Preachables

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)

East Asia Update

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





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

More praises from Colombia

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

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

Chinese Christians Give testimony

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

Good news from up north

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

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

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

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

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

http://thecherrypitt.blogspot.com/

More Good News from the Big Country

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

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

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

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

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