VOICES OF PRAISE

2009-01-13T16:47:00.011-06:00

Volume 102: January 13, 2009

CHINA. After traveling over rain-sodden roads into the countryside, they arrived at the home of a new acquaintance. They stepped over the threshold into a central courtyard that separated the animal quarters from the family living quarters. The five men waiting there quickly turned their attention from the TV to the western guests. Soon they were listening intently to the story of God's love for humankind, beginning with His creation of the world and concluding with Christ's death and resurrection. Those sharing the Good News rejoiced as they saw the hearers begin to grasp the truths of the Gospel. Although there were no clear decisions for Christ that day, the bearers of the Good News knew that precious seeds had been planted, would later be watered, and would hopefully bear fruit.

CHINA. The husband and wife had arranged for someone to take care of their children and were looking forward to a quiet lunch together at their favorite restaurant. As they climbed into a taxi, they discovered a mobile phone on the back seat. After determining that it didn't belong to the driver, they decided that to prevent it being stolen, it would be best for them to hold on to it until the owner called. The call came during their lunch and they made an appointment to meet with the cell phone owner that evening. He brought his wife and daughter along and the two families enjoyed getting acquainted. The Christian couple, who through their actions had already borne testimony by going the extra mile for somebody they didn't even know, returned the phone accompanied with a clear verbal witness of their faith in Jesus Christ.

CHINA. It has been almost a century since the body of a Texan missionary was lowered into the ground in a China cemetery. Recently a Christian worker several generations removed stood at the grave site, read the tombstone, and wept as he thought of the sacrifice of the man who had served in China for 31 years. He reflected on the commitment of so many early missionaries who had gone before him. He remembered with gratitude the dedication of those who send and support Christian workers in China. But even more so, he meditated on the immeasurable love of the Father who so longs to draw the Chinese people unto Himself that He continues to this day to send workers into the fields of harvest.

CHINA. A Chinese Christian lady dreamed one night that all of the people in her home village had died and gone to hell. In the dream, someone accused her, saying, "It is not because we didn't want to believe in Jesus that we are here; it is because you didn't come and tell us about Him. It is your fault." Shaken from the vivid images in her dream and not knowing what to do, the lady shared her dream with fellow house church members. They realized afresh that they needed to share the message of hope with the people in that lady's village. That resulted in 100 of them receiving evangelism training. Then the church commissioned a team to reach the village. Fifteen villagers received Christ and are being formed into a small church that will hopefully reach out to all of the lost in that village and beyond.

2008-12-10T05:28:00.003-06:00

Volume 101: December 10, 2008
CHINA. When someone she barely knew asked her to meet with a student, the Christian worker contemplated whether it would be a wise use of her time. She was already responsible for mentoring five groups, she reasoned. But as she talked with the Lord about her busy schedule, He reminded her of the importance of each individual soul. When she arrived for the appointment, she was greeted by a Christian brother who said, "He brought you here," and ushered her into a group of 10 students, all seekers or new believers. One hour later, she had been enlisted to train some of the believers and work with the group on an outreach ministry. She was truly thankful that her schedule had become even busier!CHINA. A group of committed Christians traveled from their city to a small town two hours away to prayer walk and tell its people about Jesus. During the first month of regular visits, seven people accepted Christ. But during the first worship service, the local police showed up and told them they weren't allowed to assemble together. When the same thing happened at the second worship service, some of the new believers fell away. Two families, however, decided that their newfound faith was so precious that they would endure persecution. They continue to worship together, sometimes with the city Christians who leave after work and return home in the wee hours of the morning, traveling for several hours each way to encourage the new believers.CHINA. Having just moved to a new city in China, the American lady was struggling. She missed her family and friends, and although she could already speak Chinese, she was now challenged with learning a new dialect. As she waited on a taxi, she reflected on her situation. Just then a taxi pulled up and she got in, quickly giving her destination. The lady driver greeted her and then, to the utter surprise of her passenger, said, "Alleluia. Praise the Father!" After establishing that they were both Christians, the taxi driver began to sing praise songs and the passenger joined in. At the end of the ride, the passenger thanked the Chinese believer for blessing her so greatly on a day that she had been missing her family. The driver reached out, patted her hand and said, "We are family." Reminded of the truth of that statement, the overseas Christian wiped tears of thanksgiving from her eyes.

East Asia Update

2008-11-24T10:00:00.011-06:00

Encouraging Responses
"The young shop owner sat out in front of her little store selling bottled water and Chinese dolls to the local village people walking by. She did not seem to be any different from all of the other local people until she was asked, "Are you a Christian?" With that question, her eyes lit up and she began to tell us of how not only she, but also her family and several other families in the village were also Christians. She explained that they had believed in Jesus several years earlier and that there are currently more than 50 believers in her small town. This is the kind of response we are beginning to hear as we scratch beneath the surface of the local areas where we serve." . . . by a frontline worker

Being at Home
"As we near the end of our first term overseas and begin preparations for going back to the States, we realize that we are not the same people (as before). We still look the same and enjoy the same American pleasures, but there is much more in who we now are. . . Our new friends live, not in American town houses and condominiums, but in Chinese shopping centers and antiquated mud houses. We eat beef burgers on Friday night and cold rice noodles on Saturday. We have grown accustomed to celebrating American independence on the 4th and the Dragon Boat Festival on the 5th. These and other newly adopted practices make us not new culture people, but bi-culture people." . . . by a frontline worker

Joy in the Midst of Despair
Shortly after the death of his wife in the Sichuan earthquake earlier this year, a Chinese man was introduced to Christ. After asking Jesus into his heart, he said, "For the first time in my life, I have joy." Another earthquake survivor received Christ into her heart after a volunteer worker who couldn't even speak the woman's language took time to fashion a Styrofoam cup into a cross. Since the woman had heard of Jesus previously, that simple act elicited her questions that, once answered by someone who could speak Chinese, led to her salvation. . . . based on frontline reports

Children of East Asia workers share some of their prayer requests below. Go to: http://easia.imb.org/ to read some additional requests.

Pray for all the people in the earthquakes. My family feels the tremors even though we are miles away. Thank you for praying for us. (10-year old)

Please pray for our people group. Many don't know Jesus. Not many people know about them or where they live. Even some Chinese people don't know. Also, please pray more people will come and help the people of our group. (9-year old)

Our dog is lost. Pray that he is safe. Pray that our Chinese friends will know Christ. Pray that my family (in the U.S.) will not be sad about my mom and brothers coming back to China. (7-year old)

One definition for "Summit" is "the topmost level attainable". That's what you can expect at the "Showcasing East Asia Summit". Mark your calendar with capital letters! FBC, Collierville, Tennessee is where you will want to be on April 15 to 17 to meet workers from East Asia, learn about the current situation, and explore how you can be involved from either side of the ocean. It will be followed by a Student Summit lasting from Friday night, April 17 through Saturday, April 18. http://easia.imb.org/summit/

Lottie Moon Resources

Christian workers in East Asia and throughout the world depend on the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (LMCO). Go to: http://easia.imb.org to read some thank you notes from workers in East Asia.

Promote the LMCO in new and fresh ways this Christmas by ordering East Asia resources that will bring focus to Lottie's long-time home of China. Go to: http://easia.imb.org

Revving Up; Not Winding Down

Holiday times are not for winding down in East Asia; rather "tis the season" to embrace extra special opportunities to tell the lost about Christ. Please take some time this week to lift up those who are serving in China, Mongolia, and Taiwan, asking God to give them strength and enabling to entertain seekers and new believers in their homes, facilitate special outreach projects, host volunteer teams, distribute seasonal evangelistic materials, and impact East Asia friends, neighbors, and strangers for eternity. Pray that in the midst of all of the busyness, they will stay centered in Christ and joyous in their family life.

Numbers of Note

• 53,000 — Chinese babies sickened by tainted milk this fall.

• 470,000 — Tibetan herders to be settled in permanent houses.

• 09/27/08 — First time a Chinese astronaut walked in space.

East Asia Update

2008-11-11T09:20:00.003-06:00

Volume 100: November 11, 2008

CHINA. The landscape seemed to have changed since the Christian worker had visited the earthquake survivors a few weeks earlier. On that visit shortly after the quake, he had shown a desperate mother how to make a rehydrating liquid for her sickly child and had led a man to Christ. On this follow-up visit to deliver a Bible to the new believer, he sensed that he was headed in the right direction, but was a bit disoriented. He urged his reluctant and uncomfortably opinionated driver along, while silently praying that they would find the way. When a lone motorcycle headed toward them, the driver stopped to ask for directions. The motorcyclist looked through the van window and said, "He is going to my house." Amazingly, it was a member of the very family that the Christian worker was trying to find.

CHINA. He was one of the first members of his deaf community to receive Christ, and he was faithful in sharing the Gospel with other deaf people. But when his job was phased out and he left town, his spiritual mentors had no idea how to reach him. Then the deaf believer suddenly reappeared at a weekend training session. Using sign language, he told the group that although he had been gone from them, he had been constantly with Christ. He had carried in his heart a dozen or so Bible stories that he had memorized soon after receiving Christ. "I remembered all of them!" he signed. "I knew about the Rock foundation on which my life was built. I knew about the Good Shepherd who looked after me when I was alone. I knew about Jesus being the only Way, Truth and Life. I knew how to talk to my God and petition Him for help." He is now busily expanding his collection of Bible stories. He has a lot more to learn, and a lot more to share.

CHINA. The American teenager was only 13-years old, but she knew that she had a story to tell. So when a great natural disaster befell the people that her family had come to serve, she was intent on going with her parents to minister in the area. One day she and a Christian lady had an opportunity to share the Good News with a non-Christian Chinese mother and her teenage daughter. The mother had heard previously about Jesus' death on the cross, but hadn't heard about His resurrection. Once they heard the complete story of His love and received some responses to their questions, both mother and daughter indicated their willingness to accept Christ. But the mom insisted that her daughter was too young to make such a drastic decision. "Well, I'm only 13-years old and I believe," said the bearer of the Good News. "When God gives you understanding, it doesn't matter how old you are." The point was taken and both mother and daughter prayed to receive Christ that day.

East Asia update

2008-10-28T17:57:00.002-05:00

Jasmine Riden* is building relationships with a people group in southern China.

"It is really easy to want to give up and go home," Riden said. When she feels like packing up and leaving she: 1. Refrains from pulling out her suitcases; 2. Asks her friends to remind her why she is there.

What makes her stay is remembering why she came and what she is here to do: to tell this people group about saving grace. Riden and her friend's hope is to plant a church in every village in the seven counties. It is an ambitious dream, Riden said, one only the Father can accomplish.

Read more about Riden's work in the Hard Places of China: http://easia.imb.org.

Jennifer's* first year in Asia has been tough and lonely as she tackles several new languages and looks for opportunities to share truth with members of an unreached people group.

Recently, she had an opportunity to visit an area affected by China's massive earthquake. Along with some friends, she worked long hours in the hot sun to help locals move heavy loads and was pushed to use language to share the gospel with them.

The experience of sharing in fellowship with others in a challenging environment also renewed her excitement to return to her people group. "I came back home excited not only about the work we did, but the other things that are going on in this country," said Jennifer. "I came home encouraged to keep pressing on in my isolated work, knowing that my new friends are all out there doing the same."

Showcasing East Asia: An "East Asia Peoples Summit" will be held on April 15-17, 2009 at Collierville First Baptist Church, Collierville, Tennessee. Connect with workers and regional leadership. Learn more about how you and your church can be involved in a practical and personal way. Watch for details in your inbox soon.

Other ways you can help:

•	Pray specifically. Become a Priority Prayer Advocate for Zaozhuang or another unreached city in East Asia. Write to eaprayer@pobox.com in for details on Prayer Travels.
•	Volunteer. Come for a few weeks or few months to pray and serve along side our long-term workers. View requests: http://easia.imb.org/go
•	Come long-term. Is He stirring your heart to come for a few years or a lifetime? We would love to help you work through the process. E-mail gochina@imb.org.

Perhaps one of the most trying things about a city like Zaozhuang is how typical it is. It has little to make it stand out from other average cities in China, and has more than its share of pollution from the cement factories and coal refineries that ring the urban area. Members of the heavily populated working-class fill the streets as they commute on their bicycles, which outnumber cars 5 to 1.

Each month we focus on a different unreached city or people on our Day of Prayer and Fasting. Join us as we lift up Zaozhuang November 11.

Find specific requests for Zaozhuang on the web at: http://easia.imb.org/prayer-blog/zaozhuang-november-prayer/

Also, download the a .pdf with specific requests for Zaozhuang.

Our website has a new look with more resources for you! Check it out: http://easia.imb.org If you subscribe to our blogs and East Asia news feeds, you need to update your links:

•	All East Asia Feeds: http://easia.imb.org/feed/
•	East Asia News: http://easia.imb.org/category/news/feed/
•	East Asia Blogs: http://www.rssmix.com/u/40192/rss.xml

God is moving in amazing ways all over East Asia. Read more East Asia story on the web at http://easia.imb.org. Add the site to your favorites.

East Asia Update

2008-06-28T12:05:00.000-05:00

Mending Shattered Dreams

Measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale, it altered forever the lives of millions of Chinese people. The government statistics tell part of the story. 69,000 dead . . . 18,000 still missing . . . 5,500 children orphaned . . . 5 million homes destroyed . . . 15 million people evacuated . . . 35 "quake lakes" formed . . . 8911 aftershocks in the first 16 days.

But only God can measure the number of tears shed, the agonizing screams of parents who lost their children in school collapses, the puzzlement of children suddenly orphaned, the numbers of Chinese people who walked for days to rescue their loved ones, the pain and fear of those who survived only to find that they lost so much. Only He can know of the prayers that were lifted up to Him by Christians all over the world who grieved as one with the Chinese people. Only He can mend the broken hearts and provide for the phenomenal physical needs of the survivors.

"On Monday, May 19, 2008, flights resumed from our town to Chengdu. It was exactly one week after the 8.0 earthquake had hit, rattling all of us who live in Sichuan Province.

Approaching Chengdu from the mountains, it looked like it always does until we landed. The airport was full of military and transport planes bringing in supplies and troops. Time had run out for survivors still buried in the rubble, but there was still hope maybe just one more would be found. The military and medical personnel were still working round the clock. Reporters in the area frequently broke down in tears as they reported the news, but then so did the military and the medical personnel during interviews.

On the way to the hotel, we saw the earthquake's impact on the emotional condition of Chengdu's residents. The whole of Chengdu looked like a colossal campout. There were few tents, but people were mainly camped out under tarps tied between trees. They had hauled out their beds and tables, pots and pans, and settled in. It's understandable. In the week since the main quake, there have been over 3000 aftershocks reported."

Go to: http://easia.imb.org to read more of the journal »

Change of Policies

In response to a national outpouring of grief, China will waive its one-child policy for those who lost their only child in the earthquake. Many thousands of children were crushed to death in the 7,000 classrooms that fell on them when the quake struck.

More than 10 million Chinese students took exams to compete for 6 million available college placements early this month. But for the 9,000 university hopefuls living in the earthquake areas, the exams were postponed.

Summer Prayer Focus

The long-awaited Beijing Summer 2008 Olympics will begin at 8:08 p.m. on 08/08/08. Pray that Christ's love can be shared effectively with many thousands of Chinese people during special events surrounding the international event.

Hot summer weather always comes in combination with warm-hearted volunteers who take their vacation time and pay their own way to share Christ in locations throughout China. Pray for God's protection to be upon them, for His Spirit to lead them, and for Him to use them mightily.

On the Web

Go to http://easia.imb.org to

•	Follow the Olympic torch as it is routed through China cities.
•	Join in our Monthly Day of Prayer and Fasting.
•	Learn about East Asia volunteer opportunities.

EAST ASIA UPDATE

2008-05-10T08:36:00.001-05:00

News

Hope for Japan
One of the most densely populated countries, Japan has adopted a Western lifestyle and accumulated wealth and technology. Yet Japanese are a traditional people who have everything they need, except the one thing they fear or resist accepting: a relationship with Jesus Christ. Japanese are driven by cultural rules handed down through the generations. “The nail that sticks its head up is the one that gets hit” goes a Japanese proverb. Another barrier to the Gospel is adherence to traditional animistic religions, although many Japanese have apathy rather than adherence to faith. Missionary Buddy Brents adds that the Japanese are “locked up in fear of what other people will think about them if they become a Christian.” Missionaries seek lost people through relational evangelism, joining sports, social and business groups.

The going is tough, but God is producing a harvest of Japanese souls

Pray

‘Yet-to-be believers’
He is truly a carpenter following a carpenter. Ima Oka has fashioned tables, cabinets and clocks for 33 years. Ten years ago he heard the Gospel, but only recently was his heart ready for treatment, in the same way Oka treats and matures his wooden creations. After prayerwalking the streets of Osaka, Japan, missionaries Bob and Gloria Gellerstedt encountered Oka in his woodshop and began weekly Bible study in his showroom. In just months, Oka accepted Jesus and was baptized on the shop’s second floor. Oka’s response to the Gospel was unusually quick for Japanese, who may take 40 or more years to come to faith after contact with the Gospel. “You just encourage people, and be patient with people,” says Carlton Walker, a veteran 25-year missionary in Japan. “We call them ‘yet-to-be believers.

CHINA UPDATE

2008-05-10T08:31:00.001-05:00

CHINA. Three U.S. college students had experienced discouraging days of futile searching for an ethnic minority group. When they stopped at a noodle shop for lunch, they were encouraged to see a scripture calendar hanging on the wall. After they prayed over their meal, the owner quickly approached them to share that he too was a Christian. They asked about the minority group and found out that the man's house church had already led five members of the group to Christ. He made it clear that they didn't want training from the outside, but said that they did want Bibles in the heart language of the people. The need was conveyed to a Christian worker living in China. It took him a year and a half to secure the books and a 12-hour bus ride to deliver them. In the meantime, the group of five believers had grown to 40 and not only did they want Bibles, but training in how to grow. "That's what we're here for," said the worker. "That's what God has called us to do."

CHINA. Probably because of their advanced years, and most certainly because of their persistence, they were given an incredible opportunity by local authorities to share Christ in specific ethnic minority areas. The older couple had asked several times for permission to tell the local people about Jesus, and been denied. But on their final try, the doors were miraculously and mysteriously thrown open. It became apparent that God's spirit was at work when, in several villages, they shared the gospel with entire village populations assembled by village heads, and in one village, more than 50 persons accepted Christ over a period of several months.

CHINA. It took a long time for their neighbors to warm up to the American family. But after six years and a handful of new Christians, the family was finally able to establish the first church in the community where they lived. They had tried befriending the villagers, had prayed over the sick people in the villages, and had even hired some of them for a construction project. But nothing really impacted the people until, in the cold of winter, they distributed some quilts handmade by Christians in Minnesota. As best they can tell, that was the turning point for the ethnic minority group. Barriers were broken down and hearts began to open.

EAST ASIA UPDATE

2008-03-31T09:56:00.012-05:00

Bibles in China

Two American men were traveling in a location so remote that they claimed even the cows stared at them. There they gave a "linguistically challenged presentation" of the Gospel to a Chinese man and left him a Bible. When they returned to visit him two weeks later, he had accepted Christ! Once again God's sword had cut straight to the heart of man.

Throughout China there is a great hunger for God's Word. An American summer teacher was amazed when one of her Chinese students asked for permission to just touch the teacher's Bible, not dreaming that she could hold it, read it, and even own it. A house church trainer was moved when he realized that several ladies in his group shared one Bible, not only in class, but in their daily life. Many others have witnessed the inexpressible joy of Chinese friends receiving a Bible for the first time.

Tragically, China has long been known as a country where Christians and seekers have limited access to Bibles. It is true that Bibles can be purchased at government-sanctioned registered churches, and it is also true that Amity Printing, the publishing arm of the government churches, has printed 41 million Chinese Bibles in recent years. But the numbers pale as one looks at the needs of as many as 60 million Chinese Christians, and more than one billion lost people.

Despite the dearth of adequate Bibles for her own people, China will produce one-quarter of all the world's Bibles by 2009! With Amity relocating to a larger facility, Bibles in 90 languages ranging from Slovakian to Swahili will soon roll off its presses and be exported to countries around the world, including the U.S. and Great Britain.

To meet the demand of the world's most populous country, some are taking great risks to make large quantities of Bibles available. A house church leader was arrested last August in northwest China and charged with receiving three tons of Bibles from a source outside of China. In December of last year, the Chinese owner of a Christian bookstore near Beijing's Olympic Village was detained and charged with the illegal printing and distribution of Christian literature.

Bibles are purportedly being illegally published, stored, and shipped in locations throughout China. Hundreds of thousands of Bibles are also being distributed popular tourist destinations worldwide to Chinese people with hands outstretched to receive them.

Please join us in praying that everyone who longs to read God's Word will have access to a Bible. Go to www.peopleofchina.net for more prayer requests for China.

What Volunteers Are Saying

Asked about their most meaningful experience while in East Asia, recent volunteers replied:

"Everything was meaningful. I loved my time inside China. I loved the people oh so very much. Every contact was amazing."

"I was really encouraged by the Chinese believers there. It was amazing to see how much they do with so little, and how excited they are to come in contact with American believers."

"Visiting villages of unreached people groups and putting a face on missions by experiencing the needs of the people. Also, I believe we were an encouragement to the team on the field."

Are you ready for a meaningful volunteer experience? Go to http://easia.imb.org/jobs.htm to check out exciting opportunities or contact eavolunteer@pobox.com

To the Ends of the Earth

From Frontline Workers

"We asked the Lord where He would have us go to finish the task of reaching unreached peoples. Our people gave us a list of the current needs and this group stood out. So I wrote back and said, 'Who are these people?' And the response I got was, 'They are a sub-group who live far out in the Northwest. They have not been engaged. They've been on our list for 10 years. No one has been interested.' There were no other Christians praying for them, advocating for them, living among them. And there were no known believers. And we know that the task is to bring the Gospel to every language, to every tribe, to every tongue. And to finish that task, we need to engage those people groups that are that isolated and unengaged. And we really felt the Spirit say, 'We want you to go there and help finish the task.' And so that's how we ended up living where we live."

University Graduates

China had nearly five million university graduates in 2007, but almost one-fifth of them had not yet found jobs in early 2008.
Since China reopened its doors three decades ago, 1.8 million postgraduate degrees and 240,000 doctorates have been awarded.

Tibetans

Severe winter weather left 1.65 million people, most of them Tibetan, snow blind and frostbitten in the Qinghai province.
Tourism in Tibet rose 60 percent last year following the 2006 opening of a direct train route into its capital, Lhas

Commission Stories

2008-03-13T16:32:00.003-05:00

There is a new website featuring stories about mission from around the globe. It is called Commission Stories. A menu for the contents can be found in the left column. Below are a few clips from this informative and inspiring website. Visit it and see for yourself.

News from the Home Front--Vermont

2008-03-12T16:27:00.003-05:00

As the second least churched state in America, Vermont cries out for spiritual assistance. Can you hear the cry of her heart? Does it call to your own heart? Why not join Terry Dorsett and his team of missionaries in reaching Vermont with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

A Word from the Director:

Watching your children follow the Lord is a blessing beyond description. The first Sunday of March I watched my 17 year old daughter lead a group of 9 teen musicians as they led over 100 adults in a time of praise and worship. It brought tears to my eyes to watch my daughter serve the Lord in such a way. Later that same week I had lunch with a Christian business man who was present for that service and with tears in his eyes he talked about how moved he was to see teens leading adults in worship. May God be praised as He allows us to see our children walk in truth.

Sadly, many parents today are seeing their children turn away from the church. My heart breaks for the next generation and I often ask the Lord to show me what I can do to pass the torch to those younger than I. Sometimes their styles are different than what I'm used to, but their hearts are on fire for the Lord and their spirits are in tune with the Holy Spirit. I see part of my mission as helping mature the next generation in a way that is godly and biblical without destroying the creativity God has put in their hearts. What is your mission? What are you doing to reach the next generation? You do not have to compromise the truth or follow the world's patterns, but you do have to be willing to listen and learn from the "mouth of babes." May God show each of us how to reach the next generation in our circle of influence.

Terry Dorsett (Contact Terry at this address: terrydorsett@charter.net)
To visit the Green Mountain Baptist Association website click here

Preachables from China

2008-03-12T16:22:00.000-05:00

CHINA. The overseas couple only knew of one Christian in the ethnic minority group that they were seeking to reach for Christ. Her name was Rita. They had tried to contact her, but her phone number didn’t work and they didn’t have an address. Seeking the Father’s guidance, the wife faithfully lifted up Rita during times of prayer and fasting. One day the couple traveled to a remote area. They stopped in a market town and before they knew it, had been invited into someone’s home for a feast. As they struggled to communicate using their limited Chinese, the father of the home said, “Soon my daughter will arrive. She can speak some English.” A few moments later, the daughter showed up. She smiled at them and said, “Hello. My name is Rita.”

CHINA. While training a new believer, they asked her to lead in a prayer. She was reticent to do so, but with encouragement, overcame her fear and voiced a prayer to God. Several days later she led her sick niece to salvation in Christ. The niece died the next day. The aunt told the trainers that if she not had the experience of praying in public, she never could have told her niece about Jesus.

CHINA. An American mom and her children had accidentally gotten locked out of their China home. While they waited at the guard house of their apartment complex, the mom took the opportunity to tell their Chinese guard about God's love for him. When her husband arrived with the key a short time later, he joined in the conversation. After a short time, the guard opened his heart's door to Christ, receiving Him as Savior even before the family returned home to unlock their own door.

CHINA. For long difficult years they labored faithfully among an unreached people group that was uninterested and even resistant to the gospel. The Christian workers welcomed prayer intercessors, volunteers, and other partners to join them in the task. As members of the minority group began to turn to Christ, the workers and their partners rejoiced. But then they watched with heavy hearts as some of the earliest believers of the group underwent beatings, incarceration, and other forms of persecution. Through the years, the new believers have persevered. Last year 150 members of the minority group accepted Jesus into their hearts.

CHINA UPDATE

2008-02-28T08:27:00.007-06:00

Frigid Weather Greets Chinese New Year

Havoc resulted when China's worst winter weather is 50 years coincided with its traditional Lunar New Year celebration. Millions of people trying desperately to return to their home towns for their most important holiday were confronted with closed airports, derailed trains, and highways frozen over with ice. Still they persisted, waiting at train stations and airports for days at a time, in the hopes of seeing their loved ones. As the crowds grew, troops were sent in to maintain order at transportation hubs. A stampede at the Guangzhou train station resulted in many injuries and the death of one woman. Harrowing tales were told by those stuck in cars, trains, and buses for 20 hours or more for trips that would normally last only a few hours.

The crisis that impacted 20 of China's provinces has since subsided, and most of China's residents are slowly returning to their places of residence and work. But the winter will long be remembered for nightmarish inconvenience, dashed dreams, and loss. An official mid-February estimate of 107 deaths is most likely conservative. More than 1.5 million people were evacuated from their homes and at least 350,000 homes collapsed under the weight of record snows. One-tenth of the country's massive forests suffered damage. Power lines were downed by snow and ice, resulting in the loss of electricity to millions, and pipes cracked in the freezing temperatures, resulting in the loss of water to millions more. Impassable roads resulted in a shortage of food supplies in many locations. Recovery is expected to take many more months.

Let's continue to pray for all who are suffering, asking God to supply their needs. Pray that Christians in China will be sensitive to special ways that His love can be shared during the aftermath of such devastation.

Winter Wonderland

As the cold weather raged, God poured out special blessings on His children, resulting in these inspiring reports from the front lines.

"When my flight got snowed in during the recent snowstorm, I was a bit frustrated that my agenda to travel to another country had been interrupted. But the snow that paralyzed my city for a few days and kept me stuck there was a means God used to remind me of some profound lessons. During those days of being "stuck," I met people, shared truth with families and had opportunities I would have otherwise missed if things had gone according to my plan. Praise God for working great things out of a challenging situation."

"During the coldest winter in the history of China, we learned that we really can survive without electricity, tap water, television, internet, and transportation. A big pot of vegetable soup shared with neighbors can put smiles on their faces and opened doors to tell them of His love. One dozen eggs, three pounds of rice, and three heads of cabbage will feed six Chinese families. Because we endured the cold and lack of conveniences along with our neighbors, a bond was formed. We became more aware of our weaknesses, and we found new strength in Him."

"Southern Cross Chinese New Year's 2008 distribution was a tremendous success with people coming to faith and over 10,000 Chinese tourists receiving their first copy of God's Word along with Gospel testimonies! With fewer volunteers on fewer teams than last year, He was able to equal the distribution! God answered our prayer that He would allow nothing to stand in the way of these dear people getting a copy of His Word, a Jesus Film and other Christian literature."

Claiming the Year For Christ

This is the "Year of the Rat" according to China's ancient calendar that recycles zodiac signs over a 12-year cycle. Not only has it resulted in a run on hamsters at pet stores in China, but it's all about "carpe diem" for Mickey Mouse who is sporting Chinese garb at Hong Kong's Disneyland. Let's pray fervently that long before 2008 ends, it will be know as a "Year of Christ" in China as millions of people accept the salvation that He freely offers.

Hong Kong now has 1.5 mobile phones per resident!
For the first time since 1949, passenger ship travelers from China disembarked in Taiwan

Current Requests: last updated December 11, 2007
1. As Christian workers pour out their lives in service in China, new generations of missionaries are being developed in churches all over the United States. Pray today that Sunday School teachers, pastors, and missions workers among children will impart love for the peoples of the world and passion for reaching the lost to the children who are under their tutelage.

2. Pray that Christian mothers serving overseas will find ways to balance their many responsibilities so that they can spend quality time among the people, sharing Christ's love. In some cases, this means finding reliable household help. In other cases, it means including their children in evangelistic activities, or having the husband more involved in primary childcare. Thank God that He sees and knows each situation and is willing to give the answers needed as His children look to Him.

3. After surpassing a record goal last year, Southern Baptists will be challenged to give more than ever to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this month. Pray that all who are committed to reaching the world for Christ will resist resting on laurels of years past and will give sacrificially. Praise God for working through this offering to provide for Christians workers all over China and the world.

China Update

2008-02-15T17:53:00.014-06:00

Time to Celebrate

Holiday celebrations may have wound down in the U.S. following Christmas and New Year's, but are just kicking into high gear in East Asia. As you read about the upcoming festivities, please pray that God will use Chinese and Mongolian Christians to impact their family, friends, and even strangers during this time.

Chinese New Year's

The Lunar New Year will fall on February 7 this year, and as always the major holiday of the year will be celebrated widely throughout China. Much of the country will be on the roads, the rails, or in the air as China's people head to their family homes for visits that will be highlighted with New Year's Eve feasts. Offices, schools and businesses will shut down for a few days. Red envelopes filled with new money will be exchanged. Greetings of "Happy New Year" will resound during the daylight hours and sounds of firecrackers will be heard late into the evening hours.

Mongolian White Moon Festival

Although its culture and language is markedly different than that of China, Mongolia also celebrates its most important family holiday at the beginning of the Lunar New Year. During Tsagaan Sar, family and friends enjoy visiting with each other, exchanging khadags: blue silk scarves that symbolize goodwill, and devouring buuz: steamed dumplings filled with minced mutton or yak meat. Traditional games are played and oral histories are shared.

Christmas in China

God worked mightily at Christmas to draw Chinese people into His Kingdom. Rejoice with us as you read these exciting reports from those who participated in the Christmas in China project for U.S. university students:

"Workers had been praying about a Christmas party for months, hoping that 100 people would attend. But 450 showed up and half of them raised their hands to accept Christ!"

"We saw 27 come to know the Lord through the team's efforts and God's grace. We had the largest Christmas Party we've ever had, and the 170 plus people who attended heard the Gospel and 14 received Jesus that night

Eye On China

Numbers are climbing in many societal realms of China's populace.

Students: China now has 25 million university students, five times that of nine years ago.
Singles: More than 45 percent of Chinese people aged 15 to 35 are single.
TV viewers: With televisions in 99.89 percent of its homes, China now has more than 1.2 billion TV viewers.
Wealthy: China had 108 billionaires last year, up from only 15 the year before, and now has more billionaires than any country but the U.S.
Displaced: Four million more China residents will soon join the 1.4 million who have already been relocated from the Three Gorges Dam area in recent years
Would you like to pray for China? Perhaps you can't physically walk the streets of China, but you can still pray! Take a virtual tour of the places and people of China, praying as you go along. Click on this link. Virtual Prayer Walk

NEWS FROM CHINA

2007-11-14T08:16:00.002-06:00

CHINA. While in the countryside sharing about Jesus, the young overseas Christian worker was interrupted by an 18-year old who enthusiastically helped him finish the story that he was telling. Not only did the 18-year old prove to be a Christian, but he introduced his farmer parents and three younger siblings who were also believers. The 18-year old explained that before his grandfather was martyred more than 50 years ago, he had accepted Jesus as the result of the witness of some American Christians. The grandfather went to the grave telling his son to never forsake Jesus. During all these years, the farming family has never owned a Bible. But they still remember some of the precious stories that were passed down by one who paid dearly for his faith in Christ.

CHINA. He is a leader in a house church network. Although he was the primary church planter in 16 house churches, he saw the network quickly grow to more than 80 churches when he began to work closely with other church planters. Eleven of those churches suffered persecution. Some were even closed. But he continues to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ, saying "When we lose one church, we start three."

CHINA. The highly educated young physician was led to Christ while in medical school by an illiterate woman who cleaned her dormitory. When she was invited to a house church, she accepted. At the first meeting, she was so moved by God's Spirit that she wept and wept. She continued her involvement with the house church for several years. As they began dividing into new groups for the sake of reaching more people for Christ, she accepted the leadership of one of the groups. Just as the cleaning lady had stepped out of her comfort zone to share Christ, so too is the doctor determined to step out to reach others for His Kingdom.

CHINA. The American lady had traveled in a smoke-filled bus for six hours to get to her target evangelism location. As she and her traveling companion checked into the hotel, she found herself getting irritated with the slowness of the young Chinese lady at the hotel reception desk. But as God reminded her of the need for patience, she and her friend made a point of reaching out to the receptionist, even inviting her to eat with them. Over a meal that night, they had opportunity to share the gospel with their new friend, as well as with some others who joined them. Even though it was the first time that the hotel worker had heard about Christ, she eagerly accepted Him into her heart.

Eye On China

Numbers are climbing in many societal realms of China's populace.

Students: China now has 25 million university students, five times that of nine years ago.
Singles: More than 45 percent of Chinese people aged 15 to 35 are single.
TV viewers: With televisions in 99.89 percent of its homes, China now has more than 1.2 billion TV viewers.
Wealthy: China had 108 billionaires last year, up from only 15 the year before, and now has more billionaires than any country but the U.S.
Displaced: Four million more China residents will soon join the 1.4 million who have already been relocated from the Three Gorges Dam area in recent

Virtual Prayer Walk
(from Preachables, East Asia Newsletter, published by IMB)

News from and about China

2007-09-13T06:48:00.000-05:00

Christianity Sparks China ’s New Cultural Revolution ( July 15, 2007 , Orlando Sentinel, by Robert L. Moore)
Christianity in China has come a long way since 1870. That was the year that violent Chinese mobs in the city of Tianjin , enraged by rumors that French missionaries were kidnapping babies, massacred every Christian they could get their hands on. In those days, China 's citizenry saw Christianity as a tentacle of Western imperialism, and as such viewed it as a threat to their country's very existence. But the role of Christianity in China today could hardly be more different from what it was then.

While doing research on Chinese society in Beijing this summer, I met a surprisingly large number of recently converted Chinese Christians. And I wasn't the only one aware of the rising tide of Christian conversions. The evidence is undeniable: Despite the government's official doctrine of atheism, its general disapproval of religion, and its occasionally ruthless suppression of those Christian groups that it views as threatening, millions of Chinese are now choosing to convert.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/views/orl-moore1507jul15,0,745276.story

China Sees Activists as Olympic Threat ( July 23, 2007 , AP)
China 's intelligence services are gearing up for next year's Beijing Olympics, gathering information on foreigners who might mount protests and spoil the nation's moment in the spotlight. Government spy agencies and think tanks are compiling lists of potentially troublesome foreign organizations, looking beyond the human rights groups long critical of Beijing , security experts and a consultant familiar with the effort said. They include evangelical Christians eager to end China 's religious restrictions, activists wanting Beijing to use its oil-buying leverage with Sudan to end the strife in Darfur and environmental campaigners angry about global warming.

The effort is among the broadest intelligence-collection drives Beijing has taken against foreign activist groups, often known as non-governmental organizations, or NGOs. It aims to head off protests and other political acts during an Olympics the communist leadership hopes will boost its popularity at home and China 's image abroad. "Demonstrations of all kinds are a concern, including anti-American demonstrations," said the consultant, who works for Beijing 's Olympic organizers and asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The government, he said, is "trying to find out what kinds of NGOs will come. ... What are their plans?"

While foreign governments often monitor potentially disruptive groups ahead of big events, Beijing this time is ranging farther afield, targeting groups whose activities would be considered legal in most countries. Officials in China 's overseas diplomatic missions are also being tasked to gather information on groups, the consultant said. When The Associated Press reported in May on plans by U.S. and other Christian groups to proselytize at the Olympics, the press officer at China 's U.N. mission contacted the AP seeking more information.

Preachables Volume 86: September 7, 2007
CHINA. When they sat down with a group of deaf acquaintances to eat a meal, the overseas visitors were introduced as followers of God. As a brief discussion in sign language ensued, the visitors were asked if it was their tradition to pray before eating. They acknowledged that it was and asked if they might lead the group in a prayer of thanksgiving. Everyone agreed. When the person praying invoked the name of Jesus, it became clear that one of the deaf men was very confused. Touching the middle finger of each hand to the opposite palm, he duplicated the sign for Jesus to the man seated next to him and asked what it meant. It was a word that he had never before heard or seen. The visitors were excited to be able to tell him in a language that he could understand of the Savior's love.

CHINA. They had only been in China for one year when they had to leave because of their overt witness. It was so hard to understand. The young overseas couple had sensed His leading as they had been preparing to move even closer to the core of the unreached people group, and now it appeared as they would be far away from them. Knowing that it would be a long time before they could return, they cried out to the Lord, questioning how He would allow them to be separated from the very people that He had called them to reach. But as they adjusted to their interim setting, they realized that He had placed them in the very location that they needed to be. Not only were they able to serve in an evangelistic training center targeting the very people group that they had adopted, but they were able to spend long hours in learning the difficult minority language. The wait is now behind them and they are headed back into China, bolstered by the special season of learning that God prepared for them.

CHINA. "Do you mind if I pray for you," she asked the noodle shop owner. "I don't see many customers in your shop. I'm a Christian and God hears my prayers. He never fails to answer." The shop owner readily agreed to allow the American lady to pray for his shop and to also let her tell him and his employees about Christ. Two weeks later he received Christ. When she had asked to pray for him that day, the lady evangelist had no way of knowing that the witness of the shop owner's Christian father-in-law had prepared him for that moment. Likewise, the father-in-law could not have known when he witnessed to the man earlier that God was preparing to send an American woman to draw the net. Since receiving Christ, the shop owner has become very active in telling others about the Savior and hosting house church gatherings. He is following in the footsteps of those who were faithful in witnessing to him.

We Have Moved

2007-09-13T06:42:00.000-05:00

Apologies for not posting for the last several months. My wife and I have moved from Little Rock, AR to Arlington, TX. It has taken some time to get settled into our new home. Sandwiched in between unpacking boxes, taking care of a lot of stuff was a music mission trip to Monterrey, Mexico with our church FBC Arlington, and a teaching trip to California. I do promise to be more diligent in posting about missions in the future because there is much good news to be reported. From Asia, to South America, even in the Northeast section of our country, God is doing some great things that need to be celebrated.
Blessings to all who read this blog and send me commments from time to time.

News from IMB

2007-06-28T10:25:00.000-05:00

Here are some excerpts from the IMB report at the 2007 SBC. (Just in case some may have forgotten).

Hundreds answer call to missions commitment at Southern Baptist Convention meeting 6/15/2007

By Don Graham SAN ANTONIO (BP)—KGB agents had arrested Shokrat* before, but this time was different. Instead of being taken for interrogation, he was tortured.

Messengers to the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention meeting in San Antonio listened, transfixed, as the former Turkmen pastor described how agents forced a gas mask over his head and waited for him to suffocate. As he struggled for breath, the mask was removed momentarily, then replaced and the cycle repeated.

Shokrat’s skin was pierced by hypodermic needles. He was choked, beaten and shocked with electricity. Threats to torture his family and friends, rape his wife and murder his children were made. He endured this abuse for days, not because he was a spy, but because he had chosen to tell a story of suffering and sacrifice not unlike his own – the story of Jesus.

Shokrat’s powerful testimony came as part of the International Mission Board’s annual report to the convention on June 12, where hundreds of Southern Baptists answered an altar call to greater missions involvement. IMB president Jerry Rankin said Shokrat’s story, and the stories of persecuted Christians everywhere, serve as evidence of a lost world desperate to hear the Gospel.

“Numbers can be overwhelming – 1.6 billion people have not yet heard the name of Jesus. … Yet God’s desire is for all the world to know Him, and He sent us with the responsibility to be His witnesses,” Rankin said. “He’s not waiting on our response. God is moving in providence and power, stirring through political disruption to open doors to countries and people groups where we would have never imagined missionaries being able to serve.”

Rankin cited the thousands who have come to faith in the nations of the former Soviet Union, the IMB’s missions emphasis for 2007-08, since the collapse of the communist superpower. Turkmenistan is among the Soviet republics that gained independence in 1991. Though Shokrat may never be able to return to his home, he continues his work to spread the Gospel there thanks to a partnership with John,* an IMB missionary serving in Central Asia. With the support of Lexington Baptist Church in Lexington, S.C., Shokrat and John have developed a training program to disciple leaders in the Turkmen church. Now, churches there are growing again, even thriving under severe persecution, Shokrat said.

Messengers also heard another story from the former Soviet Union, that of Genady Krechin, a former businessman with ties to the Russian mafia. Genady first heard the story of Jesus from a Russian believer and gave his life to Christ. Now, in partnership with IMB missionaries Brad and Lori Stamey and Crestview Baptist Church in Shelby, N.C., Genady pastors a small house church in Moscow. Thanks to the help of local believers like Genady and Shokrat, Rankin reported that in 2006 Southern Baptist missionaries and their partners baptized more than 475,000 new believers, planted some 23,000 churches and discipled more than 500,000 Christians.

Rankin also praised Southern Baptists for enabling God-called missionaries to go by giving the largest Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in history – $150,178,098. “Because of your faithfulness in giving,” Rankin said, “784 new missionaries were appointed and sent out to the ends of the earth.” Many of those missionaries were responsible for breaking ground on work among 104 “unengaged” people groups last year – peoples among whom no evangelicals were previously working to share the Gospel. “I thank you, not on behalf of the International Mission Board, not on behalf of your missionaries around the world, but I thank you on behalf of the millions of lost people that will hear the story of Jesus for the first time because you gave and God-called missionaries can be sent in increasing numbers,” Rankin said. “We are told in Romans 10:13 that whoever believes in the name of Jesus, whoever responds in faith to the story of Jesus, can be saved. But then we are confronted with the questions, How can they call on Him of whom they have not believed; and how can they believe on Him of whom they have not heard; and how can they hear the story of Jesus except we be sent? “A lost world is waiting. Multitudes are dying. … We’ve been equipped with all we need to reach the lost world. It’s a story, just a simple story. It’s a story of how Jesus touched your life and saved you. … A world is waiting for someone, perhaps you, to say ‘I’ll be the one. I’ll go and join others and tell the story of Jesus.’”

Tom Eliff, senior vice president of spiritual nurture, closed the IMB’s program with a special invitation and altar call to greater missions commitment, telling Southern Baptists they have an opportunity to either lead the way or fall into the shadows. “God has a yoke for you in terms of world missions that perfectly fits you,” Eliff said. Are you willing to consider what else God might have for you? “Some of you know this is going to be one of the most transforming moments of your entire life. Others know that you’re going to go back to your church … and suddenly it’s going to be catapulted into the farthest regions of the world.”

Messengers answering Eliff’s invitation left behind a sea of empty chairs as they stood or kneeled before the convention center’s 75-foot-wide stage. Nearly 100 people signed cards committing themselves to exploring the possibility of serving overseas as a Southern Baptist missionary. Eliff prayed over their calling. “Oh, Father, we sense that we are running out of time. How can we put our heart around the billions of people who desperately need to know You? “God, I pray You hold our feet to fire … I pray You won’t let us rest until we are right in the yoke You have for us. … We rejoice to see those who will come to know You in these next years because of what You, by Your grace and goodness, have done in this moment. And forever we will walk and talk on the streets of glory with those to whom You’ve called us to tell the story.” *Last name withheld for security reasons

NEWS FROM GUAYACIL

2007-06-25T08:36:00.000-05:00

Meet José, trancultural missionary from Ecuador (From http://guymuse.blogspot.com/)

When José Chillambo first appeared three years ago for our church planting training, all he could talk about was missions. He is a fairly new believer, but has always had a one-track mind about missions. The tougher the territory, the more excited he gets! Over the years, we have seen him mature and develop spiritually. It has become evident to all of us that the Lord is calling him to serve as a transcultural missionary.

In August of this year, Jose will be sent by the Guayaquil house churches to serve on the IMB Xtreme Team in Peru. He will be our first "homegrown" transcultural missionary to be sent out to the ends of the earth from the Guayaquil house churches. The Xtreme Team is not for just anybody. It is, to say the least, quite eXtreme...

"People who live in the easy-to-reach places have heard the Gospel. The people
in the hard-to-reach places haven’t...How will they be reached? The Xtreme Team is Western South America’s answer.If traditional forces can’t get in, Special
Forces must be trained. If traditional strategies aren’t reaching them, Xtreme
strategies have to. The Xtreme Team leaders will train teams of young men to
reach people in the most isolated and difficult-to-access places. The training
will produce the best trained mission force in the region. They will be
physically, mentally and spiritually ready to reach people who have been
overlooked for centuries.This one is definitely not for everyone. Those who
cannot or will not do tough physical work, or those who are not willing to
suffer for the Lord better look elsewhere. The Xtreme Team members will go where the rest of the world is unable, or at least unwilling to go. They will explore
some of the most extreme, isolated and inaccessible places on earth and take the
gospel to those who live where no one else has reached..."

This is where Jose's heart lies: going where the Gospel has never gone before. It will take $200/month to support Jose. The Guayaquil house churches have already begun to raise his support. It comes in amounts ranging from a few pennies to a few dollars per week. Our goal is to support him financially for two years in this missions venture.

Will you pray for Jose? He will need all the prayer support he can get!

CHINA UPDATE

2007-06-19T11:33:00.000-05:00

Left: Chinese tourists spend holidays visiting many of China's scenic wonderlands.

Summertime and Anytime

Summer and travel are often considered to be synonymous. Family vacations, trips to exotic locations, and restful get-away weekends are on the docket for many. There is a lot of travel going on in China as well. How incredibly thankful we are for the hundreds of volunteers who are spending their hard earned vacation time and money to share Christ in China this summer. We praise Him also for the hundreds more who live and travel throughout China year-round so that the gospel can be proclaimed. Here are a few exciting travel stories from workers in China.

Never Been Asked
Headed home from a training conference, an overseas Christian worker used some photos to initiate a conversation with a Chinese man seated next to him on a plane. That led into an opportunity for him to share his Christian testimony. As the plane was landing, he asked the Chinese man if he wanted to believe in Jesus. Oblivious to onlookers, the man began to weep copiously and then said that although he had been told about Jesus before, nobody had ever asked him if he actually wanted to receive Jesus. Now that the question was out there, he had a ready reply. "Yes!"

New Friend, New Brother
Riding a bus into an unreached area where they had never been, the two Christian workers were befriended by a curious passenger. The man asked about their plans for the day and when the workers replied that they were canvassing the area to better understand it, he invited them to his home. That night the two Christians shared the gospel with five people in the man's home and two of them accepted Christ into their hearts.
Testing the SoilChristian workers had been targeting the ethnic-minority area for several years. Prayer walkers had been sent in, followed by literature distribution teams. Then an agriculture team came to visit. As they were driving down the road praying for guidance, they sensed God telling them to stop the jeep right where they were. They looked out into a nearby field and saw four men working. Approaching the men, they asked for permission to test their soil. In the process, they found the soil to be too acidic and were able to help the farmers correct the problem. That led to relationships with several fathers and sons who farmed together. Four men in their 60's soon accepted Christ. One year later, 18 persons in their previously unreached village were Christians.

Pedal to the Metal

Chinese people are pedaling electric bicycles to beat the price of gas and avoid traffic jams. More than 16 million of the electric cycles were purchased last year and sales may reach 30 million this year. The vehicles can run for 48 kilometers before having to be recharged and emit no noise, odors, or pollutants

News from China

2007-06-10T05:31:00.000-05:00

PREACHABLES (FROM HEART FOR CHINA)

CHINA. The Christian worker thought that he was visiting a small clinic in the slums of his city to connect with some village evangelists who were in town. But God had something else in mind. At the clinic he found a mother sobbing over her deathly ill newborn baby. As Christians prayed over the four-day old baby, six men who worked in construction with the baby's father sat nearby not saying a word. The Christian worker picked up the tiny form and was able to detect a pulse and shallow breaths. He carried the baby outside of the dimly lit clinic to better see what was going on. As the light touched the baby's eyes, the baby boy gasped and started crying. Peasant onlookers thought that the infant had truly been revived from the dead. Accompanied by the parents and their friends, the Christian worker took the baby directly to a teaching hospital with neonatal facilities. There they encountered a Christian physician who was willing to treat the baby, despite the inability of the parents to pay up front. When the baby was out of danger later that afternoon, the entire group went out to eat. Over the meal, the Christian doctor, the village evangelists, and the overseas worker led the baby's parents and the six friends to Christ. It truly was a day of miracles, and a day that caused the Christian worker to renew his commitment to making Christ known in China.

CHINA. A small group of house church leaders felt exhausted when they returned from a training conference. Since it was the first time that three of them had ever flown, it had been quite an adventure. As they piled into a van and began their journey into their city, they bowed their heads while one of them voiced a fervent prayer of thanksgiving. Then they turned their attention to the driver. Although he had heard the gospel many times, he had not yet received Christ. One of the men removed his hat as a sign of reverence as he began to share about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Then another one invited the driver to pull to the side of the road if he was ready to receive Jesus. The driver stopped the van immediately, bowed his head, and accepted Christ. As "hallelujahs", "amens", and other sounds of praise filled the van, the men realized that the fatigue that they had felt at the beginning of the ride was now overshadowed by renewed determination to reach the multitudes of lost people in their city.

CHINA. A Christian was sharing Jesus with a 16-year old seeker in a public shopping arcade when a security guard walked over and snatched the gospel tract from his hand. Feeling as if he had been caught redhanded, he turned to the guard and said, "Yes, I have already talked with this young man. He showed interest. I am not forcing him to do anything. If he should decide to believe, it's his own decision." As the guard flipped through the pages of the tract, the evangelist prayed silently. But when he saw that the guard was on the last page, he simply could not be silent. "Sir, do you know Jesus?", he asked. To his surprise, the guard responded that he did. Then the guard handed the tract to the 16-year old and said, "Here. Read it."

News from the Big Country

2007-06-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

The following is a report from a colleague who travels into the big country from time to time.

It was an interesting trip to a different province from where I am usually
found. About a month ago, some friends contacted me with the request
that I return to visit them soon for they had some exciting and important
information to share. I agreed to stop by on my next trip to that
part of the country and then shared with them my schedule for when that might
be. I confess that these brothers and sisters are ones that I always look
forward to visiting with and learning of how the Father is blessing the work in
their area of the country.

Arriving in my friend's city last week,
I found that my friend had brought together several leaders
from another province that represented an amazing House Church network of
friends. These friends, from a nearby province, had traveled many hours by
train to meet with me and discuss the possibilities of our assisting them in
efforts to both grow in the Lord as well as grow by reaching the rest of
their province for Christ! This new network represented some 16
associations with over 80,000 members and around 550
churches. Their dream was to learn how to assist their lay-led bodies
to be more solid in their faith while also boldly moving forward in reaching
their people. As we talked, I was touched of the Lord's spirit when I
learned that this body has only 26 years of history and that they have only 20
full-time paid workers in the midst of their over 550 churches.
Having said this, their goal is to multiply both churches and multiply lay
leadership for the new churches they wish to develop. Wow, what faith
these people have in the Holy Spirit as their teacher and the Bible alone as
their "instruction book!" Surely, God will continue to bless such
faithfulness.

Please pray for us all as we seek God's leadership in learning how partnership is best accomplished for His Kingdom! Blessings as you serve.

Good News from Vermont

2007-06-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

Some of you may be following the ministry of Terry Dorsett in Vermont. Although there are setbacks from time to time, this email proves the efficacy of prayer. Rejoice with Terry in answers to prayer, and join him in prayer for the needs listed

Dear Prayer Partners,

I am pleased to report that the Faith Community Church went before the zoning board this evening to have the building zoned for a church. It was approved in SIX MINUTES, with no stipulations!!!!!! Thanks for praying, it worked!

That was a big hurdle and now God has taken care of it.

We meet with the Fire and Safety people next week, pray that that meeting goes well too.

So far we are still on target to close on June 29 as planned and begin work the following week on renovations.

We still need to raise some $$ for the renovations, that detailed info is below.

Keep praying, it is working!!

Terry Dorsett, in VT

Faith Community Church, Barre VT

Cost Estimate for Renovation:
Physical Work:
Electrical work: 2000
Fire alarm system: 5000
Carpet: 16500
Painting: 1230
Sheetrock/lumber 12000
Platform lumber 1000
Sign: 2500
Miscellaneous 5000
Contingency 9046
Total Materials Cost: 54276

Items to be purchased:
Refrigerator 1000
Video projector 1000
Two Computers 2000
Sound system 5000
Case of Bibles 275
Youth room furnishings 3000
Office furniture 3500
Vestibule area furniture 5000
Total Cost for Items: 20775

Total Renovation Cost: 75051

Cash On Hand: 17552

Outstanding Pledge: 20000

Amount to be raised: 37499

Links

2007-06-06T16:34:00.001-05:00

I am trying to make a link here.
Let's see how it works

How Churches are Started in Ecuador

2007-06-04T08:25:00.000-05:00

Guy Muse shares how churches are started in Guayaquil:

This is a typical story of how house churches get started in Guayaquil..

Mónica was hired to clean the house of a believer, Martha. Mónica
began to open up with Martha about the problems she was having at home with the man she was living with. Martha would cry and pray with Mónica. She openly shared Christ telling her He could heal her life and home if she would just trust him. Mónica thought it too good to be true what Martha shared.
One day Mónica decided to invite Martha to come to her house to share the Gospel with her family. Martha took along Marlene, a gifted evangelist from the house church she attends. Marlene and Martha arrived at Monica's and gathered the family together to dialogue about spiritual matters. Monica felt strongly that she should give her heart to Christ. She was certain that she would be the only one to do so. Much to her surprise, Medardo, her daughter Aneida, and her live-in boyfriend David ALL gave their hearts to the Lord! From the very beginning, Medardo and David were changed dramatically by the power of Jesus working in their lives. Monica and Aneida were overcome with joy in the Lord.That was September 2006.
Marlene, Martha and others began 45-minute weekly bus trips to disciple their new converts. Both couples decided early on that it would be best to get legally married. Recently they were all baptized.(see video here) In Mónica and Medardo's home they proudly display their framed new believer diplomas--Baptism, Discipleship I, Discipleship II, and Christian Marriage Certificate. In all I counted TEN framed certificates on their walls! Several others have since been won to the Lord. These new beleivers are being discipled by Medardo and Mónica. Both just completed our 7-week COSECHA to help them with their own church planting. They will now proudly add their new "Church Planter" certificate to their wall collection!

This past Sunday, Barbara Rivers and I were invited to visit the new church that meets in their home. We sang song after song as everyone wanted to make sure their favorite was sung. Medardo shared his testimony and a short devotional thought on faith. It was evident that he had worked hard on it all week knowing his "teachers" would be present.
Prayers were voiced, the offering was collected, and words of encouragement were shared by several. Medardo and Monica shared that just this past week their other daughter, Maria, had also accepted the Lord!!! They are overcome with joy that their whole family--including grandpa--has joined the family of God!
After a lunch of chicken and rice, everyone gathered around Monica's sister, Rosa, to share Christ with her. She listened intently to all the testimonies of how Christ had changed everyone's life. Words cannot describe how precious it was to hear testimony after testimony of how Christ has totally transformed their lives, brought them happiness, freed them from the shackles of sin, and given them a purpose for living. Medardo even shared he had lost 20 lbs. since becoming a Christian. He called it "sin weight" that was taken away when he gave his heart to Jesus!
Monica's sister Rosa has SEEN the change in her family's lives, and knows it is for real. Yet she was not yet ready to give her heart to the Lord. She will though, it is just a matter of time!
After worshipping, sharing, eating, picture taking, and visiting together for nearly three hours everybody went home happy.
This is how house churches get started in Guayaquil. For all my years of studying and preparation, reading books, attending conferences, strategizing, fussing and fuming, church planting boils down to...
1) Someone going to share the Good News of the powerful life-ransforming life that is found in Christ.
2) Making disciples of those who respond by walking alongside them in their initial steps of life in Christ.
3) Baptizing as soon as possible those who believe.4) Teaching them to observe all
Jesus commanded.Should church planting really be any more complicated than that?
If we will do our part, Jesus promises to do his part and BUILD HIS CHURCH

Read more about Guy's work in Guayaquill at http://guymuse.blogspot.com/

News from China

2007-05-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

CHINA. Two simple questions helped jump-start an evangelistic outreach to a minority group in a major China city. An overseas Christian worker first asked a house church leader if she knew any Mongol Christians. When she replied that she didn't, he said, "Why not?" It was as if he could see the light go on in her eyes. They talked a while longer about the need to reach the minority group. The next day, the lady told the Christian worker that she was ashamed that she had never thought about the spiritual needs of the minority group and ashamed that it had taken a "foreigner" to remind her of the needs of a group in her own city. She turned that shame into victory, though, by making contacts that will facilitate a wide outreach among the Mongol people living in her city.

CHINA. He woke up feeling sick. His head ached and he had a stuffy nose. "It's going to be a long day," he thought. On the way to catch his 6:30 a.m. flight, he realized that he had not brought his medicine. "It's going to be a very long day," he sighed. Resisting the urge to ask the taxi driver to turn around, he reminded himself that he had promises to keep. But he inwardly harbored a sliver of hope that maybe his flight would be cancelled. It was not. Nor did his contact fail to meet him at his destination. He reluctantly climbed onto a bus to head out with his trainee to tell people about Jesus. The first person that they shared with rejected Jesus outright. But the next one gladly received the Gospel and accepted Jesus as Savior. At the next stop, another person accepted Christ. At noontime, they led the parents of two new believers to the Lord. All of the sudden, the evangelist realized that his headache was gone. He felt great, albeit humbled. Reflecting on the day, he said, "I learned that the Lord loves these people more than I do."

CHINA. When the Chinese realtor rented an apartment last fall to a Christian couple from overseas, she told them that she did not believe in any religion or deities. She believed only in herself. But over the course of several months, as she visited their apartment to assist with housing issues, she developed a relationship with the couple and some of their Christian friends. The self-sufficient realtor came to grips with what was lacking in her life and accepted Jesus as her Savior early this year. In the meantime, she had introduced five of her colleagues to the Christian couple. Together they began to hear the Good News and four of them accepted Christ during a Bible study held at the rented apartment on Easter night.

Vermont Mission Report--Terry Dorsett

2007-05-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

Dear Vermont Prayer Partners,

The following is good news about the work in Vermont from my friend and colleague Terry Dorsett. At the end there are several projects that you may feel led to adopt. Remember to pray for the work there, and help financially as you are able.

This past week I spent a great deal of time meeting one on one with people
who were having various spiritual difficulties in their lives. I do not consider
myself a very good counselor, but the Holy Spirit is a great Counselor and He
brought great hope and peace to the lives of His children as we talked and
prayed together.

Yesterday I spoke at Faith Community Church in
Barre (which meets in the basement of a local motel). I speak there two Sundays
a month and then speak in other GMBA churches on the other two Sundays each
month. Yesterday we have a huge crowd (59), which included 10 teenagers. It
seems that our outreach to teens has just exploded in the last few months. Pray
for many of them to be saved.

I preached on How to Find Joy from 1
John 1 and one of the points was the need to confess our sins and forsake them.
If we continue to carry a sin load on our backs, we’ll never find joy. I gave
the group a sample prayer to pray and encouraged them to talk to someone before
they left. Right after the service a mother and her 9 year old son asked me to
pray with them, so we slipped into the storage room (it was the only private
place around) and prayed among the boxes of kitchen supplies that the motel
keeps stored there. While I was praying with them a young man who is completely
unchurched but has been coming the last few weeks was desperately trying to find
me so he could talk to me too. But since I was in the storage room, he couldn’t
find me, so he grabbed one of the ladies whom he had met and asked if she could
tell him how to be born again. So they turned the hallway in front of the two
bathrooms into an altar and she led him to the Lord right there. It was the
first person she had ever led to the Lord, so it was a cause for rejoicing. When
I finally emerged from the storage room after having prayed with the mother and
son, I saw a couple sitting over to one side of the room and their body language
said, “we need to talk to you” so I went over to ask if I could help and they
said, “we have got to get an appointment to come talk to you, we need to get
some things right and join this church” so they are coming by the office today.
Then another person came up and asked if I could make an appointment for them
too. Wow, it was quite the morning.

Be praying as the Lord works
through these many issues in many people’s lives. Pray especially for Gabe (the
young boy) who really needs a touch for the Lord and pray for Nick (the young
man) to be discipled in his new faith. Pray for Karen, who got to lead Nick to
the Lord, that that spirit of evangelism will permeate her
life!!

Yesterday just underscored the need for Faith to move into a
real building. But praise God that even when you don’t have a building yet, you
can turn storage rooms into counseling areas and hallways into altars. God’s
Spirit cannot be stopped! Pray for Faith as they have their hearing with the
zoning board on June 7. Pray for them to get approval to convert the warehouse
into a church. It is the last major hurdle. They are schedule to close on June
29, but the seller wants us to move it up to June 21 if we can get the permit.
So pray towards that end.

There are still a lot of needs; you can
see the list below. Pray to the Father that each will be met.

Faith
Community Church Current Financial Needs:
1. Renovation costs - $20,000
(actually it is twice that but the mission has raised half themselves) 2.
Refrigerator - $1000
3. Two microwaves - $3004. Video projector for power
point - $1000 (all their songs & sermon notes are projected on the wall but
they currently use a borrowed projector) 5. Computer for power point - $1000
(they currently use a borrowed computer) 6. Computer for office - $10007. Sound
system - $5000 (they currently borrow a system that another church needs back)
8. 1 case of new hardback Holman Christian Standard Bibles, preferably black -
$2759. Furniture for youth room - $3000 (couches, lamps, tables) 10. New drums -
$950 (they had a borrowed set that the owner wanted back) 11. Office furniture -
$350012. Furniture for the "Family Room" (vestibule/fellowship area) -
$5000

All gifts are tax deductible and should be made out
to:
Faith Community Church
P O Box 278
Barre VT 05641
Donors are
encouraged to pick an item from the list above and specify what their gift will
be used for. However, if any single item is over subscribed, the church reserves
the right to use that overage to meet a different need on this list until all
the needs have been met.
Here is a great project for your Vacation Bible School. We are collecting empty ink cartridges and used cell phones as a fund raiser to help pay for the renovations of a warehouse into a church and also the association office. Have your VBS collect those items. At the end of your VBS, email me (don’t mail the box to us) and I will send you a prepaid label and you can ship the box postage free directly to the company that is paying us to do the recycling.

Also, a second project, have your Vacation Bible School collect change to help us renovate three classrooms for children in this same building. What a great thought, that the children of your church and help the children of a mission church in Vermont have a nice Sunday School room. Checks for that project can be mailed to Faith Community Church, P O Box 278, Barre VT 05641.

Thanks for thinking of these two great VBS projects.

News from the the Middle East

2007-05-02T10:41:00.000-05:00

The following is a report on a recent M trip by colleagues to the Holy Land. How exciting to see God at work even in short-term mission experiences. If you would like more information on this ministry, please contact me.

Assalaamu alaikum.

My friend D and I made it home yesterday. H stayed on a couple of days and should be on his way home now. Pray that all goes well for him.

The trip was all that we expected and then some. We painted. We walked and prayed. We visited some of the historical holy sites. We had some divine appointments and we were healthy. Thank you for going with us through your prayers.

Let me tell some stories to give you a feel for our time in the land.

The Mosque of Omar

We had met the two young Palestinian Muslim men the night before as we delivered food to a poor Muslim family in Bethlehem. “Khalid” is 21 and is studying to be an accountant. “Hakim” is 26 and is blind. When Hakim was 13 he found a live Israeli land mine in his back yard. He lost his right arm and his sight.

We had asked them to take us on a tour of Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity. The young men did a good job of telling us the story of the birth of Jesus. As we left, I asked them if they could then take us to visit the Mosque of Omar.

This mosque was built across Manger Square from the Church of the Nativity and is a symbol of peaceful coexistence between Palestinian Christians and Muslims. The land the mosque is built on was donated by the Greek Orthodox Church.

We removed our shoes and eased in. We were met by a man who worked at the mosque. He wasn’t the Imam, but he worked for him. He took us inside and showed us around. Then it happened.

As we stood before the mihrab we began to talk about what the Qur’an says about Jesus. Hakim translated our conversation. It was an incredible exchange. The man we were sharing with had the typical responses I hear from most Muslims, but he was very cordial and listened to our replies and comments. The conversation lasted for maybe half an hour or so. Good seeds were planted, both in the hearts of the man who works at the mosque and in the hearts of Khalid and Hakim. This was one of our divine appointments.

Overflowing with Joy

Daher is a strong man. He wore blue coveralls and spoke broken English. He greeted us with warmth that I will soon not forget.

Daher is a Palestinian Christian. He is fighting for his land, land that has been in his family since 1924. In 1991, the Israeli government declared his 100 acres, along with surrounding acreage as Israeli state property. The plan was to build settlements for Israeli immigrants to establish “facts on the ground” in the West Bank. Daher’s property is now surrounded by 5 Israeli settlements.

Daher has legal papers supporting rightful ownership; papers from Ottoman, British, Jordanian and Israeli governments. He and his family have been fighting the Israeli government for 16 years. This is a David and Goliath type story.

We went to spend the night on the land and to work the next day. Daher built a fire in his wood stove and we sat around it to get warm. He smiled at us and began to sing:

“Hallelu, hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah
Praise ye the Lord…”

He was overflowing with joy. It was a beautiful time.

The next morning he woke us at 7:00 and led us to a cave where the goats had slept. It was time to milk the goats. So we did. He then fed us breakfast and led us to our work assignment. We were to pull weeds. There were weeds around the olive trees and weeds around the grapevines. So we pulled weeds. It was hard. The weeds had thorns and we had no gloves. We hated it. We loved it.

I truly felt like I was fighting for justice. Nothing more than a few hours of hard work and a few holes in my skin. Justice.

Naher has no bitterness. He fights for his land through love. He is one of the truest examples of Romans 12:21 that I have ever met.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

I am honored to have met him and to have fought with him for the land.

For more information about Naher and his family’s fight for their land see: www.tentofnations.org

But How do we trust Jesus?

Khalid and Hakim invited us to lunch. Khalid’s mother was there and she had prepared a feast of rice and baked chicken. The serving platter had to have been three feet in diameter and it was heaped at least a foot in the air. A true feast. We ate and then ate some more.

After the meal, over tea and coffee, the discussion turned to religion. We started in the Qur’an and shared the Truth about Jesus. We talked of how Jesus was born of a virgin and was the Word of God and the Spirit of God. We talked of His sinless life. We talked of His miracle working and that He had power over death as evidenced by His raising people from the dead. We talked about His crucifixion and resurrection.

We then talked about why Jesus had to die. We talked about God’s requirement for a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. We talked about the Muslim belief that every person will stand before God and give an account of their life. Their sins will be put on one side of a scale and their good deeds on another. If the scale leans toward the good deeds, they might be allowed to enter Paradise. If not, well…

We shared how God’s word says that if we are guilty of one sin, then we are guilty of all sin. (James 2:10) They understood and realized that we all had a problem.

We then shared how God loved His creation so much that He made a way to be reconciled with Him. What we can’t do, God did. We said that we must stop trusting in our works and trust in the completed work of Jesus.

Hakim translated for Khalid’s mother, “But how do we trust Jesus?”

What a moment. We shared what it meant to trust Jesus and then gave them two copies of the New Testament in Arabic, one for Khalid and his mother and one for Hakim. They were so appreciative. Hakim said he would have someone read it to him since he is blind.

This was another of our divine appointments. It was an honor to sit in the home of Palestinian Muslims and share the love and truth of Jesus. Pray with us that Khalid, his mother and family and Hakim and his family will soon be walking in the Kingdom of God. They are already walking toward it.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

This was a great trip. Thanks for going with us through you prayers.

Please pray for the Palestinian people. I fear that we here in the American church are often guilty of forgetting about the Palestinians. Regardless of our eschatological stance on the nation of Israel, Jesus still died for the Palestinian people just as much as any other people and we must never lose sight of that. Pray for the Palestinian Muslims to know the Truth of Jesus. Pray for the Palestinian Christians, who make up roughly 4% of the Palestinian population in the occupied territories. They feel abandoned by their brothers and sisters in the West.

I’m home for about 3 weeks and will then head to East Asia as well as other spots in the Middle East. I will be visiting with some of our long-term workers and possibly meeting with a group to discuss writing a book on Muslims who are having dreams and visions of Jesus. By the way, we met a man last week who had a dream of Jesus. I’ll tell you his story soon.

Until ALL Have Heard,

News from Panama

2007-04-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

The following post comes from very dear friends in Panama, who are working with Chinese in that area.

CHERYL'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
I'm still processing all of the sights, sounds & impressions of a very unusual week. Let me share just a few.

I was humbled at the personal sacrifice of money, time away from family, and the hardships of traveling the back roads/paths of the Guaymi reserve that our Guaymi coworkers make in order to minister to the people in those remote areas. God is honoring those sacrifices & people are responding to the gospel. About fifty people responded to the gospel this week, alone, after three nights of movies: La Esperanza, the Jesus film, and the Jesus film for children. Pray for these new believers as the Guaymi coworkers continue to follow up & organize Bible studies with these new believers.

I felt overwhelmed with the physical needs of the people. Its hard to express the humbleness of their homes, the wornness of their clothing, the premature aging & multitude of health issues caused by a lifetime of hard physical labor under the sun and to me, the fruitlessness of trying to eek out a living in their situation.

I couldn't help but smile at the children enjoying the same kinds of simple pleasures that all children enjoy, like climbing trees, playing in the local stream, playing baseball with a rock & stick, bouncing up & down on a fallen log and expressing delight over an empty cardboard box to play with.

I felt the satisfaction of having helped a child with a broken arm get to a hospital hours away, or of the groups' helping a very sick newborn get to a hospital and be diagnosed with a serious heart condition or having helped alleviate intestinal parasites, infections, and many types of aches & pains, even if only temporarily.

My own inadequacies in Spanish were painfully obvious at times but God was very gracious & surrounded me with patient, helpful coworkers who were happy to help me learn what I needed to know!

In Panama, there is no place too remote to find Chinese. In the nearest town to our medical clinic, I shared Chinese/Spanish evangelistic tracts with the owners of the local grocery, who are Chinese.

Never having been a big camping enthusiast, I did learn that using an outdoor "squatty potty", bathing in the stream and sleeping in tents can be fun, or at least funny, part of the time.

The local Guaymi ladies can make some awesome food in their very humble kitchens over an open fire.

Benedryl does not effectively silence noisy roosters.

Thanks for praying me through this week. I had no problems with sickness, our vehicles & traveling details worked well, our medical team was able to treat around 400-500 people and there was great attendance & response to the movies at night. God is at work & you have been part of it!

John Mark and Cheryl

Joyful news from Ecuador

2007-04-26T06:47:00.000-05:00

House church double wedding

Saturday night I married two couples from one of the newly planted house churches. Both have only recently come to know the Lord through the ministry of one of our national team members, Marlene Lorenti.

Pedro and Patricia (not their real names) have lived together for over 20 years without ever marrying. Their daughter, "Maria," has been living with her boyfriend, "Mario," for three years now following in the steps of her mother. Mario and Maria have their own daughter who is two-years old.

When all four came to know the Lord a few months ago, they themselves said "we need to make things right with God, and with each other." So mother and daughter, along with the guys set up an appointment with me through Marlene, the church planter who had led them to Christ. I listened to their testimonies and heard first hand how Christ has totally transformed their lives. They were concerned about having a good testimony in their community and asked if I would marry them. Both couples want to serve the Lord, and since the church meets in their home, they figured it was time to make things "right."

Saturday night around forty invited guests met on the terrace of one of the homes. Marlene and others had decorated and set up tables and chairs for everyone. All the way through the ceremony, the two-year old daughter threw a tantrum (see above photo) trying to get her mother to hold her. Finally, someone came and took the little girl outside, but that was even worse as she began screaming and crying all the louder!

We eventually managed to get through the ceremony-- even though neither couple was able to get their rings on due to having bought sizes too small. After the bridal kiss, we all sat down together for the wedding banquet which had been prepared by Marlene and members from her house church. Of course, before we were able to eat, I was requested to accompany them in our car to go get the food which was being kept warm at Marlene's house. We had the standard chicken and rice, along with potato salad (here pineapple, peas, carrots, onion, and corn are standard ingredients for potato salad--quite tasty!)

After eating, Pedro comes up to me and asks if I would sing #68 on page 44 (out of our green song books we use.) I told him I would be glad to, but what was the song? He said he couldn't remember, but surely I must know--missionaries know everything! :) I told him I didn't have any idea what #68 was! He told me it was his favorite and to sing it anyway. Just as I was about to get up and sing "something", it was picture taking time and he was rushed off by his new bride, WHEW!

Both Pedro and his new wife Patricia are currently in our Wednesday night COSECHA church planting training course. They are thrilled to be working together now as a team in their section of the city as house church planters/leaders. Marlene will most likely turn the work over to them now, so that she can go plant a new church elsewhere.

Would you just pause a few seconds and whisper a prayer for Pedro, Patricia, Mario, and Maria that the Lord would use them greatly in reaching the thousands of people within a stone's throw of their house church? Thanks!

(Top photo is shot from their balcony, bottom photo
is part of the church that meets in their house.)

P.S. For the few readers familiar with our green "cancionero" #68 on page 44 is "Sin yo quererte, tu me quisiste". It was the first thing I looked up once home. Great song!

(This information received from guymuse.blogspot.com/ and copied with permission)

East Asia Update

2007-04-26T06:10:00.000-05:00

Stories From China Workers

Making an Impression
"Recently a young lady who began teaching this last term listened to one of our key Chinese workers sharing about Christ. The teacher, Cher, said she wanted to receive Him, and our friend told her she could pray the prayer of acceptance. Cher was very nervous about praying, saying, "It’s very important to make a good impression when you meet someone for the first time." I love this simple story of a new and vibrant faith. Our friend says Cher prayed her own prayer without prompting, and it was one of the most sincere and deep prayers she has ever heard."

An Extra Serving
"Last Sunday I attended a house church and participated in communion service. An old believer aged about 70 sat next to me. When the bread was passed, he took an extra piece and carefully wrapped it in clean paper. When the juice was passed, he took an extra cup and poured the juice into a small bottle that he had brought. After placing the extra servings into his pocket, he participated in the communion service. I was so curious to know who would receive the extra serving. He probably wanted to give them to his sick wife or a handicapped person in his home. His loving action touched my heart."

Quotes from the Front Lines

Easter Reports of Praise
"This Easter morning, I had a chance to preach a 'Resurrection' message to more than 80 people, 20 of whom were non-believers. At the end, an invitation was given and 17 people received Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord!"Our teammates hosted an outreach on Easter Sunday at a hotel. Around 150 people heard praise music, testimonies, and a gospel message. Sixty eight people indicated a decision to trust the Lord!" "On Easter we had over 30 folks, mostly doctors, in our Bible Study group. After showing a musical DVD Passion Play from a U.S. church, we had three make a decision for Jesus. How great to see the Lord work!" "Easter Sunday was the first time some of the believers had met each other, and (one) woman was surprised at who she saw. Introducing herself to a man seated just inside the doorway, she asked, 'Do you remember me? When I was little, my parents often took me to your home to see your father, their favorite fortune-teller. Now YOU believe Jesus?! So amazing!'" "During the special Easter outing (one house church) had last Sunday, they baptized more than 10 new believers in a lake. My family was invited to join them, but we could not attend as we needed to visit a new church we helped start. During the journey, we shared the Creation to Christ story and three new believers joined the Family!"

Praying for God's Workers
"I'm not particularly good at what I do. I don't have any great skills or abilities that make me an effective missionary. But at night I hear God's heartbeat for children that He longs to embrace. At sunrise, I pray for hurting, hopeless crowds of people who are trapped by fear. At daylight, I'm compelled by His Spirit to be a living message of the mercy and freedom He is offering. Please pray for missionaries. We are not heroes. We are weak people, speaking and sharing from the simple conviction that God is faithfully drawing nations to Himself. Powerfully. Beautifully. Today."

Eye On China

Extremes
China's population, still the largest in the world, grew by almost 7 million people last year. One out of every five people in the world live in China.The world's tallest man, 7'9" Bao Xishun from China, just got married to 5'6" Xia Shujian after advertising worldwide for a suitable bride.Hong Kong now has the highest life expectancy in the world for both men and women! Men are expected to reach age 79.5 years of age and women to live to 85.6 years of age!

Special Upcoming Opportunities

Engaging China will connect American teachers with Chinese students and teachers in life-changing summer opportunities.
Contact https://my.newsletter4fun.com/index.cfm/fa/ct.go/LID/15742/m/2931/sID/6802JA445A4E6450A0A060441.cfm for details.

A China Vision Trip for pastors and key church leaders will be held in late fall. Contact https://my.newsletter4fun.com/index.cfm/fa/ct.go/LID/15743/m/2931/sID/6802JA445A4E6450A0A060441.cfm for details.

A Church as China Partner Workshop designed to equip American churches to reach China for Christ will be held in mid-November at Harp's Crossing Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Georgia. For more information, write to: https://my.newsletter4fun.com/index.cfm/fa/ct.go/LID/15744/m/2931/sID/6802JA445A4E6450A0A060441.cfm

Teams of university students will serve in locations all throughout China this Christmas in China. For more information, write to: https://my.newsletter4fun.com/index.cfm/fa/ct.go/LID/15745/m/2931/sID/6802JA445A4E6450A0A060441.cfm

Volunteers are needed year-round for literature distribution, backpacking, ESL teaching, Olympic opportunities, training, childcare, and other vital ministries. Contact https://my.newsletter4fun.com/index.cfm/fa/ct.go/LID/15746/m/2931/sID/6802JA445A4E6450A0A060441.cfm for more opportunities.

(This information received from Heart for China, website and email addresses given upon request.)

Preachables

2007-04-05T09:44:00.000-05:00

CHINA. A believer who is a member of an ethnic minority group traveled far late last year to find someone to tell him how to share the gospel. He found someone more than willing, not only to tell him, but to show him by doing. Since then, the newly discipled believer has been instrumental in leading more than 40 members of his minority group to Christ and has started several Bible study groups. Recently he also received official permission to travel into some normally restricted areas where his minority people live. He fully intends to take the Good News with him and share it in with people who have never heard.

CHINA. She was only ten-years old when she was kidnapped from her Lisu minority village 70 years ago and taken to another minority community. There she grew up and eventually married. She learned to speak the dialect of the local people, adopted their culture, and even grew to accept their religious traditions. Early this year, a group of Lisu believers visited the village where the aging woman lives. When she heard the Lisu dialect, she recognized it immediately as her mother tongue. Memories flooded her heart and mind as she told them her amazing story of exile. In return, they told her a story that was even more amazing, the story of God's love manifested through Christ. As she knelt in prayer to accept Jesus into her heart, she knew that she had truly been found.

CHINA. A group of six Christians who were facilitating an English camp at a local school were called to the principal's office. There they were joined by six nonbelievers who were also helping with the camp and had also been summoned. The Christians knew that the principal was a believer, but felt a bit awkward when he asked them to sing some songs together. They did so anyway, even as they wondered what was going on. Then all of the sudden, he blurted out to the Christians, "Tell them." No longer puzzled about his intent, the believers began to share their testimonies and respond to the probing earnest questions of the nonbelievers. The sharing lasted for hours, and even though there were no salvation decisions right then, doors had been opened wide through the determination of that one principal.
(Courtesy of IMB heart4china)

Church Planting in Ecuador

2007-04-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from Guy Muse's website. More information on the work in Ecuador can be found at http://guymuse.blogspot.com/

Starting House Churches in G..., Ecuador
(July 2000-January 2006) following Luke 10:1-9 patternWe call our church planting, "La Iglesia en Tu Casa" (The Church in Your House). LIETC began in July 2000. Our team at that time was composed of seven Southern Baptist missionaries (IMB-SBC) - all assigned to church planting. The team now consists of two IMB units, one SIM couple from New Zealand, and two national brothers who fully participate in all plans, teaching, decision making, etc. Our team is led by one of the national brothers.None of the missionaries actually plant churches; rather, we are catalysts for church planting. The reason for this is that, if we set out to plant a church, we individually might plant 1 - 2 new churches a year. But as church planting catalysts, the only limitation of church starts is the number of people who respond to the Lord's call to go out and plant New Testament churches.

Lay leaders, whom we call "servant-leaders," lead all the house churches. At nearly any given moment, we are training between 20 to 30 men and women who are likewise in various stages of training and starting new house churches. Most of them tend to come out of established traditional evangelical churches and thus carry a lot of baggage with them in their seeking to begin new works...We feel there are four requirements for anyone who wants to start a house church:

1) Willingness to win-disciple-train at least eight others each year.
2) Willingness to be trained in the basics of evangelism, discipleship,
teaching, etc.
3) Willingness and commitment to visit, evangelize, and minister to the
local community where the church is being planted.
4) Willingness to lead in the house church meetings (especially in the
beginning as they are being started with non-believers.)

While there have been well above 250 new churches started since July 2000 , less than half are currently meeting and functioning as churches...While this "short shelf-life" of more than half the churches started is a source of great concern, we are nevertheless encouraged in that those won through the ministry of the new house churches tend to have had genuine salvation experiences...

GOD WORKING IN EAST ASIA

2007-04-02T07:14:00.000-05:00

The Time is Now
The Chinese man had just heard a clear presentation of the gospel and it was obvious that he was under conviction. Not ready to yield to Holy Spirit, he said, "I need more time to study." The believer who was sharing with him replied, "No, you don't need more time. You have heard the entire gospel. You need to decide whether to follow Him." The Chinese man replied, "Yes, I need to do this now." He bowed his head and accepted Christ.

Something She Loves More
Possessing the energy and enthusiasm of someone half her age, she entertained 230 university students in her home last year. Her formula was simple: fun, food, fellowship, and her testimony at the end. That is when she would tell her lost students, "I love to teach English, but I love to teach the Bible even more." Then she would invite them to study God's Word with her. The results were amazing. Out of one class of 30 students, 10 of them accepted her study invitation, and 5 of those became believers.

Signs of Salvation
The young couple was surprised to meet a university student who was wearing a cross around his neck, and were delighted to learn that he was a believer. He explained that his grandmother had been a believer, but that he had just accepted Christ into His heart two weeks earlier. Both the couple and the new believer realized that, in His perfect timing, God had orchestrated their meeting so that they could reach their city for Christ. As the couple had prayed fervently for believers willing to be trained, God has prepared the young man for just such an opportunity.

Talk About Celebration!
Chinese New Year Reports from Two Frontline Workers...
"The final day of the New Year celebration is something too BIG to even try and describe, but I will try. The sky is filled with fireworks continuously, like a hundred 4th of July displays all around. Rockets, strips of 2000 firecrackers, "big bang things" and various displays are being set off on the sidewalks, in the alley ways and sometimes even in the middle of the street. It feels like a huge party. Imagine a city of 3 million teeming with people all intent on blowing up their share of fireworks. It is now 10:30 p.m. and the "war zone" sounds and beautiful skies will continue until 12 midnight when a black silence will fill the air."
Today is the end of the Spring Festival, a time when the Chinese New Year is celebrated. Today is considered the "Lantern Festival" and it denotes the official end of Spring Festival and the beginning of spring. People have been setting off major, industrial-strength fireworks all day long to celebrate...the kind that explode into big flower shapes in the sky. I'm serious...those are the kind that have been set off right outside my window! It's quite a show! Have you ever heard of Black Cat firecrackers in the U.S.? String 1,500 to 2,000 of them together and then set them off all at once! That's what it's been like here today. The Chinese truly know how to celebrate!"
Please pray that many Chinese people will celebrate new life in Christ today.

Other Recent Quotes from Front Line Workers...
"God loves the Chinese and Mongolian people so much that He reaches completely outside their sphere to bring people to reach them."
"God was here long before we arrived. He'll be here long after we leave."

From Our Heart to Yours
Thank you for praying for our recent East Asia gathering. We had a joyous time sharing together in worship, prayer, training, and fellowship. As we heard many inspiring reports of God's working in East Asia, we were challenged to do even more for Him.
In small groups, we worked toward sharpening our skills and understandings. Around the meal tables, we reconnected with old friends and made new ones as well. God's hand was evident in every aspect of our meeting. Whether rejoicing over new believers and churches, honoring retiring colleagues, or thanking Him for new babies born to our families, we were constantly reminded of His goodness.
Please pray for all of our workers who have now returned to their locations of service. Many are serving in places that are physically cold and spiritually dark. Ask God to empower them to share His love with the precious peoples that they are seeking to reach.

(From East Asia Update, published by IMB)

Updates from China

2007-03-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

From IMB-East Asia website

Planting seeds, reaping the harvest
The timing was uncanny. The two believers were sitting in a traditional tea house as the guests of two Buddhist monks whom they had befriended for the sake of the gospel. One of the believers had witnessed to the monks several times. As the server began to pour tea, one of the monks introduced the foreign guests as "people who study the Bible." The waitress looked directly at them and said, "I want to become a Christian." The believers began immediately to pray silently for the waitress. After the visit was over and the monks had left, they remained behind to share the plan of salvation with her. She accepted Christ that night.

The power of prayer
As a student in China, the radiant Christian used every chance she had to share Christ with her language teacher. If the assignment was to begin a sentence with "I", for instance, she would say, "I love to read my Bible every day." One sentence led to another, and most of the class time was spent talking about Jesus. During her vacation, the student prayed daily for her lost Chinese teacher. When she returned to class, she was thrilled to hear the teacher say, "I had a dream last night. God told me that He was God and that I need to believe."

Sharing the same Father
CHINA. The American Christian understood all too well how her Chinese friend had suffered. Even though they were from different cultures, both had seen the marriage of their parents severed by divorce. Sitting by a pond one day, she told her Chinese friend about God's love. As the friend began to cry over the thought of a Heavenly Father who loved her, the American joined her in shedding tears over the sovereignty of God who would allow her to share out of her own pain of the past. Then she heard her Chinese friend say, "I believe in God. I just want to know more." The Christian was all too glad to share much more about His saving grace. Now the two ladies share the same Father.

'Why is this the first time I’ve heard this story?’
Soon after the Christian worker arrived in China, he found himself talking about God to a Chinese man who seemed to have countless questions. Then he gave his testimony, and the next thing he knew, he was using a tract to lead the man through the plan of salvation. The Chinese man accepted Christ and then he expressed disbelief that bordered on anger. "I'm thirty-something years old. Why is this the first time I've heard this story?" It was a great question -- one that cut to the heart of the Christian worker who has since led a team in distributing tens of thousands of pieces of evangelistic material in the China megacity where he serves.

Manicurist learns about Jesus' hands
Miss K, a Chinese manicurist, spent long days working on the hands of customers. So, when over a period of several visits a Christian friend explained to her how God had created her right down to her fingers and toes, Kelly was intrigued. Then when she heard how the hands of Jesus were pierced by nails so that He could purchase her salvation on a cross, she understood His love and asked Him to enter her heart. She will never see hands in quite the same light as before, nor will her life ever again be the same.

Family receives Christ
The Chinese believers were surprised when they shared the gospel with a hospitalized boy and his family, and the entire family immediately responded that they wanted to receive Christ. The evangelists asked the family why they were willing to accept Christ so readily. The family members replied that they had found a packet containing a JESUS film and some gospel tracts in front of their home several months earlier. They had long since viewed the film and read the tracts. They just hadn't been sure how to proceed from there. So when the offer was made, they were more than willing for someone to lead them in a prayer of salvation

Good news about CPM

2007-03-20T06:18:00.000-05:00

The following is taken from an M's blog. Name will be supplied upon request.

Why not CPM?

CPM: Babies Teaching Babies? is one of my first posts written over a year ago on the "M Blog". It also stands as probably my most read and commented post.Recently, a year after writing the post, I received yet another comment from "Uncle" an IMB missionary serving in East Asia. What was particularly interesting to me is that "Uncle" is personally involved in what has been classified as a "Church Planting Movement". CPM is what all of us M's out there are praying for and longing to see happen in our midst."Uncle's" comments about CPM brings the subject back to center stage and revisits some of the issues that have made CPM a highly debated subject in many quarters. I definitely think it is worthy of our attention (especially for M's and church planters) and so I am reprinting his comments with the hope of rekindling what I believe is one of the most relevant church planting subjects out there."Uncle" asks, "Why not CPM?"

Hello, I must say that I just found your blog on CPM (is this thread really a
year old?) …read it from top to bottom and found it interesting. I am an IMB M
in EA with a city focus and we have been classified as a CPM by the current
standards.I must tell you that CPM is difficult to define outside of the
definition of “churches rapidly reproducing churches”. There are lots of
“handles” or “tools” that are taught at the Farm or Ranch …what ever they are
calling it now that are solid principles that can help you reach your goal of a
CPM.Maybe unlike some of you I believe that these handles/tools which are what I
would call “canned” do indeed provide building blocks by which you can indeed
plant churches. I am not negating the role of the HS in this for without the
stirring of the hearts of the lost by the HS we would not see salvation occur,
therefore no church planting and ultimately no CPM. For those of you who would
look at things like T4T, MAWL and others as a “model” and therefore dislike it I
am sorry that you feel that way. I also know that as you will as I did when you
attempt to use the material will look at it and wonder how will this simple
thing work. But, I can tell you that your being on your knees, your trust in God
and the HS as he does his thing will do wonders with your effort and this small
tool.
Granted I know that it does not work for everyone that way and we are
experiencing mixed results here in different areas of our work as a team, but I
think that Clyde Meador, Executive Vice President with the IMB has a very good
take on the subject in his article “Left side of the graph”. I know that in our
area of work the HS used many years of folks on the “left side” to get us to a
point that we got to see huge numbers of people saved. Granted it is never going
to be easy and the groups and churches that are started are difficult to manage
and growth is messy, but it is worth the effort. The CPM model that we are
utilizing that includes T4T is showing huge results out to past the 5th
generation of churches.My word to you is don’t take away what the HS can do with
your effort, a small little tool and a willing heart. There is a lot that goes
into the effort part that I don’t have room for here, but would be more then
willing to go into some of it later if folks are interested? Peace and grace my
brothers and sisters.

Press on,Uncle

Encouraging reports from East Asia

2007-03-20T06:14:00.000-05:00

Testimonies of Faith

You Shall Be My Witnesses
We had taught Nick when he was a freshman but had not been able to keep closely in touch. Several of his classmates had become Christians, but we did not have much contact with Nick. Right before Christmas his senior year, his classmate Paul led him to the Lord. Nick is from a village of our people group near another town. The next weekend, Christmas weekend, very excited, he decided to go there to contact and teach some songs to a few believers there. Last summer he helped in leading his father to believe, and his zeal for the Lord has remained strong. This year Nick is teaching in junior high in another town not too far away and has already led three of his students to the Lord and started a small group with them. He has visited with them in their home villages and witnessed to their families! We are thankful for Nick's life and witness and pray for his continued dedication and also security because he could lose his job and even be jailed for spreading the Gospel!

From College to Village
Li's father, mother and little brother had just accepted the Lord through a team we had connected with them in their hometown. We wanted to follow up on them and went with Li to visit there. After we arrived, Li's grandfather, grandmother, and 14-year-old sister also came to eat lunch. After eating lunch together, M asked them if they also had an interest in Jesus. When M shared the Gospel with them and answered the questions they had, they all believed and accepted Jesus! M asked Li to share in the local language everything he had shared in the local language in order to make sure they really understood and also let her develop her skills in sharing the Gospel in her local dialect. Later the family was baptized and now worships and studies the Bible together as a small church. In addition, the grandparents have been sharing and have starte a new group at their own house!

Living the Book of Acts
Things continue to go well in the places we are working. It is in many ways like living out some of the book of Acts. Our work is a great example of how the Good News spreads among people who have never heard. It is through those natural relationships. The first to hear and believe start taking the message to family members. They then begin to tell friends and that usually includes other villages because their friendships like all people in the world are many and widespread. Recently we went to visit our friends and a coal supplier from another town and good friend of (our friend) Mr. Wang was there to meet us and talk about the Good News. It was clear to us that Wang had already been sharing with this friend of his and after about 30 minutes of going through the story this man, he followed Mr. Wang�s example and asked Him for salvation. While the conversation was going on, another family member was around, occasionally listening while seemingly keeping himself occupied. We ask him if he was also interested and to our delight the one just saved, shared the Good News with this other man and he too accepted. The new brother had already done something that most believers never take time to do; lead another person to the throne of grace.

Looking for a New Friend
As I stood in my garage trying to kick start my dryer last week a petite young woman I'd never met before pulled up on her scooter. Her first words to me were, "I want to study Bible." I shared my testimony, sent her home to invite her friends, and stood there speechless. Not ten minutes before she arrived I'd asked God for a new friend, someone who does not yet know him but is willing to gather friends to hear about Jesus. Last night this young woman and one of her friends lingered as everyone left after our first class. They had heard the first part of God's unfolding love story, testimonies of God's care and power and been given the opportunity to pray and ask God for help in any situation they were facing at the moment. On the verge of tears my new friend spoke, "I try to be strong, but I am not. I need God. I want to tell him, but I don't know how." We stood holding hands in a small circle as these two women sobbed their hearts out to God. Before they left that night, they gave themselves to Him.

PREACHABLES FROM CHINA

2007-03-09T16:18:00.000-06:00

Good reports from China (from the IMB 'East Asia Report')

CHINA. In a remote area of China, a Christian worker encountered a 47-year old Chinese man who asked him why he had come. When the worker replied that he was just hiking in the area, the man replied with certainty, "No, you came to see me." They went inside one of the homes and the Christian shared the story of salvation. The Chinese man accepted Christ immediately. He said that he had prayed several years earlier that God would send someone to tell him how to relate to the True God and when he saw the hiker, he knew that his prayer had been answered. Since then, the new believer has shared the gospel with scores of others who were also waiting to hear, and now believe in the Son.
EAST ASIA. Having been ousted from a spiritually receptive area of China because of his fervency in witness, the Christian worker was finding it hard to share Christ. Although he was now in a location where he could share freely, he assumed that the hearts of the people were closed to the gospel. As he prayed, he heard God say, "I haven't changed. You have." Just then, he heard the sounds of the community garbage truck and headed out to meet it. Out on the street, he ran into a large group of neighbors who were also tossing their garbage into the passing truck. He invited them into his home. Quite a few accepted his invitation, and in his home that night, a family of four accepted Christ.

CHINA. They were expecting 100 persons at the Christmas party, but 200 showed up. The guests listened intently as the gospel was shared. Then an invitation was given. As the speaker asked if any of them wanted to receive Christ into their hearts, they replied almost en masse, "We are willing!"

CHINA. They call him a super spreader because of his effectiveness in reaching others for Christ. He accepted Christ in late 2005 and one year later had already trained 25 others to start churches. By early 2007, he had more than 50 trainers under his tutelage. All of them were committed to starting churches that would catalyze other church starts. He knew the risks, but for the sake of the Kingdom, he continued to share boldly. When he was incarcerated for a season, the gospel seeds that he had sown continued to take root and flourish.

REPORT ON CHURCHES IN CHINA

2007-03-02T08:27:00.000-06:00

For those who may think that there is no religious persecution in China. Here is a report on some recent actions by the Chinese government towards churches, from a friend who works in China

The pressures and privileges of working with Christian brothers and sisters in
China are many. Sometimes, things go smoothly and somtimes the situation
makes things a bit more "challenging." I send the following tidbits of
information to allow you to pray with focus. Acts 1:8 continues to
establish and retain a burden for the Lost! God Bless you as you
serve. A China worker

House Church Worship Service Raided in Anhui (January 26, 2007, China Aid Association)
House Church Worship Service Raided in Anhui Province; Inner Mongolia Christians Take Legal Measures to Protect Freedom; 9 Arrested Church Leaders in Henan Released after 15 Days of Detention. CAA has learned local police raided a house church worship service in Zhangchong Township, Jinzhai County, Anhui province on January 24, 2007. Three Christians were taken to the police station and released after interrogation. According to eyewitnesses, the raid happened around 10:00 AM when some Christians were having their worship service. Policemen from the County Public Security Bureau (PSB), local police station, county criminal police squad, and officers from the county Religious Affair Administrative Bureau broke into the house. They took pictures of every Christian in the room and asked for their names and identities. The police then released most of the Christians and took three church leaders to the police station for interrogation. The police confiscated Bibles, hymn books, acoustic equipment, a blackboard, and the tither box without any legal procedure. The police warned the three church leaders that they are not allowed to gather without the registration to the government.

9 Arrested House Church Leaders in Henan Released after 15 Days of Detention. (January 26, 2007, China Aid Association)
China Aid Association has also learned that nine house church leaders arrested on January 6, 2007 in a raid by police in Yongfeng Township, Xiuwu County, Henan province were released on January 20, 2007, after 15 days of detention. The detained Christians were not given any legal certificate of their arrest, detention, or release.

Vice Premier Calls for Approved Religious Administration (July 16, 2007, People’s Daily)
Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu called for improved administration of religious work in order to achieve harmony among people of different religious beliefs. Religious work was facing new challenges as the country stepped into a crucial stage of reform and development, Hui said at a national conference on religious work held in southwest China's Kunming City, Yunnan Province, from Monday to Tuesday. The administration of religious work must be based on stable social and economic development, and correct understanding of world religions and their influence on Chinese religions, he said. "We must properly deal with religious affairs and let religions play a positive role in building a harmonious society," said Hui. The Party's policy on the freedom of religious beliefs must be implemented correctly, ensuring political cooperation with religious groups and promoting the Party among religious adherents.

Christian Service Raided in Henan Province (January 15, 2007, christiannewswire.com)
China Aid Association has learned that on January 6, 2007 the local police from Yongfeng township police station in Xiuwu county, Henan province, raided a Christian gathering held in Chencun village. 11 Christians were taken to the police station; only 2 of them were released the next day. According to the eyewitness, the event happened at 4 PM January 6, 2007, when 14 Christians gathered in a house in Chencun village. The police broke into and proclaimed the gathering a cultic activity and illegal gathering. 11 Christians were brought to Huifeng township police station for interrogation. The police released 2 Christians the next day, the rest are still in detention.

Three Church Leaders Arrested in China, Montoring Group Says (January 3, 2007, AP)
The police arrested three Christian church leaders in a raid on a gathering at a private home in northeastern China, a U.S.-based monitoring group reported Wednesday. About 30 police officers and officials from the local government's Religious Affairs Bureau took part in the raid Dec. 29 on the home in Duolun, in Inner Mongolia, 250 kilometers, or 155 miles, north of Beijing, the China Aid Association reported. The officials declared the service an "illegal gathering," the association said, a reflection of China's policy of permitting worship only in official churches whose clergy and activities are tightly controlled by the Communist government. Detained were Liu Guanghua, 42, Zhi Huiping, 41, and Zhi Ruiping, 35, the association said. It said the three women were being held at the Duolun County Detention Center. The association said the three women were sentenced to 15 days of administrative detention, a measure used against people deemed to have committed offenses but who are not legally recognized as criminals. he association said the service had been part of post-Christmas celebrations, but didn't say how many people were in attendance.

East Asia Update

2007-02-22T08:46:00.000-06:00

UPDATE ON CHINA

Balancing Act
China watchers will tell you that anything that is said about China is true. The nation is so vast, her history so rich, and her populous so enormous that somewhere in China, anything is true! China is an ancient culture and a modern country. China is exceedingly progressive, but still harbors elements of extreme suppression. China has citizens of great wealth and many who are greatly impoverished. It's all true!

Acrobat
China can be compared to one of its gifted acrobats who can balance spinning objects on his forehead while contorting his body into extremely unlikely poses. Just when the observer thinks the performance cannot possibly be more intricate, then the acrobat flips backward or forward into another improbable position. Consider China's recent shooting down of its own satellite, its long silence afterwards, and finally, its denial that the action was related to an outer space arms race.

High Wire Artist
China is also like a high wire artist, walking a tight rope strung between its ancient past and its modern realities. Witness the ongoing debate by officials of Beijing's historic Forbidden City over whether the Starbucks shop located within its walls should be shut down. Observe the 80-year old women whose feet were cruelly bound in infancy hobbling along in the very country that will welcome world class runners of both genders to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Read of the 700 ancient tombs that were recently unearthed on present-day construction sites by those entrusted with erecting modern state-of-the-art Olympic venues.

Weight Lifter
China also bears similarities to a weight lifter. Already impacting the world's economy and influencing international politics, China is increasingly being referred to as the world's next super power. As it hoists heavy agendas front and center on the world stage, its muscle-flexing presses and lifts hold the rapt attention of much of the world.

Tipping the Scales
Hanging in the balance of China's intricacies is her most precious resource: her 1.3 billion people. With the rapid church growth in recent years, it is estimated that as many as 120 million may now be Christian. But that still leaves more than one billion who don't know Christ. With all of the incredible progress being experienced in China, salvation of her people remains her greatest need. Please join us in tipping the scales as we seek to reach China for Christ.

Praying for China
Pray that every man, woman, and child in China will have opportunity to hear of the Savior's love.
Pray that all who share Christ in China will do so in bold and effective ways.
Pray that many millions of new Chinese believers will enter the Kingdom this year.
Pray that Chinese leaders and influencers can be impacted by the gospel.
Go to: http://www.peopleofchina.net/to find out more about how to pray for China.

Quote From A Front Line Worker

"We are thankful to be a part of the harvest here. Another month has passed and
the Good News continues to spread. Recent follow-up activities in two areas have
been very fruitful. We have seen more people come to faith in both places. The
most exciting thing that we are seeing is simple child-like obedience to go and
tell others. It is neat to see their relationships come into the picture. These
areas are full of lost people. Family, friends, fellow villagers, and in reality
everyone they know is lost. Their testimony and sharing of the Good News is very
effective. The resources are indeed in the harvest. For the great things He is
doing we are ever giving thanks"

Good news from Ecuador and Guy Muse

2007-02-12T09:16:00.000-06:00

The rest of the story -- some of our "unsung heroes"
I'd like to pick up on something I wrote in my previous post below about our very first group that we trained in church planting in response to the ten2b virus. Towards the end of the article I state...
To make a long story short, within eight weeks that unpromising group of believers had begun SIX NEW WORKS!!! Today seven years later, four of those still are active NT churches!I thought it might be interesting to share a bit about the "rest of the story" of these four unknown heroes of the faith who are out there making an impact on the lostness of their communities.

MANUELA. Is an older single mother who has a great pastoral heart. She never quite grasped the house church methods we taught, but did understand the part about evangelizing the lost around her community. Almost from the beginning she set out winning her lost neighbors to Christ. Everyday after work she hurries home, cooks supper for her kids and then rushes across the street to where the church she planted seven years ago continues to meet. The church meets 7 days/week and she never misses. Over the years Manuela carefully saved every extra dime she could and slowly began to remodel and expand the tiny building where they were meeting to be able to accomodate more people. With her own hands she has personally laid a cement foundation and built the walls and roof to, what is today, a modest temple for the growing group of believers she helps to shepherd.

CARLOS AND MARIA. Carlos was the man who showed up for the training in the previous post whose home burned to the ground leaving him, Maria and their children with nothing more than the clothes on their back. He slowly began going around the neighborhood collecting a board here and there, borrowing a sack of cement, receiving donations from neighbors, and with the help of the Lord rebuilt a semblance of a house for his family. From the very beginning both Carlos and Maria decided that they would use the ground floor for the church to gather. They themselves occupy the floor above the church for their personal use. Over the years this church meeting in their home has baptized dozens of people. They too meet seven days a week and are big on prayer, rising every morning around 4am to pray to the Lord. Recently they noticed a starving young boy wandering around their neighborhood. Carlos and Maria have never been able to find the child's parents (who apparently abandoned him to the streets) and have since taken him in as their own child. Yet another mouth to feed, and yet as they say, "The Lord always provides..."MARIANA. Mariana is another single mother advanced in years whose husband left her many years ago when he gave her the ultimatum of choosing between himself or the God she served. Mariana chose the Lord and her husband left never to come back. Every weekend Mariana travels out on a bus to Kilometer 16 outside of the city where she shepherds a small group of baptized believers won to the Lord through her witness. She has been faithfully going now every weekend for nearly seven years and considers it her calling. Mariana does not have a very high education but has managed to work her way through to the second level of the Theological Education by Extension (TEE) program we offer our servant leaders.

VICENTE. Vicente's wife left him several years ago as an unstable drug addict. Vicente has done everything in his power to win his wife back, but to no avail. He continues to try to work full time, raise his children, and function as a missionary out in the neighboring provinces round Guayaquil. When Vicente came to us as a 2-month old believer he lied about the amount of time he had known the Lord, thinking we would not allow him in the training if we knew how young he was in the Lord! As he received the training, Vicente went out and promptly started meeting on the street with a group of prostitutes. He would bring them food and then sit out on the sidewalk with them and share with these ladies and their families how much God loved them. In another group he worked with, out in a dangerous part of the city, they would meet openly out on the street. One time one of my fellow IMB missionaries went to visit one of their "street services. " Suddenly a man began shooting a pistol at another person right near where they were meeting. Vicente calmly got up, went over to the guy shooting, and invited him to the sidewalk Bible study. My missionary colleague was quite upset and afraid to say the least, but not Vicente! Over the years Vicente has been used by the Lord to open many new works. For a two-year period he left all behind and felt called of God to go into the countryside to plant churches amongst the rural provincial people. There he started several works and with the help of his brother Felipe, still continue to this day to stay in contact with the believers there. Vicente feels a strong call to serve as a missionary. Right now he is a tent-making missionary supporting himself and his children while continuing to try and open works out in the provinces.Would you pause right now and pray for Manuela, Carlos and Maria, Mariana, and Vicente? All these live very difficult lives and yet are joyfully serving the Lord where He has planted them. Who knows, maybe God is calling YOU to plant a church in your community as well. If they can do it, why can't you?

News from the Big Country

2007-02-07T09:01:00.000-06:00

The following is taken from reports from China (the Big Country) published by the IMB.

PREACHABLES Volume 79: February 8, 2007

CHINA. “See this is the Bible you gave me! I have read it many times over. The Lord has helped me plant new churches!” So exclaimed the Chinese man as he welcomed back to his city the house church trainer who had given him his first Bible six months earlier. He could hardly wait to tell the trainer that through the power of the Holy Spirit, he had since begun six new congregations. He and several dozen others in his training group baptized 1,000 new believers in 2006.

CHINA. Most of the members of a particular house church were elderly. Although they worshipped together regularly, they weren’t very evangelistic. They hadn’t added to their numbers in quite some time. One day their gathering was interrupted by authorities who made them promise never to meet together again. So they didn’t. Seven of their members went out and started seven new house churches! Those unfriendly to the gospel had inadvertantly catalyzed its spread.

CHINA. Last Thanksgiving a worker in China looked forward to hearing from all 14 of her family members. She knew that they would call her after their traditional Thanksgiving meal at her parents' house. But since China time is a half day ahead of U.S. time, she wasn't expecting the call until that evening. In the meantime, she eagerly joined in a Thanksgiving outreach to 30 lost Chinese friends. During a time of decision, 14 of them accepted Jesus. The young worker was touched to realize that the Father, who knew how much she missed her large family back home, had given her just as many new family members that very day.

CHINA. In his work as a health professional, the Chinese man heard a recovering patient singing. He made a point of talking with her and she invited him to church. He accepted Christ, became active in a house church, and later on even began to co-lead the group. When he heard a presentation on the importance of exponential church growth, he was inspired him to leave the house church to start new worship groups. Within four months time, he helped start five new house churches in a previously unreached area. What started with a song has grown into a chorus of congregations praising Him.

News from South America

2007-01-31T11:05:00.000-06:00

The following are excerpts from. a prayer letter which is sent out regularly by Sarah Craft.

PRAYING ‘ROUND THE SAM REGION

February, 2007

Church Planting Movements among all peoples; the gospel to every person; every believer a full participant in the Great Commission.

MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY

Montevideo, the capital city of Uruguay, has approximately 1.5 million people, with only 2% of the population evangelized. There is a European flavor to the lifestyle, educational system, worldview and architectural designs in Montevideo. The great need for Christ in Montevideo is very evident since the majority of the 500,000 spiritists in Uruguay live in Montevideo. The Uruguayan Urban Team is focused on reaching the coastal areas of Montevideo, with less than one half of one percent of the people evangelized. They are using the Gospel Advancement Project (GAP) which mobilizes volunteers to do prayer walks and Scripture distribution that helps to make contacts for new simple churches. The team asks prayer for the Sheaffers who work with the GAP ministry, and all the volunteers who will be working there. Pray for the selection, training and implementation for national strategy coordinators, especially among the professional classes. Pray that in 2007 2nd and 3rd generation simple churches/ cell groups will begin to multiply with Uruguayan initiative. Also pray that new believers will be willing to open their homes for churches or cell groups.

VENEZUELA: TeamOriente shares that in eastern Venezuela God has raised up an exceptional servant, D. Although there are no other believers in her family, D remains faithfully obedient to the Lord and to His call. She is dedicated, focused, efficient, and caring. A year ago she was named minister of missions by her church; in this capacity she has the opportunity to direct the church planting efforts of the church. Currently five new congregations are in formation. D is an encourager to the workers, makes sure they receive the training and resources which they need, and is careful to maintain doctrine and principles in new starts. Although not in the best of health, and often paying for travel herself, she spends much time in outlying towns and communities where new churches are being planted. She encourages believers to participate in a diversity of mission’s opportunities. D needs our prayers as she fulfills God's call on her life. She needs wisdom, as well as emotional spiritual and physical strength, to be what God wants her to be and to accomplish the huge task that God has laid out before her. Pray also that God raise up strong leadership in the new church starts, people who genuinely love Him and are prepared to serve in the midst of difficulties and sacrifice.

BRAZIL: (Rural Brazilians of Central & SE Brazil)Please pray for Monty and Janis Thompson as they do multiplication and evangelistic outreach training at Betel Baptist Church in Pouso Alegre and First Baptist Church in Santa Rita do Sapucaí. These two churches have agreed to start a work in Cachoeira de Minas, a city of about 15,000 lying 20 miles from the Betel church and 15 miles from the Santa Rita church. We will also be bringing in a volunteer team from Valley Baptist Church in Searcy, Arkansas in July to partner in this outreach project in Cachoeira de Minas.

ECUADOR: Chinese Team in Ecuador: Praise God that Siu-Mui Chang can find her tranquility on the balcony of her apartment regardless of the chaotic traffic in her neighborhood or her hectic routine. She can just watch the birds gliding in the water, hear them chattering in the trees and watch the iguana creeping on the pebbles. She gives praise for the ministry of this year. There are 12 new believers that have accepted Christ and 11 of them were baptized. Pray that their faith will grow strong by drilling deep into the Word. Pray for new strength and wisdom for the coming year to complete the task that God lays upon her.

BOLIVIA: SOUTH BOLIVIAN QUECHUA (KETCH-yoo-wah). Pray for missionaries among the highland Quechua, Floyd and Sylvia Wingo, as they continue to seek for “men and women of peace” (Luke 10:6)--those Quechua men and women with hearts that God has prepared to come to salvation and to carry on His work among their people. Pray for language acquisition and cultural understanding for the Wingos. Satan continues to have many strongholds physically and spiritually in this highland region. Often the Wingos encounter someone who appears to be willing to learn and then to teach, interferences arise to keep that person from actively pursuing their training with the Wingos. Pray for them to find dedicated Quechua men and women who will be able to have the time for the discipling and training needed to carry on the work.

News from Vermont

2007-01-29T11:47:00.000-06:00

The newsletter below is from Terry Dorsett, the Director of Missions for Vermont (Green Mountain Baptist Association). I have also posted a picture of him and his family. Pray for them.

Dear Vermont Prayer Partners,

It is hard to believe that more than 13 years have passed since the Lord led my family to relocate to Vermont as missionaries. Each winter I look back at that first winter and wonder how we survived in that drafty old parsonage in the small village of Washington. But somehow the Lord gave us strength to endure. Now it is difficult to imagine doing ministry in a setting other than our beloved rural Vermont. There are times when the work is slow and times when discouragement sets it. But most of the time our hearts are overflowing with an enthusiasm fueled by the Holy Spirit as He does His work across our state.

I recently returned from a two week class at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in San Francisco, California. It was the third of five such classes I am taking as part of my Doctor of Ministry studies. This particular class focused on Spiritual Formation. The highlight of the week was a day spent in silence and solitude on top of a mountain overlooking the ocean. To be alone with God is a wonderful thing, and even more so when it is in an environment that reminds you of the Creator who has all things under His control.

Yesterday I preached at one of our GMBA churches. When I arrived the praise team was practicing before the service. A man who had visited the Washington church some years ago but had never made a move toward the Lord was in the praise team! I got to talk to him after the service and he told me in the past few weeks he’d been born again and that his life had been forever changed. Wow, that’s why I’m in Vermont!

I will be spending a week in Texas in February and a week in Indiana in March. As I travel and share the story of what God is doing in Vermont, I pray that the Holy Spirit will burden many others across our nation to join God in His work in Vermont. As we pray, give and become personally involved, we will see Vermont transformed by the power of God into what I believe will one day be the “Bible belt” of New England. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
Terry Dorsett

Rev. Terry W. Dorsett, Director
Green Mountain Baptist Association

News from or about China

2007-01-26T10:24:00.000-06:00

The following are excerpts from "Preachables" distributed by East Asia Update (courtesy IMB):

Quotes From Frontlines Workers

Simply Obedient
"There is one girl I would like to tell you about. This young lady is precious, but not exceptional. She may never win any awards. Yet this month, this young lady did something amazing -- she obeyed. She felt called to make a list of her friends and family that could stand to hear some good news. Then she simply started telling them. She didn't worry about what they would think of her. She didn't worry about the consequences. Within a week or two, she had shared with seven close friends and all of her immediate family. Already two have accepted and others are responding. She simply obeyed."

We Go On
"We rejoice in this victory. The day was long. The battle was real. We are tired tonight for sure, very tired, but that is okay. This is life on the front line. So many don't know Father and the task is so big! One at a time, one at a time, we go on. Exhausted, but energized!" (Written by workers who had just led others to salvation.)

Bend Your Knees
Please pray that recent bombings in Thailand will not interrupt year-round literature distribution to Chinese tourists vacationing in Southeast Asia. Pray that Chinese tourists will continue to pour into Thailand over the Chinese New Year's holiday and that Southern Cross volunteers will remain faithful to the task of placing lifesaving materials in their hands.
Macau was recently heralded by at least one major U.S. network as the new gambling capital of the world. Yet many Mainland Chinese tourists who traveled there to gamble are confronted with a much better opportunity. Southern Cross volunteers distributed Bibles and other evangelistic materials to 20,000 Mainland visitors last year, and even led some of the recipients to faith in Christ right then and there. Pray for ongoing evangelistic efforts in Macau.

Holiday Focus

Reports From Christmas in China
Here are just a few of the replies from Christmas volunteers who were asked about their most meaningful experience:
• Sharing the gospel with 600 students.
• Traveling to an orphanage to bring Christmas to them.
• Visiting a house church and hearing testimonies of the believers there.
• Sharing Christ with a Chinese lady on a bus.
• Talking to a new believer about how to read the Bible.
• Seeing people accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.
• Sharing Christ with three nonbelievers outside of our hotel.
• Worshipping in English and Chinese.
• Experiencing the love and generosity of the Chinese people.
Go to http://easia.imb.org/ for a more complete report.

Chinese New Year

For Chinese children, the most exciting part of the New Year festivities is receiving traditional "hong baos" (red envelopes) full of cash, symbolizing prosperity in the new year.

Prayers For Chinese New Year
Pray for Chinese believers as they gather with their families to celebrate the Lunar New Year that will fall on February 18 this year. Many millions of Chinese people will make long journeys to return to their home city or village for the all important New Year's Eve feast. Pray that all who call Him Lord will lovingly share Christ with their families and friends over the holiday and that many Chinese people will accept Christ.

Opportunities For the New Year
During the first month of 2007, why not make a New Year's resolution to spend some time sharing Christ in China? Choose from opportunities below or other listings at: http://easia.imb.org/
• Creative arts teams, prayer walking teams, and leader familiarization teams are needed throughout the year to prepare for the time when the torch is lit in Beijing on August 8, 2008. Go to: http://www.waytotheworld.com/ for information on Olympic projects.
• Teaching English in China can allow you to learn much about the Chinese people and culture as you have opportunity to share the One who is dearest to you. Engaging China summer teaching opportunities are listed at: http://easia.imb.org/involved/go/engagingchinajobs.htm
• Young and energetic college graduates are greatly needed for strategic two-year assignments at locations all over China. If you are interested in a Journeyman position, please write to: gochina@imb.org

EYE ON CHINA

Gold Pig Babies
When China ushers in the "Year of the Gold Pig" during its mid-February Lunar New Year celebration, it is expecting to also usher in a baby boom. Based on the Lunar calendar, the Year of the Pig falls every 12 years. But it only coincides with the Gold Year, based on the five elements of nature philosophy, only once every 60 years. According to superstition, all babies born during the Year of the Gold Pig will be blessed with good fortune.

Cars & Coughs
As Beijing prepares for the 2008 Olympics amidst its ongoing struggles with chronic traffic congestion and choking air pollution, officials are trying to persuade its residents to use public transportation by introducing new bus and subway routes. Beijing has 13 million residents and 2.85 million vehicles

The Church in Your House (In Ecuador)

2007-01-15T08:51:00.000-06:00

(The following was copied from Guy Muse's "The M Blog"
I found it worth posting here.)

The church in your house

Our "simple" church planting here in Guayaquil is known as "La Iglesia En Tu Casa" (LIETC)--The church in your house.We have identified at least 13 guiding values that the Lord has seemingly been pleased to bless over the past 6+ years of church planting.

1.) LIETC is built upon a foundation of prayer, which is the most important work in which we are engaged. (Luke 10:2)

2.) LIETC is built upon the idea of "mobilizing the laity." The laity is empowered to go and do tasks traditionally assigned only to trained professional clergy. (Eph.4:11-12, 1 Pet.2:9-10)

3.) LIETC is built upon the concept of taking the church to where the people are, rather than bringing the people to the church. (Matt.28:18-20, Luke 10:3)

4.) LIETC crosses denominational lines and works with Great Commission Christians to plant New Testament churches. (Eph.4:4-6)

5.) LIETC depends on God to provide the workers, free of recruitment or manipulation. Prayer is the key. (Luke 10:2)

6.) LIETC is built upon the understanding that women are likewise called to plant churches. (Matthew 28:18-20)

7.) LIETC is built upon the understanding that it is Christ's responsibility to build His church, not ours (Mt. 16:18). Our task is the Great Commission--to make disciples; his to build His Church.

8.) LIETC is built upon an understanding that the missionary task is primarily one of praying, modeling, teaching, training, encouraging and mentoring. (Eph.4:11-12)

9.) LIETC is built upon the strategic use of locally available and reproducible communication media. We don't use or model anything that can't be done/reproduced locally by the people we work with.

10.) LIETC is built upon the idea of church being more a "family gathering" held in a home setting, and less a "traditional church service." (1 Cor. 12-14, 14:26, Book of Acts)

11.) LIETC is built on the twin pillars of prayer and lifestyle evangelism. There is a continuous emphasis on these two areas.

12.) LIETC is built upon the understanding that multiplication of disciples is the focus of all we do. Simply adding to existing works will not get the job done. (Matthew-Luke, the "parables of the kingdom.")

13.) LIETC belongs to God, and He can do as He pleases. Change in the way things are done is an on-going process as God continues to open our eyes to his ways of building the Kingdom.

More updates on China

2007-01-13T18:17:00.000-06:00

From "Preachables" (Heart4China)

CHINA. The illiterate men were so excited that they were finding it hard to sleep at night. Late into the night voices could be heard calling out, "Hey! Anyone else awake? Let's practice telling the stories some more." The participants in a two-week long Bible storying training had come to faith in Christ after a Christian visited their village about four years ago. Now, after years of waiting, they were finally hearing all of the Bible stories that they had never been able to read. During daylight hours, their spiritual hunger challenged the trainers to impart to them by word of mouth the spiritual food that many Christian readers take for granted. The training is now over and they have returned to their villages to tell the stories to other non-readers, many of whom have not yet heard of Christ.

CHINA. A small group of friends and family gathered around a banquet table to celebrate the upcoming marriage ceremony of two new believers. The parents of both the bride and the groom had traveled from far away in China to attend the wedding. Although both sets of parents had heard of their children's acceptance of Christ, none of the four had yet decided to follow Jesus. Now they found themselves amazed by the love shown by Christians who had arranged all details of the wedding. The father of the bride stood to express his gratitude to the group. "I have never seen such love displayed," he said. "This could only come from one source." Pointing to the sky, he said, "God." The young couple, who had been praying for months that their wedding would be a testimony of God's love, said a quiet "amen" and looked forward to the day when the speaker would have a personal relationship with their loving God.

CHINA. They had been trying to make contact with a new believer for several months, but she was not responding to their e-mails or calls. Then as they were attempting to text message another new believer, they hit the wrong button and sent it to their elusive friend. To their surprise, she responded to the message that was not intended for her! Communication was restored and she began meeting with them for Bible study. Soon after that, she was baptized. She now tells people that if her friends hadn't hit the wrong button that day, she might still be running from the Lord.

CHINA. As a fourth grader, she had to write a report on a city in China. Rather than choose a famous China city, she chose a little known city in southern China. As she researched the city and even learned to pronounce the city name in Chinese, she grew to love the city. Her report was completed 13 years ago, but she never forgot the city. When she applied to participate in Christmas in China* last fall, she prayed that God would take her to that very city. He did just that. Now her Christmas journey is complete and she has returned to the U.S. with a commitment to return for an extended time of ministry to the city that God laid on her heart when she was a child.

(*An annual student project in China.)

China Updates

2007-01-13T18:14:00.000-06:00

From a China worker;
"Well, they finally got it!" This was the statement from a co-worker whom I heard from this morning regarding a group of people that he'd been working with for a while trying to get them to understand the ideas behind a "Church Planting Movement" as a goal. He said that, while visiting a group of trainees in a large city, he finally heard the leader of the group confess that he'd been slow to pick up the greater dream of reaching a larger target group with the gospel. Yet, he told my friend, "I think I finally understand that it may be slow at times but the growth will come as multiple lay leaders pick up the responsibilities of being church." At this point, the leader shared that they'd had over 1000 baptisms during this year with the beginning of 80 new house churches. The greatest praise is that neither my co-worker, nor the local brother, are satisfied now and want to really multiple trainers and churches next year! With a burden for reaching the masses, the "business as usual approach" to outreach and church growth must be challenged by us all.

News from Vermont

2007-01-09T08:39:00.000-06:00

The following is from Terry Dorsett, Director of Missions for Green Mountain Baptist Association, Vermont. Rejoice with Terry, but remember to pray for him. The GMBC represents Vermont in the New England Baptist Convention. More detailed information regarding the work in Vermont can be found on their website. http://www.vermontbaptist.org/about/index.shtml

"Sometimes ministry is like a roller coaster ride, especially in a mission setting. The past two weeks have definitely been like a roller coaster with its ups and downs.

Many powerful things have happening in the past two weeks that are clearly “God” events. Recently I was preaching in one of the new missions and a lady came up to see me at the end of the church service. She is not yet a believer and her family has some serious issues (one of her sons is in jail). She talked about how much the church has meant to her during this difficult time and said she felt like the “belonged.” Since then her husband (who is also not yet a believer) has said that his prayer for 2007 is that his entire family would be saved during this year. Now if that doesn’t get you shouting, I don’t know what will!

In another situation a faithful Christian lady who has been praying for her non-believing husband to come to church and be saved has seen him come three times in the last month. I just happen to see her last week during the middle of the week and she said he was touched by the sermon last Sunday. Something’s going on spiritual, pray for his soon salvation.

Then there is the prayer meeting that meets in my home each Wednesday. As you may recall, we started a church at my kitchen table just over two years ago. We quickly outgrew the kitchen and started renting a conference room on a nearby motel. But we have continued to hold the mid-week Bible study and prayer meeting at our home, since the crowd for that is usually only 10-15. But in recent weeks it has begun to surge forward in attendance, and last Wednesday 39 (yes, that’s thirty nine!!!!) people showed up, including two lost adults and half a dozen lost teens. What is God doing in Vermont ? It sounds like revival to me!!!!! Pray for this group to be able to find a building soon, they have been raising money and looking for a building but so far have not found one they can afford. But by faith we believe that 2007 is the year they will find a place and will be able to reach even more people with the Gospel.

But as you know, when God works, Satan also works. For the Devil can’t sand for God’s people to be in revival. Last week I got one phone call after another from pastors and elders across the association sharing with me deep pain and difficulty that they were experiencing. We now have four churches and pastors going through some serious stuff. I am said to say that one of them resigned this past Sunday and two others are very close. Pray for God’s wisdom to settle upon them and that they would follow the Spirit’s leading and not their own emotions. Pray for Satan to be bound and all his demons to be cast forth from Vermont so that God’s Spirit may roam our mountains and valleys with complete freedom. Pray for a fresh anointing from on high for each pastor and elder in our association who will break the Word of Life this week to hungry hearts and thirsty souls.

FACES OF THE WORLD (IMB video)

2006-12-27T08:06:00.000-06:00

Quotes from the Frontlines

2006-12-27T07:23:00.000-06:00

(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

2006-12-19T11:15:00.000-06:00

(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

2006-12-13T11:24:00.000-06:00

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

2006-12-06T09:47:00.000-06:00

(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

2006-12-06T09:39:00.000-06:00

(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

2006-12-01T07:54:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-22T08:46:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-22T08:45:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-17T14:04:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-10T06:05:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-10T05:58:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-10T05:32:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-09T13:02:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-09T02:52:00.001-06:00

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

2006-11-09T02:50:00.001-06:00

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

2006-11-03T15:55:00.000-06:00

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

2006-11-02T14:20:00.000-06:00

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

2006-10-29T06:20:00.000-06:00

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

2006-10-28T07:35:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-26T04:57:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-24T14:57:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-24T14:47:00.000-05:00

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/

2006-10-21T07:25:00.001-05:00

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

2006-10-20T18:26:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-17T12:45:00.000-05:00

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

2006-10-17T09:20:00.000-05:00

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)