Edmondson report on China trip

Dear Friends,

This is the second of a three week review of our ministry trip to China. Last week, we explored the situation of our Boston disciples who have returned to China. Next week, our experience with the Chinese house church movement will be discussed, and this week we will explain the ministry we have, to ” not yet Christians” in China.

Family Members

It seems like the most natural thing in the world, as we follow relationships made in Boston , that it extends to their Chinese families in China. This is exactly what happened, repeatedly. Let me give one illustration. Before we left for China, Jay sent an urgent prayer request to our church in Boston, asking us to pray for his critically ill father. Later, when we arrived in his city, we discovered how ill Jay’s father actually was. The doctors had given him no chance of survival. Yet while visiting, we were allowed the rare privilege of seeing Jay’s father in the critical care unit. While visiting him, I prayed (while his son translated) with this very ill man, asking God to bring him healing, so that one day he could hear the gospel and gain life with God. Jay’s father recovered. This is just one of a number of opportunities we had to minister the families of our Chinese disciples.
At the Hospital with Jay’s Mother
(Looking at grandchildren pics of course)

Old Friends

While in China, we also met up with several individuals with whom an evangelistic relationship had begun  when they were in Boston. In one case, a young mother confided that she had been interested in Christianity while in Boston, but was under extreme pressure to finish her academic work. In another instance, we were reacquainted with several doctors who we meet when they were doing research in Boston. Again, we experienced the deepening of our friendship. As I write this, I am reminded of a poignant moment as one friend seemed to reach out across culture and linguistic barriers, with limited time, and say thank you, but can you help me? 

Chance Meetings?

And then,  there were the spontaneous, but providential meetings with non-Christians in China. The young man from a Chinese ethnic minority who served us at the Dai restaurant, another young man who walked several miles helping us find our hotel, and the young woman, who, when seeing us struggle to find our way, took her time to walk us to our destination. Actually, this meeting resulted in a dinner engagement. It is also of interest that this last young lady actually studied in Boston, but was now employed in Beijing. In each case, a friendship was built, a relationship entered into–hopefully an evangelistic relationship.
Lost in Beijing

Now What?

The question is:  What do we do with all of this? God has given to us relationships with Christian disciples who have returned to China, family members of our friends who show a desire to know more about the Bible and God, our not-yet-Christian friends who have returned to China, and the new non-Christian friends made while in China. These all represent opportunities for the expansion of the gospel witness. Not only is each of these individuals loved by God, but each of them are also strategically connected to their own web of global friendships, and this is precious as well as strategic.

In our obedience to the Great Commissioner, there is a way our constituency can successfully network these kind of relationships . I believe God has provided means to connect globally, and, by doing so, join our Savior in building His universal church–but we will need to dream, plan, trust and obey, rather than merely administrate. That is to say, biblical and visionary administration, must project, not just protect. We see what God is doing in the world. Now, we need to join Him.

This is Great Commission Ministry,

Bill and Deb