I arrived home in America safely after six months of exciting and Friends, I cannot find words to

rewarding ministry in Asia. Our missionary work in India is progressing well, tell you the challenge I feel when faced
and our pastors, workers, and Home children send their greetings and prayers. with a generation of multiplied
I ministered in Bali, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and completed my hundreds of millions of young Chinese
missionary journeys in Shanghai, China. Shanghai is the largest city in the that have never heard the mention of
world with a population of 20 million. I love the Asian people, and spent eight Jesus a single time. They do not learn of
exciting days riding the crowded subways (the longest subway system in the Him in the schools, in the workplace, in
their homes, or on TV. I think we Ameri-
world—teeming with masses of people), walking through the city, and
can Christians assume that most of the
meeting and talking to hundreds of Chinese residents.
people in the world know about Jesus.
You might recall that I visited in Beijing, China last spring, and left there
Romans 10:14 says, “But how can they
with a great burden and vision to reach the youth of China with the message of call on him to save them unless they
Jesus’ love. I found the same hunger for spirituality as I talked to young people believe in him? And how can they
in Shanghai. Mao Tse-tung, who died in 1976, and who for decades held believe in him if they have never heard
absolute power over the lives of one-quarter of the world's population, was about him? And how can they hear Shanghai, the Old City
responsible for well over 70 million deaths. He tried to wipe out every trace of about him unless someone tells them?”
religion and Christianity during his bloody rule, and as a result there is a new I had the opportunity of telling these two young ladies the story of Jesus.
generation in China that has no knowledge of the gospel of Jesus. But what of the rest of the masses in China that comprise 1.3 BILLION souls? I
And so I want to relate to you this experience. I had read of a Buddhist remember the old camp meeting missionary song:
temple in Shanghai that housed a priceless jade carving. In 1882, the Jade Outside the fold, Out in the cold,
Buddha Temple was built to keep two jade Buddha statues which had been No one to tell them that Jesus has died.
brought from Burma. There were several staff guides in the temple, and as Wandering alone, Far, far from home,
often is the case as I travel throughout Asia, they were interested in hearing Millions are dying, they’re on the outside.
about who this foreigner was and about America. The task of reaching so many lost souls in China, Indonesia, Thailand,
It was late afternoon when I left the temple, and I decided to walk Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and India, countries for which I feel a great burden
around the area and then find the entrance to a subway to return to my room. and calling to reach for Jesus, seems impossible and overwhelming. But the Lord
I was standing on a street corner watching a vendor making tea, when two Jesus has commissioned us to reach our generation, and while the task is
ladies greeted me. They were guides from the temple, and they recognized me. formidable, we nonetheless must do our best.
They asked where I was going, and I told them I would look for a place to eat Needless to say, I cannot meet this challenge alone. I need your help and
support. First, please join me in earnest prayer for a billion lost souls in Asia.
before going back to my hotel. They said they were going to eat at a nearby
Second, ask the Lord if he would have you share financially in this outreach. We are
restaurant, and asked me to join them. In China there are few foreign visitors,
preparing gospel literature in Chinese and soon in other languages, and
and all the restaurants where I ate had neither English menus nor silverware-
developing a website in Chinese aimed at young people. And we continue to
quite a challenge to order and to eat with only chopsticks. One of the ladies support all the ministries in India, the evangelists, the needy children, the widows.
was from the north of China near Mongolia, and could speak English. She This summer we want to expand all these ministries. I need an extra $10,000 for
asked what I would like to order. Since the menu was in Chinese, I asked that new projects. Some could send $1,000, some $100, some $10, each according to
she order a meal that they would have ordered if I were not there. Chinese their ability. But we must work while the doors are open. We use your gifts
custom is to order plates of food and share them. We had delicious dumplings, carefully. I personally live as sacrificially as possible. This year I travelled on a free
spicy fried chicken pieces, some fried pork, rice, and egg drop soup—all very airlines mileage ticket, and in Shanghai was able to find a clean room for just $15
delicious. per night. I am reminded of our Lord, Who said that foxes have holes, the birds have
After the dinner, it was my opportunity to witness to them. I asked her nests, but the Son of God hath no where to lay His head. The servant is not above
what she thought about Jesus Christ. She looked puzzled, and asked if he his master, and I intend to continue to live as sacrificially as possible to stretch our
might be an America rock star. I then asked if she had ever in her life heard funds to reach the lost for Jesus. May the Lord bless and prosper you as you strive
anything about Jesus. She related that she did not recall ever hearing the to live for Him. –Dr Johannes Maas
name!