China Compass

On this special episode of China Compass. I chat with my good friend "Uncle Bundo" the night before his sentencing in federal court for singing and praying in front of a Nashville abortion clinic. After a brief introduction, we spend the first segment discussing his experiences during upwards of 30(!) trips to China, including taking Bibles to Chinese believers in the late 1980s (1:28). Then, afte...

Today on the China Compass Podcast I interviewed my good friend and China co-laborer Denny (aka, William Ekvall Simpson) the day before his sentencing in federal court on July 3, 2024, for singing and praying in front of a Nashville abortion clinic back in 2021. We spend most of our time discussing our evangelistic adventures in China (7:18), including stories of being chased in the middle of the...

Welcome to the China Compass Podcast! After I defend my China bonafides, we begin by looking at the flights that are (and are not) available between the US and the Mainland this year (1:40)… https://simpleflying.com/airlines-with-most-us-china-flights-summer-2024/ Next we look at why many of China’s millionaires are fleeing (5:44) (and how they get their $ out), followed by why I thin...

Welcome to the China Compass Podcast! After a reminder as to why I am doing this podcast (0:44)), we begin by looking at China’s loosening of visa requirements for (most) foreigners (1:50)… https://skift.com/2024/06/17/china-expands-visa-waiver-program-list-more-countries-added/amp/ https://skift.com/2024/01/01/china-eases-visa-rules-for-u-s-tourists/ Next we look at the relative stre...

Welcome to the China Compass Podcast! Today we start with an article about an LGBT Taiwanese arrested (rightfully) in China (2:10), and how China sometimes does the right thing (for the wrong reasons), including persecuting cults… https://www.voanews.com/amp/detention-of-two-taiwanese-in-china-sparks-concern-about-personal-safety/7651055.html Next we look at the long-standing frustration of...

On this edition of China Compass I discuss the 35th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre (1:40). Then I give my first and favorite impressions of Beijing (14:50), telling some of my favorite stories from the Chinese capital, including the miracle of getting my son’s very first visa. Finally, a little Q&A, focusing on cultural questions (33:59). Pray for China, focusing this week...

Welcome to the China Compass Podcast! Today's news takes us back to Taiwan (0:42) and an article that says pretty much what I articulated in the first podcast a few weeks ago: www.businessinsider.com/us-missing-how-china-could-seize-taiwan-without-invading-experts-2024-5 Next, we look at the hypocritical Chinese gov't complaints about unfair deportations: https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/new-...

In this special bonus episode of the China Compass Podcast, I reminisce on my former life in China from the perspective of now being banned for the past six years. This is the first podcast I have done without any notes at all, mainly because I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to say. I like the way it turned out, except for one short interruption in the middle when I was distracted by a loud noi...

Welcome to today’s bonus episode of the China Compass Podcast! Happy 200th Birthday to John G. Paton! Tears for Tanna: The Perseverance of John G. Paton and the Transformation of Tanna The autobiography of the “King of the Cannibals” who lost everything but his life during his first few years on the forsaken island of Tanna. I reformatted and edited this classic book, which was o...

On this edition of the CCP, Ben discusses the “deportation” of Chinese illegals and a recent article comparing Tibet with Gaza (6:01). Next he introduces Tibet (14:30). News about the Dalai Lama comes next (16:31), followed by fascinating stories (21:40) of four (illegal) visits to the Forbidden Land. Finally, he gives a quick intro to the Tibetan language (42:38) and shares a couple o...

On this CCP, Ben discusses the evolution of tourism in China. Next he introduces Qinghai (9:50), home to a big, beautiful inland sea and never-ending solar panels. He shares stories (20:11) from his first visit to the province with his brother in 2003, when they were just teenagers. They played a lot of catch and had a number of “adventures”. Finally, he ends with a China Compass Q&amp...

On this CCP, Ben mentions “the other CCP” before laying out plans for this podcast. He then introduces Gansu Province (8:00), where he lived, raised a family, but was eventually kicked out of. He also tells the shocking story behind the title of his book Unbeaten (12:22), of his Gansu friends who suffered through a major earthquake, and shares about comical checkpoint scenes during SAR...

Welcome to the first episode of the China Compass Podcast (CCP)! Missionary Ben (Pen Name: B.F. Westen) introduces himself and shares why he is qualified to talk about China. Then he dives into China 101 (9:02), answering foundational questions about China’s name, size, geography, peoples, and language. After introducing Pray for China (19:50), he gives an overview of China’s outlying...