M is for Missionary
“Ladies,
ladies. Please settle down and find your
seats. We are about to begin.” Using her
hands, Hannah Saunders shushed the crowd of women. “Who is ready to begin digging into God’s
Word? I know I am. We have a great weekend planned but first let
us get to know each other. I want you to
locate someone you don’t know and find your similarities by asking a few
questions. Look to the screen above me if you need suggestions. Go.”
Lisa
Sparrow glanced at the list provided and patiently looked around for a newbie
she could encourage. She had been coming
to these retreats since moving to China eight years ago and had been blessed
every time. Finally spotting a timid
woman in the corner she approached her and boldly asked the first question on
the list. “Do you enjoy cooking?”
A shocked
Olivia White answered, “No, I don’t. Do
you?”
“Not
really. My favorite phrase of my
husband’s is ‘Honey, let’s go out tonight.’
It always makes me feel special.
Managing a household is hard work!
Oh, by the way I’m Lisa Sparrow.”
Shaking the
extended hand Olivia smiled, “Olivia White, nice to meet you. I guess the next question is ‘How long have
you been married and how many children?’”
“Ten years
and two children. What about you Olivia?”
“Six
months, no children. We just arrived
here so that answers question three.”
Not missing
a beat Lisa continued, “We have been doing M work eight years and I have to say
that this particular resort is my favorite place to visit. I always come away from these weekends
refreshed. Have you had much time to
travel yet?”
Confused, Olivia asked, “Excuse me Lisa,
but what is M work?”
“M work is our term for what we do
here. It is short for missionary work,”
Lisa answered matter-of-factly.
”Oh, I see. That makes sense. To answer your question we have not had time
to travel yet but we plan a trip to Chengdu soon to visit the U.S. Consulate.”
“So, you
are American then,” Lisa concluded.
“Yes, from
Arkansas. What about you? Where are you from? I hear an accent but I don’t do well with
placing them yet,” Olivia lowered her eyes and whispered.
“The U.K.
just outside of London.” Gingerly placing her hand on Olivia’s arm Lisa
encouraged, “And don’t be ashamed of that Olivia. You will learn quickly about other cultures when
you meet enough people.”
“I hope you
are right,” Olivia nearly shouted over the timer signaling the end of the
icebreaker.
“Lisa, do
you want to introduce us to your new friend?” Hannah the M.C. asked. “Please stand up both of you.”
Avoiding
eye contact an embarrassed Olivia held tightly onto the only person she knew in
the room.
“This is
Olivia White from Arkansas, United States.
She is newly married and newly arrived in China. First time doing M work. Her answer for love and grace was lovely. I hope she can share it if asked. Ladies please let us give a warm welcome to
Olivia.”
Quieting
the applause Hannah first thanked Lisa before turning to Olivia, tenderly
asking, “And what have you learned about
love and grace in your walk with God so far?”
Gaining
confidence Olivia asserted, “Love is boundless and Grace is immeasurable. But, neither exists without the other. Just like George Bailey in ‘It’s A Wonderful
Life’ I shudder to think what my life would be like without either one of God’s
gifts. If you haven’t watched the
classic American film I highly recommend it.”
From the back of the room a loud
“Amen to that one,” came from an African-American sister, Sheila, who stood up
and continued, “I love that movie, watch it every Christmas. But I love that
comparison even more. It makes you
think. Life without God’s love and
grace? No thank you!” Sheila shook her
head. “Thanks for sharing Olivia and I know that we all look forward to getting
to know our new American sister serving HIM in China! Can I get another Amen?”
A unified chorus of “Amen” resounded
in the room and reverberated off the walls changing forever the life of timid
Olivia White embarking on a new adventure.
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