GOD'S HIDDEN TREASURE:
THE PEOPLE OF CHAI ZI
Jesus said, "the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then, in his joy, he goes and sells all he has and buys that field." (Mt 13:44) First, just to be clear, you do NOT have to sell all that you have to purchase eternal life. Jesus paid the price for our salvation once and for all! When I read this verse, I believe the "hidden treasure" Jesus is speaking of are those people in the world who have not yet heard how much He loves them.
Twelve years ago, I "discovered" God's hidden treasure in the remote mountain village of Chai Zi, located in Qinghai Province, China. While videotaping their annual Nadun celebration, I was invited to the master's home for a meal. At the time, I had no idea how God would knit our hearts together...
In 2001, I returned to Chai Zi with several friends, and we celebrated the purchase and installation of a well pump, which carried the water from the river up the mountain. They welcomed us back to the village with a parade, songs, and of course, and amazing meal! I had no idea it would be eleven years before I would return to Chai Zi once again...
On May 10, 2012, I arrived back in the village of Chai Zi at the very moment the villagers were struggling in the pump house trying to get the water pump to work. Several months before my arrival, they had collected money from every family in the village and gave it to a government official with the hope that they would be able to replace the broken pump and leaking irrigation pipes. Unfortunately, the official took off with their money and the villagers were left to fend for themselves. Needless to say, the timing of my arrival in the village caused quite a stir!
But, I do not think it was a mere coincidence that I arrived at exactly the moment they were trying to repair the water pump. Proverbs 16:9 says that, "the heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." Before I left the United States on April 28th, I must have changed my itinerary more than a dozen times! Right before I left, I settled on arriving in Chai Zi on May 10, 2012. However, after traveling up an incredibly steep and dangerous mountain earlier that day in search of Chai Zi, we discovered that the village was 18 kilometers in the opposite direction. By that time, it was late in the afternoon and a storm was moving into the area. Once we made it back down the mountain, we had all but given up on making it to Chai Zi... But, we were about to see what it looks like when God establishes your steps!
After getting lost again, we finally located the village of Chai Zi at about 6:30 p.m. on the evening of May 10, 2010 - at the exact moment the villagers were working on the well pump! For the villagers, my arrival was an act of Providence. In fact, my friend who was interpreting for me, told me that they were calling me 'living buddha.' (By way of background the Tu practice both Buddhism and animism.) Unsure of what they meant by this, I asked my friend for clarification. He told me that, from their perspective, the timing of my arrival in the village at the moment of their greatest need meant that God truly cared about them. Well, we could certainly agree on that point!
While these beautiful people may be "hidden" from much of the world because they live in the remote mountains of northwest China, they are not hidden from God. He sees them. He knows them. He loves them. To date, I have not been able to share the Gospel with them in words primarily because the Tu have no word for Jesus in their language. In addition, they have no cultural or religious frame of reference that includes a God who loves them - so much so that He would sacrifice His one and only Son to keep them safe, rescue them from danger, make them well, and restore their health. Nevertheless, I am convinced that they have seen and recognize God's love for them because He put His love for them into my heart and I have expressed that love in my actions. Although initially skeptical of my connection with these people, my friend who traveled with me recognized the love of God in my heart for the people of Chai Zi and that softened his heart!
I believe God's most powerful weapon is His love in action! His love transcends spoken language and speaks right to a person's heart. Although the people of Chai Zi do not yet identify Jesus as the source of the love they feel from God, today they know that God truly cares about them. And there is no greater foundation on which to build than His love...
If you would like to join me and demonstrate the love of Jesus in action to the precious people of Chai Zi, please send your tax deductible gift to:
Forward Church
3500 Highway 34 E.
Suite 15
Sharpsburg, GA 30277
OR
You can contact me directly at:
tricia.cunningham@yahoo.com
We are raising funds to purchase and install a new well pump and replace the leaking drinking water and irrigation pipes in Chai Zi. The drinking water project will cost $1,500.00 and the irrigation pipe project will cost $11,000.00. Total cost: $12,500.00 (U.S. funds)
Po han le bah (Thank you!)
Po han le bah (Thank you!)
Tricia
