For the written (w/ pics) version of this podcast, visit my substack:

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/collateral-damage-the-children-of

Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. Lastly, to learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit PrayGiveGo.us!

Why did I begin this weekly Prison Pulpit series?

To remind us all to pray for persecuted pastors and believers (such as Pastor Wang Yi) as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us to do (“as bound with them”), by sharing from his own published writings in China, as well as anecdotes from other persecuted ministers who have gone before, such as Richard Wurmbrand.

Also, here’s my own humble attempt at expositing Hebrews 13:3: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/remember-my-chains

Today we are going to talk about praying for the children of persecuted pastors/believers…

Praying for Christian Children in China

https://chinapartnership.org/blog/2025/07/fuzhou-how-to-pray/

Next, I want to read some excerpts from an interview I found of Michael Wurmbrand, the now 80+ year old son of Richard Wurmbrand and founder of the Richard Wurmbrand Foundation.

BTW, Michael does NOT recommend the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs, which he helped to found many decades ago. He was fired from the ministry more than ten years ago, when he demanded a more broad inquiry into the travels and contacts of former VOM director, Tom White, who committed suicide in VOM’s Bartlesville, OK, warehouse in 2012, after allegations surfaced of him molesting a ten year old girl. (Read his “Open Letter” about VOM here: https://www.billionbibles.com/michael-wurmbrand-vom.html)

Michael Wurmbrand also runs another ministry, Help For Refugees, focused primarily on his native Romania, and has made all of his father’s books (and formerly unpublished writings) available for free since VOM continues to use his parents’ likeness and writings without his permission. I personally support Wurmbrand’s Help for Refugees monthly and love getting their newsletter with previously unpublished reflections by Richard Wurmbrand included each month.

Now, without further ado, let’s work through much of the following interview, which covers key events in Michael Wurmbrand’s very difficult childhood in communist Romania…

Michael (aka, Mihai) Talks About His Childhood Suffering

https://www.richardwurmbrandfoundation.com/pdfs/michael-wurmbrand-interview.pdf

Follow China Compass

Follow or subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use. You can also send any questions or comments on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!

Today’s podcast begins with a few personal updates (1:00), followed by a 22 year old newsletter of mine from Black Dragon River (5:11). Then, after talking about the waterspout I saw just after returning from my illegal voyage (12:52), I give more background info on my Cuban refugee friend, Mitchell, and Cuba's laws against beef(!) (14:39). Last, after a final follow-up conversation on illegal immigration (34:56), I finish by talking through the unique places in China we’ll be praying for this week. (51:18)

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com or find everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us!

Pray for China places of the week (follow @chinaadventures to see which city daily):

https://open.substack.com/pub/chinacall/p/pray-for-china-july-27-aug-2-2025

Follow or subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Don’t forget: Follow @chinaadventures on X, and find everything else @ PrayGiveGo.us.

Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!

Today we are going to take a few minutes to remember to pray for a small group of persecuted and/or suffering Christians that have been in the news this past week…

A Christian pastor in Syria was massacred recently, along with others from the Druze community, including one from my home state of Oklahoma (and others with connections to friends in Venezuela).

Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. Lastly, to learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit PrayGiveGo.us!

BTW, here’s my own humble attempt at expositing Hebrews 13:3: https://chinacall.substack.com/p/remember-my-chains

Evangelical pastor, family massacred by terrorists in Syria; at least 12 dead

https://www.christianpost.com/news/evangelical-pastor-family-killed-by-terrorists-in-syria-20-dead.html

https://syriacpress.com/blog/2025/07/19/pastor-khalid-mezher-martyred-alongside-his-family-in-suwayda/

https://www.osvnews.com/syrian-christian-leaders-say-islamist-government-cant-protect-them-or-druze/

CBN Video/Audio Clip I Shared On Today’s Podcast: https://youtu.be/e-iziN2MSgM?si=_PM6bCjS0OMaE5us (0:05-5:52)

'They shot patients in beds' – BBC hears claims of massacre at Suweida hospital

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly84jn000do

Family says US citizen killed in Syria’s Suwayda

https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2025/07/family-says-us-citizen-killed-syrias-suwayda

From a former missionary to Venezuela and the Muslims of the Mediterranean:

Over 40 years ago a lot of Lebanese and Syrians went to Venezuela. Two young Syrian Druze girls got saved in Venezuela… Eventually more of the family got saved and made a connection with one of [our] ministers… I got to know them too although they lived far from Caracas - about 12 hours by bus. We are still in close contact and now a lot of the family has moved to Michigan. I called one friend yesterday and she told me about their family in Syria (including cousins who have been killed). In Venezuela, all our Arab friends were Druze from Lebanon and Syria and one of our missionaries [taught] English in the Druze village of Majdal Shams [in Israel’s Golan Heights], on the border of Syria and Lebanon.

Follow China Compass

Follow or subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use. You can also send any questions or comments on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!

Today’s illegal immigration focuses podcast begins with a couple reminders and updates (0:18), followed by a lengthy conversation (me, myself, and I) about hoping to give more context to the overall immigration topic (4:18), including some interesting stories about my wife and I, and my 36 hours as an illegal migrant in the country that shall not be named (12:41), as well as the story of my illegal migrant (at least, for a time) Cuban friend, Mitchell. (39:40)

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com or find everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us!

Unbeaten: Confronting the Lies (and Laughter) of the Chinese Communist Police

The Story of My Arrest, Interrogation, and Deportation from China

Unbeaten.vip

A few quick updates:

Pray4China.us is now an alternative to our usual domain: PrayforChina.us

Chinacompass.vip takes you to our podcast home page on the FLF network

Let me know if you want your own PrayforChina link! (OKSisterState.com, Praymo.org)

Pray for China provinces of the week (follow @chinaadventures to see which city daily):

Sun, July 20 - Yunnan is paired with Arkansas and Louisiana for prayer. Learn more and listen to my Yunnan podcast: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/yunnan/

Mon, July 21 - Zhejiang is paired with NC for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/zhejiang/ Hudson Taylor fell in love with Maria here in Zhejiang. Check out the podcast.

Tue, July 22 - Tropical Guangdong is paired with Florida for prayer. For more info (and podcast): https://prayforchina.us/index.php/guangdong/

Wed, July 23 - Chongqing is paired with SE Texas for prayer: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/texas/

Thu, July 24 - Shanghai is paired with NYC for prayer. For more info, and the Shanghai podcast: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/shanghai/

Fri, July 25 - Tianjin, just east of China’s capital, is paired with Maryland for prayer. For my moving podcast about the many martyrs of Tianjin: https://prayforchina.us/index.php/tianjin/

Sat, July 26 - Guangxi is paired with Mississippi and Alabama for prayer. For the Guangxi podcast, Mountain Chief: I Don't Want Your Jesus… https://prayforchina.us/index.php/guangxi/

Follow or subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Don’t forget: Follow @chinaadventures on X, and find everything else @ PrayGiveGo.us.

Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!

I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, recording today in the little Thai town of Betong, on the border with Malaysia. Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. Lastly, to learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit PrayGiveGo.us!

Why did I begin this weekly Prison Pulpit series?

To remind us all to pray for persecuted pastors and believers (such as Pastor Wang Yi) as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us to do (“as bound with them”), by sharing from his own published writings in China, as well as more prison stories and sermons from others like the late Richard Wurmbrand.

Here’s my humble attempt at expositing Hebrews 13:3:

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/remember-my-chains

But today it dawned on me that there was an opportunity to honor John MacArthur and keep mostly to the topic of this mid-week podcast, reminding us to pray for the persecuted church.

Before sharing the John MacArthur preaching clip from 1973 on Hebrews 13:3, I briefly talk about the following topics…

My first MacArthur memory: Scary Nursing Home Book Stand

My best MacArthur memory: Titus exposition (via mp3) from Istanbul to Sophia, Bulgaria

My only visit to Grace Community Church: Random Tuesday in 2012

My favorite MacArthur sermon: https://www.gty.org/sermons/GTY104/the-tale-of-two-sons

My closest connection to John MacArthur: My late Uncle Jack

Read the written version of today’s podcast on my Substack:

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/macarthurs-shortest-exposition-ever

Follow China Compass

Follow or subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use. You can also send any questions or comments on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!

Today’s podcast begins with some exciting and helpful updates (0:18), followed by a little bit of China/Asia/US news with Marco Rubio here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (10:43). Then, after a short word about how impressed I am with our missionary friends here in Bangkok (21:08), we have a lengthy testimony time as I share a series of updates and stories from 22 years ago this week (24:00), followed by our Pray for China segment (and even more stories) right up to the end. (47:59)

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben. Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com or find everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us!

First, a few quick updates:

1. Pray4China.us is now an alternative to our usual domain: PrayforChina.us
2. Chinacompass.vip takes you to our podcast home page on the Fight Laugh Feast network website: https://pubtv.flfnetwork.com/tabs/the-pub/podcasts/30293
3. PrayMo.org is Missouri’s dedicated Pray for China link. Please contact me if you want one for your state! (ie, OKSisterState.com)

Not the Bee Makes My Point from Last Week

https://notthebee.com/article/china-says-the-dalai-lama-must-follow-chinese-law-if-he-wants-to-reincarnate

Rubio meets China's Wang Yi in Malaysia as trade tensions deepen

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/us-china-marco-rubio-wang-yi-meeting-asean-trade-tensions-5232851

A True Tale of Two Teenagers and Two Tibetan Towns

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/a-true-tale-of-two-teenagers-and

Pray for China cities of the week:

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-july-13-19-2025

Follow or subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Don’t forget: Follow @chinaadventures on X, and find everything else @ PrayGiveGo.us.

Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!

Welcome to another episode in the “Prison Pulpit” series on the Fight Laugh Feast network’s China Compass podcast! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, still trying to get settled here in Malaysia.

Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com. Lastly, to learn more about our ministry endeavors or get one of my missionary biographies, visit PrayGiveGo.us!

Why did I begin this weekly Prison Pulpit series?

To remind us all to pray for persecuted pastors and believers (such as Pastor Wang Yi) as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us to do (“as bound with them”), by sharing from his own published writings in China, as well as more prison stories and sermons from others like the late Richard Wurmbrand.

Today on my daily evening China prayer post (@chinaadventures), the county in focus was Hezheng in Linxia Prefecture, Gansu Province, NW China. This is the region where we lived for many years.

As I was looking for pics to include in the post (the region is beautiful, with many large mountains, not to mention countless villages nestled in and around all the foothills), my mind kept turning to a few of the PEOPLE I know (or knew) from this county, and one in particular: Brother Bai.

Today I want to tell you his story, at least the parts that I know, and encourage you to pray for him (and others like him), as if you were with them; as if you were in their shoes (or lack thereof), living in their mountain valleys, isolated from other believers, marginalized by the non-Christian majority, forgotten by all but a few in the outside world.

Read the written version of the story on my Substack:

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/the-unforgettable-brother-bai

Follow China Compass

Follow or subscribe to China Compass on whichever platform you use. You can also send any questions or comments on X: @chinaadventures or via email (bfwesten at gmail dot com). Hebrews 13:3!

Welcome to China Compass on the Fight Laugh Feast Network! I'm your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, trying to get settled here in Malaysia!

Follow and/or message me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I post (among other things) daily reminders to pray for China.You can also email me @ bfwesten at gmail dot com or find everything we are involved in at PrayGiveGo.us!

World's Highest Bridge

https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/china-worlds-tallest-or-highest-bridge-set-to-open-1.500184059

China Train Enthusiast Breaks Record

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2025/6/chinese-train-enthusiast-rides-rails-for-over-5000-km-in-24-hours-to-break-record

BBC visits heart of Tibetan resistance as Dalai Lama-China Showdown Looms

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y772jlpgzo

Pray for China cities of the week:

https://chinacall.substack.com/p/pray-for-china-july-6-12-2025

Follow or subscribe to China Compass and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Don’t forget: Follow @chinaadventures on X, and find everything else @ PrayGiveGo.us.

Luke 10, verse 2, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few!