Dear Brothers and sisters, peace to you in the Lord!
When you received this letter, two short-term mission teams are serving in the Midwest. Covid-19 has been widely infecting people in the US since early March of this year. Most people changed to work from home; students took classes online; churches changed to do online services. From May on, many states gradually reopened. Most American churches in the Midwest quickly resumed physical gatherings perhaps in more meetings to allow distancing. Some Chinese churches reopened gradually. By the grace of the Lord, in August the Bible Camp and the Discipleship Training Camp were held in person and they turned out very good! So we hope that with the coming of the mission teams in the mid-August through early September, evangelism in the new semester will have a great start. Brothers and sisters will not fear the pandemic and will resume the Gospel work that has been paused for months. Believers have been meeting in their own homes for the past six months, seldom seeing other brothers and sisters in person. Their spirits are dry. Thus, we ask the churches and fellowships, not only to pray for the footprints of the mission teams, but also wholeheartedly to work with them when they come to your churches and fellowships. “For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.” (3 John 7-8) Indeed all expenses are out-of-pocket for short-term mission team members and they use their vacations. When everyone is afraid of getting on a plane, they are willing to fly to the Midwest while applying appropriate caution the whole way. We believe that the Lord will remember them and reward them.
The LORD’s Arrow of Victory 2 Kings 13:14-19
The Covid-19 pandemic has lasted for over half a year. When it started we thought it would just last a few weeks, at most two to three months. With summer break the virus will be the past. But now summer break is almost over and the pandemic has not turned better. There are still many new cases each day. We don’t know when the pandemic will be over. This is discouraging and many people have depression and even thoughts of suicide. There are also some cannot stand the quarantine environment. Some go on the streets to participate in protests or riots. So we can see that many people have no victory over the virus, but rather are defeated without becoming ill.
Christians can be even worse. Many times, our moods and spirit not only are affected by the pandemic, but also our spiritual lives are affected by the “new normal”. Gradually some do not want to go to church. Some don’t feel like walking into a church meeting. Moreover, when discussing whether to reopen the churches or not, some said, “government has allowed churches to reopen as long as we keep the social distance. Just as other American churches reopened, it is safe and doable.” But the majority will say no. Some say not to tempt God. This is because the virus has victory over us. We become accustomed to not going to church meetings and accustomed to the new form of worship. We ourselves do not want to return to the churches and do not want our brothers and sisters to go back to churches either. The universities in the Midwest, even secondary and primary schools, have reopened. But churches do not reopen. Why? We worry about responsibility issues, afraid that if someone gets infected in church, the church must take responsibility. But restaurants and bars for the sake of making money have left responsibility issues. They reopen as soon as the ban is lifted. Reopening the churches is to save lost souls. But we keep postponing. The mission of evangelism is less important than protecting ourselves. Church has been defeated by the virus, so has the ministry of evangelism. Not only we ourselves do not go out to share the Gospel, but when we see others brave enough to go out and share the Gospel, we say to them, “You should not tempt God. Don’t evangelize during the pandemic time.” When new students come from China, we dare not go to the airport to greet and transport them. We will ask them to take a taxi. Taxi drivers are willing to risk being infected to make a little money. But we are not even willing to pay for a small price for the soul of these new students. Comparing to what the secular interests have done, do we feel shamed? We the saints are being defeated by the virus.
Nevertheless, God is not a weak god. He is the Almighty God. He expects us to triumph over fear—not just fear of rejection or ridicule, but now a few fears new to this century. God has already given each Christian the arrow of victory. There is the power of victory within you because the Holy Spirit and God’s Words abide in us. They see if you can become the arrow of victory that God uses, especially during the pandemic! We see in 2 Kings chapter 13 that God used Elisha greatly. He not only performed many miracles, but also helped the king of Israel win many battles. When Elisha was old and had fallen serious ill and about to die, the king of Israel came before him and lamented, “O Prophet, we will be hopeless after you die.” The king laid on Elisha and wept. At this moment, Eisha said to him, “take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Elisha laid hands on the king and blessed him and blessed the bow and arrows on his hands. Elisha told him to open the window and shoot the arrow, saying, “This is the Lord’s arrow of victory that can help you win over the Syrians until you have made an end of them. Shoot!” He shot the arrow. We can see from here that Elisha told King of Israel, “Do not be afraid. Even though I am dead, God is with you. As long as God is with you, you have the arrow of victory.” These arrows of victory are not just for one small victory, but victory after victory, until the opposition is completely defeated. This is God’s will and mighty power.
Today God also tells us that we need to be the arrows that are shot during the pandemic. Those are the arrows of victory. The conditions are not only that you must open the window to see the needs of the lost world, but also open the door of your home to let yourselves becoming the arrows of victory that are shot out, to triumph over the virus, sin and Satan. First need to win over worries about yourself, and win over our “spiritual” laziness. Don’t think the pandemic will be over in a month or two. Now we do not like to go to church to worship. As time goes by, we will even do not want to move. Some churches have already announced that they will not have in person meetings until the end of the year. Recently, I even heard that some churches announced that they will not have in person meetings until next June. This is scary indeed! If we don’t go to church for over a year, this lazy habit will root deeply in our hearts. It will be very difficult to return to the churches. This one year may influence us for years, even decades, not returning to churches. So, today we need to know: each one of us should be the arrows of victory in God’s hands. We need to go out! Come out the doors of our homes to go back to the church meetings. Come out the doors of churches and go into the community. Let us bring the hearts of victory to worship the Lord and bring the spirit of victory to win the war for the Lord. Share the Gospel to others, so that they can hear the Lord’s Gospel during the pandemic. Why share? Non-believers need the comfort and help of God as much as we do.
Let us continue to read. After the King shot the arrows, Elisha told him to take down the arrows and stroke the ground with the arrows. The King used the arrows to strike the ground, but he stopped after three times. What does this represent? Elisha told him to strike, he did strike. Three times were enough. But Eisha said, “These are the Lord’s arrows of victory. Why do you only strike three times? You should have struck at least five or six times, for each strike represents one victory.” In order to defeat the Syrian, you need to win at least five or six times. As a result, Elisha said, “but now you will win over Syria three times as you only strike three times. Despite these victories, you will not have complete victory. Syria will rise again and will defeat you very badly, returning to the original failing situation.” This is also another reminder for us: we need to win after winning; keep leaving the door of homes and return to church meetings, then from churches to communities to witness, for victory each week. These habits of victory will engrave in us. If the church congregations wish to be big and victorious, they need not just one arrow. The quivers should fill with arrows, the more the better. The more brothers and sisters becoming the arrows of God, God will do shocking work. God wanted the king of Israel to strike the ground with many arrows. The Bible does not want us to use only one arrow, but more arrows the better, utilize as many as you have. This is the work that shakes the earth. Let the land become the land of victory. Today God not only will raise one mighty warrior in the church, but raise up a group of mighty warriors to do work that shakes the earth. It is because the work that one person can do is limited. God wants to raise a small group, even one fellowship, one whole church to become God’s arrows that strike the ground. It is not one arrow after one arrow to strike, but enough arrows strike the ground all at once. God will do shocking work on this land.
Thanks be to the Lord! August Bible camp and Discipleship Training camp were held in person. Because we hope to use these camps to help brothers and sisters to come out during the pandemic, to enter into church meetings, then enter into communities to share the Gospel. Holding in-person camps during this period was filled with challenges. But thank God! He gave victory to those trusting Him faithfully. We also thank God that the State of Missouri’s regulations concerning the pandemic are more open. The only requirement for in-person gathering is to keep social distance. Our coworkers worked hard to prepare for it. We prepared well according to directions for distancing, face masks, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant supplies. As for lodging, we arranged one person per room. It was very safe. Brothers and sisters from East and West Coasts coming here to meet. They all felt they learned a lot. Thanks be to the Lord! There are over fifty good soldiers attending Bible camp and quite a few staying after to attend Discipleship Training camp. We are grateful that this in-person camp not only helps brothers and sisters, but also our speakers were edified. One pastor couple were the first-time speakers of Bible camp. They saw brothers and sisters’ hearts that focused on pursuing growth and the work of God. They filled out the January Bible Camp application form including 15 dollars material fee and turned into our coworkers. Thanks be to the Lord! They come not as speakers, but wanted to study God’s Words with this group of brothers and sisters who love God and are serious about pursuing the Lord. It is indeed a beautiful testimony. Thank God for His works.
We also saw the Lord’s victorious work in the Discipleship Training camp. Among the attendees, more than half stayed for this after the preceding Bible camp because they thought one week wasn’t enough and wanted to join two camps. We thank the Lord for them because these people demonstrate victory upon victory. God uses this camp not only to give knowledge, but also to give practice. In this camp, they practice the benefit of trusting on God.
In these two camps, everyone was asked to measure body temperature twice a day. Thanks be to the Lord! Not even one person had a fever in these two weeks. The Lord kept us and revived us.
There are short-term mission teams coming to Midwest campuses both August and September. Their presence is a victorious witness and example for us to see that we also can break through the pestilence and all kinds of difficulties, firmly fight for the Lord’s gospel. We hope that mission teams can motivate campus ministry coworkers from all over to come out to share the Gospel. The arrangement for this short-term mission is indeed not easy. But they have a big burden for the Midwest. One asked me, “Schools are open, but where are the students? How should we share the Gospel? What indeed can we do?”
I told them: Firstly, the most important part of you coming is to be the role model for Midwest brothers and sisters to share the Gospel. Let them see that the mission teams are not afraid of difficulties, nor the danger of airplane flights. So that they also can trust in God and come along to share the Gospel. In this way, God gains not just the mission teams, but also through evangelism, reviving more hearts that want to share the Gospel and attend Sunday service with churches. Secondly, despite the pandemic, there are still opportunities for evangelism. Even though there are not many people on campus, we, the people sharing the Gospel, need to follow the footprint of the Lord. How the Lord leads, we follow. The more difficult the circumstance, the easier for us to see the Lord’s wonderful hands at work.
We think of Philip’s example (Acts 8). God told him to leave the big church in Samaria and go south to the dessert to share the Gospel. He did not say, “share—to whom? How many people will listen?” He knew there were no people there! But he obeyed God’s leading and met an Ethiopian, a eunuch with great power. Philip shared the Gospel and this government official believed in the Lord and surely influenced other people in his country after his return. This is also the beginning of evangelism work in Africa.
We see that from God’s leading, you think that you will not meet anyone, but indeed you will meet people. Besides this, as in the past we can go door to door to share the Gospel. In the past we knocked on the doors of students, most of them were not at home. This year, the majority of them should be at home! They may peek from their doors. We more or less can share the Gospel to them. We need to use wisdom to grasp this opportunity to share the Gospel to them. Some non-believers may not like to receive a tract, but we can ask them to use their cell phones to take a picture of it. This way can still share the Gospel. Who knows they may think it is very good after they read it and will forward it to others. Meetings can be both online and in person. We can still invite non-believers to dinner before meetings using lunch boxes. As far as we follow government’s regulation, it is lawful and safe. In addition to our careful planning and trusting in God with one accord, certainly we can win souls to reveal the Lord’s victory.
Let us pray with one heart and same mind. Let the Lord’s victorious Gospel and the spirit of evangelism be revived in the Midwest once again. Let this great plain of the Midwest be shook up. The Lord’s many congregations will be released from the pandemic. They will return to church meetings for fellowship, loving the Lord, pursuing the Lord, sharing the Gospel. And the heart to worship the Lord will be kindled again like fire. They not only love the Lord more dearly, but also trust in God to be the people fulfilling God’s great commission, coming out together to share the Gospel. The non-believers will be saved. No matter how big the difficulties are, we trust in the Lord, standing on the position of victory. The Lord will personally reveal His victorious works to us.
August Bible Camp and August Disciple Training Camp
We held these camps in person. Thanks be to the Lord! Attending were around fifty brothers and sisters and ten-plus of their children. We especially thank God that even though Pastor Ko could not come due to illness, he recorded his message in advance, joined in prayer time each night, and sometimes went to small groups to share. We are also very grateful that besides the CWC’s two full time coworkers, and two Bible Camp speakers, there were another five fulltime or retired ministers participating and assisting the camps. You can imagine that the whole camp was filled with the Lord’s riches inside and out. Brothers and sisters not only filled with the sweetness of the Lord’s Words, but also were thankful for finally escaping their homes to attend camp physically, talking to other brothers and sisters face to face. How beautiful! How good it is! They shared that they would not experience this from online camp. We give praise to God with our joyful hearts. Before the conclusion of the camp, most of them turned in their application forms for next January’s Bible Camp on the book of Revelation, hoping to pursue the Lord together. If you also want to sign up for next year’s Bible camp, the details have been posted on our webpage.
Following came Discipleship Training camp. Besides more than twenty brothers and sisters and their ten plus children attending, there were six ministers among us to share and assist. Despite the news on the pandemic outside, we were not affected by that at all. The attendees were all joyfully preparing for the new challenges of the new semester during this difficult time, faithfully memorizing Scripture verses and attending each class on time in order to equip themselves. These were memorable days. They were requested to measure the body temperature twice daily. After two camps, no fevers, “no not one” (Romans 3:10). We thank the Lord’s grace once again.
August and September Midwest Short-term Mission (August 21-30, September 11-20)
Currently we have five churches from East Coast, West Coast, and Texas willing to send short term mission teams to the Midwest. As far as we know, many Midwest universities have resumed physical classes or hybrid classes. Even though the format of this year’s short-term mission team has some changes, our hearts for sharing the Gospel have not been affected at all. Many Midwest churches and campus fellowship told us that they are willing to cowork with mission teams in order to share the Gospel in this new semester.
Please pray for the August and September short-term mission teams. August has two teams mainly going to help in Missouri, Iowa, some cities of Illinois, Arkansas, and Kansas. September has three teams going farther: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Kentucky, and Kansas. May the Lord let the places they set foot in all bear much beautiful and good fruit.
Update of Pastor Ko’s Health
In the past two months, many churches and brothers and sisters were very concerned after knowing Pastor Ko being sick. The prayed for his health privately or in church prayer meetings. Pastor Ko posts updates on his condition every weekend on the CWC webpage. Please continue to read and supplicate. He completed four chemotherapy treatments by the end of July. Originally plans expected surgery to remove the cancer cells at the stomach and surrounding tissues at the end of August, then two more months of chemotherapy. Recently the doctors re-evaluated and decide to do all the chemotherapy first, then the surgery. Please continue to uphold him in your prayers. We thank the Lord that Pastor Ko has not lost his faith and joyful heart. He still helps out during Discipleship Training camp, Bible camp, and with plans for short-term mission trips. We thank God for that.
Prayers and Study during the Pandemic
Every Sunday evening Pastor Ko will still lead the Bible study and prayers with the brothers and sisters. We are studying several Bible persons to learn “the characteristics of God’s servants”. We will also spend time praying to allow God’s Words to establish us, that we too can be molded as the useful vessels for the Lord. We can be good servants for our Lord in this post-pandemic era, please join our online prayer and Bible study time (Sundays 6:30pm central time, Zoom ID:8110999917). If you need the password, please text us at 573-999-6235. Please join us.
Thanksgiving and Prayer Requests
- We are grateful for God watching over and blessing August Bible Camp and Disciple Training Camp.
- Many Midwest universities have resumed the physical or online classes in August. Pray the Lord to let the brothers and sisters quickly return to their normal lives, studies, careers, church meetings, serving and continue to witness for our Lord to fight good fight..
- Pray for the August and September short-term mission teams. It is a very challenging mission. May the Lord give them wisdom and cleverness to help more students hear the Gospel and reignite the spirits of the brothers and sisters. Also pray for Midwest churches and fellowships that they will work seamlessly with the mission teams to advance the gospel.
- Pray for Cindy Chiang’s ministry as she needs to take care of all the office works of the CWC on weekdays and minister at different churches and fellowships on weekends. In August and September, there are two ten-day mission trips. May the Lord keep her “all may go well with her and that she may be in good health, as it goes well with her soul.” (3 John 2).
- Pray for Qing-Long Liang to bear good fruit as he serves in Columbia, Missouri and other churches. May God bless his whole family. Also pray for his R-1 religious visa application. May God guide and lead the way.
- May the Lord help Pastor Ko, that while he is going through many treatments that he can trust in the Lord and experience God’s grace and might while serving, Pray for Mrs. Ko’s thyroid treatment. May God keep her and heal her.
- Pray for Scott, the maintenance coworker, for the hands of his works. Also may the Lord bless his family, especially her two daughters who have left home for colleges this year.
- Pray that the Lord will prepare new CWC coworkers to join us to serve.
- Pray for the finance for the CWC for this month. May God move among more brothers and sisters to support our ministry by prayers and offerings.
- May the Lord end the pandemic quickly that we can hold the three winter meetings (Winter Conference, December Discipleship Training, and January Bible camp) in person.
May the Lord bless you and your whole family.
In Him,
Pastor Billy Ko