Prayer Request 10/10 -- 10/16

Tuesday
The first week of October is the “Golden Week” for travel (following October 1st , the National Day). Tourism travel in general is up 17% from last year and more Chinese are taking trips abroad too. This week, a bus carrying tourists from China crashed in Taiwan. It is the first time travel from China to Taiwan is officially sanctioned. Many believers are able to visit churches and attend conferences abroad for the first time. We pray for the mutual sharing, encouragement that will benefit their churches and ministries when they return .
Wednesday
The official definition of poverty is an annual income of 680 yuan (US$85). At the end of last year, China had 23.65 million people living below the poverty line. But, using the internationally accepted guideline of US$1 per day, China's poor totaled up to 130 million. A high percentage of China’s rural church would be considered poor. We pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who appreciate so much more the grace of God and living for God whether they are rich or poor .
Thursday
China is encouraging communities to provide services for the elderly, as pressure grows on retirement homes and individual families. There are now more than 143 million Chinese seniors aged over 60, which is about 11 percent of the total population. Approximately, more than half of the attendees in open churches are seniors. Let us lift up all the aging saints who have witnessed the tumultuous half century, yet have remained faithful to the Lord and tirelessly served their churches .
Friday
There are only 8 beds for every 1,000 elderly Chinese. The typical cost is 1,300 yuan to 1,600 yuan (165-200 U.S. dollars) per month, which the great majority cannot afford. Living alone or with their children are the only options. There is a huge need, unfilled in most churches for elderly ministry. Visitation by church members, large-print Bibles and audio sermons are mostly unheard of in China. Let us pray for the availability of such materials and vision of churches to serve the elderly .
Saturday
Extreme poverty is still very common among the ethnic minorities in Yunnan province where many live on less than $100 USD a year. In 1910, the gospel entered this region through the extraordinary work of many missionaries who translated the Bible into local languages and even gave their lives to do it. There are still many small churches and preaching stations there. We thank the Lord for the example of faithfulness and love for God these impoverished believers model for us .
Sunday
Celebrating the Harvest Festival in October is a huge event among the ethnic minority people. Believers in the Lisu tribe in the most northwest corner of Yunnan where Christianity is the official religion, offer their harvest to God in fancy costumes and with dancing in every village. The gospel came to the Lisu in 1908 with miraculous results (60,000 baptized in 2 years). We pray for all the Lisu preachers who are among the most fervent Chinese missionaries in Western China .
Monday
A nationwide survey of the way urban Chinese youths 12-17 years old spent their money revealed that they spend equal amounts eating out in restaurants and on entertainment (buying music or videos). Nearly 14% of them feel wearing name brand clothing is part of their identity. Christianity is totally foreign to millions of Chinese teenagers and they are the hardest group in all of China to reach for the Lord. We pray for a burden and a strategy to effectively reach out to this consumerism-minded young generation .

星期二
十一黃金週是旅遊高峰，據中國旅遊局報導：今年的遊客量比去年同期增加了17%。其中特別是北京政府開放至台灣考察旅遊。但很不幸地，上週在台灣中部南投便發生大陸團重大車禍。隨著旅遊開放，將有更多中國旅客到世界各地旅遊，許多信徒也第一次有機會到國外參訪各型研習營會及參與當地教會的聚會。求神藉這些交流和分享，激勵信徒，幫助教會事工更有效地的發展。

星期三
中國政府對極度貧窮的界定是年收入低於680人民幣（85美元）。據此標準，去年底有236萬人生活在貧窮水平以下。若按國際「一天少於一美元」的底綫指標，則中國的貧窮人口總數達1.3億，即有更多的農村教會屬於赤貧行列。讓我們爲處在貧窮中的主內肢體禱告，求神讓他們更經歷神的豐盛恩典，也讓信徒或貧或富，都能因神豐盛的慈愛凡事謝恩。

星期四
中國政府正積極地推動社區對老年人的關懷和服務。因爲隨著人口老化，除了養老院供不應求，社會與個別家庭都開始需要面對這與日俱增的壓力。現在中國有超過1.4億人口的年齡在60歲以上，佔總人口的11%。在教會裏聚會的信徒就有一半以上是年長的。讓我們爲這些年紀漸老的肢體禱告，求神記念他們雖經歷過半個世紀的動蕩，也仍能繼續存著信心忠心不怠地服事神。

星期五
中國的養老院床位供不應求。每千名老人，分得8個床位。養老院的費用一般介於每月1,300到1,600人民幣（165-200美金），絕大部分的年長者都負擔不起，只能選擇獨居或與孩子同住。照顧老年人的需要極大，然而多數教會尚未有老年人事工，甚至不知有專為長者預備的大字聖經，有聲聖經，有聲講章，並實行關懷探訪。求神感動眾教會能正視長者的實際需要，也求神藉各種管道使相關的資源能在中國普及。

星期六
在中國雲南的少數民族當中，極度貧窮尤為普遍，一些家庭僅以年收入不及100美元來維生。福音自1910年傳至此地區，全賴許多宣教士前仆後繼甚至犧牲生命的擺上，在當地此宣教並翻譯方言聖經。至今還留存許多小教會和福音小站。這些拓荒先輩以對神的信心和忠堅來愛這些貧苦的少數民族，是我們的榜樣。讓我們求恩慈的神供應赤貧家庭的生活所需，更求神感動中國信徒願意承接傳福音的棒子成爲拓展國度的精兵。

星期日
十月份慶秋收的收獲節，是中國少數民族一個重要的傳統節日。以基督教爲公認信仰傈僳族，會穿上美麗的民族服裝，全村人跳舞歡慶並把收成帶來教會奉獻給神，這是極美的事。1908年福音傳到雲南最西北角的傈僳族，兩年之內就有60,000人受洗。他們常常熱心傳福音走訪其他民族。讓我們特別爲傈僳族感恩、禱告，求神不斷堅固他們，紮實他們信仰的根基。大大使用他們把福音廣傳在全國的少數民族當中。

星期一
一著名跨國諮詢公司針對國內12-17歲都會青少年消費習慣調查顯示，他們在餐飲上的花費幾乎和花在休閒（音樂CD和磁帶）一樣多；另份調查也指出14%年輕人認爲身上的名牌是自我表達的一部分。中國上千萬的青少年至今對基督教仍全然陌生，是教會最難接觸的對象。讓我們爲這走向消費主義的年輕一代禱告，求聖靈開啓他們對真理的渴慕。也讓信徒有負擔，能有策略地接觸他們。