” I stated firmly. “When you believe, then out of that you do things,” I commented as I climbed out of the car.
The conversation ended there. I prayed for God to open up the door for me to apologize, or to give extra context to what I had just said, but it never did. Sally and her friend talked of their childhood classmates, and what they were doing now. They spoke in their local dialect, switching back and forth to English, for my sake. The girlfriend and I added comments on occasion, but mostly we listened and laughed. Her childhood classmate seemed very at ease. He had studied in the USA for high school, then he did his undergraduate and graduate studies in the USA as well. I could detect an extra confidence and not much of a mandarin-accent, which are often characteristic of Chinese students who have studied in the USA for both high school and college. But the conversation never lent itself to talking again about the Lord, and he never seemed to feel the least bit concerned about what I had said.
At the end of the night, after they dropped us off at Sally’s apartment building, I told Sally how much I had enjoyed her friends. I also apologized to her for my surprising statements to her friends. But Sally interrupted my train of thought.
“I thought too…” she said.
“I …” and I continued to finish my thoughts before pausing. “What were you going to say?” I asked her with surprise.
“I thought so too.” She stated.
“About him not being a Christian?” I looked at her stunned.
“Yes.”
“Why did you think that?” I asked her, shocked.
“Because of what you told me, I guess,” she said.
I was shocked. My brain immediately jumped to three days earlier, to what had been the start of my time in Ohio, and certainly the best portion of my trip, there.
Saturday night, three nights earlier …
“I think I am a Christian,” I stopped, fork mid-way to my mouth, and looked over my kong xing cai, (a hollow green vegetable I was eating at the Chinese restaurant Sally had taken me to). I was not moved. Something still seemed to be missing. Taking another bite, and chewing faster than what I knew was appropriate for such a serious moment, I asked for further clarification.
“I’ve been reading the Bible. And I think that I believe in the Spirit of the Bible.”
“What’s the Spirit of the Bible?” I asked.
“It leads us to what is right, and to do good.”
Nodding, I again took a bite, this time of the wanton whose pork seemed to be a bit on the raw side. Yes, indeed, it did sound like she needed a little bit more of an explanation, but she was definitely on the right track. Still, I didn’t want her to jump from the truth of God’s word to the evidence of it in our lives, while skipping the One (Jesus) who helps us manifest it.
In between bites, I told her about how the Bible pointed to Jesus. Yes, the Bible did tell us to do good things, but the Spirit she was referring to, could only be in us if we believed in Jesus to take away our sins. That’s what it meant to be a Christian. I knew she had heard this before, and she seemed to take it in, but she did not quite ingest it. I let it sit with her as it didn’t seem appropriate at the time to add more, but later as (we enjoyed each other’s company while walking to her apartment), I kicked myself for not being more careful with what I had said. (I tend to say things, rather than asking questions to prompt the students to think for themselves.)
Exhausted, we arrived at home and I flopped down on my bed (one of her roommates had recently moved back to China, which was quite convenient as I was able to have my own bed and space to myself). Sally wandered in to tell me about the plans she had made for the next day. “Here,” I said, “Motioning her to sit on the bed. We laid our heads back in a relaxed position.
I don’t know what lent itself to the next portion of the conversation. Perhaps it was the fact that Sally was telling me about her church, which we would be visiting the next day, or perhaps we were recalling memories of Newberg, which included her remembering the infrequent times she attended Bible studies. But whatever the reason, I was glad the conversation lent itself to spiritual topics. She indicated belief, and I reminded her of what Jesus had done for us on the cross and that we needed Jesus to forgive us for our wrong doings, and for Jesus to restore our relationship with him and then to follow Him. “I believe that,” she said with enthusiasm. Thankful, I asked Sally, “Okay, then, how about praying with me?” I said. If she was willing, then I would lead her in a prayer of repentance to solidify her understanding of her decision, even if it was more for my belief and confidence that she knew the Lord.
“Jesus…”
“Jesus …”
“Thank you so much for what you have done for me on the cross. I know I need you to forgive me.”
“Thank you so much for what you have done for me on the cross.” I know I need to have you forgive me.”
“Please come into my life and be the center of my life, I want to follow you the rest of my life.”
“Please come into my life and be the center of my life,” I want to follow you the rest of my life.”
The prayer only lasted a couple of minutes. These may not have even been the exact words. But knowing that she had genuinely confirmed, verbally, by praying a prayer of repentance, and asking Jesus to be the Lord of her life, and to become a Christian, made me throw my arms around her and shriek with happiness. “You’re my sister in Christ now!” I shouted. This was what I had prayed for! But I never imagined it would happen the first day I arrived.
Sally smiled at my reaction. (I later found a copy of “The Purpose Driven Life” on her desk that she had been intently reading.) “If I am a Christian, do I have to believe everything the Bible says is true?” she asked. I knew there was more, so as I asked questions and she opened up about her concerns about miracles and other challenges she faced with the Christian faith. I summarized until I felt she knew I understood her struggle. But then she asked the question, “So what does the Bible really say being a Christian means?” she asked. This may seem like an interesting question given what had just happened, but I understood. Sometimes it takes more than one time. So I explained to her the message from the beginning. In a few sentences, I told her how God had created a perfect world with people in it, in which God gave people the ability to make their own decisions, because he wanted them to choose to love and serve him. But that they had chosen the opposite, and ever since then God had been calling people to love and serve and follow him, and he had been helping them to do so, but that it was never quite enough. And even the group of people he chose out of all the world, the Israelites, still turned from him at times, and that meant that he was going to have to be the One to restore the relationship, and that meant sending his Son to die on the cross, so that all could have a chance to believe and put their trust in him, and so that anyone who wanted to believe, could again have a right relationship with God.
“Ah! Okay!” she said. This time I could see a light go on.
And therein began, I believe, her faith journey, and why, 3 days later, she told me I was the reason she didn’t think that her friend, who probably would have been someone she had pegged as a fellow Christian a few days earlier, was not someone she now thinks is really a Christian.
Back to the present …
The next two days were, again, non-stop fun. Echo, her roommate, drove the two of us, and her future roommate, Yijang, two hours north to Cleveland. Sally and I had spent time prior pouring over the computer figuring out how to get to the NBA championship parade. I had convinced them that we needed to leave as early as possible the next morning, because there would be no places to park and I was right! By the time we arrived there, an hour before starting time, the town was packed, and people were parking their cars on the grassy spots in the middle of interstate byways, and walking from their parked cars, clear across the city. I had a feeling, however, that closer, not further away, was where we would find a spot. And I also knew I didn’t know if we could cross over the interstate on foot if we parked that far away. So, we continued to drive and trust the GPS. But as we got closer, every parking garage I called was full. So, again, I prayed out loud, trusting in faith that the answer would reveal God to the 2 non-Christian students in the car. “Lord, please help us find a place to park and get to the parade on time,” I said from the back seat. And sure enough, after another fifteen minutes, and a wrong turn around, I spied an open space between two cars. “There!” I said. “I can’t make that,” Echo said. “Yes, we can.” I said, and got out of the car to guide her. Sure enough, she made it into the spot, and we went on our way to the parade. Droves of people were walking down the sidewalk - I had us hold hands and we finally made it to the corner. We waited there two hours in the hot sun, and I was glad we had packed snacks and water. If we stood on our tip-toes we could barely see the road in front of us, but everywhere was the same. Finally, trucks started turning the corner. A truck with people shooting out cannon loads of confetti, a flatbed with the semi-pro hockey players who had just won their title, another flatbed with a former NFL star and a white rapper. By this time, however, the parade was an hour late, and we were exhausted. The family to our right was ready to leave, and so were we. It was clear we needed to wait several more hours, at the rate the parade was moving, if we were to catch a glimpse of the players. Sally and I ran off in the direction of Lake Eurie behind us, to take pictures next to the rock and roll museum. When we returned our friends were waiting for us and we made our way to the car.
We made a short stop at the Christmas story house, the location where one of my favorite films was made. It was closed for tours, but all for the best, the girls were hungry and we made it to an Asian fusion restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner. The woman who waited on us was not in a tip worthy-mood. She hardly smiled and just did the bare necessities. Odd, I thought (for the first time in my life), if race had something to do with service.
We proceeded to go next door for ice cream. “I’m sorry, I can’t give you samples,” the girl said with a straight face. “We are five minutes from closing.” I was in a jovial mood and decided to not let her words deter me from trying the only thing she would let us buy, frozen cheesecake bars, and I bought for the four of us. After taking our picture, the girl returned to behind the counter and we enjoyed our first tastes. While we were chatting, another woman walked in. Tall and blond she approached that young lady behind the counter. “I’d like to try …” she said. In shock, I watched as the she was handed her sample, and then allowed to order the ice cream of her choice! I looked at the other three Chinese girls with me. Their eyes were as wide as mine.
One of the girls wanted to leave after that but, still keeping my cool, I told her I wanted to talk with the lady because it wasn’t right. And before I could say anything, after the other visitor left, the two other girls rushed to the counter. My friend Sally was clearly upset. The lady behind the counter told us “It’s because I thought she was ordering a pint, as we have pints of ice cream for sale, too …” she said. I took this as a satisfactory excuse and suggested we leave. To this day, I don’t know if we really did experience racism in that situation. I can’t be sure either way. I just know it was a horrible feeling, and I don’t wish this upon anyone.
After that, we traveled to a spot on the shores of Lake Eurie. Blown away by the beauty, I though for sure we were on the shores of the California ocean. We then walked to the edge of the Lake. Pinnacles of cities jutted up at a distance, disappearing into a splendid sunset that only God can make. Many pictures were taken on the large rocks at the edge of the L, Lake, and this before we climbed the stairs and walked the dike. I watched the fisherman, whose language sounded like it was from the middle-east, fishing over the edge. I wished I could speak their language, the only thing that would have made the night perfect; or, perhaps it was perfect already. The girls smiled as they took pictures, and I asked for one as well, a lighthouse shining brightly in the distance. We then proceeded to walk the edge of the lake to a sandy beach, where Sally and I dipped our feet into the water before we re-joined the girls who were waiting for us at a picnic table, and we headed back to Columbus.
“Please can we stop in Parma,” I asked. Parma was the name of my hometown in Idaho, and I was determined to say I had seen the same city, but in Ohio. It took awhile to find, but we did! Parma, Ohio was a small berg on the edge of the greater Cleveland area. My Asian friends indulged me and drove around the town a little bit before turning to home.
Sally informed me on the way back that we would be stopping, once we returned, to pick up another friends car. (In the 6 days I was there, never once were we without private transportation for all of our activities, and this being without Sally even having a car of her own! It is my belief that God will use her mightily to impact her extensive network of friends, and beyond!) Her friend had absolutely no qualms (at least none that I could detect) in letting us use his car.
And use it we did! The following day we drove two hours to Amish County. I can’t remember if it was Sally or I who prayed for our day. Sally was clearly comfortable with prayer, and had even prayed in front of her friends (!), which is something very few students want to do. But we did pray for our day and it turned out to be wonderful. We had a tour of an Amish house and school, went to a flea market (where we bought gifts for the friends who had let us use their cars), visited an exotic animal farm and ate dinner in an Amish home. It had always been a dream of mind to visit and get to know Amish people. Many of my thoughts on what that would look like and the ways in which the Amish live, were changed that day, and happily so. Yes, the buggies and beards were there, but many, as I was told and noticed, have plumbing, lights, and their community is melded among many who are not of the same walk of life or who are family members, or who have left the Amish way of living, but who are still are very closely connected. Of course, I still stared, as I watched the children peak out the back of the buggy, or spotted a school house on the hill (they only go to the 8th grade).
The dinner I ate that night was wonderful. We arrived late, having first bought our tickets and driven around the exotic animal farm before the wild animal portion closed (who would have thought I’d have a zebra try to get into my car). We finally found the house and pulled in next to their dainty home (a home built next to the main home, for the older parents after they leave their home and their children begin living there).
I was embarrassed, but grateful for the two young boys and their father who met us at the door. The downstairs of their home was large and open. There were other guests staying there, already seated and eating at the table. They were two couples, friends from New Jersey. Upon being asked by our hosts, the man who had been friends with the host couple the longest said the prayer. In a thick New Jersey accent he began thanking with gusto God for his grace, love and the fellowship we were having. I smiled, so full of joy at his words and their significance, as well as delighted to be in such a random place, so far away from my home, and yet in the presence of fellow believers. I wondered what they would think if they knew that this was the first impression they were giving the baby believer I had brought into their presence.
The two men were brothers-in-law, the sister having married the other. They were proud of their long established connection with Else and Samuel, our hosts, who also kept guests for two nights stays. “I’ve been coming here for 2 years now,” the first said jovially.
Elsie was clearly tired, even stated she was doing less hosting now because of other things that now occupied their lives, and yet she proceeded to serve us a wonderful American dinner, of beef, fried chicken, home made bread, butter, salad, beans, and the best rhubarb pie I had ever eaten. I asked how she made the sauce for the bread and she told me she made it from cider. The ice cream we had they bought at the store, but the rest was mostly homemade.
At one point, Samuel explained that his two boys (who we had seen earlier) had left for German school. (Amish speak German. I asked if Samuel could get by if he was in Germany and he said he could.) Their daughter, Marie, who was quietly observing and occasionally running upstairs to get something for her mother, had stayed because she was not feeling well. Their youngest son, who had also stayed behind and had by this point moved from sitting at the table to sitting in his father’s lap, was also there. I thought of my friends from church who have two young boys, and was not surprised when, in response to one of the other guest’s questions, Samuel stated his age as being in his late 30’s.
“Would you say a Bible verse in German?” I asked Marie. With a little verbal nudging from her mother, she began, her mother joining her as she finished. It was hard to believe that she would be finishing her last year of school soon. (Amish only school their children to the eighth grade, although they can go past if they choose to do so.) I was thankful one of the men made a comment about her getting married, as I was still curious regarding this point. But Elsie immediately made the comment that she was not ready yet, “She still has a lot to learn.”
“How old were you two?” I asked, regarding the date of their marriage. “Twenty,” she said. Again, I was thankful one of the other guests asked if this was a usual age. “Yes,” she said. “Although my sister did not get married until she was 30.” I was surprised to hear that she was married at such a late date, but had to laugh at Else’s next comment which indicated that her sister had been quick to offer comments about her parenting but was now learning how hard it was having just had her first child.
When I asked more about her family Elsie’s face seemed to sadden a little. My guess is because, as she stated, many of her family members have chosen not to continue in the Amish way of life (her brother just started his business of selling cars). But she brightened when, in response to a question from Sally, Sally learned that it didn’t mean they didn’t see each other. “We all get together two times a year for a picnic,” she said.
At the close of our hour together, Elsie passed out little books. “We like to sing some hymns,” she said. Grinning, I opened to the page she stated. I love singing hymns and couldn’t think of a better way to end the night. The songs spoke of the cross and it’s victory in our lives and again I thought of Sally, who was sitting to my right, singing as well. It was a wonderful gift to know that everyone there was a believer, including Sally! And I hoped that this would be another way she would see the Lord’s handiwork, His presence in the lives of those who follow Him.
Another small gift to me is that we were able to sing in German. Elsie was surprised I could do so. “I’ve never had anyone come who could. Where did you learn how to sing in German?” she asked. I couldn’t remember, and tried to explain it anyway, saying that maybe it had to do with my German roots, or maybe it was my mother’s occasional word in German. Or, maybe it was when I went to France and met German friends. Later when she mentioned that German songs were easier for her children to remember, I remembered that I had learned many German songs while staying at Taize, a monastic community in France, and this after college while on school led trip.
I had asked the family to speak in their Pennsylvania Dutch, which they used to speak within their family. (Although the children, who go to a Christian day school, have a different accent than that of their parents.) And Elise closed by speaking some with Samuel, and then to my delight, teaching me a phrase or two as well.
Sally and I left, full and happy. We returned to the exotic animal park to finish our walking part of the tour. There were many birds from all over the world, and a kangaroo as well. Sally loved the peacock, which she hardly noticed at first because it sat so still roosting in a tree. The grounds were gorgeous, and included more Amish homes and barns.
I’ll never forget sitting on a bench, over looking the rolling hills and farmlands of Amish County, Ohio (much like I love to do in Oregon) the fish pond and fountain and lemur monkeys below us, simply soaking in my last moments with Sally. It seemed like it couldn’t get any more beautiful. The air was fresh, Sally’s smile as strong as ever, and I was in the heartland of America, in an incredible place, far from my home, with a fellow sister in Christ.
We had done, seen, and lived so much in a short five days. And I had to laugh! Here I was experiencing the best of America with a Chinese person my tour-guide! “You could start your own business,” I proudly proclaimed at one point, content and satisfied that my journey had been wonderful in every way. Sally beamed, “Has it been a good time?” she asked. “Definitely” I said.
We got little sleep that night, as we stayed up talking with the former Chinese student who Sally had roomed with while at George Fox, and who had gone with us to the leadership retreat. She told us of her job and took a screen shot to remember the moment. After hanging up, my eyelids drooped, and my hope of having Sally read a part of the Bible to me evaporated, as I fell asleep on her bed.
Hugging her at the airport wasn’t emotional, as I knew she would be in good hands. I was confident that God would allow her to find a job that would allow her to stay in the city, so she could continue to stay connected with her church group. I waved, looking forward to the day in which I would again have another tour of America, led by my Chinese tour guide!