07/11/20 MISSION TRIP TO CHINA #1 — Several years ago I joined two pastors and two laymen on a two and a half week mission trip to underground churches in China. Right off the bat we encountered serious difficulties. We missed our connection in Atlanta and had to spend the night in San Francisco. On the way our plane developed “engine trouble”; we made an emergency stop in Tokyo. When I returned to my seat all my notes, for 40+ Bible lessons/sermons, were gone (As I prayed about it, God reminded me that hardly any of the super-saints in the Bible had access to notes or copies of Scripture)! We were two days late arriving, so nearly all our previous plans had to be scrapped. It sure seemed that Satan had “won”!?

Originally we had planned to teach 50 Chinese pastors 15 hours a day the first week and 50 other pastors the second week. Instead we made a huge counter-clockwise loop beginning and ending in Beijing. Almost immediately one of our guys was sick from drinking their water; and another had planned a series of object lessons which flopped miserably—he was disappointed and disgusted. All along our trip we stopped and preached to and taught Chinese pastors, adults and young people in groups of several hundred at a time. With communist officers harassing us daily, we preached to more than TEN THOUSAND Chinese people of all ages!

Sometimes I almost feel sorry for Satan (almost). Even when he thinks he has struck a mighty blow against God and His people, Satan still ends up the biggest loser in the universe! And each of us was encouraged and loved and blessed beyond measure! Praise the Lord!