A Weekly Meditation of Pastor Chang (July 26, 2009)

<This Mission Trip: I Find That They Serve the Lord in Such Kind of Way…>

When we commissioned our Summer Mission Team on June 28 during the Sunday services, the same night they took the China Airliner to Taiwan. After their arrival on June 30, my sister, who was one of the couples to pick up our mission team, got a car accident on her way home. Then, immediately I sensed the difficulty of this mission trip. 10 days later, following the original plan, I arrived in Taiwan to see the result of the mission work, I was moved. In spite of the problems and troubles that our mission team members faced: Ruth got high fever, Emma got constant dizziness, Frances Lo got stuck in Japan because of her son’s flu; the Gospel of God is still powerfully proclaimed and conveyed in the English Camp. More than 130 students and teaching assistants (most of them were students from last year, and they came to be volunteers to support the program) were non-Christians accepted Christ on the last night. It was so powerful. Praise the Lord!

As we understand, mission trips are totally different from any regular trip or traveling. It is because the mission trips will get involved in the spiritual warfare. Therefore, without strong prayerful support from home church and their great teamwork, it will be futile.  

I was invited to preach on July 12 at the Sunday worship services. It was very strange, after 2 sermons, I lost my voice. I sensed the spiritual attack. Next morning, we went to Tainan City, I attended a meeting and the team took the opportunity to visit a famous historical cite – a Dutch castle built up during the 17^th Century. Then, we went to Hsing-Chu, my brother-in-law’s home for a 2 days’ break. Then, we went to Taipei for another day. Thursday early morning (7/16) we left for Xiamen, China.

When we arrived in Xiamen, I began feeling wrong. My waist down to my toes, the muscles and bones were sore and in terrible pain. I never experienced such kind of pain before.  I had some Tylenol and Advil, these pain-killers with me, almost every 6 hours I needed to take 3 pieces in order to stop the pain. Praise the Lord, although I kept praying, the pain remained, yet I still had enough strength to serve until I left for Taipei on Monday (7/20.) 

Tuesday morning (7/21), I asked my brother took me to Taipei Mackey Christian Memorial Hospital for emergency. After taking an x ray, the doctor told me that my spinal cord was slightly mislocated. I needed to take some pain medicine and do rehab exercise.  By God’s grace, when I arrived in New York (JFK Airport) on Wednesday night (7/22.) the pain was gone.  I appreciate Brother Charlie Hou, when he heard of my problem, came to visit me and taught me how to do spinal cord exercise. It is very useful. Now I can teach anyone who needs, it is easy, workable, and free…

When our mission team arrived in Xiamen, we immediately started working with the local team. This is the first time to have the English Camp at a local Xiamen church. Because of team members’ deep involvement in prayer and well preparation, now the program moves on well. More than 60 students attend. Now one week has past, and one more week is to go. The main goal of this camp is: through teaching English to build up faith and confidence for the new generation at this Chinese Church. I did not involve much in planning or training the English camp. However, I involved more in the regular church ministry. I preached and shared various messages to different groups.

Actually I have seen the mighty hand of God is powerfully moving in China everyday. Many churches are growing and reviving. The church that invited me to preach on Sunday morning has 3 services: Amoy language (8:00AM), Mandarin (10:00AM) that I preached, and one evening service (7:00PM.) And every service was packed. Especially the Mandarin service at 10:00AM, added more chairs at many locations, even outside of the parking lot, at least 3000 people participated in this worship. Different people attended different services. I believe that this church has about 5000 members. And after services, people line up for prayer ministries.

The weekdays’ church activities: every morning from 7:00 to 8:00 the Early Morning Prayer Meeting, at least 300 people attend. Then, many kinds of fellowships and cell groups meet at various times and locations in the church campus. It seems a non-stop movement is going on at the church. That is why the church is always full of people. I have seen this particular church since the past 10 years and it grows very well. Every year the church has about 300 to 500 people being baptized.

Praise the Lord for His mighty hands still moves on well in China. When the European and North American traditional churches are dying, the Lord shifts His attention now on those who have been despised and so called “the third world people” who are in Asia and Africa. Let me share with you more on next Sunday, if the Lord’s willing.

But I have a simple conclusion: The rising up church in China is very simple -- God is moving and people response. The church I attended they never provide any so called “good programs,” such as: talent show, cultural night, counseling programs or even dinner or whatsoever we do in North America in order to attract people. The church only simply does one thing when they meet at the church: Worshipping God by singing, praying, sharing testimonies and teaching the Bible. That is all what they do. “And the Lord adds to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2: 47)