PRAYER UPDATE ON CHINA TRIP

Thank you for lifting up our trip to Beijing, China. As this was our very first time to visit China, we were amazed take in all there was to see. The purpose of our trip, of course, was to join together with 50 others from the Society to hear what the Lord was doing around the world. A number of staff from headquarters came, including our president, Dr. Phil Granger, and we were greatly blessed to hear all that is happening from so many fields, including the future direction of the Mission Society.

One very special blessing Mari and I enjoyed was to be the channel through which Bibles could go into Beijing, formerly called Peking. We knew there was some risk involved, but the Lord guided us all the way. Our two suitcases and two carry on pieces of luggage were packed with Chinese Bibles, both old and new testaments. Once inside China we made contact by telephone and safely passed on the books. We have heard that for every 2,000 Chinese, there is currently just one bible a piece available. It blessed us greatly to be able to know many lives will be impacted with the Word of God.

While we spent a good portion of our time in training and meetings, we also carved out time for visiting the Great Wall of China and Tiananmen Square. We also wanted to visit the Forbidden City, but by the time we were there...late afternoon, it was already closed. So it was truly forbidden to us.

China is indeed an ancient culture with very old ways and traditions. Yet, the face of China is changing with modern and new technology. Beijing will be the host city for the 2008 Olympics, and while a massive building campaign is going on in the city, very old houses and structures are still clearly visible. We were also amazed how rickshaws and very old bicycles are still popular means of transportation, midst the hustle and bustle of modern vehicles and very heavy traffic. We found the food to be very tasty and actually had Peking Duck in Peking.

Shopping was quite an overwhelming experience. Probably because we traveled to places packed out with foreigners looking for good deals. The usual scenario was high pressure sales, as you were approached or rather attacked by four different shop clerks, all of whom wanted you to buy their merchandise…”for you best price” was heard in stereo while you were literally being pulled by the arm in four different directions. While prices were “negotiable” for nearly every purchase, by the time you ended your hour or two of shopping, you were shell shocked and war torn and felt like yelling “medic.” What an experience!

Apart from the many experiences Mari and shared, without a doubt the greatest blessing came from coming to realize how hungry the Chinese are for the Word of God. So many Chinese are coming to Christ as house churches are exploding in amazing numbers. We were told that China has the most Christians of any country on the earth. Many pastors and church leaders have been tortured and imprisoned for their faith in Christ, but it has only resulted in more and more Chinese coming into the Kingdom of God. The Chinese are truly dedicated believers and faithful to the Lord, and at great sacrifice share the Gospel with others. Miracles and personal manifestations of angels and of the Lord Jesus Himself are happening all the time. It is indeed just like the book of Acts in the New Testament. In this regard the Church is growing at such a rapid rate, that believers are laying down their lives in missionary service, to take the Gospel into Communist countries and into Islamic countries, very often places where Western faces dare not appear. The Church in China is quickly becoming the largest missionary sending force in Christendom. Please pray for God’s Spirit to continue to move mightily in and through China and into Communist and Islamic countries.