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Something over the Shoulder
4 October 2007
"Mostly, we go with something over our shoulder," explained "Mark," a handsome Chinese man around 40 years of age. He explained that he buys a bag of vegetables or some other commodity to hoist over his shoulder and carry to market in the next village where he shares the story of Jesus' love and forgiveness! "We have to support ourselves in ministry as well as we can," said Mark. "Our home church supports us 100 quai (US$12) per month." Mark and his wife, "Lydia," are faithful workers in a large Asian country. This couple is remarkable because they have left their home to live in the developing part of their country. They are doubly remarkable because of their vocation; they are sent by their church back east to share their faith among one of the seven minority groups in their location. They are not an exception within their church! Their denomination has commissioned 1000 people into various parts of the country and is now teaching foreign languages to some members in order to send them outside the country. The church in Asia is alive and on the move! Despite financial obstacles, little training and constant challenges, the Holy Spirit is mobilizing the Asian church for ministry. A Dedicated TeamMark and Lydia lead a team of ten made up of both couples and singles. The youngest team members are between 17 and 20, and most of their parents dedicated them as infants for ministry. The immediate goal of this little band is to learn the very difficult minority language of their present location and then to move in units of three or four workers, "with something over the shoulder," sharing the forgiveness and love of Jesus Christ. Like most in their line of work, they are low-paid, low profile servants of the Lord. "Like most in their line of work, they are low-paid, low profile servants of the Lord." Mark and Lydia spoke enthusiastically of their previous mission experience. For eight years, they had worked in another area where their team successfully planted 500 churches. Then their sending church reassigned them to the present location. Their memory of God’s faithfulness and blessing during those difficult but fruitful years filled their faces with joy and excitement.
Recently Mark and Lydia were given about 20 Christian books in Chinese. Among them was a large topical Bible with study aids and a good concordance. Mark’s eyes lit up when he saw it. Although he was interested in all the books, you could see that the topical Bible was at the top of his list. As the couple left to preach in a nearby village, he carried the topical Bible while Lydia carried all the others. Facing ChallengesPray for this unusual couple and their team of 10 young dedicated workers. The financial strain is a daily challenge for everyone. Their farms lay fallow for almost a decade, and they have lost them now. They have to find new and creative ways to support themselves, especially as they move into new towns. Some of them have children who get sick from time to time, and they have little or no way to get medicine. Please pray:
 
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