February 22, 2014

Early yesterday, I flew from Shanghai to Chongqing (pronounced Shong-shing). Arguably China’s largest city, Chongqing is inhabited by more people than Shanghai, vying with Mexico City as the world’s most populated city (in excess of 30 million people). As we approached landing, I couldn’t help but notice the low cloud cover, only to realize it wasn’t cloud cover—it was smog.

I had come to Chongqing in order to meet the gentleman who would serve as my translator for week. Daniel was born and raised in Taiwan to Chinese parents. His parents fled during the early 50’s after the birth of the People’s Republic. We boarded a bus at the airport to make the three hour bus ride to Dazhou (pronounced Da-Joe). Daniel was born into a Christian family, eventually making his way to the US to study for his PhD at Purdue University. He spent quite a few years working in the US before he and his wife decided to settle in Honolulu. He now is semi-retired and works part-time for China Partner as translator for their work on the mainland.

Dearest Friends,

Just a quick note to inform you that today I leave for China for 16 days. I have been invited by China Partner to visit pastors and leaders among the “registered” churches in three cities in Sichuan Province. This will be my first visit into the interior of the mainland.

Pending the availability of reliable Internet access, I hope to be posting updates on our website as well as on Facebook while I’m away. We encourage you to keep abreast of our travels and even better, to pray!

Dear friends,

Located in southwest Wisconsin, Richland Center is a small town which prides itself as the birthplace of world-renowned architect, writer, educator and interior designer, Frank Lloyd Wright.

Years ago Wright was given the impossible task of building the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. No comparable construction job ever before had been undertaken. In the land of earthquakes and terrible tremors Wright proposed his plans for this building with uncanny patience and an eye for detail. During the process of the design Wright discovered that eight feet below the ground lay a sixty-foot bed of soft mud. Wright suggested a design to “float” the massive structure in some way to make it absorb the shock of an earthquake.

From February 20-March 8, 2014 Lee and a team of four trainers from China Partner will be ministering in Dazhou, Chengdu and Yibin in the Sichuan Province of China. Join us each day in prayer that the Lord would lead their conversations, direct their thoughts, anoint their teaching, grant them patience as well as a servant heart while they meet with and teach key Christian leaders.

30 Days of Prayer for the Church in China

Sponsored by BrookLink

1. Jan 20: Give thanks for the staggering growth of the Chinese Church from 2.7 million evangelicals in 1975 to over 75 million in 2010.
2. Jan 21: Praise God for the emergence of many urban churches reaching educated professionals.
3. Jan 22: Human tragedies like the SARS epidemic (2002), corruption within the government; ideological disillusionment and crass materialism have created spiritual hunger amongst the Chinese people. Pray that many would continue to seek hope and salvation through Christ.
4. Jan 23: Praise God for the changing attitude and approach toward the Church on the part of the government. The State is recognizing the potential of faith-based organizations to address social ills.
5. Jan 24: Offer thanksgiving for the increased unity in the Church, There is a growing cooperation and partnership between registered and unregistered churches across China.
6. Jan 25: Pray that believers might be “sanctified by the truth” (Jn. 17:17), as many Christians and churches succumb to influence from cults and heretical teachings.
7. Jan 26: Massive urbanization and soaring social problems such as internal migration, family breakdown, suicide, divorce and unbalanced male-female ratios all contribute to higher incidences of human rights abuse. Pray for the church to lead the way in restoring justice.
8. Jan 27: Repression of minorities and dissidents, systematic violations of the rights to privacy and expression, and a harsh penal code continue to plague China’s political scene. Ask God to give wisdom and boldness to the Church in the face of these realities.
9. Jan 28: The social ills facing China are great. The church is leading the way in addressing many of these social needs and issues. Pray that the Lord will give favor to the church and the love of Christ will be paramount through these deeds.
10. Jan 29: Pray for the easing of persecution on religious groups and religious expression.  
11. Jan 30: Praise God for the growth of Christian media as a means of spreading the Gospel. Pray that many will hear the Gospel through the various media outlets.
12. Jan 31: The vision to reach unreached minority groups across China is growing. Pray for a missions vision to flourish in the Chinese Church.
13. Feb 01: With a growing economy comes growing materialism, which affects people’s receptivity to the Gospel. Pray that the Refiner’s fire might keep burning and that the Church’s spiritual edge might not become blunted.
14. Feb 02: Pray for Lee and a team of four other trainers from China Partner as we minister in Dazhou, Chengdu and Yibin. Pray that the Lord would lead our conversations, direct our thoughts, anoint our teaching, grant us patience and a servant attitude while meeting with key Christian leaders.
15. Feb 03: Pray that Christ followers working within state structures will walk blamelessly and be a redemptive influence in government and society.
16. Feb 04: Pray that forms of wickedness might be opposed, that kindness will be shown to the oppressed and that justice will be served to all members of Chinese society.
17. Feb 05: China performs over 13 million abortions each year. Many infants, if not aborted are horribly abused, abandoned, kidnapped or trafficked. Pray as the Church seeks to reach out to children.
18. Feb 06: With fewer children available to care for an aging population, and with changes in pensions by the state, the need for elder care in China is staggering. Pray that the Church will play a creative and Christ-honoring role in addressing this need.
19. Feb 07: Pray for Christians working in the healthcare field as they care for the suffering. Ask God to grant them courage and sensitivity as they speak about the love of Christ. 
20. Feb 08: Pray for Christian lawyers as they advocate for justice on the part of the ill, infirmed, disabled, vulnerable and helpless populations.
21. Feb 09: Pray for increased printing and distribution of Bibles and Bible materials.
22. Feb 10: Lee will be preaching and training in the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and Chinese Council Churches (together they form the only state-recognized Protestant Church within China. Pray for revival and renewal to purify these churches. 
23. Feb 11: Pray for the future growth of the church, wise and godly leadership and for the sharing of the Gospel with an increasingly interested Chinese population.
24. Feb 12: Pray for the lost generation in China. These were those exploited by warped ideology during the Cultural Revolution. Today as parents they often spoil or coddle their children to insure opportunities they were denied. Pray they might find hope and peace through Christ.
25. Feb 13: Children under 15 number almost 300 million in China. Modernization has brought with it juvenile crime, sexual promiscuity, and other struggles for this age group. Pray the Church would intentionally disciple and train up children and youth.
26. Feb 14: Pray for Christians studying at Chinese Universities. Pray they would be built up in their faith and be fervent witnesses for Christ.
27. Feb 15: Pray for outreach efforts near university campuses through cafes where students can find Bibles and mingle with Christians.
28. Feb 16: Pray that the atheistic system promoted throughout the country for so long might continue to be revealed as hollow and deceptive lies.
29. Feb 17: Pray that a doorway for the evangelization of many unreached peoples might be opened or re-opened in those places where it has been closed for so long.
30. Feb 18: Pray for Lee and the team as they prepare to make the long journey to China. Pray for strength, health, spiritual and physical vitality, humility and openness to the Spirit’s guidance while they minister.

Dear friends,

I am so thankful to God for your faithful partnership in 2013. Your support during this past year has equipped pastors and church leaders in parts of Europe, Africa, Asia, as well as here in the US.  It’s been a privilege to teach and share God’s Word and witness the growing hunger among the men and women called to lead Christ’s church. 

As we approach these final days of 2013, now is an outstanding time to make a contribution to BrookLink. If you have already made a year-end contribution, please accept my deepest gratitude! And if you are planning to contribute before year’s end, there is still time to do so. You can send your check postmarked by December 31, 2013 to: 

Dear friends,

I’ve just arrived home from a week of training and equipping church planters in a rural and remote area of Ghana West Africa. The daily temperature in that region of the world hovered around 98 degrees. When I deplaned the airplane, I was met by the near-zero temperature of the American midwest. Nothing like a bit of climatic adjustment!

There is much that differs between here and there, but there’s no mistaking the Christmas frenzy is in full force. Trees decorated, lights on houses, snow on the ground are all very far from the dusty hot roads near Adidome. But the message of the good news is the same, isn’t it? Jesus arriving into our world with unexpected fanfare! The King of all kings stepped into our neighborhood at just the right time in the humblest of circumstances to draw near to those who were far off—with an announcement: Joy to the world!

Dear Friends,

On Your Mark! Get Set! GO!!!!

When our grandson, William, who is a bundle of running energy, wants to run faster and faster, this is the phrase we use to start the race.

I have the feeling that it also describes our current season of ministry. Lee just preached the weekend services at Elmbrook Church, here in Wisconsin. Several days later, he was officiating the funeral service for a dear friend and colleague in ministry. He left late last week to spend a week encouraging and training church planters in rural Ghana. 

On your mark…