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.”