Truth in the Characters

My time in China was luxurious:  hot showers, a kitchen to cook in, cool weather, and playing with a dog that didn't have flees.  (I'm easy to please.)  I figured out how to make the most of the two woks available.  Who knew pizza, enchiladas, and apple pie are all feasible in a wok?!

Spending some time in China also caused me to appreciate some of my Thai luxuries.  In Thailand, I don't have to wonder...

What can I say?
How should I phrase it?
Who might be listening? 
What Christian words shouldn't I use?
Who might understand?
What trouble might I cause for those here after me?

The reality is, a lot of Christ-followers in China live with these questions everyday.  It's a delicate balancing act of being bold yet wise.

However, Christ is and has for centuries been, making himself known even without spoken words.  Over 100 Chinese characters have biblical connections.  For example, every time someone writes boat he is writing vessel, eight, people.  Remember the big boat God had Noah build?  Yep, there were eight people aboard.

My favorite example is the word to create.  It comes from speak, dust/mud, life, walk.  In four works, that's what God did.  Spoke everything into being, created man from dust, gave us life, and caused us to walk.   

The Chinese language is one of the oldest written languages.  Could the language's original writers have known the great truths that we desire today's Chinese to know?

Praise God for the many ways he is making himself known in this country! 

More pictures!

 Getting out of the city was refreshing.  Look at those mountains! 

 Beautiful trails, streams and waterfalls were just an hour and a half bus ride away.  

My hiking buddies.  

 A Chinese friend, my "little sister," taught me how to make some traditional dishes from Ningbo, China. 

They were delicious!  But the snails (bottom bowl) tasted better if you didn't look at them first.  :)

A day and a half in Shanghai... a lot of people, great subway system, and big buildings.

 Shanghai also has an awesome aquarium.  (Great for rainy days!)

 Taz and I spent a lot of quality time together.  She opened many conversations or at least smiles and "Hello" with people in the apartment complex. 

The river was a great place to walk, pray, and see what life looks like in China.  A lot of fishing and washing goes on in this river that leads to the ocean. 

 Other people spend their days working in vegetable gardens that line the river. 

 A number of temples can be found in the area.  Some people are Buddhist, others, I'm told, just "believe in themselves."

About that statement regarding pizza, enchiladas, and apple pie in a wok...it's all about doing things in steps.  First, I made the tortillas in one wok while the filling was cooking in another.  Then, while I was putting them together, I started cooking the enchilada sauce.  I poured the sauce over the top, sprinkled with cheese, and placed one wok on top of the other (like a lid).  I cooked them on low until everything was melted and bubbly.  Yum!

 On the not rainy days, this old town is a perfect place to visit. 

The town has all sorts of traditional food to try, including stinky tofu...

why people like to eat things that smell bad, I still don't know. 

A great visit got me my new visa and left much more to be explored in this beautiful country.