Additionally, we have dozens of code words we use to protect ourselves and the underground church. These code words have been established for a long time; we didn’t invent them. They are understood commonly by the persecuted church around the world. I’ll teach you one. Instead of saying, “Lord or God” in a message we simply say, “my Father.” We also use code names and aliases amongst the church leaders.

One of the big challenges has been figuring out how to safely deliver equipment. Obviously, we can’t just walk into the country with 30 projectors in our luggage. Even setting up systems for students’ grades and degrees has taken long discussions, since not every school leader has access to the same technology.

Security is so tight that even we are not allowed to know the training location yet, because it would be so dangerous to give that information online or by phone call. The Asian church leadership is sending someone to the airport to pick up our team of four. We are also meeting this church leadership outside of their native country for their safety.

A lot of effort has gone into the Mandarin translation of our materials. Some have asked why we can say “Mandarin” openly but not the country name. That’s because there are seven nations with significant Mandarin-speaking populations—so mentioning the language doesn’t reveal where we’re going. We’ve worked closely with professional translators from MegaVoice to make sure every word is clear and accurate. Meanwhile, our days are also filled with prayer meetings, planning, writing newsletters, fundraising and networking.

Speaking of networking—Tim just got back from Canada, where he talked with a couple about launching a Mandarin-speaking Bible School there. God is multiplying the vision in ways we could never plan on our own!