A Trip that Changed My Life
It was the summer of 2000, when a good friend of mine Ray Bloomfield asked me to go on a mission trip to China. Actually, over the years Ray and other minister friends had ask me to go on mission trips with them to different countries around the world. My standard answer was always the same, “I can’t, I’m pastoring, I have to stay with the church.” This time was different, when Ray asked me to go to China, I paused for a moment and responded “yes, I’ll go.” I shared with my church that I was going to be gone for a few weeks for an Asia mission trip to take Bibles into China. When I arrived in Hong Kong at RCMI we were briefed by the staff and loaded up our suitcases and backpacks full of Bibles with other Christian brothers and sisters from around the world. We had a time of prayer asking God to give us favor and to not allow the custom guards to see our Bibles when they passed through the x-ray machine. So off we headed to China.I was a bit apprehensive, I didn’t know what to expect, the only knowledge I had of China was from our national news coverage. Our trip was successful, noone in our group was stopped and we delivered all our Bibles.
I had no idea of the life changing impact that trip would have upon my life. From the first time I arrived at RCMI I fell in love with the people, their heart, their commitment and their mission.Well,that was October of 2000. Since that time I’ve been back to Hong Kong fifteen times. I try to go at least once a year and sometimes twice. I’ve taken my wife, my three kids, members of the church and other minister friends. The result is always the same, a life changing experience for everyone who goes.
Today I’m deeply indebted to my good friend for helping me get out of my comfort zone and having a life changing experience that has impacted my life and the lives of everyone I’ve taken. My prayer is that you will hear the cry from China for more Bibles and feel the heart of those on the frontline in evangelizing that great nation.My prayeris that one day you can have the life changing experience of taking Bibles into China for our brothers and sisters in the Lord.
Pastor Jimmy from U.S.A.
