I asked Tim Stout who went with us on our China Mission to share his thoughts and here they are:

During this trip to China, we visited many churches. I lost count of exactly how many. One was 134 years old and had been founded by Swiss missionaries. Alongside the original stone structure was a brand new building with clean white walls and large airy spaces. Some were partially built and the people were trusting God for the funds to complete. I saw a field of grass that a congregation dreamed of building a church on one day. Over a shared snack of mangos and bananas we looked at blueprints. We walked up to a church dedication to the sound of drums and cymbals. In another church, I sat at the back of an older building, sweating while lazy fans turned above me. The hard, straight-backed wood pews were packed.
China is ready to grow. There’s no shortage of enthusiasm, vision or workers. Gary says ‘China is the engine and we’re the fuel.” The good news is that fuel is cheap there. The average pastor in China lives on $600 a year. Two dollars a day. I probably spend that much on coffee. As Jan likes to say, “it takes so little to make a big difference.” I was thinking of our money and China’s human resources and the potential of that partnership.
I might have lost count of the number of churches, but I’ll never forget one pastor’s face, her eyes filled with tears, as a member of our group put $200 Chinese Yen in her hand. That’s only $25 US and yet it made a big difference in her life.

During this trip to China, we visited many churches. I lost count of exactly how many. One was 134 years old and had been founded by Swiss missionaries. Alongside the original stone structure was a brand new building with clean white walls and large airy spaces. Some were partially built and the people were trusting God for the funds to complete. I saw a field of grass that a congregation dreamed of building a church on one day. Over a shared snack of mangos and bananas we looked at blueprints. We walked up to a church dedication to the sound of drums and cymbals. In another church, I sat at the back of an older building, sweating while lazy fans turned above me. The hard, straight-backed wood pews were packed.

China is ready to grow. There’s no shortage of enthusiasm, vision or workers. Gary says ‘China is the engine and we’re the fuel.” The good news is that fuel is cheap there. The average pastor in China lives on $600 a year. Two dollars a day. I probably spend that much on coffee. As Jan likes to say, “it takes so little to make a big difference.” I was thinking of our money and China’s human resources and the potential of that partnership.

I might have lost count of the number of churches, but I’ll never forget one pastor’s face, her eyes filled with tears, as a member of our group put $200 Chinese Yen in her hand. That’s only $25 US and yet it made a big difference in her life.

Thanks Tim for your investment in the Jesus mission in China