Over a century ago, in 1920, in one of the darkest moments in all of Chinese history—when there was indescribable suffering, wars, famine, the collapse of the nation, severe persecution, and hatred against all missionaries and Christians—right there, where men and women of God were killed for their faith, where churches were torn down, and the few remaining Bibles were burned, the Lord called the Chinese church not to retreat in fear, but to press forward in faith. He called them to preach the fire and love they had received from Western missionaries to the ends of the earth, starting in China and continuing westward until reaching Jerusalem: proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the unreached Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu regions.
In the spring of 2001, my family came to Germany as refugees. We were welcomed by brothers and sisters in Christ, churches, and mission organizations like AVC, who provided support and a home for us in this land. On our very first evening in Germany, we knelt as a family and prayed: “Thank you, Lord Jesus, for bringing us here to Germany. We are here to give back interest on the Gospel!”
Now, 24 years later, we still pray this same prayer every day. We cannot and will not forget the price that missionaries from Germany, Europe and the Western world paid through their blood, tears, and sacrifice so that my people in China could hear the precious Gospel. By God’s grace, my family became the first missionary family sent by the Chinese underground church to Germany. We came not just to receive, but as those called to give back. We deeply love this country and this continent, because we know that God has not forgotten Europe. Just as the Lord once called the Apostles saying: “Come to Macedonia (Europe) and help us!” (Acts 16:9), we believe that in these last days, the Lord will send even more missionaries from all nations to Europe.
In addition to our ministry in Frankfurt, our family actively prays for and supports persecuted pastors, church leaders, and their families in China. We are especially committed to standing with Chinese missionaries who are serving along the ancient Back to Jerusalem route, spreading the Gospel from China westward. These missionaries walk in the footsteps of European pioneers of faith. They do not fear persecution or hardship, and despite the challenges, they continue to proclaim the name of Jesus. At present, we have the privilege of supporting approximately 1,500 underground missionaries.
Until now, we have carried out this ministry mostly on a personal level. However, after much prayer and many conversations with pastors, leaders, and friends, we recognized the need to expand. This year, we officially founded Back to Jerusalem Germany.
We invite you to be part of this mission as we stand with the persecuted church, support missionaries on the front lines, and carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth, all the way back to where it began.
Isaac Liu
BTJ Germany
Office Letter: A Movement of Love and Obedience
