IT IS TIME TO VISIT THEM!

THE ETHNIC NATIONALITIES OF YUNNAN AND SOUTHWESTERN CHINA

CONTACT REV FEZTUS LIM, YOUR ASIAN MISSION PARTNER AND PASSAGE TO YUNNAN AND WESTERN CHINA


One of the great trips we ever had was this one in November last year. The group made up of 9 Christians including 2 doctors. As we have very little time together prior to the trip, we didn't make much preparations except for some logistic details. Our arrival was warmly received by our local Chinese pastor who brought us to check into our hotel. In the evening we had dinner together with other leaders and had our first taste of local delicacy, "cross the bridge noodles". After a good chat and nice stroll by the lake, we went back to get ready for the next day.
The next morning our bus arrived and we load up all our luggages of old clothes and gifts for the village folks, props and personal logistics. The mini bus locally called "chongba" was rather comfortable. We head off with our local pastor guide for the first destination, a Miao tribe village 3 hours away.

The region was recently hit by a earthquake.

When we arrived the village Christians were already waiting anxiously at the village entrance to receive us. In fact, during the past week, they repaired the dirt track leading to the village church for fear that our vehicle might not make it there. When we approach the church, we saw the church choir standing at the entrance singing, clapping and welcoming us. Their heartwarming welcome brought a few of team members to tears.
After being formally received by church leaders and officials, we were hosted to lunch. Good wild honey with delicious beanpaste cakes as appetizer, then the gastronomical black chicken amongst other exotic village dishes. After lunch and a satisfied stomach, we were led to the church for meeting. The church is old, made up of mud-bricks wall, tile roof and wooden frame structure. The thing that caught our attention was the back roof of the church which had fell off when back portion of the church wall was damaged by the sinking earth and by the shaking when earthquake hit the area. As we sat in the church, we saw the sunlight shone brightly and beautifully through the back part of the hall. Some team members thought that the effect was intentional to bring in more light to the hall. Indeed the sight is beautiful except that the building is about to collapse. At the meeting, their choir sang and after that we sang, testified and shared. After the service, just when we were about to organise our mission clinic to see the sick, the sky started to get dark and the officials and bus driver were worried that it might rain. If it rains, it will be very dangerous for the vehicle to go down the slippery dirt road of the mountain slope. They tried to persuade us to leave the mountain before it rains. But we felt that we wanted to stay on to do what we came to do. After some discussion and delaying, thank God, the sky cleared. We then continued with ministry time where pastor lim prayed for the sick and the team set up our mission clinic to attend to the rest of the sick. During the clinic, 2 of the group members organized the rest of the village crowd and had a story-telling session. They were very interested and enjoyed the hearing. When it was time to leave, few village Christians who were so appreciative our coming, came with their miao skirts and gave them to our younger ladies of the team as momentos.

As we shake happy hands and sang, some were in tears, tears of joy.

Remote village churches like this one seldom has foreign groups coming to visit and fellowship with them. A few other villages that we previously went only had us as their first guests after some years of waiting. So it is a very special event to them that some Christians from neighbouring villages of a few hours walk will make an effort to come and join in. We finally left as the choir again stood by the road to sing farewell songs to us.
Our next destination was another village with a church where the miao, yi and lisu ethnic Christians came to attend and worship. That week the pastors and leaders of the areas were there for a month of seminar training and Bible teaching.
As we approached the last stretch of the dirt road to the village, our vehicle got stuck at the muddy part of the road. The driver tried hard to drive it out of the mud but couldn't. We got off the bus and still it was difficult to pass. The driver almost gave up until the villagers came with wood, branches and leaves to fill the road and ropes to pull the vehicle. Finally, they got the vehicle out and manage to drive nearer to the village. Again we were very kindly received and welcomed into the village church. The lunch here was even more sumptous as they were contributed by the different ethnic villages representing the variety of ethnic dishes of the people that came for the meeting. After lunch, we started the meeting immediately. At the meeting, our "one day old" choir team again sang, testified and shared. The church was packed with the rest standing outside, many peering through the windows. After the meeting, as pastor prayed for some leaders and the sick, the team again organized the clinic where our 2 doctors provided consultation and medicine for those sick. It was fascinating to see how the group instantly became the consultation team and dispensary. Even the officials who were with us alot were very grateful and impressed that we came not just to visit but also to care for the sick and poor of the villages.

Snowing in ancient city, a 15 years phenomena


So far it has been a hectic trip with tight schedule. Journeys to most destinations were few hours trip. It was also on the journey and bus that we catch up with our conversations, practicing of our singing and our much needed sleep, getting up only when the vehicle stops for food or toilet breaks.
The next place we visited was a Bible Training Center and another village church where we "open" our mission clinic again. The group enjoyed the warm reception of the 36 students and faculty at the centre. We shared and sang at the meeting with the students. Pastor encouraged them to receive the training and be prepared to serve faithfully and wholeheartedly. In the afternoon, we managed to find sometime to visit the famous local coffee factory that produces Yunnan coffee for export. That afternoon it rained. And it was here while we were at the factory that the group saw the hailstones fell. Pastor took an umbrella and walk into the rain to get the feel of the ice hitting down. Just at this moment, the local pastor from the next destination called up Pastor Lim and said, "Pastor Lim, you must come here quick, it is snowing here, a phenomena that never happened in the past 15 years"!
The next day after a long 7 hours drive, we finally reached the ancient city. Our main purpose here is to visit the Bible Training Center and the Church in the ancient city. The group enjoyed a session of singing, sharing testimonies with the 38 students and the faculty members of the Center. We open our mission clinic here for the last time. After providing consultation for the students and staff, the doctors left behind some of the medication at the Center's dispensary for their use. The most precious time was being able to enjoy dinner together with the students and fellowship with them. The students were from the different prefectures around. Coming as far as the Myanmar-Yunnan border were the Jingpo tribe students. The rest were Bai, Han, Lisu, Miao and even one Naxi tribe student. The rest of the trip was spend sightseeing and playing with snow at the mountains, visited a local Bai ethnic village, shopping and eating. Then more shopping and eating after we return to Kunming to fly out to Singapore. The trip has greatly blessed the work of God here, encouraged the local workers, giving greater role to the church in the society and empowering the leadership of the Church. More importantly it let us see the need to enable the official Churches and empower them to do more for Christ and bring more into the worship in the Church.

Your opportunity to join us in the great mission work of God. Contact us regarding
EMAIL US YOUR RESPONSE IF YOU WANT MORE NEWS
Be a part what God is sovereignly doing for the Christians and their future in China and not what some foreign/western organisations are doing for their own interest.