Coronavirus Outbreak in Hong Kong and China
Hello friends and partners, we wanted to send everyone an update on the impact the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) has been having on us here in Hong Kong. As many of you know, the outbreak of the virus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.
It has since spread around the world, with now over 60,000 reported cases and over 1,300 deaths and the numbers are accelerating. Currently there are no approved vaccines or cure.
The situation in Hong Kong is very intense. People are scared. Extreme measures have been taken to avoid the spread of the virus. Schools are closed, businesses are asking employees to work from home, people are avoiding any kind of public event (including church), and everyone is wearing masks.
To cooperate with the schools and government we considered cancelling our church services until this passed. But after our staff prayer two weeks ago we had a God idea! Let’s go to an online only service—and start it off with a 20 min “Kids Church” segment. Then we can do a shortened worship and message and finish with 15 min of all church prayer for our families, city and country.
We asked everyone in the church to let others know about this new online service. We even asked the kids to let their school friends know about the Kids Church segment.
The online-only service views leaped by approx 5 times larger than usual—to over 800 and counting!
Together, we can make a difference in so many people’s lives we cannot begin to count them all!
Blessings from Hong Kong,
Steve and Sharmin Fischer
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Say hello to the new branding!
For many years we have used our ministry names “Fischer Family Ministries” and “China Missions” interchangeably. Generally China Missions has referred to our team trips arm of the ministry. For the utmost clarity and simplicity, we have decided to bring all our our ministry aspects under one name: China Missions.
We are excited about this small but significant change, and will begin implementing it across all of our web, social media, and print outlets over the next few months.
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Our Journey To The Chinese Leper Colony
Upon hearing the word “leper”, one would typically think of biblical times and the healings of Jesus, or maybe even the movie Ben-Hur. That’s what we thought—until last month—when we were invited to visit a leper colony in the mountains of southwest China.
As we prepared for the drive to the mountains, the local contact shared with our team how these lepers live alone in the mountains. The government has built enclosed villages for them to live in, but they rarely, if ever, have visitors.
Our China Missions team loaded a horse with rice and cooking oil for the leper colony and hiked up the mountain on a long dirt trail.
Upon arriving we hugged them, prayed, worshiped, and loved on them until it was time to leave. The people in the colonies we visited had been treated and had varying degrees of physical deformities. But what was most noticeable was their excitement and friendliness towards us.
Some of them were believers through the work of the local contact. We encouraged those who were, and witnessed to those who weren’t. In China, ministry is accomplished through small, baby steps. We believe a new door of ministry has opened up in this region and by prayer and patience we’ll be walking it out.
Things are rapidly changing across China. Christian ministry has become increasingly difficult. So it is all the more important that you, our faith support team, have enabled us to press forward with strength.
Our vision is to be a missions base in Hong Kong (with complete religious freedom) that strategically reaches into China to help reach the over 200 million people who’ve never heard the name of Jesus even once. On nearly every missions trip we’ve lead into China, Hong Kong church members have joined. These future missionaries are getting a heart to reach their own people in a climate where it is becoming increasingly difficult for foreigners to do the work.
This visit to the leper colony is just one example of that working. You are touching the ‘untouchable’ with the love of Jesus. Thank you.
Blessings from Hong Kong,
Steve and Sharmin Fischer and the Fischer Family
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We’ve Never Seen This Happen Before In China…
Before we get to the exciting part, you need to understand the context of this story:
00.2%
00.2% is the total Christian population in a city in southwestern China where our recent China Missions teams have gone.
500,000 people and less than 1,000 Christians.
This is why China Missions is so important. Because over 200 million people in China have never heard the name of Jesus even once.
But in the midst of such spiritual darkness, something happened here that we have never seen before: we were able to openly share the Gospel without any restraint in a large kindergarten! In over fifteen years in China, we have not seen this type of ministry done before in a formal school setting. The kids, 2-5 years old, had never heard the name of Jesus. But after the songs, crafts, clown skit, and sharing, 173 kindergarteners prayed to receive Jesus!
This area has now gone from 00.20% to 00.23% Christian!
The Principal of the kindergarten was deeply moved and said that the China Missions Team inspired him with new ways to teach the kids. We believe that these “open doors” for the Gospel are a direct result of your prayers. We could not do it without you!
We also went into the mountain villages, orphanages, and house churches. In one of the orphanages, the leaders of the registered church came and met us. We had a mini-revival because after years of seed sown, they were finally open to receiving the Holy Spirit.
Rice, Bibles and most importantly, the Gospel, was taken to the rural villages of this area of China.
Thank you for standing with us here on the mission field. And a special thank you to all those who’ve come out on a China Missions trip.
Together we can evangelize and disciple the next generation of unreached Chinese people!
Blessings from Hong Kong,
Steve and Sharmin Fischer and the Fischer Family
PS. More updates to come on the church launch and our recent team up with Global Ventures for a big impact in Hong Kong and China!
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Ministry to the Mountain Villages
Our China Missions team went into the mountain villages, orphanages, and house churches. In one of the orphanages, the leaders of the registered church came and met us. There was a mini-revival because after years of seed sown, they were finally open to receiving the Holy Spirit.
Rice, Bibles and most importantly, the Gospel, was taken to the rural villages of this area of China.
Thank you for standing with us here on the mission field. And a special thank you to all those who’ve come out on a China Missions trip.
Together we can evangelize and disciple the next generation of unreached Chinese people!
Blessings from Hong Kong,
Steve and Sharmin Fischer and the Fischer Family
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