The places abroad that need our help are Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Manila in the Philippines, Singapore, and Malaysia. Malaysia is divided into two areas: the center of one area is Penang, and the center of the other area is Sarawak. In addition, Thailand, mainly Bangkok, and Indonesia also need our help. Altogether there are nine places, and every place needs co-workers to render them help. We need a dozen brothers to take turns in bearing the work in these places. A co-worker who goes abroad should fellowship with the other co-workers when he returns. Through the fellowship it may be that when a co-worker returns, he visits the various local churches in Taiwan to supply the churches. Or he may remain in one large local church to serve there.
This arrangement of the co-workers spending time abroad will take care of the need by rendering a considerable amount of help. Moreover, it will not have a negative effect on the work in Taiwan; rather, it will be beneficial. The co-workers being away will give the local elders the opportunity to serve. I hope that all the co-workers will be perfected to go abroad. Taiwan has been the center of the work in Southeast Asia, but this does not mean that Taiwan controls the churches in other places. We must be clear that the work is regional, but the church is local. Every local church should take care of its own administration; however, the work, being regional, has a center. In the early days we considered Taiwan as the Jerusalem, the center, of the work. The co-workers should go out from here to labor in other places.
There are three kinds of work among the co-workers. The first kind of work is to serve in a local church, to help that church, by diligently training and perfecting the saints. The next kind of work is to go abroad and minister to, serve, the churches. The third kind of work is to visit local churches in Taiwan. The co-workers who serve in this way can be likened to a mobile support unit. They can visit a local church if there is a need, and then they can visit another local church if there is a need. The co-workers should spend their time to do these three kinds of work. Some co-workers may work only in a local church. Some co-workers may work in a local church and also set aside time to work abroad. Other co-workers will spend time laboring abroad and visiting the local churches in Taiwan that have a need. Only a few co-workers are needed in the third kind of work.
The co-workers who work in a local church should not replace the saints in their service; rather, they should work in coordination with the saints. The co-workers should help the saints, lead the saints, and raise up the saints. As the co-workers become skilled, they will be able to go abroad and serve. The nine places that we mentioned are open to the Lord’s recovery. They are willing to receive the help from the work.
The brothers in Indonesia sent an invitation, but they did not say that they need my help or ask me to spend time with them. They wrote to me, saying, “We would like to hand over the work in Indonesia completely to your ministry. All you need to do is to come and start the work, and later you can arrange for the co-workers to come. We will accept whatever arrangement you make. We would like to hand over this whole region to the work.” The brothers in Japan said the same, and the brothers in Hong Kong also said the same. Hence, the need abroad is great. But we cannot go immediately, because the churches in Taiwan are not ready to let the co-workers go. We must take one step at a time.
This fellowship is related to taking one step at a time. I hope that through this fellowship not only the co-workers but also the elders will understand our situation. Although the elders are not directly involved in the work, the work and the churches are the one testimony; they are intimately related. Hence, the elders also need to know the situation. I hope that when the elders return to their respective localities, they will fellowship with the local saints so that the saints know the development and the line of the Lord’s work. It is the Lord’s mercy that every region in East Asia, except mainland China, is open to us.
Presently, we do not have many co-workers who can go abroad. The co-workers must endeavor to learn in the word and in the building up of the church. The regions abroad are open to our work, so our sending the co-workers can be likened to sending our cargo. A co-worker’s work concerns all of us, not just him. We must not “ruin” the reputation of our cargo. When the co-workers go abroad, they must do a better job than they do in Taiwan; they must be able to help the churches. We should gain the trust of the saints, and we should be useful to the Lord.
All the local churches need our help, but we cannot meet the need by merely holding a two-week conference. The churches also realize that this way is of no avail. Hence, they do not invite itinerant preachers. The churches have learned the lesson and realize that giving a few messages might be of a little profit, but nothing is accomplished afterward. All the churches have entered into the stage of building. Hence, we must be diligent and dedicated and do a thorough work. The co-workers must be serious and learn, because the need abroad is great. When a co-worker is definitely manifested, we will be able to send him abroad to labor. However, we should do this gradually and take one step at a time. Presently, there are about a dozen co-workers who can go abroad. Most of them will go for three months, and a few can go for six months. I hope that the co-workers understand this need, pray for this, and fellowship with the elders in the local churches concerning this.
The development of the work in the Western Hemisphere depends on the Lord. We cannot send co-workers there. Perhaps some American brothers can go to the Philippines or Indonesia. However, it should be their responsibility to go to Europe. The door to Europe is open. The brothers in America can also go to New Zealand. If the brothers in America are willing to migrate to New Zealand, the New Zealand government will cover the expenses of their travel and relocation and will even give them a plot of land with a loan for them to farm it. It is easy for Americans to migrate to New Zealand. New Zealand has rich soil, good climate, and bountiful produce but a small population; it needs to be developed. However, New Zealand welcomes Caucasians more than any other race. The same applies to Australia. For this reason, the burden for New Zealand and Australia falls on the saints in America. Some American brothers should migrate there. Some saints have already moved to France. The burden for Europe, New Zealand, and Australia rests mainly with the American saints.
The work in East Asia is enough to keep us busy. Of course, this does not mean that the brothers in the East should not go to the West or that the brothers in the West should not come to the East. It is good to exchange co-workers between the East and the West, because this is a kind of fellowship and help. As we advance spiritually, the brothers in the West can come to help us, and we can also go to help them.
The churches in the East and the West are advancing because we share the same life and the same leading. As we come to understand and know one another more and as we also grow in life, there will be more traffic between the East and the West. Some co-workers in the East may go to the West, and some from the West may come to the East. Our present situation, however, does not allow this, and besides, the need is not yet that great. Hence, the co-workers here should use Taiwan as a base for their going to the places in East Asia for the spread of the work. I believe that this will surely bring in the blessing. I hope you will not feel that this burden is too heavy. We must be in one accord so that all the churches reap the benefit.