Peter Wang and Wesley at the Great Wall of China.

From October 25^th to November 13^th Keep Believing Ministries had staff and supporters ministering in China and South Korea. Each day this week you’ll be taken on a journey to apartment churches, city walls, and into the heart of Christianity in Asia. We hope you’ll join us back here each day to read the stories, see the pictures, and rejoice in what God is doing on the other side of the world!

Wesley Wildmon lives in Tupelo, Mississippi and attends Mississippi State University. This is Wesley’s second missions trip, join him as he recounts meeting a house church pastor in a hotel room.

Security was tight everywhere we went.

I am back home from China and could not be any more excited in what I experienced and could not be any more thrilled with the blessings that our trip to China will bring to the people we came in contact with.  This trip means so much in my everyday life and for what my future holds. Because you and other friends and family made this trip possible, I wanted to write you this brief letter and let you know what happened.

We serve a God who understands every language, different cultures and different races because he created them all. In the words of Dr. Ray Pritchard, who lead our trip, “The things that unite us are far better, more important and outweigh the things that divide us.” To hear testimonies in person from people that are being touched by Ray’s radio ministry in China via Trans World Radio was an immense blessing. The church of Jesus Christ is growing inside China despite being an atheistic country.

Our team in front of the Forbidden City in Beijing: Wesley, Ray, Mike, Nick.

While in China, I wrote a personal journal each day. To give you sample, here is what I wrote on Day Four:

“We woke up in Xi’an and went to see the Terra-Cotta soldiers. Then we meet in secret (in the hotel) with Chinese Christians from all over China. I learned that for every 7,000 Christians there is only one bible teacher and he is most likely untrained, works at least two jobs because they get paid hardly anything (if anything) as a pastor. In a hotel room meeting, one guy who listens to Ray, in his early 20s, had a mother-in-law who was telling him to quit pastoring and get a job so they could afford to have a kid and begin a family with his newlywed. Then after she overheard him listening to Ray’s sermons that were translated (on the radio) she told him keep preaching and also placed her faith in Christ. She even told her son-in-law that she would try and pick up the slack so he could keep pastoring.

Wesley prepares to ride on the city walls of Xi'an.

 "Another guy who came to meet us was a school teacher who rode a bus 15 hours just to meet us at our hotel room. He too listened to Ray’s broadcast. We had to come into the hotel room two at a time so we did not become suspicious to government authorities. This man had shared about the Lord with two other teachers at school who overheard him listening to Keep Believing Ministries (name of Ray’s ministry) and they both came to faith in Christ and KBM has been their number one tool in their discipleship. It was a special night and sweet time in Xi’an.”

Radio broadcast schedule in English and Mandarain

The one major thing that I learned from being with my Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ is that with all the reasons in the world to complain because of their persecution, government, etc. they never complained as if to say Gods grace is sufficient. They even went so far to not just avoid complaining, they were thankful for what they did have and that being their salvation. They were content with their salvation and you could see their joy stemmed from that. They understood that what made them weak is what also made them strong. This is hard to understand at first but brought to mind the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1-10.

Well, that gives you a little taste of our time in China from my Journal. It was a true mission trip. Thanks so much for all your prayers and for being a part both in spirit and in truth in the movement of Jesus in China.