There are many Miao Christians in Ji 'an, China's eastern Jiangxi Province. They made their way to Ji 'an in the early 1990s, built adobe houses next to local villages, and settled down, as they could not get enough food and clothing in her hometown Guizhou Province. Later, they got in touch with the local church in Ji 'an. Since then, the church has started a series of visits and help work for Miao believers.
Around the 2015 National Day, the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, visited three local Miao churches with Pastor You Bin of Ji 'an Gospel Church. They deeply felt the enthusiasm and simplicity of Miao believers, also seeling the difficulty and hardship of their lives. Most of the houses they live in are adobe houses.
You introduced that there were nine Miao believer gathering sites scattered in Ji 'an at that time. At first, the church only helped them with life needs by giving them clothes and other necessities. Later, the church found that the children there could not receive education in time due to financial constraints, then they joined hands with the Hong Kong churches to make donations to cover the children's tuition fees.
Through the efforts of Gospel Church, a Hong Kong Baptist church offered help to these Miao children with their schooling problems, providing financial assistance "one-on-one" (one believer financially helps one Miao child). The Gospel Church is responsible for collecting children's information and getting the funds. Starting the aid work for Miao students in 2010, they go to Miao meeting sites at least twice a year to give grants and make some records.
But later, with the policy changes, the Hong Kong church could no longer provide financial assistance, so the children had no stable source for tuition fees. "We will do the aid work according to the contribution received." Pastor You said, "Paying visits to Miao Christians, we also expect more people to care for and help them and their lovely children.
The following is a visit carried out by the Gospel Church on May 21st to give out a male believer's tuition fee aid to a Miao family.
In the early morning, Pastor You Bin and his party set off from Jizhou District to visit a male Christian of the Miao nationality named Zhu Fugui in Huqiu Village, Futian Town, Qingyuan District, bringing a male believer's donation. In addition, they had also prepared schoolbags, colored pen sets, stationery bags, mugs, milk, some snacks, and clothes for the children.
Zhu has eight children, the oldest of whom is 18 years old and has already worked, while the youngest is just over one year old. Five of the eight children are studying in junior high school, primary school, or kindergarten. Moreover, as his right hand was bitten by a poisonous snake in 2003, Zhu became disabled due to financial reasons without timely treatment. In order to make a living, he often rides a motorcycle to a distant place to dig medicinal materials to pay the tuition fees of his five children. Sometimes he rode about 100 kilometers but got nothing. Sometimes a few pounds of medicinal materials were barely enough for the fuel cost of the motorcycle. He could only get enough when he was lucky.
After learning about Zhu's family situation, Pastor You has been thinking about preparing tuition fees for the children and praying for getting help from other church members. A few days ago, a male believer from another place contacted the pastor to ask if there were any believers in special need of help. Immediately thinking of Zhu, You informed him about Zhu's situation, receiving financial aid.
After more than an hour across over 50 kilometers, they finally arrived at Zhu's home. The church group asked the children about their studies. Zhu Juan, the second child, came up with her youngest sister on her back. She is only fourteen years old in grade seven at Xin 'an Middle School. Being an excellent student, she is the leader of the English group. "I asked her to write a thank-you note and some introductions of herself in English. We can see she is proficient in English as she writes very well," Pastor You said.
When the church staff asked the children what stationery they needed, several of them said watercolor pens, which happened to be prepared by the co-workers.
"What we give is limited, but it's really a warm help for this family." Rev. You shared, "I often say that when someone gives, three parties can reap joy and happiness. First, the giver is happy, because he is grateful for the opportunity to help those in need. Secondly, the receiver is happy that someone gives him timely help. Thirdly, there is joy and happiness in the heaven where angels and heavenly armies are cheering and praising for these things."
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
在江西吉安，散居着很多苗族基督徒，他们是90年代初来到江西吉安的。由于在贵州解决不了温饱问题，大家辗转来到江西，在当地村子旁边建起一座座土坯房，定居了下来。后来他们和吉安当地教会取得了联系，教会自此开始了对苗族信徒的一系列探访和帮助工作。
2015年国庆节前后，福音时报同工曾随同吉安福音堂游斌牧师一行前往当地三处苗族教会探访，深切感受到了苗族弟兄姐妹的热情、淳朴，同时也看到了他们生活的不易和艰难。他们所住的房子多是土柸房.
同行的游牧师告诉我们，当时散落在吉安各地一共有9个苗族聚集点。开始，教会只是从生活上帮助苗族弟兄姐妹，送一些衣物等生活必需品。后来看到这里孩子们受经济限制不能及时接受教育的需要，便联合香港教会的弟兄姐妹，帮助他们解决孩子们的学费问题。
经过福音堂多方努力，香港浸信会一家教会愿意合作帮助这些苗族孩子解决上学问题，通过采用“一对一”，即一个弟兄姐妹资助一个苗族孩子的方式，提供资金帮助，福音堂则负责收集孩子们资料以及资金落实。2010年，福音堂开始了苗族学子的助学工作。每年至少两次前往苗族聚集点，发放助学金，并做好各样登记。
但后来随着政策等方面的变动，香港教会不能再提供资助，孩子们的学费也没有了稳定来源。现在的情况是，“能够有人奉献我们就去做一点。”游牧师说，福音堂对苗族弟兄姐妹的爱心探访也一直在做。我们也期待有更多人能关心帮助这些主内同胞，也帮助这些可爱的孩子们。
以下是5月21日福音堂对苗族弟兄姐妹的一次爱心探访，此次探访主要是将一位弟兄的爱心助学款发放给一个苗族家庭。
2022年5月21日一大早，江西吉安福音堂游斌牧师一行人从吉州区出发前往青原区福田镇湖邱村，去探访住在那里的苗族朱富贵弟兄一家。这一行的目的，主要是把主内一位肢体给孩子们的爱心奉献款带给他们，以帮助孩子上学。此外，他们还为孩子们准备了书包、彩色笔套装、文具袋、马克杯、牛奶及一些小零食和衣服。
朱富贵弟兄家有八个孩子，最大的18岁，已经在外面打工了，最小的才一岁多。八个孩子有五个都在读书，有读初中的，小学的，幼儿园的。而且朱弟兄的右手曾在2003年被毒蛇咬伤，因经济原因未得到及时治疗落下残疾。为了生计，他常常骑摩托车去很远的地方挖药材来交五个孩子的学费，有时骑上百公里也没有药材可挖，有时能够挖上几斤药材也勉强够摩托车的油费，碰上机会好才能够多挖到一些。
了解朱弟兄家的情况后，游牧师就一直想着为孩子们筹备学费，也祷告求神感动有爱心的弟兄姐妹。前几天，有一位外地的弟兄联系游牧师，询问有没有特别需要帮助的弟兄姐妹，游牧立刻就想到了朱弟兄的孩子们，便将情况告知这位弟兄，于是就有了他们这次发放助学金的爱心之行。
历经一个多小时50多公里的路程终于抵达朱弟兄家，教会一行人一一询问孩子们学习的情况。老二朱娟背着自己最小的妹妹走了过来，朱娟只有十四岁，目前在新安中学读初一。她的学习非常优秀，并且是英语组长。“我叫他写一个感谢信，并且用英文写一点自己的介绍。后来看到她写的非常的棒，我们可以看到她流利的英语。”游牧师说。
当教会同工询问孩子们想要什么文具时，好几个都说要水彩笔，刚好同工们预备了.
“虽然我们给出的有限，但对这个家庭来说真是雪中送炭的温暖。”游斌牧师分享到：“我常说当有人爱心施舍的时候，是可以有三方收获欢喜快乐的，第一是施舍的人开心快乐，因为他感恩自己有力量去帮助有需要的人，第二是接受的人欢喜快乐，因为在自己最需要的时候有人雪中送炭给他，第三是天上有欢喜快乐，因为天使天军也因为这些事在那里欢呼赞美。”
“彼此相顾，让爱主动”——关注吉安苗族信徒子女的助学工作
There are many Miao Christians in Ji 'an, China's eastern Jiangxi Province. They made their way to Ji 'an in the early 1990s, built adobe houses next to local villages, and settled down, as they could not get enough food and clothing in her hometown Guizhou Province. Later, they got in touch with the local church in Ji 'an. Since then, the church has started a series of visits and help work for Miao believers.
Around the 2015 National Day, the Gospel Times, an online Chinese Christian newspaper, visited three local Miao churches with Pastor You Bin of Ji 'an Gospel Church. They deeply felt the enthusiasm and simplicity of Miao believers, also seeling the difficulty and hardship of their lives. Most of the houses they live in are adobe houses.
You introduced that there were nine Miao believer gathering sites scattered in Ji 'an at that time. At first, the church only helped them with life needs by giving them clothes and other necessities. Later, the church found that the children there could not receive education in time due to financial constraints, then they joined hands with the Hong Kong churches to make donations to cover the children's tuition fees.
Through the efforts of Gospel Church, a Hong Kong Baptist church offered help to these Miao children with their schooling problems, providing financial assistance "one-on-one" (one believer financially helps one Miao child). The Gospel Church is responsible for collecting children's information and getting the funds. Starting the aid work for Miao students in 2010, they go to Miao meeting sites at least twice a year to give grants and make some records.
But later, with the policy changes, the Hong Kong church could no longer provide financial assistance, so the children had no stable source for tuition fees. "We will do the aid work according to the contribution received." Pastor You said, "Paying visits to Miao Christians, we also expect more people to care for and help them and their lovely children.
The following is a visit carried out by the Gospel Church on May 21st to give out a male believer's tuition fee aid to a Miao family.
In the early morning, Pastor You Bin and his party set off from Jizhou District to visit a male Christian of the Miao nationality named Zhu Fugui in Huqiu Village, Futian Town, Qingyuan District, bringing a male believer's donation. In addition, they had also prepared schoolbags, colored pen sets, stationery bags, mugs, milk, some snacks, and clothes for the children.
Zhu has eight children, the oldest of whom is 18 years old and has already worked, while the youngest is just over one year old. Five of the eight children are studying in junior high school, primary school, or kindergarten. Moreover, as his right hand was bitten by a poisonous snake in 2003, Zhu became disabled due to financial reasons without timely treatment. In order to make a living, he often rides a motorcycle to a distant place to dig medicinal materials to pay the tuition fees of his five children. Sometimes he rode about 100 kilometers but got nothing. Sometimes a few pounds of medicinal materials were barely enough for the fuel cost of the motorcycle. He could only get enough when he was lucky.
After learning about Zhu's family situation, Pastor You has been thinking about preparing tuition fees for the children and praying for getting help from other church members. A few days ago, a male believer from another place contacted the pastor to ask if there were any believers in special need of help. Immediately thinking of Zhu, You informed him about Zhu's situation, receiving financial aid.
After more than an hour across over 50 kilometers, they finally arrived at Zhu's home. The church group asked the children about their studies. Zhu Juan, the second child, came up with her youngest sister on her back. She is only fourteen years old in grade seven at Xin 'an Middle School. Being an excellent student, she is the leader of the English group. "I asked her to write a thank-you note and some introductions of herself in English. We can see she is proficient in English as she writes very well," Pastor You said.
When the church staff asked the children what stationery they needed, several of them said watercolor pens, which happened to be prepared by the co-workers.
"What we give is limited, but it's really a warm help for this family." Rev. You shared, "I often say that when someone gives, three parties can reap joy and happiness. First, the giver is happy, because he is grateful for the opportunity to help those in need. Secondly, the receiver is happy that someone gives him timely help. Thirdly, there is joy and happiness in the heaven where angels and heavenly armies are cheering and praising for these things."
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
A View of Student Aid Work Among Miao Christians in Ji 'an
