(Hunan — April 27, 2026) April 26, 2026, marks the 40th anniversary of Pastor John Cao’s (曹三强) ministry. Pastor Hong Yujian (洪予健) shared a message from Pastor Cao at his hospital bedside on Facebook yesterday. It captures the moving moment of his reunion with his wife, Jamie Powell (鲍洁敏), after nine years apart. However, this reunion did not take place in the warmth of home but within the confines of a hospital room, highlighting a nine-year tragedy of separation and the hardships of a missionary journey.
Pastor Cao’s imprisonment began in March 2017. At the time, he was engaged in cross-border missionary and charitable educational initiatives along the China–Myanmar border. He was arrested while returning from Wa State in Myanmar to Pu’er, Yunnan. In 2018, a local court sentenced him to seven years in prison for “organizing illegal border crossings,” along with a fine.
Observers widely believe that this sentence reflected a severe crackdown on cross-border missionary activities. Although Pastor John Cao had long-established schools in Myanmar and carried out anti-drug and poverty alleviation efforts, earning recognition locally, these humanitarian services ultimately came at the cost of years of imprisonment. Even after completing his sentence, various factors continued to keep him separated from his wife and children in the United States, until this long-awaited reunion at his hospital bedside.
In his message, Pastor John Cao expressed deep gratitude and apology to his wife, Jamie. He reflected that nine years ago, she had attempted to visit him at the detention center but was unsuccessful. Their reunion has now come in a hospital, while he remains not fully free.
“I owe you too much love; I could never repay you in this lifetime,” Pastor John Cao said, calling his wife “the greatest servant,” who silently bore the heavy cost of his missionary calling. He recalled that in 1994, when he was inspired by Pastor Zhao Tian’en (赵天恩), his wife left a stable life in the United States with their less-than-two-year-old son and moved to a small office in Hong Kong to support his ministry.
Reflecting on his missionary journey, Pastor John Cao described a path of hardship inherited from those before him, reaching into remote frontiers:
In 1994, while pastoring in the United States, he was inspired by Pastor Zhao Tian’en, initiator of the “Threefold Vision,” to return to China to do missionary work.
Following Pastor Zhao’s example, he traveled across China and evangelized in ten ethnic minority regions. In later years, he led Dr. Zhao Xiang’en (赵享恩) to retrace missionary routes, even risking danger to enter Wa State in Myanmar, bringing the gospel and education into mountainous regions.
Pastor John Cao also recounted that before going to the United States in 1986, he had already been imprisoned three times in China for his faith. He reflected that his own end might resemble that of Pastor Zhao Tian’en, exhausting his life in tireless toil, but affirmed, “To follow in Pastor Zhao’s footsteps and meet the Lord is enough for this life.”
At present, multiple groups both within China and abroad continue to closely monitor Pastor Cao’s medical condition and future freedom, while offering ongoing prayers for this missionary who has devoted his life to serving border regions.
