Right before we left our city to return to the USA for stateside assignment, two Christian sisters visited and handed an envelope to me. Inside, I found both U.S. money and local money in a sum totaling nearly US$900, roughly equivalent to the annual income for a young adult in the city where we live. When I saw the money, I told the sisters that I could not accept it because I knew how long it took them to save. They must have been saving the offerings for at least 4-5 years. They only have 15 members in that church. When I kept refusing it, one of them said, “Teacher, you know it is very difficult for us to go abroad, but it’s not for you. Please use this money for missions.” Well, I could no longer refuse their gift, and started asking God for guidance in how to use their offering. When we returned home to the USA, we had to go to a meeting. One evening during the meeting, I noticed a big white cardboard sign on the floor and there was a picture of Lottie Moon on one side. I thought, “That’s it! Their offering should go to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering.” Lottie Moon would have been thrilled to see Chinese people giving for international missions.

P & E

During the Summit, field workers shared moving testimonies. Church partners swapped stories and helpful tips with those who are new to the East Asian family of workers. Young men and women sought out counsel to better understand where they fit into God’s plan for reaching the nations. I overheard believers in their 70s discussing an upcoming trip to Asia to share the Gospel. Churches with ministries to international students were enthused about new ideas they had picked up at the Summit. Participants were encouraged not to simply fall in line with popular trends of adopting unreached people groups or cities in Asia, but to first earnestly seek the Lord’s purpose and will for their churches and lives.

I saw participants wiping away tears as they prayed for those in East Asia who are homeless and those entrapped by prostitution—they literally wept for those they have never met, and until the Summit hadn’t really thought about much. God’s Spirit permeated the halls where we met, and it seemed to me that no one was untouched.

One Christian brother said that Southern Baptist churches really need to hear what is going on in East Asia. Another man wants to return home and challenge his church to double their missions offering. One sister shared that she was convicted when she realized the impact Southern Baptist workers were making among East Asians. She said, “I can’t even seem to pray for the lost consistently,” but she was committed to change. Another man revealed that he had simply been overwhelmed. Yet another said, “We’ve been revived.”

One young Colorado man, who pastors a church of 100, is soon headed to Asia with a team of four men from his church. Their church has decided to adopt an unengaged unreached city in Asia. They are moving out in faith, one step at a time, confident that with each step taken God will illuminate the next.

If you missed your chance to be encouraged and equipped at Shreveport’s Summit, take heart, because another Summit will be held in Oklahoma City on April 28 – 30, 2010. Please mark your calendars, because we would love to see you there.

Tian’s Call to Ministry

One night, around the dinner table, Tian*, the former convict, shared his testimony with two American believers. He shared that he had committed his life to God, and that his life’s sole purpose is to serve his Heavenly Father. Tian confessed, “I want to serve God, but I don’t know how he wants me serve Him.” The American believers encouraged him in the Lord to keep true to his commitment. They acknowledged the importance of Tian’s question. It is good to think about serving the Lord. But they said Tian must also ask, what can I do that is truly pleasing to Him? The Americans shared with him that from God’s point of view the most important thing that every believer can do is to faithfully proclaim to everyone repentance, forgiveness of sins and eternal life through God’s son Jesus. Tian listened carefully as they continued sharing with him the importance of starting new churches, especially in his own unreached country.

The next night, Tian told a Christian friend, “I now know what my life’s purpose is. I will help people to know Christ and start new churches.” Tian got right to work. About five days later, Tian requested help in leading his older brother Biao* to Christ. Biao was wealthy by the standards of the country in which he lives. He traveled a lot and he was getting ready to leave the country the next day. Tian had been sharing the good news with him, and Biao had been reading the Bible a little, but he did not believe.

Biao’s Life of Crime

As it turned out, Biao was a local Mafia boss. It was from this life of crime that he got his money. He himself had spent time in prison, but never with a long-term sentence like Tian’s. Biao drank a lot, used drugs, gambled and lived for one thing: to serve himself and make himself happy. He had, however, at the encouragement of his brother, begun to read the Bible some. He said that it sounded good but that he did not completely understand it. He kept telling one of the Americans, “I think I can believe one day, but it is not time yet. I need to understand better. I feel like I am close now. I can’t say that I believe, but I can’t say that I don’t believe. I am in the middle.” The American did not let him off so easy. She told him directly, “It is my responsibility to let you know where you stand at present. It is your decision whether you want to accept Jesus today or not. But I do not want you to misunderstand thinking you have a little relationship with God. There is no middle. As of today you don’t have the slightest relationship to Jesus at all. And if you die before you confess to God that you are a sinner, repent, and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you will spend an eternity in hell. And when you stand before God you will have no excuse because you heard from us today the way of life through Jesus.” Biao did not believe that day, but kept insisting that he was close.

Tian continued to talk to his brother about Christ and encouraged him to believe. Biao also continued to read the Bible almost daily. Not long after that, Biao was reading a Christian devotional book that said, “What are you still waiting for?” When Biao read this question he knew that the living God was speaking to him. He broke down. Unable to stop weeping, he knelt down and confessed to God that he was a sinner and promised that he would resist God no more. He accepted Christ as his Savior and Lord.

Exchanging Weapons of Warfare

The following Sunday, Biao went with Tian to a local meeting of believers in someone’s home. In his country, many men carry small messenger type bags. It is like a small brief case with a shoulder strap. Biao also carried one. That day, at the church meeting he declared before everyone that he had given his life to Jesus. He opened his bag and pulled out a dagger, a dagger that he had used in many knife fights. He set it down in front of the others. He declared, “I have never parted from this knife even while I was sleeping. Starting today, however, I will no longer carry this knife. I will carry the Bible with me instead.” In his own way he was saying his old life is finished. He now had a new life in Christ. He had no way of knowing it that day, but later the American man shared with him, “Biao, you did not know it but you exchanged your knife for a sword. And, although you may never physically fight another man, you are now beginning to engage in a war against Satan and his armies that is far more violent than anything you experienced before.” He simply smiled and said that he was ready to follow Jesus wherever He leads no matter the cost.

Tian, Biao and the Americans are now the closest of friends. They meet together several times a week for Bible study and encouragement. Biao and Tian have both realized that the purpose of their lives is to serve God by helping others to know Him. Both brothers are very active in sharing the good news. Tian has a group of about four people that he recently led to know the Lord. Biao, though he has only been a believer for less than a year, has started four small groups ranging in size from 3-5 people each. Some of the people in these groups have recently become disciples of Jesus. Biao and Tian share the same goal: that each group would become a church that is focused on God’s greatest burden, sharing the gospel with the lost.

*names changed

About twenty years ago, Tian* and three other men committed a crime punishable by death. His friends were captured, put through a speedy trial, and immediately executed. Tian eluded capture for two years. His parents paid a bribe that spared him from execution, but he was put into a maximum-security prison from which no inmate had ever escaped or been paroled.

Tian was a miserable person. “I was angry. My heart was full of hatred. I would easily lose my temper and become violent.” He lifted weights and daily looked for opportunities to escape. Tian spent 15 years in this nightmarish place. He left prison in his early 40s.

However, something life-altering happened to Tian while he was in prison. Tian’s cellmate had a sister, a Christian, who came to visit him. She gave her brother a Bible, pleading with him to read it and know Christ. The cellmate never read a single page. Tian, however, began to read it daily. He shared, “The Bible was not like any book I had ever read.” As he read, the Holy Spirit worked in his heart and he believed. Up until this time Tian had relied solely on his own wits and cunning. Believing himself to be wiser and smarter than most people, he was very proud. As he talked about the day he gave his life to Christ, he said, “When I read Proverbs, I came face to face with the wisdom of God and realized that I was nothing. My wisdom was foolishness. I was a fool.” Alone with a Bible and the Holy Spirit, he repented of his sins and gave his life to Christ.

From that day forward Tian was a different person. He said that for the first time in his life he had peace and joy in his heart. He said, “I was alone in prison. There was no one to teach the Bible to me. But I read it every day. I committed to God that I would obey everything that it said.” Because in the Old Testament God commanded the Israelites not to eat pork, Tian stopped eating pork as a reflection of his desire to obey God. He did not understand that in the New Testament Jesus had declared all foods clean. This was a huge sacrifice because, in his country, pork is the main meat. In prison, this probably meant that he only ate vegetables for the rest of his time there. He decided he would stop fighting; even if he were killed, he would not fight back; he would just rely on God to protect him. God was faithful to him. The other men saw that he was different than before and began to leave him alone. Tian read the Bible almost every day for ten of the fifteen years he was in prison. At some point after accepting Christ, Tian began to pray for his parole. He prayed, “Heavenly Father, I trust you no matter what. If you want me to stay in prison then I trust you. But I know that you have all power. Please release me from this place.” God intervened on Tian’s behalf. Tian became the first and only person to be paroled from this prison.

Check back soon to read part two and find out how the mafia is involved in Tian’s story.

*name changed

The workers alternately smiled and cringed as they told this story. They, too, knew Johanna, a gregarious American teacher in their East Asian city. Mostly, however, their hearts were grieved for the many millions like their taxi driver who had never before heard the name of Jesus.

East Asia is a vast mission field where hundreds of cities continue to have little or no Christian witness. Christian workers have made a tremendous impact in the places where they serve, yet the number of Asians who have not yet had their chance to be presented with the Gospel message is enormous.

Various models of ministry are necessary to complete the task. The traditional approach of sending full-time workers needs to be supplemented by creative strategies and engagement by short-term partners.

God can use you and your church to impact an unreached, unengaged people group or city among East Asian peoples worldwide. An East Asian Peoples Summit, sponsored by Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, in conjunction with the IMB’s East Asian Peoples Affinity Group, will be held November 4-6 for the purpose of introducing you to the needs and helping you connect to opportunities among East Asian Peoples in all parts of the globe. To register, please go online to www.easia.imb.org/summit prior to the conference.

One group of college students went to Taipei, Taiwan, last year during their Christmas break. During their ten days in Taiwan, the American students presented a Christmas program at least nineteen times at universities, elementary schools, and a church. They gave out 2400 candy canes as part of the gospel presentation. A field worker in Taiwan said, “We know the CIT (Christmas in Taiwan) team told the Christmas story to at least 2200 people — pretty good for 10 days!”

Christmas trips to Asia are annually promoted by the IMB among Southern Baptist college students, yet this is just one of the many ways that church partners can impact East Asian people for Christ through short-term missions.

One East Asian worker said a family of five came to his city for one week, and during that time they saw 17 new believers and three baptisms. Another team came to his city and distributed approximately 1000 gifts that had evangelistic intent. “Both of these teams remarked on how easily they could share the gospel in this city,” remarked the Christian worker.

Recently, the Baptist Convention of Oklahoma entered a formal state partnership with East Asia, with plans to send hundreds of short-term and long-term workers in the coming years.

Opportunities to serve in East Asia and other global locations that have East Asian people abound for individuals, families, churches and state conventions. November 4-6, you are invited to attend the East Asian Peoples Summit, at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana, to learn more about how you can connect to these opportunities. You will be able to talk to IMB field personnel, talk to IMB Richmond staff, attend workshops, participate in intercessory prayer for East Asian peoples who have yet to hear the name of Jesus, and find your place of service amidst God’s redeeming work among East Asians.

Please register online for the Summit at www.easia.imb.org/summit. Registration closes on Saturday, October 31st.

Wuzhong City, China

Wuzhong city is located in the middle of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region which is south of Inner Mongolia, north of Shaanxi Province and east of Gansu Province. Wuzhong has a population of 389,000 people, less than one percent (.87%) of whom is Christian.

Wuzhong has a temperate, semi-arid climate and four distinct seasons. Not only is it an important national grain production base, but its farms are rich in rice, fruits and vegetables. Wuzhong is also known for its tasty mutton dishes.

During the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties periods, it was a transportation hub for northwest China and ranked at one time as the second most important city in western China, just behind Xi’an. As early as the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC), government officials initiated water projects to help field irrigation. Today, its major industries include energy production, equipment manufacturing, wind power, building materials production, and agricultural processing.

Wuzhong’s people are strongly impacted by two major non-Christian religions, Islam and Buddhism. It is the hometown of many Chinese Muslims, an industrial base for Muslim products, and a cultural center for the Hui minority. The Tongxin Great Mosque, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 AD) is also located in the vicinity.

Buddhism exerts an influence through the traditional 108* Lama Buddhist “stupas” (pagodas) built along the bank of the Qingtong Gorge nearby. Dating back to the 11th and 12th Centuries, the tallest of the solid brick pagodas is more than 11 feet tall and all of the rest are just over 8 feet tall. Together they comprise the third most significant pagoda forest in China. (*Buddhism teaches that there are 108 annoyances and those who worship at the stupas will be able to drive the 108 troubles away.)

Prayer points:

• Pray that Hui Muslims who live in the city of Wuzhong will hear the Truth and be set free.
• Pray that Buddhists in Wuzhong will see the futility of worshipping at the 108 stupas, and will turn from what they have been taught to the One and Only God who invites them into a personal relationship.
• Pray for Christian workers to respond to God’s call to share the Gospel with the people of Wuzhong, and that the hearts of Wuzhong’s people will be ready to receive the Good News. Ask for a great harvest of souls.

Northwest Baptist Church has an average Sunday morning attendance of approximately 850 people, more than ample resources for the task. First, they enlisted a prayer team. A couple who had just taken early retirement were appointed as the lay leaders for the project. The church sent a vision team to the place they call “New City” to scope out the possibilities for service. Later the church sent prayer walking teams, other short-term teams and even several two-year personnel supported by the church. They have conducted sports and cultural exchange camps, seeking ways to engage the local people on a one-on-one basis. They seek to permeate the city with the gospel through whatever means possible. A key part of their strategy is to engage, encourage and equip local believers to reach their own city.

Green says, “This is the most challenging but rewarding project I have been engaged in in twenty years of ministry.” The lay directors agree. “It is like we have a front row seat watching what God is doing.”

“New City” is just one of a staggering number of cities in East Asia which are not yet engaged by either Christian workers or churches. The lost people in these cities have no opportunity to hear of Jesus unless individuals and churches like Northwest Baptist take on the task of fulfilling the Great Commission in very direct ways.

November 4-6, 2009, the IMB East Asian Peoples Affinity Group will be hosting a new Summit at Summer Grove Baptist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. Southern Baptist church members and church staff are cordially invited to participate in three exciting days of “Showcasing East Asia” to learn new ways to connect to God’s work among East Asian peoples worldwide. Register online prior to the event at www.easia.imb.org/summit.

*name changed

The Shui People

The Shui (pronounced shway) is an unreached people group (UPG) of Guizhou province, China. They live in villages of about 200 people or 45 families on average. The Shui people are a friendly people and love to entertain visitors. They are isolated from all realms of society and are self-sufficient in every area of life. The population of the Shui is small compared to many other minority groups in China, running somewhere around 444,250. Less than one percent of the Shui people are Christians.

Shui people are primarily farmers. They do terrace-farming and use mainly water buffalo for plowing. The men do the plowing and trading in town and the women both plant and harvest the fields, often with babies on their backs.

The religions of the Shui are very typical of isolated groups in China. These include polytheism, animism, ancestor worship, and some syncretistic Catholic beliefs. Ancestor worship is the main religion. Many of the Shui people do not classify ancestor worship as a religion but more as a way of life and a part of their culture. Animism is a big part of their culture and the Shui believe that everything in nature has its own spirit. Catholicism was added in the 1800s when Catholic missionaries worked among the Shui. At that time they established 30 churches with 5,000 Shui believers. However, none of the fruit of those efforts remains today. All these religions have mixed and merged to form their contemporary religious belief system.

Prayer points:

• Pray that the Shui will have their eyes opened to the One True God and that they will follow Him with all of their hearts, minds, souls and strength.
• The Shui villages are located in some very hard to reach places. Pray that the gospel will be spread from village to village, reaching further and further into the rural areas.
• Pray that the few believers among the Shui will boldly proclaim the Gospel among their people, and that the hearts of many will be changed as they follow after Christ.
]]> http://easia.imb.org/prayer-blog/october-day-of-prayer/feed/ http://easia.imb.org/field-blog/a-fisher-of-men-goes-to-big-fish-village/ http://easia.imb.org/field-blog/a-fisher-of-men-goes-to-big-fish-village/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 01:25:45 +0000 Emily http://easia.imb.org/?p=700 When Jay Lincoln* was called to go out as a fisher of men**, he probably had no idea that he would end up casting his net in a place called Big Fish Village. I asked Jay to share his story of a divine appointment God arranged for him the day he arrived among a new unreached people group in East Asia. Here is his story:

“It had been a long trip to get to this unreached people group. I had flown on two planes, ridden in a taxi, and ridden a bus for seven hours before finally taking a small, dilapidated mini-bus for several hours to reach the village I wanted to find. While on the mini-bus I sat next to a young man. I made small talk with him and then turned the conversation toward spiritual matters. I asked him if I might share a true story about the one true God. He said he would like to hear the story. So, I shared the C2C (Creation to Christ) story with him. I gave him a clear invitation to receive Christ, but he declined.”

“Afterwards I asked him where he was going. He said that he was going to Big Fish Village. I was ecstatic to hear his answer because that is exactly where I was headed! When I told him that I too was going to Big Fish village, he invited me to come to his home and have lunch with him. Of course I accepted. When we arrived at his home, he told me that I was the first foreigner to enter his village and that it was an honor for them to host me. Since that was the case, I asked if he would be willing to invite a lot of people over to greet me. Soon, the small room we would dine in was filled with villagers.”

“When the meal began I shared with everyone that it was my custom to pray to the one true God to bless the food and thank Him for it. After I prayed I asked those in the room if they had ever heard of the one true God. They said that they had not. So I sought permission to share the C2C story with them. I shared the story and gave the invitation. I was blessed to see not only the young man I had ridden with in the mini-bus stand, but his brother and older cousin also stood to indicate that they wanted to receive Christ! All three prayed that day to receive Christ. Later, the three of us went outside and I taught them about prayer, baptism, and the importance of following Jesus. What an incredible experience to see the Lord’s hand of grace in these three young men’s lives.”

*name changed
** Mark 1:17

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