I have shared all of these things as an introduction into the issue of how we can help Luosang continue to grow a ministry that is reaching out to China’s minority people groups.
As I mentioned in previous posts, Luosang and I are doing almost the same thing. We are both recruiting, sending, and supporting missionaries to China’s Muslim and Tibetan Buddhist minorities. The main difference between us and him is that his missionaries need only about 1/3 of the financial support that our missionaries need. And they only need support for about a year, before they are able to begin to support themselves and eventually support other missionaries.
So, as the director of A Voice in Asia’s Highlands, I feel that God is asking us to come alongside Luosang and share with him some of the resources that God is constantly providing for us. We can support 3 of Luosang’s missionaries for the cost that it takes to support just 1 of ours!
And if Luosang’s missionaries are able to start the businesses that they are planning to start, within one year they will very likely be completely self-supporting. Starting a business is an added cost that is actually quite substantial, but we are praying that God would provide for us to help Luosang’s missionaries start businesses AND for us to start businesses ourselves.
But here lies another huge difference in regards to finances. Luosang tells me that they can start a viable business in their target cities with just $2,500 to cover the first year’s operating costs. Do you know how much China requires foreigners to have as capital to start a foreign investment company? $60,000!!! It costs 24 times as much money for us foreigners to start a business in China than it does for a Chinese missionary!
So what can be done? Well, we are not trying to decide to do one or the other. We don’t want to choose between Luosang’s missionaries or ours. We feel that God is calling all of us to press forward and do all that we can!
So, if you have a desire to help, here are 4 practical financial needs that you can pray about giving to:
– monthly support for a family of 3 Latino missionaries: $600 (includes trip home every 3 years)
– monthly support for a family of 3 Chinese missionaries: $200 (2-4 families to come within the next year or so)
– one time expense of a Chinese missionary starting a business: $2,500
– one time expense of a foreign missionary starting a business: $60,000 (we have definite plans for 1 business)
Information on donating can be found by going here. Please pray with us that God provides!!!
This is the end of the Operation “Luosang” series. Operation Luosang is simply our plan to partner with our brother Luosang and his missionaries to take the Gospel to every person in China who has yet to hear the Gospel!
