THE FORMATION OF THE SILK ROAD MISSION FUND

On 27th August 2005, 15 Chinese church leaders from Australia, Hong Kong, Philippines, USA and Singapore flew from Xiamen, Fujian Province to Urumqi, Xinjiang Province. There we started the "Silk Road Mission Trip". We traveled by bus, train and plane in Xinjiang, Gansu and Qinghai provinces. Some continued in to Shanxi and Ningxia provinces. On the way, we saw the vast and sparsely populated desert, rough mountains and wasteland. We traveled on the winding roads through the famous Gobi Desert. We reflected on how the western missionaries traveled over these same mountainous regions centuries ago, walking through the deserts to bring glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to the unreached people in these provinces. They might have traveled on slow camels and donkeys.

From the testimonies of the pastors in these large churches, one common factor was that, it was the China Inland Mission (presently OMF) missionaries who went from Shanghai to start work in this forsaken interior region! They tracked for miles sometimes painfully without water but with tears and sweat. So in Urumqi, the highest plateau with extreme cold and heat in North West China, they lay down their lives for the people of Xinjiang Province. God has honoured their love and dedication to God for China. 

On Sunday 28th August 2005, we had attended a church in Urumqi, which was celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the coming of Christianity to Xinjiang Province and also the 20th Anniversary of the church building. More than 3,000 worshipers were present at the service. Many had to stand in the streets and in the rain. We have the joy of seeing the fruits of the CIM missionaries labour. God's great grace follows on in the Acts of His disciples. 

We visited churches along the Silk Road and listened to the testimonies of the pastors and elders of God's faithfulness. We are humbled by what we heard and witnessed. On Sundays, the few churches in the large cities are crowded and overflowing with people into the courtyards (car parks), staircases and every possible space. The church added services, and still the number of worshipers continues to increase for they hunger for the Word of God. The number of churches in each city is far too few. When the pastor leads the congregation in prayer, the united responses are never seen and heard in other countries. The congregation responds loudly in "Amen", whenever the Pastor's prayer touches their hearts. 　

We heard the testimony of one Pastor who tearfully confessed that she had refused to obey the Lord because she saw her parents suffering as pastors with the CIM missionaries, but she had to surrender to God's calling

After witnessing the great financial needs and the lack of trained church workers and evangelists in NW China, we are burdened to start a "Silk Road Mission Fund". May we delight ourselves in the Lord for His grant to our hearts' desires.