China
Bringing Hope
The 2008 Olympic Summer Games opened a new short-term missions opportunity in Beijing in partnership with Global 180. After organizing the team and making all arrangements to go, including visas and passports, a decision by the Chinese government shut down the opportunity.
The team still felt led to go.
Meanwhile, another organization was being forced to scale back a planned orphans' summer camp outreach in China because of a shortage of help - despite the huge number of orphans who were signed up to participate.
"[This organization] had to downsize due to lack of volunteers, and here we were with 80-some volunteers looking to go somewhere," Paul recalled. "God really orchestrated that."
Not directly involved with the Summer Games, the first week of camp was a 10-hour train ride away, and the second week another 12-hour trip. "We were out of the 'safety net' of the Games, so to speak," Paul explained.
One of the most difficult challenges in China was the opposition of the government structure. While the people were very welcoming, the government was "very, very cautious," Paul noted. "We were watched - everything we did; they held onto our passports for days at a time; they bugged one of our rooms. It was a bit of an adventure in that we went where we really weren't wanted and there was very little freedom."
Chinese nationals are prohibited from going to church. At a service, Paul recalled, he had to present his passport to prove he was a citizen of a foreign country and be searched in order to enter the building. Missionary work is also unwelcome.
"So, they are prohibited there from proselytizing, but within the relationships, if you're asked about your faith, that's when you can really share about what's really important," Christie explained.
The first camp reached out to special needs kids. Some had Down Syndrome; a few others couldn't speak; some had physical or mental handicaps. "These kids just loved to be 'in a family,' and that’s exactly the way we did things," Paul said.
Recalling the second week, Paul shared about one boy who told him his story. "His dad died when he was two, grandparents when he was nine. Then his mother and another man packed up and drove him to the orphanage and dropped him off there. As these kids all loaded back onto the bus and it drove away, my heart just broke. I mean, what hope do these kids have? They're going back to the same old thing."
Christie added, "And the orphan workers, too, they need to know Christ."
Paul and Christie anticipate a continued partnership with the orphans’ outreach.
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China: Bringing Hope