Christmas in China!
Team shares eyeglasses, books and Jesus with migrant students
Several projects coordinated by the CMF Marketplace Ministries team with international schools in a large Chinese city came to fruition in time for Christmas, report team members Mr. P. and Ms. C.
- A local eye hospital visited the migrant school at the team’s request in September, and gave eye exams to the students. Those who needed further care went to the eye hospital for more exams. This was the team’s fifth migrant school eyeglass project.
“In late December we delivered the last batch of glasses,” said Ms. C. “Children from the international school visited to present the glasses to the migrant students. Everyone was so excited to be giving and receiving to one another, and I glimpsed a little bit of the Christmas spirit.”
- The same international school raised money over the past several months for the first “Book-A-Kid” project.
“The students visited another migrant school to distribute more than 1,300 new books to migrant students who don’t have many options for reading material,” said Mr. P.
“It was beautiful to be surrounded by so many smiling faces,” added Ms. C. “Every child who received a book had a smile on his face as he hugged his new book.”
- A second international school sent a large group of fourth-graders to a migrant school to teach the children about Christmas. They brought decorations for the classrooms, including trees, handed out Santa hats and told the biblical Christmas story as part of the American tradition.
“It was so amazing to see these confident young girls present their lessons, and the migrant students enjoyed it immensely,” said Ms. C. “To watch all these students from completely different walks of life being brought together by the spirit of giving was truly inspiring.”
“By the end of the season, our team had presented multiple Christmas special events, in which we were able to share the real meaning of Christmas with more than 600 Chinese students,” said Mr. P.
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MIGRANT STUDENTS in a Chinese school were excited to receive new books as Christmas gifts from a local international school as part of a project coordinated by the CMF team there. |
SCHOOL CHILDREN in a Chinese migrant school enjoyed an American-style Christmas program presented by a local international school working with the CMF team in the city. |
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Life of Christ media project moves forward
 After many months of consultations, construction and modifications, the new recording studio at the Christian Church Theological School of Indonesia (CCTSI) has been completed, and plans to record a life of Christ DVD series in the Indonesian language will begin soon, according to CMF missionary Mr. M.
“We did this project in partnership with Good New Productions,” said Mr. M. “Hopefully this one will be followed by DVDs in the Javanese and Sudanese languages as well.”
Mr. M. spent a great deal of time overseeing this construction project and is excited that this part is completed.
“We are now making some test recordings to make sure everything is right before launching into the long process of recording and editing,” he said. “Then we’ll be able to share the good news about Jesus in a new way with the Indonesian people.” |
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BUVs are “building Africa in the bush!”
Fourteen BUVs are now operating throughout northern and southern Tanzania, making 2015 a good year for the BUV-Tanzania ministry, according to CMF missionary Scott Price.
“We held three driver training classes this year,” said Scott. “Now there are more BUVs blessing the country’s orphanages, schools, subsistence farmers and clinics, and helping families increase their incomes.” |
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Meet BUV drivers
During a recent visit to BUV Tanzania, Will Austin, Director of the Institute of Affordable Transportation (IAT), which makes BUVs for overseas missions, enjoyed meeting and getting to know several of the BUV drivers.
“Dumas has paid off his BUV in just 18 months, and his delivery business profits have doubled,” said Will.
“He is swamped with business during the harvest and has expanded into brick-making for off-season revenue. Since he has excelled at bricks, he is also building apartments with the bricks he makes.” |
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Several BUV drivers pick up and deliver building materials, such as these bricks, to make a living for their families. |
BUV entrepreneur Baba Happy has a very successful water delivery business.
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Baba Happy is an owner/operator with a successful water delivery business.
“Baba Happy’s business is strong even in the dry season,” said Will. “People need water all the time. He delivers five 55-gallon barrels of water per trip.’
And Honest runs a delivery service with his BUV.
“We first saw him delivering bricks for construction of a school,” said Will. “Later we saw him loading 12 bags of cement, with nine-meter sticks of re-bar on top and blue pipe on top of that, all for the school.”
“We are so proud of all these entrepreneurs,” added Will. “They don’t need handouts. They are building Africa at the grass roots level in the bush!” |
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 Imagine More entrepreneurs chugging around the dirt roads of Tanzania in BUVs, helping schools, farmers and clinics while earning an income for their families!
Go here to find out how you can help!
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Three generations of teachers
 Ms. J., a longtime CMF missionary in Asia, poses with three generations of teachers she has mentored in her roles as a principal and university professor of education. From left: a recent university graduate, a student teacher, Ms. J., a current long-term teacher and the principal who replaced her at her former school. This past year Ms. J. coordinated and mentored the largest group of student teachers the university has ever had, while also carrying a full teaching schedule. “Students continue to come to my house to cook, eat, play and share together all year long,” she said. “This is always the best part of my week.”
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