Hi Everyone!
Here is a brief report for the China trip this summer. This is my third time visiting and teaching at Yanbian University of Science & Technology, located in a rural city of the northeast corner of China, called Yanji, where the other side of town is North Korea.
What is so unique about this university is that all faculty members are the volunteering Christian professors with mission in mind. Although this university is under control of the communist government and the Bible teaching is forbidden, the campus atmosphere is full of Christian flavor and spirit.
I taught the environmental engineering course and had 85 students. Most classes have about 25 students, but my class was very popular. We discussed at class about the environmental contamination and how to clean it. I also talked about the contamination of our heart and how to clean it at the same time without actually referring to the Bible. They knew I was talking the bible and seemed to like my teaching style.
When students enter this university, most of them do not understand about God, Jesus, Bible, salvation, love, sharing prayers, etc.., all these Christian stuff. But four years later by the time they graduate from school, half of them become Christians and the other half are almost there. The Chinese society has a very good impression from the graduates of this university because they work very diligently with honesty and integrity. Getting a job after graduation is 100%!
During the summer time, it is very hot and humid. Domestic water is supplied only three time a day, so you have to schedule accordingly to take a shower or go to the bathroom. There is no toilet papers in a toilet room. So if you don't carry your own pocket tissues, you will have many embarrassing moments. Even if you carry the toilet papers, you are not supposed to put them in the toilet bowl after you finish your business. The sanitary system can not take the toilet papers and you have to put it in a separate basket.
Traffic in town is impossible; automobiles, buses, taxis, bicycles, and pedestrians are all intermingled and flow together in the street and nobody keeps the traffic signs. Taxis are passing you by inches away. When you buy something in the market place, you will get ripped off very easily if you are not careful. To negotiate, you have to cut down more than 50 % of their asking price to start with and then, ending up buying something at 30 % of the original asking price. Illegal copies of DVDs are sold very cheap in the street market. They like to cut corners whenever they have chances. That is their life style and they do not see anything wrong with the way they do the business.
That is why this university is emphasizing honesty and integrity and Christian like living. If this university can produce good Christian graduates, the impacts that these young people will make on the Chinese society will be tremendous. If even one student at my class is touched through my teaching, I think my trip is worthwhile. Thank God!
Ted
