China Missions Report and Plans to Head Back Again

May 11, 2009

HalleluYah for a great ministry trip!

We will never know (this side of eternity) how much impact was made during our time in China. Let's continue to pray for the lost and for workers to water the seed sown.

So what's next?

I'm Praying about the possibility of taking another team to China in the Fall.

My thoughts are to make this trip last for 3 weeks with the option of earlier returns for those who want to come along but are unable to stay for the full three weeks.

There is much work to be done and the hour is late.

I want to sincerely thank all of the team members from this last trip for making our trip a tremendous blessing for all involved. It was a privilege to work with each of you.

Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the possible trip in the Fall of this year. I can be reached at lifeandliberty@spamarrest.com .

Sincerely,

Dennis Green

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China trip report - May,2009 (from Team Member, Cal Zastrow)

Dear family and friends; May 12, 2009

Holiness unto the Lord!

Thanks for praying for Corrie (our 15-year-old daughter) and I while we were in China April 19-May 6. The Father used your prayers to protect us, get all the Bibles in, and the Gospel tracts distributed.

Which of you were praying for us before our flight landed in Beijing? Thanks. The Communist police were searching luggage thoroughly before our flight arrived. The two of us passed through customs inspection with our 300+ pounds of Chinese study Bibles and tracts while the officers cared not at all. All eleven or our team members got all Bibles in and safely delivered to the Underground Church.

We all took the train out West to Gansu Province where we divided into four sub-teams to go evangelizing. Each team went to separate towns and cities to witness one-on-one, pray, and covertly distribute tens of thousands of Chinese Gospel tracts. None of us got caught, jailed, sick, injured, lost, or robbed.

Our sub-team, the "REVIVAL Team," jumped on a commuter train across the border into Qinghai Province. Out of hundreds of people, we sat next to the bubbly college student who spoke English. Anthony asked the typical questions while practicing his English: "Do you like the NBA? Do you like Michael Jackson? Do you like American movies? I love American movies! Where are you from? ..."

The People's Liberation Army officer seated next to me was getting sleepy while we answered questions and chatted with Anthony. Something really grabbed the interest of Anthony the last time he had watched the (hellish, violent, and evil) movie, "Terminator 2."

"Can you tell me what is this Judgment Day from that movie?"

The army officer was now asleep as I explained Judgment Day, who the Judge is, heaven, hell, and how people get to those places. I pointed out the Scripture verses in the phrasebook. He read them and listened with real hunger, not just polite courtesy. So, I pulled the trigger and asked him if he had broken God's commandments. He had. I asked him if he would like to turn from his sins, repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. He did. Right there on the crowded train he asked to be taught to pray so he could become a Christian. He was so ready! He prayed. We prayed. His countenance changed as he placed His trust in Christ. We asked him if he had a Bible. He told of having tried to buy a Bible in the big book store, but could not get one. We gave him a Chinese Bible after we got off of the train and not so many people were staring at us. We exchanged contact information. Will you pray for him to get plugged in to a local fellowship of believers? Will you pray for him and his family? He told us that he lives with his parents, but his sister lives with her father, his uncle. Yes, weird and bad things like wife-sharing happen in a culture that murders more baby girls than baby boys.

Through the nights in some of the cities we were able to slip out of our hotels and place the tracts on many hundreds of doors/gates to homes. Yes, in this Communist, atheistic police-state, over fifty million homes have been given Gospel tracts in this way. The Underground Churches have followed up on millions of new converts who heard the Gospel for the first time through a little "crumb" left on their doors.

Although we were told that all of Qinghai Province was currently open to foreign tourists, two of the cities that we visited were not. Because the police in the first city could speak no English, they repeatedly motioned to see the visas in our passports. They even came and interrupted us while we were in the city square watching a festival with hundreds of other people. The Chinese people near us looked away when the police barged in. The Tibetan people grimaced and some sneered at the police. There were about a dozen people from the Hui tribe standing around us as well. The Hui are a minority tribe of about thirteen million Muslims in China. The Hui men glared with hatred at the police. One of them made a low sound, like a growl. When the language barrier caused the police to finally walk away, some grinning Chinese guys offered to buy me drinks. I politely refused but asked if we could go eat together, or sip tea. They were only interested in drinking, so I just witnessed through the phrasebook.

The students learning English at the local high school found us and latched on. We were the first foreigners they had ever talked to. The headmaster declined their request to have us come the next morning and speak to some English classes, telling them it might cause an "international event." One of the students lived close to our hotel, so she invited everybody to her Muslim home. Her father spoke no English, but we used my phrasebook to enjoy some interaction while the kids had real fun conversing in English with us Americans. The kids were all buzzing about American people, places, and culture. They were looking at the tracts we had given them when I gave one to the father of the house. He was mesmorized by it. On the wall next to where I was sitting was a poster of Mecca. He read the Gospel presentation and was awed by the simple Gospel tract. We obliged the kids their request and sang American songs: "Praise the Name of Jesus," "God is so Good," and "Joy to the World." The presence of the Lord came down as the praises went up. We asked, and then prayed out loud for them all.

The reason that Tibet and cities containing Tibetans are closed this spring is because of fear. This year is the fiftieth anniversary of the Communist Chinese invading and conquering the nation of Tibet. The Chinese fear demonstrations by Tibetans against tyrannical Chinese rule. The Tibetan knives, swords, and muskets were no match for the bombers, tanks, and army divisions of the Communists. The Chinese leaders don't understand why the Tibetans don't show gratitude for their "liberation" and "progress." Tens of thousands of civilians were murdered along with resistors when the army came in and stayed. Many Tibetans fled through the mountains and have not returned. Not only are the Chinese officials concerned about Tibetan demonstrations, but they are very concerned that there be no one there to take pictures of what all they do to shut down any demonstrations.

In our second closed city, the police went and got a local businessman to translate for them. Although they invited us to return later in summer when the city would be open again, they told us that we were not to leave the hotel until we went to our bus the next morning. They did tell us we could leave the hotel to go out for dinner. Well, we couldn't go out evangelizing or tract distributing that night, but the Lord had other plans. Over a dozen hotel workers came to visit with us. Everyone of them were very friendly and all were appreciative of the tracts. Some were hungry for Truth. I declined the manager's invitation to go drinking. All were amazed at our family picture with four children. Altough we did go across the street for dinner, the owner was so thankful for the visit that they wouldn't let us pay for our meals.

One of the other sub-teams did get invited to speak in a school to many English classes. The teachers took them out for lunch, invited them to return again, and were thankful for the Gospel tracts.

The sub-team that created the biggest stir was the Sohled family (not their real name). Mobs of people were curious and friendly wherever they went and wanted to touch their six-month-old baby. Being that China is one giant "smoking section" and the cities are quite polluted, God blessed the faith and prayers of the young parents by keeping their son happy and healthy. They stayed longer in China when the rest of us returned. They are looking for a job and place to live so they can learn the language and continue ministering in China. Missions!

While a guest in China, I give up some of my "American rights." My civil liberties and "rights" aren't as important as the need or "right" of every person to at least hear the Gospel once in their lives. Millions of Chinese, Muslim, and Tibetan people are hungry for Truth, but too few Christians have cared enough yet to go and tell them. Opposing bad trade policies, tyrannical government, and treacherous cults can't compare to the joy of telling the Gospel directly to merchants, Mandarins, and Muslims.

Please keep praying for China.

I am shouting GLORY all the way!
Cal Zastrow

Posted: May 11, 2009 3:54 PM