Canadian Mennonite
Volume 11, No. 02
January 22, 2007
Hao ji le! Christ is born!
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The best gift that Julie and Philip Bender (kneeling, centre) received this past Christmas did not come wrapped in brightly coloured paper. In fact, it could neither be boxed nor bought. Shirley (front row, left) delivered it to the MC Canada Witness workers during the Christmas Eve worship service at the Chinese Agape Church the Benders attend in the central China metropolis of Chongqing, where they teach English to Chinese students at the Chongqing University of Medical Sciences. Her gift was a prayer—delivered during Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in Mandarin. On Christmas morning the Benders found an e-mail message that had been sent around midnight: “Phil and Julie: This night in church I really prayed that you two will be good teachers and friends to us! In fact you have been that all the time! May you be happy and lucky forever! In my heart you are my grandparents. Shirley.” The Benders and Shirley are pictured with some of Shirley’s friends who also attended the Christmas Eve service.