I just finished chatting with a missionary friend in China. They are in special need of prayer right now. God is doing a great work through this young couple. Satan is upset and going to cause more trouble.

Let me kind of catch you up on what is going on. Of course it is against the law to be a missionary in China. It is against the law to start churches in China. My friend has been very aggressive and has not played the “normal missionary to China game”.

The “normal missionary to China game” means telling people in America that you are going to China to win people to Christ and then going over to China and actually being a “secret agent”. You tell no one who you are but rather hope that they see your faith and ask and get saved.

It is hard for them to see your faith because you never mention it.

My friend has started more than one church now. People are getting saved, baptized, called to preach, and trained to do the ministry. There are young men now leading the church.

They are standing on the brink of a crisis right now and need your prayers. The following will be some excerpts from our chat that just finished:

My friend wrote:

hey jefe don’t know if you’re there or not – just got a potential crisis I want to ask your opinion about

there’s a teacher at one of the big universities that is really prying students for info about our church and there’s a big chance that she’s going to pay us a visit

[10/17/09 8:55:38 AM] Austin Gardner: uh oh

hard to keep the good word quiet

[10/17/09 8:55:59 AM from my friend: she told three of our students that she was going to come because we're invading the culture and she's going to confront the students that are from her school and get them to go back with her

I don't really care what she does as long as she or anyone else doesn't call the police

Austin Gardner: well I think this one is bigger than you and out of your hands

but really I would just do the "Acts" things

ask for boldness and go on

don't hide

I hope you never have to move

but if you were doing nothing to upset hell

then you wouldn’t even need to be nervous now

[10/17/09 9:04:21 AM] my friend: we had a member get arrested down south a while ago too, I never told you

she was released after a few hours though – she was texting us from the police station and she was pretty sure she was going to be arrested

Austin Gardner: well I know that God is using you

and you are doing a good job

I can only expect that you are going to have problems

that is part of the job

but if you want to avoid problems you can become like the people you write about

what you have been doing is not stupid

it is preaching the gospel

it is affecting their lives too much

they should not really believe

or tell others

they should just go on like they are

then you would have no problems

and no real Christians

I am very proud of you

and hearing this makes me even more excited for the work

I am sorry you and your wife have to go through it

but it is wonderful

I hope you keep the pot stirred up so much that the devil takes to huyendo

fleeing

I wish I could be there and be the one doing this right now

Satan will continue to attack but he will flee

but he might get in a few punches before he does

but we always win

I hope to hear from you

I love you and am more proud of you than you will ever know

I only wish that I could be doing something so exciting and so great

right now

I know that God is going to use you and is doing so

tell your wife that I said hang in there and that I am proud of her as well

I live for this

got to be a missionary vicariously now

Well if you would like to comfort my friends and promise your prayers please leave a comment here below. Tell them that you will be praying. If you know who I am talking about please do not mention any names. Just promise to pray.