My friend Sophia and I were trying to share the gospel with her. She had difficulty understanding what we were saying because her first language is Mandarin (Chinese). Even though she had difficulty, through pictures and because of her strong desire to understand, I believe she understood most of what we were explaining.
How cool is that?
She wrote Michal's name in Chhinese characters.
She told me the meaning of the three characters are: rice-cut-girl. We can guess/speculate what the meaning of those Chinese characters have to do with Michal. We believe that names are very important. Names in the Bible were very important. God told me years ago what to name Michal. So her name is from God! Therefore, it makes a lot of sense that there would be deep meaning to her name in relation to who God has made her to be!
In Hebrew and the commonly accepted American meaning for Michal is "one who is like God".
I feel rice-cut-girl could be rice representing China, cut could represent the cleft lip and palate she will most likely have (the most common medical need we put down on our paperwork) and/or the fact that we will be taking her from China (kinda of symbolizing cutting her off/out of China) and of course she is a girl! God told us to adopt a girl & that is what our paper work is approved for.
Another meaning Matthew was told from some other people that speak Mandarin is rice-collect-girl. Maybe that speaks to what her family does. Maybe they are rice farmers. Only God knows and we cannot wait to find out!
All of this is God showing us His Soveringty more & more. Showing how well he planned all of this. Showing yet again that none of this is being done by accident or coincidence.
Angela told us about the Chinese Christian Church in China. She said there was a million people in one public church. Everything is censored by the Chinese government. The church passed out Bibles, but almost no one would take them even though it was an expensive, hard back, valuable book there in China. Those that took the Bibles had to hide them for fear of being teased, called stupid or possible danger from the government. She told how her husband who still lives in China hides his Bible high up on a shelf behind many other books. She said if the people in China really understood Christianity they would all receive salvation.
She left her job as a teacher in China to come to America to escape the oppression. For 5 years she hasn't had a job here, but she says no matter how hard it is here she chooses America. She said her neighbors in China were so oppressive that when she played music they would come over and ask what she was doing/yell at her for playing music. She said the people there lacked hope so much that they committed suicide all the time. Jumping off a thirteen story building.
She said her mom was constantly critical. Angela's mom would say she (her mom) herself was God and that many, many people in China hold the belief that they themselves are God. Wow. What a scary thought. If a person thinks they are God they have a license to do anything you want= Chaos.
She came here five years ago with her son who is currently attending SCAD to receive a degree in architecture. Her husband is still in China. He is a musician. He hopes to join them here in America after his son graduates, gets a job and can provide the money for him to travel here.
Angela says the oppression from her family and community was so great she never wants to return to China as long as she lives. They think she is stupid or crazy for believing in God and the truths of the Bible. Her family is angry that she left because she was a teacher and ran a school. She allowed all of the children in the family to attend the school for free, but she had to close the school when she left.
I am grateful that I met her and will have the chance to know her for at least the next year until her son gets a job and moves away. I am thankful she will be able to know Michal and teach her some Mandarine and some things about her country. Things I can't teach her, but things that are very much a part of who she is. It will be a joy to bless Angela back by helping her understand the Bible and encouraging her in her faith! God is so good! Praise Him from whom all blessings flow.
