It was the summer of 1983. I was skinny then, only 21 years old...and so excited to be part of what was a historic trip for our little college and our denomination as well. A small group of us was sent to Beijing China to study Chinese at Beijing University. While we knew our knowledge of this language would be limited after such a short time, we also wanted to create a cultural and spiritual exchange--a connection that would open other doors for years to come. Actually, we learned an amazing amount of Chinese language and culture over about an 8 week timeframe. The little teacher, Mrs. Fu, standing next to me (back row, second from the left) was perhaps the greatest teacher I've ever known.

Sometimes, just being lucky in the moment can define you in the eyes of others. You know, those snapshots of something great done or said that goes viral and makes even the most unlikely among us into heroes. Like the time I just happened to catch a run-away grocery carriage headed down a hill and my friends thought I had superpowers. Or, when I was older, and shot a partridge a split second before he disappeared into a pine grove and my father-in-law thought I was some kind of crack shot or championship hunter. On the flip-side, negative actions can also define us in an instant. Failure to stop to help someone on the highway seconds before their vehicle bursts into flames. A word spoken har