On July 2, 2019, after almost six years in Beijing, Mark and
I will move back to the US. We are in the process of selling our possessions,
closing out our apartment, and saying goodbye to people we love in Beijing,
China.
How does one leave the mission field? We never called
ourselves missionaries because Mark pastored an established international church
in Beijing. We did not go to Beijing to start something new, to plant a new
church, but to carry on something already established – to encourage, to teach,
to disciple, to evangelize internationals living in Beijing.
It really feels strange to be returning to our US home.
Although Mark initially committed to two years as an interim pastor, we fell in
love with the people, the intimacy, the diversity, the broadness, the
adventure, etc. – everything that makes up serving the Lord in a foreign, urban
megacity. On one level, we do not want to leave Beijing. We feel like we are
leaving people that we love behind. We feel like we are leaving a task
unfinished.
For example, one Sunday several months ago, we had a brief
conversation with a shy, quiet family whom I thought would be the kind to pop
in and pop out, people who would just come to observe but not appreciate the
teaching or participate in church life. How wrong I was. Not long after we met
them, they told us they planned to move to another city. Yet, they confessed
that after being at BBC for several months, they wish they were not leaving. At
BBC, they discovered a gospel-based, intentional church that they want to
participate in.
In addition, I look around BBC and see God working in so
many of our people. People study God’s Word on their own initiative. For
example, Hutch gathered Oliver and Emmanuel both from Liberia to study the book
of Romans. Young men from various countries came to our home to study biblical
manhood. Viktor from Belarus reached out to many Russian-speakers in the city
and invited some to BBC. The community groups gathered and gelled as a way to
build Christian fellowship. Often I can walk into BBC and sense the deepening
walk with the Lord – an ongoing answer to prayer.
These situations remind us that we leave a task unfinished. It
reminds us that we leave behind people that we love and appreciate. A few
people, like Ashley, came to BBC at the same time we did. We’ve known her and
walked the Christian life with her for almost six years. We met the Gonzalez
family during our first year and have walked beside them in their Christian faith,
discussing faith, marriage, parenting, etc. We have rejoiced to see God work in
parents to bring the gospel to their families and children grow in knowledge
and obedience of the Lord. We have watched with awe as God saves people from
their sin, and they hunger and thirst for righteousness and Christian
fellowship. I can’t name everyone whom we love and will miss; there are too
many.
How do we walk away from ministry here? I know others have
done it and will always leave a field for various reasons. I know that the
Church is God’s Church, not ours, and he will not let the gates of hell prevail
against it. He will not let it fail. Yet we have felt privileged to participate
in this part of his Church.
Mark says that he can help GBC. Of course, he can. He would
benefit and provide structure and strategy any place he landed. At the moment,
it feels like we are quitting while the going is good – while God is working. I
feel like we are walking away from God’s calling here. God obviously is opening
the door for us to return yet it feels empty, simple, and backward – like
leaving loved ones behind, like leaving a task unfinished.
Pray for Beijing Baptist Church as they search for a new
pastor. Pray for us as we face a new season of trusting the Lord and transitioning
back to our passport country.
