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Bringing Water to the Bamboo Pram People

People don’t reject the gospel, in some regions they simply haven't heard it.

This summer a team of medical students and professionals set out for China. Our aim was to see God at work in medical projects; we got more than we bargained for!
We began at grassroots level. We visited a healthcare school where students were being trained to present an animated AIDS awareness/ prevention message which in turn was used to spread the message in local communities. Students were also being taught a song taken from the Psalms, focusing on the importance of love.
We moved on to visit another community: working alongside local government. Christian development workers had assisted in the installation of a fresh water pipe. As a result, instead of walking 11 kms to fetch fresh water, children now had clean water on their doorstep. In the same village, as a result of trusting relationships built up through the water project, Christian workers had opportunities to teach Bible stories to school children, using modern-day parables to illustrate Biblical principles. We saw how these long-termers can show God's love in a very practical way; building relationships, bringing light and hope into neglected communities.
The journey continued. In a new location, we watched Christian workers training communities in key life skills. The aim was to equip families with the ability to earn an income by offering classes in sewing, handcrafts and languages. On a farm close by, local students were being taught sustainable farming techniques. They worked on the land, in return for food and a small income. Further still into the countryside, a sheep exchange scheme was in place. Some of the poorest families were given sheep to start a farm. Three or four years later they were able to pass on some of the offspring to help another family: small initiatives having a significant impact on the every day lives of local people.
One of the areas we were visiting was engulfed by superstition, where witchcraft and witchdoctors reign supreme. We observed at close quarters the importance of spiritual warfare, prayer and the desperate need for God in these communities. The size of the population is vast yet there are only a few Christians; in one city, there are sadly reports of no believers. A very challenging scenario, a real inspiration to pray.
Finally, we visited a hospital in the Province, observing procedures in medical, surgical and paediatric wards. We were lucky enough to cross paths with another visiting team of Christian medical practitioners and were able to watch operations take place.
All agreed that it was a worthwhile trip, in two short weeks, the team experienced so much. We learnt about the realities of living and working long term in a new culture. There were, of course, the inevitable 'swarms' of mosquitoes, a scorching sun and unrivalled hot spicy food. We saw some oddities: people pushing prams made from bamboo and others selling cakes in glowing colours with icing harder than most rock formations! But we also discovered a warm and welcoming people, lights in the darkness, a people longing to know more of the love of God.
Please pray for the people of rural China, that God's light would shine and for the expatriate Christian workers, for God’s strength and protection.
If you would like to know more about vision trips, please contact chinatrips1@psmail.net .