South Australia
- John & Karen Short
- Jan 30
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 8
Greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ at year’s end. And what a full and blessed year 2025 has been! We want to greet and thank you for your exceptional care, support, and encouragement since we have returned to Australia. We have proven again the marvellous grace of God sufficient as we have adjusted to life in liveable, lovely Adelaide.
When we first lived in Asia, in Hong Kong before it became part of China, Hong Kong’s sense of existence was: “We are a borrowed place on borrowed time.” The borrowed time ran out, and the rest is history. But by God’s grace and goodness, we ourselves have continued to live on another borrowed time and borrowed place. We have often used the word “borrow” and have borrowed a mantra from an esteemed brother whose path of faith has been a great encouragement. The mantra is: “Say little – serve all – pass on.”
Back in Adelaide, South Australia, we are continually thankful for the opportunities and open doors here. We attempt to say as little as necessary on China and our life there, lest we bore friends with overload. Thankfully, close friends “zone out” when the overload is too much. We all learn, like those of old who entered Canaan, that all of us are no longer to be fed automatically with manna and quails. We all, like them in Canaan, need to earn a living from the ordinary shekel, unless, as is our lot, to be called to labour in and live on the Gospel. The principle of grace, faith, and truth in the glorious Gospel is still the same and works for all of God’s children.
A local brother in the Unley Assembly recently enquired, “What is the CBR?” We supplied him with the following answer and believe it may be helpful to you also.
Christian Book Room History
The Christian Book Room is a Gospel and assembly literature outreach ministry, begun by missionaries in China in the early 20th century. When it came up for sale several decades ago, we believed the Lord would have us bid for this 100‑year‑long historic ministry, to use and maintain it in its original vision for China. We were blessed in 1980 with an inheritance that enabled us to purchase this non‑denominational outreach for China.
Once we had established operations, we decided to operate on the principle of choice: either make a freewill donation or accept the requested materials as gifts from the Lord Jesus Himself. We have included further titles in the ministry by esteemed past and present assembly writers in English and Chinese. We now present several hundred titles free‑of‑cost to those seeking benefit from what we believe to be helpful Gospel material.
Consequently, we have been greatly assisted in China with three willing, faithful co‑workers as trustees there. Other co‑workers/trustees have been added from Europe, the U.S.A., Singapore, and Australia. This well‑known, China‑registered company, CBR, in Chinese is “Jidu Fuyin Shuju,” which, when translated, means “Christ’s Gospel Book Depot.”
CBR is not a book shop, nor is it dependent upon digital AI procedures. With P & P material, i.e., print and paper, we believe this is another, but suitable for us, way to present the Gospel.
The invitations have continued to invite co‑workers and assemblies of believers in China to return visits. Our reply remains the same – “Not just yet. Perhaps later as the Lord opens the way.”
In November, we felt the need for a statement on being the little child, and how we become the children of God (John 1:12).
We close the year with our sincerest appreciation for your continued consideration of the Gospel outreach we have in China, here and elsewhere.
Written by John & Karen Short
