Reflections on the 2019 China Trip by Jack Peachee
Proverbs 27:17 says “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. As Christians, it is our duty to place ourselves in situations where we can both grow and allow others to grow, and the 2019 HCU trip to China proved to be a great environment for both. Mr. Ed Borges and Dr. Kristie Cerling took 10 students of various majors to China for the purpose of teaching and interacting with the students at Jinfeng Experimental School and we all found ourselves out of our depth in some way shape or form. But just as Proverbs says, we all came out sharper for it.
There was a general air of apprehension as we spent our first few days in China. The team the year before had had more time to meld with each other before they had touched down in Beijing, but this year’s team quickly became sharper than anyone expected. Within a few days we had become a functioning unit capable of both working hard and playing hard. Our growth as a team was reflected clearly in our interactions with the students. As our comfort grew in our residence, so too did it grow in the classroom. As we grew more connected with each other, the ease with which we were able to impact and connect with our students grew. But we weren’t the only ones to make an impact! Each and every one of our students had little places in our hearts. Our exchanges with the students came through in various forms: from small conversations each day to the snacks they’d bring to us in our off-time.
All in all, I think we’d all agree that while it was incredible to see wonders of the world like the Great Wall, the real value of our trip came in the form of our little students and with the connections we made with each other. Genesis 11 explains the story of why man speaks different languages. It’s nice to know that with our hearts focused on God, we can overcome such boundaries!