CALL TO CHINA
"To obey is better than sacrifice..." I Samuel 15:22

      "Anyone with a desire to go to China as a Bible courier take one of our Love China Ministries fliers after we show the film Here Am I, Send Me," announced the young man from Lancaster, California.

      R.J. and I had gone to church to view a presentation of a filmed trip to China by a group of people from Lancaster Vineyard church.  It was full of intrigue and suspense.  Watching these ordinary people smuggling Bibles into China for the thousands of new Christians, my heart quickened at the thought of being a part of this.  I turned to R.J. and said excitedly, "I want to go!"  R.J. looked at me and said laughingly, "You can't go.  You don't even know how to speak Chinese."

      I said, "I guess you are right.  I'm probably not qualified."  I picked up a flier anyhow and took it home to read.

      A few months later I awakened with the words 'go ye' running through my mind.  I had many things planned to do that day and those words kept coming back to me over and over.  I went to visit my friend Pauline who was in the hospital.  I said, "Pauline, I keep hearing the words 'go ye'."  Pauline replied, "I'm not about to go anywhere hooked up to all these contraptions.  I sure hope I can get out of here soon."

      Next I went to visit our dear friends Gladys and Richard.  I said, "Funny thing, Richard, I keep hearing the words 'go ye' since I got up this morning.  I don't know what it means."  With a puzzled look on his face Richard said, "Go ye where, Lenore?"

      "I don't know, Richard."  I went on home and tried to dismiss the whole thing from my mind.  Soon R.J. came home from work and sat down in his recliner to rest.  "R.J., I keep hearing the words 'go ye'.  I wonder what it means?"  I remarked.  "Well, I didn't hear it and I'm sure not going anywhere.  I'm resting right here in my recliner."

      After R.J. went to bed I decided I should pray and ask God about it.   So I prayed, "Go ye where, Lord?"  With my eyes closed I saw the word "CHINA" in big bold letters.  "Oh Lord , are You telling me to go to China?"  I began arguing with God saying, "But God, You know I am just a home-body.  I've never traveled much, just across the border to Tijuana, Mexico.  Why, I haven't even crossed the Mississippi River yet.  Besides I'm not really qualified.  I can't speak Chinese.  Surely You don't want me to fly across the world."

      I did not sleep much that night, tossing and turning and mulling over this dilemma facing me.  The next morning I awoke with the Scripture I Samuel 15:22 running through my mind and I thought, God must want me to read this particular verse.  It wasn't hard to figure out why God wanted me to read this Scripture about obedience.

      But Samuel replied:
      "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as obeying the voice of the Lord?
      To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat or rams."

      "Oh, oh," I groaned, "I think God is serious about sending me to China."  That evening I said to R.J., "I think the Lord wants me to go to China.  What do you think about my going?"

      "I think you should do what the Lord tells you."

      So, I prayed, "Oh Lord, if You really want me to go to China, I will go, but You know how scared I am."
      The next day I filled out the application form for prospective couriers and mailed it to Love China Ministries in Lancaster, California.  I thought, 'maybe they will say I'm too old, or not qualified.'  After all, I am a grandmother in my sixties and I can't speak a word of Chinese.