2024 Retire Refire Mission | 2024『 宣教退而不休』之旅

We are so grateful to God that this year’s 2024 “Retire Refire Mission” trip spanned several continents and countries. With God’s constant companionship and co-working, we truly experienced what the Bible says: “"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:15).

Honduras Cross-Cultural Mission (2/14–2/21): On this trip to Honduras to visit the Living Hope Children's Center in Langue, my wife and I were excited to see that the girl we’ve been sponsoring has grown up. However, as we passed by a garbage dump, I was heartbroken to see Brother Maxial, whom we met two years ago, still there making a living by scavenging. I prayed in my heart, asking God to deliver him from poverty soon. Visiting prisons has always been one of the most impactful ministries during Honduras short-term missions. This time, we visited a prison with 380 inmates. After a brief gospel message and altar call, over 20 prisoners made decisions to follow Jesus Christ! I pray that God will bless these inmates, helping them grow in faith and spirituality, behave well in prison, and hopefully reduce their sentences and be released early.

To visit remote Indigenous communities, we took a seven-hour drive. That evening, I was deeply moved as I heard children leading worship in their own language. My heart was filled with gratitude—finally, I heard resounding songs of praise in this isolated mountain region. I pray that God will use these children to become the hope of the church tomorrow.

Another unforgettable moment was witnessing a sister from our mission team publicly proclaim her faith through confirmation baptism in the sea, declaring her willingness to be used by the Lord in the future.

Pan-American Chinese Mission Conference in Argentina (3/31–4/7): The attendees of this conference were all burdened with mission work in Central and South America. Through the presentation and discussions, my perspective on missions greatly expanded. I realized that God has not abandoned the people living here. Although this continent is known as a Catholic region, many lost souls are waiting for the harvest, while the workers are few. May God move Chinese churches in North America to go and rescue these souls.

Taiwan Short-term Mission Trip (7/23-10/1) was composed of 21 people from the United States and Canada. The two-week activities included children's English summer camp, community services, family visits, patient visits, individual evangelism, and prison evangelism. The enthusiastic response from the community, churches, schools, and prison officials showed the effectiveness of the mission. They hope we can come back next year. During the two months I stayed in Taiwan, I visited many places. I was surprised to see the secularization of the Aboriginal churches. The tribes, which had always been mostly Christian, gradually worshipped ancestors because they wanted to expand the celebrations of various ethnic groups. "Spirit worship" sounds like it means respecting culture, but in fact it means restoring the worship of ancestors. This is the crisis the Aboriginal church is facing. May God have mercy on us.

South America Vision Trip (10/16-10/30) consisted of eight co-workers from the United States, Canada, Argentina, and Chile. Their ages ranged from the youngest of 50 years old to the oldest pastor at 80 years old. The co-workers all had different gifts, talents, and service experiences. After we gathered in Brazil, we first visited three Chinese churches in Paraguay. Each has different characteristics, needs, and challenges, but they have a strong love for the Lord and a strong missionary heart. There are four Chinese churches in Santiago, the capital of Chile, but they have little contact with each other and are independent and unrelated to each other. There is a Chinese church in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Because there has been no pastor for a long time, the believers lack care and nourishment. The believers only care about their own careers. This is a church that needs help and support. Most of the local Chinese people are engaged in business. It is extremely difficult for them to worship on Sunday. Please pray that God will give them wisdom to know how to make good use of time, cherish each other, be united in spirit, and work together in love.
This October, during the two-week-long missionary vision trip to South America, God allowed me to see the local needs and hear their calls. Except for a few Chinese churches in Central and South America that are growing steadily, most of them need our prayers, encouragement, coordination, support, and care. Asking for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, let us follow God’s will and work with local church co-workers to build churches, equip disciples, lead people to the Lord, and bring glory to the Lord. If you have a burden for missionary work in Asia, Africa, Central and South America, whether it is missionary work in the same culture or in different cultures, you are welcome to contact us. Do you want to join the Retire Refire ministry? Come and See! The first step in cross-cultural ministry is to get out there and you will see. Once we see it, we know what God wants us to do.

感谢神，今年2024的『宣教退而不休』之旅横跨几个大洲，到过几个国家，因着神随时随刻的同行、和同工，我们亲尝了圣经说的『报福音传喜信的人，他们的脚踪何等佳美。 』（罗马书 10:15）。

洪都拉斯跨文化宣教 (2/14-2/21)。这一趟去洪都拉斯探访兰盖希望儿童中心，我跟师母很兴奋地看到我们资助的女孩已长大。但经过一个垃圾堆时，看到两年前认识的Maxial弟兄仍在那里靠捡垃圾维生，心酸难过。我心里祷告，祈求神让他早日脱离贫困。探访监狱一直是洪都拉斯短宣中震撼人心的事工。这次是到一间有380人的监狱。短讲呼召后有20多名犯人决志，求神恩待这些狱友，让他们可以信心灵命增长，在狱中表现好，减刑早日出狱。为了要看望偏远的印第安部落民众，我们坐了七小时的车程。当晚看见孩童们用他们的语言带领诗歌赞美，我心中充满感恩，终于在孤立的山上听到嘹亮的歌声，求神使用这些小孩，成为教会明日的希望。另一件难忘的，就是一位姐妹短宣队员，在海里公开作坚信礼，表明今后愿为主用。

阿根廷泛美华人宣教大会 (3/31-4/7)。与会者都是对中美洲和南美洲宣教有负担的，透过讲员与讨论使我的宣教视野大开，原来神并没有遗弃住在这里的人，这块大陆名为天主教国家，但许多失丧的人等待收割，做工的人少，求神感动北美的华人教会前往抢救灵魂。

台湾短宣队 (7/23-10/1)。这是由21名从美国和加拿大组成的短宣队。为期两周的活动有儿童英语夏令营、社区服务、家庭访视、探望病人、个别布道、监狱布道，从社区、教会、学校和狱方的热烈反应看出宣教的果效，他们希望我们明年再来。留在台湾的两个月里走访东西南北，令我惊讶的是看到原住民教会的世俗化，一向以大多数是基督教的部落，因要扩大举办各族的庆典，渐渐地沦入「祖灵崇拜」，好听是尊重文化，实际上是恢复了对祖先的祭拜。这是原住民教会正面临的危机，求神开恩怜悯。

南美洲宣教探索之旅 (10/16-10/30)。有来自美国、加拿大、阿根廷、智利的八位同工参加，年龄从最年轻50岁到最大的牧者80岁，同工都有不同的恩赐、才干、事奉经历。我们到巴西集合后，先拜访巴拉圭三间华人教会，各有不同的特色，也有不同的需要和挑战，但爱主心和宣教心坚定。智利首都圣地亚哥市有四间华人教会，但彼此间少有来往，各自独立，互不相干。玻利维亚的圣克鲁斯市有一间华人教会，因好久没有牧者的牧养，信徒缺乏关顾与喂养，信徒只顾自己的事业，这是很需要辅助和支援的教会。当地华人大多是经商或作生意，要在主日做礼拜对他们来说是难上加难，求神赐他们智慧知道如何善用时间，珍惜彼此，灵里合一，爱里同工。

今年10月两周的南美的宣教探索之旅，神让我看到了当地的需要，也听到了他们的呼声。中南美洲或南美洲的华人教会除了几间是稳定地成长，大都是需要我们的祷告、鼓励、配搭、扶持和关心。求圣灵的光照，让我们遵照神的旨意与当地教会同工同行，建立教会，装备圣徒，领人归主，主得荣耀。若你对亚洲、非洲、中南美洲和南美洲的宣教有负担，无论是同文化和异文化宣教，欢迎你跟我们联络。要加入退而不休的宣教事工吗？ Come and See！让我们一起来看！跨文化事工的第一步就是走出去，就会看见。有了看见，就知道神要我们作什么。