Difficulties and Opportunities
You may have heard rumors or rumblings recently about new restrictions on Christianity and fresh persecution in believers in China. Much of that is true. In recent years, the Bible had become somewhat easier to get (if you had access to the internet and a bit of money), but now it has been taken out of almost every marketplace. Churches are being harassed and shut down (the buildings, not the true fellowship of the saints!), and there is much uncertainty about China’s future, especially in relation to its Christian population.
With that in mind, here are a few prayer requests relating to our present situation here in China…
1) Pray that the Gospel would continue to go forth to every PEOPLE (ethnicity) and PERSON (individual)!
Our newest team has just landed in China and will be joining us on the ground by the end of the weekend. We are excited to be able to continue our work to reach hundreds of new unreached towns and villages with the Word of God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will be ministering daily (nightly) for roughly the next 2-3 weeks distributing God’s Word door to door in a land where it is illegal to do so.
Pray for spiritual eyes to be opened, critical eyes to be blinded, and the Gospel light to shine brighter than ever before in this needy place.
2) Pray for our safety as we seek to balance BOLDNESS with WISDOM as we strategize how continue ministering in the midst of new risks and threats by China’s government!
A number of articles have come out in the past few months about China’s new technological capabilities in regards to keeping an eye on its citizens via facial recognition AND body movement cameras. Google it! They hope to soon be able to record and locate random people on the streets by their stride, the way that they move while walking! This might sound discouraging at first, but there are simple, concrete ways we can avoid drawing undue attention to ourselves while continuing to take the Gospel to new places.
Ask God to protect us and guard us from any fear or anxiety. The battle is the LORD’s!
3) Pray for our PROVISION as inflation drives prices up in China and our team GROWS in number!
Fifteen years ago this year, I was a single 19 year old kid living off a few dollars a day as I traversed China learning the language and sharing the Gospel. The Lord provided for my needs that first year, and He has provided every year since. Our ministry team (those specifically under our care and support) now includes 3 full-time missionary familes and 14 total people (including 8 children). Most prices have doubled and tripled in the past 10-15 years, but OUR NUMBER has increased even more rapidly.
Please join us in thanking God for his provision in every circumstance over the years, and join us in asking Him to graciously continue to do so!
(This is an adapted version of our latest NW China Mission update.)
