Sometimes living in China can be difficult – and there are several ways you can define ‘difficult.’
One of those is that your basic daily activities take a lot more time and energy than in the United States, which can easily be called the land of convenience. My kitchen here is narrow and small, and my refrigerator looks more like my college mini-fridge than the beautiful machine my mother used when I was growing up (momentary pause to dream about ice-machines…). I have to go to the grocery store or market almost every day to buy fresh veggies, eggs, milk, yogurt and anything else that needs to be refrigerated, and these trips usually take at least an hour out of every day, rather than a few hours two or three times a week. I won’t lie – It gets really old, really fast! We also live in a pedestrian culture, so we have to be able to carry home everything we buy. I’ve perfected the art of shopping with a stroller: My toddler gets to stay in the stroller until it’s time for his seat to be taken by fruits and veggies – then he ‘gets’ to walk home. (I always carry a backup backpack in case he throws a tantrum…I mean in case he decides he’d rather ride home and just pile the extra groceries on the hood of the stroller. Maybe that’s why our strollers wear out so fast…) I don’t think I’ve ever loved my husband more than on the day he figured out how to order dry goods in bulk and have them delivered!
One of the things I miss most is having a car. (Another momentary pause while I dream of the next time I’ll be able to drive…) The feeling of freedom that having a car gives is missed most when I’m taking my toddlers across the city. Or when I’m on my electric scooter and the temperature is below freezing. Or when I’m trying to find a taxi and explain to the driver where I want to go (after convincing him that yes, I can speak Chinese, and yes, I do know exactly where I want to go). Or when I’m taking public transportation and praying that my boys don’t have meltdowns, get too dirty or get separated from me. By the time we arrive anywhere, I’m already exhausted, so when the time comes to go back home, I’d rather just stay instead of having to do it all over again!
Added to groceries, small living spaces, and transportation issues, there’s also communicating in a second language that leaves you mentally depleted at the end of each day. The Chinese language has four tones, which means one word that sounds the same to a non-native speaker can actually have four different pronunciations, each with a different meaning! For example, depending on the tone used, the word ‘ma’ can mean ‘mother,’ ‘horse,’ ‘verbal abuse,’ or ‘leprosy.’ So yes, life in China can be difficult.
Another, more serious way to describe the difficulties of living in China has to do with being allowed to live in China at all. This can be an issue for many foreigners who are trying to study, work and live in China – But 1st Thessalonians 5:24 tells us that “He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.” And God is faithful, and He is opening doors for those called to China. God has gifted us all in unique ways, and when He calls us, He has a plan for how we can live here. Is God calling you? What gifts has He given you? Will you allow Him to do something in you today?
As overwhelming as life can be in China, when you’re here because He’s called you, there is always an underlying sense of joy. It doesn’t make sense (especially when my boys are crying, we’re still 30 minutes from home, and I still need to pick up vegetables for dinner)…
But there is JOY in living through the difficulties and seeing His providence work in the ways He allows us to live here. Please pray that those working in unfamiliar places will be rooted in the Lord and develop a love for China and her people!