The Chinese STM team started visiting the Belize Chinese today. Henry, Roger, Mrs. Ma and
Ernie went out together to visit the Cantonese speaking family that Henry made contact last year;
while Pastor Hsu, Pauline, and Michael visited the Mandarin speaking Chinese.
The Cantonese team visited 4 four families just minute away from our hotel. They were all small grocery shop owners. Our drivers is a devoted sister of the Chinese church and she knew all of these family and has been preaching the gospel to some of them. All of them are working long hours and cannot afford to close the shop to go to church on Sunday. One family has not shown much interest. Another shop owner said there is no time to go to church. As we asked more about his heavy burden and pressure in his life, he became more interested and open to hear about Jesus. We encourage him to try to ask Jesus to carry him when the burden is too heavy for him. We share with him that God love us and listen to our prayer, if we accept Jesus and pray in his name. Later we learned that he was robbed and shot a few months back and the bullet is still in his shoulder. Another shop owner remembered Henry from last year and enthusiastically welcome us. She accepted Christ but his husband has not and have no interest. Her 11 years old son is lovely, courteous and also helping to manage the store. Yet we later learn her husband has mistress. This lady is even willing to accept the mistress's child into the family and yet the
husband would not forego the extra-marital relationship. Another shop owner's son accepted Christ and yet his is not coming to church anymore. The family is troubled by bad gossip and the mother allowed us to pray for her worry. In the afternoon, we went to an older district to visit shop owners Henry met last year. These shops are tiny convenient store. The size of these shops is often 10-15 feet wide stocking with merchandize, while the family lives behind the store front. All the store blocked their front with iron bar and deal with the customer through small windows. The first shop owner we visited left his 15 years old son behind tending the shop with a hired
helper to visit relatives in America. The young boys is courteous and gentle. I saw loneliness, boredom and sadness as I talked to him. He is not open to talking since he is alone. All we can say to him is God love him. We later learn that he just lost his mother several months ago. Another shop owner we visited remember Henry from last year. She happily open up her iron gate to welcome us. She is very interested in knowing about Jesus and the church and talked to Henry for a long time. In the mean time, the sister driving us and I talked to her husband. We learnd that they just arrived 3 years ago from China with the husband's father. Three of them work from 6am to 9pm. They have a 2 years old and the wife is pregnant but they don't even know when the baby is due. The grand father also has to go out to work another job. The grand
father just have a bed to sleep in, surrounded by their merchandise. Their roof is leaking and the shop was flooded when heavy rain comes. I saw the weariness and sorrow in this mans face. He does not want to talk about Jesus, though he is open for his wife to learn. We prayed with his wife and asked God's mercy for this family. The last shop keeper we visited has been coming to church but struggled in how to deal with the traditions of worshiping ancester of her in-law back in China. We took time to encourage her to take one step at a time of her faith and put all her doubt and weakness into prayer. My heart ached as I soaked in the struggle of these families . I felt so limited in what we can offer to them. There is so much barrier for them to go to church and yet they need so much of the deliverance from Jesus. Our team did empower them with the promise that God care for the weak and down-trotted and He listen to prayer from those who cry out to God. Moreover, Henry and Ernie was able to help two children of the shop owners we visited in the morning to accept Christ as their Lord. In our evening bible study, we heard sharing from a sister who lost her husband a few years ago. While trying to raise her two son, she suffered from several bad surgeries herself in Belize and need to seek medical treatment outside of the country. She was down and despair but persevered by faith that God will take care of her and her sons. Her son accepted Christ. She is devoted in sharing Jesus with others and bring people to church. She is an inspiration to several of us and it is a blessing to be her co-worker.
Roger
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