walk with love
[Education] Caring for left-behind children in China
Interview/Liao Meihui Picture/Kong Qingchang, Maggie Wang
Since 2015, the founder of the Hong Kong "Love Fund", Jiang Liping, came to the United States and Canada to hold an evangelistic tour and shared the vision and needs of "Ministry for Left-behind Children in China". American brothers and sisters responded positively and established the American "Love Fund" to work with them. support. The following is a conversation between Pastor Kong Qingchang and Maggie Wang, the consultant and director general of the American Love Fund, and our reporter.
Q: How did you first learn about the vision and mission of "Left-behind Children's Ministry" and decide to support and participate in it?
Kong: In early 2016, our church co-workers attended Sister Jiang Liping’s “The Most Beautiful Blessing in Life” music testimony sermon in New York. During the dinner, they were exposed to the term “left-behind children” for the first time, and they paid close attention to Sister Jiang’s sharing. Deeply moved and inspired. The China Overseas Missionary Association, to which I belong, has always focused on missions and missions. At Easter of the same year, after the "Qing'en Hall" of the China Mission was officially established in Brooklyn, my co-worker Brother Szeto Chih-hsiung and his wife participated in the Hong Kong "Love Foundation" during the summer vacation. He served in China's "Left-behind Children Ministry" and then became a full-time volunteer missionary in mainland China. Our church, which is less than a year old, is able to send out its own missionaries. This is a blessing from God. The whole church was greatly encouraged and established a missionary fund to support them. They became evangelical partners with the "Love Fund" and worked together to promote the gospel.
Maggie: In May 2015, Sister Jiang Liping came to North America to hold a missionary tour. God moved me to accompany and receive the missionaries for a week, visiting churches all the way, and following Sister Jiang’s beautiful footsteps of announcing the gospel and preaching the good news. I myself am a "left-behind mother" in the United States, and my two children are considered "half-left-behind children." In the past, I also took care of some "left-behind children" (young international students) living or studying in the United States. Although the material environment in the United States is relatively good, the souls lacking love are just as empty. Therefore, I deeply understand the needs of left-behind children, and I am deeply moved.
After many times of prayer, late one night, a voice came from my heart telling me not to be afraid, but to be strong and courageous and accept the mission and calling of serving left-behind children. Over the past year or so, although I have been busy with ministry, my heart is full of peace and joy. The most important thing is that I have witnessed God’s wonderful deeds and grace with my own eyes.
▲The Qing’en Church of China Mission Society blessed and prayed for Brother Situ and his wife at the sending ceremony. Pastor Kong Qingchang (first from left): "Our church, which has been established for less than a year, can send its own missionaries. This is God's great grace."
Question: What is your knowledge and understanding of the social phenomenon of left-behind children?
Maggie: Since about the 1990s, with the rapid economic development, more than 245 million people in China have left their hometowns to make a living in cities. Countless children have been left to be cared for by their grandparents or stayed with relatives and friends. These children who live separately from their non-local parents for a long time are called "left-behind children". There are as many as 60 million children, which is equivalent to the total population of the United Kingdom. They account for approximately 22% of the nearly 280 million children in China. In other words, on average, there is one "left-behind child" for every five children in China, which is quite alarming.
A child who is separated from his parents for a long time and lacks care and love will suffer great trauma in body, mind and soul. They will feel sorry for themselves and feel inferior because they feel abandoned by their parents... This is why we particularly support the ministry of "left-behind children", hoping to spread the gospel to them and help them live a hopeful, healthy, and positive life.
Question: Can you tell a story about a left-behind child that you have personally seen?
Maggie: When I visit rural areas, I can see from the children’s eyes that they are eager for love and eager to learn. They are very innocent and may be shy and quiet at first, but after being in contact for a period of time, they will slowly open up their hearts. One day, I went to a rural church and saw a five-year-old boy being held by his grandmother and wrapped in gauze. It turned out that his parents went to work in the city and left him to be taken care of by his grandmother, who also had to work in the fields. She entrusted her grandson to a neighbor that day, but the neighbor failed to do his job. The little boy spilled the boiling water and burned himself. Although his life was not in danger, But it left scars on his body that could not be erased for life. There are many similar accidents, and we must work hard to change the fate of these children!
▲The Lord Jesus said: "Let the little children come to me." The five-year-old boy in the picture was accidentally scalded by boiling water when his grandmother was farming in the fields, leaving a lifelong mark (there were layers of gauze under his coat).
Q: Have you ever heard stories similar to left-behind children in affluent North American communities?
Kong: Indeed. The church I pastor is in Brooklyn, New York. There are many new immigrants working in restaurants here. Because of their busy schedules and the high cost of babysitting, they reluctantly leave their children to their families in China until they are old enough to go to school. Come. Don't underestimate the separation of five or six years. Many left-behind children have maladaptation and are not close to their parents after being reunited with their parents.
There are also parents who have to work out of state to make a living, and they have “different left-behind children” at home. These children also need special care and guidance. As Maggie just said, more and more international students under the age of 18 are studying alone in the United States. They are also considered "alternative left-behind children" and are in particular need of care from community churches.
▲Maggie, a co-worker of the Love Foundation, said: "Being able to study and eat with a large group of children is a very rare and happy thing for left-behind children who have been facing loneliness for a long time."
Question: How do Chinese Christians and churches respond to the phenomenon of left-behind children? What can be done?
Kong: The church, evangelical organizations, and missionaries will always be the "iron triangle" of evangelism. They should work closely together to complete the great commission of evangelism.
In our church’s experience, the first step is a willingness to open the door. When a gospel organization or missionary group proactively seeks cooperation, as long as the other party's motives are consistent with the truth, they should welcome it and provide the most basic venue requirements. Of course, each church may have different missionary goals and strategies, but basically, the kingdom of God and the family of God should be open and cooperative.
The second step is to actually participate, not only opening the door of your own church, but also jointly organizing it with other churches. For example, a spiritual training session can be held after an evangelistic meeting. Evangelism meetings are for evangelical friends; spiritual training meetings are for Christians. Many missionaries and missionary agencies are the frontline warriors in the gospel field. It is rare that they are willing to come to the church to preach. The church should show enthusiasm, communicate with each other, deepen understanding, and then become partners in the gospel and prosper the gospel together.
The third step is also our most common approach and response, which is to support in prayer, manpower, and financial resources. In early April 2017, the American Love Fund held a launch party in Flushing, Queens, New York. About 300 pastoral staff, deacons, missionary staff, and some brothers and sisters who were burdened with evangelism attended. This is one of the most concrete ways to respond to ministry with action. Being able to work together across churches to support this urgent and greatly needed "Ministry for Left-behind Children in China" is such a beautiful and meaningful thing in itself!
▲Priest Kong Qingchang (middle) and sister Jiang Liping (second from left) of New York Chinese Propaganda Association’s Qing’en Church took a group photo with their brothers and sisters.
Q: What are your expectations and vision for the ministry of “left-behind children”?
Maggie: Since the Hong Kong "Love Fund" started in 2014, about 100 rural units have applied for funding to open "Happy Growth Classes", and each rural church has about 100 children participating. In 2015, approximately 500 rural churches participated, benefiting more than 60,000 children. In 2016, the number jumped to about 2,300 rural churches, benefiting more than 220,000 children. It is estimated that in 2017, our help will reach a total of about 5,000 rural churches, and the number of children who will benefit will be incalculable. There is no doubt that this will be a mission that is only possible through God.
The American "Love Fund" was just established in 2016, and it still needs a lot of human and financial investment. We need more pastors and brothers and sisters who agree with our vision to participate in the walk, to become a bridge to connect and witness the "caring action", and to walk with love.
The Lord Jesus said: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” Aren’t the things that the Lord Jesus is concerned about also the things that we Christians should be concerned about?
Voices of left-behind children
Excerpted from a letter written to the Lord Jesus by the Happy Growth Class of "Love Fund"
Jesus:
Dear Abba Father, I thank you so much. You give me the courage to go out at night. We have committed many sins, but You did not blame us, but you cleansed us of this sin and were nailed to the cross. Now that I think about it, in order to wash away this sin for us, you nailed both of your feet to the cross with nails and nailed your hands to the cross as well. I am very moved. I say to you now: "I'm sorry, you have to bear the burden of these sins that we have committed." I also want to say to you: "Thank you! You have endured these sins and sufferings for me, and you have also given us food so that we can Be satisfied. Thank you!
Your daughter Du Yanan
If you would like to support "Ministry to Left-behind Children in China"
Make checks payable to: (Love Foundation US. Inc)
Mailing address: 11 Crown Plaza, Hazlet, NJ, 07730
Maggie Director General’s email: mwanglovefoundationus@gmail.com
Reporter profile: Liao Meihui, a senior special correspondent for "Kingdom of God Magazine", a children's Sunday school teacher at Ruoge Church in New Jersey, and a certified teacher by the American Montessori Society (AMS). Currently studying at North American Chinese Evangelical Theological Seminary.