Divine Appointments and Vicki

Right before I left Dallas, I got a text from a friend who said they were praying for "divine appointments" for me during my trip to China. That phrase has been on my mind ever since and I have tried to be aware of, receptive to, and prepared for "divine appointments".

Vicki (and family).

Beautiful, tan, and just the right amount of skinny, Vicki, a mom of 5, was squeezed between me and the car seat her youngest child was strapped into. Three of her kids sat in front of us and her other two kids (he only daughter and husband) sat across the aisle. Dallas to Detroit; It was the first leg of my long journey to Beijing.

As a rule, I generally introduce myself to my neighbor as soon as I buckle my seatbelt. I mean, if we are going to be sitting thigh-to-thigh for a few hours, it is only proper to know each other's name. But, as I sat down next to Vicki, I immediately started asking all the usual questions about her kids and if they travel often as a family and if they are from Texas or just visiting. After 10 minutes of chit-chat, I begin to think that Vicki may be a "divine appointment".

Already, through our conversation, I could tell that she was a christian. So, I began to ask deeper questions. Like, how did she know her husband was "the one"; and what is her favorite quality about her husband; what sort of marriage advice she wished she had heard before they got married; what kind of Bible studies she was involved in; and what are some of the spiritual and emotional challenges to being a mom to five young kids. You know, those types of questions that a complete stranger on an airplane really shouldn't ask you. But, I was feeling bold and thought that Vicki had something to teach me.

Vicki was so kind and open, sharing many personal stories. One of the things she shared is that marriage isn't always rainbows and sunshine. No matter how strong of a relationship or how passionate a love the most important thing in a marriage is sharing a foundation built on Jesus. A marriage built on the firm foundation of Jesus can survive storms. The hardest part is choosing to never ever give up.

What a great lesson! And, it is one that I have shared recently with different readers when we get to Luke 6:46-47. The storms of life (or marriage) come no matter if you are a Christian or not. You can't prevent storms. But a life centered around belief in Jesus and doing what he says, builds a strong foundation of faith ready to survive the storms. Or, as one of my readers put it, faith in Jesus makes the roots of your life grow long and deep into the ground so that you won't be blown over when the strong winds come. Wish I could have kept the drawing that accompanied this insightful summation.

In my mind, sitting next to Vicki was a "divine appointment". Our brief time together was like adding a little extra reenforcement to my foundation of faith.

Finally Catching my Breath

This is Julie's SIL posting for her.  She is unable to access her blog from China.  This is an update from several days ago.  

It is Tuesday night here in Beijing.  I arrived safely on Saturday night and have stayed busy ever since!  There is so much to share and I am tempted to blurt it all out at once - but instead, I will take a deep breath and share one story at a time.

We began our reading sessions on Monday and I read with 5 women.  Each on varying levels of interest in and prior knowledge of The Bible - but all excited to have a chance to practice their English skills, which are also at varying levels.

Dawn.

Like I said before, it is Tuesday night and I just finished a long day of reading.  This afternoon I had my second reading session with Dawn.  Dawn is 36 years old, married to a successful stock broker and lives on the 26th floor of the building next to where I am staying.  Earlier today she texted me (my teammates and I were issued cell phones when we arrived and like in America, everyone here texts instead of calling) and asked if we could meet  at her home instead of the KFC (yes, a real Kentucky Fried Chicken and no, I haven't eaten there yet) where we usually meet our readers.  I was thrilled to say yes.  Not only because KFC can get loud and crowded or because KFC is farther away or because KFC smells like they just painted the walls - but, just like in the U.S., it is such a treat to be in someone's home and I jumped at the chance to see a typical Chinese home.

Dawn first learned English about 15 years ago while in university but didn't get a real chance to practice it until about 10 years ago when she signed up for a program that used the Bible as a text to teach English - very similar to Let's Start Talking.  So, Dawn has already heard many stories about Jesus - but, that's all they are, just stories.  She knows the characters and she knows the plot.  I pray that she will come to know and deeply connect to the meaning.

Today, we read Luke 1:26-38, which is the story of how the angel told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.  She was very interested in talking about the word "holy" and what that meant.  The word "holy" was much easier to explain than "Holy Spirit" which we also spent some time discussing.  We snacked on fresh apples and pears and sipped on some type of juice while we talked and our hour together went by quickly.

Before leaving, I learned my first Chinese sentence.  Ni Hao Ke Ai. (knee-how-ck-I)  You are so cute!  I got a lot of practice saying this because Dawn has the sweetest 4 month old baby boy!

Dawn and I will read again on Friday.  Please pray!

If you want to contact me - please send an email.  I can't check my blog (updating via email) or facebook.  Email is juliereagan(at)gmail.com.

And She's Off!

Just incase you're checking in on my long lost blog - I wanted to let you know that (depending on internet access) I'll be posting some new updates regarding my trip to China with Let's Start Talking.  I'm leaving today and will be gone for four weeks!

Check back for updates!  Please pray for safety, boldness, and friendship!