The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.
Midland Group Reports Persecution Escalates Against Chinese House Church, Elders Detained
Released by ChinaAid, August, 2011 ...
"JIANGSU, CHINA – Official persecution against the Suqian house church in coastal Jiangsu province escalated Saturday with the administrative detention of three of the church’s elders, ChinaAid has learned.
The five-day detention sentences for the three elders follows the sentencing last month of the church’s pastor, Pastor Shi Enhao, to a two-year re-education-through-labor sentence. Furthermore, Pastor Shi’s son Shi Yongyang, his daughter Shi Yumei and her husband Zhang Quansheng are all at risk of being detained as well." Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid
It was sometime in the second half of the 18th century that English poet and hymnist William Cowper suggested that "God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform." Over the ensuing centuries it has been used many, many times to explain many, many different situations that seem to defy explanation. Many of us have been faced with such a situation, and some of us have found Cowper's advice to offer a satisfying explanation ... it worked for me when I first met the Chin.
It was late spring in 2008, and I had just returned home from Christian mission in Thailand. It's hard to imagine a greater contrast - leaving behind Midland, Texas - one of the more affluent and comfortable communities in America - and working in the 'red light' districts of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and the refugee camps lining the Thai/Burmese border, But there I was, living and working, giving and receiving, learning and growing. I came back changed and charged, and ready to share my testimony with others, now that my mission had come to an end.
Or had it?
That's one of the things about overseas mission ... and to critics of such ventures, it's not a good thing. They cite the time and the money, the efforts and the resources spent in communities on the far side of the world, that would have been better spent right here in our home community. For that, all I can say is that a true missional church works both at home and abroad. Our Thailand mission turned out to provide a perfect example of doing both - though I did not realize that until much later.
It was a several weeks after our return to West Texas, that one of our mission team members was chatting-up an Asian man who managed the sushi bar in the local supermarket. She learned that he was originally from Burma (Myanmar), and was now making his home in Midland. And he wasn't alone ... there were almost 60 Chin-Burmese refugees living and working in Midland at that time.
The Chin are one of several diverse, non-Burmese ethnic groups living around the nation of Burma/Myanmar - and their situation at home is unsettled, at best. We were amazed to find Burmese refugees in our West Texas community - thinking that most would be clustered in the major American cities that are traditional ports-of-entry for immigrants. For their part, the Chin were amazed to find a group of Americans who knew of their circumstances back home, the government-sanctioned persecution that had driven them from their homelands to refugee camps, and - for a lucky few - a chance at refugee status, and a chance to begin a new life in some place like America.
The Chin are located in western Burma, along the border with India. And though we had not met any Chin during our work in the refugee camps along the Thai/Burma border, we DID work with refugees from the Karen, the Shan and other ethnic groups in the eastern part of that troubled nation - who shared their own stories of burned-out villages, land-mine strewn trails, impressment into labor gangs, the beatings, the rapes, the killings and so much more.
Their being Christian - the result of 19th-century missions by the Baptists - didn't help matters either, but provided one more point of contention with the Buddhist-majority government of Burma.
A persecuted people and a persecuted church, having fled their mountain/jungle homes in Asia for the desert flats of West Texas ... only to find a group ready, willing and able to help them find their way around that home, to share all that America had to offer, while helping them share their story, and contribute their part to the community.
So, when all was said and done, my overseas mission continued long after I returned home, and it continues to this day. Who would have thought it would work out this way? It's a mystery to me ... but then, I truly believe that God DOES work in mysterious ways.
The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.
Midland Group Reports Chinese Authorities Surround House Church Camp, Detain Pastor & Ministers
Released by ChinaAid, August, 2011 ...
"ANHUI, CHINA – A house church summer camp for children in Anhui province was surrounded by 100 local authorities, who detained the pastor and three ministers, ChinaAid has learned.
Officials from the local Religious Affairs Bureau, the Qiaotou Township government, the Public Security bureau and local police stations and traffic police descended upon the camp, at the residence of Pastor Lu Jingxiang, at 6 a.m. Thursday Aug. 11 and surrounded the area." Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid
ODESSA, TEXAS - Not only did 57-year-old “running preacher” David Johnson finish 52 marathons in 52 weeks, he finished them early.
Crossing the finish line July 10 in Missoula, Montana, the final run came without a lot of fanfare, mostly because Johnson and his wife didn’t actually realize it was the final one until after the race. CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story
The following falls well outside my usual 'Video Vault' materials ... but I decided to go ahead and share it with you, anyway, after an email I received from Elizabeth Potter of Unity Productions Foundation, on behalf of their myfellowamerican.us project.
"America was built on the principles of equality and basic human rights for all. Recent mosque protests and congressional hearings on American Muslims are all unfortunate examples of a rising tide of fear that lead to intolerance and inequality," she wrote. "This climate of suspicion towards our fellow Americans compromises the great values that our country was founded upon. We've put together a 2-minute film in response that I believe you and the readers of West Texas Missioner will be interested in sharing, watching, and discussing."
I've watched it, I'm sharing it, and I'm ready to discuss it with you ... at the very least how it might address our mission of reaching out to people of other faiths, and sharing with them the Word, and the love of Jesus Christ.
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 21, 2011
MINUTE FOR MISSION: YOUTH IN THE CHURCH AND THE WORLD - "Can I talk to you?" It was one of those cold, big-sky, starry nights that you only experience on a hilltop at Mo Ranch in Hunt, Texas. We were at a youth conference. We were walking to the auditorium for the next event on the schedule. The high school student said, "I think I want to go to seminary."
CLICK HERE to read more.
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 20, 2011
GENERAL ASSEMBLY MISSION COUNCIL - When over 4,700 exuberant young people at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium celebrate their connection with Christ's church and each other, this is God's work through the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC). When a congregation in rural North Dakota welcomes a new seminary graduate as its designated pastor through the "For Such a Time as This" Pastoral Residency Program, this is God's work through the GAMC.
CLICK HERE to read more.
MIDLAND, TEXAS - Months of preparation are starting to give way to nerves and excitement at the chance to see Pope Benedict XVI in person.
"I don't think we really know what to expect. We just know it's going to be a life changing event," 19-year-old Elizabeth Mueller, a sophomore at Midland College, said.
CLICK HERE to read/watch the rest of the KWES report
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 19, 2011
PRESBYTERY OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA - Five chairs and two cubbies! With that gift, Love's Chapel in Belmont jumped into a ministry that was growing exponentially. It started when mission co-worker Dr. Barbara Nagy explained that one reason for the high staff turnover rate at Nkhoma Hospital in Malawi was the lack of adequate schools for the children of the medical staff. Willeke Ter Haar, wife of the hospital director, dreamed of opening a school for the children of the community.
CLICK HERE to read more.
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 18, 2011
PRESBYTERY OF SHENANDOAH, VIRGINIA/WEST VIRGINIA - As they drove toward Terrier Rouge, Haiti, on January 11, 2010, Warrenton Presbyterian Church's medical mission team was greeted by children singing praise and thanksgiving for God's gifts and dancing in the street to the beat of a drum. The mission team was on the way to spend a week at a clinic in this village seventy-five miles northeast of Port-au-Prince. The next day the earth shook and changed the lives of all Haitians.
CLICK HERE to read more.
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).
Prayer Concerns for the week of 8/17/11
CHINA/VIET NAM - Give God thanks and praise for the recent rescue of 89 kidnapped infants and the arrest of 369 people linked to two human trafficking rings. Pray for the 81 infants who were abducted, then sold in China's southern regions of Guangdong and Guangxi. The babies range in age from 10 days to four months old and are now in the care of institutions. Pray for the eight babies kidnapped in Vietnam and brought to China for sale. These infants range in age from 10 days to seven months old and had been drugged with sleeping pills.
• Pray all of these babies will be reunited with their families soon and that God will bring comfort to each of them.
• Pray for an end to China's strict "one child" policy and the tradition of favoring boys over girls (sex-selective abortions are widespread). There is a huge gender imbalance in China that's contributed to the rising number of cases of trafficked children and women. Since April 2009, police in China have uncovered 39,194 cases of human trafficking with the majority involving children or women.
A report from the msnbc.com
HAITI - Please pray for the children at Wings of Hope home for disabled children in Fermathe, Haiti during this critical time. Pray for the friends, family, and caregivers of the two children who died recently. Pray for the children at Wings of Hope who are very ill and receiving intravenous fluids for symptoms consistent with cholera. Pray for their quick and complete healing.
A report from heartswithhaiti.org • Pray God would provide the resources needed to treat and care for these children. Please keep the staff and volunteers at Wings of Hope held close in prayer as they tend to the sick and the healthy children in their care. Pray that the illness will not spread to any other children or to the community around the home.
INDIA (International Justice Mission www.ijm.org/) Give God thanks and praise for the rescue of 24 children, women, and men from slavery at a brick kiln in Bangalore, India. Pray for these rescued families as they return to life in their home village where International Justice Mission (IJM) has helped them resettle. Praise God these children and adults no longer live in fear.
• Thanks be to God for the work of IJM in advocating freedom for these families who were often verbally threatened and physically abused. The night before they were freed, the brick kiln owner threatened to lock the laborers in a shed and set it on fire. Pray these families will receive the government rehabilitation benefits to which they are entitled and that they will have access to good jobs and educational opportunities.
A message from International Justice Mission
UNITED STATES - Pray for the 1-year-old boy who was bitten on the leg by his mother. Pray that God will protect this child and surround him with a loving, protective community. Give thanks that he is now in the care of his stepfather. Please pray that God will bring transformation and healing into the life of this little boy's mother who has been charged with child abuse and was previously convicted of cruelty to animals. Pray for all children in abusive situations, especially those who haven't been rescued.
A report from the Grand Forks Herald • Please keep 14-year-old Sherrie * held close in prayer during a very difficult time in her life. Pray that Sherrie might be surrounded by a community of support and love that will enforce healthy boundaries for this out-of-control young woman. Pray for her mother and step-father, and for her siblings and friends, as they interact with Sherrie and respond to her often inappropriate behavior and threats.
*Name changed for confidentiality • Please pray for Kara and her family as she goes through treatments for a recurrence of cancer. Pray that Kara's family and friends will form a strong circle of support for this young mother. Pray that God's healing touch will be upon this young woman. Please pray for comfort and peace for Kara, her husband, and her children.
• Pray that God will provide qualified, compassionate caregivers for the nursery and pre-school programs at churches in the hiring process.
• Please keep 3-year-old Zoe held close in prayer following the sudden death of her mother. Pray for a circle of love and support around this little girl. Pray for harmony and peace between her immediate and extended family.
FACES OF CHILDREN - Please continue to pray that more churches and individuals will join with the ministry of Faces of Children in spreading awareness about children in crisis and inviting more people to pray for children at risk.
• If you have prayer requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to Chris Laufer, FOC Coordinator, at claufer@facesofchildren.net
MIDLAND, TEXAS - The vacation Bible school aimed to bring together an ecumenical group of South Side churches at no cost to the kids' families. The children were invited to learn Bible stories through a lesson plan called Jesus Truth Seekers: Mission Possible. Dinner, lessons, crafts and music took place in evenings from Sunday through Thursday, and the kids were invited to Washington Park Pool on Friday night. Classes also were available for adults throughout the week.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 17, 2011
SALEM PRESBYTERY, NORTH CAROLINA - Growing Christ's church deep and wide in Salem Presbytery takes many twists and turns. For Ronald Shive, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Burlington, and his congregation, growing the church took him to the heartland of each of the three Abrahamic faiths and led his church members to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Islam and Judaism.
CLICK HERE to read more.
Every month, Lulwanda Administrator Edward Mukiibi provides an update on Lulwanda Children's Home in Uganda – how the children are growing and learning, how the staff is developing, and any ongoing needs that may arise.
July, 2011
"There has been a lot going on at the Children’s Home. Apart from the summer visitors from USA, we had different audits from the government arms and our external audit. We experienced sky rocketing inflation to double digits that affected the gas pump prices. This affected the whole range of consumer goods to new high levels we had not experienced in the past five years."
"However, we highly commend the GICF board that has made all effort to support us through all these very difficult times. We continue to pray for God’s blessing and continued providence for all those hands that continue to support us in this work."
CLICK HERE to read the rest of Mukiibi's June, 2011 report.
ODESSA, TEXAS - Every day the city of Madrid, Spain, is teeming with thousands of tourists from all over the world looking for a small taste of Spanish history and culture. But for more than one million people expected to attend the international Catholic celebration, World Youth Day, Madrid will also be a place for spiritual learning and growth.
Seventeen young adults from the San Angelo Catholic Diocese are expected to make the pilgrimage out to Madrid, including two from Odessa’s Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the OA story
The Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study is a daily devotional with 365 inspiring mission stories that come from next door and all across the globe. It inspires thousands of Presbyterians daily as they uphold the mission of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in intercessory prayer. The stories for the 2011 Mission Yearbook were collected around General Assembly Mission theme “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and Wide” based on Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 9:35. Each yearbook page bears witness to the abundant possibilities of the church because of the leadership of Christ.
Today in the Mission Yearbook: August 16, 2011
PRESBYTERY OF THE PEAKS, VIRGINIA - The belief that nothing will ever change isn't reflected in the Great Commission recorded in Matthew, nor is it held among the 17,793 members of the 135 churches within the Presbytery of the Peaks. With congregations of fewer than twelve or more than a thousand members, the presbytery prays for guidance and pushes for action, knowing that hunger, homelessness, and empty dreams continue to exist.
CLICK HERE to read more.
The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.
Midland Group Reports Emergency Shortage of Bibles in China Today
Released by ChinaAid, July, 2011 ...
"CHINA – For nearly a quarter of a century Asia Harvest has been providing Bibles to the house churches in China. In the early years this consisted of hosting many short-term teams who came to Hong Kong and carried Bibles in their bags and suitcases across the border into China. In the late 1990s we started printing Bibles secretly inside China. This greatly increased the quantity we could supply, while sharply reducing the cost per Bible. Overall, Asia Harvest and our supporters have now printed and delivered more than 3.8 million Bibles to the house church believers in China." Read the Rest of the Report from ChinaAid
Faces of Children is an ecumenical prayer ministry under the auspices of First Presbyterian Church of Midland, Texas. Our mission is to initiate ministries of prayer for children in churches, communities, and neighborhoods. In doing so, we seek to provide an opportunity for people of God to join together, learn about children and their needs throughout the world, and celebrate Christ's love (especially as it relates to children).
Credo of hope that our children and grandchildren will feel empowered to build a more just and peaceful world
"O God, help our children and grandchildren to feel love and appreciation for all your gifts of life.
Grant each of them a passion for peace and for justice.
Kindness for those who are weak and needy and sad and afraid.
Courage to stand up for right and to struggle against wrong.
Friendship and kinship with all who share the world you have created.
Grant our children faith to open the door of their souls and to live their lives as you intend.
Protect them against the worms of hate and the weasels of selfishness and envy.
Help our children to sing their own songs and to hear and join in the songs of others in the spheres of the earth's firmament."
I'm Your Child, God: Prayers for our Children, by Marian Wright Edelman
A message from Chris Laufer, Coordinator, Faces of Children
Greetings, Faces of Children Intercessor,
Thank you for praying for the children of our world! Your prayers are valued and valuable. If you have prayer celebrations or concerns about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them, please send them to me at the email address below. Thank you!
The Midland faces of Children prayer group will meet on Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. in the Bride's room at First Presbyterian Church-Midland. Lunch ($5) and a time of fellowship will follow.
If you have requests about children, those who care for them, those who have authority over them, or those who harm them (the really hard prayers to say sometimes), please send them to me at at claufer@facesofchildren.net, or give me a call.
MIDLAND, TEXAS - It's called "Real Talk." Every Wednesday night, Celenze, a professional skateboarder, comes to the skate park at Beal Park in Midland and rallies a group of boys and girls together. His mission is to sit them down and just be real with them - to talk them through their daily struggles and problems and share Jesus.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of the MRT story
The China Aid Association is a non-profit Christian organization - based in Midland, Texas - with a mission to uncover and reveal the truth about religious persecution in China, focusing especially on the unofficial church. They do this, they explain in their website, by exposing the abuses, encouraging the abused and equipping the saints to advance the kingdom of God throughout China.
