East Asia (MNN) — Young people may be the key to spreading the hope of Christ to countries in East Asia that are closed to the Gospel.
Teen Missions International is working hard to train young people in ministry. Teen Missions’ Bob Bland says, “We have five Bible schools in one of the countries that’s one of the tighter countries. And, I got to meet with the young people from there and the leaders from those Bible schools.” He says, “(I) was just impressed with the interest that there was in students in some of these countries that we just don’t think of as Christian countries.”
Bland says there are 200 young people attending their schools in one country alone. “I think that’s really the answer, training the national to young people to take the Gospel to their own country.” He says they’ll be used in other ways, too. “They will be people that go help us in opening up new countries. They’re being trained in things like Child Evangelism Fellowship in fact they are running a great number of Good News Clubs in those areas and they’re reaching many children for Christ.”
There are concerns, however. Bland says, “Any time you’re working in a country where there are extremists you have to be very careful in how you handle things. They want to be wise in dealing with people because they have all kinds of young people come to their Good News Clubs. They’re not trying to offend people, but they are trying to clearly present the Gospel of Jesus Christ and people are taking notice of it.”
As Teen Missions expands, they’re looking for teens from the United States and Canada. “We’re starting a new work in Cambodia this summer. And, we’re taking a team of American teenagers in. They’re going to help do some of the training. And, of course, teenagers attract teenagers, so there’s a great need for young people to be involved.”
