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May 31: Already Ours

1 John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

Are you afraid to make your prayers too big? Oftentimes this believer is tempted to temper his prayers by making requests that feel a little more manageable or likely to see answered. “God, heal this person of cancer”? No, maybe: “God comfort them in their pain”. “God, let their remaining support come in the next three days”? No, perhaps better: “God, meet all their needs in your time”. It is godly to submit ourselves to God’s will in prayer, but restraining our expectations in prayer can be a symptom of too little faith.

Are you confident when you pray for a transformation of Bouyei society? Do you believe that God will expand his kingdom among the Bouyei people through a rapid multiplication of churches and believers? God’s kingdom coming and his spirit transforming Bouyei people, even many people in short time, is certainly a request in accordance with God’s will. While our prayers are not directive of how God must act, they are reflective of our trust in our Father.

May we, by praying big prayers expectantly for the Bouyei people, build our trust in God’s plan and his word. May we have confidence that God desires far more than we do that the Bouyei people would be saved. May we not temper our prayers with practicality or doubt. Our God hears. Our God saves. Our God will reach the Bouyei multitudes through the prayers of his people.

Pray that the global church would pray with expectancy for God to transform the Bouyei people by a movement of his Spirit in a multiplication of churches.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 30: That You May Know

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

Story: Chain of Faith, part 6

Loong lies on his bed with a clear mind but an ailing body. The doctors say it is a matter of weeks. There is a knock on the door, and Loong calls out for the visitor to enter. Loong’s niece, Saan, steps in with a load of groceries in her arms. “How are you, uncle?” she asks. “I’m tired,” Loong confesses. “Are you in pain?” “Not much.”

Saan tells Loong of some of the happenings in her life and the lives of people Loong knows, leaving out the part about being questioned by the police for listening to Christian sermons online. Saan hesitates, wondering if what she has come to say will get her in trouble. Finally, she makes up her mind. “Uncle, do you remember what I told you before about the Creator God and his Son, Jesus?” Saan proceeds to share the gospel again, and this time an ember of faith sparks in Loong’s heart.

Loong prays to receive Christ, and light fills his heart as the disease continues to ravage his body. Three days later, Loong passes away from his earthly tent and enters halls of unending life and light.

Pray for assurance for Bouyei believers, that those who come to know Christ would rest in him and trust him until the day he calls them home.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 29: Perfect Love

1 John 4:18-19 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us.

Story: Gwan, part 3

Gwan is hungry for knowledge. At the after-school program, she pours over the wealth of books on the shelves. But the book she is currently reading confuses her. It is a book that talks about science but from the perspective of the Christian Bible. Gwan has learned a lot about science in school, but what she’s learned seems somewhat different from what this book is talking about. Gwan asks one of her teachers about the book. As the teacher explains about the worldview of the Bible, Gwan’s eyes narrow.

The next day at the after-school program, a black leather-bound book on the shelf catches Gwan’s attention. “Oh, so they have a Bible right here!” Gwan thinks to herself and plops down to read it. With a little direction from one of her teachers, Gwan finds the stories of the God who created the universe and how he loves and cares for mankind. She finds explanations of how the broken relationships and evil in this world come from rejecting God’s ways.

Gwan thinks about her mother. Besides her grandma, everyone who ought to love Gwan has abandoned her. But she senses that God, who has no real obligation to love her, does love her anyway. Peace and joy fill Gwan’s heart. As Gwan continues to read the book over the weeks, the teachers talk about it with her and help her take steps to come to know and understand the God who loves Gwan.

Pray for God’s perfect love to cast out fear in Bouyei hearts, especially those of children. Pray that God’s love would pour into their hurts, doubts, and scars.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 28: That He Loved Us

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Story: Chain of Faith, part 5

Loong sits on a slab of pavement in front of his house. At nearly 70 years old, each of Loong’s days is much the same. Loong does a little work growing corn and vegetables in the small plots behind his house. Loong’s two children died in childhood, and his wife passed away from cancer over 10 years ago. A few more distant relatives check in on Loong from time to time. Loong often goes to the small stall that sells a few snacks and basic necessities to chat with whoever stops by. But most of the time, Loong sits by himself in front of his house and watches the days pass.

Loong used to make yearly sacrifices to the river god, the mountain god, the god of his fields, the village god, and other spirits as need arose. Worship of traditional Bouyei gods has slowly died away with Loong’s generation. His niece has talked to him about some other god, but Loong doesn’t have much faith to believe.

Pray that Bouyei people would depend not on the adequacy or inadequacy of their own faith in God but on the faithfulness of God in Christ.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 27: Whoever Knows God

1 John 4:5-6 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Story: Du, part 5

Du and his wife are still having some financial troubles, but Du will not let that stop him from serving the Lord. This morning, Dew took the bus 40 minutes into the mountains and then walked another 10 minutes to the new concrete block house with a living room large enough to accommodate the 20-some Bouyei believers who gather here weekly.

As the believers enter by twos and threes, they greet Du warmly. Du opens the meeting with prayer and singing and then shares a Bible story translated in Bouyei language. Most of the believers are older, and they love hearing Bible stories in their mother tongue. Du leads a discussion of the story, which is about baptism. Du asks if everyone in the group has been baptized. Some have, some haven’t. There are a few questions about baptism like how long you have to be a believer before you can be baptized and whether you will go to hell without being baptized. Du patiently shares Scripture to address the questions.

After a couple of hours together, the believers share a meal. They make plans to baptize a few of the willing members in two weeks when Du returns. As Du heads back home, he smiles at the simple but genuine faith of these Bouyei believers. Du's own journey of faith has not led him out of all trouble, but it has led to great fulfillment by sharing in God's kingdom work.

Pray that young Bouyei believers will faithfully follow and learn from those who are teaching and discipling them. Pray that they will mature in Christ.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 26: Undefeatable Faith

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.

Sunday Reflection: Four Rays of Light: Undefeatable Faith

The trials that Bouyei believers face for their faith serve as refining fires for that faith. No one enjoys persecution, and we should not glibly say that persecution is a great thing because through it God builds his church. Persecution is damaging and insufferable. Persecution represents an attempt to destroy faith by destroying the relationships, livelihood, freedom, peace, or safety of those who have that faith. Often persecution is quite successful in destroying those things: relationships, freedom, peace, etc.

But persecution cannot destroy sincere faith. Those who are persecuted may make shipwreck of their faith by failing to endure in it. But the Bouyei church contains countless testimonies of those who have suffered for their faith and yet have continued in that faith, identifying with Christ in his sufferings. God holds them in his hand, and Bouyei believers are blessed to see that God holds them when other supports are torn away. Praise God that the faith of Bouyei believers, our faith, is worthy because it is placed in a worthy Savior.

Praise God that when troubles like sea billows roll, it is well with the souls of Bouyei believers. Pray that this truth may be a constant encouragement.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 25: Persecution

3 John 10-11 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

Saturday Reflection: Four Clouds of Darkness: Persecution

A knock on the door. A text message from an unknown number. Being pulled out of line at a security checkpoint. For dozens of Bouyei believers and Chinese Christians who are reaching out to them, these events have marked a beginning of a period of uncertainty and trial. Local and national authorities treat the expression or expansion of religious activities with great suspicion, especially when it involves Christianity. While freedom of religion is technically granted to everyone, all religious activity is confined to designated places by designated people.

As Bouyei Christians seek to share their faith, disciple people, start new groups, and develop resources, they risk running afoul of people and departments who have the power to ruin their lives. Often they can continue under the radar for a time, but when a time of greater fruitfulness or harvest arrives, persecution follows swiftly after it.

Some Bouyei believers also run the risk of alienation from or physical violence at the hands of family members. Praise God that despite the potential high costs of following Christ, there is still a steady stream of Bouyei people coming to faith.

Pray that authorities and family members who persecute Bouyei people for their faith in Christ would come to repentance. Pray for endurance through trials.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 24: Open Hearts

1 John 3:16-18 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Story: Nen, part 4

“How much will the procedure cost?” asks Brother Z, a Bouyei Christian leader. “About 50 thousand RMB,” says Nen. Brother Z raises his eyebrows. That is a hefty figure even for people whose average household income is around 5000 RMB per per month. “I will share about the need in our church,” promises Brother Z.

Within two weeks, all of the funds for Nen’s procedure come in. The generosity of the Bouyei believers is complimented by Chinese churches who have begun to participate in outreach to the Bouyei people. Never one to beg, Nen doesn’t know whether to accept the gift with gratitude or politely protest such funds being squandered on his care. But Brother Z speaks before Nen knows how to respond. “We are all committed to seeing the good news spread in Bouyei language. We cannot hear of a need like yours and close our hearts to it.”

Nen’s procedure is a success, and within a few weeks he is back at work pouring his soul and his heart for his people group into his translation work.

Pray that the Bouyei church would be characterized by love and self-sacrifice. Pray for open hearts to care for those in need. Pray for Bouyei believers in need today.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 23: Seeing

1 John 3:2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

Story: Nen, part 3

Nen has now been a believer for several years. He is a leader in his local house church. Most of the church members are Chinese, not Bouyei. He is known by his Chinese name, Wang, but since there are other Wangs, he is “Bouyei Wang”. Besides serving in their church and working jobs in their small city, Nen and his wife have been helping translate some Christian materials into Bouyei language. They have a heart to see the Bouyei people reached with the good news that they have come to believe.

Nen spends long hours on the computer at work and then in his translation work on nights and weekends. Slowly, Nen’s vision begins to worsen. He begins to wear glasses, but even with them, he is often squinting and leaning in close to the computer screen. It gets to a point that Nen is functionally blind.

“You’re straining your eyes too much working in low light,” Nen’s doctor tells him. “There is a procedure we can try, but it is rather expensive.” Nen and his wife pray as they decide what to do. If he can’t see, he can’t work. If he can’t work, who else will step in to develop Bouyei language gospel materials? Their meager savings falls far short of what Nen’s treatment would require. Great is the gap between the spiritual vision God has given Nen and the limitations on his physical vision.

Pray That God will give a clear vision for his kingdom among everyone working with the Bouyei people, that they would see what has not yet appeared.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 22: What Kind of Love

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Story: Gwan, part 2

Gwan’s mother has run away to be with a different man back home in Guizhou. Her father had Gwan’s grandma come to the factory city to help care for Gwan, but Grandma needs to do textile sewing work from home to live there. Neither Dad nor Grandma has much time to watch Gwan after school, but a new after-school program has begun in their area.

Gwan is afraid to go to the program where she doesn’t know the other children or any of the program leaders, but she isn’t given a choice. On stepping through the door, Gwan finds an activity room that is simple but clean. The volunteer workers greet her with smiles and interest. The shelves are lined with fascinating books, and the meal that is served is nutritious and hot. Over weeks of attending the after-school program, Gwan becomes more comfortable and begins to look forward to it each evening.

A few months after she starts at the after-school program, Gwan’s father abandons her completely, leaving for another factory area. Left with very little sense of a natural family, Gwan relies even more on the teachers and volunteers at the program, who have become like a family to her. “We’re here because we’re Christians,” one of Gwan’s favorite teachers at the program explains when Gwan asks. “God loves us, and so we come here to help kids and show the love of God to them.”

Pray that local Christians would display the love of Christ to Bouyei people. Pray for more churches to intentionally reach out to them.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 21: Shame

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

Story: Chaen, part 3

Chaen self-identifying as a Christian, even secretly, has brought her career to a dead end. The local officials know that she sometimes attends the local church and have conveniently excluded her from key projects. Meanwhile, Joang has gotten connected with some Chinese churches from eastern China who are exploring how to be involved in reaching out to the Bouyei people. Joang volunteers to be a guide for a short-term missions team to visit his home area. The trip goes well, and Joang has never been happier than being a part of God’s work among his own people group. He does regular Zoom calls with the eastern Chinese churches as they plan their further involvement. Chaen sits in the background and listens, occasionally scribbling some notes.

When the next short-term team arrives, the local police intercept them at the hotel. “We know why you are here,” they tell the team. “You plan to visit XX town for five days and share the gospel there. That is against the religious laws. You will have to leave tomorrow.” The team is shocked and saddened and leaves the following day.

Joang scratches his head anxiously, pacing in his room. “How could they have known so many details of the team’s plans?” he wonders. Joang accidently knocks a notebook off an end table, and it falls open to a page containing Chaen’s writing. Joang is barely literate, but he recognizes enough dates, numbers, and names to know what the notebook contains. Realization slowly comes that Chaen has been informing the authorities about him and the churches. Joang drops the notebook. He feels vulnerable and afraid. Should he run? Should he just become a quiet Christian? Joang drops to his knees and prays for God’s wisdom.

Pray that Bouyei Christians would not shrink in shame when they suffer for the sake of the gospel. Pray that their boldness would be testimony to others.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 20: All that is in the World

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Story: Du, part 4

Du and his wife move to his home county. Du immediately finds ample opportunities for ministry whether that is helping a new church-plant in a nearby village, traveling to encourage scattered believers, or engaging in personal prayer walking and evangelism. What Du does not find ample opportunity for is income.

First, Du tries his hand forming a branch of a business owned by a Christian in another area, but the business proves somewhat unpopular in rural Bouyei areas. Next, Du rents some land and borrows a bit of money to plant dragon fruit, a type of fruit that has become an agricultural staple of his home county. Unfortunately, Du is not able to produce fruit with the color, texture, and taste to fetch top prices, and he struggles to even cover his input costs.

As Du casts a worried glance at the total in the banking app on his phone, he sighs and looks over at his wife who is struggling through a Bouyei language lesson. They both want to serve his people, but Du thinks how much better both their lives would be if they just got regular jobs somewhere else.

Pray that Bouyei believers would desire God above all other things and trust him to provide for all of their needs.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 19: Faithful Workers

3 John 7-8 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

Sunday Reflection: Four Rays of Light: Faithful Workers

God has laid a heart for their own people and for other unreached peoples in many Bouyei Christians. Many faithful workers have stepped out in response to God’s call to reach out to the lost by first saying yes and then trusting that God will provide for them.

Full time ministry is a particular challenge for Bouyei Christians. While having lay church leaders is the best course to seeing the Bouyei church multiply rapidly, there are roles that are best done by someone who can devote themselves fully to ministry. Today foreign-sourced funds are more likely to create problems than to really help Bouyei believers who want to serve full-time. Some are finding creative ways to work part-time or are being partly supported by Chinese churches.

These believers who step out in faith to use their time for building God’s kingdom instead of accumulating material comfort and security are bright rays of light shining in the midst of a Bouyei culture of self-serving wealth.

Pray for God to provide for Bouyei people laboring for the gospel. Pray for creative solutions to generate income in order to serve God with their time.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 18: Love of Money

3 John 5-6 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.

Saturday Reflection: Four Clouds of Darkness: Love of Money

With the income from factory work and an ever-growing amount of wealth in Bouyei hands, Bouyei people on the whole are better off than they have ever been. Transportation improvements and the development of the Chinese economy has lifted hundreds of thousands of Bouyei people out of poverty. But with a bit of disposable income also come temptations and vices. Gambling is rampant among Bouyei factory workers, who often take home and save far less than they should.

With money has also come social pressure to keep up with the neighbors. In one area we know of, one Bouyei family doing factory work saved up to buy a new car. Soon all of their neighbors and extended family were saving up money and taking out loans to buy their own vehicles. Later, many of those families complained about having to pay tax and insurance on vehicles that they don’t really drive anywhere and didn’t need in the first place.

Christians who steward their money well are a great testimony in a Bouyei world struggling with an influx of money.

Pray for Bouyei people not to use wealth only for status and enjoyment. Pray that Christians would be generous giving money to further God’s kingdom.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 17: Childlike Faith

1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.

Story: Chain of faith, part 4

As Saan sits in her house, contemplating suicide, suddenly her cell phone rings. Saan startles, straightens, and answers the call. It is Saan’s second cousin, Lia. “Saan, are you coming to our cousin’s housewarming next weekend?” Lia asks. “I’m not sure,” says Saan. She doesn’t really feel like seeing anyone, but then again, it might be good for her to get out of the house for awhile. “I’m going to be there,” says Lia, “and I want to talk with you about something.”

Saan manages to drag herself to the housewarming back in Lia’s and her childhood village. The homecoming itself does some good to Saan’s spirits. When she finds Lia, Lia is positively radiant. “Saan!” says Lia. “I have been waiting to tell you. You know that I have been working for those foreigners in the café, right?”

“Yes,” says Saan.

“Well, they are Christians,” explains Lia.

“What’s a Christian?” asks Saan.

“You know, Jesus? Christians, people who follow Jesus?”

“Who?”

“Ok, let me start from the beginning,” says Lia. “There is a God who made everything, including us.” Lia goes on to explain the gospel message that she has come to believe. “There is good out there, Saan,” she encourages. “There is hope.”

“There isn’t any hope for me,” says Saan. “I’m like a dried well.”

“God can fill up your well, Saan,” says Lia. “If you believe just like a child, you can know God too.”

Pray for God to give Bouyei people a childlike faith to trust in him for all they cannot see. Pray for the name of Christ to be honored among the Bouyei people.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 16: Hating Others

1 John 2:9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

Story: Gwan, part 1

Gwan hides in the back room until she can’t stand the yelling anymore and then slips out the window. She doesn’t understand what particularly her parents are fighting about now, but even at the tender age of 8, she knows fully what words like “divorce” mean. Gwan hugs her thin sweater tightly against herself in the cold winter air. It doesn’t get this cold back home, Gwan thinks as she wanders down the street of the factory district. It seems like nothing has gone right since they came.

This move was supposed to solve all the family’s problems. Dad and Mom could make good money while Gwan went to a better school. But Gwan’s studies have been flagging at the same time as her parents’ marriage falls apart. They are too busy working and shouting at each other to notice Gwan struggling. How can two people who are supposed to love each other hate each other so much? Why don’t they seem to Gwan?

Pray that broken Bouyei family relationships would be healed and reconciled by the power of God’s Spirit. Pray for transformation of a culture of relational strife.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

May 15: Walking His Way

1 John 2:5-6 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Story: Du, part 3

Du’s church sees his desire to study God’s Word and decides to sponsor his study at a two-year underground Bible college in northern China. Du loves being able to devote his time and energy to study the Bible, but he also finds himself devoting time to something else, or should we say, someone else. Du meets his wife at the Bible school, and the two are married soon after his graduation at the tender age of 24, a bit old for traditional Bouyei standards but very young by Chinese standards.

After graduation, Du brings his wife back to his home church. A standard expectation would be for Du and his wife to serve in his home church in full-time ministry, since they were the ones to sponsor his Biblical studies. With such a warm and supportive community of Christians, it just makes sense to stay in his home church and serve.

But Du senses a different calling. As he thinks of his friends and family back in Guizhou province and how little opportunity his own people have to hear the gospel, Du begins to pray with his wife. God’s call on his life becomes more and more clear. He doesn’t know how they will earn money or what his wife, not a Bouyei-speaker, will do in ministry, but the couple decides to move back to the hills of Guizhou to reach out to the Bouyei people.

Pray that Bouyei people who come to faith outside of their home areas would be sent back home and walk with Christ as witness to their family and friends.

#month of prayer for the bouyei people #bouyei

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