Going Where God Leads
In this month’s CIM Canada’s newsletter, Theresa Poon, board member for CIM USA gives us an update on some of the ministries that they have been involved in. CIM was incorporated in 1993 under the leadership of the late Rev. Clarence Pi.
Going Where God Leads—CIM USA
Theresa Poon, Board Member
Brazil—
There are currently around 350,000 Chinese immigrants and descendants in Brazil. About 200,000 of them reside in São Paulo. Today, the majority of Chinese Brazilians (second or third generation Chinese born in Brazil) only speak Portuguese, although some may be bilingual, speaking Portuguese and Chinese. English is more common among young people as they learn the language in schools. Short-term workers heading to Brazil can, therefore, communicate with the older Chinese in Chinese and the younger Chinese Brazilians in English or with local brothers and sisters helping as translators.
In 1990, the late Rev. Clarence Pi had previously formed the South American Theological Seminary in an effort to establish a basic foundation in Christian principles and to serve as a resource for the Brazilian Chinese Christians. The graduate level theological program in Sao Paulo offers the first Master of Divinity Degree to Chinese churches in Latin America.
Happy Kids and Happy Teens ministry were started in 1997 as a vision from God to establish an academic enrichment program for kids and teens from a Christian background and through the children to share the gospel into their families. They welcome believers in North America who have experience in teaching and mentoring children to train and guide them.
Since 2010, God has opened doors for CIM to bring short-term workers to 12 cities in Brazil and partner with the local churches: Sao Paulo, Mogi das Cruses, Brasilia, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Recife, Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Porto Alegre, and Campinas. Some of these cities have a Chinese church established already but might not have a serving pastor. Others are holding Bible study gatherings in brothers’ and sisters’ homes and listening to sermons from other sources.
In summer of 2020, God granted us the opportunity to bring on Rev Dr. Jorge Loo, a retired pastor and physician who has lived in Brazil for decades to be our coordinator. Due to COVID-19, Rev Loo has been conducting leadership training and development to pastors and church leaders via zoom and other digital platforms.
South Africa—
South Africa has the largest population of Chinese in the continent of Africa, and most of them live in Johannesburg. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, mainland Chinese began immigrating there in large numbers, increasing the Chinese population to an estimated 300,000-400,000 in 2015. Today the immigration of mainland Chinese is by far the largest group of Chinese in South Africa.
CIM has been involved in church planting in this country: The Pretoria Evangelical Chinese Christian Church (PECCC) was established in 1997; followed by the Pretoria Fu Qing Christian Church in 2012 (which later on merged with PECCC); and the Rustenburg Chinese Christian Church in 2013. Then the church in Johannesburg was launched in 2019. We currently have two missionary families, Rev Douglas and Whitney Wu and Pastor Alex and Nicole Ko, serving in South Africa.
Many Chinese arrived South Africa to open shops in neighborhood marketplaces and sell wares such as sunglasses, smart phone cases, handbags and luggage pieces, and other daily items in a cash-only means of payment. As a result, these shop owners are easy targets as they bring cash with them to work and end the day with much cash to deposit at banks where criminals are prone to wait on the lookout. Disreputable people would also wait for them outside their homes and force their way inside.
Crime has been around the cities and as the economy never seems to stabilize. Violent crimes that involve killing after robbing are common among Chinese. People try not to drive out at night as many streets are unlit. Our missionaries often report people they know being shot during robbery; stores being vandalized; and having to decide ultimately whether to persevere and stay or pack up and move back to China.
Even though South Africa is one of the most stabilized and advanced country in the continent, corruption and mismanagement in government is still causing the people to experience widespread outage of power. The exchange rate against other currencies has continued to rise and as such, their purchasing power is lessened, and they are always playing catch up.
Short-term teams carry on a variety of ministries in those cities, including, but not limiting to, visitation visits; Vacation Bible School; youth camp; family camp; free clinic consultation; leadership training; discipleship training; pastoral care; church development and conflict consultation.
God has called every believer to the Great Commission and everyone has something to offer. So come and join us, go where He leads.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”—Matthew 28:18-20
CIM Canada works alongside our sister CIM organizations in the United States and Australia to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world. If you would like more information about our organization or desire one of our staff members to share in your Sunday service, small group, or prayer meeting, please email us at contact@cimcanada.org
Rev. Isaac Quan
Executive Director
CIM Canada
January Financials
As a result of the 2020 “Be a Blessing” fundraiser, there was a fund transfer of $58,550.00 from general fund to missions fund.
1. General Fund - for general and administrative purposes, such as staff salaries
2. Designated Fund - for specific ministries in different field locations as designated (cannot be transferred between funds)
*All financial figures are in Canadian dollars and rounded to the nearest dollar
Pray with us:
Pray for the ministries of CIM, not only in Ghana, Togo, and to the Roma people group, but also for the ministries in South Africa, Brazil, and Cambodia through our CIM family in the USA, Australia, and Hong Kong.
Please continue to pray for donations to fund our work in Canada.
Praise God that the borehole project in Bimbilla, Ghana is nearing completion. Pray that the rest of the project will go smoothly.
Pray for God’s continued guidance and direction in 2021 as we serve Him in a COVID and post-COVID world. Pray for healing for those that have been affected by the pandemic whether physically, spiritually, and financially.
Pray for healing for our board member, Siu Lui Ho, as he undergoes his second round of chemotherapy.
Pray for CIM USA and Christine Pi as she has announced her retirement as Executive Director. CIM USA is currently recruiting for an Executive Director successor, as well as a Director of Ministry.
Pray for the ministry workers who are currently working amongst the Romas in the settlements in the Uzhhorod area of western Ukraine. CIM is now supporting 7 Roma pastors in partnership with House of Mercy.