China Project
The Beginning of our testimony
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My wife and I are both educators.
We are Yanxia (Nancy) and Terry respectively. Nancy is from mainland China. She has taught a combination of English and Chinese for the last 17 or so years and she has a MA in Education and a PhD in English education in the field of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). I am from Knoxville, TN I have taught Electronics and computers for a total of 14 years at Tennessee Institute of Electronics in Knoxville, TN. Nancy came into the SDA church through 3ABN. Now that was a miracle of God in itself that we could share at a later time. I came into the church as result of losing my wife to death, in an auto accident. We (Nancy and I) were married in January of 1999. We were both teaching at that time, but God began to work on us both about serving him in a full time capacity. In November of 1999 we had a child and in December Nancy gave up her teaching position , as Instructor of Chinese language, for the department of Modern Languages at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, to mother her newborn child. In April of 2000 she became acquainted with Samuel Wang with the China Project that Layman’s Ministries had. She began to get accustomed to translating by proofing a manuscript for Samuel Wang. Over a process of time we began to think about China, Missions, Ministry, translation, children books, Simplified Chinese Vs Traditional Chinese, and established translated text readability or the lack of it in most things that she read. “Something had to be done!” Obvious translated materials can not be read with clarity. We are told that in the last days we are told in Ellen White’s Writings, that printed materials are to go out to the many Countries of the world. If these printed materials that are translated, are not readable, then how was the reader to perceive the text.? As something that is needed, or that which is to be discarded! After much prayer and a lot of “I can’t do this!” kind of thinking on my part, I gave notice to my director, the president of the Institute, my friend for 15 years, that I was going to become a full time missionary to the Chinese to provide the much needed helps ministry. In August 2000 we went to the ASI convention with Chinese Ministries International (CMI), to promote helps to the Chinese, in the form of written materials, and in October of 2000 we moved to Whitwell, TN to work with CMI. Children’s books began to weight heavy on Nancy’s mind and she began to look for Chinese children books. Knowing that the Simplified Chinese language is what the young people are now learning, she became disappointed that all she could find was traditional Chinese children’s books. In March of 2001 we moved to Oliver Springs, TN to begin the translation work of children’s books into Simplified Chinese. We have permission by Review & Harold Publishing to translate Arthur Maxwell’s Bible Heroes. This work is now translated, formatted to RHP illustrations and ready to go to print. We now have to talk about the funding. We also have Guide’s Miracle Stories translated ready to be formatted and not that long until printing. We also have Sanctuary Made Simple translated and ready to be formatted. These works came about because of what God has done in our lives. All things work for good, to them who are the called according to His purpose. Teaching English to the Chinese began to weigh heavy upon Nancy. Scary stories about how certain missionaries to China, to teach English, would get the Chinese girls pregnant and then leave them there fatherless. Means to have qualified English teachers to go to her motherland to teach English, began to be more than just talk. Her PhD in TESOL must be used to get the job done. She new how people would learn. She new that teaching the Chinese English would be different than teaching an American, English. Therefore from Oliver Springs, TN, God opened the door to go to 1000 Missionary Movement to use her skills to teach the candidates for mission service, how to teach English to Speakers of other languages. This is the skill that the 1000MM student missionaries needed and this skill is what she was trained for. So, in June of 2001 we moved to the 1000MM campus in Bedford, KY. After 7 months in Kentucky, and 1000MM only using myself, the American, to do site chores, Nancy continued to work on her translations and taught the student missionaries only a short time during the class schedule. She was approached about starting a TESOL class for the Americans students that the Movement thought they could get as TESOL students. This idea did not work due to many obstacles and from there we left and came to Atlanta to work with the Chinese. In November 2001 we moved to Atlanta to work with the Asian-American Community Service Center. When it became evident that AACSC could not pay our salary any longer, after working for 3 months without pay, we had to leave. God opened doors for us to get to where we are now. We opened a 395 Sq. Ft. space in China Town to teach English to the Chinese so that we can began to establish a friendship. We started a one hour, daily, Monday through Friday, Chinese Bible Based Radio program that has run for 15 weeks and now is in its 16th week. All of these things happened by the miracles of God. The space here in China Town was needed because all Chinese know where China Town is located and since the Chinese have a hard time finding places. By experience from AACSC we found that 1 in 10 Chinese could find the building that the classroom was in. The miracle in obtaining this space is that it is more expensive than other locations and the management required 6 months rent in advance and we had not been paid in 2 ½ months, all of our bills were past due and our apartment was getting ready to put us out on the street. We were impressed by God to pray for space in China Town. We looked at other space but only China Town was on our heart. We could not get this space off of our mind. We prayed earnestly that God would work a miracle. God did many miracles! Miracles:
There are eight stated miracles Miracle #1 – The Radio station provided 4 weeks of free programming time, $2000.00 of free time, for the 1st month, if we would commit to having our Chinese Bible Based Radio program. Chinese only, Biblical based, full of the greatness of God on WATB 1420 AM. The only radio station in Atlanta, GA that provides programming to the Chinese People and reaches into Metro Atlanta. What a captive audience! By the Census 2000 stats, the majority of the Chinese live in the range that the signal from AM 1420 broadcasts into.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles! Miracle #2 – April 15th I filed my taxes and was to receive a large sum of money back. In past years I had filed on April 15th and received my refund in the month of August. March 18th, 2002 was our last check from AACSC but it was not found to be good until April 4, 2002. Just when we need it most, God had our refund check from the IRS in our mailbox on May 10th, 2002, just 25 days after I had mailed it out. This check caught up all of our late bills, including our lease rent. The apartment complex was filed an order to have us put out of the apartment, but the money paid them stop the process just two days before we were to go to court.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles! Miracle #3 – Our last day of class for the paid quarter at AACSC was may 27th, 2002. We needed a very large sum of money to get into China Town. AACSC had told us to close classes on the 8th of May, but Nancy had promised the Chinese children, Chinese classes, which they had paid for, through the 27th of May. We had prayed earnestly everyday that God would perform a miracle and give us the funds to get into the China Town space. On May the 22nd, the president of AACSC called us to the office and there he gave us a check for all the back pay plus interest, plus late fees that we were charged for not paying our bills during the time of no funds. During this week the ESL students were on break. We got into the China Town space and began teaching ESL classes to students on the following Monday. They didn’t even miss a class.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles! Miracle #4 – All during the time of having no money, God came through at the right time to pay for the Radio program. Then one week God stopped payment. I prayed earnestly for the funding. I searched my heart, I prayed with Nancy, we searched diligently for God to answer. We prayed, God we don’t have the funds to pay for the program. You will have to perform a miracle! Monday morning came, July 1st, 2002. I told the production manager of the Radio Station, God didn’t send in any money for the Radio Program. Here I am under a 6 month contract and the production manager says, let me have the mini disk and I’ll run it until you can talk to the GM. The GM said, your right, we will have to close the program down if you can’t pay for it. Just let the production manager have the program disk and he will run it until I close it down. Today is July 22, 2002 and we have not missed having any program. To date, God has performed a miracle for the Chinese program. We could not pay. But the God and creator of all that is and ever shall be, paid it all.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles! Miracle #5 - Our apartment lease was up on June 30th, 2002. They month of July was a day by day basis for the monthly payment. An additional $280.00 that was added to the our normal lease rent. Now our normal lease rent was $180.00 less per month than the normal lease rent. At the beginning God had worked it out that when we moved into the apartment in November that we would just pay $99.00 up front, no other deposits, plus be provided newly purchased washer and dryer, we didn’t have those appliances, and also have reduce leased rent by $180.00. We drove 12 hours in a U-haul truck from Bedford Kentucky, not ever seeing the apartment, moved into the apartment, then the following Monday signed the lease. Praise God! We had been praying to God, what to do! Stay in the apartment and pay a higher lease rent than we could in a low-income housing area in Chamblee or stay in the apartment and sign another 6 month lease. Only last possible day to sign a new lease I didn’t have an answer. I went to the radio station, had our program then went to the leasing office. I prayed before getting out of the car, Lord God, creator of all things, I pray thy will be done. If you want us to stay in these apartments, you work out the details! Amen. I went into the office and the person that evicted us back when we were not being paid, met me at the door. I asked what great deal she could give me to stay here in these apartments. She looked at my file, I prayed and ask God for a miracle, and she said. We usually increase the lease rent after the first 6 months but I tell you what I am going to do. I will keep your rent at the same amount that you are paying now and if you pay the first month today I will reduce your first month by an additional $200.00. God just saved me $480.00 and all the money that I had in the bank was $43.00 more than the amount that she wanted. What did I do? I praised God and told her that she was an answer to prayer. She said is that so. She then said would you pray for me. I am in a real struggle right now. So I prayed for her that God would work out her problems for here.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles! Miracle #6 – I forgot to mention at the beginning that we had need of brakes replaced on one of our vehicles. We need two vehicles in the work that we do here in Atlanta. We didn’t have the money to get the brakes replaced so we prayed and asked God to perform a miracle with the brakes. Well, I new that the brakes needed replacing because of that awful metal to metal grinding sound that we had been hearing for four days. We prayed at the beginning of Sabbath we went to bed, got up the next morning, went to Sabbath school and church in the one vehicle with the good brakes. We ministered to the people of the church. I was working with the kindergarten children for Sabbath school. I preached in the youth church, and told the young people about the miracles of God that had happened in our lives as we had been serving God. Then we had fellowship meal, Nancy talking to the ladies of the church, our church is a Korean Church in Duluth, Ga. After fellowship meal Nancy ministered to the Mothers of the church with her lessons on Queen Esther in the Bible. We came home did our normal Sabbath things and then Sunday went to teach the Chinese children at the center, one the one vehicle that had the good brakes. Monday we both went our ways for the week using two vehicles. Do you know, the metal to metal sound was gone. We didn’t think about what had happened until two weeks later, Jonathan, our son said, Dad, what happened to the awful sound from the brakes, did you replace them. I said, no son, God miraculously fix the brakes. We need to just praise God for what He has done for us. To this day we have not had any sounds from the brakes of that vehicle.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles!
Miracle #7 – . God blessed us with a Taiwanese lady that watches our little girl for us while we operate the school and the radio program. Our son Jonathan is home schooled and he could not watch the baby while he was in school. When we were no longer being paid, we stopped taking Lily to her for sitting time and Jonathan was forced to watch the baby as well as do his school work. Children also learn lessons in the service of God. The baby sitter, a dear saint of God, is not an SDA, but a this lady loves the Lord. We have a continually friendship and Nancy and her have become very good friends. She new that we could no longer pay her but after two weeks, she could no longer stand not having Lily in her home. She called and asked if she could watch Lily the following week. Nancy said that we could not pay her and told her about our situation. She said, well you are here to work for God, I can work for God also by taking care of Lily for you while you and Terry teach and produce the radio program for the Chinese. So she began to watch Lily for us free of charge, committing a price of $135.00 per week, a 4 day rate, to the service of God. This dear saint watched our daughter for three weeks without any compensation and in most cases from 7 AM until 10 PM at night and some weeks for 5 days. There were nights that Lily even stayed over the night at her home. This is a blessing from God that if you were to pay for the service, would be counted to be, more than $500.00 per month. After that, some weeks we did start to give her $100.00 when ever we could. She was thankful, and we were grateful.
Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles! Miracle #8 – New beginnings! God is continuing to supply our needs, even though the numbers do not add up!!!! God has impressed me to begin talking to the SDA officials about the Chinese program. As well as other entities associated with the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The obstacles are: 1. The four churches that I have been in, here in Atlanta, do not have any Chinese people in attendance. With exception of a student which we befriended and is now working with us when she can. And also an ABC (American born Chinese) that plays the piano for Signal Mountain SDA church. He speaks some Chinese and plays very well. No existing Chinese SDA in Atlanta, that we have met thus far in the 8 months that we have been here. We will continue to visit other churches when we are not obligated in one of our attending churches, to seek out the Chinese. 2. Seemingly we have not met with a Church that wants to truly help with the Chinese ministry. I know that every church have their own methods for getting the gospel out unto the lost without no hope, but just the two of us can’t do what needs to be done, alone. 3. The funding for the Radio Program, $100.00 per hour has stopped coming in. God has miraculously provided a thought in the mind of the GM of the radio station to allow us to continue the program without charge, as of today. Tomorrow maybe different. We have come to the conclusion, you could say we have peace about it. If God wants the program to continue, He will have to bring in the funds or keep performing miracles. 4. We have a vision of starting a Chinese speaking SDA church in the future. We are now befriending individuals with the English classes and the radio program, as well as other Chinese acquaintances. Our problem is that most Chinese do not want to let you know that they are listening to the program. We asked God to show us that people are listening to the program. We have a phone number given at the beginning and at the end of the program and no one calls. Nancy has gone to a Sunday keeping church with our baby sitter, a dear Taiwanese saint of God to listen to the Sunday School lesson. She tells me that this teacher teaches like an SDA. So far he has not gotten into any Baptist doctrines but is teaching old testament truth. She has a chance to befriend people that she has found out that listens to her program. So God answered our prayer with that group of believers. She also has attended the largest Chinese Christian church in Atlanta. She overheard a few people talking about a Chinese Christian program on the Radio from 9 to 10 in the morning everyday. Praise God He is in charge of the Chinese program. Praise the God of Creation who performs miracles!
God will have to open all the doors. We are just praying that as many friends of the Chinese as possible will get behind us and help by just sending $1.00 to our address at this link. If as many people as possible would get behind us and begin to sacrifice to God, just $1.00 or more, for this project, not in large sums of money but in small sacrificial giving by many people, we could do so much more. Just a sacrifice of a $1.00 per week. You would be surprised to find out what a sacrifice of $1.00 can perform when God is in it. The hard part of this sacrificial giving to missions is to get everyone in UNITY! God needs serious people for an end time work! Matthew 20:1-2 “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.” If the China Project just had a sacrifice of a penny a day, from all members in our Churches in North America, God could start to move with faithful people like yourself, then we could have a beginning!
2004 Update! January 2004 we opened our school in Norcross and as of December 2, 2004 we are now getting ready for our open house for the new coming year. Afterschool, early development, Chinese school, After hours childcare, Chinese Arts, etc. Please visit our school website. www.acbac.com
Interview
with God - What a blessing -
Please pray for us. We need prayer , We need your prayers of strength to withstand the forces of evil and the God of all creation will perform miracles for his chosen people, the Chinese. Isaiah 49:11-16 11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim (China). 13 Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the LORD hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. *******The great wall can be seen from space, thousands of miles above the face of the earth. 1.4 Billion Chinese need to be considered. Atlanta, GA is a training ground for the western mind to consider the eastern mind and be trained in that which is needful, when God allows Christianity into China, legally. Yanxia’s dissertation for her PhD was a consideration of what a foreigner understands when trying to live in a different culture, namely the western culture. A consideration to think about is this. The SDA church went into China from the western America to do big things. They concentrated on big buildings and people to run the services going on in the buildings, without much thought about the needs of the people outside the buildings. God took it all away and let the communists have the buildings. Now years later we are going into China a little at a time. God can work this way, as long as we send qualified people into the land, that is willing to do God’s business. Please help us to get qualified people ready to do God's work in China by preparing them here in Atlanta, GA. There are many more miracles that I could tell you about, which happened to us since we began working for God full time. I like to believe that we have been in training. “Be still and know that I am God, says the Lord God, Almighty”. Some other things you can find on our website: http://www.childvirtues.com/ and also our newsletter: http://www.childvirtues.com/news Hope this helps you to know us………… If there are any other questions please let us know. Our telephone numbers are: 678-887-2279 (C) ; 770-451-8556 (H); 678-421-9778 (O) Please take time to encourage us. email Nancy or Terry Sincerely Terry & Yanxia |