Prayer Request 8/15 -- 8/21

Tuesday
The surprising answer to the question, "Who are buying houses in China?" is that it is the 25-30 year-olds who have graduated from college and gotten married. Parents of the children from the One-child-only policy are pooling their savings to help their children buy homes. Chinese parents will do nearly anything to help their children get a home of their own. Christian parents struggle between saving for retirement or for a house for their child. We pray for great faith for them as they learn to give to the House of God also .

Wednesday
A government survey reports that 98.3% of the people in a government survey in China agree that "The gap between the rich and poor has widened" and the situation has become unacceptable. About 3/4 believe that "helping the poor" directly is far more important policy step than "robbing the rich" with heavier taxation. The gap between the poor rural churches and the wealthier urban ones has widened, too. Not only are facilities superior, the training of workers and even preaching are better. Let us pray for the encouraging trend of some of the healthier churches helping those in need by supporting them with preachers, finance, as well as help in building churches .

Thursday
30,000 mainland Chinese students applied to universities in Hong Kong this year. Fifteen of China's top students were happy to enroll with full scholarships. Their top reasons were famous faculties, and well-equipped libraries. Many pastors and church workers are also eager to receive additional theological training in Singapore, the Philippines, or North America. Numbers have returned to China to serve there. We pray for their faithful ministries and patience in applying at home what they have learned abroad .

Friday
China plans to raise the salaries of civil servants as a part of the reform to narrow the gap between the rich and poor there. This will raise the salary for 120 million people including 6 million central and local government employees and 50 million retired military and government employees. The biggest problem churches in China face is that of retaining their workers. They leave for secular work or for positions with higher incomes and overall there are no health benefits at all. We cannot judge those who have left but we pray for this neglected group and this huge problem China churches have. .

Saturday
Hospitals charge 1000 yuan for normal delivery of babies and 2000 yuan for C-sections. In Yunnan, Guangxi, and Guizhou this takes nearly five months income of many minority families. Due to a lack of prenatal care and basic midwife attendance, infant mortality is very high. In many of the minority groups in China, deeply-ingrained bad cultural practices, poverty, and the worship of spirits continue. Let us lift up all the ethnic minorities and the churches there.

Sunday
In China teaching is referred to as "The most glorious profession under the sun." Confucius was the most respected, and still serves as an exemplary model teacher. There are approximately ten million teachers in various levels of the Chinese education system. We take this time to lift up all who teach the Bible in seminaries, training classes, and churches. May the Lord give them wisdom, a powerful life witness, and an example of humility .

Monday
Technically every Chinese is entitled to nine years of free education but there are various add-on fees and the government is trying to crack down on such abuses. Private elementary and junior high schools which offer similar tuition and fees but with a substantially improved education are now common. Church workers who leave the ministry say the most common reason is their inability to pay for their children's education. We remember their struggle and respect their decisions, pray for their continuing service in other capacities, and bless their families .


星期二
「誰是中國房屋大買家？」購房主力出人意料的竟是25-30歲大學剛畢業，準備結婚的年輕人。專家指出，獨生子女的家庭結構是支撐中國房價上漲的重要因素。同為獨子的男女雙方父母都會掏錢為孩子購屋，使得房屋需求量上升，價格也跟著上漲。華人父母會盡一切力量讓孩子擁有自己的房子。基督徒父母也同樣掙扎於為自己留退休積蓄或為孩子購屋的兩難之中，如果還要十一奉獻，需要很大的信心。我們為基督徒，特別是年長者禱告，求神調整他們屬靈的價值觀，並操練為神家中的需要奉獻。

星期三
根據官方調查，98.3%的中國人認同貧富差距變大了；73.5%認爲濟貧比劫富更重要，政府應該“濟貧”—直接幫助窮人。而非“劫富”—增加稅收。教會在貧窮的農村和富裕的城市間，無論設備，同工訓練、甚至講道素質也都極爲懸殊。讓我們為此禱告，盼望神感動健全富裕的教會能幫助貧窮的教會，不單在金錢上支持，也能提供傳道和教導的支援，並且協助植堂建立教會。

星期四
近來内地學生競相投入香港高校（大學）懷抱。最大原因是香港有名師和設備完善的圖書館。今年就有近3萬學生爭取1,000個名額，包括15位高考狀元獲取香港全額獎學金。國內教會許多傳道人和同工嚮往外國神學完備的訓練。有些到新加坡，菲律賓及北美接受裝備後回國事奉。但國內教會不一定能接受他們在外國所學的。讓我們為他們回國後的服事禱告，求神幫助他們學習忍耐，在神家中忠心地服事。

星期五
中國準備提高所有公務人員的薪資，以改革經濟減緩貧富懸殊差距。屆時會有1.2億人獲得加薪，包括6百萬名中央及地方政府和5千萬退休軍人和公務員。目前中國教會面臨最大的挑戰是同工服事不能持久，他們爲了家庭需要，選擇到社會工作；很多教會也沒有照顧到傳道人的福利和需要。我們不論斷離開工場的人，卻要為掙扎其中的教會及同工禱告，求神開路。

星期六
在雲南、廣西和貴州的醫院，自然生産費用是1,000人民幣，剖腹產則是2,000圓。這相當於境內少數民族家庭五個月的收入。當地的孕婦缺少產前護理，也很少到醫院生産，因此嬰兒死亡率居高不下。中國的少數族群除了貧窮，也保留許多惡習和不良的文化思想，至今仍繼續拜精靈。我們求神差遣更多工人將福音帶給他們，興起當地教會和基督徒能夠依靠主，發揮改變社會的功能。

星期日
在中國，教書被視爲「太陽底下最光輝的專業」。備受尊崇的孔夫子，歷代被稱為「至聖先師」，至今仍是教師們的典範。目前中國教育體制下，大約有1千萬名教師。讓我們記念在聖經學院、培訓班、和眾教會裏擔任教職的人，求神厚賜他們智慧、能力與謙卑，以及有力的生命見證，為衆人樹立典範。

星期一
中國有9年義務教育制度，實際上很多公立學校卻爭相收取各種附加費，政府仍在努力糾正這些弊端。公立學校收費與很多私立中小學相近，但後者在營利之餘仍會不斷提升教學素質。同工離開宣教或牧養崗位，最常見的原因是無法負擔兒女的教育費。讓我們諒解他們的掙扎並尊重他們的決定。求神賜福他們的家人，讓他們在新工作崗位上仍能有美好的見證和服事。