Tuesday
There are now 57,000 Chinese undergraduates in universities in the United States as compared with only 10,000 five years ago. Many Chinese families hire agents to help them navigate the application process and that agent's fee could range up to $10,000 plus an equally large bonus if the student gets into a highly-ranked school. Since these students come from affluent families, they are less likely to go to church than those from families with less income. However, Chinese churches are to reach out and share the gospel with some of them. We praise the Lord for giving churches in North America fruitful opportunities to have ministries among college students and especially target those from China.
Wednesday
A consulting company published a report last year which found cheating on college applications by Chinese students who were applying to American colleges to be "pervasive in China, driven by hyper-competitive parents and aggressive agents". They also say, "Our research indicates that ninety percent of the letters of recommendation are fake and seventy percent of the essays are not written by the applicant." Many observe that the young Chinese undergraduates are "rich and spoiled" unlike the graduate students who usually have scholarships and are much more frugal. We pray that many more Chinese churches will be able to invite Chinese students in nearby universities to attend their churches and be able to share Jesus with them through friendship and caring for them.
Thursday
The churches in China have been excited about world missions and going overseas to a foreign country. However, Chinese believers really need to first begin sharing the gospel with the ethnic minorities in their own country who have their own distinctive cultures and a totally different lifestyle from the Han Chinese. We do give thanks for missions and pray that the churches in China will see that missions does not necessarily mean a person has to get a passport and that no pastor in a house church can give the excuse of "I cannot go on cross-cultural missions because I do not have the identification proper papers."
Friday
In China, grooming the little emperor or empress starts at kindergarten, which may be of the Monday-to-Friday boarding variety, and can get very expensive even at that level. The best kindergarten in China are vastly oversubscribed by parents who are willing to pay, and although they are mostly state-run, but one hear stories about parents being asked for "sponsorship" of up to 200,000 yuan ($32,000) to get their son or daughter into the waiting list. Vast majority of Sunday School teachers in China are sisters who might have little theological training, curriculum or even teaching experiences. They literally learn on the job. but it is so precious that they have a deep love for God's little ones. We praise the Lord for the growth of China's children's ministry and improvement of the spiritual lives among children in churches. We thank them all for their dedication!
Saturday
After that the child has to be maneuvered into the best school, homework needs to be closely supervised and there is a lot of ferrying around for after-school activities. Steering a child through all this almost amounts to a full-time job. The effort culminates in the “gaokao”, the national college- entrance exam that determines which, if any, university the youngster can get into.
Sunday
Yining, Xinjiang in the Western part of China is where Uighur, the Muslim ethnic minority traditionally live. Many Uyghur's do not like how the Chinese authorities trying to control their religious and cultural life, this is one area where there are periodic protest and ethnic violence. Officials there were trying to forbid wearing of veils, Arabic-style clothing and wearing beard for men, to suppress the religious fervor. It is so difficult to share the Gospel among the Uighur, those who have accepted Jesus also risks their lives and strong oppositions from their family and community. We beseech the Lord for extra mercy for those who believe in Him but do not profess their faith openly.
Monday
The huge test China's urban churches faces is actually within the church itself. If we see the church as a building weathering the wind and storm, but what really rock the structure is the poor foundation. It is true that China churches have lots of secular temptation, political pressure, but all the detrimental causes are within the churches. Many Chinese take great pride of the numbers of Christians in China, we praise God for such a special grace, but we pray that believers will remain humble and trusting Him, holding fast the truth and not compromise.
星期二
僅過去五年中國學生到美國就讀大學，人數已增加五倍，達到五萬七千人。中國學生熱衷到美國就讀大學，許多家庭透過中介公司，繳付近萬元美金的費用，以期能進入美國的好學校。這些學生多來自富裕的中產階級，有能力負擔高昂的手續費及全額學費。相對於經濟條件較差的學生，這些留學生較不願意受邀參加教會活動。感謝主賜給北美的華人教會許多機會接觸各國留學生，跟他們分享基督的信仰，求主繼續帶領各教會的大學生事工，尤其是針對來自中國的學子。
星期三
去年一家諮詢公司發表報告，中國學生的申請資料廣泛造假，包括論文找人捉刀、找槍手代考托福英文能力測驗等等。學生因為國內高校考試競爭激烈，加上招生中介把國外教育吹得天花亂墜，使他們極為熱衷到美國上大學。現今到北美的留學生幾乎都是「有錢，驕寵」的年輕人，與拿獎學金讀碩士的研究生截然不同。求主賜智慧給北美華人教會，能就近邀請留學生來認識信仰，藉著建立友誼與關懷，讓他們認識耶穌基督的真愛。
星期四
中國想跨出普世宣教的第一步，應該先學習向少數民族宣教；少數民族因文化和生活方式的不同，向少數民宣教可以鍛鍊宣教意志，並學習適應生活環境. 我們為中國教會有普世宣教的心智感恩，求主讓教會先要對國內的少數民族有宣教的負擔， 這是一個「不需辦理海外簽證」的宣教機會，盼望能激勵更多因為「身份」敏感問題而不能出國跨文化宣教的家庭教會傳道人。
星期五
在養育家中唯一的孩子就怕輸在起跑線，即是從幼兒園開始，此級教育所需的費用已非常昂貴了。城市裡最好的幼兒園已經被大量超額預訂，就算是國家運營的幼兒園，要求家長繳納最高達20萬人民幣「擇校費」的現象也時有耳聞。許多帶領主日學工作的姊妹不一定受過很多神學培訓、教材和經驗，但她們邊做邊學，最重要是有一顆「愛孩子」的心。看到主日學兒童日漸增多且靈命長進，我們為她們感謝神，也相信主必悅納、賜福她們所作的。
星期六
孩子即便經過運作進入最好學校，家長也需緊密監督作息，且要接送參加各種課外活動。做以上事情，幾乎已是全職的工作量了，而到了孩子考高考（高等學校全國統一考試），就是決定孩子能否升學及進入哪所大學之時，家長更會使出全身解數，付出最大的努力。姐妹們除了在教會服侍之外，更要在家督導孩子功課。如孩子會自發讀書是福氣，但許多孩子在學習上大有掙扎也不能承受升學的壓力。我們為所有的信徒母親們有神賜的智慧，知道如何幫助孩子學習，依靠仰望恩主，也深信神已將最好的賜給了她們。
星期日
新疆伊寧是維吾爾族人的聚集區，中國當局禁止人們穿戴面紗、傳統裝束和蓄鬚，試圖壓制宗教熱情。很多維吾爾人不喜歡當局對他們的宗教和文化生活進行管制，該地區時有抗議和暴力發生。我們特別為維吾爾族人救恩臨到他們祈求，在人看來實在不容易，他們中間若有人接受基督信仰，也必定受到家人、社區的激烈反對，甚至有生命危險。求主格外憐憫恩待他們，更是保守那些心中接受但不敢公開聚會的信徒們，以堅定信心仰望主。
星期一
城市教會所面臨的試煉是隱藏在教會本身。假設教會是一座房子，經歷外面的風吹雨打、日晒，但真正能動搖這房子的，是根基不穩固與結構不合理。固然外在的壓力、世俗的誘惑會動搖中國教會，然而最致命的問題是源於教會自身的質地有缺陷。教會不能以擁有眾多信徒而矜誇自喜，我們需要感謝神的恩待。求主賜所有中國信徒有一顆謙卑、仰望祂的心，在真理上虔敬持守。
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