The Everyday Club

3/14/12      Shufa and Ah-She     both about 25
Two church brothers joined me for a witnessing outreach and we met two IIT graduate students from China, Shu-fa and Ah-Che (not sure of spelling) They were friendly and polite in talking about their ideas about life after death, which were limited to a few shows on the Discovery Channel about people who had "died" physically and been resuscitated. They knew little of any major world religions, but did mention a local belief in a creator god that has no English name. However, they didn't even believe in their own cultural ideas of god, which seemed to be limited to something they were to make some sort of offerings to in order to receive good luck or blessings in this life. They were really unconcerned for their fate in the afterlife, but my questions really got them curious. Just then one of my companions from church, who is very new to witnessing, joined our conversation and asked bluntly "So do you know how you can be saved?" He was well-meaning but didn't realize how different their world-view is, to the point that a question like this would be impossible for them to comprehend at this time. I'm sure I'm often wrong about exactly how God is working in people's lives, but I do believe that as Christians who want to share our faith we have to see ourselves simply as one part in a long procession of people and events that God brings into people's lives, orchestrated perfectly by the Holy Spirit. Shufa and Ah-che showed a lot of interest so I gave them some books to read and invited them to our church, where other Chinese IIT students already attend. They also told me of a student friend of theirs at college who has recently become a Christian. When we see ourselves as just one part of God's church and God's great plan, suddenly the task of evangelism doesn't seem so impossible!