May 2005

GREAT NEWS! The Bible is the #1 Best Seller IN CHINA!

The American Bible Society makes this astounding report in the Spring 2005 news report. Kua Wee-Seng, the United Bible Societies China Partnership Coordinator reported at an ABS Board meeting that “I feel breathless trying to catch up with what God is doing in China!” The American Bible Society in cooperation with Amity Press, the official Bible printing company in China under the direction of the Three Self Patriotic Movement or TSPM, produced 3.4 million Bibles in 2004! Although this number falls far short of what is needed for the expanding Christian church in China, it is an amazing figure. Since 1987, Amity Press has printed and distributed 34 million Bibles in China! Thank God for every Bible printed and pray that God will mightily bless His Word. ABS contributes the paper for Bible production at a cost of $1.00 per Bible!

A FLEET OF DELIVERY VANS REACHES THE UNREACHED

The American Bible Society has also made possible a fleet of 40 vans through the contributions of American churches that are reaching rural communities with free Bibles. Grace Baptist Church of Glendora, California has contributed $315,000 towards the vans and Bibles, making possible the free distribution of 120,000 Bibles. ABS has matched these funds and is placing the Bible in the hands of people who never owned one before!   In Liaoning Province in the town of Liangjiazi, Mr. Wang Chun-long greeted the Bible workers and told them in 1990 he opened his home to six people for Bible teaching. Today, the congregation exceeds 300, but two thirds of the people did not own a Bible. Many people stand for the service both inside and outside the building! In Santaizi Village, the local preacher, a woman by the name of Bi Keqin is having a great impact because of the great change in her life as a Christian. Bi had a reputation for being quick-tempered, but was completely changed by faith in Jesus. Her mother was miraculously healed, and although illiterate, she learned to sing every hymn in the hymnbook from memory in just 15 days! In Donggangzi Village, the believers were so overcome with emotion when the Bible van arrived that they shed many tears. In another village, Jianzhuang, 8,000 people greeted the ABS workers and eagerly waited for the distribution of the Bibles. “AMAZING!” you say, and it is. China is athirst for God’s Word. Pray that the open door will continue to creak open even more than this.

Anyone interested in being part of this amazing Bible distribution ministry may send contributions to The American Bible Society, 1865 Broadway, New York, NY 10023 or call toll free 1_800-895-4448.

OPEN DOORS MISSION LAUNCHES BIBLE EFFORT

Intercessors Network reports in April that The Open Doors Mission has launched The Lighthouse Project-China in an effort to provide thousands of Bibles, commentaries, hymnals and other resources this year. The tremendous increase in the growth of house churches throughout China, especially in rural communities, has created a major need for these resources. This ministry hopes to provide 285,000 Bibles, 125,000 children’s Bibles and more than one million pieces of Sunday School literature to 8,400 pastors, lay leaders and Sunday School teachers. They will also provide 24,000 “music boxes” that play almost 500 hymns that will be very helpful in areas where the people have little musical training. (Incidentally, Chinese churches right here in the States are making use of this equipment for their services when no musicians are available!)

GOD IS AT WORK AMONG CHINESE IN OTHER COUNTRIES

Rev. James Chung, pastor of the Chinese church in Sao Paulo Brazil reports that 80-100 people gather for Sunday services and they have increased their staff to two workers. He reports that he made a recent trip to Lima, Peru to minister to the Chinese church under the leadership of Rev. Michael Chang. There he was able to minister to a large group of restaurant workers who attend early services in order to be free for work at noon. Rev. Andrew Liang, formerly a coworker of mine in Hong Kong, now serves in Panama where a training institute and seminary has been established. Rev. Calvin Lai serves a new Chinese church in Berlin, Germany where interested people are gathering for prayer and Bible Study. In Melbourne, Florida, Brother Liu Hui-han, leader of the church reports that recently ten people were baptized. Not only was there rejoicing over the number, but over who some of them were. Some parents came from China to visit their children here in Melbourne.  Much prayer was offered for their salvation. Give thanks to God that they received Christ into their lives, and were baptized before returning to China!  Rev. John Young pastors the Chinese church in Madrid, Spain. He reports 8 recent baptisms. Such occurrences are happening in country after country, and most impressive of all is the fact that these congregations are not content to keep the gospel for themselves, but they are earnestly involved in sending out missionaries to other lands! Pray that your church will catch the vision and follow this great example. These reports come from Christian and Missionary Alliance Churches worldwide. To make contributions to the work of any of these churches or other mission projects send to: The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935 or check out the web site:  www.cmalliance.org

PERSECUTION PERSISTS IN SOME PLACES

In spite of these tremendous reports of blessing and freedom, persecution still persists among the house churches and their leadership. Pastor Zhang Rong-liang, leader of the Fang Cheng Mother Church in Henan and head of China For Christ Church, was arrested in December and has not been heard of since. Brother Gao Shun-ping, who helped Pastor Zhang, also disappeared. Ms Xiao Min is being sought by the police because of her prolific writing of Chinese hymns known as “Canaan Hymns.” Pray for the release of these workers and the protection of Xiao Min. Voice of the Martyrs reports in April that four Catholic priests of the underground church have been arrested this year. Three are known to be 75, 85 and 86 years old respectively. In Heibei, seven priests have been detained while in Shijiszhuang, mass arrests of priest were made at the time of Pope John Paul’s death. Pastors and priests mentioned here are all members of unregistered churches that are considered an “evil cult” by the Chinese government.  Pray for a better understanding by the Chinese government of unregistered churches, and pray for the leadership in thousands of house churches that are willing to suffer the loss of all things for the sake of the gospel. A good source of information on the worldwide persecuted church can be found in The Voice of the Martyrs, Box 54, Caney, KS 75333 and their web site: www.persecution.com

ASIA HARVEST MEETS NEED OF CRIPPLED PASTORS

This is just a reminder that Asia Harvest has a fund for China’s living martyrs- more than 1,000 pastors who have been crippled by beatings while in prison. They are very elderly and in great need of assistance for living. Asia Harvest presently assists with the support of 577 pastors every month. Contributions may be sent to: Asia Harvest, P. O. Box 901, Palestine, TX 75802

GANSU, INC AT WORK IN WEST CHINA

A report from Dr. Bill Conrad of Gansu, Inc, informs us that Team #2 is hard at work doing eye surgeries for Chinese people in West China’s Turpan, Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region. Team #1 completed 60 cataract surgeries during their time, and team #2 is expecting to reach the 1200 mark with 170 total for the summer project. Pray that this team of eye surgeons who give their time for this work of God will be kept well, protected from dangerous travel on the highways, and be a rich blessing in the churches they visit on weekends. You may request their e-mail letter by writing to gansuinc@alfachina.com  Be sure to pray for the strenuous schedule and the many demands made of the team in the heat of summer.

SOME PERSONAL MATTERS

Your prayers for my wife, Evelyn, have been effective, and we praise God for her healing. She has almost returned to her normal energetic self and is free from the effects of the colitis and ulcer. Thank you so very much for praying for her during this long siege of illness. We are planning to take a group of seniors from Florida to the Dominican Republic in November for a short-term missions project among the Haitian refugees. Pray that she will be able to go and be part of the Team of 13 people.

Exiles of Hope is in the printing stage now and should be available in June. It has been a long haul, but we are almost there with this sequel to Red Runs The River. The price will be $13.50 plus $3.50 for postage when released. Your prayers have been extremely important and will play an important role in the outreach of these two books.

PASS THIS ON TO OTHERS

The regular request is for you to pass this on to new readers. Several have been added this month and the list continues to grow rapidly. These are authentic reports from reliable servants of the Lord.

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Anthony Bollback