One of the easiest ways to meet people here is to simply walk down the street. There are many street vendors, many of whom are Hui, who sell just about anything you can think of, from dishware to goldfish, trashcan bread (which is delicious, by the way) to hair bows – You can find it all here, and at pretty decent prices. As we pass these stands almost daily on our walks to school or to the market, we’re greeted with big smiles and hearty hellos!
While we pick things up at quite a few different stands, we do have several go-to street friends: Our fruit lady, peanut man, and bread lady, to name a few. We try to buy some things from the same locals so we can build relationships with them; many of the Workers here have been doing so for some time and have been able to share with them pretty extensively.
During one of our first weeks here we met a “bread man” selling a cart full of treats – Most of which we had never seen before (which just adds to the adventure!). This thickly built man wore a white, bowl shaped hat common among the Hui men here. We stopped to take a look at the baked goods, not knowing how he would receive our foreign faces. As he looked up at the new customers, a smile came across his face. He was very patient with our limited language (and by limited I mean maybe ten words between us) and even offered us samples of things we were curious about. We finally settled on a choice, which he bagged up and set on the scale. After telling us the price, the four of us tried to figure out the number he said, and, with a guess, we handed him some money. We apparently guessed correctly, and as we took the bag to leave, he said with a big grin on his face, in English, “1-2-3-4, bye!” Why he waited until that point to break out the English he knew, we have no idea, but it definitely made us laugh.
This is how simple it can be to find an open door for the Gospel – Visiting and talking with those we see on the street, bringing them homemade treats (another great way to meet people), doing what we can to show them they’re more to us than just vendors. Even short times spent with them can help them see that all people matter to us, because all people matter to God. We should praise Him and thank Him for helping us through more challenging times of sharing and because He often opens the door wide to sow broadly! Being foreigners here has been one of those blessed, wide-open doors. Rarely can we walk back home without our street friends calling us over to talk to them. The ladies hold our hands with sincerity while patiently listening as we practice the language we’ve learned that day.
What an easy way to tell them about the One True God! Please pray that we would be bold in sharing and that language would not be a hindrance. Pray that those we pass on the street each day will continue to show interest in us and in the Hope we have!