Mission Network News - Asia

China (MNN) —With the COVID-19 pandemic now in the rearview mirror, China Partner has been able to resume their work in China and reconnect with some of their partners. 

Erik Burklin, president of China Partner, just finished an unusual trip to China. He didn’t know what to expect when returning to the country. 

“We’re getting ready to go on this trip and I’m thinking, ‘Okay, God, what is going to be happening?'” Burklin says. “‘How are we going to be received?’ And the experience that we had, it couldn’t have been any better. It was almost like God was paving the way wherever we went.” 

Burklin said they were warmly welcomed. After a driver took them to their hotel, they met with the vice-president of the China Christian Council, their overseas department, and the local Shanghai Christian Council office.

They even interacted with a few government officials, which Burklin said was interesting due to the increased enforcement of Chinese religious laws that generally ostracize Christians. 

“[Our hosts] were smiling, they were greeting us,” Burklin said. “Of course, this is a very Chinese way of operating, you know, they’re always very gracious and hospitable, but I felt like there was some genuineness there. There was some genuine excitement, I think also on their side, to realize, ‘Oh, here’s a foreign delegation that’s coming to visit us in China again after a long lockdown.’ In many cases, by the way, we were the first foreign group to be visiting them.” 

China Partner equips local Chinese church leaders. Photo courtesy of Ruth Kramer.

Burklin explains a duality between the Chinese government wanting to make things more Chinese, including religion—a process called sinicization—and both the U.S. and China being players in the world economy. 

“They are understanding that they need us and we need them when it comes to trade and economy and so forth, and I think that’s filtering down also in the area of religion, and I think they’re starting to realize that foreigners are not all that dangerous,” Burklin says.

China Partner’s hosts on this visit were kind and inquisitive, asking about their feelings as Christians, their families, and politics. 

Burklin realized that, though there is a push for Sinicization in China, there is also curiosity to see how the rest of the world operates and how bridges can be built between the East and West. 

“I want to say this, I think all of that is just God’s working,” Burklin says. “I think the church in China understands, that they’re living within this system, it’s not a good system, but they respect the system, and they know that they are serving a higher power, which is God Almighty, El Elyon, the Most High God, that’s who they serve.”

In fact, the team met with a local pastor in charge of preparing new believers for baptism. In 2023, 400 people were baptized in that pastor’s church alone. This means that 400 people not only came to faith but participated in an extensive discipleship process so that they could be baptized. 

In the midst of Sinicization, churches—even house churches—are thriving and making a positive impact on society. 

Kingdom work is happening, Burklin says. He recalls Jesus’s reminder in times of the Roman Empire that He was of a different kingdom, God’s most high kingdom. 

This also serves as a reminder for American Christians, that the leader and state of the country is not as important as God’s Kingdom. 

“But this is not the end game,” Burklin says. The United States is not the savior of the world. Jesus Christ is. And there is a higher kingdom that is at play. And we as Christians need to be looking forward to that kingdom, not the kingdom that we live in. And that’s what’s happening in China.”

Pray for China Partner as they continue to be invited back into China to train and equip local pastors. 

Pray for wisdom for the Chinese church leadership and that God continues to bring people to Him, in China and around the world. 

Header image courtesy of Ruth Kramer. 

India (MNN) — A special group of students in India are about to celebrate the completion of their first-ever school year. 

Regan Miller with Mission India tells us, “In India, one in four adults is illiterate. If you’ve never had an education, there’s so much you don’t know: your rights in society, or why you should maintain a clean home, how to feed your kids nutritious food, when to take your kids to the doctor.” 

She explains, “It’s really difficult especially [for] parents in India to maintain a clean home or to have consistent income. Some are so desperate for income that they even send their kids to work instead of school. So then the cycle just continues and poverty becomes a generational issue.”

For these men and women, Mission India’s adult literacy classes are the start of a new life. 

An Adult Literacy Class with Mission India. (Photo courtesy of Mission India via Facebook)

“When they [are] done, they’ll have a fifth grade level education in reading, writing and math,” Miller says. “They’ll be able to count money, they’ll be able to open a bank account, they’ll be able to read the bus signs so that they can take transportation around town.”

Mission India believes that this holistic lifting up of a person’s life is part of what Jesus meant when He said in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

“He came to change our lives not just for eternity, but for today,” Miller says.

Every literacy class is led by Christian teachers, who keep the gospel at the core of the class. The Bible is one of the first texts that students read.

“As students start to see that everything they’re learning is a gift from God, they also are learning Scripture in the process. They come to put it together that Jesus is who is blessing them,” Miller says. 

“They’re learning these new skills, they’re being spiritually changed. So many of them end up receiving Christ as Savior as a result.”

Please pray! Miller says, “We would love prayers over these students as they finish out their year, that they will be persevering to the finish line and be excited about what they’re learning and eager to pass it on — especially [what] they’re learning about Christ.”

Connect with Mission India here to read about students like Bisma and Kishu whose lives were transformed through literacy classes.

Header photo courtesy of Mission India.

Indonesia (MNN) — The $32 billion project to move Indonesia’s capital is facing some major hiccups. President Joko Widodo decided in 2019 to move the capital from overpopulated Jakarta to the largely forested area of Nusantara on the island of Borneo, over 1,200 km (750 miles) away.

Bruce Allen with FMI says of Jakarta, “It is sinking eight to 10 inches a year. The city is overpopulated. It was designed to only be home to a few million. It has 10 million [people], and 30 million in the surrounding areas. Traffic is a major headache, pollution, litter, and water issues.”

However, two of the capital project leaders recently resigned, and President Widodo is facing pressure on his legacy project from hesitant investors.

Although the first phase of the new city is only 80% done, President Widodo announced he will start working next month from an office in Nusantara once water access is available.

The goal is for the new capital to be officially inaugurated in August for Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day.

“[President Widodo] would really like to see it finished before he leaves office toward the end of this year. So he’s pushing for it,” says Allen. “But, ‘Is it really going to be ready?’ is the question.”

FMI church planters in Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

As construction continues, God has already established His Church for ministry in Nusantara.

Allen says, “FMI has been supporting church planters on Borneo for over a decade. But once it was announced that this new city was going to be developed, our leadership team for partnerships on the island said we need to start church planting in Nusantara now so that by the time this influx of civil servants from all these different islands come to be part of the government in Nusantara, there are Christian churches waiting for them.”

One FMI church partner on Borneo already has 30 congregation members meeting together and worshipping in a home.

“They’re looking to also do construction for a church site,” says Allen. “They have all the permits. But as you might imagine, with all the construction materials being purchased for the government project, how expensive it is for this congregation to save funds from their offerings to buy the construction materials.

“The construction costs for [the church building] materials are about $15,000. While that might not seem like a whole lot for a building for us here in North America, that’s a substantial amount in Indonesia.”

Want to support FMI church planters in Indonesia? Click here to give at FMI’s website.

Then, pray for FMI church planters in Indonesia — especially those preparing for ministry in Nusantara. Ask God to grow their churches and establish a widespread Gospel witness for this young city.

Header photo of a busy street in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Pranata/Unsplash)

Sri Lanka (MNN) – As India grows more intolerant towards Christians, doors are opening in a neighboring country. Helen Williams of World Missionary Press says two of their ministry partners in India plan to begin outreach to Sri Lanka.

“They’ve decided to reach out down there. Some of that is because of some of the persecution and the difficulties in India. And they’re still trying to reach the Tamil speaking people, wherever they are,” says Williams.

WMP produces Scripture booklets that are distributed freely to make disciples around the world.

Williams says, “The book was so effective in India and in other places where they’re working, so they came to us and said, ‘Okay, we want to go to Sri Lanka, what can you do for us?’”

Scripture booklets from WMP have already helped another ministry in Sri Lanka for 25 years. The new ministries will support local pastors, train leaders, and send evangelists.

“Workers are going into the rural areas, and there is open response,” says Williams.

“So this is an opportunity that the Lord presented, and we’re just grateful that we can be part of it.”

While persecution still affects Sri Lankan Christians, lives are being changed by God’s Word. One man learned about the love of Christ when a pastor shared with him a Scripture booklet from WMP. He joyfully put his faith in Christ and shared the news with his sisters, who also wanted to learn more. Now he attends church with his sisters and parents.

A woman who received a Scripture booklet early last year shared it with her husband, and they have since began following Jesus together. She says:

“Through the Holy Bible I have found solace and answers. I firmly believe that the Word of God is the wellspring of life. His presence blesses us and I aspire to deepen my faith and understanding of His teachings. I am grateful that my husband and I embraced Jesus together, uniting us in worship as a family. My heart overflows with joy as I follow the living God.”

WMP is preparing to send a shipping container of resources to support the work. The resources will be distributed through the three ministries in Sri Lanka to share the Gospel with thousands of more people. You can give to the project here. For every dollar donated, WMP can print 21 Scripture booklets.

Pray for the Scripture booklets to soon reach the pastors and evangelists in Sri Lanka. The new Sri Lankan ministries have also asked for prayer over their leaders.

“Two of these [ministries] are establishing new works, and that needs godly leadership on the ground. That’s always a challenge in some of these places,” says Williams. “We’re glad to provide the material, but there has to be a structured, Spirit-controlled, Spirit-directed plan, and an oversight, and accountability when any of these ministries start in a new field.”

Pray for God to protect and direct the faithful leaders sharing the Gospel with the unreached peoples of Sri Lanka.

Photos courtesy of World Missionary Press.

Pakistan (MNN) — Mob violence has claimed another life in Pakistan. We reported that 74-year-old Nazir Masih, a Pakistani Christian, was attacked on May 25 after he was accused of burning pages from the Koran.

The radical Muslim mob beat him unconscious, and his family was placed under police protection. Last week, Masih passed away from his injuries. He was a well-respected businessman in his community.

Piles of shoes and other material burn outside the Christian shop.
(Photo courtesy of FMI)

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says no Pakistani Christian is safe from false blasphemy charges and the vigilante mob.

“Many of them are just ginned up, false accusations. But the point of that is that the justice system is really afraid because once it gets said that an individual violated a blasphemy law, then the court systems are in a tricky spot because they’re afraid. They know what the power of the mob is [and] that vigilante justice that will kick in.”

Although there is fear, videos from Masih’s funeral showed fellow believers publicly praising Jesus.

Pray faithful Christians in Pakistan would cling to and proclaim the Gospel.

“We need to pray that truth is revealed,” Kelley says. “We need to pray that these Christian leaders would have boldness and they would have courage. If they were here, that’s what they would be asking for. They would say, ‘Pray that I have boldness. Pray that I have courage.’”

Please also pray for the attackers, that they would recognize their need for a Savior in Jesus Christ.

Header photo courtesy of Junaid Nawaz/Unsplash.

Bangladesh (MNN) — Cyclone response is underway in Bangladesh, but the United Nations says more help is needed. UN teams are distributing hygiene kits and water purification tablets as water sources remain contaminated in the aftermath of Cyclone Remal.

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations says Bangladesh’s geography makes it particularly vulnerable. “The Bay of Bengal is a breeding ground for cyclones,” he explains.

“Every year, it’s not a matter of if but when the cyclones come up. So, you’ve got this massive, highly concentrated area of humanity in low-lying areas, and when a storm comes through, it’s devastating.”

Cyclone Remal, the first tropical storm of the season, hit Bangladesh and eastern India last week. Extremely heavy rain and high-speed winds battered the area for more than 36 hours, making Remal one of the longest cyclones in Bangladesh’s history.

More than three million people were affected in Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

“Electricity is still out in different places; it’s not just your house [that gets] affected, but when the storm surges come in, it destroys all their crops,” Kelley says.

“Their literal source of existence is destroyed, and it’s months and months before they can recover.”

Pray for endurance for the believers meeting storm survivors’ tangible and spiritual needs.

“It’s a great opportunity to come alongside, be the hands and feet of Jesus,” Kelley says. “We’ve heard countless stories of Muslims receiving Jesus in the aftermath of a disaster like the cyclone that just hit Bangladesh.”

Header image shows path of Cyclone Remal through the Bay of Bengal. (Wikimedia Commons)

Malaysia (MNN) — You might call Pastor Raymond Koh the disappearing man. But there’s no magic trick behind his story — only a seven-year mystery about where his captors took him. 

On February 13, 2017, Koh’s car was surrounded, stopped and taken captive by a group of government men. The incident was caught on a nearby security camera. That is the last anyone has seen or heard of Pastor Koh, despite the tireless advocacy of his wife, Susannah, and the international attention his story has received. 

(Courtesy of VOM USA on Facebook.)

Recently, Susannah (Liew) Koh sued the government of Malaysia for negligence in Koh’s case. In 2019 the human rights commission in Malaysia said the special branch of the police were the ones who abducted Koh. But no further explanation for his disappearance has been given. They have been in court this week. 

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “Susannah told me [that] when she went to a lawyer and said, ‘I want to sue the Malaysian government,’ the lawyer looked at her and was like, ‘Are you crazy? This is the government that made your husband disappear, and now you want to sue them? What do you think is going to happen to you?’ And her boldness and her fortitude to say, ‘No, I want answers. I understand that it’s risky.’” 

Koh’s family has applied to the court to access a special task force report about his abduction. The file is currently classified. Please pray with the Kohs for truth to come out and for patience in the grueling process.

(Capture of Raymond Koh and his wife, courtesy TheStar.com)

“I know from [Susannah] saying it, how important it has been for her to know that she’s not alone and to know that the body of Christ is connected to her and is participating with her in this time of trial,” Nettleton says. 

“As the court hearings are happening literally this week, what what better time, what more strategic time is there to pray for justice and to pray that the truth will be revealed?”

If you haven’t already, you can join tens of thousands of people who have signed a petition to the Malaysian government for information about Pastor Koh. Learn more about the American Center for Law and Justice’s petition here, and about VOM’s petition at releaseraymond.com. 

“The [petition] call is the same one that Susannah Koh is making in court this week in Malaysia: Open the records, tell the truth. Explain what happened to this pastor who disappeared seven years ago,” says Nettleton. 

Header photo of the Koh family courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA.

Pakistan (MNN) — Nestled between northern India, Iran, and Afghanistan, Pakistan hosts varied landscapes, hundreds of different people groups, and dozens of languages. AMG International’s Brian Dennett says the religious topography is more uniform.

“There are 240 million people; 98 percent of them are Muslim, and just one percent are Christian,” Dennett says.

Although 99 percent of Pakistan’s people groups are unreached, it’s not easy for believers to share their faith. “The small minority of Christians face discrimination and persecution for their belief in Jesus,” Dennett says.

Pakistan needs Jesus, and AMG plans to reach this nation with the Gospel. “Back in 2018, we started a Bible training school, and we’ve now had 123 graduates, 35 just in this past March,” Dennett says.

“Of those 35, 10 would consider themselves called to be national missionaries. We want to resource them to go out to 50 currently unreached communities.”

Recent grads have a robust support system. “Of these (March) graduates, most came from the more than 50 churches we’ve planted in the last five years,” Dennett says.

(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

Nonetheless, church planters need your help to bring the Gospel where it’s never been before. Connect with AMG here for details. “We’re hoping to raise up self-sustaining churches, but it takes resources to get them going,” Dennett says.

“A gift of just $47 supports a church planter for an entire week; $203 for an entire month.”

Simultaneous efforts to reach unreached people groups in Indonesia are currently underway. Support for these projects enables church planters to move to unreached areas, launch social media campaigns to sow the seed, provide transportation needs, and offer the backing necessary to sustain their mission.

Help church planters begin work in unreached communities in Indonesia and Pakistan.

“In both Indonesia and Pakistan, Christians are suffering,” Dennett says.

“Pray for our brothers and sisters there. Pray that they can get the Gospel out to so many [needing] hope and life transformation that only Jesus can bring.”

Header and story images courtesy of AMG International.

India (MNN) — Election officials across India are counting a historic 642 million votes today. General elections occurred over the last six weeks, with Saturday being the final voting day.

Most exit polls forecast Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term and a majority win for his Bharatiya Janata Party. Mission Cry’s Jason Woolford says another Modi win will keep the pressure high on Christian ministries.

“We’ve been able to send multiple containers a year filled with free Bibles and Christian books. That all changed under the current leader in India,” Woolford says.

“The radical regime made sending containers difficult to the point where we’ve only sent one this year.”

Mission Cry collects donated Bibles and Christian books in the U.S. and ships these resources to partnering believers worldwide. More about that here.

A few months ago, one Mission Cry shipment left U.S. shores, heading to a seminary in eastern India.

Sea container filled with Bibles and Christian resources.
(Photo courtesy of Mission Cry)

“That (container) is in customs right now, and we need people to pray that this gets cleared,” Woolford says.

“We’ve been very strategic with the paperwork because there are Bibles in that container.”

If the container isn’t allowed past customs, the results could be far-reaching. “If they (officials) stop allowing those to come in and the people aren’t being trained, people aren’t going out and evangelizing because they’re not equipped,” Woolford says.

Pray that these resources will be cleared through customs and that Mission Cry partners can deliver them to believers in need.

“In most of these places, people make $100 to $300 a month if they’re lucky. So, for them to go and buy a $50 Bible or a Christian book just isn’t happening,” Woolford says.

Thank the Lord for providing strategic partners in clearing and customs departments. Woolford says, “They’re willing to lay their livelihood, their business, everything on the line because they understand the importance and the need of getting the Word of God into India.”

Header image depicts a voter’s finger in India. Voters are marked with ink after they’ve cast a ballot. (Photo credit: Incredibly Numing/Flickr/CC) 

North Korea (MNN) — North Korea is using dirty tactics to poke at South Korea — literally, filthy.

This week, North Korea launched over 200 balloons into South Korea filled with trash, manure, and even human waste.

North Korea says it dispatched the polluted balloons in response to leaflet campaigns. Because the hermit nation prevents its citizens from having practically any contact with the outside world, private South Korean citizens and groups sometimes send leaflets by balloon into North Korea with humanitarian aid, encouraging messages, and Bibles.

(Photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Eric Foley with The Voice of the Martyrs Korea (VOM) explains, “The South Korean government actually doesn’t send fliers to North Korea. Instead, individual private citizens and civic groups send fliers, Bibles, or other materials.

“So North Korea, when they engaged in this act, said that they wanted to make sure the South Korean people could experience and feel what it’s like to receive these things.”

Essentially, North Korea says receiving balloons filled with things like Scripture is the same as being rained on by dung.

If only they knew the true beauty in God’s Word! That’s why VOM Korea won’t stop getting the Bible to North Koreans by any means necessary.

“We always refrain from making comments about what we are or aren’t doing in regard to specific field activities,” says Foley. “But what we do say is this: We continue to look for every opportunity — by land, sea, air, or radio…. We look for every opportunity to bring the Bible into North Korea.

“Every year, by the grace of God, we’re bringing in an average of 40,000 Bibles through all those different means.”

Pray for open Gospel doors into North Korea.

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs.