Day 19

Although Taiwan has enjoyed relative independence for more than 60 years, in the last three years China has increased its intimidation of the tiny island nation. China's overall strategy continues to use both persuasion and coercion to hinder the development of attitudes favoring independence in the “rebel” Taiwan. China’s focus on building military strength is seen as a threat by Taiwan as it continues to maintain its autonomy. Taiwan has continued to foster connections with sympathetic international allies. With a strong economy, Taiwan is a leader in computer technology. Unlike China, Taiwan seems more committed to freedom of religion though Christians only make up six percent of the population. Most are committed to the traditional ethnic religion. China’s intervention in Hong Kong has caused many in Taiwan to be fearful of what their future holds.

Praise Report
Praise God that the Taiwanese Church increasingly sees the need for reaching out to people from different ethnic groups, social backgrounds and even to send missionaries to other Asian nations (The Bible, Romans 3:22).

Prayer Requests
There are more than 700,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, mainly from Indonesia, The Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. Pray that churches will reach out to these migrant workers (The Bible, Hebrews 13:2).

Many people actively practice idol and ancestor worship, making it very difficult to become a Christian as it means turning their backs on the traditional practices. Pray for courage (The Bible, 1 Chronicles 16:26).

Call to Salvation
Pray that many people will sense the emptiness in their hearts and recognize their need for a Savior (The Bible, Isaiah 43:1).

Sources:
WIN
Christians from Taiwan

Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifais the king of Bahrain. The Kingdom of Bahrain is the most open island country in the Gulf region and opened its doors to some Christian influence. Christians in Bahrain make up about 14.5% of the population. Bahrain has had a native Christian community for many centuries, with the first recorded presence dating back to the 12th century. Alees Samaan, the current Bahraini ambassador to the United Kingdom, is a native Christian. The constitution of Bahrain imposes no restrictions on the right to choose or practise one's religion, but neither is there any law to prevent discrimination. The Ministry of Health said that the move is part of the steps taken within the on-going efforts to contain the novel CORONAVIRUS pandemic and limit its spread through stepping up all precautionary and preventive measures to protect the health and safety of everyone. The Health Ministry highlighted its keenness to facilitate the procedures and mechanisms that enable volunteering citizens and residents to join the third phase of the clinical trial of the potential vaccine, enlisted by the World Health Organization.

Praise Report
We praise God that the China-based Sinopharm has commenced a Phase III clinical trial of its COVID -19 vaccine candidate at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (The Bible, Jeremiah 46:11).

Prayer Requests
We pray that the trial received approval from the National Health Regulatory Authority will be assessed for its effectiveness in antibody generation and the acquired protection against the virus (The Bible, Psalm 140:1).

Pray that the royal Al Khalifa family, leaders, and government officials will work out political and economic differences for the good of the people, resulting in less unrest, increased stability, and improved employment opportunities (The Bible, Isaiah 14:7).

Call to Salvation
We pray that the peace deal between Israel and Bahrain announced by US President Donald Trump will help redraw the conflicts and establish full diplomatic and commercial relations leading to opening the doors for the Gospel (The Bible, 1 Samuel 20:13).

Sources:
WIN