FACES OF THE WORLD (IMB video)

Quotes from the Frontlines

(The following is from East Asia Update)

Quotes From Frontlines Workers

Immanuel. God With Us
Earlier this month, a friend and I were eating dinner at the home of our local "parents" when the discussion turned to Christmas and how we celebrate this holiday. I briefly explained how Jesus came to walk among us, to die and to live again so that we may have access to the Father by his blood. My local "mom" then said, "Before you came here I thought God was far away, but now I know that He is near." These are some of the sweetest words I've heard since being here. And recently I've found myself loving and delighting in this name. Immanuel. God is with us.

Somebody Loves Me
It was so hard to wait. Tim knew something special was happening, even though he didn't understand it all. Everyone was receiving a Christmas gift. It was simple: a paper and pencils, a toy, some candy. Tim had never received a Christmas gift before. As Tim sat waiting for his gift, he heard a special message. "We can celebrate and give because a baby was born. This baby was born because of love for us. He is Jesus, the reason for Christmas." As Tim clutched his gift during the rest of the day, he thought, "A gift for me! Someone loves me!? How can this be? I am no one. I have no money. My family is poor. But somebody loves me. Jesus loves me."

A Name Above All Names
As I ordered my fast food meal from a Chinese man with "Paper" written on his nametag, I reflected on some of the interesting western names that Chinese friends have chosen for themselves. Recently I talked with "Godspeed" and "Melon" at an English-language gathering that was previously attended by "Water" and "Shine". Then there was the time that I visited a summer English class and met two students who were both named "Computer". To simplify things, they had agreed to call themselves "Computer I" and "Computer II" for the duration of the course. Still waiting on my food order, I chuckled quietly to myself and prayed that whatever western name my Chinese friends have chosen, someday they will choose to be called by the name above all names as they receive Christ into their hearts.

Christmas Prayers
Please take some time this Christmas season to intercede for the 1 billion lost people in China. Pray that:
• Many new believers will result from Christmas Eve worship services and outreach activities held in churches all throughout China.
• God will empower volunteer teams as they use drama, music, parties, and one-on-one sharing to tell about the coming of the Savior.
• Christian workers will effectively share Christ in Christmas gatherings in schools, churches, parks, factories, and their homes.
Every Chinese believer will take advantage of special opportunities to share Christ this season

News From China

(From "Preachables" by heart4china@pobox.com)

CHINA. The young Chinese man discovered a gift on his doorstep one morning last December. He didn’t really know what Christmas was about, but he knew about the tradition of Christmas gift giving. “Who would give me a Christmas gift?” he wondered. The first item that he pulled from the gift bag was a Jesus film. He looked at the picture on the cover and he read the name “Jesus”. “This says Jesus,” he said. “Jesus gave me a Christmas gift," he reasoned. "It’s a miracle.” He watched the movie, he read the items that were in the packet, and he accepted Christ. It was indeed a miracle.

CHINA. A strategist seeking to reach a megacity for Christ was telling a Chinese lady about the meaning of Christmas last year when she said, “Did you know that I am a communist?” He replied that he didn't know, and she added that her husband was a highly placed party official. The Christian was about to become alarmed about sharing the gospel so openly when the lady stated that a Christian family member had shared the gospel with her previously and since then, she had been praying that God would give her a sign that He was willing to accept her as His child. When the conversation turned to Christmas, she knew that God had answered her prayer. She prayed on the spot to receive Christ into her heart.

CHINA. As they shared Christ with two Chinese students visiting in their home one evening shortly before Christmas last year, the Christian workers unthinkingly mentioned that they had hoped to use a brightly lit Christmas tree to illustrate that Jesus is the light of the world, but had been unable to find one. The students listened with interest, and left late that night, agreeing to meet them the next day. On the next day, the students arrived carrying a Christmas tree so tall that it towered over them. They had brought lights and other decorations as well. The hosts were deeply humbled to realize that the students had probably spent most of their monthly allowance on the tree and trimmings. That evening they all decorated the tree together. On Christmas Day the two students accepted Christ

Praise from the Pacific Rim

Greetings in the Name of the One who came as a Gift to the World,

It is with a very grateful heart that we write this note to you. For years each of you has directly impacted our lives and ministry. How have you done this? You have prayed for us, and we appreciate your continued intercession on our behalf. You have given sacrificially to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. By giving, you provide us a place to live on the least evangelized area in the world right in the midst of millions of people who have never heard the Gospel. You provide us with transportation that allows us to minister in some of the most remote areas of the world. You provide us with medical care that is needed when we suffer from tropical illnesses of which you may have never heard. You provide us with a salary that meets all of our physical needs. God, through your ministry of giving, is extending His Kingdom in this place and this is truly a time for celebration of the birth of His Son and all that is being accomplished in His Name and for His Glory!

As grateful as our hearts are, they also remain heavily burdened for the people of this area. There are over 20 million people here who have never heard of the love of Jesus Christ. In our area, there are 1million people, with only a handful of missionaries ministering among them. What is it going to take so that all peoples may know Him? In a word: Cooperation. The Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845 to create cooperation among Baptists so that the Word of Life might be spread to "idolatrous lands". This principle of cooperation is a key strength in the sending and support of the more than 5100 SBC International Missionaries currently serving on the field. We also note that the Apostle Paul sought to encourage financial cooperation among the early Christians as proof of their love for each other (2 Cor. 8:24) and proof of their ministry to each other (2 Cor. 9:13). Let me encourage you to prayerfully consider and reevaluate your privilege of financial cooperation in the expansion of His Kingdom.

Below is an excerpt from Oswald J. Smith's book The Challenge of Missions, where Smith, a great missions pastor, challenges us to give to missions based on 4 observations:
1.. If I refuse to give anything to missions this year, I practically cast a ballot in favor of the recall of every missionary.
2.. If I give less than heretofore, I favor the reduction of the missionary forces proportionate to my reduced contribution.
3.. If I give the same as formerly, I favor holding ground already won;but I oppose forward movement. My song is "Hold the Fort," forgetting that the Lord never intended His army to take refuge in a fort. All His soldiers are commanded to "Go!"
4.. If I increase my offering beyond former years, then I favor an advance movement in the conquest of new territory for Christ. While Oswald J. Smith wrote this in 1959, it is a great reminder today for us, as Southern Baptists, as we consider our financial cooperation in reaching the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering goal of $150,000,000.
M. and B. Pacific Rim

THE GOSPEL IS ALIVE IN CHINA

(From a dear Chinese brother here in the US)

On this night of thanksgiving, I wish to thank the Lord for taking my mom home.Within 36 hours of my arrival, my mom went away to be with the Lord. Her earthly journey ended at 2:17 PM on the Lord's Day, Nov.19, 2006, capping a life of 81 and half years. She gave birth to seven children, four survived to adulthood to see her off. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to see her one last time. I held a nightlong vigil of watch and prayer on Saturday in the hospital ward. The night sky was starless.

The next day, I held her right hand and her head for her last three and a half hours. I phoned my family in New Jersey. My three children and my wife bid farewell to my mom over the phone. I saw her tears trickling down her eyes throughout the last few hours. I felt her weakening pulse on her scalp. I prayed and sang hymns to her. I wept for the imminent separation.

The next four days were spent in mourning and remembrance. Over a thousand townsfolks came to mourn. Countless fireworks were set off to celebrate her life. In the traditional Chinese way of mourning, I injected a clear Christian presence and message. I shared my faith with relatives and classmates, including a few I had not seen for 26 years since high school.I preached Christ's gospel of resurrection just before a night-long Da3Shu1 (rhythmic story-tellling while beating drums). I led the crowd of well over100 to sing I Have Decided to Follow Jesus. Many were touched by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Some confided with me later that they sang with me to indicate their new-found faith. Some who had prior encounter with Christ decided to rededicate their life to the Lord. Still a few Christians rejoiced to know me as a dear brother in the Lord.

Thursday morning, a funeral procession led her wake to the burial ground,my childhood home lot, amid continuous fire-cracking on the town's street.I carried a wooden cross in my right hand throughout the hour-long procession. The cross now stands before her grave. After the casket was lowered into the newly dug grave, I gave a second message of eternal hope and glory, citing the story of Lazarus's resurrection from the gospel book of John chapter 11. I sang Amazing Grace, the Chorus of Because He Lives,in both Chinese and English. Before the message, a Christian sister told meher story of healing of intermitant nose bleeding since childhood after she accepted Christ a few years ago. She disclosed that there was an underground house church in my home town! Hallelujah! God apparently did not forget my hometown.

GOOD NEWS FROM A CHINESE CONGREGATION IN TEXAS

(This wonderful report comes from our dear friend Christine and their Chinese Congregation in Ft. Worth Texas. The Agape Church hosts the congregation. Rejoice with them!!! )

We would like to give you a joyful report!Two weeks ago Uncle Fu (Fu Jingwei's father) and Aunti Chen (Li Xilong's mother) decided to ask Jesus to become their Lord and Savior. They were presented to Agape church body and warmly received. It was a great experience for both many American Christians and these new Chinese believers.

Another miracle happened in front of our eyes again yesterday morning. Stephen Lin (wife, Linly made her decision six month ago, both are from Taiwan) responded to God's calling and made his most important decision in life, which is to follow Christ.He was presented to Agape and received with loud "Amens". Linly and Stephen started coming regularly to our Chinese Sunday School (we finished Romans and are studying Acts currently) two or three months ago. They love to study God's Word, the hymn singing and appreciate Paul Sands' sermons.Please pray for these new Christians (Uncle Fu and Aunti Chen have returned to their home in the west of China. Stephen is an MBA student at TCU, Linly is expecting to have their baby in Jan. 2007) to grow in the Lord. What else can we do but rejoice in our heart seeing God's salvation with our own eyes?God is so good! His name is to be praised!

Summer Missions Report from Peru

The following is a report on a summer missions project in Peru. How wonderful to see our young people so committed to sharing the gospel in other countries. (from IMB sources)

Summer workers lift the darkness
By Marie Travis SANTIAGO DE CHOCORVOS, Peru (BP)Nestled in the Andes mountains of Peru sits the small village of Santiago de Chocorvos. Far away from “civilization,” most of its people had never had the chance to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. But that changed when three Southern Baptist summer missionaries arrived for the summer. Kathryn Oder, Lindy Moser and Elliot Jeffries came to Santiago as part of the REAP (Rapid Entry Advance Plan) South program. Developed by the International Mission Board, the program steers missionaries into rural areas in the mountains and jungles of Peru and Bolivia, where they can interact with unreached people groups. And this group did plenty of interacting. Waking up at 7 in the morning and not getting home until after dark was common for the summer missionaries. Every day consisted of telling others about Christ, praying with people, holding regular church services and visiting surrounding villages. But it was their ministry to the children that had the greatest impact. Every day around 3 p.m. they headed to the basketball court to play “futbol” (soccer) and jacks with the children. Through these activities, the missionaries were able to share Christ with the children’s parents, family members and friends. “I really like to work with adults,” said Moser, 21, from Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria , Ill. “But God is really working through the kids … for the adults.” Every Friday evening the missionaries held a service in the village plaza. With mostly children in attendance, they taught Bible verses and songs. Oder, who plays the guitar, led the music, and Jeffries preached while Moser translated. In addition to their regular activities, the three young people found themselves involved in a number of unusual ministries over the summer. “The first month we were in Santiago we went to the river and were able to help more than 50 people sift rocks and dirt to make bricks for the mayor’s new house,” recalled Oder, 20, from CrossRoads Church in Norfolk, Va. “We called this ministry ‘river evangelism.’” “We were able to tell them about Jesus as we worked with them,” Moser added. Many of the locals were surprised the missionaries helped with the labor. “It was a good witness,” said Jeffries, 21, summer missionary from Kirby Woods Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn. Because there were no washing machines -- and little running water -- the missionaries began washing their clothes at the river, fed by clear, glacier water from the mountains. This too turned into a ministry time. “We went down (to the river) most Fridays,” Oder said. “There were always people to talk to. We called this ‘rinse-and-repeat ministries,’” Oder said of witnessing to those down by the water. At the beginning of July, a volunteer team of mostly students from Kirby Woods came to Santiago to help the missionaries. The church had adopted the Ayacucho Quechua people group in the Santiago area of Peru the previous summer. After arriving in Santiago, the volunteers hiked the seven-hour, uphill trek to Santa Rosa, one of the unreached villages REAP South and the summer missionaries wanted to evangelize. “(When we were in Santa Rosa) we prayerwalked different areas of the mountains and had evening services with families,” said Theresa Canon, volunteer from Kirby Woods. “We (also) helped move bricks for a woman who was building a new house.” “(During one of the services) we were all crammed in this tiny room on the top floor of a lady’s house, singing and praising the Lord as boldly and as loudly as we could, so the men down the road getting drunk could hear us worshipping,” added Emily Davis, a volunteer from Kirby Woods. “It was so amazing and so Spirit-filled, we all just started crying tears of praise.” HARDER TIMES Despite the picturesque scenery of the rolling Andes mountains, clear water and the blue skies, life was not always easy for the summer missionaries. “There were a lot of hard days,” Oder said. “Some days you just wanted to talk to the outside world or you wanted to be alone, but you couldn’t.” In Santiago there are no private phone lines or private Internet hookups. There is one phone and two computers, one of which only occasionally connects to the Internet. “We only had three days of Internet before the Kirby Woods team came. There was complete isolation. We didn’t have electricity for a month and a half,” Oder said. “The electricity came back on the day Kirby Woods got here and went off the day they left.” Many of the people in Santiago became family to the missionaries. Zenon and his wife, Neli, who cooked for the missionaries while they lived in the village, were two of those people. Zenon and Neli are two of the very few believers in the village. “Zenon went with us (when we witnessed) to make sure everything was OK,” said Jeffries. “It’s like the watchman’s duty that is talked about in Ezekiel 33. Sometimes Zenon tells others about Christ,” he said. “But he is scared to tell many for fear of losing his job.” A policeman told Zenon he would make sure no one shopped at his store if he witnessed to people, Jeffries said. Despite Zenon’s fear of losing his job, the missionaries pray that he will get over his fear -- and trust in the Lord to provide his needs. “(As Christians) the overall goal (is that) everyone will have an opportunity to trust Christ,” Jeffries said. “We have to teach others to go out and tell others about Christ no matter what the situation.”

Good news from Taiwan

The following is from the newsletter of Linda Phillips, who is celebrating 30 years as a missionary in Taiwan.

"One of the most memorable events in my life this year was a mission trip with my church to northern Thailand the last week of July. We went to work at a church in Le Mon, close to the Myanmar (Burma) border. Most of the people in that village are of the Akka people group. However, most of the young people understand Chinese, so we did not have any major language problems. We worked with children, visited in homes and held a revival meeting and conducted the Sunday worship. We prepared for 100 Children but had over 150. Our schedule changed daily but we had a wonderful week. Some of the young people brought their mothers to visit us one evening and four women accepted Christ that night. What a joy it was to be there.

Our pastor had to leave early so I ended up being the speaker for the revival meeting on Saturday night. I used Chinese and the pastor’s wife translated into Akka for me. Then on Sunday morning two of us went to another village where I had been asked to speak in English for their worship service. A different people group lived there and their pastor translated for me into the La Hu language.

This service was a very special time for me. One of the women from this congregation has slipped away from fellowship with Christ. She had been drinking and living a godless life. That Saturday the pastor and some church members went to visit her because she was ill. During their visit the woman repented and returned to Christ in tears. This tern in her life encouraged everyone, but during the night she died. Because of her death and the custom of that people to go to the home of the deceased, the church decided to move their worship service to a field next to her home. They put up a tent and we held the service there. I had prepared to speak from Psalm 23, because the theme for our mission team was, “Jesus the Good Shepherd.” How appropriate that scripture was for the family and friends, of this woman, who joined the church people for that service.

I left Thailand with a wonderful sense of joy in having experienced God working in the lives of these people. Working everything for the good of those who love and follow Him. That week in north Thailand was a highlight of my missionary career. How wonderful our Lord is"

Eye on China

The Old
China's seniors aged 65 and older have exceeded 100 million, making up 7.7 percent of the population.
China's oldest learning institution recently celebrated the 1030th year of its founding. Now affiliated with Hunan University, Yuelu Academy was established in 976!
China's 2,000 year-old Terra Cotta Warriors in Xian are being eaten away by mold caused by the millions of visitors who view the ancient relics each year.


The New
Beijing residents have recently been banned from owning more than one dog.
A skyscraper under construction in Shanghai will arguably become the world's tallest building when completed in early 2008.
Forty-two new airports will be constructed in China in the next five years.

Quotes from the Front Lines
"All my towels are soaked, my tub is messy, my bathroom floor is slick from the dripping clothes of the newly rinsed. What a beautiful sight that is!" (A Christian worker after the baptism of new believers in their home.)
"It is not just telling someone about Jesus. It is making sure that they tell others!" (A new Chinese believer determined to make sure that those he leads to Christ get started on the right foot.)
"It is truly for a greater reason that we plan to return overseas. We know that He is really doing amazing things there, and we can choose to be a part of it, or choose to stay in comfortable surroundings. While we were away this summer, some of our local friends baptized more than 450 new believers. We just have to trust that God will provide for every need of our kids, and that His grace is sufficient." (Christian workers preparing to return to China after stateside assignment.)

(IMB's East Asia Update)

East Asia Update

It's About Him, Not Us
An Extraordinary God Working through Ordinary People
A Christian worker had spent the day coughing and clearing his throat. Hardly able to speak, he was nevertheless determined to share a gospel message with those visiting in his home. As he concluded his short presentation, a particularly resistant seeker opened her heart to receive Christ. He was keenly aware that in his weakness, God's strength had been perfected.
Another worker felt that his well laid plans had been thwarted. The lost man whom he had traveled far to visit was not at home. After engaging in what could best be described as a pity party, he once again submitted his hopes to the Father. A short time later, he had opportunity to share, not only with the man he had come to see, but with several of the man's friends.
Yet another worker showed up to lead a training group on behalf of his student who had fallen ill. As he struggled to teach the session in Chinese, he realized that the student's mother was very familiar with the material. Although the mother had only been a Christian for four months, she had already read through the Bible three times! He moved out of the way and listened with amazement as the new believer, empowered by the Holy Spirit, presented the lesson with clarity and understanding.
Those who have committed to making Christ known in China are constantly reminded that they are simply called to make themselves available and give their best to Him. He is the one with the power and the plan.
To read more stories from East Asia, please go to: https://my.newsletter4fun.com/index.cfm/fa/ct.go/LID/12007/m/2276/sID/6802JA445A4E6450A0A060441.cfm





(Left) The holidays provide some of the best opportunities to share the love of Christ with the peoples of East Asia. Happy Thanksgiving!

News from China Prayer Letter

China Prayer 14 Nov 06

Pray for the thousands of new converts turning to Christ every day (in both house-churches and TSPM churches). Pray they will be spiritually fed and grow in their faith.

Famous physicist (and atheist) Stephen Hawking visited China recently and sparked great debate on the origin of the universe. FEBC broadcast 'The Source of Life- There is a God' in July. Pray many seekers will see there is no contradiction between true science and the Bible and will find Christ - the Way, the Truth and the Life.
Henan province has at least 60 local officially-registered Protestant Christian training centres at municipal or county level in addition to the provincial seminary at Zhengzhou according to information received in September. This means upwards of 2000 Henan believers are receiving basic Bible training. Pray for them and their teachers.

'I never knew God personally. One day I accidentally got onto a website and started communicating with believers. Their love attracted me and made me a true Christian. I seldom go to church, but many people there warn me of the dangers of the cults on the Internet.' (Miss Sun in Jiangsu to FEBC) Pray the Internet will be used as a tool for evangelism, but not as a substitute for true Christian fellowship.

Note--FEBC refers to Far Eastern Broadcasting Corporation, a Christian broadcasting group based in Hong Kong with daily broadcasts into Mainland China. Milton

Wonderful report from the IMB

News from the International Mission Board, by Erich Bridges ST. LOUIS, Mo. (BP)-Southern Baptist missionaries and their international Baptist partners baptized more than 475,000 new believers last year, started nearly 23,500 churches and began church planting among 104 people groups for the first time. They also planted churches among 19 people groups where no Baptist churches previously existed - including 13 peoples with no evangelical churches of any kind. "For these 13 people groups, for the first time in their history there is a church representing our Lord and Savior to an unreached people that have never heard the Gospel, don't have a Bible in their language and have never known what church looks like," said Gordon Fort, International Mission Board vice president for overseas operations. These numbers come from the board's 2006 Annual Statistical Report, compiled from statistics reported by more than 2,000 separate entities - including hundreds of mission teams assigned to reach ethnic people groups, cities and other population segments. The report, covering calendar year 2005, was received by IMB trustees during their Oct. 30-Nov. 1 meeting in St. Louis, Mo. "In 1986 we received 108 (statistical) reports" from missionaries and overseas Baptist conventions, said Scott Holste, IMB associate vice president for research and strategic services. "By 1996, that had grown to 215, reflecting the new emphasis on people groups. By 2006, we were up to over 2,000 specific reports. While this has increased the complexity of doing this statistical report, it gives us a clearer picture of the world in which we're working than ever before." The report focuses on three "key result areas": engagement of unreached people groups and urban centers; advance toward church-planting movements around the world; and progress of overseas Baptist partners in engaging people groups and starting church-planting movements. "Engaging" a people group means more than sending missionaries or even winning people to Christ. It means applying church-planting methods that enable local believers to begin finishing the task of evangelizing their own cultures. TOP RESULTS Among the most significant results for 2005, Southern Baptist missionaries and their partners:-- engaged a total of 1,170 people groups worldwide, three-quarters of whom are classified by mission researchers as unreached (less than 2 percent of the population claiming evangelical Christian faith). -- engaged for the first time 104 people groups, 73 of whom are unreached, with a combined population of nearly 100 million. The Jahanka of West Africa, for instance, number only about 60,000, with fewer than 20 known followers of Jesus. But they are one of the "pivotal peoples" of the area, according to IMB regional leader Randy Arnett, because they are the Muslim religious teachers who send imams to the villages of many other peoples. "They are the missionaries; they are the solid Islamic people of West Africa," Arnett told IMB trustees. But a Southern Baptist missionary couple living in a Jahanka village are winning friends. One Jahanka villager told a visitor, "They could have gone to any (people), but they came to the Jahanka. They could have gone to any village, but they chose our village. They have come with a message from God, and we're waiting for them to be able to speak our language so we can hear this message that they have brought to us." -- engaged 120 unreached urban centers, including 12 for the first time.-- started 23,486 churches and more than 10,600 "outreach groups" (potential future churches). That brought total partner churches worldwide to 135,252, with a combined membership of 8.8 million, and outreach groups to 55,723. In the rock-hard spiritual ground of Northern Africa and the Middle East, fewer than 100 Baptist churches were begun over the past six decades. "I'm here to tell you that last year we saw 101 new churches," reported regional leader John Brady. "These 101 churches came in the hardest of fights anywhere on the face of the earth for Satan to release people from darkness and allow them to come to light." One area in northern Africa saw three churches multiply to nine, with 122 baptisms. All of those who were baptized experienced persecution, Brady said. "But did they stand back? No, they didn't stand back. They were energized" â"€ even though some were driven out of their homes.-- baptized 475,072 new believers - about 1,300 each day or one each minute. -- involved nearly 510,000 new believers in discipleship training, in addition to more than 1.1 million existing church members in discipleship groups. Those are "solid indicators showing the excitement and hunger for the Word of God," Holste said. "As people are introduced to the Bible and come to know Christ, they are baptized and nearly all are discipled in their first year of Christian growth. For the first time in our reporting history, the number of church members in discipleship training has risen above the 1 million mark." -- trained more than 150,000 Christian leaders in nonresidential settings (extension and correspondence course, short-term courses, on-the-job training) and more than 20,000 in residential pastoral programs. -- worked with 1,772 international missionaries sent out by overseas Baptist partners to other people groups and 3,400 home missionaries reaching out to people groups within their own countries. "We have a significant part to play (as Southern Baptists), but the real hope comes from partners around the world that catch a vision of being a part of the Great Commission, and there's a lot of them out there," said Dickie Nelson, IMB regional leader for South America. Nelson described Brazilian Baptists' "Radical Africa" initiative, which sends two-year missionaries to challenging parts of Muslim West Africa. He also highlighted the work of "Marie," a South American medical mission worker serving in North Africa and the Middle East. "Local government officials actually ask her to go into some mountain areas there to do medical work," Nelson said. "A wonderful door has been opened in a place where there is no church and no witness to share the good news of Jesus. The folks who know Marie say that if you show her a mountain, her next question is, 'How do I climb it?'"

Great News from Vermont

The following is from Terry Dorsett's weekly newsletter.

I thank the Lord for each of you and how your words of encouragement stir our hearts and remind us of your concern for us as we serve the Lord on the mission field.

As you may recall, I have been teaching a seminary extension class with 9 students. They are each learning so much and this week at class I could see the “lights” coming on in their eyes as we discussed proper methods of interpreting the Bible so that we can teach it to others. Training others to rightly teach the word is an exciting experience and several of my students will be preaching in some of our churches over the next few weeks, be praying for them!

I am also still learning myself as I continue to pursue my Doctor’s degree at Golden Gate Seminary. I am currently reading a book and have two more papers to write in preparation for my last class after Christmas. Pray for me as I try to fit all this reading and writing in with a schedule that is often a “little” overfilled.

I attended a men’s breakfast over the weekend, every man there (other than me) was a native Vermont and every one of them grew up in a non-churched home. Our focus was how we can be godly men if our fathers were not godly and we did not have a good example to follow. It was a lively and at times tense discussion, but it was good for the men to wade through these challenges. Next month the men will meet again and bring their sons and the focus will be “how can I pass my faith on to my son.” Pray for these first generation believers as they seek to create a new generation in VT that knows the Lord and follows Him from their youth.

I spent one day in New York this past week, speaking at Mid-America seminary. What a wonderful group of people they are and how blessed I was to see all those students preparing for ministry in the Northeast. Pray for the Lord of the Harvest to raise us laborers for His vineyard, which is white unto the harvest.

CHINA UPDATE November 10, 2006

PreachablesVolume 76 - November 15, 2006
CHINA. The university student had attended the English gathering to meet some new friends and practice his English. But he soon found himself in a small group reading through the gospel account of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding feast. Since the student had never before heard of Jesus, he assumed that the story was fictional. But as he heard others in his group talk about the Savior, it suddenly dawned on him that the story was true. His eyes grew round and his jaw dropped before he blurted out, "Do you mean that he actually turned the water into wine?" As others in his group nodded, he exclaimed, "Oh my God!" He had, of course, cut right to the heart of the story.CHINA. The Christian worker was feeling pretty sorry for himself. He had traveled quite a distance to visit an elderly Chinese man in order to share the gospel, and when he arrived, the man was not at home. As he poured out his disappointment and frustration to the Lord in prayer, he received peace in his heart. Walking through forested mountains on his way home, he suddenly spied the man whom he had come to visit sitting in the middle of a pasture surrounded by three of his lifelong friends. The old men quickly made a place for the visitor and before the visit had ended, he had shared the gospel with all four of them!CHINA. After sharing a simple Chinese meal, the Christian and his non-believing friend turned to some serious conversation. As the believer began to share the message of salvation, he realized that his friend had never before seen a Bible or even heard of Jesus. But as the truths of the gospel were shared, the nonbeliever affirmed his understanding and acceptance at every point. When they got to the resurrection, however, there was room for pause. It just seemed too incredible to be true. So the Christian asked the nonbeliever to read aloud the account from the Bible. That sealed it. After stating "If the Good Book says it, it must be true," he accepted Christ into his heart.CHINA. Ten friends were gathered in a living room, praying and worshipping together, when the doorbell rang. In walked a young lady who was known to be a Communist party member. The group was not surprised to see her. This was her fifth visit to their gatherings. They continued their worship. Knowing he was under scrutiny, the host nevertheless shared a gospel message. Then the lady received the Lord! She had come as an instrument of the atheist government, but left a follower of the King

More praises from Colombia

Thank you for your prayers for the ""pied piper" an older gentleman who has
a heart for the children of one of the poorest and most dangerous parts of
Medellin. Each Sunday he rises early to go to the area and bring the
children down the mountain for church. Last Sunday 11 children traveled
down the mountain to attend church with him. Each Saturday he travels up
the mountain and stories the Bible with the children. There are an average
of 25 children, ages 3 thru 16, who attend each week. Two people went with
him one week, but they have not returned to help him teach the children.
Pray to the Lord of the harvest that someone can be found to help him teach
the children.

An audio CD is being produced of the 18 evangelistic Bible stories that
have been taught to the children at the Baptist School in Medellin during
their religion class. A copy will be sent home to each family. Pray that
many people will come to know the Lord through His Word.

Chinese church request

China prayer 09 Nov 06
'To stamp out the lottery craze in our church we have implemented church discipline and even excommunicated two or three obstinate members.' (Letter from Mr Gao in Jiangxi) Pray for this church and other Christians still in bondage to gambling - mahjong is extremely popular in China.

Praise from Colombia

Career Missionary, Sarah Craft, shares: "Ivàn and I just received some fantastic news! My petition for a Fiancé Visa has been approved by the Department of Homeland Security. And just as soon as we receive a hard copy of the letter, Iván can apply at the U.S. Embassy for his visa. We are so pleased that this step has gone faster than anticipated and we pray that the next step will also go smoothly! Iván and I thank you for your prayers and ask that you continue to remember us in your prayers. We´ll keep you updated as we know what comes next!"

Chinese Christians Give testimony

From CCSM "China Prayer Update" November, 2006
"The hardest people to reach are staunch atheists, staunch Buddhists and idol worshippers." That is what an experienced Chinese house church leader told us earlier this year. He thanked God that the Gospel is now impacting China, but shared his longing that many more people would come to know the Lord.
Yet another report shared the experiences of some Christian workers that, 'People have found no comfort from folk-relition, Buddhism or Daoism. Retired communist cadres often find that serving the Party all their lives has left them impoverished on small pensions, forgotten and unlived. Materialistic Marxism has no comfort to offer beyond the grave. (CCL)
When one Christian believer shared her testimony with us, she reminded us of the thousands of years of tradition of worshipping idols in China. She told us that she was in her twenties before she knowingly met a Christian. The Christian co-worker she got to know gave her some tracts to read and she had a lot of arguments with him. Finally she told him, "You believe your Jesus; I'll believe in idols." Yet as she contrasted Christianity and Buddhism, she realized, "Buddhism i sabout getting blessing for yourself; Christianity is about blessing others. They're very different." It took a number of months but finally she was ready to put her trust in the Lord Jesus. She shared, "I totally changed my outlook and professed openly that I was a Christian. I got rid of my charms and idols and was baptized."

More News from China

From China Prayer Guide

On 29 March 21 new pastors were ordained in Fuzhou (Fujian province). (Tianfeng, May 06) Pray they will faithfully preach the gospel.

On 28 March the first Christian conference was held officially in the Dali prefecture of Yunnan (formerly a CIM area). Nearly 100 delegates attended. (Tianfeng, May 2006) Pray for effective outreach to the Bai people who appear resistant to the gospel.

Nearly 2000 Christians were arrested in the year May 2005 to May 2006. (New York Times, 9 July 2006) This is a conservative estimate. Pray that all those unjustly persecuted will know God's presence and those unjustly imprisoned will be speedily released.

Challenges from China

The following report from China comes from Chinese Church Support Ministries While many Chinese on the mainland are becoming believers, there are also challenges from cults.
"A couple of years ago when I was travelling in a village in southern China, a lady who became a Christian some years ago came along and asked me: ‘Is the Old Testament Jehovah the brother of Jesus? They both have the same family name’ (Chinese names begin with the family name)… I believe there are lots of Christians like the lady. How can she understand the teachings in the Bible without help?” (CCL) This true story reveals how little Biblical teaching many Christians in China have. The dangers of such a lack are obvious. Believers can easily be led astray by false teaching and cults. We have shared in previous prayer updates about the ‘Lightning from the East’ cult that is making considerable inroads into the Chinese church. During August, a pastor in China reminded us of the danger, saying, “Lightning from the East is one of the major cults. They penetrate into areas where they have the least Bible teaching and indoctrinate people to join them.”This pastor also brought another dangerous cult to our attention. He told us: “Another cult is called the ‘Three Grades of Servants’. They are establishing human authority instead of God’s authority. They prey on ignorant believers. This group is very fervent and active in spreading their teaching and bringing harm to the Body of Christ. That’s why we want to equip ourselves to be able to stand against heresies.” A few days later a Chinese pastor in another city informed us that he had taken Bibles to a village and found that the church there was now controlled by this same cult.This cult uses Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25 as the basis for the church to be divided into “three grades of servants.” The leader has appointed himself as the “Great Servant,” and disobeying his commands is seen as disobedience to God. He also claims absolute power as the only mediator between God and man. The Reuters news agency reported in July that three members of the ‘Three Grades of Servants’ sect had been sentenced to death for the murder of twenty people who had left the cult."

Good News from Ecuador

This report is from the IMB's South America Website Previously titled "Good News from Colombia" Later I was informed that this took place in Ecuador. Thanks for the correction, Guy.

Meet Mango Updated 05.18.06
Mango is a 3rd generation church start. They were born out of the Churute church plant just down the road, which in turn was born out of the Duran house church. If you haven't had a chance to read the Churute story, please don't miss the blessing! What follows is, "the rest of the story" of what God continues to do...
Today my daughter and I drove an hour out into the rich farmland to Mango to be with them in their Sunday gathering. Mango is not really a "house church" in that there is no way they could possibly fit everyone inside the tiny home of Marino, the servant-leader. Instead they meet outside under the shade of a Mango tree on little plastic stools. There were about 20 adults and a dozen or more children in attendance.
We met for three and a half hours. Part of the time was formal, but most of the time it was informal sharing, singing, praying, eating, making plans for an upcoming Baptism service, sharing of the Word, and exhortation with everyone present taking part. Most of the time, however, was spent sharing stories of how God has worked in each of their lives.
When he became a new believer, Don Cueva raised chickens for a living. A couple of weeks after professing Christ as Lord, his neighbor poisoned over 200 of his chickens saying he was tired of Cueva's chickens crossing over into his land. All poor Cueva could do was pile the dead birds in a heap and burn them. Don Cueva was as hot as the fire burning and was out to get revenge. But his cousin Manuel (see Churute story, above) shared with him Romans 12 where the Lord says, "vengeance belongs to me; I will repay..." As a new Christian, Don Cueva decided to wait and see how the Lord would truly avenge him for the wrong done to him.
Cueva decided to grow rice in the 4 hectares of land he owns. The bad neighbor owned 12 hectares of land and also sowed seed for rice on his land too. When harvest time came, Cueva's 4 hectares produced MORE rice than the neighbors 12! To this day, Cueva's rice field continues to produce more rice each harvest than his evil neighbor! I questioned Pablo again today and he just shook his head and said the Spanish equivalent, "it beats anything I have ever seen, there is no earthly explanation!" Don Cueva has tried everything he knows to befriend the neighbor--"if your enemy is hungry feed him"--but so far all he has seen accomplished is exactly what Romans 12 goes on to say, "you will be heaping fiery coals on his head..." We talked about several ideas he might try to win over his embittered neighbor. Will you pray for this neighbor's salvation? Don Cueva is truly burdened for his neighbor's soul.
Pablo (on the right). The last time I visited Mango was a year ago. We had gone for a day of evangelism in the locality. Pablo had never witnessed so he was assigned to my team. We visited several houses and shared the Gospel at each. After that we told Pablo, "It is your turn now. You see how it is done. You do it." And do it he did! You'd have thought he was a pro going around house to house sharing Christ! When we got back to the "Mango Tree" church for a meal and gathering, he broke down weeping and shared with us that his daughter had been kidnapped six weeks earlier and begged us to pray for her. As he knelt in the dirt, the entire church of new believers gathered around him and cried out loudly to God asking Him to bring the girl back safely. A few weeks later, his daughter showed up completely unharmed. The kidnappers had tired of her and sent her home! This greatly strengthened Pablo's new faith. He, along with Marino, Cueva, and a couple of other men in the Mango church are looking to start new churches in every town and village in their area of the province!
Some people feel that churches like Mango are much too weak to survive on their own for long without a trained pastor to lead them. All I can say is if you had been there today, heard their stories, seen how so many of their prayers have been answered, listened to their testimonies of how they came to know the Lord, watched them interact with one another, you would no longer doubt that the Church of Jesus Christ truly is His church and He is able to care for her just fine!

China Updates

From Heart4China “East Asia Update”

Dear Jesus, I Am A Sinner
The gathering was over, but six students had stayed behind to talk with the hostess. She was eager to know how they had processed the story of Christ's death and resurrection that she had shared. "Do you believe it?" she asked. "Yes, I believe it," said a high school junior. Then one by one, the six accepted Christ. She led them in a prayer of salvation, beginning with "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner." They repeated what she said, one sentence at a time. When she saw the new believers one week later, she asked if they had shared Christ with their friends and family. One student replied that she had told seven family members and 10 dorm mates about Christ. When asked how they responded to the gospel, the student replied, "Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner." All 17 had received Him into their hearts!

Promises Kept
Previously he operated a disco, smoked, and drank. Then he ran into an old friend who told him about Christ. Although he immediately acknowledged the truth of the gospel, he didn't establish a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Christian friends began to pray for him, and he realized that he needed to allow God to change his heart. He told God that if He would help him break his smoking addiction, he would truly believe in Him. For four days, he was able to go without a cigarette. On the fifth day, he picked up a pack of cigarettes and heard God say, "I keep my promises. You keep yours." He threw the pack away and embraced the salvation freely given. He began worshipping in a house church, and shortly thereafter joined an evangelistic team in trips to neighboring locations. As they share Christ with others, they see other lives changed just as dramatically as his own.

From Workers on the Front Lines
"I've been out here nine years, and for the last two . . . I've never seen so many "T" people come to Christ and so many churches formed in all the major sub-groups. So that's really exciting to me. Perseverance is important. Being obedient. And then again, getting the Word of God out, getting the gospel out. It just takes time. You can't expect immediate results all the time."
"Why am I here 8,000 miles away from my old mother who often reminds me it's time to come home? For 20 plus years as a Christian, the Lord has allowed me to bring 12 precious souls into His Kingdom every year. But for the last two years, the Lord has allowed us to bring in over 6,000 precious souls. With tears in my eyes I told my mother, 'We must go back for the sake of the lost.' One day, I will take a very long vacation in heaven with my mother. Pray for my mother while I also pray for yours

News from the New England area

The following is an excerpt from a newsletter sent out by Terry Dorsett, DOM for the Green Mountain Baptist Association (Vermont), part of the New England Baptist Convention.

"I had the honor of speaking at Concord Community Church this past Sunday. They do not currently have a pastor; yet seem to be moving forward as a church. Several new families were present since I was with them six weeks ago. They are voting on calling a youth pastor while they continue their search for a pastor. Pray for them as they move through this process.

The highlight of the past few days was the annual meeting of the association. Over 70 people from 20 churches gathered to sing, praise the Lord, share testimonies and hear reports of what God has been doing this past year. They also elected two new officers, passed the largest budget in the history of the association (with only a fairly small projected deficit!) and adopted a new strategy plan that will guide us through 2010. It is always good to see our co-laborers at annual meeting time and we enjoy being together as missionaries and pastors. Pray for the association as we seek to ignite spiritual passion across our state, engage our culture with the Gospel and raise up visionary leaders for a new generation."

Give thanks for those who serve the Lord in difficult places such as Vermont, probably the least-churched area in the USA. It is always good to hear reports from these areas. You may read more about the work in Vermont on the website:

http://www.vermontbaptist.org/

Good news from up north

The following information was shared by a student worker in Pittsburgh. What a wonderful testimony to faithfulness and perseverance.

"We just had the privilege of seeing one of our students come to Christ--a kid we have been praying for over two years now.

The cool thing is, the student who led him through the book of John this Summer also just accepted Christ last year, and the guy who is discipling him (and also serving as our intern) accepted Christ last Fall.

So all three of them were names on our prayer list just 2 1/2 years ago. God is good!!!

You may read more about their ministry at the website "Sojourner "

http://thecherrypitt.blogspot.com/

This post containes a very challenging video by Jon Dale of House2House entitled, "Simple church interviews". Those being interviewed share their experience with a different kind of church. We trust you will be challenged, encouraged and inspired by these interviews.

More Good News from the Big Country

Here are some excerpts from reports from the big country in Asia.

1. Seated next to an Asian stranger on an airplane, the young American decided to share Christ. He pulled out some postcards from recent travels to jump-start the conversation. Soon he and his seatmate were talking about important matters. The American told the Asian man that he believes in God and the Asian man responded that he believes only in money. "But what happens when the money is gone?" asked the American. Then he asked the Asian man if he would like to hear his story. When the Asian man consented, the American told about his life before Christ, how he accepted Christ, and about his life as a Christian. When he asked the new Asian friend if he too would like to believe, the man said yes. Before the plane landed, he prayed to receive Christ into his heart. The two set a time to meet again and parted as brothers in Christ.

2. An Asian man who viewed the Jesus film simply could not get the message out of his mind. Over and over, he retold the story of salvation to his father. Finally his father challenged him, "You already told me this and I now I have accepted Christ. Why are you waiting?" The son, who had inadvertently evangelized his father, decided to accept Christ as well.

3. A blonde-haired American lady who would stand out in any Asian crowd has been standing up for Christ in her Asian city for years. Her greatest desire is to see the people of her city come to know Him. Recently she invited eight Asian friends to supper. Four of the invitees showed up: among them a Buddhist, a Communist party member, and a man who was having an illicit affair. Within three weeks after the supper, all four of the friends had accepted Christ into their hearts. One of them gave her the following note, "Jesus is our bridge to God. You were my bridge to Jesus. If you hadn't come to share Jesus, I think we would still be in the dark."

4. Even though his wife and daughter had accepted Christ, he had resisted salvation for five years. When he was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 36, he finally received Jesus into his heart. Asked what made the difference, the new believer said it was the love of Christ. He realized as he lay in his hospital bed that it was not his unbelieving friends, but Christians who ministered to him.

Good news from the big country

We received a newsletter from friends of ours working in a large city in the Big Country (if you don't know which one, email me and I will tell you). They are currently on state-side assignment, but heard from some coworkers back on the field.
Here is the report "While we are away this summer, some of our local friends baptized more than 450 new believers."
This is certainly reason to praise the Lord. Their friends include those doing church from home-based groups. What a wonderful testimony.
Rejoice with us and with them.
Milton and Nannette

Reason to Praise

As you read this, you will be one of the first to visit this blog. A word or two about the title, and purpose. In reading many of the blogs by significant leaders and experienced pastors, etc, I have noticed that there seems to be an abundance of problems and challenges within and without the SBC, CBF, BGCT, and all the other Baptist groups. Faithful bloggers have not missed opportunities to point these out, sometimes offering solutions, but mostly articulating the source of the problems as they see it. Of course, this stirs up those with opposing views, who seem to be waiting to post their opinions on whatever blog they find, and thus the battle is joined.

It seems to me that in the midst of the heated discussions that occur on so many blogs, there ought to be a time and opportunity to offer praise to our Father and to the Lord Jesus Christ for the many good things that are happening in our lives, our churches, the various missionary and outreach organizations here and abroad. This is not to ignore the many serious disagreements that exist within our ranks, but simply to say that in the midst of the chaos which seems to be pervading our world, there are many wonderful things taking place that demonstrate the love and power of God at work in human lives.

So this is the reason for the blog. You are welcome to post your contributions, preferably "reasons for praise." However, don't hesitate to post prayer concerns, suggestions for the blog, encouragements for fellow travelers, etc.
Milton (OCHand)