FOUNDATION
The WORD at WORK
“Christians are tested through trials”
Lutherans take risks in China
PAGES 2-3:
In time of calamity, Malawi’s children hear Jesus’ Word to them
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Niece of Lutheran author reflects on his contributions to world missions
PAGE 4: Newest publications off the press from LHF!
At a residence in one of mainland China’s huge cities, a package arrives. The resident happily receives his long-awaited package, a box containing Luther’s Small Catechism and other Lutheran books in his Chinese language. Finally, he can learn more about Jesus Christ!
Four weeks later...
A knock comes at that same door. When the homeowner answers, he is surprised to see the police. “Where are the books you received?” the officers demand. “What have you done with them?”
The police take the books and force the man to tell them his social media passwords, then give him a stern warning about receiving any more books from overseas.
This true event illustrates the challenge of being a Christian in communist China. Rev. Wang (LHF’s layout artist for simplified Chinese translations) is well aware of the dangers.
“From the Chinese government’s perspective, Christian publications from the West are very dangerous,” Rev. Wang explained. “People can be charged with spreading information illegally. I know a pastor who was convicted of illegal publication and distribution. He was sentenced to prison for 7 years, and he is still in prison.”
Restrictions of the state church
The Chinese government does allow some Christian churches to openly practice the faith, including the Catholic Church and the
Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), the official government-supervised organization for Protestantism. All Protestant denominations are lumped together in the TSPM because “the government sees different denominations as a threat to political unity,” Rev. Wang said. “If you have denominations, you’re going to fight.”
The Chinese Communist Party rules the TSPM and has the power to register churches and censor them. Any indications of outreach or attempts to convert new believers including one’s own children are quickly squashed.
“There is no infant baptism,” Rev. Wang explained. “The government doesn’t allow baptism under the age of 18; it’s against the law. Also, if you’re under 18, you’re not allowed to go into a church building. This is enforced very strictly in China today.”
Development of house churches
“So if parents want their children to go to church, they go to a house church,” Rev. Wang said. (Rev. Wang was raised in a house church himself. To read more about his life and ministry, go to www.LHFmissions.org.)
Although house churches and their activities are illegal in China, believers persist in gathering for Bible study and worship. Due to the secretive nature, it’s impossible to know how many house churches exist in the country, but believers are numbered in the millions. Rev.
China churches continued on p. 2
Wang’s own congregation has about 50 baptized members whose worship life revolves around LHF’s simplified Chinese translation of Luther’s Small Catechism.
The treasure of the catechism
In their weekly worship, Rev. Wang leads his congregation through the Small Catechism: recognizing their sin through the 10 Commandments, confessing their faith in the Savior through the Apostles’ Creed, learning to pray through the Lord’s Prayer and more.
“I think that Luther’s Small Catechism is like a small Bible,” Rev. Wang related. “As a Lutheran Christian, I can’t leave this book! I have benefited not only from reading it, but also from implement-
Malawi’s children
When Hurricane Helene unleashed her fury on the Carolinas’ Appalachian Mountains, many Americans saw for the first time how hurricanes can wipe out entire communities.
Two years ago, a tragically similar scene played out in Malawi, a landlocked African country south of Kenya and Tanzania. In February 2023, Cyclone Freddy blew inland from the Indian Ocean, dropping six months of rainfall in six days. The rains triggered floods and mudslides, killing more than 1,200 people and destroying many subsistence farmers’ fields. Even now in 2025, Malawi’s people are suffering a food emergency as more than 650,000 people remain displaced, jobs disappear and inflation soars.
Where can they find comfort?
In the midst of such catastrophe, the mission offerings of LHF supporters are sharing the message of God’s love to the most vulnerable of Malawi’s people: the children. 3,000 copies of the Chichewa translation of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories have been delivered to Lutheran churches there, including congregations of the Confessional Lutheran Church - Malawi Synod (CLCMS).
“The stories from this book are so meaningful, helping many youth and even adults who read the book and have their lives transformed,” said Rev. D.R. Wowa, CLCMS executive chairman. “As the
ing it in our daily lives for example, when we repent, when we are sad, when we doubt the Lord.”
For Chinese Christians, LHF’s translations are a lifeline to other Christians throughout the world, reminding them that though they may be isolated, they are not alone.
Outcasts in an atheist world
As China’s economy has grown and the values of financial success and hard work have taken root, many Chinese Christians experience additional scorn from their atheist and Buddhist family and neighbors.
“For sure, there is isolation as a Christian in China, and some hostility,” Rev. Wang shared. “There’s no tolerance for Christians. People think
you’re crazy, you’re lazy, you’re work hard. [Because we focus think we just want to escape ‘Who cares about eternal life? money.’
“For Lutherans, it’s worse because Christians in general, Lutheranism strange circle. Why would you an? They think we are bizarre.”
To provide more faith-building help Chinese Christians minimize ed books, Rev. Wang works part-time doing graphic design and layout as the upcoming God’s Word LHF owns the copyright to this
China churches
Jesus’ comfort in calamity:
children receive Bible books from LHF
country is facing great challenges in terms of food supply, the book is meeting the need of bringing comfort to the people. The children are reading and learning that what is happening to them now has happened to people in the past. This is known to them as they read the stories of Jacob’s sons going to Egypt, looking for food.
“The issue of hunger is a long and complicated story,” he reflected. “However, God says that man cannot live on bread alone, but on every Word that comes from God.”
A young Lutheran church body
The Bible books are sorely needed by pastors, parents and Sunday school teachers of the CLCMS, a young church body of 4,000 people (28 congregations served by 8 pastors). With 75 percent of their membership under the age of 28, Lutheran churches are packed with children wanting to know more about Jesus.
“These Bible stories will armor the children’s faith, particularly in light of many misleading faiths in our country, including Islam,” said Rev. Joseph Maganga, who was one of the lead translators on this project. “Once the Truth is taught and internalized at a tender age, it becomes difficult for someone to later mislead the person.”
Teaching the teachers
An additional challenge for the CLCMS is that they have few trained teachers to lead their Sunday school programs. In October 2024, LHF’s project coordinator for Africa, Rev. Dr. Dinku Bato, traveled to Malawi to teach the teachers how to use A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories to effectively share the Gospel with their young students.
Drawing on the Sunday school teachers’ strong tribal traditions, Rev. Bato spent a full day leading a seminar for about 20
you’re weak, you don’t focus on eternal life], they into another world. life? We’re trying to make
because even among Lutheranism is such a tiny, you want to be a Lutherbizarre.” faith-building resources and minimize the risks of printpart-time for LHF, layout of new books, such For You. Because this book, it’s going to
Sunday school teachers. Because the churches are so impoverished, basic materials American Sunday school teachers take for granted paper, crayons, markers are unavailable to Malawian teachers.
“In Africa, storytelling is a big thing,” Rev. Bato reflected. “There is a rich tradition of fireside stories, and so I showed them how they could use those same techniques to present Bible lessons to children. These are true stories from the Bible, so find a good way to tell it! Act it out with different voices. Teach songs and how to pray.
“So what can they do with the things around them pieces of wood, rocks, leaves?” Rev. Bato challenged. “If you are teaching of Jesus on the cross, can you ask the youth to make their own cross and bring it next week? As I taught these techniques that were new to them, you could see the smiles on their faces when they began to understand how to use what they have to share God’s Word. It was a good day!”
“Bible stories acknowledge and declare God’s love even in times of financial distress,” Rev. Maganga said. “Exposing children and even adults to the Gospel can renew their hope in the hour of despair and lack, giving them a reason to live in hope of a better life when the Lord Jesus Christ will come again to take us to His eternal kingdom of peace.”
“On behalf of our church, I thank those who sent us these books, who want to know and hear about our church body,” said Rev. Wowa. “May God’s face shine upon them and LHF!”
Help support projects like this with a gift to LHF. Use the enclosed envelope or give online at www.LHFmissions.org.
continued from p. 1
be freely distributed digitally in China. People will be able to download the brightly illustrated Bible storybook and forward to others.
Interestingly, the Chinese government doesn’t seem to be able to track digital exchanges efficiently. “We just pass around PDFs,” Rev. Wang said. “It’s very hard for the government to track. There are so many people doing it that they can’t catch everyone. So digital publications are very useful in the life of the church.
“The government is in charge, and even though the situation is not very pleasant in China, the Lord is gracious!” Rev. Wang concluded. “Christians are tested through trials, and their faith is purified. We trust in the Lord for His Church.”
PHOTO REMOVED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES
The impact of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories
In a small village in Thailand, a little boy opens the bright yellow cover of his brand new book, the first he’s ever owned. A kind woman named Esther had told him it was all about Jesus. Raised as a Buddhist with his parents putting him in training to one day be a monk, the boy had never heard of Jesus before. But Esther had said Jesus is God, that He loves him, and that by believing in Him, the boy could go to Heaven forever!
As he read, the boy asked, “Is it really enough just to trust in Jesus?” Esther Temsakun, a distributor of LHF books in Thailand, was awed as she watched the Holy Spirit work in that boy’s heart.
LHF Executive Director Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise (left) and Rev. Ted NaThalang (right) shared some of LHF’s many translations of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories with Carol Schmidt, niece of author Arthur Gross.
concise and easy-to-understand content, along with the thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, help students reflect on their understanding,” explained Esther. “It also fosters meaningful discussions between teachers and students, offering opportunities to address their curiosity and share the Gospel with non-Christian students, while also strengthening the faith of Christian children.”
Carol believes her uncle would be thrilled to see the impact his little book has had on Lutheran missions around the world.
“This child confessed his sins and placed his trust in Jesus Christ, understanding for the first time that no amount of good deeds could guarantee his eternal life, that only Jesus’ sacrifice could give him the assurance of salvation and a peace that he had never known before,” she recalled.
Though most Americans couldn’t read the strange language themselves, chances are many would recognize the cover on sight: A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories by Arthur Gross. LHF has translated and published this book of 5 dozen Old and New Testament lessons in more than 60 languages for new believers around the world.
Seventy-seven years after Gross penned A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, “I am sure that this book has been a blessing in spreading the Gospel message beyond anything Uncle Art would have imagined,” reflected Carol Schmidt, Gross’s niece. “Arthur was a
Christian gentleman in the true sense of the word, and he was interested in serving the church and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as opportunities presented themselves.”
As a Lutheran school teacher, Gross was intent on writing the Bible stories in a way that would be best for teaching, which makes it a popular title in countries like Thailand, where people are learning the faith for the first time.
“A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories’
“It is always our prayer that we would stay strong in our own faith and that we would bring others, in this case the children and families receiving this book, to this same faith with the goal of inheriting eternal life with Him in Heaven,” said Carol. To request this book or others LHF provides at no cost in more than 170 languages, go to www. LHFmissions.org and click on “Publications.” To purchase this book in English, go to www.CPH.org.
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