I'm taking over because nobody else is posting..

My small group is really interesting: We're hosted by an American family of 5 that moved here permanently 5 years ago. Their house is all-American on one floor (bookshelves of classics like Moby Dick and candles) and then very Chinese on the other (silk bedsheets, ceramic vases, etc...except for this one plant they'd grown from seeds they smuggled into the country). In our small group we also have a Chinese American mother, a white South African lady, and a newlywed couple made up of a Filipino man and a white girl from Japan that met in Shanghai. Most of them are students/teachers at the international school, and the newlyweds told us about their recent trip to Szechuan to teach in camps because the schools aren't up and running yet after the earthquake. They were told not to evangelize, and so they didn't, but the Chinese Christians there were pretty open about it and even sang worship songs while walking around with the Chinese army hahaha. I keep hearing people talk about strong Chinese fellowship here, but I wonder if I'll have the chance to witness it before I leave?

My testimony wasn't how I imagined it to be, but I think it still turned out fine. :) I told them about how I used to think that you had to grow up Christian and it wasn't something that could just happen to you later, my "existential" period of thinking I was in complete control of my life, and how growing up I always had a loving brother near to me that served as a witness in my life without me even realizing it till years later. I shared with them my struggles living with my Buddhist family (things are much better now by the way) and about my doubts as a leader next year...but they were very encouraging and prayed for me. They also told me to consider getting baptized here in the Yellow Sea..sounds exotic!

After meeting the newlyweds from my small group, and seeing one of my Christian friends here start dating a non-believer, the following question popped up in my head: What does it mean to live with God at the center of your life, especially in the context of a romantic relationship? I have no right to judge other people's relationships with God, and as a "new" Christian I don't know what dating is like with God in the relationship, so I'm curious...based on your experience or knowledge, what do you think?