BERRIEN CENTER, Mich. -- Despite being caught three times while crossing the border, a Michigan couple managed to help smuggle thousands of contraband Bibles into China from Hong Kong.
Carla and Tom Shier of Niles were among 10 members of a team from Berrien Center Bible Church that traveled for two weeks to Hong Kong in February and March. The 52-year-olds crossed the border with Bibles several times a day during the trip.
"Teams from different parts of the country go at different times. We have contacts in China, friends who have decided that they are willing to risk their lives to get the Bibles in," Carla Shier said.
Collectively, the Shiers and their group smuggled 4,775 copies of a Chinese-language edition Bible across the internal border with Hong Kong at Wo Lu train station.
The People's Republic of China officially prohibits missionaries and Bible distribution within its borders. Churches in the United States independently organize the Bible smuggling efforts.
The Berrien Center Bible Church and its members help pay part of the cost of the trips. The church in this southwestern Michigan community supports more than 30 permanent missionaries worldwide, including at least one in China.
Wo Lu train station, where the team made the crossing, processes 300,000 people through the border each day. Although the couple worried about the consequences if they were caught, China and Hong Kong have been relatively lenient with Bible smugglers from the United States.
"Both governments love the American tourist dollar, so they basically slap you on the wrist if you are caught and tell you that you shouldn't do it anymore," Carla Shier said.