We want to be dream-makers and vision-instigators!

Within goal in mind, we host bi-annual missionary conventions for our local missionaries. We gather everyone together from all our outreach centers, worship together, pray for one another, speak into their lives, and launch them into the ministries God has called them to. 

Our recent missionary convention was a powerful time of learning and growing together. We reviewed our vision and mission:

Vision: Our vision is to honor God by reaching unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window with the Christian gospel.

Mission: We accomplish our vision by trailblazing to places where there is no presence of the gospel, discipling, training and partnering with local believers, establishing outreach centers, planting churches, and releasing church plants to reach their own people groups.

We heard testimonies of God’s greatness and spent time in His presence. We taught about the Father heart of God, of our identity as sons and daughters, the armor of God, renewing your mind (based on the book, Switch On Your Brain), and Holy Spirit refilling and refreshing. Everyone had a wonderful time and felt refreshed for the next season of ministry.

Our local missionaries are our heroes. We believe that God will use indigenous missionaries and ministers to bring revival in Southeast Asia. Please pray with us.

To support one of our outreach centers, click here. 

To support one of our local missionaries, click here. 

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It’s a day that stirs our souls with passion for God’s glory and for those who have never heard of Him before.

Sunday, May 20 is recognized as the International Day for the Unreached. 

We want to invite you to join the 90-minute LIVE broadcast that will begin at 5:00PM PST / 8:00PM EST

To watch LIVE, click here.

Believe it or not, 5 billion people on earth have no relationship with Jesus, including 2 billion who have never heard the gospel.

Check out the incredible facts about the unreached on Within Reach Global’s 10/40 Window page here.

Today is the International Day for the Unreached! Watch LIVE and join us in prayer here!
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They’ve never heard. Not once. And they have no access to the good news.

Of the nearly 12,000 people groups on earth, 7,000 are less than 2% evangelical (i.e., unreached people groups). Even more troubling is the fact that approximately 3,200 of these groups (i.e., unengaged-unreached people groups) have no believers working among them with a church planting strategy. Learn more here.

This reality burns in our hearts at Within Reach Global. We exist to honor God and reach the unreached. Do you care about those who have never heard of Jesus before? You might want to read this riveting article.

The above statistics are common knowledge in some evangelical circles and among the missionary community. However, it troubles us that so many Christians have little understanding about the reality of brokenness among unreached people groups.

Sunday, may 20, 2018, marks the International Day for the Unreached.

What difference will it make on Monday?

This is a question you and I need to answer. If we say we care about the things of God, it follows that we share His emotion and passion for those without a hope of hearing His good news. 

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (Rom 15:20-21, ESV).

Go with us to the unreached and unengaged. Learn more about Within Reach Global’s outreach centers and local missionaries.

Let’s join together to publicize the name of Jesus in regions largely left out of our evangelical priorities. 

The post International Day for the Unreached appeared first on Within Reach Global.

#Orphan kids and Chinese college students join us in a journey to #unreached peoples!
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The words of Robert Moffat aptly describe this dire reality:

“In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been—villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world.”

But God in His sovereignty ever sees the ones that He loves. And because of His ardent passion for the people He created, He beckons His sons and daughters to join Him in reaching these lost ones. We have heard His call to bring good news to the poor, to comfort the brokenhearted, to give a crown of beauty for ashes and a joyous blessing instead of mourning.

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Last week, Within Reach Global missionaries drove a caravan of vehicles five hours over rugged roads and winding country trails to an unreached village. 20 orphan children from Father’s Heart children’s home joined them, giggly and excited to bestow the love of Jesus upon the kids who awaited them.

Within Reach Global and Love For The Poor have partnered together for years. Chinese college students from our English corner outreach regularly join our missionaries in teaching English to the marginalized kids of Father’s House.

These children have grown in their love for the Lord, and we thought it the perfect time for them to shine like little lights in the darkness.

We watched these #orphans shine like little lights in the darkness. #Gospel
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And so Within Reach Global missionaries and Love For The Poor kids bumped over the pitted, bone-shaking roads until at long last they arrived at a sleepy unreached village.

We, of course, came bearing gifts. For what are the cultural keys to unlocking salvation among unreached people groups if not long balloons shaped into adorable animals and spectacular swords?

We also brought school supplies, backpacks, and new clothing—tokens of love for the precious children in the village.

These small gifts accompanied by a warm human touch express the love of a Heavenly Father.

And who were these that showed, through a gentle touch and a caring smile, such a glorious witness of the Gospel? They were orphans and underprivileged children, the “least of these” who have come to know the heart of their Heavenly Father.

Dressed in their traditional minority outfits, the children of Father’s House have been so transformed over the years that they have now become resplendent lights in dark parts.

Their little voices express the eternal compassion of the Divine; their eyes shine with radiant refulgence to declare the goodness of God.

The children were also joined by volunteer college students who attend our weekly English corner outreach.

Our team set up four play stations in the open courtyard of the village. Each play table filled with fun activities: bracelet making, balloon blowing, crayon coloring, and language learning.

The whole village came to witness the rare form of entertainment.

Reaching unreached people groups is not an easy task. It requires an intentional focus and strong commitment.

We desire to see every people, tongue, tribe, and language standing before the throne of God, and we know that this will not occur by happenstance.

That’s why we go. That’s why we leave our Jerusalem, depart from our Judea, and abandon our Samaria for the ends of the earth.

For “this Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

Will you take a moment to pray about how God might use you to shine the light of the Gospel to the ends of the earth? People are waiting at the other end of our obedience.

Every Christian is called to take part in the Great Commission—to go, send, or disobey. We pray that you respond to the heart of God in a worthy manner.

Every #Christian is called to take part in the #GreatCommission—to go, send, or disobey.
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Are you interested in more stories about the unreached and God’s mission heart? Buy The Space Between Memories: Recollections from a 21st Century Missionary by David Joannes.

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Power-packed Christmas party in China, side-splitting laughter, intense importance.
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No, pause for a moment to remember that this party happened in China, home to the “nones”, to the “unaffiliated”, to those who don’t adhere to any kind of spiritual creed. China, where ancient Confucianist, Daoist, and Buddhist beliefs once gripped the hearts of its inhabitants; where communism tore apart the fabric of society during the Cultural Revolution; where today’s youth are strangely unaware of a “Higher Presence” or relational Father God.

This is where our Christmas party took place. And when a Chinese college student hears that God is real, that He loves him/her, that He is passionate about them and cares for them—that’s when things change.

Every week we host multiple English corners throughout the city where Chinese college students come to practice their foreign language skills, meet new friends, and join a community of Christ-centered individuals. This is true discipleship, messy and raw, gritty and life-changing.

There were songs and games, gift-giving and glory. We shared the true meaning of Christmas, and for many, it was their very first time to hear about Jesus Christ.

We pray that as you read these stories and see these photos, you would be inspired to join us in taking the Gospel message where it has never been known. This is fertile soil! This is where the future leaders of China are being raised! This is where the Kingdom of God is falling! Be a part of this divine story.

This is fertile soil! This is where the future leaders of China are being raised!
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Take part with us by join our Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team, giving a special donation, praying for our Chinese college campus outreach, and bringing your team on a short-term trip.

God is ever speaking, penning the details of this epic redemption narrative. You are a part. Always remember that: you are a part of this glorious end-time revival!

Always remember that: you are a part of this glorious end-time revival!
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Heroes who risk their lives and well-being to rescue perishing souls from the “dragon” and then impart healing and Sprit-life into them.

They do it through midnight hikes, shining hope and carrying living water to women who are devalued and persecuted by their husbands. These women escape under the cover of night to drink of the life flowing from these heroes.

These heroes do it by rescuing neglected, starving, and “sold” children, bringing them both real and spiritual food. Then they bring these precious ones into the loving arms of a family.

These heroes are rescuing neglected, starving, and “sold” children.
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The suffering and traumas these heroes face are counted as joy if only they can see their Savior’s glorious face.

Yet, even heroes need an occasional break and encouragement from the Christian family. They need new equipment to use in their daily “search and rescue” missions. They need to know that they are not alone.

On July 15, some of these heroes came together in the sticky, humid air in the jungles of Southeast Asia. They came to fellowship together, learn of their Heavenly Father’s love and receive new trainings. It was a joy to be one of the teachers—and humbling at the same time.

I looked into one man’s tearful eyes as he poured his heart out about the multitudes of starving children at The Edge outreach center he oversees. As he spoke, he held a baby he had just adopted out of human trafficking. I thought to myself, “He should be teaching me how to have more faith and love!” Yet all he sought was a listening ear and encouragement that he was on the right track. “Don’t ever give up,” I said. “God is using you mightily!”

For 2 days, these heroes learned about deliverance, forgiveness, how to involve communities in stopping human trafficking, and also learned a very impactful curriculum about God’s heart and plan for women. They were delivered from lies and also had prophetic words of encouragement spoken over them.

In a world filled with so many distractions, let’s not forget to pray for these dear brothers and sisters, who die daily to love the broken and bring salvation to unreached places. Let’s listen to the voice of our Heavenly Father. Perhaps we might just step out of our comfort zones, bring help to Christian heroes, and entertain angels in the process.

step out of your comfort zone, bring help to Christian heroes, entertain angels.
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We will continue to bring new trainings to these missionary heroes. But it costs money. If you feel led to give towards this joyful cause, donate here.

The post Anti-Human Trafficking Training For Southeast Asia’s Heroes appeared first on Within Reach Global.

Voice of the Martyrs @VOM_USA just gave us 1,160 Gospel MP3 players!
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We have been partnering with Voice of the Martyrs for a few years now, and we are blessed by their generosity.

This is the third shipment of Gospel-loaded MP3 players that we have received. And they go fast! Within a few days, nearly all of these gifts were given to unreached people groups and rural house churches in Southwest China.

This blessing empowers our outreach centers to continue reaching unreached peoples who have no chance to hear the Gospel.

Pray with us for those who still remain untouched by a Christian presence. Perhaps God is calling you to take part even now.

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Life With God Versus Life Without God: A Chinese College Student perspective
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We call it our “big net”. It’s a place where we cast our nets into the massive student population of Southwest China, searching for students who are hungry for spiritual things.

And we’ve caught a bunch of fish!

Every week, we see over 100 college students attend our English Corner outreach. But we have a strategic plan. From our “big net” we find students who show a sincere interest in learning more about God. These students are ushered into our discipleship process.

That’s what we call our “small net”. It’s a focused gathering of Chinese college students who are getting saved, being discipled, and introduced into our house church setting.

We’re seeing many hearts open to the Christian Gospel!

Check out photos on Facebook from our college outreach!

Chinese college students move from “big net” to “small net” #evangelism to #discipleship
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Just last week, we asked them to write down a bunch of reasons why should or should not become Christians. Their answers were intriguing, giving us a glimpse into the heart of China’s shifting cultural values.

Some of the pros of following God were:

• Peaceful
• Stronger
• Younger
• Miracle experience
• Learn to forgive

Here’s some of the cons for following God:

• Less friends
• No parties
• Guilt/conviction
• Mysterious

The pros of life without God included “safety from cults”, “easier to find a job” and “normal life”. The cons of life without God included “uncertainty”, “emptiness”, and “boring life”.

Pretty incredible glimpses into the thought process of Chinese college students, right?

Honestly, they are facing similar struggles as college students worldwide. They’re not as different as you might think. For more on the issues that Chinese [Christians] are dealing with, check out the recent Missions Blab with guest Brent Fulton, president of China Source, entitled: China’s Urban Christians: A Light That Cannot Be Hidden.

Will you commit to pray with us for the Chinese college students at The Hub and The Bridge? We need your prayers and support. Join us in this holy endeavor to bring the Gospel message to hungry hearts.

The post Life With God Versus Life Without God: A Chinese College Student Perspective appeared first on Within Reach Global.

• 3 countries
• 6 outreach centers
• 13 local missionaries from 7 different people groups
• 10 foreign missionaries
• 9 church plants
• 10 tons of clothing given to the poor
• 150 led through our discipleship course
• 3-5 English Corners per week
• 120 students reached through Camps
• 135 college students / young professionals reached weekly
• 650 children reached, discipled, fed, and given school supplies
• 60 Burmese (scattered by war) reached and being followed up upon

Persecution. Revival. Police beatings. Underground trainings. Baptisms. Discipleship. Local missionary homes demolished by the government. Hope. Joy. Glory. You’ll be amazed at all that God has done through the ministry of Within Reach Global!

See the full scope of God at work in Southeast Asia. Get the Within Reach Global 2015 Year In Review here!

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There’s a bunch of people who have never heard the gospel. Chances are, you don’t care.
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THE 10/40 WINDOW

• The 10/40 Window is home to 6,921 unreached people groups. (Joshua Project)
• 2.82 billion people live in the 10/40 Window.
• 82% of the world’s poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 Window. (SGWM)
• Nearly 40% of the world’s population live on less than $1.40 per day in the 10/40 Window.
• Although 2.8 billion of these people live within the 10/40 Window, only 2.4% of all missionaries work among them.

MONEY AND MISSIONS

• Annual Income of All Church Members: $30.5 trillion.
• Given to any Christian causes: $545 billion (1.8% of our income) That’s also how much we spend in America on Christmas.
• Given to Missions: $31 billion, (0.1%). That’s only 5.7% of the money given to Christian causes of any kind. That’s also how much we spend in America on dieting programs.
• Money that goes toward the reached world: $26,970,000,000 (that means 87% of the money given to “missions” goes to areas with “reached” status or access to the gospel already).
• Money that goes toward unreached peoples: $310 million (that’s only 1% of what is given to “missions”). That’s also how much Americans in 2011 spent on Halloween costumes (for their pets).
• The $310 million (going toward unreached people groups) is only .001% of the $30.5 trillion Income of Christians. For every $100,000 that Christians make, they give $1 to the unreached. (The Traveling Team, Money and Missions)

Excitement and empathy are not enough. Compassion must be put into motion.
It’s empathy with wheels. It’s care with commitment.

It’s true. Unreached people are the forgotten population of the world. But you DO care, don’t you?

One of my Facebook friends just commented on my status the other day. “I love to see all the neat stuff you’re doing over there on the weird side of the planet!”

I Liked that comment.

It struck me.
I got it.
It was a little more clear to me.

“Your experiences determine what you see,” Craig Groeschel says, and so I write about my weird side of the planet.

*Names changed for security purposes.

The first time met *John was at The Hub outreach center, the Within Reach Global student center where we are reaching out to college kids in the Southwest part of the country.

“There’s no way I will ever become a Christian,” he told me. “I am a communist party member. I can’t believe in God.”

“That’s totally up to you,” I replied.

I’ve found that the best way to share the gospel is to let people make their own decisions instead of force feeding them Jesus on a spoon, or in John’s case, chopsticks. I knew God had his radar on him anyway, and it was only a matter of time before he embraced the life of Christ. “Poor guy! He can’t escape the power of the gospel even if he tried!” I thought to myself.

But John kept coming to The Hub, engaging in relevant conversations about life, God and culture. He was there every Thursday, tricking himself into thinking that he could run from reality of a powerfully good God.

3 weeks after I met him, I asked, “So John, do you believe in God yet?”

“I don’t believe in God, but I trust him.” he told me. “I don’t think he exists, but I feel him,” he continued in self defeating rhetoric. “I am not a Christian, but sometimes I pray to God.”

“I think you’re closer to becoming a Christian than you realize,” I told him with a roguish smile.

A few more weeks passed. John began to realize God’s radar was zoning in on him. We began to see him transforming. “Yep, only a matter of time,” I thought.

After 10 months of sharing life with him, John told us he wanted to become a Christian.

After The Hub English Corner, we found a quiet place in the back room, and prayed together. The atheist’s journey would end that night. A new young man was formed on the 22nd floor of our student center.

Soon after, he began telling his friends about God. He would lead discussions about how Jesus transformed his life. Chinese students listened amazed and confused at his life change.

A few weeks later, we baptized him in a lake at the foot of a thousand year old city.

An atheist turned evangelist. You’ve read stories of that before in Acts, and the 29th chapter is still being penned.

The stories of life transformation are still being penned! Acts 29 continues!
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*Barry, from the Yi tribe, had a similar story.

Lorna was talking to a group of 11 girls under the shadow of an ancient pagoda as the sunset turned pink and orange on the far horizon of a town 3 hours west of The Hub outreach center. The girls listened intently, but Barry kept interrupting her.

“I don’t believe in God! Let’s change the subject.” After 20 minutes of his constant interruptions, Lorna finally got fed up. “Why don’t you just shut up and listen!” she said boldly.

The lights clicked on.
A spiritual moment.
Something broke.

Barry gave his life to Christ that night, and couldn’t explain what happened, except that “I feel God’s presence right now,” he said.

Within a month he had led 21 of his friends to the Lord!

Within a month after getting saved, former Chinese atheist Barry led 21 friends to Jesus!
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These are the stories of the 10/40 Window, where religion is suppressed, or worse, illegal.

But the forward progression of God’s life transforming movement can’t be bottled.

Brother Fu, who got saved after being set free from writhing on his dusty village floor in demon possession, agrees.

And Brother Li, who drunk punched our Within Reach Global local missionary after he shared the gospel in his village. He got saved 10 months later, attended Bible school and literacy training, and is now a missionary to his own people group.

• All missionaries in the world (Catholic, Protestant, etc.)    419,500 foreign missionaries
• All missionaries in the reached world    316,500 foreign missionaries (75.4%)
• All missionaries in the unevangelized world    103,000 foreign missionaries (24.6%)
• All missionaries in the unreached world    10,200 foreign missionaries (2.4%)
• Full time Christian workers in the world    5.5 million workers
• All Christian workers in the reached world    4.19 million local workers (75.9%)
• All Christian workers in the unevangelized world    1.3 million local workers (23.7%)
• All Christian workers in the unreached world    20,500 local workers (0.37%)
• The ratio of unreached people group workers to total unreached world is: 1 missionary for every 278,431 people
• There are 95,000 Evangelical Christians for every one unreached people group. (The Traveling Team, Missionaries and Workers)

Sharing the gospel to an unreached people groups, Photo by Jacob Smith

I have circuited most of Southwest China. I have eaten dog and cat and other, shall we say, “unique” delicacies. Not necessarily because I love the pungent taste of puppy and kitten so much. Not because a bowlfull of live grub worms is particularly delectable either. It’s because when you spend the night in the poorest of the poor tribal village, and they serve you the best they’ve got, it’s hard to turn down a meal and make your impoverished host lose face.

“Eat whatever is set before you.” I remember Jesus’s command, pull up my sleeves, and dig in.

They have never heard the name of Jesus. I know because when I ask, they question if “Jesus” is a brand of soap, or a medicine they’ve never heard of.

They have never heard of Jesus. Is he a soap brand? A medicine? No concept at all.
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The reality of their status as an unreached people group gets under my skin. Or should I say, it really pisses me off. It makes me jealous.

Why should anyone hear the gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once? – C.T. studd

I have traveled to too many unreached people groups to number. And after all these experiences, it is clear to me that God is still jealous for them to have a witness of the gospel.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, as a testimony to every nation, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14

Hasn’t God put a stipulation upon himself, that until every tribe, people, and linguistic ethnic group has had the opportunity to hear the message of salvation, he cannot return?

I think YES.

And so, I pray that the things that break the heart of God would in the very least, prick mine as well.

I am a statistic just like you. But I pray that the things revolving around our personal experience will not distract us from God’s overall plan of redemption, namely, that every people group on earth has the chance to hear about him.

I mean, seriously, in the 21st century, and 2 billion people have never heard of Jesus? That’s just not fair.

2 billion people have never heard of Jesus?! That’s just not fair.
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In 1976, there were an estimated 17,000 unreached people groups. As of 2012, there were only estimated 6,921 unreached peoples. The statistics are changing because Christians are beginning to see the bigger picture. (Joshua Project)

I know of only one way of changing the mathematical chance that I don’t care: it’s simply to care.

One way of to change the mathematical chance that I don’t care: simply CARE.
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Care with commitment. For some that means with your wallet. For others it means with your hands and feet.

In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been––villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world. – Robert Moffat, 1795-1883, missionary to Africa, father in law of David Livingstone

Put wheels on your empathy.
Be a voice for the voiceless.

The 10/40 Window will not be home to unreached people groups forever, because we’re going to get up and do something about it.

People are waiting at the other end of our obedience, Photo by Jacob Smith

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Rural village: They smiled and laughed. Kings and queens. Little warriors.

The faces of your people will forever be etched in my mind. Their smiles, the dreams veiled by their narrow eyes, the laughter, the rapid talk, the longing for connection, hidden behind the intricate nuances of culture and heritage.

Graduation party for five dear friends. I miss them!

I am fascinated, and at times, heart-broken by you. I have seen your wealthy, and I have seen your orphans. I have seen their beauty, and I have seen their brokenness. They make my heart leap. They make my heart ache.

Little girl n yellow must be thinking, “Can we not eat our lollipops in peace?”

I used to see you from a distance, and all I heard about you were news of fake food and escalator accidents. Territorial wars and stock leaps and crashes. Now, I am where you are, and I see you.

Laughter and chats while baking brownies

I’m beginning to notice your little quirks and idiosyncrasies. I’m beginning to see past the facade. Yet what I see is still the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more to you. You are complicated, and I find myself fascinated by you.

Beautiful painting at a local museum

Fascinated by your colorful history and culture. By your reputation. By your grandiosity. But mostly, by your people.

Who knew it was so hard to knock down paper cups with rubber bands?

I love your people.

Growing up, I never thought I would. I think it was all because of how Chinese people are portrayed in media back home. Elite. Noses upturned. Wealthy. I developed a wariness towards the Chinese, but I came here and I discovered that your people are… people. Warm, friendly, hospitable… with hopes, dreams and such great aspirations.

We drew our self-portraits. With our eyes closed.

Their smiles, their stories, their friendship will always be a part of who I am. They have left an indelible mark on me, one I would have for the rest of my life.

Bracelet-Making at an orphanage. She was so happy to see the loom band coming together.

Take care of your people, China. They are your treasure. They beam with pride and puff their chests at the notion that they are yours.

This orphan pretended to be asleep when he saw me pointing the camera at him.

I dream for you, China. I dream for your people. Thank you for some of the best memories I’ve ever had and many beautiful more yet to come.

I love you.

I dream for you, China. I dream for your people. #missions #Jesus #Christianity
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Credit: brainofivane.com

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