It was Friday morning, April 24, and I needed to catch the 521 bus for an hour or so ride across town to where I used to live. Lisa asked me to bring some Clear Care for her contact lenses when I returned from the US. I had arranged to meet her at Giano's at twelve for a western lunch. It is a good place for us to meet because we are both well known there.
When I got off the bus at 11:20, I had about a five minute walk to my destination and headed on my way. As I crossed a pedestrian bridge near the restaurant, there was a young lady looking around appearing to be looking for something. As I walked by her, she asked in English if I knew where Mr. Mai's was located. I told her it was at the same location where I was going to meet Lisa. We talked a little too kind of size each other up and then I asked her if she wanted me to show her the way there. She agreed because she really wanted to talk to a real live foreigner. We walked and talked and she said, "I feel like I am walking with my grandpa."
We arrived at Giano's and went inside and I showed her the stairway up to Mr. Mai's. It was now 11:30 and they wouldn't open until two and it would be 30 minutes before Lisa arrived, so I asked Jenny if she wanted to join me at a table and talk and wait for Lisa. She did and we had our private English corner. At twelve Lisa arrives and I made the introductions. For the last half hour I have been thinking about what to do with Jenny when Lisa comes. I asked Lisa if it was ok for Jenny to join us if I covered the tab. We asked for menus and began the experience of helping Jenny choose her first western food. It took awhile, but she finally decided on a hamburger sandwich. I ordered spaghetti and Lisa ordered some kind of pasta dish.
When the food arrived, Jenny looked at her sandwich and asked us how she was suppose to eat it. Chinese do not like to touch their food, so holding it with her hands without protection is not an option. It was wrapped with paper, so we showed how to push it out and take a bite. Should couldn't do that and wanted to take it out of the wrapper and take it apart to see what she was eating. She gets it out and opens it up and to her horror she finds lettuce and tomatoes inside that weren't cooked. We explained why and that it was ok. She then wanted chopsticks to pick up parts of the sandwich, but since this was a western store there were forks instead. She stabs the various parts with her fork and begins to eat.
I knew exactly what to expect when she ordered the sandwich because I went through the same thing with Jiajing. As a result I was able to encourage Jenny and help her have a good experience with her first western meal. We ate and talked and as we did Lisa and I covered the things we needed to talk about. It was an experience that I believe Jenny will long remember. (Lisa is an English teacher here from Texas. I met her over a year ago on a short term trip.)
A question for my readers. Was I wrong in having Jenny, a total stranger and a female, walk with me to where I was going? Was I wrong in asking her to sit with me there in the open at Giano's and talk, and was I wrong in inviting her to have lunch with us? By doing this I was able to connect her with Lisa and this may prove to be Jenny's connection to the Lord. I believe God may have used my grandpa image to connect her to another female that might have the opportunity to develop a friendship with her and then have the opportunity to answer some very important questions. You can be involved in this with your prayers.
