My parents came to know Christ by experiencing the kindness of a Christian stranger who welcomed and cared for them when they had no way of returning. This theme of strangers bringing the gospel became central to our family’s story. My parents first received the gospel and then lived through it by caring for missionaries and international students.
Twenty years have passed since then, and I have become someone else again. During my short-term internship in the Middle East, I lived among people of various ethnic and religious backgrounds and met the true faces and souls of people who have conflicts that are not often reported in the media.
At the end of that internship, I visited a friend in Hungary. There, we unexpectedly encountered hundreds of refugees camping in and around the station. Suitcases, clothes and food were scattered on the ground. This scene reminded me of when Jesus saw the crowds “suffering and scattering like sheep without a shepherd, and he had compassion on them” (Matthew 9:36). Jesus then encouraged his disciples to pray that God would send out workers for the harvest.
That encounter stayed with me ever since, and I ended up returning to the area three years later to join the Medical Refugee Service.
It was humbling to enter a different cultural background as a stranger.
It was humbling to leave behind familiarity and enter a different cultural context as a stranger. Grocery shopping turned into a long detour due to miscommunication in broken Arabic. During the home visit, all I could do was pray in childlike words for God’s comfort and healing. Sometimes people pointed out my unfamiliar face. But there was also a deep sense of joy.
A refugee teenage girl participating in a Bible study told me how the gospel changed her life and how she discovered that she is loved by her heavenly Father and eternal daughter. When she was forced to leave her home in Syria and be labeled a “refugee” and settle elsewhere, her face lit up, knowing that nothing could separate her from God’s love.
The gospel was the greatest gift of all other aids.
In her own words, the gospel was the greatest gift of all help. The gospel does not erase the challenges of being a stranger, but God meets us in them.
After spending time in the Middle East, my journey of faith as a stranger continued when I felt God’s call to study theology in the United States. In 2023, I attended a conference called Arise Asia. This conference brings together young believers from all over the world, especially Asia, to encourage one another to take the Gospel to places where Christ has not yet been known.
“Look, I’m here.”
One of the keynote speakers, Sarah Bruell, spoke about the Hebrew word hineni, which means “behold, here I am.” That is the answer God gave to Samuel, Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah when they called out to them. None of them knew what awaited them, and yet their lives were marked by Hineni’s continued attitude. Abraham said this when he left his father’s house and when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac. Samuel carried God’s message to Eli without compromise.
I was particularly struck by Sarah’s statement that “God’s people never graduate from hineni.” Looking back, I have felt the weight of Hineni throughout my journey as a stranger. It existed in the silence after a video call with family back home. Especially in 2023, when a dear family member suffered a serious accident and other crises devastated us. A few days before the Arise Asia conference, I was filled with worry and tears. “God, I’m not good enough. I’m scared.” In the face of suffering, I asked myself if I had misunderstood God’s call.
But I also heard God’s gentle but persistent call. I resonated with Moses’ burning bush moment. “Who am I and should I go? They will not believe me.” He listed all his faults, but God simply assured him, “I am with you.”
It is God who calls you and sends you.
It was my mother who prayed with me and reminded me, “It is God who calls you and sends you. He will take care of us while you are gone.”
Surrender is what these hineni moments taught me. What God asks us to let go of is not necessarily bad. In many cases, it is invaluable. It’s like a desire to be close to a family member in crisis. God recognizes those desires. But by calling me to surrender, He draws me closer to His greatness, faithfulness, and mercy.
There are other hilarious moments as well. It’s when God asks me to let go of my expectations in order to embrace what He has given me.
As my seminary studies come to an end, I continue to walk as a stranger in this world, learning to trust God’s guidance as to where I should go next and whom I should extend my services to. It wasn’t easy, but God assured me it wasn’t in my own strength. Every time I take a step forward, I expect God’s presence to meet me in my moments, as always.
Originally published by China Source. Republished with permission.
Sonya (not her real name) is pursuing a Master of Divinity degree at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. A former pharmacist, she is passionate about serving marginalized communities by integrating gospel and medicine both locally and globally.
ChinaSource is a trusted partner and platform that educates the global church on the important issues facing Chinese churches and ministries and connects Christians in China and abroad to advance God’s kingdom globally. ChinaSource’s vision is for the church in China and the church around the world to learn and grow together and engage in ministry that powerfully advances the kingdom of God.
