ISSUE 98 WINTER 2019 age Your LiMfees is the MSIBulletin A Call to Christian Professionals A NEW BREAKTHROUGH A quarter of a century ago, volunteers coming from within China. MSI’s founders established this The Lord was clearly bringing about a organisation with the hope and new breakthrough. vision that the Lord would do a new thing – serving the people of As I reflect on this breakthrough, I’m China with a new way of relating to reminded of the “nameless disciples” the government and a new way of in Antioch (Acts 11:19-26) who were engaging Christian professionals willing to break with tradition and from around the world. That vision push on to create a new normal. Just as those unnamed disciples in has amazingly been realised! We have That new generation integrated Acts explored new opportunities in seen thousands of people deeply what they had learned from their the face of a challenging context, impacted through MSI’s holistic ethnic backgrounds, faith upbringing, we also labour to understand and service. We’ve related to local officials and marketplace experiences to enter into effective service in today’s at all levels of the government, explore new ways of impacting their changing China context. We sense working to be effective and communities. that the Lord is bringing things relevant within China’s systems and together for a new breakthrough. structures. We’ve witnessed scores Those who started MSI were from Are you willing to be part of this of long-term workers and thousands this kind of generation! We are new breakthrough? As we press on, of short-term volunteers respond to grateful for the deep commitment we trust that He will continue to the invitation to “come in the spirit of all who have faithfully journeyed do an amazing work through this of Christ.” They express His love in with, prayed for, and supported MSI community that we call MSI. ways that people can see, hear, and over the past twenty-five years. The touch. Over the past decade, we have Lord has done many amazing things. also seen a growing number of these thAnniversary Special Edition David Leung 25 and Counting: Counting HIS Blessings! I count more than 25 colleagues who have colleagues, local partners and ministry continued to serve with MSI for more than peoples over the years. MSI is indeed a decade. There are also countless short- privileged to be part of China’s story in term members — and more than two this period of amazing transformation. handfuls who have been married through relationships that blossomed while on MSI is also witnessing transition to fourth MSI trips! Most significant is to see how generation leadership. God’s grace has God has transformed the lives of many allowed us to see some of our children’s generation serving in ministry. The children of those we have shared our lives with, over the 25 years in China, have grown and matured in service and local leadership. Despite humble, persevering service on the ground, on-going presence in China is not guaranteed; and even with resources – whether professional, technical or financial– it has become increasingly challenging. It truly tests the faith of the few to witness in the most trying of times that, indeed, “love never fails.” Matthew Koh Heaven’s Will, Mandate and Blessings Heaven’s Will Heaven’s Mandate Heaven’s Blessings In thousands of years of Chinese Four thousand years ago an A quarter century is a timely mark civilisation, leaders have sought amazing mandate was given to to remind ourselves that, as we Heaven’s will to serve the people. “bless the nations,” which soon bring heaven’s blessings to others, The genesis of MSI from the formalised as “love God and blessings also come to inspire us confluence of three quite different others,” and 2,000 years ago, and others to serve better, even perspectives, might, provocatively, declared as the “great commission to start other similar efforts to be termed Heaven’s will: from the for all nations,” a mandate, for spread more blessings. “Provoke medical perspective, born from millions who know this, to bless one another to good works, by our three generations of Christian the rest. A Heaven’s mandate that good works” sounds quaint, but medical involvement; from the anyone reading this should take to actually is role modelling, which historic theological perspective heart. surpasses all lectures. of six generations serving in China; from the practical service MSI took this to heart, resulting in In this journey, fantastic verses, perspective of decades of deep thousands of responders giving memorised for generations, all cultural understanding. time, effort, and finances to serve come together vividly: “Love never in the hills and valleys of Southwest ceases; they will know us by our Three perspectives just wonderfully China to bless its people. What a love; be salt and light everywhere; coalesced, without previous specific wonderful opportunity to mobilise heal the broken-hearted, bind up plan, across oceans, around a God’s kingdom to serve and love their wounds; heal the blind; go central focus to serve faithfully in others! Just in the first 10 years, we through villages and towns; care China’s interior: a consequence of witnessed 5,000 visits of diverse for sheep without shepherds; teach a wonderfully reassuring phrase, professions and talents from what I have told you; go to the ends “His ways are higher than ours.” I different countries, practically of the earth.” Search these phrases, naively thought I “just signed up” unimaginable, following the discover again their profound for taking lots of medical teams mandate from Heaven. implications! into China, but things immediately snowballed, just like something But, in truly meaningful ways, these “from above.” Reginald Tsang are basic MSI ethos from the very beginning, privileging us to see the authentic impact on others and ourselves: Heaven’s will, mandate, and blessings, for generations to come. Reflection on MSI’s 25th Anniversary “Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere.” (Song of Songs 4:16) Riding a late night bus on Yunnan mountain fluently bilingual young professionals today. roads some 16 years ago, I admired not The MSI service styles have also changed: only the full moon all the way back to the Sunshine farm has replaced the sheep hospital, but much more, the hospitality of programme, and HIV & TB prevention, health the villagers (our patients) we visited. Today education & holistic care, with rehabilitation in China, many MSI colleagues, with one mind programmes, now supersedes the previous and one spirit, share in living and serving the medical exchanges. people we love. Amidst all the bittersweet changes, the love It was one day in the fall of 1993, when the of our colleagues has remained the same. late Dr. JH Taylor III visited and urged us Their life in China is The Message! Awake to consider joining the first China medical north wind! Come south wind! Blow into the volunteer team the next year. Our love to garden of our hearts and of the people we serve China has grown since then, and some serve. Let the fragrance of love spread in four years later, my wife and I took early China! retirement to volunteer full time with MSI. In our theme song “True Love” (Love is During our time of service we have seen patient… and Love never ceases), “patience” change after change. Up in Zhaojue mountain is stressed twice among the 15 facets of true town, a primitive reception centre with love. May we persevere patiently dried leaves for a mattress has now been to spread the fragrance of love replaced by modern hotels; long winding through Truth and roads through dusty marble excavation sites Joy for many more of Yunnan mountain are being replaced by decades! short highways through tunnels; poor English levels in the schools contrast greatly with Eugene & Anita Choi YEARS OF MSI 25 IN 60 SECONDS Our purpose MSI Professional Services is a non- profit organisation serving the holistic needs of the people in inland China. Purpo e Committed Christians share Christ’s love with their lives, promoting meaningful exchange, and cooperating with the Chinese government and other entities to equip local communities to &Va ues serve China’s vulnerable populations. Our values Inland Servanthood Team Equipping Professional MSI serves in MSI strives to MSI serves through MSI seeks to MSI provides inland China, serve with the teams. Our long- equip local people professional addressing the spirit of Christ. term and short- through training, services, seeking holistic needs term teams are exchange, and to do our work of the neglected international and the sharing of our with excellence. frontiers. multi-disciplinary. lives. Australia Malaysia Belgium Netherlands FROM Brazil New Zealand Canada Philippines China Singapore Germany Switzerland Hong Kong Taiwan 20 Indonesia Thailand COUNTRIES/ Japan United Kingdom Korea United States REGIONS MOBILISING 270 Long-term 6,688 6,418 Short-term CHRISTIAN Workers PROFESSIONALS IN SITES NUJIANG LISU ZHAOTONG CITY AUTONOMOUS DALI BAI Yiliang 37 PREFECTURE AUTONOMOUS County MIANYANG CITY PREFECTURE Lushui City Anzhou District (Liuku Town) Dali City (former An County) ABA TIBETAN AND Fugong County Heqing County Zitong County QIANG AUTONOMOUS Gongshan Weishan Yi Hui Pingwu County Dulong Nu Autonomous PREFECTURE Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County Wenchuan Autonomous County County County BAZHONG CITY QUJING CITY YA’AN CITY Mingshan CHENGDU CITY KUNMING CITY District Luquan Yi Miao NEIJIANG