Asia Mission Report: Indonesia and China

Indonesia -- The crackdown against suspected Islamic terrorists continues in Indonesia. Many of the radicals have been driven underground, thanks in large part, to a shift in perspective by the general populace. So says CB International's Arny Humble. "After this bombing in Bali, there's a new attitude on the part of moderate Muslims. They are very much against what happened in Bali. The whole attitude toward radicals has changed. For the first time, I believe, Indonesia has admitted that they have terrorists. Before that, they wouldn't even admit that there were terrorists in the country." Pray for believers during this time; Humble says the field is ready. "I believe under the very eaves of the mosques, there are hundreds of thousands of potential Christians in Indonesia. I could, if I had time, list scores of stories of people just listening to Christian programs on television, and their hearts are opened to the Gospel in many places-and that the Christians would not lose heart."

China -- Even as reports continue to paint a dismal picture for some believers in China, the good news is the church is cultivating more leaders. World Help's Vernon Brewer describes their response to the need. "We are actively involved in helping to print and distribute Bibles to the underground house church. We have heard indirectly from the pastors that at least 50-percent of all the Christians in house churches do not have a copy of the Bible themselves. And, we're also involved in helping partner with them in providing training centers." However, Brewer says the underground church is still struggling and needs prayer. "The government is trying to intimidate the pastors of the underground church to register so if they register, then they can have their ministries controlled by the government. The persecution is still very strong and very great, especially for the underground church at this time."

By Albert H. Lee
chtoday_editor@chtoday.com