International News

Posted on 30 June 2009.

Updates from our bases around the world. Please choose your region: Australia Canada Germany New Zealand Malaysia Singapore South Africa Taiwan United Kingdom United States

Australia

PRAYING WITH CONFIDENCE AND BOLDNESS

We know that God delights to hear and answer our prayers, but we have to acknowledge that at times when we don't see our prayers answered in the way or timing that we expect, we can lose heart or simply give up. We read in 1 John 5:1-15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him." Again in Hebrews 4:16, we are reminded "to come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help us in time of need." We need to ask ourselves, when we come to God in prayer for China, would those two words of confidence and boldness be descriptive of our praying? If not, maybe we need to take some time out to meditate on these passages and allow the Spirit of God to remind us of the great desire of our Heavenly Father to answer our prayers that are prayed according to His will.

Each month several hundred Christians from right across Australia faithfully pray for the nation of China, its Church and God's Kingdom purposes to be established among the Chinese through AM-CCSM and other ministries. Although we know that God hears each of our prayers, we don't always see the results of this. However, over recent months we have begun to see God answer our prayers right on our doorstep, as He is moving among a number of Chinese that have come to work in Bunbury, Western Australia, for two years under the foreign workers' visas. Some time ago one of our regular supporters decided to befriend some of these Chinese and offer them English lessons. This has now spread to many others and they have begun asking to hear more about his Christian faith. Through another amazing answer to prayer he was introduced to a house church pastor and his wife who were holidaying with relatives in the south of Perth. An arrangement was made recently to hold a Chinese banquet, which 25 Chinese people attended, and for the first time many of them heard and were touched by the message of God's love in Chinese. From this small beginning, plans are now underway to begin weekly home meetings where these Chinese men and women can hear the Word of God in Mandarin and grow in their faith before returning to China when their visas expire.

Maybe you too have noticed Chinese coming to Australia in your area to either work or study? Could it be that God has brought them into your area so that you can begin to pray for them and reach out to them in very practical ways with the love of Jesus? What if His ultimate purpose in bringing them to Australia was not to work or study but so that you could have the joy of partnering with God to see them delivered from darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Son of His love?

There are still places available in the various AM-CCSM short-term teams heading to China in October 2009 and January 2010. Could God be wanting you to serve Him by making a commitment to join one of these teams? Why don't you commit this to prayer during the next month?

You will have noticed a couple of extra brochures in your mailing entitled "Sorting the Facts from the Myths about China". We have recently compiled this brochure in response to queries we have received over the years about the seeming contradiction in reports about the situation and needs of the Church in China. There are several reasons why this occurs, but suffice to say that the facts contained in the brochure has been compiled from over 21 years' experience as a ministry serving the Church in China. One copy is for you to keep. We ask that you pass on the other to a friend who may be interested in China. If you would like further copies, please contact the Australian office and we can arrange to send these to you. Why don't you ask if your friends would like to receive the free monthly China Prayer Update and join with the hundreds of others across Australia who pray regularly for China?

Yours together in His love for China,
James Goss

Pray that we would understand the power and importance of our praying and not give up, even when we don't see immediate answers. Pray that God would give each of us a renewed sense of boldness and confidence when we come to Him in prayer.

Join with us in rejoicing and giving thanks to God for the answers to our prayers in Bunbury. Pray that God's Holy Spirit would continue to cause the seed of the Word of God to grow in their hearts and that through the change in their lives many other Chinese working in the town would desire to know the love of God.

Pray that God would raise up other Chinese-speaking Christians to stand alongside these leaders, so that together they can see the maturing and shepherding of these new Christians.

Pray that God would raise up other Christians across Australia who would be willing to pray and reach out to other Chinese that are coming to our nation.

Pray that God would speak to those He is calling from Australia to be a part of our teams to China in October 2009 and January 2010.

Canada

I wrote my last update just before going to China. Now I've been back for about a month and wanted to let you know that the trip was very successful. I met with all my usual contacts and they reported good news about all the printing we had done. They also expressed thanks to you for all for the Bibles you have helped to provide. I met too with two new contacts who were eager for Bibles, so I am arranging to get some to these two new areas. I want to thank you again for your generosity in giving, so that we can sustain our office here in Canada and provide these life-line Bibles to many folk in the house churches in the Chinese countryside.

In July of this year I will be sending out a new appeal so that we can continue what we have started. As I said in my last update, we are half way through the year and the challenge now is: Can we raise $250,000 for work in China this year? Please pray with us and help achieve this goal.

We have two teams going into China this summer (see also Day Six above) - please pray for them. One team in particular is under some pressure due an order by the government concerning foreigners and swine flu - no foreigners are allowed to visit orphanages in China. The mercy team have taken on some other special work and the team will go ahead as usual, but please remember them in your prayers, especially my friend ‘D' who both organises and leads these teams.

The other team will be of couriers delivering books and Bibles to some new contacts, as well as to some well established ones. They too need your prayer, as they have to get their goods through scanners at stations and airports. Pray that the Lord will blind the eyes of those wanting to stop these materials being delivered.

Keep an eye on our web site at www.am-ccsm.org - by the time you read this we should have launched a new one that allows our supporters and other visitors to the site to leave comments and also to subscribe to the various news feeds we are implementing. Please pray for the team of coworkers who have spent many hours developing the new site and will spend countless more keeping it in shape.

Yours in Him,
John Dolman

Give thanks for John's successful trip to China and for all the Bibles that the Canada base has been able to fund through your donations.

Pray with us that we will reach the goal of raising $250,000 for the work in China from the Canada base this year.

Pray for the teams going to China this month.

Pray for the team of coworkers who are developing the new website.

Germany

We can now say that we have left winter behind and are enjoying the sunshine that summer brings. No more snow covering the ground but instead a healthy new growth of green grass and wonderful colours in our flowers. Just as we see this happening here in our gardens and countryside, we pray too that this will be the experience in the hearts of the people in China. We are sure that, as they spread the good news about Jesus, our brothers and sisters in China are praying that they will see evidence of new growth in the hearts of the people of China.

That wonderful verse of scripture says, "Ask and you shall receive." We know that our brothers and sisters are praying that many of their fellow countrymen come to know the Lord. Many years ago, when we met with a well known pastor in China and asked him what we could pray for, he said, "Pray for revival." This was in a country where 15,000-20,000 people a day were coming to know Jesus. This pastor was still not satisfied; he wanted more people to know Jesus. So, as we enjoy the summer and we see the new growth in our gardens, let us pray for the new growth in Jesus in the lives of the people in China.

As we pray for the above, let us also pray for the teaching books that CCSM prints. We want to supply as many teaching books as we can, so that the people of China can learn more about the Lord Jesus. Will you pray with us that we will reach the target of one million books this year? Remember every book that we give is then read by many more people. So the million books that we hope to provide could in fact be read by anything up to ten or fifteen million people.

This month we will have two teams in China, one mercy team and one courier team. Numbers have been low for teams this year. We had to cancel the teams in April because of low numbers and this month we have low numbers again. Whilst praying for our team members this month, will you also pray about whether you could join one of our teams in the autumn? We would love to see more people join us and experience touching the hearts of the Chinese people. Please contact the office to see when the next teams are.

Pray for spiritual new birth and growth in the people of China.

Pray for finance for the million books we hope to print, and pray for the people who will read them.

Pray for the teams in China this month and pray about whether you should join a team.

 

 

New Zealand

"Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needful and Mary has chosen the better thing and it will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-2). Jesus is pointing us to Kingdom values; they are not the same as world values and it is often hard for us to accept His ways. Recently our pastor has taken us through Psalm 23 as a guide to living: "He leads me by the quiet waters and makes me to lie down in green pastures." Busyness is such a part of our lives in the West and we are so occupied with ‘doing'. I have been thinking about ‘being' and particularly being with God, resting and listening, or as Mary learned just having fellowship, first with Him and then with each other. For many Christians in China this is difficult or some may say impossible. In prison Christians are isolated from each other; meetings in China often have to be secretive; and pain, cold and poverty all hinder believers from resting in God. Yet so often we can learn from these Christians, as the difficulties make them stronger. Indeed I think many of them would say that they could not survive without fellowship with God and the prayerful support of others.

We do thank you for your prayerful support for those in need. As you will have read, things are not all sweetness and light in China and times are still very tough for those that would follow Jesus. In many areas it is easier, but by no means in all. Please seek God as to your part in supporting the Church in China. Maybe you are a pray-er; indeed I trust you are, but maybe you are also a giver or a goer. The need for teaching books and Bibles is still as strong as ever. We need not only finance to print them, but also help in distributing the materials across China. Going on a trip with a team is a life-changing experience and it is very sad when teams are cancelled through lack of applicants. It means a lot when the Chinese see us give up our holiday to go and help them. Teams are well organised and led by experienced leaders. You can go on a team on your own or with a friend; we organise it all for you.

R & J from the Hawkes Bay are continuing to battle with health and bureaucracy. Please pray for them. They are no longer young and are doing work many a young person would find demanding. Yet they have had really encouraging results with the children they look after and are now seeking to set up a centre to train parents and helpers. Enabling a disabled child to earn a living can make the difference between them having a meaningful life or being incarcerated as totally mentally incapable, even when they are quite bright.

Mike and Sue Blanchard

Please pray for the suffering Church in China, that believers may know the peace and strength that comes from fellowship with Jesus.

Pray for finance and printers for the literature the Church so desperately needs.

Pray for people to have a hunger to see China for themselves and show support for the Chinese Church. May many come forward to go on teams.

Pray for R&J, as they seek to extend their work, and for those that are helping them. Pray that more workers will come forward.

 

Malaysia

The Malaysian base office has moved from Kuala Lumpur to Penang!

Along with the base relocation, there are also changes to personnel. Amy Yu now takes over as Office Manager. Pastor Albert Tan assumes responsibility as National Co-ordinator for the oversight of the base operations from Pastor David Packiam who continues to remain as advisor to the new team. In additional, Michael Leong joins the team to work alongside Pastor Albert to promote the ministries of Antioch Missions.

We solicit prayers for a smooth relocation and transition of leadership and responsibilities. Pray also for the new team to create more opportunities for the promotion of the ministries of Antioch Missions. In coming months, as the new team finds its footing, we should have more matters to report on for information and prayer support.

This month we have a group of Malaysians joining the international mercy team (see Day Six). Please pray that they may be a real blessing to those they minister to and inspire many other Malaysians to follow in their footsteps.

Pray for Amy Yu as she attempts the miraculous - picking up all the duties as Office Manager of the Malaysian Base without missing a beat!

Pray for Pastor Albert and Michael Leong as they plan out how to widen the ministry base of Antioch Missions to the other regions of Malaysia particularly to East Malaysia.

Pray for the group of Malaysians joining the mercy team this month.

Pray that the two persons from a church in Penang who are interested in joining a team in September or October will be able to make it for the mission trip.

Singapore

As we enter the second half of 2009, we want to thank the Lord for His faithfulness in enabling AM-CCSM to continue with the literature ministry. We hope to reach the printing target of one million books for this year. We also want to thank you, our supporters, for giving generously to make this possible.

In our prayer letters, you will have read of the great need for Bibles and teaching materials in China. This demand is huge and an ever-increasing one! This is totally understandable when we look at the number of Christian believers in China - estimated to be between 70 and 100 million!

Many of us here in Singapore own more than one Bible each. A check with colleagues revealed an average of three Bibles each! And we also have an array of Christian literature within easy access.

Can we pause for a moment to think of our brothers and sisters in China? How many of them have their own copy of the Bible? In the countryside, many believers share one Bible during Sunday sermons. There are even villages where only the pastor or leader may own a Bible. In some house churches, believers may only have photocopied pages of the Bible.

When we compare our situation with that of the believers in China, we know how blessed we are. We are free to worship at the church of our choice, able to attend Christian seminars and conferences where renowned evangelists and preachers are guest speakers. We can walk into bookshops in our malls (not just Christian bookshops) and buy a Bible, a gospel CD, etc. With the many Christian bookshops offering a myriad of Christian literature, teaching materials, devotionals, study Bibles, CDs, DVDs, etc, we in Singapore are spoilt for choice!

So let us spare a thought for the believers in China. How can we, who are so blessed, be a blessing to our brothers and sisters in Christ?

Pray that AM-CCSM will reach the printing target of one million books for this year and be able to help meet the huge demand for Christian literature.

Pray for the believers in China, that they will be equipped with Biblical teaching and be rooted and grounded in the Word of God.

Prayerfully consider how you can bless your brothers and sisters in Christ in China.

 

South Africa

Greetings from Kommetjie!

Praying...

Kommetjie has certainly been in the spotlight hasn't it! Standing on a sand dune on Kommetjie beach with hundreds of other on-lookers on Saturday 30th May watching a tragedy unfold before our eyes as more than 50 False Killer whales beached themselves - a mass suicide - was one of the most heart wrenching experiences I have yet to witness. You no doubt heard about this tragedy via the media. I was brought to tears with mixed emotions at the heartbreaking scene before me but, at the same time, filled with a sense of marvel at how community came together from both near and far to assist, with indescribable passion, in whichever way they could. Unfortunately, no amount of effort could save the whales... such a hopeless situation.

As the lifeless carcasses lay scattered along the water's edge, the scene made me think about lost souls. I associated this scene with when Jesus drew near to Jerusalem in Luke 19: "He saw the city and wept over it saying, ‘If you had known, even you, especially in this your day... You did not know the time of your visitation." Friends, we see mass suicide around us daily in nations who do not fear God - with China in the forefront. Let you and I not be caught standing as on-lookers on our sand dunes of complacency. We need to make a passionate effort to unite our hearts, bringing the lost before God's throne of grace, that His visitation to China would be recognized by all - from the countryside all the way through to the offices of the Chinese leaders as they seek to govern an extremely complex nation - while there is still time.

This China Prayer Update is a wonderful guide to prayer - please keep the separate prayer topics leaflet in your Bible as a reminder to pray continuously. Better still, would you consider starting a prayer group for China in your church or home or elsewhere in the area in which you live? Please contact us if you feel God could be nudging you to do this and we will assist you in this area. "Let my (our) hearts be broken with the things that break God's heart" - Bob Pierce, World Vision Founder.

Giving...

One of our very faithful donors very recently went home to be with the Lord after suffering an illness. Our condolences go out to his wife, his family and his friends. This brother in the Lord has been a tremendous blessing to our Chinese brothers and sisters through the years and we praise the Lord that he requested that his wife continue his monthly giving towards Bibles/literature, even after his death, for the extension of God's Kingdom. What a challenge!

Going...

Teams will be heading into China in the next couple of weeks. We have not had any applications from South Africa this year for the summer teams. We encourage you to consider joining one of our teams in October. We have had numerous queries for both summer teams and October teams, so we know that the interest and desire to go is definitely there - let the recession we're in not hinder our trust in our Heavenly Father for His wonderful provision.

In closing, Bernice and I would like to thank all our praying friends for your continued prayers and all our supporters and donors for your faithful giving. Some give anonymously and therefore we are unable to send you a thank you letter - please know that we appreciate you very much. Lastly, we would like to encourage those who are open to God's calling on their lives to be obedient to that. Thank you so much for partnering with us in serving the Lord and His Church in China - you are remembered in our prayers.

Richest blessings and wrap up warmly for the winter!
Richard and Bernice

Pray that the Church in China will remain strong and faithful. Pray too that from the countryside through to the cities a greater awareness of God and His wonderful gift of salvation would be made known. Pray for God to begin preparing hearts for a visitation by Him. Pray for an increase in prayer groups for China in South Africa.

Pray for God's comfort for the wife and family of our brother whom He has taken home. Give thanks for the ongoing provision of finances for Bibles/Literature. Pray that we would all be greatly challenged by this testimony.

Pray for the safety of teams going into China in July/August and that all will go according to plan. Pray for the team leaders too. Ask the Lord for more willing hearts to serve on team in October.

Praise the Lord for all our pray-ers, our givers and those going. Ask God's mighty hand of blessing upon all who partner with us.

 

Taiwan

The "Silk Road" in western China is world famous. However in Northwest China, there is a "Tea Horse Road" that can compare favorably with the "Silk Road". According to the experts, the trading network of the "Tea Horse Road" was even more complex and dense than the "Silk Road", and it is at present ranked as the most complicated and comprehensive trading route known in the history of the Asian continent.

More than a hundred years ago, on the remote and empty plateau of Northwest Yunnan, there were many missionaries of French and German origin who came to preach. They left their footprints all over the Northwest Yunnan plateau. Could they have left behind accounts of the Tea Horse Road? A scholar from Yunnan who was keen on researching the Tea Horse Road was doing some research in a library when she accidentally found out that in the tiny Deqin County library over a thousand original copies of foreign language books were stored, among them more than 300 copies in French alone. The local scholars told her that fortunately the books had survived from Cizhong Church. They had been brought over by foreign missionaries or explorers in those years; and some had been sent over by missionaries who had returned to their home countries and written about their experiences.

As the years have passed, the images of the missionaries of those days have gone, but today among the deep valleys the mountain people still continue to sing hymns to the Lord with their beautiful voices.

In the second half of this year, AM-CCSM is sending out five all-Chinese teams. All five teams will go and serve among the minority peoples of China. The July and October teams will go to Yunnan to serve. Yunnan Province is the province with the most minorities in China. Altogether there are 51 minority groups (25 of the minority groups have a settled population of over 5,000 people), and 15 of them are found only in Yunnan. In July, we will go to the Yunnan Tea Horse Road to assist the long-term Christian workers in their ministry locally and to prayer walk in order to proclaim that the Lord will bring mighty changes among the minority groups there and to pray that the Lord's will be done and His Kingdom come. In October we will be travelling around the area as a bike team. We welcome brothers and sisters who are interested to participate to contact us and register to join!

The August and September all-Chinese teams will go to the Tibetan and Muslim areas of Northwest China to participate in intercessory, medical and agricultural ministries. Please make full use of these opportunities. Even though the economic climate is not good, we are still inviting you. Preaching the Gospel and saving people's souls are urgent matters. If you already have a call and burden for China ministry, do not delay. Please pray to God and He will provide you with the holiday and finance that you need!

In February 2009, AM-CCSM's International Director Ross Paterson helped the Taiwan churches to set up a Barnabas School of Missions. This is a school that specifically trains people for short-term mission. It is not another theological seminary, and neither is it set up to equip believers to serve in local churches. The Barnabas School of Missions has only one goal: to equip would-be overseas Christian workers and enable them to spread the Gospel in their future mission fields. Therefore the courses offered in the school focus on the practical needs of mission and indispensible skills for life on the mission field, without repeating foundational courses in theology, the Bible and the history of the Church covered in normal theological seminaries. Recruitment for the second session will finish at the end of July and the 16-week mission course will start at the beginning of October. We welcome churches to send Christians to us for training. Working together with one heart, we will prepare the way for the Second Coming of Christ.

Pray that the Lord will remember the Bible translation work for the minorities and remove all obstacles so that the minority groups have Bibles in their own languages. Pray also that the Lord will raise up more people who will take the time to learn minority languages and more long-term overseas Christian workers who will bear witness through their lives.

Pray for the workers among the minorities. They face fierce spiritual battles and attacks of persecution, loneliness and fatigue. Pray that the Lord will strengthen their faith, give them greater perseverance, persistence and a love for God and for men to help them to break through difficult situations by relying on God.

Pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will bring light to the lands of the Chinese minority groups, that He will bless them with healing and salvation, enable them to be delivered from false occult beliefs, to understand the true Way, leave behind all superstitious behavior, begin to make Jesus Christ their Lord, King and One True God and to draw their own tribal people to the Lord.

Please pray for all the areas and issues concerning the recruitment, teaching facilities, training and co-workers for the second session of the Barnabas School of Mission. Pray too for mission in action among the churches, pastors, and brothers and sisters in Taiwan.

 

 

UK

We can now say that we have left winter behind and are enjoying the sunshine that summer brings. No more snow covering the ground but instead a healthy new growth of green grass and wonderful colours in our flowers. Just as we see this happening here in our gardens and countryside, we pray too that this will be the experience in the hearts of the people in China. I am sure that, as they spread the good news about Jesus, our brothers and sisters in China are praying that they will see evidence of new growth in the hearts of the people of China.

That wonderful verse of scripture says, "Ask and you shall receive." I know that our brothers and sisters are praying that many of their fellow countrymen come to know the Lord. Many years ago I met with a well known pastor in China. When I asked him what we could pray for, he said, "Pray for revival." This was in a country where 15,000-20,000 people a day were coming to know Jesus. This pastor was still not satisfied; he wanted more people to know Jesus. So, as we enjoy the summer and we see the new growth in our gardens, let us pray for the new growth in Jesus in the lives of the people in China.

As we pray for the above, let us also pray for the teaching books that CCSM prints. We want to supply as many teaching books as we can, so that the people of China can learn more about the Lord Jesus. Will you pray with us that we will reach the target of one million books this year? Remember every book that we give is then read by many more people. So the million books that we hope to provide could in fact be read by anything up to ten or fifteen million people.

This month we will have two teams in China, one mercy team and one courier team. Numbers have been low for teams this year. We had to cancel the teams in April because of low numbers and this month we have low numbers again. Whilst praying for our team members this month, will you also pray about whether you could join one of our teams in the autumn? We would love to see more people join us and experience touching the hearts of the Chinese people. Please contact the office to see when the next teams are.

Don't forget, if you would like somebody to come and share what the Lord is doing in China with the people in your church, then just contact the office.

Yours in Christ,
Ian Robertson

Pray for spiritual new birth and growth in the people of China.

Pray for finance for the million books we hope to print, and pray for the people who will read them.

Pray for the teams in China this month and pray about whether you should join a team.

 

USA

We can now say that we have left winter behind and are enjoying the sunshine that summer brings. No more snow covering the ground but instead a healthy new growth of green grass and wonderful colours in our flowers. Just as we see this happening here in our back yards and countryside, we pray too that this will be the experience in the hearts of the people in China. We are sure that, as they spread the good news about Jesus, our brothers and sisters in China are praying that they will see evidence of new growth in the hearts of the people of China.

That wonderful verse of scripture says, "Ask and you shall receive." We know that our brothers and sisters are praying that many of their fellow countrymen come to know the Lord. Many years ago when we met with a well known pastor in China and asked him what we could pray for, he said, "Pray for revival." This was in a country where 15,000-20,000 people a day were coming to know Jesus. This pastor was still not satisfied; he wanted more people to know Jesus. So, as we enjoy the summer and we see the new growth in our yards, let us pray for the new growth in Jesus in the lives of the people in China.

As we pray for the above, let us also pray for the teaching books that CCSM prints. We want to supply as many teaching books as we can, so that the people of China can learn more about the Lord Jesus. Will you pray with us that we will reach the target of one million books this year? Remember every book that we give is then read by many more people. So the million books that we hope to provide could in fact be read by anything up to ten or fifteen million people.

During May and June, Ross Paterson spent time in the USA, speaking in churches on the East Coast of the USA, as well as attending a conference of Chinese believers and meeting with workers in an Asian church. Ross also spent time with Ming Lai and the CCSM-USA team. That was a special time for planning and praying together with the brothers and sisters who graciously serve on the US team. There will be future visits form Ross and Christine, so please inform the office if you would like them to visit your church.

This month we will have two teams in China, one mercy team and one courier team. Numbers have been low for teams this year. We had to cancel the teams in April because of low numbers and this month we have low numbers again. Whilst praying for our team members this month, will you also pray about whether you could join one of our teams in the fall? We would love to see more people join us and experience touching the hearts of the Chinese people. Please contact the office to see when the next teams are.

Yours in Him,
Ming Lai, Base Administrator
Ross Paterson, International Director

Pray for spiritual new birth and growth in the people of China.

Pray for finance for the million books we hope to print, and pray for the people who will read them.

Pray for the teams in China this month and pray about whether you should join a team.