Chinese New Year, Chinese Immigrants and more...

Chinese throughout the world have just completed their celebration of their New Year.  Many neighborhood homes are visited to show friendship.  PRAY that the seed/Word sown by many churches, groups and individuals will germinate into many conversions who will demonstrate their faith by baptism and identification with a local church. 

Chinese Immigrants 

     There are many homogeneous groups of people who move from their homeland to another country normally to find work.  They are known as the "Chinese Immigrants."  Taiwan is no exception.  There are many Indonesians, Vietnamese, Thais and Filipinos who have come to work in Taiwan's factories, construction sites, building projects, hospitals and in homes.  Ron and Shelby, SEND missionaries in Chiayi, have a special burden for these people groups.  They give these requests related to the Diaspora:

   1] During Chinese New Year forty-five Thai workers accepted Christ at a TECC supported Thai Bible camp attended by 230 workers.  Prayer is needed for follow-up and training these converts. Especially SEND is looking for workers to assist this ministry. Also during Chinese New Year Rita Chen who is ministering the Vietnamese in Taichung in her church plant experienced the LORDs power in conversions of Vietnamese. 

   2] There are two or three Filipino fellowships/church-denominations with more than 300 churches /fellowships spread throughout most of the larger cities of Taiwan and also in country side.  Over two hundred are baptized every year.  The Logos World Mission was born in Taiwan and has since planted churches in ten countries overseas.  Our partner mission [SEND International] assist Logos World Mission in their outreach.  Pray that God will keep His hand of blessing on this people group.

   3] There are almost a quarter of a million foreign brides married to Taiwanese.  The government has some programs to help them integrate into society.  We try to help them with various needs especially in their need for legal advice.  Often their children have special educational and adjustment needs, because they can not assist their own children in learning the Chinese writing and themselves have not gone through it. In Chiayi we endeavor to help with their social needs and hopefully have opportunity to share the Gospel with them.  This ministry needs special prayer for wisdom and effectiveness.

   4] Our burden is for a deeper involvement of the Taiwanese churches in the mission of foreigners employed in our country.  Praise God there is a vision to reach fellow Chinese all around the world.  Pray the vision for more cross-cultural ministries among Chinese churches is growing and allowed to expand.