Last Week in China - 1

Now that Kathy and I are back home in Ulaanbaatar, I have had a bit of time to reflect on our trip. China is so huge, and in the big cities you can feel and see the millions of dollars that the government is ready to spend when they focus on what they feel is best. The city streets are constructed well, at least in the main areas. The commercial buildings and city centers are growing rapidly and much of the architecture is excellent. The freeways connecting many of the cities are on par with the best in the world. The trains rolling through the countryside carry endless train cars of coal, steel and many other raw materials needed for the huge population of the country and for the military buildup going on. Trucks, too, roll through the country at a staggering rate. The feeling one gets is that the government does what it wants where it wants to better the country. To govern a billion people is not easy, and whether by good or evil methods and purpose, China is growing in leaps and bounds.

But as every country and government discovers sooner or later, there are powers beyond their control that cannot be conquered. The Christian scene in China, whether visible or invisible, is flourishing. God cannot be stopped. The more pressure put upon Christian individuals and churches, the more they will grow in number and quality.

Kathy and I were able to spend some short but wonderful time with friends who are dear to us, both Christian and non-Christian, who were so kind to us and who we had a great time with! We spent a few days in Shan Yin in Shanxi province and then took a train to Hohhot before flying home yesterday. We were so glad to have been in China, and now so glad to get back home to Mongolia, and it feels like home... :)

This is the first of two posts I will make today.

Kathy and I with friends we met at the church we attended

This is the church Kathy and I attended. The leader at the right is speaking

Our friends who took us to the church

One of the brothers we met :)

The church we went to...

Hairaa, her sister and Zulaa cooked us lunch :)

Zulaa our friend...

Our friend at a bookstore we met at...

Kathy and I went with our friends Hairaa and her sister to a new and very huge museum in Hohhot of the history of Inner Mongolia. Hohhot is one of the major cities in the province.

One of the reliefs showing stages in the history of the people

In front of the museum....

We went with Zulaa one afternoon to a Buddhist Temple in Hohhot. Afterward we went to her university to see where she is studying for her master's degree.