Celeste, here is what our friend in China sent us yesterday morning:
"Jesus Christ to pray for the following brothers and sisters:
Wuhan Huangpu Road Church asked to pray for them.
Three seriously ill, one critically ill, Brother Huang Zhiyong. Sister Li Caiyun, Sister Liu Tingting. Sister Zhu Guifang, Brother Huang Yaoji, Brother Huang Qi, Sister Jiang Lingling, Sister Liu Jiang, Brother Feng Bangli. Pray for God's healing for them. The most serious thing now is Brother Huang Yaoji and Brother Huang Zhiyong. Sister Jiang Lingling, these brethren and sisters were infected due to evangelism. Please pray for their families when praying.
Please pray to other Christian communities! Pray that the healing power of the Lord Jesus will come to them so that they will not be afraid or fight against the virus! By that power that will never give up the grace of Jesus Christ comes.
The Chinese are using the virus to isolate, control and kill. History will tell the truth. Right now, speculation is running rampant. Prices have gone over the roof and only the government is free to travel, buy and sell, just the way the communists like it. It is not nice, it is not comfortable and it is not clear what the .gov is up to.
Just need prayers. Whole cities are locked down and supplies are hard to find." Redacted for safety... This is not the first time he's lived in China (teaching English, etc.) and he's also lived in Vietnam several years (basically as an undercover evangelist). We've known him for quite a few years now. He's a computer expert and speaks several languages, too.
He was doing missionary work in a Mexican Indian tribe and ended up spending two years in prison for standing up to the drug cartel - no charges. They beat him so much that he lost the vision in one eye. We were able to get a case of Spanish Bibles into him at the prison (from the American Bible Society) and he told me later that he got every single one into the hands of a prisoner there.
I also have many Chinese Christian friends who need prayer. Let us be faithful in lifting up our prayers on their behalf.
Blessings,
Celeste