Chips for China

The microchip is smaller than a dime.

Dear Praying Friends,

Early this morning we completed our 192nd broadcast into China. In partnership with TWR (Trans World Radio), we broadcast the Good News into Mainland China via shortwave, the Internet, and via smartphone apps.

For those who wonder how it happens, it all starts with my sermons in English. Editors at the TWR office in Taiwan translate the sermons into Mandarin, removing any purely American references that Chinese listeners wouldn’t understand. Then the sermon is edited for clarity. After producing a Mandarin text, the sermon is preached by a Chinese “Pastor Ray” who gives the message in his own words. That message is edited and an intro and outro are added. The whole program then goes to Hong Kong where it is prepared for broadcast. Then the finished program is uploaded and sent to transmitters on the island of Guam where it is broadcast to a potential audience of 878 million people three times a week.

Each program is also is uploaded to our Mandarin website and also to our smartphone apps. We know that generally speaking older Chinese listeners get the program via shortwave and younger listeners via the Internet and the apps.

In this second year of broadcasting, we are going through Romans verse-by-verse because that book provides importance doctrinal foundations that the Chinese church desperately needs.

Our friends at TWR have also taken those Chinese sermons along with the Chinese text of An Anchor for the Soul and put them on a tiny chip (smaller than a dime) that a Christian brother hands out in person, one at a time, by traveling to various house churches on the Mainland. He spends many hours on buses traveling to remote areas to give out those little chips. We met him last October, and we also met some of our listeners who have received those microchips. It’s amazing how technology helps the gospel spread in places where Christianity is often opposed.

Two special friends of the ministry-"Art” and “Emily"-post the sermons on Chinese discussion boards. They also answer questions and respond to comments from readers.

So far we have raised $215,000 toward our goal of $300,000 to fully fund the broadcast for the first two years. We’re grateful to our friends who have prayed and given to help this project go forward. You can give using our Online Donation Page.

We’ve been invited to come to China and lead pastors conferences, not in big venues but in living rooms where we can meet with 12-15 pastors and church leaders for two or three days at a time.

Here’s a response we received from one of our listeners in China:

“These programs spoke well. Things that I didn’t understand have been made clear now. We are all ordinary humans. Let’s study the Bible together.”

I love that–"These programs spoke well.” That means that what started as a sermon in America has truly crossed the culture and language barrier to bring the Word of God to the world.

Here are a few prayer requests:

1. Pray for the TWR team in Taiwan as they translate, edit and produce the programs for China.

2. Ask God to inspire the “Chinese Pastor Ray” as he preaches each message in his own words.

3. Pray for the listeners scattered across China, including some from the predominantly-Muslim provinces in the far western region.

4. Pray for God to use the sermons posted on Chinese discussion boards.

5. Let’s ask God for the remaining $85,000 needed to fully fund this project.

6. Pray for clear leading and open doors for the pastors’ conferences in China.

That’s the latest update. Thank you for praying for our China broadcasts. And thank you for being part of the Keep Believing Prayer Team.

Please let us know how we can pray for you.

God bless you!

Ray and Marlene