July 15, 2003
FSM 349 CM/FM
04/00
Copyright © 2000 by The Family
Please note: Throughout this mag, the names of all Family members, friends and sheep living within China have been changed. Cover picture: Mari sitting in a window. See page 10 for more pictures from Ado's trip with the teens to China.
INSIDE CHINA
It was three years ago that we left our former Muslim field and moved to China. Looking back now, we marvel at how the Lord provided our every need, and at all the doors He has opened for our family. These years have been the most interesting, the most rewarding, the most exciting, the most fruitful, and the most outstanding in our almost twenty-five years of missionary work all over the world. We feel so privileged to be here, and we are so thankful to the Lord and you for helping to make it possible.
Recently the Lord called us to move from our former happy Home to open up a work in a new city, 1,000 miles away. Moving within China, especially with our family, was an adventure that took lots of planning and plenty of prayer.
First Impressions
Life is somewhat different in this part of the country. People are not used to seeing foreigners and their families, but they are warm and friendly, and extremely curious to learn about us. Wherever we go, we are surrounded by people asking us questions. When I go to the market, people are eager to please.—They will even peel the sweet potatoes we buy and other such extra things, just to have a chance to talk with us, ha!
Moving about as a family takes some skill. When we go out, if we stop for too long on the street, before we realize it we are surrounded by a crowd five people deep—so it's best to keep moving! The kids are, of course, the main attraction; the fact that they speak some Chinese fascinates people.
We had our first guests over for dinner recently, a businessman who I had met on my first trip to this city, and his wife. This man helped us with a lot of good advice, information and translating, as he speaks English fluently. During dinner we had an interesting conversation about the Bible. We found out that one of his teachers in college was a Christian lady who taught him a lot about the Bible and taught him to pray! It's amazing how the Lord helped us to meet him and become friends.
Rags into Riches
We knew the Lord wanted us to get ready to receive visitors at our house, and many people were eager to get to know and visit us. But our needs were so many and the funds so limited—how could we get all we needed to set up properly? The Lord showed us to try to get secondhand furniture and restore it. We found there was a market that sells this kind of furniture, but upon visiting it, the pieces we saw were really old and in very bad shape. The vendors and passersby were surprised to see foreigners even looking at that kind of furniture. What to do? We prayed again, and the Lord told us to keep on looking around that place until we found what we needed. So we did!
You should have seen the faces of some of our neighbors and other people who saw us bringing these old dusty cupboards, beds and desks to our house.—They probably thought we were crazy! But you also should have seen what beautiful pieces of furniture they became after we scrubbed, fixed, painted and varnished them! Our visitors now admire these lovely antique Chinese-style furnishings. The Lord was right—and you wouldn't believe how cheap they were to buy!
One Hundred Times
While we were in our former city, the Lord told us that if we were willing to leave behind the field that we had labored in for the past two years and let others carry on the work, and go to this new place, that He would give us back one hundred times what we had left behind. Frankly, we couldn't see how that could be possible—or at best, we thought it would take a long time for Him to do that. Well, we are already receiving some of that hundredfold, and are seeing how much more He has in store for us. This place has so much potential! We are learning a lot and enjoying being here very much!
Kings, Princes and Magistrates
Another thing the Lord promised us in prophecy was that He would help us meet important people in our new location, people who would befriend us, protect us and help us in our work for Him. He said, In this [new] land you shall find princes, kings, magistrates, centurions and philosophers. People from many places will come to you and honor you, because they will see My Spirit in you. Fear not and worry not, for this is not something that you will do, but that I will do. I will also bring those who will work with you.
He did just that, and in the course of our daily business we have met some very friendly people who have befriended us and are interested in our way of life and of thinking.
One such person is Xiao Peng, who occupies a prominent place in the local government. She is the daughter of a retired high-ranking army officer, and is married to a young successful businessman. She wants to see us as often as possible throughout the week. Whenever she has some time free in her busy schedule, she calls to see if we can meet.
Another way we have met people is when we all go out for our daily exercise as a family, in the early evening. We have made friends with a group of government officers, with whom we often play basketball, jump rope, take walks, etc. We found these people to be very friendly and open-minded. Most of all, we find they are just like the rest of us in their needs and wishes for life, their hopes for the future, their fears and questions. These dear people see our family and sense the Lord's Spirit in us, and they feel attracted to it. We are slowly beginning to tell them about Jesus and our beliefs.
Our Little Keys
Our children seem to hold in their hands a magic wand; wherever we go, people are irresistibly attracted to them. They are our biggest blessing and asset. Everywhere we go in this country, people stop us to say how much they like our precious kids. Almost everybody says that we look so happy, and that they wish they could also have such a big family. Many couples long to have more kids, but they are allowed to only have one.
Recently we took the kids to a beautiful park for the afternoon, and we were surrounded by young and old people with their cameras and smiles, all wanting a turn to take a picture beside some of the children. Those who could speak English took the opportunity to tell us their names and ask us questions about our country, and to tell us how much they liked our family. The children, of course, are enjoying the red carpet treatment they usually receive wherever we go. The Lord is using them more than in any other place we have lived before—our little keys open big doors.
Another thing many Chinese people often tell us is that they don't have any real friends. It's hard to imagine that in a country of over one billion people—often jammed into crowded cities, where space for oneself can be hard to find—loneliness can still be such a problem. But it's true, and some people who have lived in our neighborhood for quite a long time still don't even know their neighbors. It would almost be funny, if it weren't so sad, that we—who have lived here such a comparatively short time—often end up introducing the local people to each other!
When we go out for our daily exercise, there are usually a number of people playing basketball or soccer, and an even larger number who just shyly mill around, watching the others play. If we invite the bystanders to join in with us, they do so readily and really enjoy themselves. Sometimes we have large groups of people jumping rope with us, with a six-meter long rope Caren bought for a few cents at a shop. It's so much fun to watch these people forget their shyness and have fun playing together.
We have made some interesting friends in our neighborhood, such as Yin and Chan. This couple, who we met while playing basketball, asked us questions about God, and whether or not we are believers. We explained that we are, but because they both have government positions we didn't really pursue the subject at first.
Recently, however, they both saw the movie Titanic, which was a hit here. We were talking about it and the conversation led again to our belief in God, death and the afterlife. We ended up talking for over two hours, and Chan confessed to his wife and us that he himself believes God exists, and that he had been listening to some Christian radio programs from abroad every evening.
I told him that we could read the Bible together if he had any questions, and he proposed that we do so the very next day. When we got together, after explaining to him how to receive the Lord personally and showing him pertinent Scriptures, he received Jesus as his Savior, and now wants to have regular classes. He is very interested to know more and has many questions. Please pray for them both!
Another day, Caren and our daughter Amie decided to pioneer new territory. With Bible tracts in their purses and a prayer in their hearts, they went to an area of town that we had not previously visited. We all claimed that the Lord would lead them to some of the many spiritually hungry and receptive people He has here.
One of the people they met is a self-employed man. He has a thriving business, and his establishment is a meeting place for many young intellectuals. After starting up a conversation, this man said he had tried several previous business ventures, but they had failed. This led them to discuss the subject of success and failure. Caren remarked how God often uses our failures to shape our lives and make us more useful to Him and others. At this, the man exclaimed, I also believe in God! It turned out he was taught about Jesus by one of his foreign teachers at university several years before. Since then, he had been reading the Bible and trying to tell his friends about it.
He was so happy to talk with Caren, and she offered that I could also meet with him later and we could study the Bible together. We did so the very next day. He was thrilled to again have someone to teach him about the Lord. He said, I cannot ask my friends questions about the Bible; they are the ones who usually ask me. I am so happy that the Lord brought someone I can learn with again!
The Month of Miracles!
For a long time we had wanted to travel with our children throughout China, to give them a greater love and understanding of this vast country, as well as a chance to get even more involved in witnessing. So this month, our family spent three-and-a-half weeks away from home—following up on believers, distributing literature, and training our children to witness. It was an unforgettable experience!
Considering what a shoestring budget we operate on, being able to make this trip was a miracle in itself. The Lord brought many to our rescue. Some good friends provided the use of a small apartment during our stay in one city, and others often invited our entire family for meals.
We spent four full days traveling by train—the kids loved the changing landscapes, the countryside and the towering mountains beneath blue skies. The train attendants, however, paid little attention to the scenery—all they wanted to do was play with and carry around our one-year-old son, who enjoyed the extra attention enormously. We had to keep constant watch, lest the cook from the dining car snatch him up again and head for her kitchen as fast as she could, with several of us trailing behind. She would inevitably try to stuff him full of some treat before we could stop her. Ha!
We traveled through five provinces and stopped over in two provincial capitals, where we witnessed to those we met, as well as followed up on fifteen different believers we knew from before.
Believers Still Going Strong
We visited a number of people who had had Bible classes with us previously. It was inspiring to see how they continue growing in the Lord, and are teaching others what they've learned.
A couple we have known for over two years gave us news about the husband's mother, who lives in a distant province. We met her when she was visiting our friends before. At that time she was recovering from a stroke that almost paralyzed her. For about six months she used to come to our weekly Bible classes, listening intently to what we taught, marking different Scriptures in her well-worn Bible, and often asking very thought-provoking questions.
In our last meeting, as she was returning to her home in an isolated area, she asked us what should she do to serve the Lord. We mentioned that the way we serve Him is by telling others about His love and salvation, wherever we go.
This dear saint is over 70 years old, but now that she is back in her mountain village, she goes out visiting her neighbors four times a week to tell them about the Lord. Many of the poorer farmers can't read, so she reads them Bible stories, teaching them all she knows. She now has a little congregation of her own, God bless her!
Other new Bible study groups have sprung up, and many of our friends excitedly told us of progress made with those they are witnessing to. It's so inspiring to see God's Word being spread, and that those who used to be only students of the Word have become—by His grace—teachers also!
A Visit to the Mountain Minorities
We were also able to visit an isolated village in a minority area for a few days, far from the hustle and bustle of the cities. China has over fifty minorities, all with distinctive customs, dress and language.
We traveled several hours by bus far up into the mountains, where horse carts and terraced rice fields replaced the heavy traffic and urban sprawl of the city. The country people were very sweet and simple, though admittedly shy.
This village has a church founded in the previous century. Though nearly a thousand Christians live in the area, the church has had no official pastor for some time now, because they are too poor. However, in their simple and pure faith they open the doors of their church daily to whoever wants to go in and pray. We were able to distribute literature and learn more about these dear sheep without a shepherd.
The children had the opportunity to soak up some of the fresh air and sunshine there. We hiked through the countryside, swam in a river with water buffaloes (our crew nearly scared the poor buffaloes half to death, ha!), and visited waterfalls and natural limestone caves. Praise God for His wonderful creation!
Meet Liao Liang
Liao Liang is almost 70 years old, and has been retired for some years. When he was a university student—in 1948—he attended several Bible classes, and became a Christian. His wife, daughter and son-in-law all belong to the Communist Party, and are atheists. Since 1949, Liao Liang hadn't had a chance to talk to other Christians or continue learning about the Lord. Since we first met him, we have talked several times about Jesus and the Bible, and he always has some interesting questions and comments.
One hot evening we happened to meet at a nearby swimming pool, and had a long conversation. He told me that from what he had heard in the past, in order to be forgiven by God one had to be very sorry and try very hard to repent. He wanted to confirm if this was right, as if it was true he felt that some day he could be that sorry and therefore be worthy of Heaven. He told me this with genuine and sincere hope.
You can imagine his surprise and happiness when he found out from the Word that salvation is a free gift, paid by Jesus with His Own dear life and blood! Liao Liang was deeply relieved; he left that poolside meeting a changed man by the Lord's love. He became a new creature, as he understood for the first time Jesus' unconditional love and gift of eternal life.
Trip out of Town
One month we went with one of our friends to visit his parents who live a few hours from our city. Two of our children and I stayed with them for three days. We were the first group of foreigners ever to enter their house—and for most, the first foreigners they had ever seen! It was also a big event for us, because the simple country folk were the type of people we'd previously thought we couldn't relate to, that they would never understand us nor we them. But the Lord had encouraged us that we were going to learn a lot during the visit, and learn we did.
We discovered how friendly, respectful and thankful they are. We made friends and enjoyed their fellowship and hospitality immensely. Our friend's father is 75 years old. He said that in 1940, when he was a teenager and was visiting the town, he saw a foreign lady who used to run a girls' school and a hospital there. She was a Christian. Although he never actually talked with her—only saw her on the street—she made a lasting good impression on him.
This impressed us about the importance of letting the Lord's Spirit shine through us wherever we go, as people are always watching us. Even this rural town has almost one million people—and I can assure you that almost everybody must have heard about the foreigners who were visiting. Our friend said we were probably the only foreigners to visit in the last fifty years! He was also a testimony to his family of how the Lord is working in his life now that he has received Jesus.
The Lord showed us that in the future we will work more and more with country folk, and that they are going to receive us and listen to us, just as these dear friends did.
Seek Ye First
About a year and a half ago, one of our closest friends in our former city was concerned about her daughter, Mei Li. Our friend and her husband have been Christians since their youth, and endured many difficult times in China because of their faith. Their daughter loves the Lord also and is a bright, intelligent and beautiful university student.
Our friend was concerned that there were no Christian young men Mei Li could date. She told Caren that she feared that her daughter would not find a husband, or that she would need to marry someone who didn't share her faith and desire to serve the Lord. At the time, Mei Li was attending our weekly Bible classes and had also started teaching others at her university campus.
Caren mentioned to them that if Mei Li continued to put the Lord first in her life, Jesus would provide her every need. Then she added, If there are no young Christian men around you, maybe the Lord wants you to find some nice young men and tell them about Him, and show them how to become good Christians!
Mother and daughter were amazed at this thought.—They hadn't considered the possibility. And Mei Li did exactly those two things: She continued teaching others about Jesus, and she found some young men who received Him and joined her weekly Bible classes at the campus.
A few months later, our friend told us that a very nice young man was attending Mei Li's Bible classes, and that he wanted to date her daughter. By this time, Mei Li was completely dedicated to her studies and to preaching the Gospel to her fellow students, and didn't want to get distracted with a relationship if the young man in question did not want the same out of life as she did.
But the Lord knew what He was doing, as this sincere young man also wanted to teach others about Him. Since then, these two precious young people have dedicated their lives and their future to the Lord, and have both been actively sharing their faith with others as a team. As Jesus says in His Word, Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you.
Our Cat, Our Neighbor And the Lord
Some months ago, we all had to leave the country to renew our visas. One of our friends offered to keep our cat while we were gone. This was a big help to us, as we hadn't known what we would do with our pet while we were gone. The Lord showed us to send the cat over to our friends a couple days before our departure, so that if there were any problems we could still be in town to help. Sure enough, a few hours after delivering our pet, our friend called to say he couldn't find the cat anywhere.
I went with a couple of the kids to investigate, and—as they had said—the cat was nowhere to be found. Though I didn't want to say it, I thought perhaps the cat had jumped out the window—and they live on the eleventh floor! After looking all through the house for about a half-hour, I saw the kids starting to get worried, so I suggested we pray for the cat and for the Lord to have His way. Our friend, an engineer for a government project, had been having Bible classes with us for several months, and was happy to follow our suggestion. However, his wife didn't understand much about the Lord, so she was surprised that we wanted to pray.
As soon as we finished our amens, we heard that old familiar sound: Meow! Our friend's wife looked up at us, wide-eyed. The yowling seemed to be coming from a distance. After continuing to search, we discovered that the cat had indeed jumped out the window but had landed safely in a neighboring apartment! We were able to get him back, and—thank the Lord—from then on he was happy to stay put with our friends until we returned. What a funny situation and answer to prayer!
However, that's not the end of the story. This month, our friend's wife prayed to receive the Lord in her life. Afterwards she told Caren, You know, since that time Matt and the kids prayed for the cat, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's really true—God does answer prayer! The Lord can use anyone—even our funny little cat and us.
Ask and Receive
Recently, Caren was concerned about the many things we needed to do, as well as all the different items we needed for the children and our work. The Lord showed her to make a list of everything she was worrying about. The list was quite long and some of the items and conditions were going to require real miracles. But she decided to pray and trust. Within a couple of weeks, Jesus had answered almost every one of her requests—starting with all the big ones, thank the Lord!
When the children heard this, they decided to write their own list. They only had three petitions: they wanted to learn to ride horses, learn how to fly an airplane, and learn camping and wilderness survival!—Ha! Oh my! To be honest, we were a bit skeptical, wondering if the Lord was going to answer those as speedily as He had Caren's prayers—if at all. We had not even seen a horse since coming here, and what about the airplanes? Not wanting to dampen their faith, however, we told them to pray and then just wait on the Lord.
Two days later, when returning home from playing basketball, our son saw some horses in a previously empty pasture. He was very excited as he ran to tell us, so we went with him to talk to the owners. They agreed to rent us the horses for an hour or two each week, for a very cheap price. They also are glad to teach our four young riders how to care for the animals.
The children's new Chinese language teacher is not only very good at teaching, but she is also an army officer. When she found out that the children wanted to know about life in the wild, she promised to take us mountain climbing with some of her army colleagues, who will also be able to teach the children about camping and survival.
And you're wondering about the flying lessons? Our oldest son is already able to land a plane by himself and the others are learning on our computer's flight simulator program! We hadn't even known the program was there. The Lord sure knows how to give us the desires of our hearts. Hallelujah!
A Time to Harvest
One of our close friends, Xiao Jiang, called us late one night, asking if the next day we could meet some of his acquaintances who were very interested in talking with us. Although we had a full schedule planned for that day, we agreed to meet them. Knowing our friend as we do, we rightly assumed he meant they wanted to know more about the Lord.
The meeting was at his place, and he informed me upon arrival that other people might possibly show up as well. Four women arrived, and soon we were engrossed in a conversation about Jesus and the Bible. While I was explaining to them about salvation, another woman arrived, with her husband and a friend.
The woman who had just arrived was a government officer, and I wasn't sure if I should continue talking about salvation or not. Our friend motioned me to continue, so I did. It turned out she had received a Bible while visiting the States some years ago. By and by, this lady helped to translate part of the explanations about Jesus' love, all the way until the first four women decided to ask Jesus to come into their hearts. At this point, the government officer excused herself and said that she wanted to talk again later, in private.
One the first four ladies then suggested that we could get together every week at her house to further study about Jesus. (My house is big! she said.) We were all so happy about this.
Later that evening I got to talk again to the government officer, who told me she had been impressed by something I'd mentioned in a brief conversation we'd had a few months before, about events leading up to the Endtime and things Jesus said were going to happen in the Last Days. She said that when I first spoke of a particular event, she had thought it was impossible that it could ever happen, but now she could see it happening before her own eyes.
This led to a very interesting conversation about the present world situation, the economy and the future. Finally, she also asked if we could meet again to continue discussing these things, which she found fascinating. It was quite evident that the Lord was working in her heart, although she couldn't yet admit it in public.
Help in Time of Trouble
Last summer, terrible floods in China killed more than 3,000 people and caused economic losses totaling US$20 billion, and affecting 250 million people in China. Day after day, we followed the TV reports of the rising waters. Finally, the situation was so desperate that we prayed and asked the Lord why was He allowing these disasters—was it as a punishment? Could He help the situation? What did He want us to do?
The Lord told us that we were not praying for the flooding to stop; that because He doesn't have so many of His missionaries here, and because we know Him so well, He expected us to be interceding for them. He said that He would help them if we prayed.
Immediately, we started praying at every mealtime for the poor flood victims, and for the waters to recede. The levels began to drop the very next day! Day after day, as we and the children continued to pray, the waters went lower and lower until the danger and flooding were completely gone.
Please pray with us for the lost souls of China, that they will find and receive the Lord's love and Words and for us, that utterance may be given unto us, that we may open our mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel (Ephesians 6:19).
Our work is growing slow and steadily, and although it doesn't amount to even a drop in a bucket compared to the need, we are encouraged by all the miracles the Lord is doing to help us. Our Bible classes continue for two small groups of friends in our new location. We keep meeting new people that are interested in what we have to say as well as in our way of life.
Though this work is slow, it is so rewarding; we know that the far-reaching effects of God's Word in their lives will only be known to us when we reach Heaven. We are so thankful that we are able to quietly distribute literature (in the local language) among our friends and to strangers, as there are so many subjects that we can only briefly touch upon because of our language limitations. The written Word can go far with people here! It can reach people that we could never reach, as it usually gets passed around and people share it with others.
Please pray with us that more can be done to bring His message to these very precious people!
From Mari, live-out member in china
Last summer five of us (live-out nationals!) joined up with four Chinese Christians from Hong Kong to go to the countryside for a witnessing trip. At the time, the government was trying to tighten control over religious activities. They had introduced new regulations on train stations, such as mandatory baggage checks at the entrance, giving guards authority all over the station and trains to pick anybody and search their bags, etc.
Since we intended to take Bibles and other lit with us, when we heard this at first we thought it might not be the Lord's will for us to go after all. But when we desperately prayed for the Lord's direction, He confirmed with promises of protection that He would make it a fruitful trip.
Just to mention some of the miracles of protection:
* Our train was leaving in the middle of the night, by which time most guards were either off-duty, or sleeping somewhere in the station.
* The conveyor belt where we were supposed to put our bags for checking upon entering the train station was out of order.
*In the waiting room, when some guards came to check bags again, they picked all the people around us and asked them to open their bags, but didn't ask one of our group of nine.
*On the train, the same thing happened. There were five of us in one compartment, and four in another. Most of the other people who didn't belong to our group in both compartments were asked to open their bags, but none of us were. Praise the Lord!
Now about the trip: One of the little towns we arrived in had three main streets leading in three different directions. We split into three teams and each took one street.
The first team consisted of three girls. They kept going, looking for somebody who might talk with them, but most people just turned away and didn't seem open to their witness. It was getting a bit discouraging. They were coming to a little bridge, when all of a sudden a car in front of them skidded off the bridge and plummeted into the water!
The girls immediately rushed to the bank of the river, where people were gathering and just looking at the event, totally passive. All three of the girls dove into the water where the car had sunk, and started trying to get the folks out that were trapped inside. They saved the man and his daughter, but couldn't find the mother.
Finally they spotted her on the riverbank, all bruised and bloody and trembling in shock, but otherwise okay. One of the girls went to help her. She hugged her and started to pray for her out loud. Everybody was watching them. Finally, the mother stopped shaking, and seemed to be at peace. By that time the ambulance had arrived and took the whole family to the hospital.
The story of this incident was spread all over the town. For the rest of our time there, when we went out witnessing, almost everybody had heard about us and referred to us as the Christians. Lots of people commented on what had happened at the riverbank. They said, We know you Christians are good people. This made our witness much stronger, and made people look at us in a positive light instead of suspiciously, as they had before. PTL!
A young boy, another girl and I went along one of the other streets that day. It seemed to lead nowhere. We kept praying, and the Lord kept telling us to keep going ahead. It was really by faith, because there were getting to be less and less houses around, and basically nobody we approached was interested in talking with us.
Then, out of nowhere, a cute puppy joined us. He seemed to be leading us to keep moving forward. He was so cute and playful, and we kept laughing, thinking about the verse, Preach the Gospel to every creature. Of course, we would have all preferred to meet a person instead to preach the Gospel to, but we kept going, following the little dog.
After a long, long walk, the puppy finally stopped in front of a lone house. In the garden there was a huge cross, so we knew that the owners must be Christians. The little dog wouldn't move, as though urging us to go inside. We knocked at the door, entered, and found a lady with a little child. We started to talk and—yes, she was a Christian. So we fellowshipped with her, but we were wondering if that was all the Lord wanted us to do.
Just then, somebody knocked on the door. A guest came. Then another, and another and another. Soon almost the whole house was filled with people, young and old. Some were Christians, and some were not. We immediately split up and each of us started talking to a group of people. I was amazed at one of our young members who's normally very, very shy—but there and then he was speaking boldly to a group of people. PTL! Holy Spirit power!
These people were all from this tiny town or nearby villages. They were amazed that we were university students and still believed in God. The lady whose house it was told us that not far from there they had a Christian church gathering, and they would be so happy if we went to teach there and share our testimonies one evening. So we fixed an appointment, then went back to meet the other teams. We thanked the Lord for the miracle He did in sending this little puppy to lead us to the group of needy Christians in that city, who we would not have found otherwise!
The third team that day also had an interesting experience with a man who just came and interrupted their witnessing to a woman with a child. It was such a spiritual battle! Just when the woman said, Yes, I'd like to receive Jesus into my heart, this rough man came—her husband, or brother. He was very suspicious and started asking a lot of questions. He asked to see their IDs—although they later found out he was illiterate, and couldn't read them.
Our team gave this man quite a strong witness. After they had talked with him for a long time, he finally said, Well, you are okay. And then he left again. The woman was obviously very affected by the man's rude and rough spirit and attitude, though, so she didn't pray just then. The team prayed for her, and left her with some lit and a Bible.
When the appointed evening came, all nine of us went to visit the local church that we had been invited to. The news of our visit had spread all around, so everybody wanted to come and see us. The fact that we were university students and also believers made a very big impression on the church members. I had the impression that they thought religion was for ignorant village people, and that city people or intellectuals would never believe in God. We could see that the older generation was very sincere in their faith. For the children and younger ones, though, it was more like a family tradition to attend the church meetings. So even our young age was a real testimony for the youth there.
There were about 200-300 people in that church.—I've never seen so many Christians together here in China. They were so wild and loud in their singing and praising the Lord. It was not at all like other churches I've seen. They were using traditional Chinese instruments to provide the music, and they clapped and sang so freely. It seemed like they were not concerned about their security at all. It was such a special experience for me! They were so simple and free, raising their hands praising the Lord. I could feel they were so full of the Spirit, and so happy.
Then they turned to us and asked us to tell our testimonies, one by one. They marveled at the fact that we were so young and that the purpose of our travel was to preach the Gospel. I've never felt so respected for being a Christian and for wanting to serve God.
Later we again split into several groups. I talked to a group of children, and taught them some songs. When we started to sing, almost everybody joined in. We are so young, yet we had so many things to teach to the people in this remote place. For our next holiday break we're planning to go to other places. Please pray for us!
From Abe and Jody, China
On a recent road trip with our children, we visited a small village. Walking along the narrow, winding stony walkways, we came upon a smiling old man, who was quietly standing in his doorway. Without any hesitation at all he invited us into his humbly constructed abode. It broke our hearts to partake of his hospitality, amidst his extremely poor conditions and surroundings—which amounted to nothing more than a small mud-and-straw brick shack—not to mention the extremely dark and foreboding atmosphere inside.
He then told us how he had lived there all his life, and now that his children were all grown and had gone to different places, he had been left alone. He sweetly showed us the upstairs loft area where he slept and kept the few old and dusty belongings that he still possessed.
After the touching tour of his surroundings, we told him about the One Who truly loved and cared for him—Jesus!—And that this same Jesus could become his closest and best Friend, and be with him forever, if he would simply ask Him into his heart. In an instant, this humble old man remembered a thought that seemed to come back to him from his younger days. He began to sing in Chinese, Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so! Someone had taught the song to him when he was a little boy, but through the years it had become a faint memory—until now, that is!
And so, this dear old man gladly and humbly received Jesus as his Savior. He then reached into a dusty old cupboard and pulled out some small, cute ceramic statues of two Chinese peasants (a man and a woman) kissing, which he gave to the children in appreciation for the gift he had just received. We felt so honored and blessed to have met this precious, humble old man! We left him with some Chinese tracts and some money, as a love gift to him from Jesus. (We first asked him if he was able to read the tracts, as many older people have never had the opportunity to learn to read.)
We had a very inspiring time that day, and we were so touched by the humble hospitality of that old man, who had so little and yet offered all that he had.—And who is now so richly blessed!
From Elle Kay (SGA)
Carl (of Viv) and I were recently invited by the company where we teach English to attend a three-day Team Bonding Outing. We were to travel hundreds of kilometers by bus with 30 other staff members from our company's office, to the grasslands near Inner Mongolia. After praying and getting the go-ahead from the Lord, and some encouraging promises that He would use us to reach His sheep, we signed up for it. The staff was happy we decided to go, as they were looking forward to bonding with us. Ha!—They were anxious to get a chance to talk with us and get to know us better, as on a day-to-day basis we are all too busy to interact much, apart from the casual daily hello, good morning and goodbye!
Friday, 6 a.m. rolled around, and Carl and I scrambled out of our beds and dragged our stuffed bags and guitar to the bus station downtown. As we entered the bus, we could tell everyone was eagerly anticipating the trip, and were very cheery for such an early start on the day.—In fact, so cheery were they that as soon as the bus pulled out of the station, one of the main team leaders announced that we would all take turns using the microphone in the bus to sing karaoke songs—a capella! Oh my!
All of a sudden, I got hit with a very timely and convenient cough. Ha! Carl wasn't quite so fortunate, and was picked to sing none other than the song My Heart Will Go On! God bless him, he gave it his best shot, and all our fellow travelers erupted in generous applause at his early morning rendition of the all-time favorite number from the movie Titanic.
During the hours that followed, we had a chance to talk to several of the guys we were sitting near by, and got to know them a bit better. It was funny at first, since we see each other all the time but didn't even know each other's names!
The trip lasted about nine hours. Thank God the coach bus we were in had an aircon and was fairly comfortable. We passed through mountains, valleys, rolling hills, and by caves, Buddhist shrines, temples, villages, herds of cows crossing the roads, wild horses grazing, mountain goats, fields of corn and sunflowers, tourists, staring locals, and so much more.
We stopped several times, as nature faithfully called, and had a taste of the different types and shapes of outhouses in this region! The first bathroom we encountered was in a very small village (consisting of 2-3 houses). As I naively strolled into the girls' section and scrambled out two seconds later, a group of girls were waiting outside to witness my reaction to the place. I tried as best as I could to regain my composure and not pass out, casually commenting on how rustic and natural the place was—to which they all laughed. One of the employees later said sympathetically, This must be a real new experience for you! Ha! Sweet guys, so understanding!
We stopped at a famous sight named The First Tree under Heaven.—It consisted of a big old pine tree with a brick wall around it and a little booth, where less-than-smart travelers pay to get to see it up close and take a photo next to it. Carl commented, If we all pay 10 kuai ($1.25) to see the tree, I think it'll make us 'the first fools under Heaven'!—To which all of our Chinese companions chuckled and wholeheartedly agreed! We did take an inexpensive group photo in front of the wall though, ha!
After a lunch on the move inside the bus, winding up roads that led us over hills and mountains, we finally arrived at our destination in one piece. We had been praying for the Lord's protection, as the roads were extremely narrow—not your everyday paved mountain overpass, if you know what I mean. At one point I noticed how high up we were and I called out to some of the guys to see the view from the window I was next to. But when they all rushed over to my side, it shifted the weight of the whole bus; everyone quickly went back to their own seats and stayed there, ha! (One of the team leaders commented that originally we were going to travel overnight, but when he had caught wind of the plan, he'd suggested it would be safer to travel during the day.—Were we ever glad he did so!)
Upon arriving, we all jumped out to stretch and explore our new surroundings. We found the farm where we were supposed to stay, but the conditions were a bit too primitive to enjoy. So a scouting party was sent to check out the remaining possibilities for accommodations in the surrounding area of nowhere land.
Meanwhile, the rest of us took in the surrounding scenery—the mountains and rolling hills covered by carpets of luscious grass that stretched as far as the eye could see. Clear blue skies adorned with gentle, puffy white clouds delighted our eyes and cameras, as the clicking went on non-stop for an hour or so. Ha!—Real city-slickers we were! It felt good to be amongst creation once more.
The team came back victorious with a new lead, as they had been told of another farmer's place not far away, which had better accommodations. We headed that way and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was a Mongolian community of farmers who had built several rooms to accommodate passing tourists. They were very hospitable, and were pleased to see our positive reaction to the extremely clean rooms they had available.
The only running water in the place was from a water pump located in the middle of the courtyard. It was freezing cold, as it came from an underground spring—but hey, when you're hot and tired, it feels heavenly! (Carl: J.—the other teacher—and I amused the local farmers by washing our hair right there in the courtyard. They were so sweet as they pumped the water for us.)
We divided up the rooming arrangements, so that the girls all had some boys sleeping nearby, for safety reasons. Then off we went to ride on the many horses that were saddled next to the farmhouse. I raced with a couple of the Chinese guys who dared me to, and came back with a very sore derriere. Ha!
As nightfall approached, the farmers picked out a male sheep from their flocks and started slaughtering it right next to where we all were standing. Yikes! All of us girls that were present immediately made a beeline for the fields, as we didn't care to stay and watch. Later that evening, as the sheep was dressed and ready, the chieftain started a fire and began roasting it. At that everyone suddenly decided they wanted to take photos pretending to roast the 28 kg sheep. The Mongolian folks laughed and laughed at us silly city folks. Ha!
The food was extremely delicious—tasty, spicy and fresh! We had a round of toasts and appreciation for the bus drivers, the friendly farmer and his family, and everyone on the team, to which all cheered!
As we finished eating and chatting, everyone started heading to their sleeping quarters that is, until someone overheard one of the Chinese girls comment to me that next to our bedroom there was a karaoke player. All of a sudden, everyone felt miraculously re-energized, and I witnessed a literal exodus towards our room. Ha! Music is a miracle!
It was great fun. After several karaoke songs, Carl pulled out his guitar and we taught them all We've Got a Lot to Be Thankful For, which they loved. It became the theme song of our outing! Everyone took turns singing about what they appreciated most, etc.
(Carl:) When we were singing and playing the guitar with everyone, I was very inspired to see the reaction of the other teacher who had come along on the outing. When we first met J., both Elle and I kinda looked at each other like, Oh no! What a loud and proud foreigner! Well, to see him clapping his hands, smiling broadly and singing about how thankful he was for his parents and for the farm that we were staying at and for a smile and even for his teeth, caused us to re-evaluate our estimation of this energetic young man. After the song was over, he was asking for the chords so he could learn to play it too.
Later, on the bus on the way home, when Elle and I were witnessing, J. was telling others that he was a Christian also, and trying to answer the different theological questions that came up. When he was stumped, either Elle or I was nearby to give him some friendly coaching. He was asked if God had a family too, like the ancient god in the Chinese legends had. He didn't know what to say, so we piped that God indeed had a family—with Him as the Father, Jesus as the Son and the Holy Spirit as the Mother. This really spoke to J., and brought his own beliefs into focus. He changed quite a bit on the trip.
(Elle:) It felt like a babes' ranch or something, as all these extremely talented and educated young Chinese were looking at us for leading and inspiration, and eagerly received everything we said and sang about. It was a blast! We stayed up quite late that night, singing several Family songs I had printed out before our trip from the Songbook CD—like, Keep My Eyes Open, As a Team We Do It Better, Honesty Pays, etc. Finally, after goodnights, we all headed off to bed.
I slept in a room with two other girls, and as we were settling in for the night I asked if they would mind if I prayed out loud for the night, as it was my custom. They agreed, and after I finished, one of them asked me, Do you have to pray every night? I answered her that I don't have to, but that I like to thank God for His loving care, protection and provision, and also to ask Him for His safekeeping during the night. She agreed, and commented, It's a beautiful way to talk to Him!
As I lay in bed, I shot up a prayer that the Lord would continue to lead us to those He wanted us to minister to on this trip. In a couple of minutes there was utter silence in the camp, except for the occasional bark of the farmer's dog, and the crickets' soothing song.
During the night I woke up and had to go to the bathroom. I wasn't too thrilled at the idea, as it was pitch dark outside, and unfamiliar territory at that. I prayed for protection and let my eyes get used to the darkness around me until I was able to make out the path to the outhouse. When I got there, I heard a very strange sound and thought to myself, How odd! It sounds just like there's a pig nearby! But I brushed the thought aside, proceeded to take care of business and got back to bed.
Early the next morning—5 a.m. to be exact—we woke to a bright, sunny sky. We had wanted to all get up at about 4 a.m. to see the sun rise on the hillside, but alas! Tiredness got the best of us, and we had proceeded with sweet slumber.
As I got out of bed and went to wash up at the water pump, I noticed a pigsty next to the bathroom—and to my surprise, what did I see but a gigantic black pig (more the size of a cow than a hog), contentedly napping right next to the toilet I had used the night before. Yikes! I was so glad I hadn't made his acquaintance during the night, or I would have woken up the entire camp with my opera-style hollers! Ha!
After a hearty and filling breakfast, everyone was ready for action once again. As several of us strolled through the fields to get closer looks at the wild horses grazing and the colts running carefree through the hills, we spotted an elderly Mongolian peasant approaching the farm, with a horse-drawn wagon that looked about the same age as its owner. He sweetly offered all the girls a ride, and had fun watching the boys trying to persuade his horse to gallop away. Ha!
After the elders of our group held a meeting, it was announced we would be moving on. We finished packing and cleaning up, then we all headed to the bus.
We arrived at a more touristy-looking area covered with Mongolian yurts (circular, domed, portable tents used by the nomadic Mongols of central Asia) or Mongol-bao, as the Chinese call them. It was an interesting change from the typical hotel rooms. The girls were told that they could sleep in the hotel, as it was more comfortable, but I had my eye set on one of the Mongol-bao, and asked if I could sleep in one if I managed to recruit two other girls to complete my team.
Everyone agreed, and two girls readily volunteered. One was the same one I had roomed with the night before, who had asked me about prayer. I smiled at the Lord's setup to get to talk to her further. Neat!
There were plenty of horses in the prairie, and several men waiting to rent them out. It was amazing how they had set up a hotel in the middle of nowhere, with rooms and adjoining bathrooms, karaoke lounge and disco, restaurant, etc. The cellular phones most of the guys were carrying didn't work there, since we were too far to get coverage. So it was peaceful and quiet! TYJ!
After a delicious lunch consisting of local delicacies and all sorts of wild veggies, plants and the like, everyone gathered in the prairie to start the team bonding activities—in other words, games! We divided into teams and spent the next three hours playing charades, relay races, competition games, etc., under the hot Mongolian sun. After this roasting ordeal, Carl, J. and I looked more like redskins than Caucasians! We did get many a compliment from the local red-cheeked Mongolian folks, who cheerfully stated that we looked piao liang (Chinese for beautiful). Ha!
We had planned on having a bonfire that evening, but by the time the sun went down it was getting very windy, and we decided it wouldn't be a good idea to light a fire. We instead had dinner in the main restaurant and then headed to the local karaoke bar/disco where we all had a blast dancing and singing Chinese and English hits. Carl and I taught them how to Gypsy dance, and got them to pair up and form the tunnel-bridge. They loved it, and couldn't get enough!
Then the slower music came on, and we got a taste of real ballroom dancing. Most of them had learned to dance in college and are very good at it. We tried our best to follow and flow with the waltzes and tangos, but I enjoyed the disco music that followed a lot more!
When I sat down to catch my breath, one of the young Chinese guys sat next to me, and we continued the conversation we had started during dinner. He had told me how he has faith sometimes, but at other times he feels like he doesn't really believe. He felt confused, and asked me what I believed. That was my cue to witness and tell him about Jesus' love, and how the faith that I have in Him is real; He answers and helps me whenever I need Him. This young man was listening to every word and agreeing.
He started talking about his life, family and goals, opening up his heart and confiding things that he said he hasn't shared with anybody, as he's afraid they will misunderstand him. I was able to get in a good witness, and encourage him to place his future and life in God's hands.
I gave him a copy of a tape I put together for our Chinese friends, which is a compilation of witnessing songs. He really likes music, and was very thankful. I was so inspired to see how the Lord was working things out to place these precious and receptive sheep right on our laps. Hal! We all talked for a couple of hours and finally decided to head back to our Mongol-baos for the night.
When I was settled in bed, my two other roommates arrived and started getting ready to go to sleep. I was quite exhausted, so I said goodnight to them and prayed a silent prayer. Just as I was drifting into dreamland, my roommate from the previous night popped up with, You can pray again for the night, like you did yesterday! So I did, and I spent a few minutes also praising the Lord for His protection, beautiful creation, great weather, etc.
At the end of the prayer, she said, That was beautiful! Thanks, God, for all things! The other girl then asked me, Are you religious? I replied that I have faith in Jesus and that I am a Christian. She asked me if I really believed, and I answered that I do, that I have felt His hand in my life so many times and know He's real and that He loves us very much. They both agreed and smiled as they continued to ask more questions. It was such a good witnessing setup!—A captive audience for sure! Ha! We finally fell asleep and we slept like logs until 6 o'clock the next morning.
Breakfast was being served early, as we had a long journey back ahead of us. After breakfast and rounds of last-minute group photos, we all piled into the bus and headed back. The long ride back was filled with further witnessing to those who took turns sitting near us, as well as singing, telling stories, and learning new Chinese words, of course, as well as teaching them new English words.
The next day (Monday), the atmosphere at the office was so different when we arrived. We were greeted so cheerfully and given copies of the photos that were taken on the trip. Everyone felt a lot closer to us and to one another, and commented how special the trip had been. It was a beautiful experience that brought us all closer together.
Since then, we have been in touch with several of them and are following up on what the Lord started. It's such a blast to be a chess piece in His hand, and let Him use you to reach those who are ripe and ready to hear of His love. These precious Chinese people are so sincere and so eager to receive the Lord's answers; it's great fun to get to pass them on and to see the thankful reactions! TYJ!
Come to China! There's more than any of us could ever dream of doing, and the fruit is ripe and ready to be picked!
From Kurt and Rachel, China
In prayer one day, the Lord showed us a vision of three keys. Nearly every house or apartment here in China has three doors. We need three keys to come into our kitchen—the heart of the home. The first key opens the iron door to the street. The second key is for the front door. The third key is for the inner door of the house.
People only let family and friends come past all the doors and locks. Strangers must stand outside the iron door to talk or conduct their business. When they have invited you into their kitchen for a cup of tea, you know you have won their confidence.
In the same manner, we need three keys to open the locked gates of the hearts of the Chinese people. The first key is language. Learning the language is important, for we need to be able to speak to the people. The second key is to understand their culture, so we can relate to them at their level. The third key is to develop trust and friendship.
By using these three keys, we will find ourselves past the iron gates and in the kitchen where we can freely talk to them about Jesus. Praise the Lord!
From Chinese Becky
Dear brethren, thank you for your love, prayers, kindness and support, both spiritually and financially. It is so exciting to see how the Lord changes people's lives! Thank you for helping our China Mail Ministry, and enabling us to continue. We want to give you our heartfelt gratitude, and we thank Jesus for all of you!
Here is a testimony from Jeremy, who was already a Christian even before he met our brethren. The following letter explains how he met Jesus and decided to become a Christian and give his life to Him. (Editor's note: Several years ago, Jeremy's need for finances due to having a second child and being heavily fined by the government was made known to the Family worldwide, and gifts were sent in which were forwarded to him.)
(From Jeremy:) I met the Lord when I was a teenager. At the time, my mother was worshipping many idols. She believed in some kind of god and spirits. At one point, she was driven crazy by them. She started seeing terrible things, day and night, and was followed by bad spirits who tried to make her give me away to somebody else. She was so scared and frightened, but had no way to escape from them. Finally, she wanted to die.
One day, she was going to commit suicide, but on her way she met a woman who was a Christian. The woman prayed for her and rebuked those bad spirits. The Christian woman started to read the Bible with my mother, and told her about Jesus. She said Jesus was the only One Who could truly deliver her. My mother received the Lord and found peace in God. She became a sincere Christian and has been since then.
After she received the Lord, she started to teach me the truth as well. She told me there is only One God, Whom we should worship and believe in. She told me that through her own experience she had learned that Jesus is the only truth in this world, and that we should be faithful to Him unto death. My mother led me to the Lord, and I have made my decision to give my life to Him as my mother and other Christians did. I love the Lord because He is my Savior.
More than ten years have passed since I met Jesus, and I've discovered the truth and the real meaning of life through reading the Bible. Now, in the evening, my family and I often read the Bible together. From time to time we have fellowship with our Christian friends and we share your literature, Bible tapes and videos with them. They really appreciate the materials you send. I'm very thankful that the Lord has saved our spiritual lives and given us a purpose to live in this world.
Our lives are not easy, but we have the Lord in our hearts and we have His peace and strength to go on. Even though we are poor, He has poured out His grace over us. He has given us the true happiness which money cannot buy. Jesus is the everlasting, powerful God Who will never fail us!
I'll never be able to fully express my appreciation to all of you who have sent my Christian friends and me the Word of God, and who have prayed for us so faithfully. But one thing I do know is that I can give my gratitude and love to Jesus, thanking Him for all of you!
Much love and thanks,
Jeremy
(From Becky:) In the early 1950s, Gary was sent to the Korean War, where he lost the use of both his legs in a bomb explosion. At that time he was not even 20 years old, and he would have to spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Because of the hardships of his life, he often lost his hope for living. As time went by, he felt more and more hopeless, and many times thought of suicide.
In 1991, in his desperation, he prayed with us (when we were still in China) to receive the Lord into his heart. It was then that the Lord gave him a new hope and new start for his broken life.
I kept writing to him and sending him the Word after I moved to Japan. His hope in love and faith in the Lord has been strengthened through reading the Word. He really loves the Lord and wants to do his best for Him. He has written me many touching letters to express how much he loves the Lord and how much he wants to serve Him.
He has been trying his best to witness and has been going around meeting people in his wheelchair. At the same time he also has some trials and some ups and downs, and needs our spiritual support. Please pray for him!
Here are some excerpts from his many letters:
Dear Becky,
Please give my love to everyone over there. Thank you so much for continuing to write to me and for not giving up on me. Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for sending me the Word and the literature. They have been a tremendous encouragement in my time of need. Through reading the Word I can see how much the Lord loves me. I realize that Jesus is the reason I'm living. I promised the Lord that I would give my heart completely to Him and that every moment of my life from now on would belong to Him!
I was hit with lots of negative thinking lately. I had been tempted to think that I had lost my future again and there was no reason for me to live any longer. But the reason that I am still alive is that I could not deny that Jesus still loved me even though my trials seemed so big to me at the time.
I felt a new inspiration in my life again after I decided to put my future into the Lord's hands and dwell in His love. I started to do more witnessing for the Lord. The harvest is great! Lately, I have been telling people about the love of Jesus, and Christianity, and have been winning souls for Him!
My heart's desire has been to serve the Lord and witness for Him the best I can. I want to tell more people about His great love and let them know how much Jesus loves them and waits for them to receive His free gift of salvation. I have been very inspired to meet and talk to those who passed by the window of my heart, and to see the Lord's love touch their lives too!
It's a wonderful privilege to preach the Gospel and to seek lost souls for Jesus! I told many people the testimony of my life, letting them know that if the Lord has changed my life, He can change theirs too. I have been thrilled to see how God has given those whom I have witnessed to a new hope for their disappointed lives.
His great love has given me an enthusiasm to witness for Him. I want to let the world know that it is the love of Jesus that has saved me and changed my life. I have been asking the Lord to make me a tool in His hands, and to give me His heat and light to burn brightly for Him, to brighten other people's paths, to help those who are like what I used to be—those who have lost hope in their lives and in this world.
In thankfulness to the Lord for the great and deep love He has given me, I will do my best to serve Him and witness for Him till Heaven comes. Please give my love and appreciation to the brethren there, and thank them for all their love, prayers and support! May the Lord bless their sacrifice and giving!
Please keep our Chinese brethren and China Mail Ministry in your prayers. If any of you would like to continue helping the China Mail Ministry, please send your gifts to Chinese Becky's Mail Ministry, care of PACRO.
Thank you so much! We really love you!
From Walt (of Mara), China
I will go with you, and you will accomplish all that I have sent you to do. With these Words of sweet reassurance from my precious Husband, I set out alone for the first time since coming to China. It was to be a 4000-km train ride, round trip, to faraway Hong Kong and back, in order to do some legal work. My prayer was that I would meet sweet people on the train, and that I'd be able to witness.
Chinese trains are like large dormitories divided into compartments of two triple bunks. During the journey, the travelers from the upper bunks often sit on the lower ones, where they eat, talk, play cards, etc. No sooner had I settled in my bottom bunk when a person from another compartment asked where I was from. When I said Germany, he began to very loudly recall all the experiences he had had on a recent visit to Germany, raving about all he had seen there.
All of my neighbors heard his speech, and this put me in good standing with them from the very beginning. This turned out to be good, because I found out later that there is still a lot of anti-Western sentiment in some of their hearts.
Shortly after this introduction, a petite, quiet and humble Chinese girl from the opposite middle bunk introduced herself in almost perfect English. As I was talking to her, I couldn't shake the feeling that she was somebody special that the Lord had arranged for me to meet. There was also a real Don Quixote kind of boy in my compartment, who was traveling to our destination not knowing what would await him, because he didn't know anybody in that city and had hardly any money. He also spoke good English, and we spent a lot of time chatting, joking and having a good time.
At one point the Chinese girl showed me an English book she was reading. It was an introduction to American literature, and mentioned how the first American writers were greatly influenced by their faith in God and the Bible. I thought this was very interesting, and by now was almost sure that the Lord wanted me to witness to her. I started to pray for His leading and perfect time.
About four hours before reaching our destination, the Lord gave me a strong check to sit with her and start a conversation. Talking about the book she was reading, our conversation soon turned to spiritual things, and I was able to explain how God is a spirit, that He is love, and that He sent Jesus to die for us. She had a few questions, which the Lord helped me to answer. It was so feeding for both of us, as she received the answers very well.
Then, when we were just about to arrive, I wrote the salvation prayer in English on a piece of paper, telling her that she could pray this at home. (I was not sure how the other guests would react to a public prayer.) But no sooner had I given her the paper than she read it out loud, with such feeling and emotion that I couldn't help but know that He entered her heart right there and then. PTL! After this she, to my alarm, started to tell everybody near her what had just happened, and that, The foreigner is a Christian!
I quickly changed the subject, asking for her address, so as not to risk anybody reporting me who was not friendly to Christians. To top it off, she—along with her husband, who met her at the train station—accompanied me to a hotel, helping me to get the right price (foreigners are often asked to pay more than they are supposed to). She was so sweet.
It was a witnessing experience that I will never forget. As we parted, I also told our Don Quixote friend, who also came along to see me off, that I would be praying for him that everything goes well and that if he is ever in dire straits, the Lord is the way out. *
From Jondy
As long ago as 1865, before the first large group of Hudson Taylor's newly recruited missionaries sailed to China, he constantly referred to China's vast population. He spoke of 380 million people still waiting to hear the Gospel. He asked, Do you believe that each one of those millions has an immortal soul?—And that there is none other name under Heaven whereby they must be saved? It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you, and the command of Jesus to go you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home.
We might use the same words today in referring to the need in China. The spiritual need of the millions without Christ has only drastically increased. Like Hudson Taylor in his day, we too should be deeply concerned for a population that is over three times greater than it was in 1865. What can you do about this call and need?
Will you go, or can you help? In the West there are so many who have already heard about Jesus, yet in China the vast majority have never yet had the chance. Over half the population of China is under the age of 26; many have a hunger to know the answers and solutions for the problems and needs in their lives. Now is the time to reach them, as they are more open to English-speaking friends and learning English than at any other time in Chinese history.
Students coming to study Chinese will find themselves vastly outnumbered by Chinese students and other young people seeking to learn English. There are no end of opportunities to make new friends and enjoy activities with them, everywhere you go. These young people are the cream of China's crop, and the ones who are China's future. English speakers of all ages and backgrounds are widely accepted, and much in demand. Tutoring one businessman or student a couple of times a week can pay enough to cover your basic living expenses, as a foreigner is paid several times more than a local person. Visas to enter and stay in the country are easier to get than for other countries of Asia. If visa trips are needed, they are much cheaper than in many other countries. Families with children are especially loved by the local people.
One of the best quotes for China is, Where there's a will, there's a way—for almost anyone, anywhere. I've never seen a field where the people are more open, friendly and receptive. All who've come here agree on this also. As it is a restricted country where only personal witnessing is possible, it is not overrun by foreign Christians doing all sorts of different competing activities on short visits. Therefore, the Christians who come in quietly to teach and make friends are respected and appreciated by the youth. This creates an ideal situation for us and our personal approach and methods.
This is the most ideal situation for our Family young people to be free to pioneer. For those who want a change from tooling and fundraising, come to China! It's back to the basics of personal witnessing, just as when the Family began. For those who want a change from big communal Homes, and want to start all over with your little family like Dad did, the opportunities are greater than you ever dreamed of. There are no other distractions; it's just you and the needy soul you're sharing Jesus with.
There can be no worldwide work or the Family to talk about—just the love of Jesus and the simple Gospel. You can't talk about your life of good works or personal or Family history, just Jesus and His answers to their needs. Does that sound challenging, or scary? When you can only talk about Jesus and His love, then you find out that He is enough.
Are you tired of talking about dividing up your city into areas and sides of the street for witnessing, or trying to figure out how many more Homes your city can take before burning it out? There's none of that here. You can be the very first and only Home in a city or province bigger than your city, state, or maybe country—that hasn't ever had a team. No matter how little you do, you can still be the area shiner. Everywhere you go and everything you do—you can be the first.
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