What's a "ghost-writer?"

A ghost-writer is a professional writer who has contracted to write a book for somebody with a story to tell but without the skill or the time to write it himself.

But in spite of the continual growth of the ghostwriting industry as a result of self-publishing and the Internet, you're unlikely to find it in college curricula--although California State University offers a “Ghostwriting Certificate Program," which it claims to be the world’s only ghostwriter training program. I don't know. I'll take their word for it.

I became a ghostwriter in 1999, when I was working for a direct mail marketing agency, writing fundraising letters and other commercial literature over the names of ministry presidents. One of my clients was a Bible smuggling ministry called Open Doors International (ODI). And that's how I met Paul Estabrooks.

Loading 1,000,000 Bibles for a clandestine delivery to Christians in communist China.

They don't come much more seasoned than this crazy Canadian, who once led a team that smuggled one million Chinese Bibles into the hands of Chinese Christians in a single night. (Read the entire story in Paul's book, Night of a Million Miracles).

Paul taught me some of the ropes of covert operations and shared amazing stories, many of which found their way into my first book, Sweet Persecution: A 30-Day Devotional with Inspiring Stories from the Persecuted Church.

Sweet Persecution was prompted by my experiences on a global trip with Paul and several ODI executives.

Our initial challenge was to smuggle the first children's Bibles and workbooks into communist China--Bibles that could be copied in secret print shops and distributed to children throughout the country.

If we were caught, one of two things would have happened. Generally, when the Chinese found tourists carrying Bibles in their luggage, they confiscated the books and returned them when they left. More likely in our case, especially considering that they were Bibles and workbooks designed exclusively for children, the Chinese would have arrested us, which probably would have meant prison time.

When our plane landed, we entered the terminal, carrying the Bibles and praying silently.

Beijing Capital International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Asia. While all major airports experience periods where terminals and security lines feel empty, this one didn't "feel" empty. This one "was" completely empty. No one at passport control or baggage claim or customs. No one to tell us to open the box. We were able to walk right through, grab a cab and drive to the hotel!

The next night, there was a knock at the door. Outside were two young men, supporting a broken old man. The old man had insisted on coming with them to receive the Bibles. He had been imprisoned and tortured repeatedly because he was an evangelist who would not stop evangelizing.

After they brought us up to date on the condition of Christ-followers in China, he told us that they constantly pray for Christians in America. He explained that they have only two choices in China--the State and everything that goes with it or the Church and everything that goes with it.

"In America," he said, "you have so many choices that make it much more difficult to follow Christ."

We heard the same thing throughout our travels among Christ-followers in places like Islamabad and Lahore, Cairo and Amman. And I came home with a different perspective on the Church and a commitment to make some changes in my life.