Twenty-year-old Bermudian Sara Collins will attempt to be the first missionary youth to go to China despite possible repercussions from an oppressive regime.

Currently in Chicago studying Mandarin, a Chinese dialect, Sara expects to start her two-year mission possibly as soon as Christmas.

Sara's father Gerry Collins told The Royal Gazette his daughter would not be able to write, fax or call him directly due to China's political regime.

"She will have to either write to us in code,'' he said, "or she will have to write to Youth Ministries and they'll translate it and send it to us. The government checks the mail.'' The Chinese government hired Sara to teach English to students, but her father said she will be spreading "the word'' while there. Mr. Collins said the worst the Chinese government could do to his daughter, if they discovered that she was a missionary, was to "kick her out.'' "But they could imprison anyone (Chinese) seen with her for six years,'' he added.

Mr. Collins, a member of the Evangelical Church of Bermuda, said he was not worried about Sara's safety since he has put his trust in God to protect her.

"I just have to trust God,'' he said. "If He's called her to do this then He will take care of her while she is there.'' He added that his daughter was an experienced traveller who had twice been around the world and had visited such places as the Ukraine.

Mr. Collins said that since the Chinese government would only pay for Sara's room and board in addition to a small allowance, once Sara arrived in China, she would not be returning to Bermuda for a while.

"Since she has to find her own way back and forth,'' he said. "And she'll only receive a small allowance and the cost of a trip to China is about $3,000, she won't be returning for quite some time.'' But Mr. Collins encouraged anyone who wished to write to his daughter to do so as long as they did not say certain things.

"If writing to her, don't say anything pertaining to God or the Ministry,'' he warned. "If you want to write about them then refer to them as businesses.

Put it in business code or send the letters to the Youth Ministry International and they will send them to her.'' Mr. Collins added that he was very proud of Sara, who became interested in the Chinese mission after a professor at Liberty University told her about it.

"I'm very thankful for her,'' he said. "The way kids are growing up today I'm very thankful I've raised five Christian children. Sarah is a bright girl.

She's always been mature.'' FOREIGN SERVICE -- Sara Collins will head off to China to teach English and spread the "word''.