Sep 14, 2013 -- the 3rd day I reached in MO, in my 5th travel in USA. Mrs. Wanda Nava and her husband came to Springfield to pick up me to go to Seymour, MO.
On the road, they brought me to their life group to study Bible. It became the first time I took part in a Christian study in a life group.
I was so surprised when I went into the group and found how they were serious when they read the Bible and discussed the questions about God.
I remember clear, when I was a part time journalism/news graduate student of News Department at South China University of Technology (Shenzhen Teaching Base) in 1999, I had been impression on the question of my professors asked us to answer: What kind of role of Christianism Plays in the Process of American Development? At that time, what I could do was just to read my textbook and to copy what the book wrote.
And then, first time, I heard the dinging of the churches in Europe in Sep - Oct, 2000. And I was quite surprised for I saw so many people in the square to see the Pope in the rain in Vatican. So that I want to know why they believed in the God.
Even though I did not understand about it at all, however, I did feel the eyes of the nuns whom I first met in the rain were so clear so that I still remember them indeed.
So that I could not help buying the first Bible in Hong Kong, on the road I came back mainland of China. But I did not really read it, because it was too difficult for me to read it in English.
But I started to go to church in 2006, to pray for my sick American art teacher, until 2007 he was dead.
Then 2008 - 2009, when I was a student in Missouri State University, Mr. John Divide Lawson, the first American friend I knew in the nearest church sent 4 missionaries to teach me Bible each Friday. But I seldom went go to church as my classmates on Sundays.
So, this was the first time I truly took part in a group to learn something about Bible.
What touched me was not the activity itself, but how people studied Bible so seriously and so consciously, even though there is anyone, such a government, an army man to ask or to force them to do that. What they have gotten from their daily Bible Study? What kind of affect that Bible and the Christianity have brought them and USA?
All of them are something I am interested in and I wish to learn and know via my travel.
What is your opinions about these? What advices can you give me?
If you have any questions, comments and suggestions, please write to
shirley@ebridge.cn . You are welcome to publish your opinions in
Message Board as well.
Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sep 18, 2013
