October 13, 2009

Dear Friends,

During the weeklong October holiday, I headed off to the countryside to visit one of Gary’s students, who I have gotten to know over the course of the past year. His name is Wang Yongdong, and he comes from a very poor village in the countryside near Tianshui, a city in Gansu.

To say it was eye-opening would be an understatement. I’ve been to two other students’ homes in the countryside of Gansu, so the poverty didn’t shock me as it did on my first visit. I knew to expect an outhouse (although the pig next to the stall was different), no showers, lots of free time to read and hike, and lots of visits to local people curious to meet their first foreigner. What I did not expect was the welcome my student received.

Wang Yongdong in front of his home in a village near Tianshui, province of Gansu.

Gary had told me that being with Wang Yongdong in his village was like hanging out with the big man on campus, but I was still taken aback by just how many people knew and even adored him. It was incredible to see the connections he has formed in his area. Yongdong has not ever been, nor has he become, a Christian, yet he clearly believes very strongly in the mission of the Amity Foundation. The Amity Foundation is the Chinese-run NGO that I serve here through my connection with the Presbyterian Church, and Wang Yongdong has expressed a strong interest in applying for a job through their branches here in Gansu.

He has taught computer, math, and English lessons to students in his village every summer and winter holiday, offering a higher level of education at a cheaper rate than in the surrounding villages. He especially concentrates on his computer lessons, because before he came to college he had studied computer theory in a textbook, but had never actually touched one. To ensure no students from his village are deprived as he was, he voluntarily eats cheaper meals in the school cafeteria to save his money, and uses those savings to buy old computers, fix them, and then use them in his lessons. He has lobbied the Amity Foundation for the funds to build a women’s health clinic near his hometown, and has also used the money he has made from his teaching to pay for his adopted sister’s education.

One day, Wang Yongdong received an Amity shirt from Gary, and studied the English phrase on the back: “It is better to give than to receive.”  He then said to Gary “I know what this means.” Gary thought that he meant that he knew the origin of the phrase, but Yongdong said “No, I’ve experienced it. I know it’s better to give than to receive.”

Certainly, Wang Yongdong has already proven himself dedicated to opening up opportunities for all the people of his hometown, and his determination to make life easier on God’s children there has been an inspiration to me, as well as to others. Whether he realizes it or not, he has been living one of the core tenants of my faith, and once again I have seen proof that here in China, God’s Spirit “is alive and on the move” (a lyric from MercyMe). The joy on people’s faces when they see him is evidence of God working through those around me, and I feel so blessed to watch it occur. I am privileged to watch a student return to his roots and use his newfound skills to assist others in reaching their full potential as human beings. May God continue to bless all of my students so, and may God also bless all of you with proof of His presence in the days ahead.

Moving with God’s Spirit,

Rae

The 2009 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 117