因为在神没有一件事是不可能的

This post should have been put up on the 4th of July. That was the day I arrived in China in 2007. But my lack of time on Friday kept me from writing.

I've learned a lot about myself, God, and people in general over this year. I've been challenged in nearly every area of my life and come out on top only to be challenged again.

Not everything is serious, of course, there are the humorous things like being better with a pair of chopsticks and a fork and knife. Asking people what they earn and expecting them to answer. Rolling my pants up to my knees whenever I sit down. Looking in other foreigners shopping baskets to see what a foreigner eats. Not wondering why people are staring at me, but wondering why somebody isn't staring at me. Having to ask somebody if they speak Chinese (in Chinese) to shake them from assuming they won't understand me. Spitting bones and anything else out directly onto the table. Trust me, the list goes on and on!

Those are just the little things though.

We'll start with other people. If anything I've learned that I can't trust people nearly as much as I would like to. I would like to just be able to believe what people say but it doesn't work that way. There are always two sides to everything. It's true that nothing is as it seems and out here that rule seems to be multiplied by a gazillion. I've had more people try to rip me off than Solomon had wives.

Now let's move onto self. I've discovered that I still have no discipline. Sure I run sometimes and I study sometimes and I read sometimes. None of those things are something I do all the time though. It seems like the only thing i can be disciplined with is music. It took me a year out of college to figure that out. Once I'm not forced to do something is when i will find out how much I actually want to do it.

Now on to God and more directly, fellowship. I can't remember if I wrote about this or not. There is a huge difference between not going to church just because and not going to church because it's just not there. I was completely without any like-minded friends for about 8 or 9 months and I don't think I have ever been closer to Him than I was during that time. We're told not to "forsake the gathering of the saints" but it says nothing about not having any saints to gather with. Now it's a little presumptuous to compare China to jail, but i imagine that while it was impossible for the early saints to fellowship in jail, God was closer to them then ever. It's the attitude of staying faithful when there is no one else around. He comes even closer in those times. I almost wish I didn't find a church because now I don't feel as close to Him (call me blasphemous if you want).

Over all it's been a wonderful year and I look forward to many more in Asia.