Mayflower Chinese Church  

In August of 2022, sixteen families from the persecuted PRC Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church left Jeju Island in South  Korea to apply for political asylum under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bangkok, Thailand.   Nicknamed the “Mayflower Church” because of their pilgrimage from persecution in the PRC to religious freedom (hopefully!) eventually in the US, the 64 church members have faced extraordinary challenges and difficulties on their perilous journey.  The families of church members who still reside in the PRC have been threatened with reprisal because of the Mayflower Church member’s quest for political asylum. During their temporary sojourn in Thailand, members of the Mayflower Church  have been followed by PRC operatives and threatened by immigration officials and PRC Embassy representatives as they go through the month’s-long UNHCR refugee application process.  Connecting Families Director, Rev. Dr. Timothy Conkling, along with Connecting Families Indonesian Director, Asep Sopian coordinated and assisted the church members move and transition to Thailand from August to December 2022.

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Four of the Mayflower Church families will have completed their refugee application screening interviews by March 15, 2023 and the other 12 families will be completing the interviews over the next few months.  In the meantime, their pursuit of freedom comes with a cost.  Their interim time in Thailand before eventual resettlement has cost more than 170,000 USD to-date.  With months left to go in the resettlement process, the Mayflower Church needs funds for daily living expenses, housing and medical care.  Any gifts donated through Connecting Families will be forwarded in full to their main sponsoring agency, the ChinaAid Associaton of Midland, Texas USA, with no funds deducted for administration.  Please keep the Mayfower Church in your prayers, that God would provide their every need and eventually sail them to freedom in the USA.