ADDITION to the EDITION: August 2014

Trinity’s Outreach tries to go where our support is most needed, will go the furthest, and we have contacts to know the situation. Our projects in China have been through the Congregation of the Good Shepherd (COGS) in Beijing, China, an international, interdenominational congregation. Dick and Judy Reidinger worked with their service projects for five years while living in Beijing. COGS supports a range of projects all over China; members visit projects several times a year to keep in touch.

In spite of economic progress in China, there is little government safety net or other help for those in need or disadvantaged. Chinese Christians face many obstacles, even persecution, and are often extremely poor. COGS works with churches all over China.

Projects have included programs for blind and disabled children, pastor training, help for poor rural schools, orphanages, agricultural and medical projects, etc. With special help from Trinity, COGS also responded to the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan with some of the first trucks with medicines, blankets, etc. in some of the devastated areas. They then helped rebuild one of the local churches, which despite its poverty and damage was serving as a center of help in the area. Our outreach really can make a difference! COGS also works with churches all over China, and has ongoing collection of food, clothing, etc. Website: http://www.cogs-bj.org/programs/service/

Besides current projects shown below, COGS has supported many others, including orphanages.

Special Education School for Mentally-Challenged Children: “Granny Han” Pengcheng - Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province

This school for children with special needs has become known in China for its unique ability to make a difference in the lives and even in the I.Q. of severely mentally challenged children. “Granny” Han Rufeng, a retired teacher, established the school in 1989, after she was unable to find a school that would take her grandson, whose I.Q. was below 50. Due to the school’s unique teaching methods, the students are able to learn life skills, read and write, and to be employed after graduation. This school, from its bare beginnings in a shack (which Judy visited) has become a model in China, but still struggles for adequate support, with very low teacher pay. http://www.pop-market.com/ (video); http://www.characterreflections.com/granny-hans-school/ (by former pastor of COGS, Elyn Macinnis. (who has visited Trinity).

Rural Development: Evergreen Project - Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province

Evergreen is a Christian organization that operates health, education, agricultural and economic programs in Shanxi Province. Their work includes boosting farmers’ livelihoods by improving pig breeding and vegetable growing techniques, providing refresher courses for local English teachers, and developing family medicine and public health care. COGS sells hand-cut paper cards produced by very poor families under one of Evergreen’s programs. COGS members also provide financial support and offer their homes to volunteer workers for holiday breaks. Evergreen has a remarkable history - the grandson of a missionary killed by the Japanese during WWII was asked (during China’s isolationist period of not allowing foreigners like this) to come and renew his grandfather’s work. www.evergreenchina.org

Support for Poor, Rural Churches: Lisu Christians - Fugong County, Yunnan Province

Christianity thrives among the Lisu minority people in a remote, rural part of Yunnan province, with hundreds of churches that offer multiple services held each week. However, the area is desperately poor, with many homes and churches in tremendous states of disrepair. In addition, there is a great need for more religious leadership in the area, with only three pastors serving over 50,000 Christians. COGS is currently helping rebuild one of the churches, with members of the local congregations contributing about half – about a month’s income from each local family.

Pastor Training: Shaanxi Bible School - Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

China has a great need for trained and dedicated pastors. (One previous estimate was there is only one pastor for 7,000 Christians in China – often untrained). New churches are being built daily and congregations are asking for pastors who can help them learn more, and lay leaders are asking for training. Shaanxi Bible School is working to become a fully accredited Seminary in China, which requires it to expand its facilities and faculty.

Help for the Blind: Golden Key Research Center of Education for Visually-Impaired - Beijing

Golden Key supports educational, rehabilitation, and cultural causes for visually impaired children, emphasizing educational materials and training to teachers and elementary education for children in the poorest areas, enabling them to attend their local schools. The center also trains masseurs, enabling blind and visually-impaired people to lead independent lives, prints Braille materials and publishes the only Braille magazine for blind children in China. Members of COGS congregation also volunteer at the center, helping with website design, translation, administration and teaching English. www.goldenkey.org.cn

Girls’ Education : Spring Bud - Zhushan, Hubei Province, and Gansu Province

Spring Bud program helps rural girls continue with their education. Because of the traditional emphasis on boys, families may deny their daughter an education if money runs short. Our funding helps middle and senior level girls continue with higher education or start vocational training.

Shidu School: Shidu Town, southwest of Beijing

Food, electricity and warm clothes for elementary school children in a very poor remote mountainous area two hours from Beijing. Some children live too far to go home for lunch and in the winter months may not attend school. Assistance of $83 per child from COGS is given to 30 extremely poor children whose families have a meager income of $33 or less per month. This helps to partially cover board and lodging for the poorest students. Most of the parents are illiterate and did not have the opportunity to complete their primary school education. COGS also visits at least annually to bring school supplies, food, and clothes. With the help of COGS since 1998, some children have been even able to go on to high school and later to college.

Kaifeng Training Center for the Deaf - Kaifeng, Henan Province

The Center provides services in hearing screening, hearing aids, speech rehabilitation therapy, cochlear surgery, and mental development training for deaf and hard of hearing children and some children with cerebral palsy, preparing them for preschool education. After 10 years in operation, KCD has successfully helped over 300 deaf children to enter normal kindergarten and primary school. COGS helps with financial and fundraising and awareness project assistance.