top of page

Summer Camp in Lush Valley

In the afternoon one day, after returning from Yunnan, we were shaken by the news of a 6.5 magnitude earthquake at Ludian of Zhaotong County. Several hundred people perished and several thousand were injured in the calamity. Let’s pray for medical care and relief to quickly reach the quake victims and that comfort comes to their loved ones. The ethnic minorities that RCMI is serving are safe and sound 300km away from the disaster scene, thanks for your concern.


Co-led by Hong Kong team


Yunnan, known for its eternal springtime, is no longer so in recent years. The province now experiences snow in January, summer in May and autumn in July and August. Recently a mission team comprising 11 members from Hong Kong arrived in Kunming to host a three day summer camp. Some 70 local students gathered at a hilly campsite amid verdant greenery. Among them are 20-plus ethnic students who are recipients of our education aid. It was not easy for these students to come afar from different places; it was even harder that they could mingle and fellowship at ease on their first meeting. The students encouraged and prayed for one another. A few of them expressed desire to study in a Bible college after graduation so that they could serve God and share the good news with their own ethnic group.


In the camp, the participants were divided into five groups for activities including "ice-breaker", worship, questions and answers, discussions, sharing, meditation and Bible study. Amid laughter and harmony, the groups showed a high sense of submission, teachability and creativity. During the time of sharing, the students talked about how the camp had helped them know more about God and broaden their spiritual horizon. Some said they are learning to wait upon God and enter into intimacy with God. Others said the teaching and testimony sessions strengthened their faith towards God and Bible principles.


2014Summer Camp (284).JPG

We had a bonfire and a dance on the second night of the camp. We followed the Yi to dance together the dance they normally perform only for their New Year celebration. Donning colorful ethnic costumes peculiar to the Yi, we moved agilely around the fire following musical beats and holding hands with all of the ethnic students. The dances lasted for more than an hour. Sweaty but still energetic the students had to call it a day in between eating the sweet potatoes that were being cooked in the fire.


On the third night, the camp closed with a celebration of praise and worship. The song “There is a God” (有一位神) was jointly presented by the students and the Hong Kong mission team members. This was followed by sharing by the creativity activities of the five groups involved. The sharing and testimonies showed that the camp participants had learned much about mutual love, cooperation and confidence in testifying for Jesus. Present at the camp were also some parents who were unbelievers. On seeing how their children have come under the love of God and the body of Christ, these parents were moved to tears.


Challenges of Ethnic Churches


維西1.jpg

A Sani (subgroup of Yi) student shared with us something regarding Weixi in northwest of Yunnan province. Weixi is a Lisu township located in the Diqing Zangzu Zhizhou. Sitting at nearly 5000m above sea level, Weixi has a high illiteracy rate. People there call Christianity a Lisu faith. Weixi has many Tibetans and hence the township comes under stringent control over religious activities. In Weixi, the believers are mainly from the Dolong and Lisu groups, followed by Tibetans, Naxi and Bai peoples. In Weixi, the lay people are not allowed to preach from the pulpit and evangelize outside the churches. Churches are also not allowed to conduct revival and other special meetings.


Due to influences from Myanmar, a few Weixi churches have adopted an extreme theology. Besides, local cults like Allmighty God (aka Eastern Lightning) and the Disciple Sect are seriously involved in “sheep stealing” from Lisu churches. The cults come with beautifully printed Lisu literature to entice the unsuspecting believers. Meanwhile, believers and cultists alike come under indiscriminate suppression by the Weixi authorities. Last year, local authorities in Shangri-La stopped church meetings which had 20 or more believers in the congregation. And on the third time such an order was served, the authorities would go ahead to confiscate all belongings found inside these churches. We were also informed of Christian families in Weixi that refused to participate in the joint temple effort to appeal to deities for rain. For that, the believer families concerned would come under rebuke and other forms of persecution. Thus, the Weixi churches wish that outside churches would extend help to them. Due to stringent control by the local authorities, such contact could cause danger to the churches concerned. Please pray that God would open a way for the Weixi churches to link up with outside churches that preach Biblical truth.


Recent Posts
bottom of page