There have been many changes in the world around us since I last wrote back in January. Although COVID-19 had already appeared at that point, it still seemed confined to central China. Now nearly every nation on earth has been dramatically affected, if not by the actual virus, then by loss of jobs and freedoms, coupled with loneliness and fear.
We’ve been praying daily as a family that God would have mercy on us, our nations, and our leaders, and the remaining unreached peoples of the world. No one “deserves” this mercy, for we are sinners one and all, but may God delight by grace to remove this virus quickly so that the Gospel might continue to be proclaimed freely among all the remaining unreached peoples of the world!
Thankfully, on my journey to Hong Kong and Malaysia, during the last week of January, I did not encounter any problems at all. The large Chinese church conference that I attended in Malaysia was also unaffected by the virus, although many people wore masks and many (1,500+) attendees from central China were not able to come. Recently, we were informed that out of the 3,500 who did gather, not one case of the virus was ever reported, even two months later. Praise God for that!
Persecution (and Pandemics) Will Change You
Yet as so many of us now deal with the virus and the fallout from the many radical measures being taken to fight its spread, I am reminded of one of the most helpful quotes from the conference back in January. Pastor and author Tim Keller, when teaching on persecution, made the following observation:
“Persecution will either make you a better Christian or a worse Christian, depending on how you receive it.
But it will not leave you the same.”
This principle is true of our current circumstances. The “pandemic” (and its aftermath) will either draw us closer to Christ, or will reveal that we are not as close to Him as we ought to be. Much depends on how we respond to the waves crashing down around us. “Staying the same” doesn’t seem to be an option. This fiery trial will either make us stronger, or reveal our hidden sins and weak places.
No matter what may come, the Christian can joyfully hope in the One who is Sovereign over all things. May the Father sanctify us in this difficult season, making us more like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit!
Everyone is Banned from China Now
On Chinese New Year (Jan 25), I flew over the North Pole (Newark to Hong Kong) and then right down through the heart of China! It brought me joy to see so many places (from the air) that I have visited previously in person, before being banned (what’s the opposite of “quarantined”?) from China for 5 years back in 2018. We even flew directly over the now infamous city of Wuhan!
I’ve always had a soft spot for Wuhan, and last month, in lockdown, I finished writing down all the memories from the month I spent in that region during my first year in China (March, 2003).
Unfortunately, nearly all China outreach is now on hold due to the travel restrictions in place because of the virus. China has banned all new entries by foreigners as of March 28.
By God’s grace, our *long-term Latino missionaries in China were already home for a scheduled furlough when the outbreak began. Please pray that they can return home to China as scheduled!
*Please consider supporting our China team!
Pray also for the countless seeds planted through the years, that this would be a season of harvest and “that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored”! (2 Thes. 3:1)
Pastor Wang Yi Seen Alive (but Still in Shackles)
Over a year after his arrest on December 9, 2018, Pastor Wang Yi was sentenced to 9 years in prison. Until recently there was no direct evidence of his personal well-being, but a picture of Wang Yi (in shackles) has just surfaced. Its hard to ascertain too much from just one pic, but for many of us this will at least put a face to the name, and encourage us to continue interceding.
Please pray according to Wang Yi’s own requests, as seen in a family newsletter that he and his wife published just two weeks before his arrest:
If God is willing to put [me] in prison for a prolonged sabbatical, we will also receive it as abundant grace…
If [I am] imprisoned, [I] will entrust everything to the Lord and start [my] personal prison ministry.
If [I am] free, [I] will be even bolder in preaching and asks God to transform [me] into a preacher that will “turn the world upside down”.
We want to place ourselves in the middle of the lasting conflict between the gospel and the Chinese culture, and personally witness the spiritual warfare between Christ and Pharaoh.
We pray that the Lord will, according to His own will, propel and send us to move forward continuously and steadily until the day of the Lord’s victory.
With love in Christ,
Pastor Wang Yi, Jiang Rong, and family
(Nov 27, 2018)
