Yesterday i went to a small town near Columbus, GA to speak to a group of high school students about my experiences in China and how much i love living over there. Anytime i get an opportunity to speak to people i absolutely love it. It’s always a lot of fun and through speaking i learn a lot about myself.

Sometimes i wonder what kind of impact i’m able to have when i speak. After i finished talking one of the girls came up to me with tears in her eyes and simply thanked me for what i said. Those are the moments that remind me that by speaking what’s true to my heart i can make a deep impact in someone’s life.

But, what’s important to understand is that I don’t think you have to be on a stage to speak what’s true to your heart. I think you just have to be willing to be vulnerable, open and honest. Then when truth comes forth it has the mighty power to change people.

Last night i went to eat at my usual little chinese restaurant where i have a great relationship with the owners and the food is always good. I asked the owner’s wife if she would teach me some Chinese and she agreed. So there on that back table of an empty restaurant we started our small dialogue in Chinese. Occasionally she would stop to explain some words and occasionally i would be able to say a few words instead of simply nod my head. Surprisingly i was able to understand a lot of what she was talking about. For almost an hour she helped me use Chinese to express my love for Chinese people and my reason for wanting to live in China.

Then, before i could figure out what had happened i realized we were singing “Jesus Loves Me” in Chinese. It was amazing. We were singing very loudly in this quiet restaurant and i had a moment in the middle of the song where my brain paused and i suddenly realized what exactly was happening. I was sitting with a dear friend in a small restaurant in a small town singing “Jesus Loves Me” loudly and passionately. She was singing the language of her heart and somehow i’ve been graced with the ability to join right in. Even today i’m still trying to get my head around that surreal moment. How many people in the world have had an opportunity like that? Maybe a lot more than i think, but to me it was special and it’s a memory that will stick with me for a long time.

It’s a small thing, i know, but it’s significance it’s massive.

I remember exactly where i was the day 9/11 happened.
I remember exactly what i was doing the night of hurricane Katrina.
I remember the Oklahoma City bombing like it was yesterday.
I can easily remember the great tragedies that have happened in America.

And now. Now i remember the first great tragedy that happened while living in China.

The government fears that as many as 50,000 people could be dead. More than 10,000 are still buried under rubble. A tragedy of this magnitude is incomprehensible. Tonight, as i stood with students at a candle light vigil i knew that this great tragedy was forever etched into my memory. There were hundreds and hundreds of students standing with one another to show their love for the people of their country.

I moved to China to learn more about loving people that are different than me. Tonight, that meant standing and mourning alongside them. It meant showing that i care when they cry. It meant putting myself in their shoes.

How did i feel on the morning of 9/11? I was glued to my TV in utter shock of what was happening to the people of my country. What did i do when Katrina hit New Orleans? I hurt for the people that lived there. What are the Chinese people doing in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake? They are mourning. They are crying. They hurt for the sake of others. And i’m here. I’m here to walk alongside them during these difficult days. I’m here to be a voice when they don’t have the right words. I’m here to love.