This was a train ride to remember for sure!
Before I get a story I would love to share with you, I want to describe the setting of this adventure. Here we GOOO!
Due to our tight budget, we chose to go with the seat option for the 14 hour train ride to get us more in the north of China. This train ride started at 8:00 PM and would go through the night until 10:00 AM the next morning. The first several hours were great! Filled with wonderful conversation & laughter-however the rest of the journey was a bit of a rough one in regards to trying to sleep.
Around 2:00 AM my eyes were drifting off, but the tight squeeze of sitting up in these community setting seats did not permit the adequate space needed to catch a good snooze.
I tried using ear plugs
I tried using my eye mask
After all the effort to get my pack up on the shelf-I wasn’t about to ask someone to help me take it down to grab my little pillow, haha!
I tried sitting up and sleeping
I tried to sleep with my head resting on my knees
I tried to sleep with my head on the table
I tried just about every way you could-then I finally resorted to traveling through the carts to find a different option
This train ride reminded me so much of one of the bus rides I had in the past in Nepal. It felt like it would go on forever but it was also so humorous to think about the situation too.
Side note: I got to a point where I found a spot on the floor outside of the toilet spot and laid on the floor there with my legs propped up by a random suitcase. I fell asleep for about 20 minutes finally before I felt a little kick from someones foot-a worker who seemed to be telling me in Chinese that it wasn’t allowed for me to sleep there. Bummer! So I got up & squeezed into my seat once again & sat up for the remainder of the ride. It’s in times like these that the real, raw you comes out. I find that laughing these not so ideal travel times off with joy is the best option, haha!
Anyways..back to my favorite memory of this train ride:
A little background information: Before we left for our 14 hour train ride through China I sat in my bunk bed praying for the trip that laid ahead of us starting that evening. I received a mental picture in my head-of a window, a table, and a gal sitting across from me in her seat-& we were reading through the bible together, with joy and excitement in our eyes!
Fast forward to boarding the train: I come to find out that my seat is actually surrounded by 4 gals. It was so nice to meet them & in that time I realized the same mental picture I received earlier that day was happening-except this time there were 4 girls instead of one!
I took out my bible to start reading as the train took off & it was within seconds that all 4 of those gals eyes plus quite a few men around were staring at me as if they had never seen a bible before (which could be quite true)
In this time I was able to share with them my journey of following Jesus as well as drew out the gospel message in a simple way(thanks Moran park!)
We spent probably at least two hours going through scriptures, asking questions, etc. I even had an opportunity to share with them that I believed God wants a relationship with them too!
It was was one of the coolest but also questionable situations i’ve been in so far because I realize that there is much suspicion when people are talking about their faith and could easily be counted as a spy or get into trouble for it. But by the grace of God, a crowd of about 7 others gathered around curious as to what we were talking about-& no one got anyone of us in trouble for it. Of course, yes we should use our discernment but also be willing to take risks. Holy spirit is the best guide for this, I am convinced!
Those gals were so precious & I found much joy in getting to know them, hearing their passions, dreams, and desires, & having the chance to share what I am most passionate about too.
It is such a delight to share the good news. It truly is.
That’s it for now friend, hope you have an incredible day filled with the peace & joy that comes from Heaven. You rock!
With gratefulness,
Kailey
