Grubb Mission Report
A Work of the Duluth church of Christ
SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA TRIP
For pictures of this trip, go to my Facebook page
On March 9th, I departed on my 36th mission trip since 1992. Dave Komisak took me to the airport in the morning so I could catch my flight to Singapore via Tokyo. The flights were uneventful and I was able to sleep some on both flights.
Brother Eddy Ee met me at the Singapore airport. He took me to the guest room at Four Seas College, which is located on the 3rd floor of the Jurong church building. By the time I had unpacked and put things away it was 3 AM local time. I set my alarm for 8 AM and was able to get up and eat my breakfast, walk four miles, and get cleaned up. I also went to buy a few things at the grocery store.
Sharon Chan fixed my lunch and ate with me at the Jurong church building. In the afternoon, I caught up with emails, my blog and facebook postings. I also worked on finalizing my lessons for the gospel meeting at Jurong.
I spoke at the Lim Ah Pin congregation on Thursday night for their English Bible class. It was good to see many familiar faces and several new faces as well. Among those faces was Amy, Jireh, and Jedediah Yuan. (Amy is the daughter of brother and sister Wang in Hualien, Taiwan.)
On Friday, I was able to eat lunch with a friend of many years, Ullas Nair. I met Ullas, the first time, at the Eastern Shore Lectures in Tasmania back in 1997. I have had the privilege to see him a few times since then. It was good to visit with him and also to see his family again.
The gospel meeting at Jurong began on Friday night. The topic for the evening was, “God’s Word is Relevant.” We had good attendance for every service of the meeting. I provided a basic outline on powerpoint for those who attended the meeting.
The Lim Ah Pin congregation was well represented on both Friday and Saturday nights. The heat and humidity was much worse Saturday night. It had rained just before services. Jurong is planning on installing air conditioning later this year, but right now it can be quite “sticky.” It had been a long time since I had been soaked from head to toe (literally) after preaching. Please do not misunderstand. I am enjoying the warm weather over here. We had a colder than normal winter in Georgia this year. This is the first time in weeks I haven’t been cold. Also, because of the humidity, this is the first in weeks my hands haven’t felt like sandpaper.
As many of you know, I have been on a diet since October. It was a great challenge to stay on this diet while I was overseas. It was very encouraging to me when the brethen here helped me to find places I could eat that enabled me to stay on my diet. Before leaving on this trip, I had lost 72 lbs. (By the end of the trip, I had lost a total of 82 lbs. since the middle of October, 2009.)
Sunday was a wonderful day. I was able to finish the gospel meeting at Jurong with good attendance and attention. It is my hope and prayer that much good was accomplished by this effort. As always, I received much strength and encouragement from the brethren here in Singapore. They are not only reaching people in Singapore, but also are active in supporting works in other Asian countries as well.
After eating lunch with some of the brethren at Jurong, I headed over to Lim Ah Pin to speak in the Chinese services there. I was able to arrive in time to hear the last few minutes of John Moore’s afternoon presentation. John and I were able to visit for a few minutes before the Chinese services began.
After eating dinner with some of the members, I was transported back to my room so that I could get most of my packing done getting ready to depart for Indonesia on Monday morning.
On to Indonesia
I left the Jurong church building to head for the airport to fly to Bali. This would be the first of four stops in Indonesia. This would also be the first time I had ever been to the island of Bali. The airplane trip was basically uneventful and I arrived about twenty minutes late to the airport. Victor Nainggolan and two of the local brethren were there to greet me.
The church in Singaraja is almost three hours drive from the airport. It is in the north part of the island almost 30 miles from the main tourist area. Besides this, the road goes over a mountain. In addition, I happened to arrive on the eve of a Hindu holiday called Nyepi, which is the Hindu day of reflection before their Balinese Hindu New Year. The day before Nyepi there were many parades being held on the roads, so the traffic was extra slow. There were many people crowding and blocking the road and large statues were carried as part of the parade
I did not realize how long it would be before we arrived at the hotel. It was about 6 PM when we finally arrived. After putting my things away, I ate one of my replacement meals to keep from having to go back out to find something I could eat. I also started working on my powerpoint presentation for this trip. I planned to have it completed just as soon as I return from this trip.
Because of the Hindu holiday, we were not able to leave the hotel area all day (this is practiced by all locals as well as visitors to the island). In the morning, I was able to walk around for my exercise. Since we were right on the beach, I walked a little bit on the beach. I have the new ShapeUp shoes by Sketchers, which is supposed to simulate walking on wet sand. So I was walking on wet sand in shoes that simulate walking on wet sand! Ha. I worked on some of my on-going projects (lectureship lessons, translation of lessons to film at TFTW and WVBS) in the room. This holiday also did not allow us to meet with the brethren on this day.
On Wednesday, we met with the brethren here in Singaraja studying the Bible for two hours before eating lunch and heading for the airport to fly to the island of Java and the city of Surabaya. This is the second largest city in Indonesia next to Jakarta.
Because we had a two hour delay going from Bali to Surabaya, our class on Wednesday night was delayed until almost 9:30 PM. We talked about principles of leadership in the session. On Thursday, we spent almost three hours in the afternoon meeting with the brethren in Surabaya.
On Friday, the local preachers went to teach at the prison. I was not able to go because I did not have a permit. We met again on Friday afternoon to continue our study of the Bible.
On Friday, we spent the second day in classes with the brethren in Surabaya. Again, after the lessons, we had a Q&A session to complete the afternoon.
On Saturday morning, we headed back to the airport to begin our journey to Jakarta. We have a safe trip and were met at the airport by Jacob Susetyo. He and his family provided us with a place to stay while in the city. I have known Jacob, Kim, Daniel, and Shannon for many years. I stayed in their house in Vancouver when I visited there many years ago.
After arriving, we made preparation for the afternoon class from 1-4 PM. There were about 15 members of the congregation who were able to attend. All of the sessions on Saturday and Sunday were on the subject of the “Eldership.” We spent eight hours total discussing this topics. This included the question and answer sessions. There were many good questions on the subject. The church is hoping to appoint elders in the future and wanted to talk about this important subject.
There were four members who were ethnic Chinese and I was able to visit with them between sessions. We also were able to enjoy a meal with all of the members after the morning services.
In the evening, we were able to spend some time with the Susetyo family before packing and getting ready to leave the next morning.
Lampung, Sumatra
Our flight to Lampung was at 8:00 AM, so we left the house at 6:00 AM to reach the airport and get ready to head for Sumatra. Even though our flight was a little late taking off, we had a good ride and arrived safely. Alex Daniel and Bonar Segala met Victor and me at the airport. Victor’s full-time translating and guidance was coming to an end. He spent almost seven full days ferrying me around Indonesia. He did a great job. I appreciate the great sacrifice he made to make my trip more successful. He is a great soldier in the Kingdom.
On Tuesday morning, I was able to get back to walking. I was able to walk about two miles. Thanks to Harun Tamale, one of the teachers at the school, for walking with me each morning. From Tuesday through Friday mornings, I taught materials on Leadership from the book of Nehemiah. I also spoke at chapel on Tuesday.
Beginning Tuesday evening, we started the first service of a three day gospel meeting. The topic for the first night was “How Sin Entered into the World.” All three nights of the meeting were designed to help motivate those who have been studying the Search for Truth materials in private Bible studies. One obeyed the gospel the night before the meeting began.
Wednesday was much the same as Tuesday. We had the four hour class in the morning, then office work in the afternoon, and the gospel meeting in the evening. I believe the attendance for Wednesday night was even better than the night before.
Thursday was almost a carbon copy of the two previous days. Morning classes, afternoon internet and report work, gospel meeting in the evening. The best attendance of the meeting was on Thursday night. I am thankful for the privilege to have a part in this effort.
While I was in Indonesia I received some very sad news. My good friend, Butch Young, passed away. Butch was a long-time member of the Leoni Church of Christ in Woodbury, TN. I am sorry I was not able to be there to attend the funeral. My sympathies are extended to Louella and the rest of the family. He was a faithful soldier in the Kingdom and he will be greatly missed!
On Friday, we finished the classes for the week. It was a great joy to be at the school and to be able to enjoy the fellowship with the brethren there. We had students from Java and Sumatra in the class. Also, all of the teachers at the school were participants in the class.
After lunch on Friday, Alex and Victor took me to the park that has a buoy in it as a result of the tsunami in 1883 caused by the volcano Krakatou. This buoy is located about a mile uphill from the ocean. Everything below that point was destroyed by the tidal wave. Offices located around this park have regular tsunami drills, where all the people go to a point above where the buoy is located.
It was a joy again to be with the brethren connected with the Southern Sumatra Bible Academy. They continue to train men and women to take their proper places in the church to help spread the gospel throughout the country. For the last twenty-five years, I have had contacts with one or more of these good men who have become part of this work. Please continue to pray for the efforts being made from this location in Indonesia.
On Saturday morning, I went to the school to play ping pong with the students. After lunch at Alex Daniel’s house, we went to the airport to meet Michael Leong. Unfortunately, his plane was almost two hours late. After we got him to his hotel, Alex’s family, Mike and I went to dinner. I ended the day on Saturday starting to arrange my suitcase for departure to Jakarta the next day.
On Sunday, I taught the morning Bible class lesson to all of the older children and adults. Alex translated for me. During the worship, Michael Leong presented a lesson in Indonesian. He used a Powerpoint presentation to assist in his lesson. It was well-received. After the morning service, we had a potlock meal with many kinds of dishes.
In late afternoon, Alex, Victor, and Mike took me to the airport to send me off to Jakarta. I arrived safely in Jakarta, spent the night, and went on to Singapore on Monday afternoon. After arriving safely in Singapore, I went to the Jurong church building to spend the night before heading back to the United States.
The flight home came off without a hitch. I arrived in Atlanta right on time, cleared customs and immigration, got my luggage and headed for home. I was able to get laundry completed and some other things done before going to bed just after 10:00 PM.
Thanks to all the brethren who helped to make this trip both possible and successful. We were able to accomplish all of our goals on this trip. We pray the result of this trip will be God will be glorified.
Malaysia and Singapore – June 2010
We have made final plans for the June trip to Singapore and Malaysia for the CABL and gospel meetings. We will talk about the details of this trip in our next report. The dates of this trip will be June 1-21.
In addition, I have been invited to speak at the Four Seas College Lectureship the first five days of December 2010. My topic is “The Transformed Life.” I will be working on arranging other speaking appointments in connection with this effort near the end of the year.
News and Letters from Around the World
ST GEORGE, SC: My name is Roy Knight and I am the preacher at the St. George church of Christ in South Carolina. I have a question that Mrs. April Meacham said that you might be able to answer: Why is there over a billion Chinese people in the world and I can't find one good brotherhood tract for them? Can you help me find some? This past Sunday (March 21st) we had the pleasure of baptizing a young Chinese lady into Christ. They own a restaurant in town and she has been attending church faithfully with us. We have several bilingual Chinese/English Bibles that we use. Do we have any brotherhood tracts/material that may help her to grow?” – Roy Knight. (NOTE: I replied to brother Knight while I was overseas and told him about our Chinese website and the materials available from World Video Bible School. JMG).
SINGAPORE: “Greetings! I just thought that I would send you an email to share with you how encouraged I am by your preaching and sharing of the gospel. I really am thankful for brethren like you who are motivated and enthusiastic for the Lord. Thank you again for all you've done, and have a safe journey to Bali on Monday. Looking forward to your lessons in the morning!” – Willy Chin. (NOTE: This email was received during my trip. JMG.)
SINGAPORE: “It has been a long years since we met again at Lim Ah Pin Church of Christ in Singapore. I am so happy and proud of you of having a desire to put so much effort to learn new language so you can teach the Bible with the people of other races. It is very encouraging and motivating for me to see your enthusiasm, concern and the true love for the lost soul specially in Asia. It is very difficult to find a faithful brother like you who has the heart to sacrifice and go to learn the people's culture for the sake of his love to God and to a fellowman” – Ludina Carrido. (NOTE: It was good to see Ludina after many years. JMG.)
ON-GOING PROJECTS UPDATE
Editing Old Chinese Sermons
Over a decade ago, I recorded 60 lessons on VHS tapes at WVBS. I have decided to re-record these lessons and edit them here at Truth for the World. This will also be an on-going project for the next two years. I have completed translating about 30% of the nineteen outlines that will be available to go along with the lessons and also to use on the teleprompter.
I continue to edit the audio from these old video programs for our radio program. So far, I have completed the editing on 50 out of 60 of these radio programs. After completing this editing, I will begin editing the audio from the “Chinese Sermons and Outlines” series. There will be an additional 58 lessons from this to add to the radio program rotation.
Working on Materials for Future WVBS Filming Projects
I will continue to prepare outlines for the current Chinese series on “Leadership.” In addition, I am continuing to prepare English lessons I record each time I travel to WVBS. These English lessons can be used by churches that do not have a preacher. They are now being used on Gospel Broadcasting Network under the title, “Faith-Building Sermons.” These lessons air four times a week (Sunday – 5:30 AM; Wednesday – 2:00 PM; Saturday – 5:00 AM and PM) on GBN.
Chinese Songbook – Completed!
I have completed the project to record Chinese songs out of the book used by some of the Chinese brethren in Asia. I recorded the songs and burned them to CD in early March. I took five MP3’s and five CD’s to Singapore for the brethren there to distribute them and, of course, to make as many copies as possible. Thanks to Dave Komisak, our production engineer, who helped me to get this CD finished. We hope much good will come from this effort. I will take a few with me in June as well.
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 30,000 visits to our Chinese website from people in 134 countries. This includes over 10,300 visits from at least 387 cities in China.
Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, and now having the lessons on YouTube, more people are becoming aware of our website. On YouTube search: “John Grubb Chinese.” Please tell others of our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org. Do not forget to check out my Facebook page for pictures and news about my trips.
SPEAKING SCHEDULE
2010
April 17-18 – Hubbard, TX Lectures
April 19-23 – WVBS Filming
April 25 – New Hope Church Family Day
June 1-21 – Section 17, Genting, Klang, Malaysia, CABL (Singapore)
June 28-30 Banner of Truth Lectures
Nov. 29-Dec. 13 – Four Seas College Lectures, and other venues
You can view an video update on the work we are doing in preparing Chinese materials at the website below: http://oabs.org/Archives/Lectures/msop2009.htm
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
– John M. Grubb
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
English Bible Class at Lim Ah Pin - March 11, 2010
Amy, Jireh, and Jedediah Yuan.
I spoke at the Lim Ah Pin congregation on Thursday night for their English Bible class. It was good to see many familiar faces and several new faces as well.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
John Grubb Brethren and friends, I arrived safely in Singapore after a 25 hour trip. Slept from 3-8 am, ate my breakfast (hard boiled egg, melba toast, apple, and energy boost), walked 4 miles, shopped for some food and non-food items, hooked up to the wi-fi at Jurong, and am now getting read to eat lunch. More news later. Joh...n Right now it is Thurs. 12:18 PM Singapore time (11:17 PM EST on Wed.)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Singapore and Indonesia Trip
I leave tomorrow for this trip. I will depart ATL airport about 11:35 AM and am scheduled to arrive in Singapore on Wed. 11:35 AM EST (12:35 AM on Thurs. Singapore time).
Please remember my family and me in your prayers for the next three weeks. I will try to keep you up to date on events taking place. I am doing all last minute preparation today.
John
Please remember my family and me in your prayers for the next three weeks. I will try to keep you up to date on events taking place. I am doing all last minute preparation today.
John
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Grubb Mission Report - March 2010
SINGAPORE AND INDONESIA TRIP I am scheduled to depart for Singapore and Indonesia on March 9th. I will preaching in Singapore at the Lim Ah Pin (English and Chinese) and Jurong congregations. I will conduct a week-end gospel meeting at Jurong.
I will preach on three different islands while I am in Indonesia – Bali, Java, and Sumatra. The first week will be in Bali and Java, and the second week will be in Sumatra, primarily at the Southern Sumatra Bible Institute. It has been ten years since I have been to Indonesia. I am looking forward to seeing our brethren there. We know there is interest in the teachings of the Bible among Indonesians because over 32,000 people in 88 countries have accessed our www.tftwindo.org website. Thanks to all those who contributed funds to make this trip possible. I will make a full report of this trip in my April report.
News and Letters from Around the World
KUALA LUMPUR: Thanks for the encouraging series of news and the good work. Hope you are well. Now could you recommend me the URL that allows me to copy tracts for print (to introduce the gospel/the church)? This I hope will be distributed to housing area in Section 17 – Ng Hee Liang. (NOTE: English tracts can be downloaded at this website: http://www.tftw2.org/Tracts/. To access Chinese tracts, go to the following website: www.tftwchinese.org. JMG.)
ON-GOING PROJECTS UPDATE Editing
Old Chinese Sermons
Over a decade ago, I recorded 60 lessons on VHS tapes at WVBS. I have decided to re-record these lessons and edit them here at Truth for the World. This will also be an on-going project for the next two years. I have completed translating about 30% of the nineteen outlines that will be available to go along with the lessons and also to use on the teleprompter.
I continue to edit the audio from these old video programs for our radio program. So far, I have completed the editing on 49 out of 60 of these radio programs. After completing this editing, I will begin editing the audio from the “Chinese Sermons and Outlines” series. There will be an additional 58 lessons to add to the radio rotation.
Working on Materials for Future WVBS Filming Projects
I will continue to prepare outlines for the current Chinese series on “Leadership.” In addition, I am continuing to prepare English lessons I record each time I travel to WVBS. These English lessons can be used by churches that do not have a preacher. They are now being used on Gospel Broadcasting Network under the title, “Faith-Building Sermons.” These lessons air four times a week (Sunday – 5:30 AM; Wednesday – 2:00 PM; Saturday – 5:00 AM and PM) on GBN.
Chinese Songbook
I am working on this project to record Chinese songs out of the book used by Chinese brethren in Asia. I have started recording the songs and will hope to have them edited and burned to CD by March when I go back to Asia, or June at the latest, when I plan to return to attend the conduct meetings in Malaysia and speak at the 5th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectures. Thanks to Dave Komisak, our production engineer, who is helping me to get this CD finished.
“Missions Saturday”
On February 6th, we conducted a day of emphasis on long and short-term mission work at the Duluth church building. The three main speakers for the day long program were: Thomas Reid, Jimmie Hill, and John Grubb. They discussed various aspects of mission work and then we had one session where we broke up into smaller groups to encourage brethren to participate in future short-term mission trips in Africa, Iceland, Australia, and Malaysia.
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 29,500 visits to our Chinese website from people in 133 countries. This includes over 10,100 visits from at least 353 cities in China.
Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, and now having the lessons on YouTube, more people are becoming aware of our website. On YouTube search: “John Grubb Chinese.”
Please tell others of our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
SPEAKING SCHEDULE
2010March 9-30 – Singapore and Indonesia
April 17-18 – Hubbard, TX Lectures
April 19-23 – WVBS Filming
June 1-21 – Section 17, Genting, Klang, Malaysia, CABL (Singapore)
Everything is now in place for the March trip to Singapore and Indonesia. There were many details to be worked out in traveling, housing, meals, etc. Thanks to all the brethren who helped to make this trip possible. I will speak at Lim Ah Pin twice and conduct a gospel meeting at Jurong before going to Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, and Sumatra to work with our Indonesian brethren in those locations.
We have also made final plans for the June trip to Singapore and Malaysia for the CABL and gospel meetings. We will talk about the details of this trip in our next report. The dates of this trip will be June 1-21.
************************
You can view an video update on the work we are doing in preparing Chinese materials at the website below:
http://oabs.org/Archives/Lectures/msop2009.htm
*****************************
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
Thanks to all the brethren who, with your contributions, helped to make the beginning of 2010 a good one. We hope to put these funds to good use in the service of the King.
– John M. Grubb
I will preach on three different islands while I am in Indonesia – Bali, Java, and Sumatra. The first week will be in Bali and Java, and the second week will be in Sumatra, primarily at the Southern Sumatra Bible Institute. It has been ten years since I have been to Indonesia. I am looking forward to seeing our brethren there. We know there is interest in the teachings of the Bible among Indonesians because over 32,000 people in 88 countries have accessed our www.tftwindo.org website. Thanks to all those who contributed funds to make this trip possible. I will make a full report of this trip in my April report.
News and Letters from Around the World
KUALA LUMPUR: Thanks for the encouraging series of news and the good work. Hope you are well. Now could you recommend me the URL that allows me to copy tracts for print (to introduce the gospel/the church)? This I hope will be distributed to housing area in Section 17 – Ng Hee Liang. (NOTE: English tracts can be downloaded at this website: http://www.tftw2.org/Tracts/. To access Chinese tracts, go to the following website: www.tftwchinese.org. JMG.)
ON-GOING PROJECTS UPDATE Editing
Old Chinese Sermons
Over a decade ago, I recorded 60 lessons on VHS tapes at WVBS. I have decided to re-record these lessons and edit them here at Truth for the World. This will also be an on-going project for the next two years. I have completed translating about 30% of the nineteen outlines that will be available to go along with the lessons and also to use on the teleprompter.
I continue to edit the audio from these old video programs for our radio program. So far, I have completed the editing on 49 out of 60 of these radio programs. After completing this editing, I will begin editing the audio from the “Chinese Sermons and Outlines” series. There will be an additional 58 lessons to add to the radio rotation.
Working on Materials for Future WVBS Filming Projects
I will continue to prepare outlines for the current Chinese series on “Leadership.” In addition, I am continuing to prepare English lessons I record each time I travel to WVBS. These English lessons can be used by churches that do not have a preacher. They are now being used on Gospel Broadcasting Network under the title, “Faith-Building Sermons.” These lessons air four times a week (Sunday – 5:30 AM; Wednesday – 2:00 PM; Saturday – 5:00 AM and PM) on GBN.
Chinese Songbook
I am working on this project to record Chinese songs out of the book used by Chinese brethren in Asia. I have started recording the songs and will hope to have them edited and burned to CD by March when I go back to Asia, or June at the latest, when I plan to return to attend the conduct meetings in Malaysia and speak at the 5th Annual Chinese Asian Bible Lectures. Thanks to Dave Komisak, our production engineer, who is helping me to get this CD finished.
“Missions Saturday”
On February 6th, we conducted a day of emphasis on long and short-term mission work at the Duluth church building. The three main speakers for the day long program were: Thomas Reid, Jimmie Hill, and John Grubb. They discussed various aspects of mission work and then we had one session where we broke up into smaller groups to encourage brethren to participate in future short-term mission trips in Africa, Iceland, Australia, and Malaysia.
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 29,500 visits to our Chinese website from people in 133 countries. This includes over 10,100 visits from at least 353 cities in China.
Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, and now having the lessons on YouTube, more people are becoming aware of our website. On YouTube search: “John Grubb Chinese.”
Please tell others of our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
SPEAKING SCHEDULE
2010March 9-30 – Singapore and Indonesia
April 17-18 – Hubbard, TX Lectures
April 19-23 – WVBS Filming
June 1-21 – Section 17, Genting, Klang, Malaysia, CABL (Singapore)
Everything is now in place for the March trip to Singapore and Indonesia. There were many details to be worked out in traveling, housing, meals, etc. Thanks to all the brethren who helped to make this trip possible. I will speak at Lim Ah Pin twice and conduct a gospel meeting at Jurong before going to Bali, Surabaya, Jakarta, and Sumatra to work with our Indonesian brethren in those locations.
We have also made final plans for the June trip to Singapore and Malaysia for the CABL and gospel meetings. We will talk about the details of this trip in our next report. The dates of this trip will be June 1-21.
************************
You can view an video update on the work we are doing in preparing Chinese materials at the website below:
http://oabs.org/Archives/Lectures/msop2009.htm
*****************************
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
Thanks to all the brethren who, with your contributions, helped to make the beginning of 2010 a good one. We hope to put these funds to good use in the service of the King.
– John M. Grubb
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
August Report
UPCOMING TRIPS
STATESIDE
2009
August 9-12 Gospel Meeting – Charbo and Karen, St. Charles, MO
September 26 – October 3 WVBS – Filming
November 6-8 – Leoni Lectures, Woodbury
November 12-14 – TFTW Mission Forum
OVERSEAS
2009
December 1-15 – Taiwan (Hualien, Taichung) Tickets Purchased
2010
March 9-30 – Singapore and Indonesia
June – CABL (Singapore), Klang, Malaysia, and other places – TBA
I am looking forward to being in all of these places in the next few months. I am still working on speaking appointments for the Texas trip. I hope to speak at three different places in the area. I will speak twice at the Leoni Lectures again this year. The two times I speak will be on Sunday morning. I am still working on details for the 2010 Asian trips. Details are just about in place for the Singapore-Indonesian trip in March.
Young Men’s Leadership Camp
I was privileged to speak in Ashville, AL at a Young Men’s Leadership Camp. I spoke two times on the subject of mission work. I did PowerPoint presentations emphasizing general principles of missions as well as discussing working among the Chinese people. There were about seventeen young men who attended these sessions. Some good questions were asked by those who were in attendance. Thanks to Mark McWhorter for the invitation to inform these young men of the great need we have for missionaries now and in the future. We need to take advantage of these opportunities to get young men thinking about what is involved in preparing to carry the gospel to the world.
News and Letters from Around the World
TERRE HAUTE, IN: My mother’s 85th birthday will be celebrated with an Open House at the Torner Center located in Deming Park, 500 S. Fruitridge Ave, Terre Haute, IN 47803. This event will take place on Saturday, August 15th, from 11 AM to 3 PM. If you are in the area and have the opportunity, please drop by and greet my mother. If you cannot make it, but would like to send my mom a birthday card, you can send it to: Barbara Grubb, 1708 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. If you are not able to send a card, but would like to send her an email greeting, you can send it to me and I will pass it along to my mother. JMG.
SOMEWHERE IN CHINA: “In the month of May, our (Name withheld) family group encountered a little bit of trouble. During Mother’s Day, all members and friends planned to have a BBQ at the local beach after Sunday Service. On that day we had about 24 members including a few visitors to join our Sunday Service. While we were singing Gospel songs in the morning, our door bell was rung. I asked, “Who are you?” A male voice said, “Are you out of power?” At that time, I did not pay attention. I said that we had power. Then I opened the door to see who rang the door bell. Suddenly, there were more than 18 men and women rushed into my apartment. All of them were government religious officers except one. That was a policeman in our residential area.
When they saw we were singing Gospel songs, they filmed us at once. They told us to be still. They said that we breached the policy of Chinese religious regulation. One of the officers said that if people wanted to hold a religious activity, they must go to an appointed place (a registered place). A register place is also called three-self church. The officers dropped down everyone’s name. And then they separated some of us and questioned us when we started this family group. They also wanted to know who the leaders of this family group were.
In the beginning, some of us argued with these officers. We wanted to know in which law we violated. On the other hand, we were told that if we do not have more than thirty people gather together, it will not breach the law of China. But, these officers said that this law did not apply to religious activities. They said that we had song books, many bibles, and Lord’s Supper on the table. It was a religious activity. They forced us to quit this activity.
These religious officers also brought our students back to school. After they sent them back to school, they let the school teachers question them. Our students were warned to stop taking part in any religious activity at a non-registered place. Otherwise, the school will take action to punish them. Because of their warning, some of our students were afraid to attend our activity.
After the religious officers stopped our activity, next day I visited the head of religious bureau in (Name withheld). I asked him what freedom I have if I want to learn and share the Truth with my friends. He told me that my family and I have freedom to believe and worship our Lord. But, the university students should not attend this religious activity at my apartment. I asked him what the bottom line is if we do not like to attend the government church. He told me that if there are two or three families sharing Christianity at my apartment, it is okay.
On the other hand, this officer told me that they already knew our activity for a while. They had their man in our group. When he said this thing, I was so surprised. We did not recognize that there was a spy in our family group. Anyway, after I talked with this officer, I went to consult a local lawyer. This lawyer was introduced by one of my former Bible students. He told me that if you hold a foreign passport or Hong Kong Identity, the Chinese government treats me as a foreigner. Therefore, a foreigner cannot teach the Bible in China. But, sharing the belief is okay. So when our members came to our apartment again, I told them that we were sharing the Truth with each other instead of teaching the Truth. Anyway, in future we must be careful to sow the seed of God to others. We also need all of your prayer in our safety while we are serving our Heaven Father in mainland China” – Name Withheld. (NOTE: I thought you would want to read this account and see there still are challenges to preaching the gospel in China. JMG.)
ROCKY MOUNT, VA: “It is good to hear of your safe return home, and your good trip. Your work (the Lord's in the Far East) has always encouraged me. Mariann and I will be leaving July 15th for the Caribbean Lectureship (our 40th anniversary 7/19/09) then on to Guyana to the work in New Amsterdam. I will preach 7/26 - 8/2 and Mariann will teach several ladies classes. Plus we will have a one day VBS for the Children in the New Amsterdam area. Thank you for letting us hear about the Lord's work in lands far away. The work on our building here at Rocky Mount is moving forward. We have 99% of the excavating done, the basement is done. The contractor should start on the walls next week. Our attendance has been real good over the last several weeks” – Glen Willcut. (Note: I went up to Rocky Mount, VA this past March to give a report of our work among the Chinese people. We appreciate the good work these brethren are doing for the Lord. JMG.)
VALDOSTA, GA: “I appreciate receiving your reports, as it is always interesting to read of the good work you are doing. May God bless you in it. Our work and summer travels are busy in Latin America as well. Just returned from a month long trip to Peru, where 15 souls were baptized into Christ during our campaigns. I’m off to the San Blas islands of Panama in a couple of weeks for another campaign. Keep up the good work you are doing” – Jonathan Winchester. (NOTE: We are thankful for all of the efforts being made through Latin American Missions at the Forrest Park church in Valdosta. Check out their website: www.forrestpark.org/lam/.
KNOXVILLE, TN: “Thanks for the very interesting report of your trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I found the report from the brother in China very interesting. I sometimes hear brethren say there is religious freedom in China today, but this certainly shows it is not so. Jody Apple told me he had a great visit with you.Stop and see us sometime when you are passing through” – Rod Rutherford. (NOTE: Rod is now preaching at the Gatlinburg church in Tennessee. Stop by when you are there! If you do not have his books, you need to get them. You can contact him at the following email address: rodrutherford@comcast.netJMG.)
DULUTH, GA – UPDATE ON THE TRIAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MURDERED JERRY ANN ELLIOTT: Many of you remember the report we made concerning the death of Jerry Ann Elliott almost two years ago. She was the mother-in-law of our production engineer, Dave Komisak. According to the verdict, the man who was convicted of this crime will spend at least fifty years in prison. I know the Elliott, Komisak, and Graham families are thankful for all the prayers offered on their behalf. JMG.)
S. SAN FRANCISCO, CA: One of the elders at Duluth, Thomas Reid, and his family went to San Francisco recently. While there, they were able to visit with the William Chen family and also to meet with some of the members of the Airport Rd. church. He was able to take this picture while there. We are so thankful for the Chen family in the cause of Christ.
SAN MARCOS, TX: “How are you doing after that trip to the east? I’m glad everything worked out well and that you got to catch up with the brethren there again. As I was watching the fireworks yesterday, it dawned on me that it has been 1 year and 7 months since I have been here in the States…. I just remembered that I might be able to pay you a visit in December if you and Libby are still up for it. Hope you and Libby are doing great!” – Beverly Leong. (NOTE: It was great to hear from Beverly. I am looking forward to seeing her when I visit Texas in September. In June, I was able to visit with her family in Malaysia. If things work out, she may pay us a visit here in Georgia in late December. JMG.)
MELAKA, MALAYSIA: “Appreciate your regular updates on your work and mission. It was really good to see you at the 2 seminars held lately. I am really appreciative of the lesson on worldliness in the 4 Sea College lectureship. A very powerful, persuasive and soul searching lesson. I am glad I was there and heard that lesson, and am taking to heart and mind of your godly exhortation. Many thanks” – Steven Loo. (NOTE: We appreciate so much the Steven Loo family and their influence for Christ in Malaysia. I hope to see them again next year when I travel over that way. JMG.)
ROANOKE, TX: “Was praying for you this morning and reading your report. Appreciate your labors, and the grace of God working in you to bless many brethren” – Tyler Young. (NOTE: I really appreciate all the prayers offered on behalf of the efforts to evangelize the world. We are so thankful for Tyler and his work for the Lord. JMG.)
MEMPHIS, TN: Our sympathy is extended to the James Bobbitt family. Brother Bobbitt passed away on July 15th. He used to be an elder of the Knight Arnold church of Christ and was a good friend to Truth for the World. JMG.
*******************
Chinese Sermons and Outlines” Project Continues
At this writing, I have completed seventeen DVD’s (51 lessons) along with the two books of full content outlines (155 pages). The rest of the teleprompter scripts are now completed. I hope to finish this series of 60 lessons (filmed, edited, and duplicated) by the middle of September. I still plan to go to World Video Bible School at the end of September to begin filming the Chinese series on “Leadership.” While I am at WVBS, I will also hope to film some more English sermons as well. I have filmed almost 130 lessons at WVBS since April, 1993. I will also have some speaking appointments in the area while I am there. I am continuing to work on turning the audio lessons from WVBS and from this current Chinese sermons series into radio programs. Eventually, we hope to have between four and five years worth of programs (between 200-260) without repeating any lessons.
******************************
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 24,500 visits to our Chinese website from people in 128 countries. This includes over 9,084 visits from at least 301 cities in China. It is very encouraging to know people are accessing this site around the world. We are continuing to prepare additional materials to place on this site. Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, more people are becoming aware of our website.
************************
TAIWAN – A MOST UNIQUE WORK!
When the apostle Paul was in Damascus waiting to be told what he must do, the Lord appeared unto Ananias and told him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:15,16). The apostle Paul was selected to do a special work during his lifetime. In addition to teaching the Jews, he was to go to the Gentiles to give them the opportunity to obey the gospel. Paul points out that as Peter was committed to preaching to the Jews, he was also committed to preaching to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7,8).
Throughout the book of Acts we see Paul first going to the Jews, then turning to teach the Gentiles the gospel (Acts 13:46-48; 14:1-18; 15:3; 17:1-5; 17:16-30; 18:6). At times, it was necessary for Paul to make tents to continue his work (Acts 18:3). During this period, Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ. He was stoned by his enemies at Lystra (Acts 14:19), put in prison in Philippi (Acts 16:24), and was sent away by night in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10). We only need to read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 to understand the suffering Paul endured for the cause of Christ.
No missionary intends to compare their lives and the work they are doing to the work and life of the apostle Paul, but naturally there are some similarities between his work and the work being done in Taiwan among the twenty three million people living there.
Plenty of Work in America
In 1982, when we were preparing to go to Taiwan and work among the Chinese people, many said to us, “there is plenty of work to be done here in America, why do you want to go to Taiwan, so far away from your family and friends, to preach the gospel?”
I am sure that in Paul’s day there was plenty of work that could have been done among just among the Jews, but Jesus said, “Go into all the world.” In order for us to take the gospel to the entire world, some must be willing to leave our homeland. In Paul’s day, there were many more Gentiles than Jews in the world. For every one American there are four Chinese people in this world. We must not neglect to teach 20% of the world’s population.
Sacrifices Have to Be Made in Mission Work
When we decided to go to Taiwan, I am sure we did not fully realize the sacrifices that would have to be made during that time. I realize the sacrifices we made in can in no way compare with the sacrifices made by many of the earlier missionaries and certainly do not compare with the sacrifices made by the apostle Paul and other missionaries in the first century.
Whether it is the separation from friends and family, the adjustment to a new culture, learning a new language, or the aggravations in getting things done when desired; in order to get the gospel to the world, we must realize our responsibility in the sight of God to preach the gospel in spite of sacrifices that must be made.
If you are considering a work in a foreign country, be sure you understand these sacrifices have to be made to accomplish the work for God. King David understood the concept of sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24), the Macedonian Christians understood it (2 Corinthians 8:1-5), Paul understood it (2 Timothy 4:7,8), and we also must understand it!
The Work in Taiwan
The Chinese Mandarin is the prominent language among the Chinese people in the world. Although there are many Chinese dialects, the majority of Chinese speak Mandarin. To our knowledge, there are very few men who have the ability to preach the gospel in the Chinese Mandarin who are standing for the truth of God. Just a few men in the whole world – what a challenge! We are in need of a new wave of workers who are willing to make the sacrifices to learn this language and help spread the gospel, not only in Taiwan, but also in Mainland China.
So, you can see brethren, the work in Taiwan is truly unique. We have faithful local brethren who are doing their best to see that the gospel in presented to the Chinese people there in Taiwan, and it is our hope, our prayer, and our goal, to see the gospel preached to all of Mainland China as that opportunity arises. Please continue to pray for this most unique work. Also pray that the more than 1.3 billion Chinese people will have the opportunity to hear the precious gospel of Christ before it is eternally too late. (NOTE: I will again travel to Taiwan in December to work with some of the brethren there. JMG.)
*****************************
You can view an video update on the work we are doing in preparing Chinese materials at the website below:
http://oabs.org/Archives/Lectures/msop2009.htm
*****************************
PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
*****************************
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
– John M. Grubb
STATESIDE
2009
August 9-12 Gospel Meeting – Charbo and Karen, St. Charles, MO
September 26 – October 3 WVBS – Filming
November 6-8 – Leoni Lectures, Woodbury
November 12-14 – TFTW Mission Forum
OVERSEAS
2009
December 1-15 – Taiwan (Hualien, Taichung) Tickets Purchased
2010
March 9-30 – Singapore and Indonesia
June – CABL (Singapore), Klang, Malaysia, and other places – TBA
I am looking forward to being in all of these places in the next few months. I am still working on speaking appointments for the Texas trip. I hope to speak at three different places in the area. I will speak twice at the Leoni Lectures again this year. The two times I speak will be on Sunday morning. I am still working on details for the 2010 Asian trips. Details are just about in place for the Singapore-Indonesian trip in March.
Young Men’s Leadership Camp
I was privileged to speak in Ashville, AL at a Young Men’s Leadership Camp. I spoke two times on the subject of mission work. I did PowerPoint presentations emphasizing general principles of missions as well as discussing working among the Chinese people. There were about seventeen young men who attended these sessions. Some good questions were asked by those who were in attendance. Thanks to Mark McWhorter for the invitation to inform these young men of the great need we have for missionaries now and in the future. We need to take advantage of these opportunities to get young men thinking about what is involved in preparing to carry the gospel to the world.
News and Letters from Around the World
TERRE HAUTE, IN: My mother’s 85th birthday will be celebrated with an Open House at the Torner Center located in Deming Park, 500 S. Fruitridge Ave, Terre Haute, IN 47803. This event will take place on Saturday, August 15th, from 11 AM to 3 PM. If you are in the area and have the opportunity, please drop by and greet my mother. If you cannot make it, but would like to send my mom a birthday card, you can send it to: Barbara Grubb, 1708 N. 8th St., Terre Haute, IN 47804. If you are not able to send a card, but would like to send her an email greeting, you can send it to me and I will pass it along to my mother. JMG.
SOMEWHERE IN CHINA: “In the month of May, our (Name withheld) family group encountered a little bit of trouble. During Mother’s Day, all members and friends planned to have a BBQ at the local beach after Sunday Service. On that day we had about 24 members including a few visitors to join our Sunday Service. While we were singing Gospel songs in the morning, our door bell was rung. I asked, “Who are you?” A male voice said, “Are you out of power?” At that time, I did not pay attention. I said that we had power. Then I opened the door to see who rang the door bell. Suddenly, there were more than 18 men and women rushed into my apartment. All of them were government religious officers except one. That was a policeman in our residential area.
When they saw we were singing Gospel songs, they filmed us at once. They told us to be still. They said that we breached the policy of Chinese religious regulation. One of the officers said that if people wanted to hold a religious activity, they must go to an appointed place (a registered place). A register place is also called three-self church. The officers dropped down everyone’s name. And then they separated some of us and questioned us when we started this family group. They also wanted to know who the leaders of this family group were.
In the beginning, some of us argued with these officers. We wanted to know in which law we violated. On the other hand, we were told that if we do not have more than thirty people gather together, it will not breach the law of China. But, these officers said that this law did not apply to religious activities. They said that we had song books, many bibles, and Lord’s Supper on the table. It was a religious activity. They forced us to quit this activity.
These religious officers also brought our students back to school. After they sent them back to school, they let the school teachers question them. Our students were warned to stop taking part in any religious activity at a non-registered place. Otherwise, the school will take action to punish them. Because of their warning, some of our students were afraid to attend our activity.
After the religious officers stopped our activity, next day I visited the head of religious bureau in (Name withheld). I asked him what freedom I have if I want to learn and share the Truth with my friends. He told me that my family and I have freedom to believe and worship our Lord. But, the university students should not attend this religious activity at my apartment. I asked him what the bottom line is if we do not like to attend the government church. He told me that if there are two or three families sharing Christianity at my apartment, it is okay.
On the other hand, this officer told me that they already knew our activity for a while. They had their man in our group. When he said this thing, I was so surprised. We did not recognize that there was a spy in our family group. Anyway, after I talked with this officer, I went to consult a local lawyer. This lawyer was introduced by one of my former Bible students. He told me that if you hold a foreign passport or Hong Kong Identity, the Chinese government treats me as a foreigner. Therefore, a foreigner cannot teach the Bible in China. But, sharing the belief is okay. So when our members came to our apartment again, I told them that we were sharing the Truth with each other instead of teaching the Truth. Anyway, in future we must be careful to sow the seed of God to others. We also need all of your prayer in our safety while we are serving our Heaven Father in mainland China” – Name Withheld. (NOTE: I thought you would want to read this account and see there still are challenges to preaching the gospel in China. JMG.)
ROCKY MOUNT, VA: “It is good to hear of your safe return home, and your good trip. Your work (the Lord's in the Far East) has always encouraged me. Mariann and I will be leaving July 15th for the Caribbean Lectureship (our 40th anniversary 7/19/09) then on to Guyana to the work in New Amsterdam. I will preach 7/26 - 8/2 and Mariann will teach several ladies classes. Plus we will have a one day VBS for the Children in the New Amsterdam area. Thank you for letting us hear about the Lord's work in lands far away. The work on our building here at Rocky Mount is moving forward. We have 99% of the excavating done, the basement is done. The contractor should start on the walls next week. Our attendance has been real good over the last several weeks” – Glen Willcut. (Note: I went up to Rocky Mount, VA this past March to give a report of our work among the Chinese people. We appreciate the good work these brethren are doing for the Lord. JMG.)
VALDOSTA, GA: “I appreciate receiving your reports, as it is always interesting to read of the good work you are doing. May God bless you in it. Our work and summer travels are busy in Latin America as well. Just returned from a month long trip to Peru, where 15 souls were baptized into Christ during our campaigns. I’m off to the San Blas islands of Panama in a couple of weeks for another campaign. Keep up the good work you are doing” – Jonathan Winchester. (NOTE: We are thankful for all of the efforts being made through Latin American Missions at the Forrest Park church in Valdosta. Check out their website: www.forrestpark.org/lam/.
KNOXVILLE, TN: “Thanks for the very interesting report of your trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I found the report from the brother in China very interesting. I sometimes hear brethren say there is religious freedom in China today, but this certainly shows it is not so. Jody Apple told me he had a great visit with you.Stop and see us sometime when you are passing through” – Rod Rutherford. (NOTE: Rod is now preaching at the Gatlinburg church in Tennessee. Stop by when you are there! If you do not have his books, you need to get them. You can contact him at the following email address: rodrutherford@comcast.netJMG.)
DULUTH, GA – UPDATE ON THE TRIAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MURDERED JERRY ANN ELLIOTT: Many of you remember the report we made concerning the death of Jerry Ann Elliott almost two years ago. She was the mother-in-law of our production engineer, Dave Komisak. According to the verdict, the man who was convicted of this crime will spend at least fifty years in prison. I know the Elliott, Komisak, and Graham families are thankful for all the prayers offered on their behalf. JMG.)
S. SAN FRANCISCO, CA: One of the elders at Duluth, Thomas Reid, and his family went to San Francisco recently. While there, they were able to visit with the William Chen family and also to meet with some of the members of the Airport Rd. church. He was able to take this picture while there. We are so thankful for the Chen family in the cause of Christ.
SAN MARCOS, TX: “How are you doing after that trip to the east? I’m glad everything worked out well and that you got to catch up with the brethren there again. As I was watching the fireworks yesterday, it dawned on me that it has been 1 year and 7 months since I have been here in the States…. I just remembered that I might be able to pay you a visit in December if you and Libby are still up for it. Hope you and Libby are doing great!” – Beverly Leong. (NOTE: It was great to hear from Beverly. I am looking forward to seeing her when I visit Texas in September. In June, I was able to visit with her family in Malaysia. If things work out, she may pay us a visit here in Georgia in late December. JMG.)
MELAKA, MALAYSIA: “Appreciate your regular updates on your work and mission. It was really good to see you at the 2 seminars held lately. I am really appreciative of the lesson on worldliness in the 4 Sea College lectureship. A very powerful, persuasive and soul searching lesson. I am glad I was there and heard that lesson, and am taking to heart and mind of your godly exhortation. Many thanks” – Steven Loo. (NOTE: We appreciate so much the Steven Loo family and their influence for Christ in Malaysia. I hope to see them again next year when I travel over that way. JMG.)
ROANOKE, TX: “Was praying for you this morning and reading your report. Appreciate your labors, and the grace of God working in you to bless many brethren” – Tyler Young. (NOTE: I really appreciate all the prayers offered on behalf of the efforts to evangelize the world. We are so thankful for Tyler and his work for the Lord. JMG.)
MEMPHIS, TN: Our sympathy is extended to the James Bobbitt family. Brother Bobbitt passed away on July 15th. He used to be an elder of the Knight Arnold church of Christ and was a good friend to Truth for the World. JMG.
*******************
Chinese Sermons and Outlines” Project Continues
At this writing, I have completed seventeen DVD’s (51 lessons) along with the two books of full content outlines (155 pages). The rest of the teleprompter scripts are now completed. I hope to finish this series of 60 lessons (filmed, edited, and duplicated) by the middle of September. I still plan to go to World Video Bible School at the end of September to begin filming the Chinese series on “Leadership.” While I am at WVBS, I will also hope to film some more English sermons as well. I have filmed almost 130 lessons at WVBS since April, 1993. I will also have some speaking appointments in the area while I am there. I am continuing to work on turning the audio lessons from WVBS and from this current Chinese sermons series into radio programs. Eventually, we hope to have between four and five years worth of programs (between 200-260) without repeating any lessons.
******************************
Chinese Website Update
At this writing (since January 2007), we have had over 24,500 visits to our Chinese website from people in 128 countries. This includes over 9,084 visits from at least 301 cities in China. It is very encouraging to know people are accessing this site around the world. We are continuing to prepare additional materials to place on this site. Through the distribution of our new DVD and radio lessons, more people are becoming aware of our website.
************************
TAIWAN – A MOST UNIQUE WORK!
When the apostle Paul was in Damascus waiting to be told what he must do, the Lord appeared unto Ananias and told him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake” (Acts 9:15,16). The apostle Paul was selected to do a special work during his lifetime. In addition to teaching the Jews, he was to go to the Gentiles to give them the opportunity to obey the gospel. Paul points out that as Peter was committed to preaching to the Jews, he was also committed to preaching to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7,8).
Throughout the book of Acts we see Paul first going to the Jews, then turning to teach the Gentiles the gospel (Acts 13:46-48; 14:1-18; 15:3; 17:1-5; 17:16-30; 18:6). At times, it was necessary for Paul to make tents to continue his work (Acts 18:3). During this period, Paul suffered much for the cause of Christ. He was stoned by his enemies at Lystra (Acts 14:19), put in prison in Philippi (Acts 16:24), and was sent away by night in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10). We only need to read 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 to understand the suffering Paul endured for the cause of Christ.
No missionary intends to compare their lives and the work they are doing to the work and life of the apostle Paul, but naturally there are some similarities between his work and the work being done in Taiwan among the twenty three million people living there.
Plenty of Work in America
In 1982, when we were preparing to go to Taiwan and work among the Chinese people, many said to us, “there is plenty of work to be done here in America, why do you want to go to Taiwan, so far away from your family and friends, to preach the gospel?”
I am sure that in Paul’s day there was plenty of work that could have been done among just among the Jews, but Jesus said, “Go into all the world.” In order for us to take the gospel to the entire world, some must be willing to leave our homeland. In Paul’s day, there were many more Gentiles than Jews in the world. For every one American there are four Chinese people in this world. We must not neglect to teach 20% of the world’s population.
Sacrifices Have to Be Made in Mission Work
When we decided to go to Taiwan, I am sure we did not fully realize the sacrifices that would have to be made during that time. I realize the sacrifices we made in can in no way compare with the sacrifices made by many of the earlier missionaries and certainly do not compare with the sacrifices made by the apostle Paul and other missionaries in the first century.
Whether it is the separation from friends and family, the adjustment to a new culture, learning a new language, or the aggravations in getting things done when desired; in order to get the gospel to the world, we must realize our responsibility in the sight of God to preach the gospel in spite of sacrifices that must be made.
If you are considering a work in a foreign country, be sure you understand these sacrifices have to be made to accomplish the work for God. King David understood the concept of sacrifice (2 Samuel 24:24), the Macedonian Christians understood it (2 Corinthians 8:1-5), Paul understood it (2 Timothy 4:7,8), and we also must understand it!
The Work in Taiwan
The Chinese Mandarin is the prominent language among the Chinese people in the world. Although there are many Chinese dialects, the majority of Chinese speak Mandarin. To our knowledge, there are very few men who have the ability to preach the gospel in the Chinese Mandarin who are standing for the truth of God. Just a few men in the whole world – what a challenge! We are in need of a new wave of workers who are willing to make the sacrifices to learn this language and help spread the gospel, not only in Taiwan, but also in Mainland China.
So, you can see brethren, the work in Taiwan is truly unique. We have faithful local brethren who are doing their best to see that the gospel in presented to the Chinese people there in Taiwan, and it is our hope, our prayer, and our goal, to see the gospel preached to all of Mainland China as that opportunity arises. Please continue to pray for this most unique work. Also pray that the more than 1.3 billion Chinese people will have the opportunity to hear the precious gospel of Christ before it is eternally too late. (NOTE: I will again travel to Taiwan in December to work with some of the brethren there. JMG.)
*****************************
You can view an video update on the work we are doing in preparing Chinese materials at the website below:
http://oabs.org/Archives/Lectures/msop2009.htm
*****************************
PLEASE PASS THIS REPORT TO THOSE YOU THINK MIGHT HAVE INTEREST IN OUR WORK!
*****************************
“Chinese Radio Program” We have an hour of programming on AM 1206 in Taiwan. We first air our English Truth for the World broadcast, immediately followed by our Chinese program. This one-hour program has a potential audience of 197 million people. This is aired on a 100,000 watt Radio Station in Taiwan. Four eastern provinces in China are able to hear this program, as well as three central counties in Taiwan. Please continue to pray for these efforts. These programs are also available on our Chinese website: www.tftwchinese.org.
– John M. Grubb
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