Serving
View From the Wall
Foreigners and Chinese Working Together
A Local Perspective
As a Chinese Christian, Jenny has worked alongside foreigners in Christian organizations for over a decade. She opens her heart and shares insights from a Chinese perspective to help new workers (and those already in China) avoid points of misunderstanding and friction as they serve with local brothers and sisters.
To Aquire the Chinese Language
For those of you hard at work learning the Chinese language, an encouraging word:
Book Reviews
Following the Servant Role of Jesus
Cross-Cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility by Duane Elmer. IVP Books, 2006, 212 pages. ISBN-10: 0830833781; ISBN-13: 978-0830833788; paperback, $12.68 or Kindle edition $9.99 at Amazon.com.
Reviewed by Mary Ann Cate
The “New” New HSK: Suddenly So Significant
"Cataclysmic" is how I describe the impact I foresee of the recent decision of Beijing's educational establishment to allow HSK test takers to type instead of write.
"HSK" stands for hanyu shuiping kaoshi (). Beginning in 1992, the HSK tests Chinese proficiency just as the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) tests English proficiency. Revised in 2009, it's now called the "New HSK."
What Would it Take to Change?
In a lengthy article calling upon his colleagues to adjust their practices in China, Welshman Timothy Richard described the way in which he imagined the foreign community was viewed by Chinese people.
Seven Reasons Chinese is Becoming Easier to Learn
The study of Chinese as a second language is exploding around the globe, yet few Westerners today read, write and speak Chinese fluently. No wonder native speakers often say, with a certain satisfaction, their language is tai nan xue, "too hard to learn."
Returning the Blessing
So many people from Western countries head east to countries like China with the noble desire to give and bless.
That's what I did 22 years ago, setting out from England to China with a clear sense of calling and the blessing of my church.
Keeping a Proper Perspective
From the opening chapter of his work on the proper method of mission practice (Nevius was at least partly inspired by Timothy Richard's work in Shandong), the following quote is a reminder for those of us who have found what we believe to be a better method for working in China to keep a proper perspective:
Are You “Among the People”
The following is a quotation from James Hudson Taylor, speaking to a gathering of field workers Pingyang, Shanxi in 1886.