“I’m No Longer Outside the Gate”
…At one point in the conversation, she declared, “I am a baby Christian…” She can’t really put her finger on the exact moment it happened. Tei did tell us, “…before, I always felt I was standing outside a gate, but now I am standing inside with you and Jesus.”…
“Can you help me with my English?” Tei asked in her first email to me. It was August 1995. We had just completed mailing email to each of the 7,000 student account subscribers at Portland State. Tei, a senior from Taiwan answered looking for help for her classes. We exchanged email for the next few weeks getting to know each other better. At that time Jayme joined our staff becoming Tei’s conversation partner and friend.
I finally met Tei face to face later that Fall. Her huge smile made her immediately stand out from the group of Chinese students surrounding her. That December she graduated with a marketing degree. Nervous about her future, she again emailed asking for prayer to find a good job for her university practical training sequence. Almost the first day out she was hired at an export firm.
That month she started attending church with us Sundays as well as our International Student Fellowship. Each week she asked us to pray for various needs. After a while we noticed Tei began to pray out loud also, things like, “Thank you God for giving us a place we can learn about Jesus…”
July 7th, Jayme drove Tei home from an international student picnic. At one point in the conversation, she declared, “I am a baby Christian…” She can’t really put her finger on the exact moment it happened. Tei did tell us, “…before, I always felt I was standing outside a gate, but now I am standing inside with you and Jesus.”
Author Profile: Vic is Oregon and Pacific Northwest Area Director for Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, part of the Leadership team of FOCUS at Portland State University, a writer, blogger, usually an INFP (with "E" overtones), a long time resident of urban inner southeast Portland, the husband of one wife for more than 30 years, a Dad, grandfather, and mentor & friend to all kinds of young adults. Read more from this author
