Lima wasn't feeling well, so I went to the 3-self church alone. The service started with prayer and then singing 3 praise songs (2 Chinese, 1 English). The sermon focused on Isaiah 62. I recorded most of the service, using L's tape recorder. A surprise came when a friend of L's got up to give her testimony about her struggles and about how God lifted her through it using L. and other people in her life, along with some books. I snuck away to buy an English-Chinese TSPM Bible (rmb 28), since the bookstore only opened from 11am - 12 noon. I noticed that among some of the things for sale was a DVD of the "Jesus" film put out by Inspiration Films and the Genesis Project.
I met "J", "S", "D", and some new brothers, "N", "C", and "Gs" (who wasn't yet a believer). Also met "A" and "Y" from Angola. Had some lunch at the fellowship hall, then gathered with the Angolan brothers, "C", "Gs", and another Chinese-citizen brother visiting from New Orleans (he has a US green card).
Some of us shared how we all came to Christ. "C" shared how he met some Christians three years ago when he was a student at a university. He wasn't open at all first, but later became so. "C's" now very fervent about sharing his faith. He admits he was so much so at first that police took him to detention for a day for his activities. He says he was not wise and maybe a bit out of control in his zeal. "C" feels he is now more mature and wise about it.
"A" grew up in a Christian family and was a pastor and a teacher at one time in the Congo. He didn't do that much in Angola, as Angola was in the midst of a 27-year civil war which ended only 6 years ago or so. "A" says that the church in Angola is doing well there now. He and his friends are looking for possible import-export business opportunities in China. They've been in China for 2 months so far and hopes to be here for another 2 years. I gave him info about GICF, which he would check into.
There's a chamber concert taking place at the church on June 11. Might be kind of interesting to check it out.
I took bus with "J". "J" shared a lot of Bible verses with me. It almost seemed every other sentence he spoke was a Bible verse. It was interesting at first, but later got somewhat repetitive and tedious. Overall, "J" seems like a good guy with a head filled with knowledge about the Bible.
The evening Bible study, which I arrived late, was on John 13:1-17.
