by Ellen Peters - Regional Leader (Middle Asia)

Published in our quarterly magazine "Xpress" in September 2006

I tried to distract my friend’s child as the enraged driver snatched up a crowbar and jumped off our minibus. A mob was already pouring into the remaining spaces around the unfolding scene to see who would win this contest between a Chinese driver and a minority man whose bicycle had been bumped by our bus. Some of the bystanders seemed edgy; others, eager for a good fight—ready to jump in at the slightest provocation.

Angry flare-ups aren’t that surprising in minority areas of China. Many minority people hate the Chinese, resentful that they aren’t given more privileges and freedoms; and Chinese sometimes look down on them as backward and uncultured. The anger often simmers just below the surface, until some incident turns up the heat, causing it to boil over into a violent eruption.

What is surprising in these areas is the witnessing force that has been emerging. In the face of deep hostilities that have spanned centuries, God is burdening Chinese believers to reach out across these difficult cultural borders. Even if hatred weren’t an issue, the cultural divide is vast.

These witnesses have many advantages, however. They don’t “stick out” like many foreigners do. My husband and I worked for years among a minority group in China. Everything we did was noticed. We couldn’t visit friends without drawing attention to them, sometimes resulting in a police visit to their home. Chinese workers living in minority areas, on the other hand, don't draw such attention.

The big question in recent years is whether there is still a role for foreign workers in China. Chinese friends have expressed to us that there is. But, perhaps that role is changing as more and more Chinese are raised up for the task of reaching their countrymen, even those in minority areas.

In June, some of our personnel—with input from some Chinese brothers—met together for prayer and discussion to discern how we can be more strategic in facilitating the Chinese in their sending efforts—efforts that go beyond just cultural borders, but extend to other nations.

As an organisation, what do we have to offer? What are the Chinese asking for? Some Westerners are seeking to come in and exert control. But the recurring requests from the Chinese are for support and training.

In recent years my husband and I have heard more than one story of Chinese who have been sent to a middle eastern country, but failed to remain because they were ill-prepared for what they would face.

In May, we walked into a language school in one of these restrictive countries, where we spotted a Chinese couple and a single among the foreigners chatting around a dinner table. Their eyes lit up as we greeted them in Chinese. In a short time we felt like family and listened with joy as they shared their heart of passion for the people of that country. When we asked them if other Chinese were serving in the country, they shared that, yes, some had come, but all had returned home. In their assessment, these workers just weren’t able to cope in the drastically different culture. They shared with us that they were painfully aware of their own need for preparation and input as they sought to understand and connect with this new culture.

It is refreshing to see the zeal of these precious brothers and sisters, but sometimes they are unaware of offensive cultural practices that cast up unnecessary barriers to the Gospel or of the preparations they need to make in order to stay the distance. One of our personnel in China has been informally training workers coming into his minority area in order to help them become more culturally sensitive. So much more could be done to help prepare those who are feeling a need for training.

On another note, some of these Chinese believers are sent out with only enough support to last for a year; when their ‘seed’ money runs out, it is up to them to find a way of supporting themselves. There are needs for platform opportunities to sustain them in their place of service, whether in China or outside of the country. Some of our personnel have been helping in this way informally, but we would like to be more intentional.

This will work best through a spirit of partnership. One organization that is sending out Chinese has asked for our help in finding ‘landing places’ for their people.

As we’ve begun asking our personnel whether they would like to receive Chinese nationals to become part of their team, we’ve already received some positive responses. Steps are now being taken to make a way for this to happen. We want to be proactive about connecting the requests for workers with those who are wanting to be sent.

And lastly, how can we help in the area of member care? Why couldn’t we help new Chinese teams in other countries get established, supporting them through the difficult phases of language learning and culture shock, and being available to partner as needed as they transition into full-time ministry?

It’s necessary to think outside the box as our world keeps changing. As more and more developing nations begin to send out witnesses, we need to be attuned to God’s Spirit to know what roles He wants us to play to help them succeed in His harvest.

These are exciting times for standing beside our Chinese brothers and sisters to cheer them on in what God is doing, and to be available to strengthen their hands in ways that they see as most useful. God didn’t create such a large number of Chinese without a purpose. This is an unprecedented time in world witness, as we are seeing the potential for perhaps the largest gospel workforce in history to be unleashed on our troubled world.