Bud's Ice Cream

This morning I met with a theology professor and 43 year expatriate of Kansas City, Missouri at the city's theological seminary. He opened their library to me, and we talked some of the conflict between dispensational and systematic theology - whatever those are. But more on that and his mission later. For now and as I leave soon for bed hear of Young and the payoff of his AP Economics test.

Young was in my small group last week at Reunion. His hair is long, and he wears glasses, listens to All American Rejects, and plays a very competent guitar. During the talent show at Reunion, he performed Hillsong's "One Way" with the accompaniment of his youngest brother on keyboard, his second youngest brother on bass, his third youngest brother on drums, and his mom and dad singing with the lyrics clasped in their hands. Before they began the song, Young asked if he could say something into the mic that he later used for singing, and he went on to tell how his mom and dad put him and his brothers up to performing the song, but that as they were already on stage, they were just going to make the best of it. The whole conference hall laughed, and his dad, laughing, said into the mic he was thankful he had such an obedient son.

Young is thinking of law, of economics, of how to make sense of the role Christ played in his upbringing. He reminded me of myself last week at Reunion when often he excused himself to go away and study for his AP Economics test that he would take a few days after Reunion ended.

After Reunion, Tim and I hung around the Mekong Center for a bit - the missionary compound from where I now write you - and there was Young with economics book open, slaving away at understanding cost-benefit analysis and flow charts. Tim and I tried to coax him out with us on motorbikes - "Young, we'll slick our hair back, wear sunglasses, tighten our shoes, and hit the road! We three, man! Cruising the night!" - but Young stayed back and studied.

He's the son of a missionary, a Korean student with ties to the U.S. but lives with his family in China. And for the past three nights that I stayed here he has calmly and consistently resisted my offers to take him out on the town - he sat instead with his economics book.

Yesterday he took the test. He wrote me yesterday afternoon and said he thought it was boring, which to him was a good sign because that meant it was easy, which in turn probably meant he knew everything. So, of course, I promised him ice cream to celebrate.

We went this afternoon. He had some syrupy chocolate concoction, and I two scoops of peanut butter delight and espresso. Two other high school students from my small group last week joined us. So did about twenty giddy Thai high school girls, but they sat at a different table.

And that's not really spreading the Gospel to lost tribes, but I think it counts for something, if only that their small group leader who fled here from the States and loves Jesus cares enough to take time from his afternoon and baht from his wallet and celebrate a completed exam with a couple of scoops of ice cream. You've to build relationships before you can really impact lives, and ice cream does a fine job of laying a firm (and tasty) foundation.

Now to bed. I reaffirm my wish that all of you were here and witnessing Christianity in a land that doesn't know it. If you were, Young and I would treat you to ice cream.

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