There’s a lot going on in Bend, a newer OYC site that is very active! You can listen to their podcast here

Here’s the tourist side of things…

Bellingham, WA. The home of a fairly new OYC site, a young campus ministry, and a growing church. Take a look at the Bellingham area, it really is an unparalleled location. Close to mountains, the ocean, forests and great parks. But don’t just go as a tourist! Go to serve! Bellingham is looking for an intern!

An aerial view of the campus

Learn more about the OYC here, and the university here!

What’s going on with the most populated country in the world and history?

Read more here, and be sure to check out what the OYC is doing in China!

Get an inside look at the Berlin Church. This video is from a few years back, and interviews a young disciple studying and helping to lead the campus ministry in Berlin. He cam on a One Year Challenge, and stayed to continue the mission. There are certainly are many ups and downs, great to see the example of faith in Berlin, that we aren’t living for comfort and the best experience, but to rely on God and trust in Him.

Currently, we don’t have an OYC site in Berlin, but check out these other sites in Europe!

• Budapest, Hungary
• Prague, Czech Republic
• Birmingham, UK
• London, UK

Christianity in Communist China

In this articles list of ‘9 Things You Should Know About Christianity and Communist China’, you will find inspiration, sadness, and maybe fear.

China, in regards to faith, has both sides of the coin; see these two points from the article.

7. In 2019, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) noted that as a Christian in China, your Bible may have been rewritten by the Chinese government, your church shuttered or demolished, and your pastor imprisoned. In an ongoing effort to “sinicize” religious belief (i.e., make religious belief Chinese in character), the communist Chinese government arrested more than 5,000 Christians and 1,000 church leaders. The government also continued its persecution by closing down or demolishing thousands of churches.

8. The number of Protestant Christians in China has grown from 1 million in 1949, the year the Communist Party came to power, to more than 49 million in 2010. Experts believe that number could more than triple over the next generation, and by 2030 the People’s Republic of China, which still remains officially atheist, could have more churchgoers than America does.

This week, we zoom in on Mexico and Latin America. We don’t have an OYC site in these regions, but it is inspiring and worth sharing if not for the vision of what can happen in other regions of Latin America and the world for that matter!

We have OYC sites in Bolivia and Argentina, and churches all throughout Latin America which are fighting for the kingdom of God!

Welcome to Prague. The capitol of the Czech Republic, and a city full of history, beauty, and people who need God!

https://www.woolf.cam.ac.uk/blog/is-prague-the-least-religious-city-in-the-world

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/jun/24/czech-republic-religious-atheism

Prague, and the Czech Republic as a whole, are often considered to be one of the most unreligious places in the world. You will have to do the research to learn what the atmosphere of religion and faith is like in the Czech Republic. Even more important, if you are thinking of taking the One Year Challenge, you will join the church and body of Christ who are fighting to spread the gospel in this city.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,

Ephesians 6:10-14

Check out the OYC site in Prague!

Currently, the first ever FIBA Basketball World cup is in full swing, bringing the nations of the world together in China to compete for sports glory. The US, which in the realm of basketball is always the heavy favorite, is not such a sure deal this year. Instead of putting the best talent available on the court, due to many stars rejecting the opportunity, young players have stepped onto the squad.

The situation reminds basketball fans of the 2004 Olympic games in Greece, Argentina pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports history, beating the fully supplied USA at their own game. If it were soccer, no one would bat an eye. But the team full of NBA stars walked off the court with their heads hung, while Argentina celebrated. Argentina built a team that could rise to the challenge.

Argentina, like many other countries in latin America is full of passion. And, also like other latin American countries, it is full of believers, most of whom belong to the Roman Catholic Church. Less than 10% of Argentinean Christians are evangelical.

Today, in Buenos Aires, our church is looking to build a ministry that can rise to the challenge. For brothers and sisters to have passion for God and his mission.

You can read about the opportunity to take the One Year Challenge in Argentina here.