A Wonderful Experience

Tonight we had a wonderful experience. I have had a boy coming to my class who isn't a student at QU but he is going to America to school next semester so is getting in on English classes. He is the one who called and told me that I had taught him to be a man, a light man.

He asked on Tuesday if Mike and I could come to his home for dinner tonight. What an experience it was. They picked us up in a beautiful new Buick that had TV's for each seat, etc. and drove to their apartment building where they lived on the top floor. Where most families in Qingdao have only two bedrooms and the kitchen, bath and living room this one had a nice office and dining room with the bedroom, etc. on the main floor and then there was a 2nd floor where Tom had his bedroom/bathroom and there was a door to a patio area outside. Everything was well decorated and tastefully done.

They had bananas, oranges, and apples out for us to eat before dinner and offered us wine. The parents were in the kitchen for quite a while when we got there and then we were invited to the dining room were 12 dishes were out on the table. There was a fish, huge shrimp, beef, a lamb dish, some type of pickled egg, chicken, some vegetable, a pork dish, a peanut dish and then they brought out dumplings that were outstanding. They just kept putting more food on our plates and filling our glasses (sorry--with orange juice, not wine). After dinner we went into the living room and then they brought out a peanut filled rice dumpling for dessert.

It was really fun to visit with them. They seemed to understand what we were saying even though they don't seem to speak any English.

Tom said that we were the first foreigners that they had ever had in their home and that they had spent the whole week getting ready, cleaning windows and doing other things to be ready for us. What an experience.

While his parents were out of the room Tom told us that his father had a question about the Bible. I cannot tell you how much I wanted to be able to ask what it was. Instead we had to say, "We are sorry but we promised your government that we would not discuss religion while we were here." He said, "But we are just friends here in our home," and we had to say "We know that and we would love to but we aren't going to break our promise. When you come to America you can come to our home and we'll try to answer your questions." We hope that day will come.

It was a delightful experience. They seemed so honored and excited to have us there and we certainly felt like honored guests. As we left they gave us an nice Christmas gift box that contained a square mirror with three red and white striped candles. What a memorable night.