No Longer the Only Light in a Dark Room

Chunsun (meaning “spring bamboo”) is a collective pseudonym for writers ministering to Chinese people in sensitive situations.

Moving to China, experienced teachers warned us: be prepared to be the only light in dark rooms. While there is a chance you may have a brother or sister among your students, most likely there will be none.

This is what we expected; we were ready for it. When we arrived, however, we found something quite different. The Father was already at work in our city and our classrooms, much more than we expected. Rather than being the only light in dark classrooms, we found other lights amidst the darkness – students the Father claimed as his own long before we arrived.

Where are these students coming from? Surely, the veteran teachers who warned us were not wrong? No, they were not wrong, but the work of the Father is changing this place, down to the faces in the classrooms where we teach.

On my first day of class, I briefly introduced who I am, where I am from, and what I believe. After saying I was a Christian, I heard a voice pipe up from the back of the room. “Oh! Me too!”

Later, my wife came to eat with several students and me. Walking to lunch, a different student dropped behind the group and looped her arm in my wife’s. “What do you believe?” the student asked. “Why do you believe it?” As my wife answered her questions, the student’s eyes lit up. She squeezed my wife’s arm tighter. “I believe that too!”

Suddenly, we weren’t simply walking with a student; we were walking with a sister. 

These students are an encouragement to us in our work; but more importantly, we strive to be an encouragement to them in their work. One student told us that she is the only believer in her dorm. At times, the other students question what she is doing, reading her Bible so much. But she is a light in a place where we cannot be, and she has conversations that we cannot have. 

I had the privilege of hearing of one such conversation. At lunch with her and another student, I listened to them talk about what they believe. 


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“I love English,” the other student said, proud of the fact. “English is my religion.” She wasn’t interested in anything else. The believing student jumped in and said, “But God created English. If you love English, you should love the God who created it.”

This was not work I was doing; it was work the Father was already doing, work he already had been preparing workers to do.

We cannot live in the dorms, or be in every class, or converse about the Bible in the students’ native language. But we can encourage our brothers and sisters who can do these things. Earlier this year, we had several of these students over to hear from them about their experiences as believers on campus. 

One student honestly told us that it is hard. Sometimes it is discouraging. “I have to make decisions between going to church and making my roommates happy,” she said. “Sometimes, I do not have the energy to be a part of all that my roommates are doing and also spend the time that I need to at church and in the Bible.” 

Another student told us that he has had to learn to live with others. Last semester, he struggled with a roommate about sharing their space. This semester, he realized that he was causing problems as well, and rather than continue fighting, he began to pray for his roommate. He followed up this prayer by going to his roommate to ask for forgiveness. It was hard, he said, but it was the right thing to do. And since then, he has seen much of the tension go out of their relationship. 

As these students live in the dorms and interact daily with their classmates, they have many more opportunities than we do to share the Truth. We do our work: hosting events, teaching classes, having lunches and dinners to talk together. But they reach areas that we cannot.

We know that the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. How much we rejoice then to meet other workers! We are not the only workers in this harvest field; we are not venturing into some distant land untouched by the Father’s hand. He was at work here before we arrived.

As you think of the workers you know in China, be praying that God will show them the fellow believers around them. Pray for those fellow believers, just as you pray for the workers you know. The Father is doing work here in a myriad of ways, and we are privileged to have relationships that allow us to see some of those ways.

And so we continue working, even when the harvest is difficult, and the road is rough. We continue because we have seen the Father’s work through those who came before us. We continue because we know that we will not remain the only lights in a dark room, and that there is no corner of this Earth that the Father’s light cannot touch.

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Further Reading

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA

With rising pressure and persecution in China, there are two challenges imperative for church leaders. The first challenge is for current leaders to love Christ above all else, and not to stray into legalism or love of the world. The second challenge is to raise up the next generation of leaders, who will humbly model Jesus even if current leaders are arrested.

WILL YOU JOIN US IN PRAYING FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN CHINA? PRAY FOR:

  1. Current leaders to grow in their daily walks with Christ
  2. Current leaders to shepherd and raise up new leaders
  3. New leaders who love Christ and will model him to the world
  4. New leaders to love and care for the church

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ABOUT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

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Shenyang is a city located in northeastern China and is the capital of Liaoning Province. It is known for its rich history and cultural heritage, including the Shenyang Imperial Palace, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shenyang is also a hub for China’s heavy industry, with companies such as the China First Automobile Group and the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation having their headquarters in the city.

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Qingdao is a city located in eastern China and is famous for its beaches, beer, and seafood. The city is home to several landmarks, including the Zhanqiao Pier and the Badaguan Scenic Area. Qingdao is also a major port and has a thriving economy, with industries such as electronics, petrochemicals, and machinery.

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About Xiamen

Xiamen is a city located in southeastern China and is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful coastal scenery, including Gulangyu Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The city is also a hub for China’s high-tech industry, with companies such as Huawei and ZTE having research and development centers in Xiamen.

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About Guangzhou

Guangzhou, also known as Canton, is a city located in southern China and is the capital of Guangdong Province. It is one of the country’s largest and most prosperous cities, serving as a major transportation and trading hub for the region. Guangzhou is renowned for its modern architecture, including the Canton Tower and the Guangzhou Opera House, as well as its Cantonese cuisine, which is famous for its variety and bold flavors. The city also has a rich history, with landmarks such as the Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and the Temple of the Six Banyan Trees. Additionally, Guangzhou hosts the annual Canton Fair, the largest trade fair in China.

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About Kunming

Kunming is a city located in southwest China and is the capital of Yunnan Province. Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its mild climate, Kunming is a popular tourist destination due to its natural beauty and cultural diversity. The city is home to several scenic spots, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Stone Forest, Dian Lake, and the Western Hills. Kunming is also famous for its unique cuisine, which features a mix of Han, Yi, and Bai ethnic flavors. The city has a rich cultural history, with ancient temples and shrines like the Yuantong Temple and the Golden Temple, and it’s also a hub for Yunnan’s ethnic minority cultures, such as the Yi and Bai peoples.

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About Shenzhen

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About Chengdu

Chengdu is a city located in the southwestern region of China, and the capital of Sichuan province. It has a population of over 18 million people, and it is famous for its spicy Sichuan cuisine, laid-back lifestyle, and its cute and cuddly residents – the giant pandas. Chengdu is home to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where visitors can observe these adorable creatures in their natural habitat. The city also boasts a rich cultural heritage, with numerous temples, museums, and historical sites scattered throughout its boundaries. Chengdu is a city of contrasts, with ancient traditions coexisting alongside modern developments, making it an intriguing and fascinating destination for visitors to China. 

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