China s Silk Road On the Move: Presenter s Notes Suggested to say: I m glad you re here to join me in this insight into life on China s Silk Road. We re going to hear stories and statistics, and find out ways to get involved. China s Silk Road is home to over 23 million Muslims (compare this to the population of your city or your country). Every one of these people is loved by our gracious God. If appropriate: Let s open in prayer [pray for God to be with you during the meeting]. Suggested to say: Let s start this topic with a quick quiz. How long do you think the ancient Silk Road is? [take answers, or a show of hands from the group] It s actually about 4,350 miles long (7,000 km) and stretches from central China to the Mediterranean Sea. Almost 2,500 miles of the Silk Road are within the borders of China. People have been moving along the Silk Road trade routes for over 2,000 years. So what is life like for the people who live along these routes today? Let s hear the story of one young person whose life is on the move. Note: People disagree a bit about the length of the Silk Road. These statistics come from https://www.travelchinaguide.com/silk-road/facts.htm Suggested to say: This is Amangul s story of her first day at school in the city. I stand silently, eyes lowered and biting my lip. Everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to speak. My mouth is dry. It feels like it has a whole desert inside. I m twelve years old. I shouldn t be afraid to introduce myself to my new school class. But, as I stand alone in front of 40 curious faces, my knees want to shake with the stress. It s not because I have to speak 普通话 (Putonghua), Mandarin Chinese, instead of my native Uyghur. It s not even because I m the only one in class today who s new. It s because I m different from these children. I m judged and condemned before I open my mouth. My Aunt told me that I mustn t be ashamed of my traditional dress and long pants
(trousers), even though these city girls are all wearing tight t-shirts and jeans. She says I should be proud of my colorful headscarf, even though all the other heads in the classroom are bare. Auntie didn t say anything about my hands, reddened and rough from hard work in our home. These children look at me and know I m poor, that I ve only just moved to the city. But these children don t know some things. They don t know that this month is the first time I can remember living with my parents. Dadam, my dad, moved to this city to start a small business when I was two, and my mother joined him the next year. I ve been living with my aunt and my younger sisters in our home village for the last ten years. These kids don t know that my first brother, the pride of the whole family, was born two months ago. They may guess, but they don t know that he s the reason I m in this city. All the time that I m not at school, I am to spend looking after baby Ehmet. Any homework I do will have to happen when he is asleep. My new classmates are starting to giggle at me with my traditional clothes and anxious eyes. But they don t know the real reason my words won t come. My Dadam told me last night that six years of study are enough for a girl in our family. After this year, I can no longer attend school. I will never have the chance that these children have to study for exams and learn a profession. I can only ever become someone else s sister, or mother, or wife. As I look down at my dress, I remember something else my Aunt told me: Uyghur women are like flowers by the roadside. After blooming, no one remembers that we even existed. I look again at the hard faces of my new classmates. A new thought comes to me; In the end, no-one will remember. So I can say whatever I like! I open my mouth at last. Good morning, my name is Amangul. I come from a small village at the edge of the desert. When autumn comes, the pomegranates on the trees glow red like fire Suggested to say: Life is hard for many people living on the Silk Road. It can seem like they have no choices, and no hope. They need our prayers. Suggested to say: Here are China s ten Silk Road ethnic groups in order of population. Each of these people groups has their own language and traditions. What they have in common is that they live along the old Silk Road trade route in northwestern China, and that they are traditionally Muslim. Some of these groups have good relationships with
each other, and with the majority Han Chinese in China, but often the relationships are quite strained. How many of them will ever hear about the teachings of Jesus? Very, very few. Suggested to say: China is a huge country (compare to the size of your country, or your continent). The ancient Silk Road trade route ran from central China, through the green area in northwest China, and then through central Asia to the Middle East and Europe. The Silk Road trade route brought beautiful silk out of China, and it also brought the Islamic faith into China, by way of the Arab and Persian traders, and by way of political and military migrants. Although northwest China is home to over 23 million Muslims, it is also home to over 30 million Han Chinese, who are traditionally Buddhist, Confucian or Atheist. Many Han are now Christians, but even the Christians find it challenging to cross cultural or linguistic barriers, and express love to the Muslim Silk Road people. Suggested to say: Things are changing fast along China s Silk Road. The needs of the people are also changing fast. - In 2013, China began its Belt and Road campaign. This is a major policy for economic development along the route of the ancient Silk Road. China is building roads, rail lines and even cities across northwest China and into central Asia and beyond in an effort to stimulate international trade. It is bringing rapid development to northwest China, which has its benefits, but also its challenges. -Silk Road people are moving to the cities faster than ever before, in search of work and education. They struggle to find stable jobs and safe accommodation. They are often looked down on by city people for their educational level or their cultural background. -China is becoming increasingly conservative at the moment, and that is having an impact on life in the northwest. Conformity is encouraged. -When things change fast in a society, it s often the minority people who experience the most pressure. That is certainly the case for China s Silk Road people. Let s see how these moving needs impact the life of one family on the Silk Road.
Suggested to say: This is a story of a man on China s Silk Road, who is constantly on the move. 马文凯, MaWenKai came home last night. He s been my husband for seven years, and in all that time he s never held down a job for more than six months. He travelled to the north-east for work. He was supposed to come back with a bank card full of money. Instead, he came back empty-handed. He even had to ask for the 两元 (2 dollars) for his bus fare home from a stranger on the street. He didn t even have two dollars left. Will WenKai ever stick to a steady job? Will we ever have enough to do more than just scrape by? MaWenKai went to the north-east because his friend told him a factory there would pay five thousand a month for skilled machine work. They re rushing to complete an order, he said. The work is tiring, but the pay is good. That s what he said. WenKai was going to work for four months, to earn 两万, twenty thousand dollars. When he came back, we were going to pay back the friends and family we have borrowed from. Then we would still have enough to pay for his mother s operation. Her eyesight has been failing for several years, but we never have the money on hand to pay for treatment. With WenKai s windfall salary, we were going to send our son to a good kindergarten, so he could get into a better elementary school. WenKai said I could get some new clothes and a nice pair of shoes I ve had my eye on for a while. Instead, my husband came home empty-handed, bringing only stories about broken promises and a manager whose expectations bordered on insanity. I wasn t shocked. I ve heard these stories before. WenKai is a good man, and a kind father. But he s too proud to take a regular job that earns a regular wage. He s always searching for a way to beat the system, and make a lot of money really fast. I don t have an education, I ve never been to school. I ll never earn much. Our whole family is relying on WenKai, and he s still holding out for his lucky break. Can he ever change? Is there any way that things could ever be different?
Suggested to say: What do you say to this question? Is there any way for someone like MaWenKai to change? Is there any strength or hope that could turn his life around? Suggested to say: there are many ways that you could be part of building these bridges among the China s Silk Road people. Here are just a few ideas. You can find the details for these opportunities, and more information at omf.org/silkroad. But the first step to blessing China s Silk Road is the same as the first step in any great work of God: it s prayer. Right now, as we set aside some time to pray as a group, why not ask God this question: where does he want his love to take you? How is he asking you to be involved in seeing China s Muslims learn about the teachings of Jesus? Notes: The hyperlinks (visible in slideshow mode) take you to opportunities for these jobs on the omf website. Each of the China-based roles is an urgent need to build up current work. The support roles can be done part-time, based in a supporter s home country. If you or others are interested, why not set up a prayer group for Silk Road people? You can sign up for our quarterly newsletter and/or get in touch with an individual worker who you can pray for by e-mailing silkroadpeople@omfmail.com. God s love being shared. Suggested to say: As we ve looked at the lives of people on China s Silk Road, some different themes and needs have come up. Will you dream with us, of healthy families, Good education, Respect and understanding between cultures, Job opportunities, and good working habits,
Suggested to say: Let s turn these points into prayers, asking for God s love to reach and bless the people on the move on China s Silk Road. If appropriate, lead the group in prayer. More stories, opportunities for involvement and prayer materials can be found on our website, www.omf.org/silkroad Note: Some extra photos are included at the end of the powerpoint presentation. This version updated February 2018.