To assist missionaries in mainland China to nurture their next generation, Chinese Communications Inc., a Chinese ministry started around 30 years ago, will commence this week "Project Sub-nature" to care for the missionary children's health and provide direct assistance.
Hong Kong magazine "Epoch Times" managing editor Mrs. Tsai wrote an article estimating over 10,000 missionary families lives in China. According to the book "The Last Turning Point for Chinese Nationality" written by Rev. Thomas Wang, at the rate at which Chinese Christians are growing, by year 2010 the estimate can exceed one billion, number churches will be well over 300,000. By that time, churches in China will need an additional 200,000 missionaries.
Yet from report filed by the Chinese Communications China ministry's research, China, especially missionaries to farmlands, live with impoverish conditions. Chinese Communications Inc. of USA General Director Mrs. Chan who was on short term mission to China in March, have written an article describing the living conditions of missionaries there:
"Because harvest is the only source of revenue for farmland believers, often times they do not possess the ability to give offerings, so even the basic needs of church is jepardized. To take care of the mission staff is even more difficult. These past years the fees for elementary and high school education has been on the rise, many missionaries face the dilemma of not being able to send their children to school. The situation for elementary school is such a burden that missionaries would send their children to work in towns or cities right after graduation. How great are the sorrows in those missionaries! A few times I overheard that some missionaries because of their family situation could not devote themselves to ministries full time anymore! Although the reason was not spoken, I believe most likely because of the financial hardship in paying for the tuition of their children that has left the missionaries in conflict!"
"Once I conversed with a minister of a church, because the church cannot provide the missionary's living expense, her three children all went to work right after graduating elementary school. Being their mother, she could only pray for them daily, asking the Lord to protect them from hardships and become polluted by the society. The burden of the heart of this mother is obvious!"
Mrs. Chan explained that while caring for their staffs in China, they discovered that the most immediate help they need is to nurture missionary's children. There are many missionaries in China who would spend months away preaching and could not take care of their young. Financial hardship has also deprived their children of education and health care.
Mrs. Chan said, Chinese Communications Inc. hopes there would be donators who would fund one to one for a missionary child in China, securing their physical and spiritual health. Yet for the safety concerns, the organization will not reveal the names of the supported children or their addresses.
"Project Sub-nature" allows missionary children to receive monthly medical and health support, to help them to receive education, and to arrange sunday schools for them. Other than that, they are also planning to assign staffs to each town or area in hopes to provide assistance the local believers and villagers.
