Before going to China, international missions was kind of a new concept for me. I had previously been on a summer trip to Canada, but in terms of cultural differences, I was not too shocked by that experience. As I prepared for China, I knew I was preparing for an experience unlike anything I had known before. I had heard stories from friends who had previously been to China, as well as general stories about the persecution believers can experience. Then it came time for me to begin my own journey.
We were immersing ourselves in the lives of the Hui, a minority group comprised of about 15 million people across China. At first, I was not entirely sure how four people were going to have an impact on such a significant amount of people who are, for the most part, completely unreached. However, through our own experiences and the stories that we heard along the way, it has become so apparent that God’s power can be directed through just a few people – as long as we are willing to commit.
As a short-term group with very little knowledge of Mandarin, we were not able to have conversations with every individual that we came across, but we had many opportunities to witness the need among the Hui and some of the work that is already being done to reach them. We saw a seemingly endless supply of mosques and an immense amount of people who we knew were living in a lost world. We heard stories from individuals who are serving in the field about the Hui and how deeply ingrained their Muslim beliefs are. We learned how it can be tough to have an impact in that area of their lives when there are so few Hui believers to work alongside.
Yet despite the general depravity of the Hui and their rigid lifestyle choices, God can still work in their lives via individuals who are committed to taking bold action. We were able to interact with individuals who in less than a year had taken immense steps in reaching out to the Hui living among them. In our own experience, we were able to see that it is not hard to find Hui people, and relationships can be made with the assistance of bold and persistent attitudes. If the Gospel is our intention and relationships are our path to spreading it, then there is an abundance of opportunity. I can honestly say I was surprised, but also encouraged to see that a few individuals can have an impact on a community that seems so vast. I can only imagine the kind of impact that will continue to be made as more people commit to boldly step out and seek to make the Gospel known. The Hui people out here are hurting, but they are not hiding.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for God to call more workers into His harvest among the Hui.
- Pray that many churches will begin sending people to work among the Hui and proclaim the Gospel.