A TRUE WARRIOR FOR CHINA
BATTLES ON...
Doug Sutphen continues his
battle for the soul of China despite huge medical setbacks
By Dan
Wooding
Founder of
ASSIST Ministries
Tuesday,
October 19, 2004
NORTH BEND, WA (ANS) -- Doug
Sutphen, an American ex-marine caused a sensation over two decades ago,
when he led an international team in a daring mission called “Project
Pearl,” that saw some one million Chinese Bibles land on Swatow
Beach, South China, during the evening of June 18th 1981.
Then the Asia director of Open Doors with Brother
Andrew, and known as “Brother David,” Sutphen and his team waited for
the sun to set and then launched a small flotilla of “Z Boats” that
pulled the Bibles in one ton blocks to the shore where some 10,000
Chinese believers unpacked them and carried them to waiting trucks to
transport them all over China.
The world's media soon began to pick up on what was then the largest
delivery of Bibles to China and Time magazine carried an article called
“Risky Rendezvous to Swatow.”
Since that time, Doug Sutphen has chronicled his story in the book,
“God's Smuggler to China,” (Hodder & Stoughton, UK), and now runs
Love China Ministries based in North Bend, Washington.
Now he has agreed to give a rare interview about his life today in
which he has battled serious health problems, yet keeps focused, with
his Chinese wife Meiling, on helping the underground believers in the
world's most populous nation.
Sutphen told ANS, “After 5 months in the hospital and the Convalescent
home, Meiling and I have been home in North Bend since August 4th. My
recovery has been superb; the Lord has wonderfully blessed us
physically and spiritually.
“Since March I have lost more than 60 pounds. I am down to 155 pounds.
My amputated toes are healed and my diabetes is under control. Meiling
and I are very aware of the prayers you have raised for us, because we
can feel them in our bodies and our spirits and we thank ASSIST News
Service from the depths of our hearts.”
He said that on October 29, 2004 he will have cataract surgery on my
left eye, that eye has a retina detachment too, adding, “I would
appreciate prayers.”
Sutphen then spoke about his continued ministry to China. “Your readers
might be interested in our ministry ‘Love China’ which the Lord
wonderfully continues to show Himself strong in it. Love China has the
first registered legal Christian Bookstore in China. It has been
introduced in 2 major cities and received tremendous endorsement by
believers.
“Since 1997, we have been partners with Bible Research Study Institute
(BRSI) based in Santa Cruz, California. Dr. Paul Ma and his wife sister
Mary Ma have just completed Chinese Strong Concordance which Meiling
helped arranged the publishers and printer in Hong Kong. This November,
2004 the Chinese Concordance will be introduced to the Chinese Diaspora
and hopefully to publishers in China, we would appreciate prayers for a
successful outcome for the Kingdom of God.”
HOW HE GOT INVOLVED WITH CHINA
Sutphen then spoke about how he first got involved with
China.
“I have been committed to China since 1965,” he told ANS. “Brother
Andrew and Corrie ten Boom first learned about me in Vietnam in 1969.
Brother Andrew invited me to Holland and I met him on March 2, 1970 in
Harderwijk at his home. I spent 2 weeks with him and together we
committed to provide 10 million Bibles for China. The Lord was
in those meetings, and it is very evident that Open Doors opened the
way in China for all the Bibles that are there today since the Cultural
Revolution
“Many other ministries followed Open Doors example. Brother Andrew
always said: ‘Do what somebody else hasn't done and others will follow,
as long as you don't care who gets the credit!’”
BIBLES NOW PRINTED IN CHINA
Sutphen then said that Dr. Ed Neteland, who was a top
leader of Open Doors at the time of Project Pearl and helped to raise
much of the funding, had been in touch with him recently.
"Ed told me he just had lunch with Sam Moore, president of Thomas
Nelson Bible Publishers,” said Sutphen. “Sam told Ed that Project Pearl
caused the American Bible Society to come to him during Pearl for 5
million dollars to match the Bible Societies in building the Amity
Printing Press in Nanjing, China.
“Ed said to me, ‘I just want to encourage you Doug. Pearl was a
catalyst.’
“In 2003, over 30 million Bibles had been printed at Amity.
Peter MacInnis, the first manager of Amity Printing Press just emailed
us and he shared wonderful news that 3 million more Bibles will
have been printed in year 2004. Glory to God!”
He concluded, “I would also like to ask your constituents to pray for
Meiling as she works on translating her best selling book (in Hong
Kong) from Chinese version to English version. It is called ‘63 Years -
Walking On The Narrow Road with Mr. Wang Ming Dao.’ It is the testimony
of Mrs. Wang Ming Dao and her 63 years of ministry with her husband. It
teaches married couples, both Christians and non-Christians the virtues
of a wonderful wife.”
Anyone who would like a copy of the Chinese edition may order it from
Love China, P.O. Box 1775, North Bend, Washington 98045. Just give a
small gift of US$10.00, a tax-deductible receipt will be provided. If
you would like to send Doug and Meiling a message of encouragement,
please e-mail them at LoveChinaIntl@aol.com.
Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in
Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and
international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic
Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS).
Wooding is the co-host of the weekly radio show, "Window on the World"
and was, for ten years a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in
Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of
which is his autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published
by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com.
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