In Taiwan people like to go to night markets to pass the time (they’ve never been my favorite activity because I don’t like crowds). There isn’t much of a night market in this town, but my coworkers in Baojhong are very faithful in visiting and praying for people in theirs.
Night before last I made my first visit to a night market about 15 minutes away in the coastal town of XiaLun (Mandarin; Taiwanese: E-Lun) in Mouth-of-the-Lake Township. Being as I’ve volunteered in a few different schools with students from this town and that I often ride my bicycle through there on my route around the coastline, I was saddened in the 20 minutes or so we walked around the night market that I didn’t bump into anyone I knew.
As I walked down the last lane, I spoke a simple prayer asking that I would bump into somebody. Within about 20 seconds I heard a guy shout “hello” behind me and lo-and-behold there was a group of high school basketball players/drop-out (?) guys I met a few years ago from the community of Flying Sands. We didn’t have a long or especially meaningful conversation, but this nevertheless was an answer a prayer!
After exiting the night market, I had to walk around the perimeter back to the car. Well, I thanked God for the contact and spoke up another simple prayer. Within a minute I had bumped into the husband and wife who operate the local eatery I frequent most often here! And then another neighbor! Usually when I get my food at the eatery, the husband is way too busy, tired, and stressed to talk. It was the most relaxed I’d ever seen him. Again, no supernatural miracles or extraordinary conversations, but I was reminded I need to pray like this more often….
