There will always be ups and downs for permission to stay in China. Now the gov’t is nervous because of the upcoming Olympic games. So, all those who haven’t build trust with the gov’t get kicked out – they make the gov’t nervous. Or maybe just a petty official who doesn’t like Christians. Who knows. After the Games they may be able to just go back in and continue whatever they were doing. Or maybe they have to move to another area of that large beurocratic country.

I wonder how many of these Christian workers had long “established” reasons for being in China that weren’t overtly Christian. Some, it seems, go to great lengths in this area, spending huge amounts of time and money to establish their credibility as something other than a missionary. Yet, who are they fooling? “Out,” says China, “We knew it all the time,” wink, wink.

I wonder if this approach is another example of “law” based Westerners operating in “relationship” (and face) based China. Where who you know and what they think of you matter more than any official, legal standing. I bet many workers had very good, established legal reasons for being in China, that the gov’t officials managed to easily curcumvent when they felt like it.

Lessons for me:

1. Build relationship and trust with the people in charge, especially those who could be embarrased by something I do.

2. Don’t put too much effort in the “legal” excuse for being there. It’s all wood, hay and stubble to the gov’t when they don’t want you around. No protection there.

3. Have a short-term / long-term strategy. Have a long-term 5-10 year strategy, but divide it down into 6 month objectives. Each objective should stand alone, provide help, and be sustainable. This way if you have to leave after just 2 years you have at least 4 objectives accomplished that you leave behind. Too many are working toward something big and never finish, and sadly, because the payoff is when it’s all completed, they have little to show for the effort they put in.