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Missionaries Profile

China

Religions: Officially atheist but traditionally eclectic involving Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism; 1% Christian

Languages: Standard Chinese or Mandarin, Cantonese, other ethnic languages

Amity teachers in China: 71 teachers in 38 schools (2002-2003 school year) Where Amity teachers serve: Teachers are in 31 cities in 9 provinces What Amity teachers teach: Most teach English to rural English teachers so that children in rural areas will have a better opportunity for higher education. (English is required for college entrance exams.) Some Amity teachers teach Japanese and German.

Location: Stretches from Russian Federation to North Korea and the Pacific Ocean, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, Afghanistan and Pakistan

Size: 3,838,784 square miles, 9,596,961 square kilometers, or about the size of Canada

Population: 1,273,111,290 (2001 est.)

Sutterlin, Judith Sutterlin Judith

Judith Sutterlin believes that God has a calling for each period of our lives and uses every experience to prepare us for continued service. Threads God has woven together for her include being born in China and stories of her parents' mission, lay involvement in First Baptist Church of Madison, Wis., a volunteer mission in Hong Kong, and training and experience as a teacher and a pastor. The inspiration of Green Lake conferences, encouragement of other pastors and missionaries, and confirming dreams all helped her see and accept a call to ministry and mission. Judith knows that today God continues weaving these and new threads together for tomorrow's ongoing service.


Judith went to China in 1992 to serve through International Ministries' partnership with the Amity Foundation, an organization initiated by Chinese Christians to share God's love in action, working together with all sectors of society to meet the needs of those facing various disadvantages. Working with Amity's Education Division, Judith has taught in Hangzhou and Nanjing and has provided pastoral care and worship leadership for Amity's international teachers in training schools throughout China. Judith continues to serve in these capacities.


As an Amity teacher at Nanjing Xiao Zhuang College, Judith is involved in the training of future secondary school teachers, some of whom are from small towns and rural areas in Jiangsu Province. Future teachers can transmit the new levels of English gained in their training on to their students, helping them have a better chance of passing the English part of the university entrance examination. This then gives the students an opportunity to develop their God-given gifts through higher education. Judith finds that teaching literature and oral English provide opportunities for interesting and meaningful discussions. She also finds that dedicated caring for each student and giving beyond the call of duty provides its own witness as people notice the difference. Seeking to live out a Christ-like witness of love is a positive challenge and a growing experience with rich rewards.


Through Amity's main office in Nanjing, Judith also continues to provide pastoral care and worship leadership for the other Amity teachers scattered two-by-two throughout China. Modern technology, including e-mail and the telephone, makes frequent conversations possible. In addition, Judith's role in some of Amity's official teacher visits gives an opportunity to offer additional support and engage in deeper sharing. She has also been involved in some extra visits, offering a listening ear and counsel when special pastoral care needs have arisen. Since Amity teachers come from many countries and many denominational backgrounds, Judith finds this sharing and coordinating worship experiences at Amity teacher conferences another richly rewarding part of her ministry. She also seeks to find and develop materials which can enable Amity teachers with limited Chinese to follow more of the local worship services, thus making their worship experiences with our Chinese sisters and brothers in Christ more meaningful.


Languages used in ministry: English and Chinese (Mandarin)