Erik Burklin with China Partner Ministries says, “In countries like China, that are considered more restrictive towards the Gospel, Christians use that event to share the Gospel with those who don’t know Christ.”

This year, outreach activities ranged from large Christmas events in Beijing to home visits and the provision of care items for elderly people. More about that here.

“One church used that Christmas season to go door to door visiting old folks in the poor parts of the interior of China, to make sure that the elderly were taken care of,” Burklin says.

“People would ask questions like, ‘Why would you take care of me?’ And they probably answered, ‘We do this because we love Christ.’”

Sharing Christ often leads to persecution in China, but Christmas provides a Gospel opportunity. One church in Beijing’s university district used Christ’s birth as a springboard.

“This church is using Christmas to share the Gospel with many people that otherwise would never hear it,” Burklin says.

“They preach Jesus Christ coming to earth so that He could die on the cross, so that we could have salvation and eternal life through Him.”

Belief is only the starting point in the Chinese Church. “They have a very strict way of how they call somebody a Christian,” Burklin says. “They believe that you are not born again until you’re baptized.”

(Photo courtesy of China Partner)

Now, months of discipleship are underway. Pray for new believers as they grow and mature.

“A lot of these churches are very well-equipped to follow up with these individuals. Many of them have baptism classes or discipleship classes,” Burklin says.

“Somebody believes in Christ. They say, ‘Okay, that’s a good first step. Now we need to disciple you, teach you what it means to be a Christian, and then that leads to baptism. Once you’re baptized, that’s when we call you a Christian.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Robert Thiemann/Unsplash.

The 1920s and 30s were turbulent times in China, marked by power struggles between competing factions. Rising nationalism, anti-foreign sentiment, cultural barriers, health struggles, and changing ministry expectations challenged Christian missionaries. Despite this, many persevered, laying the groundwork for the growth of the indigenous Chinese Church.

“I remember my grandmother telling us that they were always on flight. They had to go from one location to another, trying to evade conflict and war,” China Partner’s Erik Burklin says, recalling his grandparents’ experiences as missionaries in China.

“My grandfather wrote in his memoirs, ‘During my 25 years of ministry in China, we had 10 converts.’ That’s less than one convert per year!”

Yet the Lord provided grace and humor amid hardship. Take a more detailed look at China Partner’s history here.

Burklin’s grandparents began their missionary journeys in China separately, but “Both of them served with Hudson Taylor’s mission, China Inland Mission, which is today, OMF,” Burklin says.

(Photo courtesy of China Partner)

“One day, my grandfather saw this mission magazine with a young, beautiful lady [on the cover] and some children around. This was my grandmother, Lena. He didn’t know her at the time, but he thought, ‘Well, she looks attractive! I think I’d better pursue her.’ So, he did, and went to several mission stations to look her up,” Burklin says.

“In the meantime, he had somehow got information about her because they were all registered as missionaries [and] contacted her father. [My grandfather] asked for her hand (in marriage) ahead of time, before he had even met her,” he continues.

Eventually, “he found her, and they met and talked. He proposed right away,” Burklin says. “They got married and had three children in China.”

Then came World War II. “Their time was very difficult; my father and his siblings were separated from their parents for five years because of the Japanese front,” Burklin says.

“Can you imagine being separated from your own children and [continuing] to do ministry? That was a huge, huge challenge.”

When communism forced out all foreign missionaries in 1950, believers weren’t sure if the fledgling indigenous Church would survive.

However, Burklin says, “The Church exploded, and today there are millions of believers.”

China Partner supports the indigenous Chinese Church by equipping its leaders. More about that here. “Our challenge right now is that things have become more restrictive, especially related to what American Christians can officially do,” Burklin says.

Pray for open doors. Due to government restrictions, China Partner had to cancel its most recent training session. Burklin says, “We’re hopeful that by next year, we will be able to take teams back over and continue our training ministry.”

Header and story images courtesy of China Partner. 

Ministry partners in Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and Pakistan will soon receive their container shipments, where ministries already have people ready to share the Good News.

World Missionary Press also funds printing in Indonesia and Myanmar, where importing resources is difficult.

The organization is careful with shipments to Pakistan, as it would be easy to bring those on the ground into harm’s way. The coordinator in Pakistan, however, has a good church and ministry there.

Helen Williams with WMP says,

“He’s careful. We are careful with him as well. But the requests keep coming. ‘How soon can I get this? We need the Bible studies as well.’”

“Sometimes (it’s) overwhelming, but it is so exciting to get these reports that say, ‘We have to have more, and when can you get it here?’ The pastors are just asking. They’re standing around waiting for the literature that (they) can use to reach because they see it works. They see what the Spirit does with the Word, and that excites them.”

Chiang Mai, Thailand, is also a major hub for the organization, with a printing house and distribution center serving several other countries and people groups in the region.

They provide material in about six or seven languages for the region, and provide resources to ministries in different countries such as Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and China.

With persecuted people groups moving to Southern Thailand, having this material readily available in multiple languages brings hope and creates new opportunities.

This site recently sent a request for 20,000 booklets of “Help From Above” and “Way to Our God” to reach the Karen people groups in Myanmar.

“The response (from partners) is always that we need more,” says Williams. “And they’ll give stories or generalities from the pastors and those that come and get the booklets and are continuing to use them. (The pastors are) not just getting something and then never coming back. They keep coming back. It’s a source for the pastors and the evangelists in these areas,” says Williams.

Unlike other areas of the world, when requests are received from this region, organizations need to move fast because the doors are not always going to remain open.

Please pray for church leaders across Asia to access and distribute materials wisely. Pray that WMP will communicate clearly with partners and will have the resources to continue to answer the calls around the world. 

Photo Image courtesy of Road Ahead on Unsplash

As of Tuesday, the grid operator in Spain had ruled out the possibility of the power failure being a cyber attack. Spain’s prime minister cautioned against making speculations during the investigations, which could lead to misinformation.

Denise Godwin with International Media Ministries (IMM) says, “We sat through a three-hour discussion in somebody’s office with alarms going off today, trying to talk about sets for our upcoming project to be filmed in May, June and July. So it’s definitely been an extraordinary day.”

Esther: Queen of Hope (Photo courtesy of International Media Ministries)

The disruption came at a significant time for IMM, as “we’re very intently trying to get things ready for filming and needing all of our resources to do so,” Godwin says. “So it’s not your ideal situation for moving forward as quickly as you possibly can on a giant project for the Middle East!” 

She says the team has been in prayer and fasting this month because they are in an intense season of ministry. 

“So it’s interesting that the end of April would go out with such flair as we’re praying and fasting and asking God to help us,” she says. “You learn to trust in God in these intense times!”

IMM and other ministries in Spain touch the Middle East, North Africa, Asia with their gospel ministry. Godwin says it’s important that they can communicate digitally with others. 

“But you know, God knows these things are going to happen, and we have to learn even more, even though we’re missionaries, to trust in Him. Pray that we would be strong and that we would be wise to put our energies and our efforts into the right things.”

Learn more about International Media Ministries and their upcoming film series, Esther: Queen of Hope.

Header photo of wind turbines in Spain courtesy of Vidar Nordli-Mathisen via Unsplash.

“We didn’t feel strong shake; however, we receive warnings through our smartphones, and then almost [immediately] the community loudspeaker announces the recorded tsunami warning to move to a higher place,” A3’s Takeshi Takazawa says.

“After the warning, the tsunami started to hit some of the smaller islands closer to Taiwan.”

Thankfully, no deaths were recorded in Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture as communities heeded the evacuation orders.

A “tsunami warning is not like crying wolf. It’s a serious business,” Takazawa says.

“The big earthquake in 1995 in the Kobe area shook up Japanese people. Then, in 2011, we experienced a triple disaster with tsunami, and many people lost their lives.”

Wednesday’s earthquake affected communities in several regions in Taiwan. Pray that Christian leaders can deliver help and hope in the name of Jesus.

“Jesus is in control of everything, even this quake or tsunami. In the midst of that, God’s care, love, and protection are there,” Takazawa says.

“God is way more powerful than this.”

As believers meet needs, pray they will have opportunities to tell people about the Lord’s soon coming.

“Jesus left words for us about ‘the beginning of the end,’” Takazawa says. “These things (natural disasters) will happen more and more, but that’s not the end.

“Something way bigger, way more drastic will happen in the future, and we must be prepared. Our hearts, spirit, life, and community need to be prepared for more.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Matt Paul Catalano/Unsplash.

Executive Director Greg Yoder says, “We’re in the midst of a campaign to get Keys for Kids and Unlocked into the Chinese language. It’s all being contextualized, and it’s going to be something that isn’t available [right now.]”

Learn more here. Keys for Kids is also working on faith-based audio drama programs and developing resources for children’s camps, like Vacation Bible School.

“Some of those have already been done, and we’re super excited about the response,” Yoder says.

While mainland China holds the most Mandarin speakers, other hotspots include the United States and Canada, with three million and 450,000 Mandarin users, respectively. That’s precisely where Keys for Kids is heading first.

“We want to reach out to North American Chinese churches and provide a resource for first-generation Christians.”

A lot of work is left to do, and it comes with a hefty price tag.

(Photo courtesy of Keys for Kids)

“We have about a half year of audio production for the Keys for Kids [devotional], and then we need to start completely on the Unlocked teen devotional,” Yoder says.

“We need about $50,000 to begin this process.”

Your gift is doubled through a matching grant here.

Most importantly, pray. “We know that Satan hates the work that we’re doing, especially when we talk about youth,” Yoder says.

“Secondly, we’re asking people to give generously. Somebody has stepped to the plate and will match each dollar up to $25,000; we’re about halfway there.”

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of Angela Roma/Pexels.

A military fighter jet recently bombed Kanan, a village held by opposition forces near the border with India. “One of our courageous national missionaries reported that an A5 military fighter jet dropped four 250-pound bombs on Kanan village,” AMG International’s Brian Dennett says.

“The attack happened on Sunday morning during the church service, so those attending were killed or injured right within their building.”

According to local media, at least 17 civilians died in the attack, including nine children – and nearly two dozen people were injured.

“As of yesterday, [our partners reported] 11 of our brothers and sisters dead, including several children,” Dennett says.

People identify victims who lay shrouded in blankets at a building in Kanan village.
(Photo courtesy of AMG International)

Myanmar’s army took control of the country in a 2021 coup. When three ethnic minority militias allied on October 27, 2023, the junta began increasing air strikes on villages like Kanan.

Survivors of the latest attack fear another bombing, and they’re asking the Lord to intervene.

“They all fled to neighboring villages because what was left is just a mess, and there are few places they can go,” Dennett says.

“They are resting on their faith in Jesus, the only hope any of us have. But that’s so real for them every day as they face the loss of loved ones.”

You can help these Christian brothers and sisters survive until they return home. Send help here through AMG International.

“We already responded by delivering aid and resources directly to the scene, caring for those families,” Dennett says, but “our staff in the area need prayer, and we also could use more resources to help.”

Header and story images courtesy of AMG International.

China Partner’s Erik Burklin says, “Economically, [China is] struggling. We heard that from many leaders. The government is inviting foreigners to come back and reinvest again in their country.”

This reinvestment invitation is a positive development for Great Commission endeavors.

“For four years, we were not allowed to have in-person sessions. Now we can again, so we’re going to take advantage of the fact that they’re allowing us to come,” Burklin says.

“Many pastors said, ‘Please come back. We would love to have you at our Bible school again or train our students in a seminary setting.’ We’re working towards that for 2024 and 2025.”

China Partner empowers churches in China through training and resources. More about that here.

(Photo courtesy of China Partner)

Training shifted online during severe lockdowns in China, but now, “Everybody is back on campus, and it’s starting up again very normally,” Burklin says.

“About 1,200 seminary and Bible school students graduated in 2023.”

Praise God for these positive developments. Pray that the Body of Christ in China will remain faithful and centered on Scripture.

“When we hear any negative news out of China, just trust the Lord despite that (bad news) because that’s what the Christians are doing over there,” Burklin says.

“They have to live within this system. Yet, they want to serve Christ, and they want to share Christ with their people, and they are doing it.”

Header and story images courtesy of China Partner.

“I talk to the Taliban ministers all the time, and they are engaged in dialogue…It takes patience, patience, and patience again,” says Roza Otunbayeva, the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA.

More than half of Afghanistan’s 42 million people currently need humanitarian aid because they cannot afford or access daily essentials. Winter is coming, and most Afghans don’t have enough food or supplies to survive.

“We have people on the ground [helping] needy people in Afghanistan. We have a great friend doing the medical [aid] and food relief, but we need more,” Heart4Iran partner Shahnaz Ebrahimi says.

“[Our] friend and colleague was crying the other day. He said a neighbor came and knocked on the door” with a desperate request, she continues.

“‘We don’t have flour to make bread. Can you lend us a bowl of the flour [so] we can make bread for tonight? It’s been three days; we didn’t eat anything.’”

(Graphic courtesy VOM USA)

Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, Ebrahimi and her husband Hossein began Ariana Ministries. More about that here. Together with Heart4Iran, these believers ensure Gospel access to Afghans inside the country and worldwide.

In Afghanistan, “secret” Christians take significant risks to help people in utter despair. Believers share the hope of Christ whenever they can. They need your help to keep the work going. Connect with Ariana Ministries to support these endeavors.

“If you have a heart for giving, please connect [with] us, and we can do this together for His kingdom for His glory,” Ebrahimi says.

Most importantly, pray. “Please pray for safety and protection over all the believers inside of Afghanistan,” Ebrahimi says.

“We have believers, [our] sisters and brothers, in jail. Please pray that the Lord opens the door and they can come out quickly.”

Find more prayer needs here.

Header image depicts a 2021 aid delivery in Afghanistan. (Photo courtesy of Wanman uthmaniyyah/Unsplash)

“The pastor took the risk to evangelize in this area and led 20 people to the Lord,” the leader said. “The village authorities were shocked, and the police came to drive the pastor away – with the threat to arrest him, if he returned.”

The pastor told the ministry leader and others at a conference that he was not frightened by the threats.

“He plans to go back again to follow-up with Bibles and MP3 players,” the leader said. “Please pray for this pastor.”

The spread of the gospel on MP3 players in Laos has been so effective that officials and local people have begun to revile villagers who listen to them. A pastor from an area where Christians have long faced threats of arrest, denial of school for their children and loss of agricultural loans and other government benefits said opposition to the digital audio players has surfaced.

Among the comments from villagers or officials opposed to the MP3 players:

“We will start to fine you if we hear any more of those messages.”
“That machine spreads nonsense and things against traditional belief.”
“Do not ever turn on the MP3 players that spread false lies.”
“It is ridiculous to listen to.”

In the face of such opposition, the pastor said he refused to turn off his MP3 player and ignored the threats.

At a recent training seminar, pastors and church elders sharing about the intense opposition they have faced expressed their thankfulness for the MP3 players, which are loaded with 400 Khmu-language messages.

“They expressed how they are an impactful tool for evangelism and spiritual nourishment,” the leader said.

The gospel is spreading also through other means; at a recent medical outreach to nearly 1,600 patients, more than 200 people put their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, he said.

Native Christian workers are bringing the love of Christ to people throughout the country in spite of persecution. If you’d like to help equip and encourage them, click here.