Journey to China

      Elwood Yoder spent three weeks teaching English in central China this summer. From July 9th to the first of August the EMHS Social Studies and Bible teacher was part of a five member Partners in Missions, or PIM, team, a program under Virginia Mennonite Missions (VMM). The team spent three weeks in the city of Nanchong in central China, teaching English to middle and high school aged students at the Nanchong Christian Church, a non-denominational Protestant church who had invited VMM to send such a group. In the words of Mr. Yoder, "It's best to go in mission work when you're invited."

          When approached by a VMM representative last winter Mr. Yoder had initially decided against going on the team. However, when approached a second time in January, he gave the opportunity further thought. After consultation with his wife, Joy, and a member of his congregation with previous experience in China, he chose to join the group. "Based on [June Lantz's] experience and my wife's response I decided to go."

           The express purpose of the trip was to teach English and build relationships while restraining the direction evangelism (insofar as those aren't a part of evangelism). Mennonite Partners in China, an organization that coordinates many such visits, works only with registered churches, those officially recognized by the Chinese government. On that note, Mr. Yoder said, "We operated without fear of government control, I wouldn't have been afraid if Hu Jintao [President of China] walked into my classroom because we were there as English teachers." He added, "We're not there to violate government guidelines."

            Mr. Yoder described Nanchong Christian Church as similar in physical size to Harrisonburg Mennonite Church, but with far more people. The church has both male and female pastors, whose preaching he described as "dynamic... they weren't afraid of a thirty minute sermon." In 2004, the EMHS Touring Choir visited the same church during their tour in China.

            At this point VMM is planning a similar trip next summer, though Mr. Yoder will probably not go again. When pondering over the experience, Mr. Yoder reflected, "Missions needs to be partnership," an idea he further describes in an article he wrote for Connections, a publication of Virginia Mennonite Conference.

- Nathan Hershberger (Pictures courtesy of Elwood Yoder)