Hopefully, there will be a time in your life where a greater good will be presented and you will act on it.
In my case, it took place in China. Typically, during the summer I will travel to China to teach English in a summer camp. The kind of teaching we do is geared towards a conversational perspective rather than the ridged-ness of grammar.
Now I have been there four years and hopefully this summer I will be able to return.
For the past two years, I have renewed my friendship with about six kids that I have had as students in my class.
I almost feel like a parent to them. I am very proud of each of them. They have all retained much of their English skills considering the reduced level of practice they get.
Two of them go to the university in Beijing. One of them works for his dad who is in the local government. One is still in high school studying so that he can continue on to college – it is him that wants to move to the U.S. now. The last student, is working hard to learn English so that he can get a better job.
When I am there they always make the effort to come by and see me and talk for awhile. A couple even take me out to eat. These kids are a blast to be around and very good. In many ways they could be role models for kids here in America.
There is quite a bit more I would love to share but unfortunately some of that information would endanger a couple of them because of their government. Having said that, every time I get to see them is an answered prayer and with hope I will continue to get to see them as time goes on.
It is safe to say that while my time with them has been limited their impact on my life has been a dramtic event on me personally. Despite country differences in governing, the Chinese people are just like us. Hard working, Family focussed, and fully understand the world. They are not as backwards as most here people think.
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As a part of growing to be a better person I felt that I should do more in this world and I felt that God was tugging me in different direction. So with the encouragement of family and friends I went on a mission trip.
The man that was heading it up was named Jeff. He was a likable guy and we hit it off while we were overseas.
Now this particular trip we were doing construction and all sorts of other related work.
Practically the whole time we were there it was cold and rainy. We were assign to take these mud bricks out of these old shed and throw them out in the main yard so the rain would break them down and they were also hoping that the government would send a bulldozer to process the land.
Close to the end of that work assignment the person directing our work told us that this large hole had to be filled in.
Well Jeff stated that we should not worry about it if a bulldozer was coming that it could take care of the hole in one pass. Well, that did not sit too well with our boss and a little exchange started.
In the end, Jeff realized that he was wrong in questioning the orders. We were there for the people and we had to do it their way…not ours.
So Jeff decided to punish himself. He was going to fill in the hole by himself.
After a couple of minutes I decided to help him. He protested at first until I told him we were all there for a reason and I was there to support him as well. Bad or Good. I was there.
Apparently that simple act of helping impacted him. I did it because I felt I was being led to.
A couple of years later, Jeff ended his own life and I learned that he suffered from depression. No one knew except a couple of people that he was fighting with.
I wish I had known. So from that day on I try to be a better friend to everyone that I interact with.
From time to time I remember that day of standing with Jeff and filling a large hole. I wish his mental hole had not been so large and elusive.
Suicide is never an answer and we don’t know how God judges that. I guess I will see when I am in the presence of the Father whether or not if Jeff made it there. I hope so. But it’s not up to me.
