SPRINGFIELD, Ill. | Illinois Baptists are about to embark on a new international partnership. The partnership, which will begin in just a few months, will give them a window into a culture very different from there own in East Asia.
The people group Illinois Baptists will be working with is primarily animist (expressing a belief in spirits), although Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism have influenced them. ?Christian? cults, including the Eastern Lightning Cult, are also active in the area and new Christians are especially vulnerable to them. Despite these influences the people are open to the Gospel.
According to a representative from the East Asia office, ?Right now we are seeing the Lord move in extraordinary ways throughout East Asia, but this people group in particular has been one that is open and responsive to the gospel. Just last week I heard of a freshman college student who has trained 20 new believers and has four groups meeting. Another time, I heard about a lady so anxious to hear the Gospel that she took a bilingual tract out of the hands of a woman our worker had witnessed to, pressed the tract into her own hand, and turned to the worker with eager eyes and said, ?Now tell me.??
Currently, known Christians make up less than one-half percent of the people group?s population.
Their main occupation in the rural areas is farming, although some have moved to cities and taken white-collar jobs. Many have no electricity, but the climate is mild. Despite abundant rainfall, clean drinking water can be scarce. Little health care is available.
Rice is their main food staple, followed by corn. They also eat other vegetables, peanuts, and fruit. Meat is in shorter supply, only eaten once a week and on special occasions.
The people have little contact with the outside world, but Christian groups from inside and outside East Asia are making their way in to share the Gospel. According to the Web site peopleteams.org, ?An English teaching team was able to sow many seeds with students from all three-grade levels at a local high school. By the end of the camp around 30 decisions were made. The students that made decisions from a previous English camp continue to grow in their faith and have begun to meet on their own.?
The representative from the East Asia office encourages Illinois Baptists to participate in the partnership. ?There are places in the world where the Lord has workers tilling the soil and planting seeds. Certainly In East Asia we still do this. However, it is also exciting to see a people group open and responsive to the gospel. I cannot think of a more thrilling opportunity than to see how God is drawing lost sheep to Himself.?
The following teams are scheduled to go to East Asia in 2005:
April 18-28: Prayerwalking Team. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,000.
May 1-10: Distribution team. People volunteering for this team need to be able to hike for two or three miles with backpacks of materials for villagers. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,200.
May 3-12: Prayerwalking Team. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,000.
June 12-20: Business Lectures and Teaching Business English Team: Team members will give lectures on business and management and teach business English to businessmen larger cities in the region. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,500.
July 7-August 7: English Teaching Team: Team members will work in a rural or city high schools teaching English for a month. Team members do not need to be trained teachers, just native speakers of English. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $1,700-$2,225 (depending on team size).
September 19-28: Prayerwalking Team. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,000.
September 18-24: Medical Team. A possible vision clinic might be included. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,700.
October 16-26: Distribution team. People volunteering for this team need to be able to hike for two or three miles with backpacks of materials for villagers. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,200.
November 14-24: Business Lectures and Teaching Business English team: Team members will give lectures on business and management and teach business English to businessmen larger cities in the region. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,500.
December 18-31: Christmas in East Asia English Teaching Project. Estimated cost per person including plane tickets is $2,500.
For more information about the East Asia partnership contact Jack Shelby at (217) 786-2600, ext. 134 or e-mail jackshelby@ibsa.org.
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01/05/2005 ARCHIVE