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 2. M a c a u :"SOS" BIBLE CAMPAIGN FOR WAYWARD "CITY OF GOD"A MAJOR CAMPAIGN has been launched to "reopen" the former missionary gateway to China.
Through their SOS Macau campaign, Youth With A Mission workers are hoping to deliver a Bible to every home in the former Portuguese colony before it reverts to Chinese rule in 1999.
In times past the province - a peninsula and two small islands 40 miles west of Hong Kong - was the springboard for missions to China, seeing the baptism of the first Chinese convert and the translation of the first Chinese Bible.
But today Macau - whose names means "City of God" - is better known as a gambling and entertainment center, with thousands of illegal immigrants. Many are caught up in drugs and prostitution. With control returning to mainland China - like in Hong Kong, later this year - many residents are leaving for other countries.
"We felt the need to do something significant before the changeover, and see having a Bible in every home as a sort of flag, marking the place for God," said Jorge Vendramini, a Brazilian who has led YWAM's work in Macau for the past six years.
The distribution program began last year, since when almost 1,000 Bibles have been handed out during weekly visits by YWAM workers - who when not knocking on people's doors run an orphanage, organize training schools for young Christians, and take part in evangelism.
When every home has been contacted in a neighborhood, the residents are to be invited to a meeting at a local church or community building to hear more about the gospel.
Vedramini estimates that his teams will need as many as 400,000 Bibles - in Portuguese, Cantonese and Tagalog, as well as Mandarin - to ensure one goes to every home, and is appealing for short-term volunteers to help with the distribution.
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