5 years ago, I went to China barely able to say hello in Chinese. Now? I am able to share the gospel, introduce myself, blah blah blah.
It's so crazy how fast time has passed. And going into this year, I had a hunch that I wouldn't be going back to China at least for another two years. These past five mission trips have sparked a fire for missions in my heart, which grew into a huge flame for the lost. Each year there are some old CCVs, but mostly new ones, and each year God allows us to plant many seeds and reap some as well. I see how much they need the Gospel, how much they need Love, and how much they need God.
Each year I leave China with a tug on my heart (from the Lord) saying that I'll be back. This year... na da. And it isn't that my heart for Chinese people has grown smaller, but that my short term missions time in China has come to a close. I believe that now it is time to prepare for something more, something bigger.
I've come to realize that the tears that come when you leave new friends should be backed up by your actions when you are back at home. What I mean is that so many times we get so sad that people have to leave, or we have to leave people, but once the PMS (post missions syndrome) is over, we forget them like they never existed.
It's nice to have a heart for people. But God doesn't call us to simply have a heart for people, but He calls us into action.
