lies and love

My tutor has returned from the semester break and she's coming to visit this Friday morning.

She is my closest Uyghur friend here and I really enjoy hanging out with her and learning language from her.  But I know that she's not always honest with me.  It's a common thing in Uyghur culture- it's nothing to work your conscience over if you need to lie a little or a lot to say whatever people want to hear or whatever will protect your image.  Lying is really common.

For example, I asked this dear friend, M., why she wears a head scarf.  She hates it when it's hot and is bothered to put it on sometimes so she'd rather just stay inside... so why does she wear it?  She told me she thinks its beautiful.  She told another friend "because I'm not allowed to wear it in Xin Jiang" (the Uyghur province- and this is true- it identifies her as loyal Uyghur, which the government fears for a few reasons).  And she brags to me that her boyfriend has never seen her hair, but I know that this standard / desire for modesty does not affect their entire relationship.

Every single time, except for one, that I have brought up the Gospel or the Word of God with her, she has sat, blank-faced, stared past me and not responded at all.  I'm really hoping that if we can talk more honestly, openly about love relationships that this will be a good inroads for Gospel salt on her tongue.

So would you please pray for her and I as we visit this Friday morning?  I want to offer to her that I would really be glad to come along side her as a big sister, to hear from her and encourage her in her relationship with her boyfriend (N, who stayed with us during the break.)  My husband hopes to talk about the same things at lunch with him next week.

Let's ask the Lord to miraculously open their ears and eyes and hearts to His Love.... his saving grace, his true, life-giving, liberating, good word!