3. THE HOKKIEN HARVEST INTERNATIONAL 国际福建丰收

The Hokkien People 福建人

Han Chinese 汉人
The people of China number more than 1.2 billion, accounting for one-fifth of the world’s population. China’s ethnic majority is the Han people. At a time roughly parallel to the ancient Roman empire-spanning the time when Christ walked on this earth-China’s racially diverse people unified under the Han dynasty. The Han dynasty (206 BC to 221 AD) is noted as a period of remarkable progress in literature and the arts.

Linguistically, China’s ethnic majority is quite diverse. Eight major languages and 600 dialects share one common written language. Hokkien is one of these eight major languages and is spoken by forty-nine million people worldwide. Mandarin Chinese is the dominant language and is spoken by over 750 million people.

The Hokkien Province 福建省
The Hokkien language emerged from China’s Fujian province in the area surrounding the Min River. History records more than 2,100 years of significance for the Min River as an important transportation system for Southern China. It is only natural that Hokkien people refer to China’s Fujian Province in their own language-Hokkien Province. Though scattered throughout the world, their common roots in the Hokkien Province create a strong bond among Hokkien people.

Some are atheist, but the majority of the Hokkien people practice a mix of Taoism, Buddhism and animism. Only about 1% of Hokkien people worldwide are Christian.

A Hokkien Harvest 福建丰收
God is at work among the Hokkien people. In China, where a Communist government prohibits open missionary work, national believers are bravely proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. In Taiwan, where religious freedom is celebrated by a predominantly Mandarin speaking church, national believers are catching a renewed vision for Hokkien ministry. In Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, God is raising up missionaries and nationals to partner in evangelizing the Hokkien people. Like never before, believers across Asia are anticipating a harvest among Hokkien people.

Hokkien Harvest is uniting missionaries and national believers throughout Asia and around the world, mobilizing them to pray for a harvest among Hokkien people, challenging them to join what God is doing among the Hokkien people. Join us in praying that God will enable an indigenous Church Planting Movement among the Hokkien people. Join us in asking the Lord of the Harvest to send abundant laborers into the fields of unreached Hokkien people.

Join us in praying for a Hokkien Harvest!

For full article, visit http://hokkien.wordpress.com/who-are-the-hokkien/