Southern Cross update

Dear Partners, Friends and Supporters of Southern Cross:

I always like this day of the year, because it is a chance for me to look back over all that God has done in the recent past and give Him the glory, honor and praise He so richly deserves! I can tell you that 2005 was some kind of a year, starting out with the tsunami that directly impacted Chinese tourism to South East Asia. The schemes of our enemy have not ceased as he has sought to disrupt, confuse, distract and use anything possible to keep this distribution from happening. But, PRAISE GOD! Our Father has been so good to us! He has not allowed any of those schemes to stop us, and He has done SO MANY GOOD THINGS!

So, let’s share in those good things, and give Him the glory. Please accept my deepest heartfelt gratitude to you all for faithfully supporting, encouraging and being a part of all God has been doing through Southern Cross to reach mainland Chinese people with the Gospel.

In 2005 we passed out 103,042 packets of Christian materials, along with 88,142 Bibles. (The reason those numbers are not the same is one distribution venue did not pass out Bibles, but used New Testaments instead). Beyond that, God blessed us with 430 volunteers serving on 56 teams. That is the MOST we have ever had in a given year.

At the end of 2005, we had distributed 377,299 packets and an amazing 159,664 Bibles! I say amazing because we only started passing out Bibles in 2004, and praise God for all the copies of His precious Word that have gone into China because of all you have done! All who? All of the 1,229 volunteers serving on 430 teams that have come so far!

What do the numbers mean? First, let’s talk about Christian literature making it into China. The total number of packets for 2005 means that over 600,000 pieces of literature were sent into the mainland. Tracts, books and video presentations including the “JESUS” film. But, more incredible is that in the time the distribution has been taking place nearly 2.5 million pieces of literature (including the Bibles) have gone into the mainland!

And what about impact? Many of you are already aware of the miraculous things God is doing among the Chinese that we call the “Times 10 Principal.” That is, we have it on very good authority that for every packet that makes it back into China, that no less that 10 persons per packet will have the opportunity to hear, read and/or see the Gospel. That means that in 2005 your partnership in this project provided the opportunity for right at 1 million Chinese to be presented with the Gospel!

In addition to that, what about the personal impact? Volunteers have come, so faithfully, expressing their obedience to God’s Great Commission and serving Him by participating in the distribution. What can be said! God is so, so, so good! And we praise Him for all He has done. Hearts have been opened, lives changed, peoples vision for what God wants to do in His world has broadened.

Where do we go from here? First of all we will keep pressing forward, believing that God will provide everything we need to get His work done, just has He has already provided everything we have needed up to this point. We would like to see the number of those being impacted by the Gospel inside China increase. For the past two years we have seen at least 1 million Chinese reached with the Gospel through Southern Cross. So, by faith we are asking God for another 1 million or more in 2006. What will that take? Focused prayer, participation and funding.

Several months ago word got out that Southern Cross had all it needed, and that no more teams were needed. Brothers and sisters, NOTHING could be further from the truth. There are still more than 1 billion lost people waiting to hear the Gospel inside China. Men, women, boys and girls are dying and going into eternity without Jesus simply because they were born in a country where there is no free access to the Gospel. And while God is indeed blessing the ministry of Southern Cross and there are record numbers of Chinese coming to know the Lord every day, we have received a report that as many as 30,000 perish without Christ every day. So, as long as there are Chinese people who need the Gospel, Southern Cross needs your support and participation.