Rain in China

We’d taken our usual group of adults to China, but this particular year, we included a group of high school and college kids. We’d spent our first week in the city teaching English to elementary students. The second week, we went to a rural area in the mountains and taught middle school kids. We’d taken our teenagers on a hike to the Yangtze River and on our way back, we saw a family watering their field—by hand. This area of China was experiencing one of the worst droughts (during their monsoon season) they’d ever had which meant more work for these poor farmers. We all kept bottled water with us to avoid altitude sickness and since I was leading the way, I raised my water bottle to the family and asked if we could help. Of course, they didn’t speak English, so Andy and our interpreter walked over to them and got their permission to help. It would have taken their family all day to water that field but it  took mere minutes with our crowd helping! After we were finished, Andy had our interpreter tell them that we were going to pray to the One True God and ask him for rain. They thanked him. 

That night after dinner, we gathered outside below the open restaurant and began to worship and pray for rain. We knew there were some government officials eating above us and what we were doing wasn’t really permissible, but we were intent on keeping our word. A waitress came down and told Andy the government officials wanted to know what we were doing. Andy said, “Tell them we’re praying to the One True God and asking him to send rain!” We soon heard laughter after she relayed the information. We began praying.  

It was dark as we began praying. Several people had prayed and I happened to look up. I whispered, “Andy. Andy!  Look behind you!” Behind the Himalayas was a small cloud rising with lightening. Andy gasped and every kid looked up. We were so excited and our prayers became much more fervent. We finished our time praising God, believing rain was coming. 

The rain began as a soft shower about 3 a.m.  By the time most of us woke up, a nice, full rain was falling all around us. The farmers we’d helped the day before showed up at our motel and wanted to talk to Andy. They kept saying, “Must be miracle! Must be miracle!” Through an interpreter, Andy got to tell them about the One True God. 

We’d begun giving scholarships to one student each year so a girl (boys had to stay and help on the farm) could go on to high school in a larger city. This was a big deal. We supplied the scholarship but the teachers and principal chose the worthy student. The parents might walk for a day to see their daughter receive the award. And…there was no auditorium or gymnasium. Any time the students met as a body, it was outside. So our ceremony was set to happen that day—in the rain. 

We gathered our group together and told them we needed to ask God to stop the rain for 30 minutes so we could make the presentation. The kids were due to come outside any minute. We prayed. The rain stopped. We made the presentation and as soon as the students began walking back to class, the rain started again. 

One of our adults kept their eye on the weather for this area after we came home. It rained for weeks. The drought was broken. More importantly, a Chinese family knew about the One True God!