This August, thousands of people from the ends of the earth will gather in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games. They will witness record-setting sports competitions, visit breathtaking sites and slow their normally rushed pace in hopes of meeting others from faraway lands.
And 26 Southern Baptists, working with national Woman’s Missionary Union’s (WMU) International Initiatives, will be there ready to serve them.
Working alongside local Chinese Christians, volunteers will trade commemorative pins with passers-by, offer face painting, do performing arts and participate in open-air festivals, much like block parties.
Jean Cullen, who oversees WMU’s International Initiatives, said Southern Baptists seem very interested in the Olympics in China. Although no Alabama Baptists volunteered for these games, Cullen said they have been “instrumental” in assisting with plans for the trip.
“I’ve found that Southern Baptists have a great love for China, and that harkens back to some of our roots to Lottie Moon,” she said.
Although rumors have circulated about religious restrictions during the event, Cullen said WMU has not experienced any “unreasonable” limitations on its plan.
“The supplies our volunteers will be using have been approved” by the Chinese government, she said. (TAB)
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