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1 Thessalonians 2:18 – China Trip Report (2009)
Detained by the authorities from the Bureau of Religious Affairs. Interrogated by the same. Warned that if what occurred in 2008 happens again, the warning will turn into something not so kind. Six officials from the Communist regime of China sitting in front, behind and to the side, all are speaking Chinese. None of us Americans speak the language. At first nothing is being translated and we are unaware of what is being said, what possibly will happen. Not knowing can be worse than knowing.
That was our first morning in Dalian. Welcome to China! Welcome to their version of the freedom of religion, which they claim to allow. The only brand of “Christianity” allowed is state controlled. For example, there is a Catholic Church, but its bishops are not appointed by Rome. They are appointed by the Chinese Government. There is also a Protestant Church called the Three Self Patriotic Church which is organized in a way to forbid the influence of anyone not Chinese and which emphasizes allegiance to the Chinese Government. They are the only ones allowed to evangelize Chinese.
Controlling information and influence may be one reason why Chinese law requires every hotel to inform the authorities any time a foreigner registers. Freedom. I heard that word used by the Chinese authorities asserting they believe in it. To quote a favorite line of mine in one of my favorite movies, The Princess Bride, “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”
Back to our meeting. Our translator starts informing us of their warnings and explanations of Chinese law. The officials emphasize how gentle they are being…this time. That is followed with a warning that the next time will not be so kind. One of the officials wanted to deport us immediately. What that means is that we would be forcibly deported which is nothing compared to what would happen to our Chinese brethren.
In my opinion, their interpretation was overly zealous. But they didn’t ask me for my opinion! As I told one of our Chinese brethren who disagreed with the Bureau’s interpretation, the only interpretation that matters is the one by those who have the power and authority to enforce it. Other American Christians have not been held to that interpretation. Apparently there was something else going on, but beyond our control. Something about this trip was different. It might have been religious because the State Church was losing members to the group simply claiming to be Christians. It might have been political since China’s National People’s Congress was to convene starting on March 3rd. It definitely was due to Satan working.
1Thessalonians 2:18 – For we wanted to come to you–I, Paul, more than once–and yet Satan hindered us.
In our meeting with the Bureau of Religious Affairs, very few specific questions were asked of us except them asking if we understood their interpretation of religious law. I am amazed that they did not specifically ask if we were there to teach the Bible. Wouldn’t that have made it easy for them to deport us? Personally, I think that they didn’t want to ask because then they would be forced into an action that would make China look bad internationally – deporting Bible teachers while claiming freedom of religion are contradictions. “Persecuting” foreigners is definitely a more delicate situation than persecuting their own people. Ensuring that we could not teach and making our life uncomfortable while there so that we would leave without force were their goals.
Not asking that very specific question may also be because they informed us that what happened in 2008 when Keith Barclay, Eddie Pagan, Dakin Kinser, and Dave Girardot had been there had already been in violation of the law. Interestingly, they did not mention any other trips made by these men, or trips made by others, or even the Bible study Keith and Dakin managed to have the day before (Tuesday, February 24th).
They asked if any of us were Pastors. Two men answered affirmatively – Keith Barclay and Eddie Pagan who are elders. They asked if we all were Christians. Without hesitation everyone said yes. I was honored to be with all these faithful men and women.
Matthew 10:32 – “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.
After about an hour, they tell us we are free (there’s that word again – free) to go with the warning that all we are allowed to do is tour. At the end of our interrogation, they also informed us of listening devices in our rooms. And yet remember, they claim freedom of religion!
But that is just the beginning.
Our translator was a Chinese Christian – Franc. We left. The inquisitors demanded that Franc stay. After walking out of the room, they yelled at him and threatened him that if he did not follow Chinese law, they would “lay hands” on him. They also informed him that he was to spy on us. He appeared to us unafraid. To keep him safe, we were very careful with our words around him so that if and when he is detained again (and after all the Americans left China, he was but this time by the National Security Office), he can be truthful and not be in further trouble. It was wise that we were circumspect because while spending time with us, Franc received many calls. Not knowing the nature of the calls, I jokingly said, “You are very popular.” He responded, “No, you are very popular.”
Later that day, a trap was laid for Keith and Dakin. Strangers knocked on their door wanting a Bible study. Keith and Dakin said they did not speak Chinese, and closed the door. Not already having bought their return trip tickets, Keith Barclay and Dakin Kinser left the following morning (February 26th). This decision was not easily made. Keith Barclay had been in Dalian 6 times. His is the voice of evangelistic experience. Dakin Kinser is a former Marine, S.W.A.T. team member and a detective. He has sat on the side of the table the Chinese authorities occupied last week and his input is that they were very serious individuals and not to be taken lightly. His is the voice of law enforcement experience. Although filled with regret at what was not to be; Keith and Dakin left filled with hope for what might be. For the sake of the Chinese disciples both present and future, they sacrificed their own desires and left to alleviate any pressure that leaving might afford.
Janet and I, along with Eddie and Rita Pagan, decided to leave early also. We contacted through e-mail our travel agent. If we left the next day (February 27th), the price we had paid for our tickets would have gone drastically up – $1200.00 each. Staying in China at least six days was the requirement for the discounted tickets. The soonest we could leave would be on March 2nd, and even then there was a heavy fine for changing our flights – $300.00 a piece. In order to be good stewards of the support so many gave, we decided to stay until March 2nd. The thought of still accomplishing some good through whatever means possible fueled our zeal to stay.
Everyday we were followed continually; photographs were taken; listening devices were indeed found in rooms; computers were continually tampered with; and rooms searched. I will now try and explain some of this further.
Every morning when we Americans left our hotel to eat breakfast, there were members of the Bureau of Religious Affairs waiting downstairs. “Couch Potatoes” is the nickname we gave them. Their job was to secretly follow us. Personally, I don’t think they were not very good at it! However, it is possible that they wanted us to know they were there. Intimidation can be powerful except for the fact that we were not intimidated. My father, who was involved in Army Intelligence, suggested that there might have been both obvious and clandestine shadows. In fact, every time we left the hotel, we were followed. Despite that, our Christian translator met us each time we needed him at the hotel. Plus the Chinese brethren kept meeting with us. They were brave.
When touring the seaside with our fellow Chinese believers, an agent surreptitiously took pictures. He was not very good at being nondescript…especially because he wore yellow pants. Hence the nick name, “Mr. Yellow Pants.”
Being the nice people we are, we wanted to invite all of these guests to sit with us at Starbucks, and at the other restaurants, or least give them an itinerary of our day to make their job easier. For some reason though, we didn’t think they would have appreciated it! I will say this, with all the extra coffee, food, and taxis that our friendly followers had to buy in order to tail us, at least the Chinese economy was being stimulated!
For at least a day or two after the detaining, a video listening device was found in our (Janet and my) room placed on the crown molding. We also noticed an unusual “bump” about the size of a dime underneath the wall paper. And no, it was not a “nail pop.” Also, a camera was located on our floor. However, the camera was not placed there just because of our visit. It was old. As said before, according to Chinese law, any time a foreigner registers in a hotel, the government has to be informed. To not do so would put the hotel in violation of the law. Our suspicions are that we were placed on a special floor reserved for foreigners because it was exactly the same floor and hallway and suite assigned to a group of Americans the last time they were there. Part of me wanted to investigate the other floors to see if they also were also technologically advanced. But again, we didn’t think it would have been welcomed.
Several times after coming back into our room, I noticed that my computer had been shut down differently than I had done myself. I also noticed that one time the history had been erased and that a different user name than I use typed in. Eddie Pagan’s computer also had been tampered with. The uninvited guests were looking for something, possibly the names of our Chinese friends. Eddie Pagan said that it appeared as if a thumb drive had been inserted into his computer.
There is no doubt the Chinese officials were tracking us, even laying traps. Members of the Self-three Patriotic Church – a Government Sanctioned Church – working with the Bureau of Religious Affairs knocked on the door of two of the Americans where the Bible Classes had taken place before. Keith Barclay and Dakin Kinser handled themselves wisely. Their trap failed. On two occasions, outside of our personal room, some ladies and a gentleman gathered just talking, or walking…our door was ajar. Their presence would be odd considering we were at the end of the hallway.
Time for a confession. Admittedly it is difficult not to let paranoia overtake sensibility, but considering the other extreme measures that we know were taken, such paranoia was definitely warranted. As Kurt Cobain said, “just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.”
On Sunday when we Americans gathered for worship in my room – unfortunately without our Chinese brethren for their protection – we experienced worship in a way unlike words can express. Paul when caught up into Paradise heard “inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak” (2 Cor.12:4). The four of us experienced “inexpressible words, which a man is incapable of speaking.” Tears flowed. Thoughts leaped out the window to our friends somewhere, somehow worshipping. We prayed, sang, studied, and communed knowing that there were some precious friends doing the same in violation of man’s law but upholding God’s. As I said the prayer for the fruit of the vine, I expressed how it was shed blood, and prayed for our Chinese brethren who might in their lifetimes be forced to shed their own blood. In our little hotel room, we experienced freedom because we were not Chinese. That cloistered, forbidden freedom fills you with a realization of blessings not experienced before.
Our Chinese brethren had to meet secretively. And yet they still met. That is significant since they had ceased to meet before. That is the true warning of Hebrews 10:25. Opposition, obvious and overt, can strengthen beyond the blessings of peaceful times.
On Sunday in the middle of our worshipping, around 2:30 PM, there was a knock on the door. Our singing had been vibrant and boisterous since the Bureau of Religious Affairs informed us that we Americans had the right to worship as long as no Chinese attended. Hearing the knock, and not knowing what was about to happen or who was knocking, I opened it up. Was it another trap, with some Chinese deceptively claiming to want to join us? Were we singing so loudly that the officials would have considered it a violation of law because teaching can be done through song (Col.3:16)? After all, one of our songs was, “I Believe in Jesus.”
Opening the door, we saw it was only a cleaning lady. Admittedly I felt relief. But upon further reflection, I don’t think she was there to clean in the middle of the afternoon because when I opened the door she looked around me to see who was in the room. If the Chinese brethren had been with us, they would have suffered and we would have been deported. Could the cleaning lady have simply been curious about these strange Americans? Could be, but sometimes it is hard to separate suspicion from reality when you know you have been officially warned by the authorities that they will be watching you and as a result have already been experiencing it first hand.
I would like to say a few words about our Chinese brethren. They wanted to conduct the Bible classes anyway. They were brave and maybe naïve. We said no, not out of fear for ourselves, but for them. As Keith Barclay said, we Americans can live with the consequences that we bring upon ourselves by our own actions; but we cannot live with the penalties laid upon our brethren in China because of our actions. As believers, they too must live with the consequences of their faith, but not because of anything we Americans did. As Americans, ultimately we get to go home. American citizenship today is akin to Roman Citizenship for the apostle Paul. It gives us some protection.
It is an honor to know these Chinese Christians. Every day – except Sunday for their own protection – they met with us in various places as we did the only thing the state would allow – remember, we were being followed and watched. Our Chinese brethren did not care that they were therefore likewise being watched and even photographed. They did not care that they were being followed. They only cared about us – and we only cared about them. Our Far East brethren hungered for teaching and friendship. We gave them all the friendship we could. We tried to teach by example, encouraging them in ways that were beyond the grasp of our uninvited guests. Eddie Pagan, who knows these people better than I, believes that this past week will lead to a strengthening and a resolve in them that could only come from being persecuted. God can bring blessings out of Satan’s schemes.
It is time to further explain why we made the decisions we did not to teach directly from the Bible. Should we have done what the apostles did in Acts 5, and simply go to the streets, and preach? Should we have answered the National Police by saying, “We must obey God rather than men (Act 5:29).” Maybe, but we did what we did for the protection of those there. Caring for others is why the Chinese disciples spent so much time with us. They cared for our friendship, and we cared for their soul. But we also cared for their daily welfare. Standing up to the authorities is definitely brave and sometimes needed. And sometimes, it is better to just escape as Paul did from Aretas (2 Cor.11:32-33). Jesus advised:
Matthew 10:16 – “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.
Wisdom is another form of courage. It is the courage of restraint, of mind over will.
As said earlier, we Americans were concerned for our friends. Being followed, watched, and listened to, there was absolutely no way to conduct a Bible class under that scrutiny and keep our friends safe. Plus, the work in Dalian is not over. Not for them and not for us. We – and others – hope to return again. To be forcibly deported would bring debilitating attention for both them and us, and probably ensure that in the future all of us involved would be denied Visas to return.
Is there hope for a future return? Yes. While we do not know why we were flagged, our hope is that whatever it was will fade because of our decision to appease the Bureau of Religious Affairs.
So our decision to walk around Dalian, and spend time with the Chinese brethren was for their present protection and for future plans. My wife and I hope to return. Maybe the future will provide the way. If you were able to support us on our trip, we thank you for your willingness to share with us in this experience. If you approved of our decisions, then hopefully you will want to fellowship in this effort again. If you were unable to support us this time, I send this report to you for your encouragement. The time may come when you are able to support someone in such an endeavor. Brethren, it is worth it!
It would be unwarranted to compare our experiences with those of the Chinese disciples who live with this every day. It would likewise be indefensible to compare the few days in Dalian with what the first century Christians suffered. But it would likewise be unjustifiable not to express to you the honor and privilege that I felt in standing with and by my brave Chinese brethren, and my faithful American brethren – Eddie and Rita Pagan; Keith Barclay; Dakin Kinser; and my wife Janet Hall. And above all, I am honored to have done so in the name of Jesus.
The day I got home, the following was in my inbox – Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Thanks. I needed that. Very encouraging words and so very needed. May we all pray for the Chinese people in general and for those in power in that land. May the hearts of those who can affect change be softened so that the laws concerning the spreading of the gospel can be changed. May the future hold a day where the name of Jesus can be spoken out load in public places.
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