This was written by a missionary who has been working on the Thailand/Burma border. This is her experience in the remote villages of that region. - blog manager

I felt like I was stepping back in time. Rutted, rocky roads wound in thin dusty ribbons through the mountains and steep jungle rose on either side. After we turned off the main road and put the trucks in 4 wheel drive, there was nothing but a slow, wondrous climb into some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen.

Bamboo fences ran along the fields and small bamboo huts dotted the hillside. There were 50 degree areas planted in corn--the hill-tribe people use every piece of available land for farming.

This was my first journey into the hill-tribe villages. I hope it will not be my last!

A little background: last year I got to work with a delightful Australian couple, Fran and Owen, who have a passion for the unreached, and this area in particular. They have since transferred to another organization than the one I am with this year, and it was my great privilege to join them and their team on a weekend trip to several Karen villages in the mountains north of Mae Sot.

There were roughly 25 in the group--a team of Aussies from Fran and Owen's home church, several Karen/Burmese Mae Sot locals (8 students from a fabulous Christian school here, along with 3 of their teachers. They all worked as our translators and were AWESOME!), and myself. It was an amazing group of people to work with. I was so blessed with everyone's willingness to deal with heat, fatigue, sickness, and quite primitive living for a weekend. Their was a heartbeat of love for Jesus among us and I could see on the faces of those we interacted with that they had been blessed.

Together we left Friday morning and drove several hours into the mountains....taking several breaks along the way for a few among us who got a little queasy on all the curves. ;)

In the early afternoon we turned off the concrete road and traveled several kilometers into the jungle. Some of the roads were so rocky and steep that we were all clenching our teeth and gripping the seat rests white-knuckled. Thanks to our amazing drivers, we made it without incident. :)

Our team spent two nights in one village that functioned as our base camp. I loved this village--the people were so precious, so curious, and eager to welcome us. They were shy at first--especially the children. Fran and Owen have been working for several years to build a relationship that would make a trip like this possible. This was the first time they had brought a large group of Westerners to minister to the village--WOW!!! What an exciting opportunity! We felt so thankful for the doors God has opened over the years.

Friday evening we unloaded a MOUNTAIN of luggage, food, and bedding {amazing what it takes for a group to survive for 3 days;)} and got settle into the lodging the village pastor had prepared for us: an old school on stilts, divided upstairs into tiny dorm rooms with a dirt-floor kitchen, meeting area and toilet below. There is no electricity in the village, although they have wiring which is occasionally used on special occasions when a generator is brought in--in this case, by us.

At 6PM that night we held our first church service in the tiny Anglican church building in the village. Many people came. There are about 100 families in this particular Karen village, though less than 5 of them are Christian. Several of the men from our group preached and gave personal testimonies, and we closed the service with an invitation for those needing healing to come forward for prayer. We spent hours in prayer that weekend. It was probably the greatest "work" that we did--and was a hugely stretching experience for me. But such a wonderful one.

We laid hands on and prayed for so many individuals that night; they just kept coming. Some were healed of things like chronic pain, headaches, or total paralysis on one side. Some were not miraculously healed, but I treasured the opportunity to simply pray over these people. God knows what they need to believe--for some, maybe it is a miraculous healing. For others, it is something else. I'm so glad we can trust HIS wisdom!! There was a spirit of surrender and worship in the service and I felt that God was being glorified. The spiritual background of most people in this village is animism--for generations they have been in the bondage of spirit and ancestral worship. Many of them regularly see ghosts and they live in constant fear of everything. We spent a lot of time also praying against spiritual darkness and for freedom from the bondage of the demons who have such a hold on this whole village.

While the adult service was going on, others from our group held a children's service just outside the church. Wow what a JOYFUL NOISE!!!! Their laughter and sounded to me like a huge waterfall! About 70 children came, and they estimated another 150 adults watching on the perimeters!! The team sang, played, and spoke to the children and generally had a fabulous time. :)

Saturday morning we got up early and loaded up into the vehicles for a 2 hour drive to another village farther up the mountain. We drove over what seemed like 5 mountains and saw some incredibly remote, beautiful countryside. My face was plastered to the window the whole time. :) It was AMAZING!! In a way it reminded me of the Appalachian mountains back home. :) Some of the roads were the kind that made me hold my breath...like one where we traveled along a narrow stretch on the side of a cliff that looked to be made of shale. The edge was clearly crumbling off and there were signs posted at either end of a 500' stretch. We were glad we couldn't read Thai to know the real danger we were in as we said a prayer and roared across as fast as we safely could. :)

After we arrived some of the men left and picked up a group of believers from a nearby village to come and also join in the service. The day was full of interacting with the village children and winning their hearts through play and smiles and hugs when language barriers affected communication. The village people served us lunch which we bravely ate--normally I'm not bothered at all by strange foods or the thought of somtehing being dirty, but that noon meal was a stretch. :) Haha....a few got sick but I was pretty blessed---never got sick the whole weekend which was something I was specifically praying about.

Saturday was a full day.....we were all quite worn out from the hours on the road over rutted, dangerous roads, but we forged ahead, rushed back to the home base village and prepared for dinner before a second meeting in the village that night.

Sunday morning we rose with the sun and began the church service at 7AM sharp. :) This was a first for me....but it was refreshing in a way. :) The assistant pastor came out around 6:30 AM and used a gong to beat on the church "bell"--the rim of a tire. :) No sleeping through that.....

All the services were meaningful for different reasons, but one of the things that excited me the most was looking around at the faces of those attending--knowing the lies that they believe and the fear that fills their hearts and knowing that God LOVES them and longs to draw them to Himself. This was my first experience inteacting with people who are largely unreached. It was sobering--how will they know if they have not heard?! The times I spent praying over people were so moving for me....I feel that God gave me a deeper glimpse of His mercy and love. These are not just numbers or statistics or nameless faces....they are PEOPLE, each one with a story and needs and a soul that was created for God. I pray that His spirit will continue to move in their hearts. We also had the privilege of taking communion with the local believers and it excited me all over again to experience the unity that crosses all cultures and languages for those that know Jesus.

In the afternoon I did a bit of medical care for a man who had accidentally shot himself in the arm recently and wasn't healing properly. Then we ate lunch and packed up and started the trip home.

On our way, we stopped at a 4th village to spend time praying for a paraplegic. This man had become saved as a young man and 3 months later fell out of a tree, breaking his neck. He has been confined to a crude bed fo 18 years now. Some movement as been regained over the years, but his faith has not wavered. We prayed for his healing and for encouragement and peace. Seeing his sweet, serene face and hearing of his faith made me cry---there was no complaining spirit or bitterness, and yet he has coped with a devastating handicap for half his life. Would I be so faithful? It challenged and humbled me.

We came home exhausted. I felt like I'd come out of a spiritual whirlwind. So much time in prayer, doing warfare in a community where the Devil's hold is so strong is draining physically and emotionally. We came home, unpacked, and then collapsed into bed for some deep sweet sleep.

The weekend was a precious experience for me. I witnessed God's power and felt His presence in darkness in some real and meaningful ways. In the prayers for healing especially, I learned some valuable lessons about offering my faith--weak as it might be--to God and trusting Him to do what is BEST. In a discussion with some of the team members later, we were asking some of those hard questions about healing--why does God heal some but not others? Is there really a "Time to die"? Why do bad things happen? Does a lack of healing indicate a lack of belief? At the end, we concluded this simple truth:

Our faith must not be in our faith, but in God. Healing is not the goal--God's glory is. 

Forgotten: The Movie

 


Here is the film we having been working on the past month or so. This is based on a true story, and gives a glimpse of the persecuted church and the need for Bibles overseas. This is also available in HD, as well as standard definition, on Youtube. Please watch this and share it around.

Urgent Prayer Request from Iran

To all our readers: I received this email from Paul Hattaway, who is director of Asia Harvest and who we support in the production of Bibles for those in China. This email is concerning an Iranian pastor on trial for his faith, with a good chance that he will be put to death for his beliefs. His trial is coming up in two days; please pray hard for God to work in this situation. Here is the email I received in its entirety. Please share it around and get more details at asiaharvest.org.

Dear Friends,

You probably know that we rarely send emails unless we have a very urgent prayer request we would like to share with you. This is such a time.

A dear personal friend of mine is in trouble for no reason except that he loves and obeys Jesus Christ. His name is Saeed Abedini. He was born in Iran, but is now a US citizen. His wife Naghmeh is also a US citizen and they live with their two children in the US state of Idaho.

Saeed, despite being just 32 years old, has been instrumental in bringing many Iranian Muslims to the Lord, and has established numerous house churches throughout Iran.

He asked me to write his biography, and I was working on it when Saeed made one last trip back to Iran to say goodbye to his family. He knew that when his book came out it would be impossible for him to travel back to the country of his birth.

I can assure you that his testimony is quite remarkable and will bring much glory to God, and I can testify that Saeed is a God-fearing brother who loves the Lord Jesus. Before he met the Lord, Saeed was so depressed he wanted to commit suicide, and for a time he was trained by Hezbollah to be a suicide bomber. After he experienced salvation through the Blood of Jesus Christ, Saeed’s whole life was so dramatically transformed that he could not help but spread the Good News to as many people as possible.

In September last year Saeed was travelling on a bus near the Iranian border when Revolutionary Guards boarded the bus and dragged him off. He has been held for months while he waited for his case to come before the courts of Iran. He is currently captive in the notorious Evin Prison in Tehran. He has been mercilessly tortured, but has not denied His Lord and Savior.

Despite being an American citizen, the US State Department has done nothing to help as they have no relationship with Iran. From the human level, there is little hope for Saeed. Indications have been given that he may be sentenced to 18 years in prison, or possibly even given the death penalty.

That is why I am asking you to pray. What politicians and the strength of men are unable to achieve, God can do!

Today we received news that Saeed’s case has been assigned to a notorious judge who is known as ‘the hanging judge” because of his history of sending people to the gallows. This man has such a fearsome reputation that few lawyers in Iran are willing to defend clients before him, because the judge often has the lawyer thrown into prison as well. He is due to hand down his sentence next week. The American Center for Law and Justice has released this harrowing statement, which includes a picture of Saeed and his family:http://aclj.org/iran/american-father-husband-abandoned-iran-handed-hanging-judge

Despite all these hardships, Saeed continues to stand strong for the Lord. In a recent letter to his family from prison he wrote, “Prison is a test of faith. I was always worried that the storms of this life would break the ship of my faith, but when you stand steadfast, the storms are like a nice breeze. Nothing can break my faith. These walls have created more fervor for me to love others through sharing the Gospel, but more than that, the walls have deepened my love for my Savior. I feel the prayers of all who are praying for me.”

Can you please pray that our Living God will perform a miracle for Saeed and his family?

·         Whatever the outcome, please pray that the Name of Jesus will be glorified and many thousands in Iran will hear the Gospel because of Saeed’s imprisonment.

·         Please ask God to soften the heart of Judge Pir-Abassi, and that the Lord’s will may completely overshadow all the proceedings. Pray Saeed will receive grace and favour from the Lord.

·         Ask God to bring this situation to the attention of many intercessors around the world who will pray for Saeed and his family.

·         Please pray Saeed will continue to stand firm and be a great witness to the guards and other prisoners he comes into contact with.

·         Pray the Gospel will continue to spread to the 70 million captive Iranians. Many are open to knowing and following Jesus Christ, but have never heard the message of His salvation.

Please feel free to forward this message to other praying Christians. There are no security restrictions on it and there is nothing in the content which the Iranian government doesn’t already know. You may also post this message in its entirety on social media or websites, if you feel it will help mobilize more Christians to pray.

For our King,

Paul Hattaway

www.asiaharvest.org

Spiritual Genocide in China: An Interview with Paul Hattaway

In a previous post we shared an interview that was conducted with Paul Hattaway, director of Asia Harvest. We have been partnering with this ministry to help provide as many Bibles as possible for Christians throughout China. In this interview, Hattaway continues the discussion on the present need for Bibles in this country. This article first appeared in the Asia Harvest newsletter, and has been slightly abridged.

-Reagan Schrock, GOA blog manager

Asia Harvest: What do you find is the main point of confusion people have when you share about the need for millions of Bibles in China today?

Paul Hattaway: Without doubt the most difficult thing many Christians outside China struggle to grasp is how come there is still such a huge need when they have heard that Bibles are now legally printed inside China by the government-approved Amity Press.

We dealt with this subject extensively in our previous interviews, but basically the frustration is one of scale. In a country of more than 1.3 billion people, to allow a trickle of legal Bibles, only available to believers in the registered churches, is obviously not going to satisfy the need of the 60 million+ Christians who don’t belong to the government –approved churches. They have been isolated and left alone to fight for a crumbs which might fall from the table.At the same time, it is a tricky balancing act because we are thankful for every single Bible that is legally printed in China! We just wish they did tens of millions more, and that there was a way to feed all of God’s hungry children, rather than favoring those who attend a certain kind of church.

AH: If the need for Bibles among the house churches is so great, why do so many people, and organizations like The Bible Society, claim there are plenty of Bibles available for Christians in China today?

Hattaway: People need to understand one more key element to the need for Bibles in China. Unless people understand thus they will remain confused about why there are such varying claims.

There are three government entities in China: the Three-Self Church, the China Christian Council, and the Amity Press (which is sponsored by The Bible Society). These three entities do NOT acknowledge the presence of the (illegal) house churches we serve. If they do mention [them] at all, it is grudgingly, [and] they scoff at any suggestions that there are 50 or 60 million house church Christians, compared to only about 20 million believers among the registered churches in China.

This being the case, in the eyes of these organizations there are plenty of Bibles in China today among the registered churches they serve, because they have chosen to close their minds and eyes to the vast need of the house churches.

Tragically, the need for the Bibles among the house churches has become even more acute in recent years because several ministries who used to supply Bibles to them are no longer doing so. Some decided it was more politically correct to give their money to print legal Bibles than risk their reputations helping the illegal believers.

AH: In many countries there is an abundance of Bibles sitting on Christians’ shelves, and they can even be found in the homes of unbelievers. Why are the Chinese so desperate for God’s Word compared to many Christians in other parts of the world?

Paul: The difference is that the Word of God is fresh and new to many people in China. They have no Christian background or worldview, so when they hear the message it is amazing and transformative to them. This is especially true in poorer rural areas, but a little less so in the bigger cities where materialism has taken hold.

More than 60 years of atheistic Communist teaching in China has resulted in a large spiritual void in the lives of a billion people. When many people hear truth, they are eager to embrace it and wholeheartedly live for God.

There are problems in the Chinese church, but I have always appreciated the hunger and reverence the majority of Chinese Christians have not only to read God’s Word, but to live it. The first step, however, is for them to have access to it!

AH: Several people have asked us if it would be a better idea to stop printing paper Bibles in China, and use more modern methods to get God’s Word to the Christians there, such as Bibles on smart phones, MP3 players, CDs, etc. What do you think?

Hattaway: It is always wonderful to hear how Christians are using their initiative to provide Bibles in electronic and other forms. As long as God’s Word is getting to the Christians who need it, I am happy!

When it comes to the 60 million or more house church Christians in China, however, it needs to be understood that the majority of them live in poor, remote farming areas. In such areas, the average income is often just a few hundred dollars per year. Most of the house church believers we serve have never owned a smart phone or computer in their lives.

There are house churches in the cities too, but they tend to have an easier time accessing Bibles, so practically 100 percent of the Bibles we print and distribute are to these rural regions of China.

While we are thankful for every effort people are making to get God’s Word into China in more modern formats, we remain committed to helping meet the stated needs of those we serve. Their requests remain for paper Bibles, and lots of them.

AH: We have arrived at the end of our interview. I think everyone reading this will no doubt be much more knowledgeable about the need for Bibles in China today. Do you have any last things you would like to say?

Hattaway: In the Parable of the sheep and goats, Jesus taught His followers that there is much more to life than us sitting around trying to perfect our doctrine. His kingdom is very practical. To the sheep, Jesus said, “Come, you who are blessed by mu Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go visit you?’ The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25: 34-40).

There are millions of Christians in China right now who are hungry and thirsty for God’s Word, but they cannot obtain it. There are believers who are spiritually sick, naked and bound because of a famine of God’s Word.

This is not some kind of fundraising appeal. We are presenting an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of many Christians in China.

Thank you for the opportunity I have had to share the reality of this great need with you. Please pray our Heavenly Father will provide all His children in China with Bibles, so that they may know His Word intimately.

We invite you to be part of this wonderful and strategic opportunity to help the Church in China.

International Day of Prayer, 2012

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Dying, we conquer. The moment we are crushed, that moment we go forth victorious.” –Tertullian, early church leader (197 AD)

On November 11, thousands of Christians worldwide will set aside the day to remember and pray for the persecuted church around the globe. As the Bible commands us, “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated…” (Hebrews 13:3 ESV)

Many seem to forget that persecution of the Body of Christ is something that still happens around the world. We sometimes have the mindset that the early Christians in Rome were the only ones who died for their faith; now, in our 21th century world, we can’t imagine being imprisoned simply for believing that Christ truly was the Son of God. And yet this is a reality to millions of Christians worldwide.

Today, there are more Christian martyrs (someone murdered for their faith in God) than there were in 100 AD (the days of the Roman Empire). In 1999, an estimated 164,000 people worldwide paid the ultimate price for their Christian convictions. All in one year. That means an average of 450 Christian were killed every day.

In China alone, more than 250,000 Christians have been martyred for their faith since 845 AD. In Iran, being found with a Bible means you may be rejected by your family and imprisoned; in Algeria, you might be beaten by police; and in North Korea you would be executed.

Yet, in the countries where Christians are rejected for their faith, God’s Spirit continues to grow. Despite Satan’s hardest efforts to extinguish Christianity, it has refused to be stopped.

Mehdi Dibaj, a Christian martyred in Iran in 1994, said these words: “I would rather have the whole world against me, but know that the Almighty God is with me, I would rather be called an apostate, but know that I have the approval of the God of glory…” These Christians who stand for Christ no matter what the cost, even giving their lives, are those “Of whom the world was not worth…” (Hebrews 11:38)

 This week, especially remember those brothers and sisters who are persecuted for what they believe. Pray that God would be their strength in times of trial, and that their light would not be dimmed.

Reagan Schrock, GOA blog manager

 
For more information, see the websites persecution.com and idop.org.

Spiritual Genocide in China

Previous on this blog, we posted a series (8/23/11 and 8/30/11)of articles that consisted of an interview with Paul Hattaway, director of Asia Harvest. This is a follow-up interview with Hattaway on the same topic. A second part to this interview will be posted shortly.

GOA has had the privilege of working with Asia Harvest to produce thousands of Bibles all across China. We ask you to come beside us and help us as we continue to work with various mission organizations, including Asia Harvest, to print thousands of pieces of gospel literature throughout Asia. By the grace of God, we have been able to raise and send over thirteen thousand dollars to the mission field in the last two years.

Last year we spoke about the emergency need for Bibles in China. How has been the progress of the project over the past year?

Paul Hattaway: We praise God that many people responded with prayer and generous support, and we have experienced a sharp increase in the number of Bibles printed and distributed in the house churches.

In 2011 we were privileged to provide just under 1.6 million Chinese Bibles, which works out to one Bible printed every 20 seconds.

A single snowflake is fragile and easily brushed aside. But if enough snowflakes join together they can become strong enough to stop a large truck in its tracks!

Similarly, the strength of the Bible project is in the fact that many of normal Christians have heard about the 

need, and have sensed the Lord wanted them to help.

The overwhelming majority of people who give to this project are not wealthy. The average donation we receive is in the $20 to $50 range. Added together, the result has been a very powerful force for the kingdom of God!

You mentioned how Bibles are like bread to starving Christians in China. Is that analogy accurate? Are the believers really starving?

Hattaway: How healthy would your Christian walk be if you were a new believer and had no way of reading God’s Word for yourself?

I think it is often hard for people in other countries to comprehend the value of a Bible in China. Whereas in nations where Bibles are plentiful, [where] they often sit unread on people’s shelves, in China the Word of God is like the pearl of great price Jesus spoke of (Matt. 13:44-45).

Let me remind you that these are fellow Christians who need God’s Word. They are our family members, millions of them, who have heard the Good News about Jesus and responded to it by repenting of their sins and believing. Tragically, their faith often stagnates because of a lack of understanding, due to their inability to get a Bible.

It is clear to me and those I work with that one main way China tries to stop the spread of the house churches is to deliberately starve them from access to Bibles. The hope is that the house churches will stop spreading the faith, and will gradually decay and crumble. It is a kind of spiritual genocide against the house churches of China.

‘Spiritual genocide’ is a strong phrase to use. Can you explain what you mean?

Hattaway: The dictionary defines “genocide” as “the deliberate and systemic extermination of national, racial, political or cultural group.”

From the time Communism first appeared, it has been a priority of governments to crush religion, especially Christianity. The founder of this godless ideology, Karl Marx, stated, “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

As most people how, there are two main kinds of churches in China today: those approved by the government, and churches that refuse to register or come under government control. These latter congregations are commonly referred to as ‘house churches’ or ‘underground churches’. Every Bible we print and deliver is to a house church Christian.

I believe China long ago realized they could not totally destroy Christianity, although they tried hard to do so in the 1960s and 70s. Today, the strategy is more one of containment. They don’t mind too much if Christians agree to meet in approved church buildings which they can exert an element of control over. Indeed, they have even agreed to print a limited number of Bibles for such ‘patriotic’ Christians who attend these churches.

What China loathes is the kind of vibrant Christianity which refuses to be contained within the four walls of a church building. Such faith scares the government, because it spread quickly like wildfire, transforming lives and making millions of people willing to live and die for a new Master, Jesus Christ!

We do not have anything against Christians who meet in government approved churches―indeed, God is moving powerfully in many of them. We supply Bibles to the house churches simply because they have far less opportunity to access God’s Word that those who attend a government church. Most of the areas where our Bibles are distributed are extremely poor farming areas in remote provinces like Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Gansu and Qinghai.

Another way they achieve this goal is to spread clever propaganda throughout the Christian world, telling them, among other things, that Bibles are plentiful in China today. They may be if you attend a government church, but if you are a rural house Christian, it seems you are looked down upon and treated like a second-class Christians, not only by the government but sadly, even by some other members of the Body of Christ.

What is the best way to try to convince Christians around the world about the reality of the need for Bibles in China, and hopefully wake some of them up from the misinformation they have been [taught]?

Hattaway: All we can do is tell the truth, pray, and let the Holy Spirit convince people of the reality of what we and others are saying about the desperate need for Bibles in China.

To be honest, I find it a very strange battle, and much of what we argue against is completely irrational thinking. Let me give you an example of what I mean.

What would you say if a Christian leader from your home town went to Africa for a couple of weeks, visited a few churches and major cities, and then returned home to energetically conduct media interviews and tell everyone: “There are no hungry children in Africa! I have been there in person, and I can tell you the stories you have heard for years are all false. Everywhere I went there was plenty of food, and all the children appeared well-nourished and happy.”

You would (hopefully) realize such a man was totally deceived, and his extremely limited experience did not qualify him to form any worthwhile judgments on Africa. Decades of evidence has shown that there are millions of starving children in Africa, that corruption and the interference of wicked men diverts food from reaching them, all while drought continues to devastate vast regions.

Well, dear friends, is these any real difference between this and what happens in China today?

Numerous Christian leaders, some of them would famous names, have flown into China for a few weeks, been taken around by officials from the government church, and returned home absolutely convinced that they know the truth about China! “Everywhere I went the Christians had Bibles” they confidently declare. “I even visited Amity Press, where millions of Bibles are produced each year.”

Don’t listen to people speaking on the subject of Bibles in China unless they have traveled far from the modern cities, to the poor farming communities where the majority of house churches are based. If they are willing to leave their hotel in Beijing and catch a series of rough trains and buses for two days into northeast Inner Mongolia, they will find tens of thousands of new believers with absolutely no way of obtaining Bibles.

I feel scared for those Christian leaders who become active propaganda tools for China. Most are completely unaware that they are contributing to the spiritual starvation of millions of God’s children. The sad thing is that most of these men are genuine believers, and the last thing they would ever want to do is harm other Christians, yet this is exactly what is taking place.

Over the years, a number of house church leaders have wept openly before me. They simply can’t understand how Christians around the world are so easily deceived. They view their famine of Bibles as a form of persecution. They are used to persecution, but not at the hands of fellow believers.

Some Christians might be upset at what you have said. What would you say them?

Hattaway: It is not my job to say or write things that make people feel ‘happy’ and comfortable. The role of every Christian should be to tell the truth, in love.

My primary concern is for the tens of millions of Christians starving in China without Bibles. We continue to be flooded with letters from senior house church leaders throughout China, begging for hundreds of thousands of Bibles to be sent urgently for new believers in their churches. They are afraid the harvest will spoil, and they know of no other place to access Bibles in the kind of quantities they need. We have not told you these things in some kind of bid to manipulate you for our own benefit. It is the Christians in China who benefit from this project. We use the funds we receive so that the maximum numbers of Bibles are produced, for the cheapest possible price. That is why we print and deliver Bibles for just $1.80 each. It is a project that operates on a shoe-string budget, with all the fat already cut out!