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East Asia Update – March 2012

jackie — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:40:53 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

East Asian Peoples Update, March 2012

East Asian Peoples Update

march 2012

Remembering the day that changed Japan

The earth shook so violently on March 11, 2011, that it literally moved Japan’s main island 8 feet. Buildings were destroyed immediately and lives were snuffed out. But the worst was yet to come. A mountainous tsunami obliterated all that was in its path, changing the coastland as it roared deep into the inland. Thousands of lives were lost and the lives of millions more were changed forever. As the nation of 127 million people reeled, news of an impending nuclear disaster began to unfold. One year later, many in Japan are still in crisis.Download the March 2012 prayer calendar at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/japan-one-year-later/ and join in prayers for Japan.

Go to http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/japan-one-year-later/ to read stories of devastation, hope and recovery.

A doll from a God who cares
Day after day, she helplessly watches her six-year-old granddaughter cry inconsolably, grieving the death of her mother at the hands of the tsunami that struck the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. The little girl begs her grandmother for a doll. She needs something to hold, something to protect, something to love in her distress. But there are no dolls, no toys at all. Little does she know that God, whose eyes roam throughout all the earth, has already taken notice of the little girl’s pain. In his compassionate love, He has already prepared to meet her need. Read the story at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/field-blog/a-doll-from-a-God-who-cares/.

More stories can be found at http://asiastories.com/features/road-to-recovery/

Japan: one year later

The piles of rubble and debris are gone. The cars deposited on top of apartment buildings and ships stranded on streets by the March 11, 2011, tsunami have been carted off for recycling. The “smell of death”

has been replaced with the fragrance of fresh cut pine and construction. Hearts that were closed to the Gospel for hundreds of years are now open. Japan’s tsunami changed more than the landscape. See how Southern Baptists responded to the vast physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the Japanese. http://asiastories.com/features/road-to-recovery/

Japan: Tsunami survivor searches for comfort

She survived Japan’s tsunami. One year later, Shukuko Sasaki’s looking for comfort from the nightmares. Her husband and two distant relatives ran with her for higher ground. She’s the only one that survived. http://asiastories.com/features/road-to-recovery/?story=7790

Japan: Southern Baptist “Yellow Shirts” minister to survivors

The bright yellow shirts and vests of Southern Baptist disaster relief workers are well known in Japan. After one year of cleaning rubble, reconstructing houses, serving coffee and any other odd jobs they could find to do, doors are starting to open for the Gospel. Read how two different Japanese homeowners discover the mysterious joy behind the “yellow shirts.” http://asiastories.com/features/road-to-recovery/?story=7808

Students in focus

University cities receiving the Gospel

Three videos tell the story.

Millions of Chinese students are congregated in university cities: http://vimeo.com/.

Chinese university student Clay tells how he accepted Jesus: http://vimeo.com/.

Ten churches have adopted universities in China: http://vimeo.com/.

CIC (Christmas in China) 2012

“This has been one of the best Christmases I’ve ever experienced. It was not about the presents or decorations but about rejoicing in our Savior,” said a participant in Christmas in China 2011. Registration is already underway for CIC 2012!. Apply at http://thetask.org/cic.

Radical obedience — stories from frontline workers

They have left home and country to learn new cultures, languages and peoples. They work with East Asian Christians who have also left all to follow Him. Read their stories, share in their lessons learned and rejoice in their victories: posted at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/field-blog/stories-of-sacrifice-and-obedience/ throughout March. Read some excerpts below.

Dying to live

I looked straight into their eyes and said, ‘Your methods will not work on me because I decided to die for Jesus the day I decided to follow Him.’ The prison guards were shocked and shook their heads. http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/field-blog/stories-of-sacrifice-and-obedience/

Moving toward Him

But they followed God in obedience back to Japan. Soon thereafter, the horrific earthquake and tsunami struck, centered around Sendai, the place they considered “home”. It was the very city where they had raised three children and buried one, and where lifelong friends still lived and worked. http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/field-blog/stories-of-sacrifice-and-obedience/

Gaining understanding

When she came to visit she said her husband had left her for another woman, hidden her son in another city, and sent her home to her parents. She said she had lost everything and just wanted to die, and then she remembered what we had told her about Jesus. http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/field-blog/stories-of-sacrifice-and-obedience/

Amazing reports from frontline workers

“God provided opportunities to go to countryside towns, and at least 350 people heard the name of Jesus who had never heard previously. There are now open doors for further contacts to be made.”"Praise God, we had 20 friends come and share the Gospel with almost 500 people, and they saw seven people pray to receive Christ!”

“Since visiting believers came to our city last June for outreach and discipleship, there have been 40 people saved and 17 baptized in three groups. Praise the Lord!”

A vital resource for you

There’s still time to order the 2012 EAPAG Prayer Calendar, available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. The calendars are available free through the IMB Resource Center at http://imbresources.org/ or 1-800-999-3113. You can order multiple copies and only have to pay mailing. Or you can download the calendars at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/resources/.

To change your address, profile, or to unsubscribe, please use the safe links at the bottom of this email.

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East Asian Peoples Affinity \| P.O. Box 6767 \| Richmond \| VA \| 23230-0767

Month of devotions on prayer

jackie — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:50:48 +0000

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An online, daily devotional website, named Drawing Near is going to spend the month of March focusing on prayer.

God wants you to be diligent and faithful in prayer. With that goal in mind we will devote this month to a study of prayer from two texts: Daniel’s prayer in 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” (ESV)
', width: 0, height: 0, id: 'tippy_tip1337317109_3764', title: 'Daniel 9:1-19', event: event });" onmouseout="Tippy.fadeTippyOut();">Daniel 9:1-19, and the disciples’ prayer in 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. (ESV)
', width: 0, height: 0, id: 'tippy_tip1337317109_7606', title: 'Matthew 6:9-13', event: event });" onmouseout="Tippy.fadeTippyOut();">Matthew 6:9-13. Both are models of majestic, effective prayer.

Won’t you join me?

Grace to You – Drawing Near.

Ten Fun Facts About Taiwan

jackie — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 03:45:58 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

We saw this on another’s blog and thought we’d repost here.

The Secular Media vs. Religious Liberty | NewsBusters.org

jackie — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:45:05 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

I just read a good article about the current administration’s war on Christianity.

“On January 20, Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services announced its perverse attempt to force Catholic schools, hospitals, and other charitable agencies to finance sterilization, abortifacients and contraceptives in their insurance plans starting in 2013. Speaking for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Dolan roared like a lion in a press statement: “In effect, the president is saying we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.” He asserted “To force American citizens to choose between violating their consciences and forgoing their healthcare is literally unconscionable.”

East Asia Update – Feb 2012

jackie — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:55:52 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

East Asian Peoples Update

FEBRUARY 2012

Praises from frontline
workers

“This has been a great year for the work
among the Iron Peas*: five new churches and more than 800 new
believers. Please pray that all workers will press on to the goal of
seeing that every Iron Pea has an opportunity to positively respond to
the Gospel in such a way that all will one day be gathered around God’s
throne. Pray for more and more Iron Pea believers to step up and do the
work of evangelism, discipleship and church planting.” *pseudonym for
an ethnic minority group

“Praise God, we had 20 friends from the USA come and share the Gospel
with almost 500 people and they saw 7 people pray to receive Christ.”

Tibetan people needing the
Gospel

The dust-covered Tibetan pilgrim just wants Buddha
to bless him. Leathery-skinned and gaunt-faced, he wears sheepskin
mittens on his hands and an apron and kneepads over his clothing. He
claps his hands together in front, raises them to the sky, then kneels
down to lie flat on the ground. He slowly inches his body forward until
he is prostrate. Then he stands to repeat the process. … The man
focuses intently on the prayer task before him, worrying that if he
fails in this physically daunting task, he will not earn the blessing
he is seeking.

Genuine prayer, commitment of Christian workers to learn their culture
and language, and perseverance to spread the news of God’s love will be
essential to the Gospel making major inroads into the Tibetan people
group. Read the story at China’s Tibetans and
additional Tibet features at:

Exploited women hearing the
Gospel

CHINA. The young
Chinese woman steps from a back room into the soft, pink light of the
small brothel. A middle-aged Chinese man follows a few steps behind.
Under the watchful eye of the shop’s owner, the customer hands her a
wad of bills — about $60. She nods and accepts the money. Transactions
like this take place every day in brothels throughout China, says
Belinda Baker*, a worker who shares the Gospel among commercially
exploited women in a city of 8 million people. Read the story at http://asiastories.com.

Let your heart be broken

As you step over the threshold of a Chinese
temple, you step into a world of gods, spirits, ghosts, ancestors,
mythical creatures and celestial beings. Take these temple tours and
let your heart be broken over that which breaks the heart of the
Father: Chinese Temple Tour
and East Asian Temples.

Embracing the unengaged

Attend one of these conferences to learn how to
engage an unengaged unreached people groups (UUPG). You and your church
may be God’s chosen instrument to point one of the 298 East Asian
Peoples UUPGs to salvation. Read more at Embrace a UUPG

February 11
Champion Forest Baptist Church, Houston, TX
February 18 Castle
Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio, TX
March 10 Redbud
Baptist Church, Lubbock, TX
March 24 Immanuel
Baptist Church, Highland, CA
March 29 First
Baptist Church, Orlando, FL

Read the prayer profiles at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org
and commit to advocating for the salvation of an entire UUPG. Select a
profile to use as a bulletin insert and invite your entire church to
join in prayer.

Stay in the know

Go to http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/
to read the latest stories and features. Our East Asian Peoples Twitter
and Facebook are also updated frequently. Sign on at EA Facebook EA Twitter

Pray in the know

Order your 2012 East Asian Peoples Prayer Calendar
now to guide in your prayers all year long. The free resource can be
ordered in quantities large or small at 1-800-999-3113 or online at http://imbresources.org/.
You will be asked to pay mailing charges. The calendar and additional
prayer resources can be found at East Asian Peoples.

Share with those who don’t know

Millions of East Asian people have never heard of
Jesus. Share His love on site. Explore opportunities at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/connect/.

Impressive numbers

200 million Record
number of tourists visiting Beijing in 2011, from both China and
overseas.
14,553 feet above sea level
World’s highest airport under construction in Tibet’s Nagqu county and
due to open in three years.

Just in case you missed it

Chinese-American T.Y Po joined the world’s annual
largest migration late last month to celebrate the Chinese New Year
with his aunts, uncles and cousins in Hong Kong. Read his candid posts
at http://asiastories.com

http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org

Glorious Sunshine!

jackie — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 06:35:40 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

After what seemed to be months of rain we finally had a weekend without it!
Glorious, warm, recharging, SUNSHINE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwsrQ9llgkg

Sunday we went on a bike ride around the area. The weather was perfect. We ate at a new (to us) place called The Magic Bagel. We had a table outside in the shade and it was wonderful.

The only reason we even saw it was because it was next door to “Texas Rangers Fried Chicken

For desert we picked up a fruit tea.

We took it to the park to enjoy before going home.

Rain

jackie — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:32:06 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

Anybody living on the north end of the island of Taiwan is becoming very good friends with rain. I seems like it has been going nonstop for months now.
You’ve heard “When life gives you lemons, make lemonaid!” Well when Taiwan gives you rain . . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1ZYhVpdXbQ

Happy New Year – 2012 Year of the Dragon

jackie — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:13:33 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

While we were out of the country for a meeting much of Asia celebrated Lunar New Year. We were in a night market after dinner on New Year’s night and saw the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1t6tJEfcm8

Happy New Year! (again)

jackie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:36:33 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

The Chinese have just celebrated – and continue to celebrate all week – a new year. This year will be the year of the dragon.

Fran & I are out of the country for a few days at a meeting. When we were preparing to leave, Fran wanted to know if the hotel provided a hairdryer and /or a hot water maker. While looking at the hotel’s website for that kind of information we found the following:

It took a minute but when I realized that they offered a baby sister with the room we had to re-think whether or not we wanted to stay there.

East Asia Update – January 2012

jackie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:35:07 +0000

Read this the way it was written at TheBellSite .com

East Asian Peoples Update

january 2012

Moving to the edge of darkness

Major changes lie ahead for the East Asian
Peoples Affinity Group this year. As we seek to address the great
spiritual needs of the East Asian Peoples, extensive effort among the
Chinese, Korean and Japanese people, as well as among the ethnic
minority people groups of China will be ongoing. But there will also be
an even greater focus on reaching the neediest segments within these
broader groupings. Increased emphasis will also be given to partnering
with Asian Christians to complete the task of sharing God’s love with
the 1.3 billion East Asian people who still do not know Christ. Learn
more all year http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/

Start the year out right

If you haven’t yet ordered your 2012
East Asian Peoples Prayer Calendar, there is no better
time than now! Order as many free copies as you think your prayer group
or church might need and join us in praying for the 1.6 billion East
Asians all year; available at the IMB Resource Center at1-800-999-3113 or http://imbresources.org/.
You can also view or download the calendar from the Resource room on
the http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/
site.An Embracing the Ends of the Earth
conference will be held on February 4 at FBC, North Spartanburg, SC. Go
to http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/embrace/
to find conference details or to learn how to embrace an unengaged
unreached people group (UUPG). Precious lives hang in the
balance.

Calendar now to participate in the East Asian Peoples
Day of Prayer and Fasting, held on the second Monday of
every month. Details can always be found at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/pray/.

Chinese New Year

The Chinese Lunar New Year is the ultimate holiday
for Chinese worldwide. In China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, it is the
one time of the year when businesses and factories close. The world’s
largest annual migration unfolds as millions return to their family
home, filling every seat on airplanes, and packing themselves into
overflowing trains, buses and cars. Red envelopes filled with cash are
exchanged and fireworks light up the night skies as families and
friends are reunited, sharing meals that include dumplings, sticky rice
and many other culinary treats.Give a giftThis year, the Chinese New Year will fall on January 23. It provides a
perfect opportunity to build friendships with Chinese people in your
community. Send a Chinese
New Year card. Read how to “get fired up” and other
suggestions at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org.

Follow a blog

Read the posts of a 20-something Chinese man from the U.S. who will
spend the Chinese New Year holiday with his extended family in Hong
Kong; available on our sister site http://AsiaStories.com/
from January 20 to 24.

New Year prayers

Go to http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/prayer-blog/
to read Chinese New Year requests from frontline workers.Tsunami of prayer for Japan“A giant rock that sits in the middle of a field in Iwate Prefecture,
northern Japan, is now being called the ‘tsunami rock.’ The rock, 21
feet wide, 8 feet tall and weighing an estimated 140 tons, traveled 514
yard inland during the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami. Researchers are
using the rock as a benchmark to analyze the power of the tsunami. Even
more powerful than the actual tsunami though, is the tsunami of prayer
that has reached Japan during these trying times. Thank you for your
steadfastness and faithfulness on your knees before the Solid Rock.”
From a frontline worker

Friday prayers for western China

“It’s Friday, 1:20 p.m. at the Dongguan temple in western China’s
Xining (shee-ning) city. Thousands of white skullcaps bob through the
city streets and fill the mosque courtyard. … As Muslims gather
throughout China for prayers every Friday afternoon, concerned
Christians also pause to pray.”
Read the story at http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org/explore/muslims-in-china/.

Untimely deaths

Death against choiceEight million lives are lost every year through abortions of unborn
children. More than half of those undergoing the procedure have already
had at least one previous abortion. More than 30 years after the
implementation of China’s one-child policy, many lives are snuffed out
in the wombs of women, many of whose hearts have been numbed by the
decades-long governmental ban on “excess” children, and many whose
babies are aborted against their choice. Another 300,000 children under
the age of 5 die every year, with 36 percent of the deaths taking
places in homes where there is poor access to healthcare.Death by choice

China is still the world’s most populous nation, but about one out of
every 4,000 residents commits suicide every year. 1:1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (ESV)

', width: 0, height: 0, id: 'tippy_tip1337317110_945', title: 'The 287,000', event: event });" onmouseout="Tippy.fadeTippyOut();">The 287,000 suicides
account for about 3.6 percent of the country’s deaths. About 75 percent
of the self-inflicted deaths occur in the countryside. Suicide is the
leading cause of death for the age group of 15 to 34, and rates as the
fifth leading death cause for the country in general.

What the numbers say

23 million —
children in China under the age of 5 living apart from parents who went
to find work in the cities
48,921 — people in
China 100 years old or older as of mid-2011
157,558 — students
from China studying in U.S. colleges and universities last year

http://eastasianpeoples.imb.org