(This is the first of what will hopefully be many more posts sharing spiritual needs of western China’s most neglected places. It is my hope and prayer that God’s people will intercede in prayer, and that some will be called to carry the Good News to these unreached peoples.)
Jishishan County (Gansu Province)
(pronounced: Jee-Shur-Shan)
Official name: Jishishan Bonan, Dongxiang and Salar Autonomous County
Population: 220,000
Area: 350 mi² (910 km²)
Elevation: 5500-14100 ft. (1600-4100 ms.)
Number of Christians: >10
This small, rural county is located just south of the Yellow River, nestled up against the northeastern side of a large mountain range that forms the border between Gansu and Qinghai Provinces. The western border of the county is located on top of the highest mountain ridges, where Qinghai Province begins. From there, the mountain ridges flow down in an easterly direction like the folds of a large skirt for 20-30 miles until they end in the Yellow River or one of its tributaries. The people of Jishishan have lived directly on those flowing mountain ridges for millenia, utilizing countless terraces to farm every possible piece of land from the rivers below up to about 8,000 ft (2500 ms) in the mountains.
The population of Jishishan is made up of about 50% Muslim people (from the Bonan, Salar, Dongxiang, and Hui ethnic groups), and also about 50% Han Chinese (mostly Daoist and Buddhist). The Muslims generally farm and graze their animals on the higher mountain ridges in the western half of the county, while the Han Chinese congregate more in the lower foothills. However, in much of the county they are mixed together with neighboring villages differing greatly in their ethnic makeup.
One of the staggering realities of this extremely unreached area is the fact that the Han Chinese are nearly as unreached as their Muslim neighbors. We only know of five professing Christians in the whole county (all Han Chinese). The handful of believers in Jishishan include one older couple who live in small mountain-side village, one middle-aged lady who runs a clothing store in town, one middle-aged man, and one grandmother with a family that persecutes her for attempting to travel to church in a city hours away. There are zero churches in Jishishan. If these believers want to attend church, they have to travel at least a couple of hours by bus to the nearest larger city.
Although the need seems overwhelming, in the past few years tens of thousands of Bible portions and tracts have been secretly distributed door to door in every district of the county. This effort continues, with the goal being to give as many people as possible the opportunity to read and know God’s Word for the first time, especially the young people who are growing up knowing nothing but what they are taught in the Communist schools.
Here is a list of all the districts to pray for…
Chuimatan (the county seat), Dahejia, Biezang, Juji, Liuji, Shiyuan, Liugou, Guanjiachuan, Hulinjia, Anji, Zhaizigou, Guogan, Xuhujia, Zhongjuling, Xiaoguan, Puchuan, and Yinchuan.
Prayer Points-
1) Pray for the Gospel seeds being planted throughout Jishishan to bear fruit and for a harvest to come in God’s perfect time
2) Pray for the few isolated believers who call Jishishan home, that they would be strengthened (and their numbers grow!)
3) Pray that more missionaries and evangelists (both from within and without China) would target Jishishan for outreach
4) Pray for God to open doors in miraculous ways for the Church to be established in Jishishan for the first time
How You Can Serve-
1) PRAY through the list and information above! This is obviously the number one way that ANYONE can serve the unreached of Jishishan!
2) You can also GIVE to help support and purchase materials for those who are targeting the people of Jishishan!
(Click here or on the How to Donate link above.)
3) Finally, you can GO yourself on a short-term trip, or even as a long-term missionary, if the Lord calls you!
(Write anytime for more details: china (at) eugene.dissimulo.com)
