2022 1st Quarter Newsletter

FRESH NEWS FROM THE FIELD

FIRST QUARTER 2022 NEWSLETTER

From Marginalized to Missionary A Picture of ASAP’s Mission 1

Left to right: Hang Dara translating for ASAP founder Judy Aitken shortly after his conversion in a Thai refugee camp; after returning to Cambodia, he became a pastor and church administrator.

From Marginalized to Missionary

BY JULIA O’CAREY WITH JOHN PRESS

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hat inspires you to get out of bed in the morning? What compels you to persevere in the face of challenges? I would like to propose that it isn’t just the blood pumping through

your body that moves you and the food you eat that fuels you.

Here at ASAP Ministries, our driving motivation is our mission! It is what makes every mundane task worth it.

The mission of salvation is what energized Jesus, too.

He says in John 4:34, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.”

So what exactly is ASAP’s mission?

ASAP Ministries empowers local missionaries to restore and disciple the marginalized with the wholistic gospel.

Although the words we use to explain it have changed over time, this has been our mission from the start!

I remember my mother, ASAP founder Judy Aitken, mentoring Hang Dara, a newly baptized Cambodian refugee in the refugee camps in Thailand. “You can do it through Christ’s strength! You can lead the church!” she said with a smile. Though he was a baby Christian, Hang Dara stepped forward in faith, and God took him from a life of anger and hopelessness to a life of pur2

poseful ministry. Recently, he stepped forward in faith yet again, accepting a call to serve as the president of Cambodia Adventist Mission.

The process of transformation from marginalized to missionary is more than just ASAP’s legacy. It is a miraculous testimony of God’s power and grace, and it continues today. My heart swells with joy each time I meet one of our missionaries and hear where they came from - poverty, displacement, brokenness, darkness, or fear - and witness what Jesus is doing through them now. The story of a young man named James* is a great example.

James survived a traumatic childhood in eastern Shan State, Myanmar, thanks to a local Seventh-Adventist missionary, Mrs. Pasaw Htee. This godly woman dedicated her life to rescuing children in the Golden Triangle, a drug-trafficking hotbed at the convergence

of Myanmar’s eastern border with China, Laos, and Thailand. The boarding schools she established, including ASAP’s Canaan Adventist School, became safe havens amid this violent, drug-addicted region. Over the years, she adopted several of the students as her own children, including James.

Mrs. Htee’s sudden passing in 2011 left some of these children orphaned once again. James was only six years old at the time. Myo,* a relative of Mrs. Htee, took him in but James argued and fought with the other eight children in the household. Worse yet, Myo’s oldest son was a drunkard who often stole from his parents. He taught James to steal, too. Soon James was branded as a little thief and marginalized by his adopted family and the community.

“I heard much gossip about James,” remembers Ko Ko,* an ASAP medical missionary acquainted with the family. “Myo came and told me that he wanted to give him up.” But no one wanted James.

“One day, I heard that Myo had beaten James for stealing a cell phone and 80,000 kyats (about $45) from him,” says Ko Ko. “James had run away from home because he was scared of Myo. I was so sad for him.”

Ko Ko and his wife discussed the situation. They already had two daughters of their own, both with special medical needs, and they did not see how they could afford to bring another child into their home.

However, Ko Ko himself had once experienced redemption from a life of addiction and crime through the intervention of a kindhearted relative. Perhaps this was an opportunity to play the same role in the life of this troubled boy.

“I thought about Mrs. Pasaw Htee and how she had sacrificed her whole life to share the gospel with so many children.”

“I thought about Mrs. Pasaw Htee and how she had sacrificed her whole life to share the gospel with so many children. James was one of the fruits of her labor, and I felt so sorry to see what was happening to him.”

Ko Ko and his wife adopted James as their son, but soon they wondered if they had made a mistake.

James had so many bad habits. “Sometimes my wife cried because of him,” Ko Ko confides, “but we didn’t give up on him. We prayed for him, tried to correct his mistakes, and sent him to school.”

It took time, but eventually Ko Ko noticed changes taking place in the young man’s life. James was trying to overcome his bad habits, and he began helping at the 3

Top to bottom: Ko Ko adopted James as his own son and mentored the troubled young man; he believes James has found his calling as a medical missionary.

health center where Ko Ko manages a team of ASAP medical missionaries reaching out to poor Buddhists in nearby villages.

When schools across Myanmar closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ko Ko began giving medical missionary training to James and other high school students who could no longer attend classes. “We traveled from village to village, helping patients,” says Ko Ko. “I noticed that James was really interested in this work. One day, I asked him to go with me to see one of my patients who had a swollen mass. The doctors had given up on her and said her case was hopeless.

I showed James how to treat her and asked him to go and take care of her every day.”

Ko Ko loaned James a motorbike and money for gasoline and medical supplies. The young man faithfully visited the ailing woman, treating her as Ko Ko had shown him, and encouraging her to have faith in God’s ability to heal her. Over time the woman’s condition improved, and Ko Ko and James praised God. “The village where the woman lived was a new area for us to share the gospel,” explains Ko Ko. One day when James was visiting this village, he met a local Buddhist monk suffering from skeletal tuberculosis. James prayed for the monk and gave him treatments he had learned from Ko Ko. As a friendship developed between the young man and the monk, James shared the story of Creation and the love of Jesus with him. Now the light of the gospel flickers in this unreached place, thanks to James’ faithful service and the transforming power of God’s love.

Ko Ko believes that James has found his calling. “He was once considered a little thief, and no one wanted him. But now he has become a good missionary, as his mother, Pasaw Htee, wanted him to be.”

“He was once considered a little thief, and no one wanted him.

But now he has become a good missionary, as his mother... wanted him to be.”

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Today, over six hundred Spirit-filled ASAP missionaries across Southeast Asia are reaching out to the hurting and the marginalized. James has joined them, guiding others along the same path of restoration and discipleship that he once followed. Currently James is leading a small Bible study group and continuing his training as a medical missionary under Ko Ko. Soon he will take charge of one of several new branch health centers that Ko Ko plans to construct in neighboring Buddhist villages. James’ story is a picture of ASAP’s mission in action - another life transformed from marginalized to missionary! And the cycle continues.

Teaching Children How to Give

BY RUTH BRADBURN

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or 15-year-old Luella Dietrich, ASAP Ministries has always been a part of her life. When she was younger, Luella’s parents would give her money and encourage her to choose a project in ASAP’s

Priceless Gift Catalog to donate it to.

“But as I got older and had my own money and stuff, I got more interested in helping out with ASAP personally, not because my parents were telling me to, but because I wanted to,” she explains.

When Luella started teaching the missions segment of the lesson for the children’s Sabbath school class at the Brayton Seventh-day Adventist Church, it was a natural choice for her to pick an ASAP project for the offering. She likes how ASAP makes it easy to help with different projects on the other side of the world and has a lot of different options for ways to help.

out her printer and scissors and started working on a new mission board. “It took me a while to make it all,” Luella recalls, “but I took a big poster board and marked the half inches so each would [represent] a certain amount of money, and every week we could put up how much we raised.” As the children and church members faithfully dropped in the donations, they watched as the thermometer slowly Continued on page 15 Luella (front right) with her parents and sisters.

For her first project, Luella chose to raise money for the MegaVoice cuddly stuffed animals, toys with audio players in them that share the Bible and other spiritual encouragement in the child’s heart language. “I enjoyed coming up with special ways to get the children interested in it,” Luella said. On her mission board she posted pictures of the cute stuffed animals, covering them up with pieces of paper so the children were left wondering what was underneath. As the coins and bills filled the collection box, the children enjoyed removing the papers to discover the animals behind them, and in about three months they had raised $420, enough for twelve animals! “God really blessed in our Sabbath school,” Luella reported, “and some church members gave too.”

Next Luella decided her Sabbath school would sponsor a child at one of ASAP’s schools. She got 5

Your Gifts in Action

BY JOHN PRESS

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he feature story in this quarter’s newsletter (see p. 2, “From Marginalized to Missionary”) offers a portrait of ASAP’s mission in action. How do your prayers and financial gifts advance this

mission? The following recent examples are just a few of the ways that your support has empowered ASAP’s local missionaries to restore and disciple the marginalized with the wholistic gospel.

BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN MYANMAR

The Yedwin Chaung Adventist School in Myanmar is much more than a school. It is a center of influence in a large fishing village. As the community has witnessed the transformative effect of Adventist education, parents from many faith backgrounds are eager to enroll their students in the school.

With God’s provision through ASAP donors, a new classroom building and toilets have been constructed, and the school has purchased sewing machines to offer sewing classes to the community (there are also plans to offer mechanic training). This vocational training helps lift the villagers of Yedwin Chaung out of poverty and brings them into contact with Adventist believers. As friendships blossom, the school and the local Adventist church plan to hold evangelistic meetings later this year.

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PROVIDING EMERGENCY AID TO A LAHU VILLAGE IN THAILAND

Northern Thailand is home to nearly 50,000 of the Lahu people, many of whom remain virtually unreached by the gospel. Recently, a Covid-19 outbreak prompted a lockdown of the Lahu village of Nongpham. The people of Nongpham are very poor, and ASAP church planter Pi Saikham knew they might go hungry if they could not leave the village to work, so he appealed to ASAP for help. With humanitarian assistance funds provided by ASAP donors, Pi Saikham and the members of his church shared basic food items with 270 families in Nongpham. “The support from ASAP [was] a blessing for them,” reports ASAP field supervisor Pr. Chaiwat Konratanasak. “I believe it created a good relationship between the church and the local people that will help with future outreach.”

FACILITATING TOTAL MEMBER INVOLVEMENT IN CAMBODIA

Adventist church members in Cambodia are reaching their communities for Christ through a Total Member Involvement project sponsored by ADRA, Adventist Community Services, and ASAP. Donations received during ASAP’s recent Compassion Campaign equipped church leaders and laypeople with training and resources to offer classes about the eight laws of health, nutrition, gardening, tobacco cessation, maternal and infant health, and more.

Project organizers report increased church member involvement in local ministry opportunities, improved community health and well-being, and growing friendships with community members, as a result. “Now it is easier for me to share God’s good news to villagers and the local authorities,” says Duch Sochea, a church member who is teaching classes on breastfeeding, sewing, and vegetable gardening as part of the initiative. She is thrilled that many of the students from her classes are now attending church. “Every Sabbath, we worship together. I can see [they] are happy.”

SUPPORTING PERSECUTED BELIEVERS IN A CLOSED COUNTRY

After ASAP church planter Andrew Thong* accepted Jesus as his Savior, he could not keep the good news to himself. People from surrounding villages heard about Andrew’s conversion and came to ask him about his God. But the local authorities accused Andrew and the members of his house church of betraying their ancestral religion and bringing the wrath of the spirits upon their village. They gave the group an ultimatum: renounce their faith or have their land seized and the electricity and water to their homes cut off. When the group refused, the officials followed through on their threats. ASAP donors and others prayed and provided funding for solar panels and additional supplies to support their persecuted brothers and sisters. And thanks to God’s intervention through Adventist church leaders, who negotiated with the local authorities, Andrew’s group can now worship freely in their house church.

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Prayers of Deliverance

BY LAURA HOKANSON

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hud, thud, thud. The ground below Srey Pheak’s feet left a hollow echo behind her as she ran. Without consciousness and oblivious to direction or destination, she ran with determination,

farther and farther away from home.

No one could stop her. No one dared try. A demon controlled her actions. Her mind and her spirit were numb.

Nineteen years old and a graduate of Takong Adventist School (TAS), Srey Pheak is beloved by her parents. Her father suffers from a chronic illness requiring her mother’s constant physical care. This situation renders both parents unemployable and dependent on Srey Pheak and other family members for their daily needs. The day Srey Pheak ran away, they were beside themselves with worry.

Finally, a call came from relatives in a neighboring village that Srey Pheak was there. For two days the villagers kept their distance as they watched her swing between fits of uncontrollable laughter, then crying, then argumentative fighting, all the while a blank stare filling her eyes where intelligence once resided.

When a visit from her mother failed to convince her to return home, her parents called upon the staff at TAS. “Please come and help us! Please pray for our daughter!” The school’s principal, Pr. Seng Makara, came to pray with Srey Pheak. Miraculously she calmed down and agreed to come home. The battle, however, was far from over.

Realizing the serious nature of the situation, Pr. Makara called all the teachers from TAS together to pray. Gathering around Srey Pheak in her home they prayed diligently for deliverance from the demonic presence. She sat silent, eyes glazed over and filled with defiance. Suddenly a bloodcurdling shriek rang through the room and Srey Pheak began to rock violently up and down. The praying teachers prayed 8

all the louder and with increased earnestness. The more they prayed, the louder her screams became.

When the prayer ended Srey Pheak became silent and seemed conscious, but not completely herself.

The next morning the prayer team returned to the Srey Pheak’s home. Her condition had worsened.

This time, during the prayer vigil, she seemed to calm down and be relieved of the evil spirit, but she would return to her possessed condition when the prayers ended. The team came back that afternoon, and again prayer calmed her, giving her some

temporary relief. Yet again, her condition worsened when the prayers ended.

Not willing to give up on her, the teachers came again the following morning to pray. When they arrived, they were met by Srey Pheak’s distraught parents. “It’s hopeless!” they cried. “Nothing is getting better! We don’t know what to do!”

“Don’t be afraid,” the teachers told them. “Our God is all-powerful. What we cannot do, He always does.

Just keep believing!” As they prayed, those on their knees felt that the power of God was stayed upon them and Srey Pheak seemed to be getting better with each prayer. The teachers encouraged the parents to continue praying themselves and not to depend on the prayer visits of the teachers alone.

“Humble yourselves before God,” they told them.

“Depend wholly on our powerful God.” That night Srey Pheak’s father spent the whole night in prayer. The next morning Srey Pheak was markedly improved. The teachers came again to pray, and this time they boldly asked the Holy Spirit

to heal her completely and cast out the demon. A few hours later, Srey Pheak became herself again.

A look of intelligence replaced her blank stare. Her raucous laughing, crying, and screaming ceased.

She asked for food, for she had refused to eat for several days during her ordeal.

Since that day, Srey Pheak has been herself, completely healed from the possession of the evil spirit. She attends church every Sabbath and stays afterward for united prayer. Her parents have come to understand the power of prayer and the love of God, and her teachers have learned the importance of persevering prayer. After witnessing this miracle their testimony was, “Even though it takes a long time to pray for the miracle, it is important that we don’t give up and that we keep having faith. In the end, God will always answer!”

Do the answers to your prayers seem delayed? Do you feel like giving up? Take courage. The same God that answered the prayers for Srey Pheak will answer yours, too.

1 Heart 4 Refugees June 1-4, 2022 Join ASAP for a four-night virtual event featuring stories and reports from the frontlines of refugee ministry, intercessory prayer, and practical ways that you can minister to the needs and hearts of refugees around the world and in your community.

“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.” Acts 4:32 (NIV)

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A Divine Reunion

BY LINDSEY MILLS

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sat in the living room and nervously watched the clock, waiting for 7:30 p.m. when I could make the call. It had been over 10 years since I had last seen Binh* and so much had changed.

In 2008, Binh was a university student in Sydney, Australia. I was serving as a Bible worker for a year at a nearby church when I met her while knocking on doors. We started Bible studies and developed a friendship, but Binh’s interest fizzled when I returned to the U.S., and she went back to her family in a communist closed country.

Fast forward to the spring of 2020. I had married a pastor and just pulled back on church involvement following the arrival of our first baby and the global pandemic. It was during this time when I noticed that Binh had started regularly liking and commenting on my Facebook posts. I suggested that we catch up with a video chat, which is why I found myself nervously waiting for our designated meeting time in my living room.

At the end of our call, I asked the question - would she like to study the Bible together again? She immediately said “Yes!” and we started the studies the following week. Over the next year and a half, we became close friends. We compared notes on how our countries were handling Covid-19, talked about parenting, jobs, and personal challenges. Binh had learned about the state of the dead at our church in Australia, and she told me stories of how people were deceived by the workings of evil spirits in her country. The Lord blessed our time together, and she eagerly consumed the spiritual food.

Binh shared that when she returned home after university, she attended an Adventist church for a while but faced significant pressure from Buddhist family members and friends. She finally returned to worshipping at the Buddhist temples; however, she felt the services had been largely commercialized.

Disillusioned, she gave up on worship altogether. After having a child, going through a divorce, moving to a new city, and starting over with her job, Covid-19 shut everything down. She was at one of her lowest points when I messaged her asking if she would like to catch up and start Bible studies again.

Through Julia O’Carey and ASAP Ministries, I was able to connect Binh with local Adventist home churches in her country where she started Bible studies with another young woman her age and is planning to get baptized as soon as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted. Binh and I have often marveled at how God connected us at her lowest point and gave her hope through Jesus.

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Patience and Providence Produce Fruit

BY WILLIAM AND RACHEL CHEN

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“

e patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be pa-

tient and stand firm…” (James 5:7-8, NIV).

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for our evangelism among the Chinese in Houston, Texas. In the beginning, we waited for the city to reopen, but as month after month dragged by it seemingly became only more impossible to reach those in our community. We prayed and prayed, asking God to open a new door for us, a way we could meet safely and comfortably.

In March 2021, our neighbor Mrs. Lin told us that after the pandemic began her grandchildren had stopped their English classes. She wanted them to continue but the family was understandably worried about Covid-19. Right at the same time, Julie Griswold of Reach the World Next Door invited us to join an online Adventurer program by Zoom. We were sure it would be an excellent opportunity to reach out to some Chinese families. Soon we invited Mrs. Lin to bring her grandchildren to the online children’s programs. Then we called every other family we could think of and invited them, too.

To make the Zoom meetings extra special, we distributed the supplies for the online classes beforehand, which allowed us to give a second invitation to the families. Finally, it was time for our first program. Only seven children attended, but we were so excited because we could tell they loved it.

Continued on page 15

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ASI Picture Rolls Inspire Translator’s Decision for Christ

BY ANGY PLATA This story, written by ASAP Field Special Projects Coordinator Angy Plata, first appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of Inside ASI magazine.

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H

ey Angy, can you find someone to translate the picture rolls for us?” my supervisor at ASAP Ministries asked me. ASI had generously given us New Beginnings Picture Rolls, which we

planned to distribute at our annual missionary training to the ASAP church planters in the closed country where I live in Southeast Asia.

ASI had generously given us New Beginnings Picture Rolls, which we planned to distribute at our annual missionary training to the ASAP church planters in the closed country where I live in Southeast Asia. Since most of our missionaries serve in rural areas, often with very limited technology, we knew these picture rolls would help them tremendously in their ministry.

As I prayerfully considered who to ask to translate, the perfect person came to mind.

I had known Lina for seven years. I first met her in 2014 while volunteering as an English teacher. Almost immediately, I knew that she was very different from

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other young people in this country. She was inquisitive and deep thinking, and as we became closer friends, I started telling her about God, Someone she had never really heard of before. Lina had a troubled relationship with her parents and a yearning to be loved. We started weekly Bible studies, and the more she heard about God’s love, the more she soaked it in. I was witnessing her life change before my eyes, and I couldn’t have been more in awe of how God was working.

That’s why I was shocked when, a few months later, Lina completely distanced herself from me, our

Christian friend group, and God. Little by little, we lost contact with her as she stopped responding to messages and invitations to hang out. She had met another friend who introduced her to a different lifestyle than the one my friends and I had opened her eyes to.

For the next few years, my heart was so burdened for Lina. This country, where less than 2% of the population is Christian, is steeped in spiritual darkness and evil spirits. I knew that Satan was working hard to destroy the seed of hope that had been planted in her heart. In 2018, I was no longer an English teacher, but working for ASAP as their Field Special Projects Coordinator. Through a series of providential events, Lina and I reconnected in 2019. It took some time to establish a close friendship again, but God redeemed the time that had been lost. Once again, Lina began to show interest in spiritual things. She started attending the weekly vespers that my friends from Oon Jai Foundation and I host, and she became a familiar face at church. I sensed there was still something

holding her back from surrendering to God, so when the opportunity came for someone to translate the ASI picture rolls, I knew she was the person to ask.

Lina had the time and could use the money, so she agreed to translate. One month ago, we were having a testimony night for vespers. She started sharing about her first experience with God seven years ago and how much she regretted walking away from Him. She recounted how God had led her journey, and then she began to share how translating the ASI picture rolls had impacted her. “When I got to the chapter on heaven, it was beautiful,” she said. “It was as if a Voice was reading the chapter to me. The lesson became more than just pictures and words and I felt like I was actually there. And I wanted it. I wanted it for my family. I wanted it for everyone I knew.” Now, my friend and I are giving Lina baptismal studies using the ASI picture rolls as a guide. For so long she held back from giving her life to God, but now she has counted the cost and finally decided that she wants to spend eternity with Jesus.

IN TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF Andrew & Danielle Lawrence, Angela & Wayne Walter, Darrin Minett, and Illona & Jerry Minett, by Chad & Heidi Minett | Esther and Aletheia Yialelis, by Natalie Yialelis De La Garza | Esther Ball, by Recarder Leon | Joe & Kathy Saladino, by Mike Saladino | Josh & Brittany Paton, by Barry Paton | Joshua Pestes, Rebekah & Jonathan Pestes, and Rudy & Lourdes Fulgencio, by Jeanelle Renee Fulgencio | Judah and Gabriel, by Rob Weich | Judy Aitken, by Byron & Carol Reynolds | Lynne Johnson, by David Winkler | Martin and Calvin Kim and families, by Christopher Kelly | My grandchildren, Aiden, Cora, and Elly, by Bonnie Rhoby | Nellie May Sabes, by A.J. Sabes | Roland Stickle, by John & Teresa Reeve | The late Rev. Isikiel Paska, by Vontis Ioanes Paska | The Wu Family, by Monica Park

IN MEMORY OF

Alan Simonds (brother) and Nancy Learned (mother-in-law), by Mark & Sharon Learned | Amazing

Facts founder Joe Crews, by Dan Bora | Anita Phillips (mother), by Deborah Juhl | Catherine Hicks,

by Kathy Williams | Darcy Smith, by Adam Haley | Ed Fortmiller, by Joan Fortmiller | Eleanor Lewis, by William Richards | Eric B. Hare, by Patricia Hare Swensen | Evelyn Ogle, by Hans Habenicht | Jan Eighme and Ralph & Beatrice Neall, by Madeline Johnston | Molly Myaing and Judy Aitken, by Trudi Starlin | Ralph & Florence Grose, by Jeanette Rau | Victor Lidner (father), by Lorraine Viehmann | Vyvyan Low, by Earle Andrews | Wayne Bodeker, by Patrick Trainor

IN THANKFULNESS FOR

Abby and Olivia Page, by Zachary Page | Charlotte Park, by Jake Park | Dennis Anderson, by Nancy Anderson | God and His faithfulness, goodness, grace, and mercy, by Mark Byer, Joshua Boram, Ramon Compres, Chris Kim, Carlos & Kathy Martinez, and Andrea Preciado | Jesus, by Thu and Randy Clark, Damon Lawson, and Wes Peppers | Linda Stoner, by Ann Schwisow 13

Growing ASAP in Europe

BY KRIS AND KATHI L.

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ome years ago, I (Kris) traveled to Michigan to visit my good friend Laurence Burn. On our way to see his office at Adventist Frontier Missions, I noticed a sign in front of a building that said “ASAP”

and wondered what it was.

I asked Laurence about it and he told me it was an Adventist mission organization. This interested me because I love missions. As I stayed for almost a month, I thought one day to go inside and get to know the ministry. I knocked at the door and a friendly man opened it. “Sorry, I am the only one working here today,” he explained, “but do you want to come in?”

He gave me a tour of the building and explained each person’s role in the various offices. I really liked ASAP’s work, the emphasis on local missionaries and all the schools and students ASAP supports for those who would not have a chance to learn. Then I was shown a back room way off the garage. He said, “This is where we come together on our knees every day to pray!” This room fascinated me the most, and we knelt for prayer together.

Later, I was on a trip to ASI in Arizona. While in Chicago, I met Pr. Scott Griswold on the public bus. We had seen each other at the ASI meeting. He asked me what I do. I told him that I am from Austria and am engaged in church planting and love golden retrievers. He said, “I know someone who loves church planting and breeds golden retrievers. Would you like me to connect you to him?” This is how I met Dr. Tom Evans, who was then the chair of ASAP’s board of directors. We spent the whole day together and Tom invited me to a church planting meeting and 14

to speak at a SEEDS Conference. He also took me to ASAP and introduced me to Julia O’Carey, Executive Director of ASAP. The seed of ASAP’s mission stayed in my heart and as we saw God´s providence leading, my wife, Kathi, and I decided to start personally supporting the ministry. We also involved our two daughters in the joy of giving. They added their coins to our mission bank and witnessed God multiplying them. Later, in faith, we started an ASAP Europe branch to support the work. We created a website in the German language (asap-europa.com) where we share with people about ASAP projects. We are very happy that already a growing number of children, schools, and projects are now supported by European donors. But we want to see the work continue growing! We know that as we work together, more missionaries and students can be sponsored. On our website, you will see that you can join with other sponsors so that even if you have a little, you can help. Until then, we walk by faith and not by sight. Thanks so much for your willingness to pray for our mission work in Europe.

Continued from page 5

Teaching Children How to Give rose to meet the goal. Three months later, the donations were in, and a joyful Luella sent ASAP another update. “We completed our goal of raising $360, enough to sponsor Thaveesok for one year!! Our Sabbath School class and church [are] small, but we are thankful that God is using us to be a blessing to many people.”

Currently, Luella’s Sabbath school is raising money for My Bible First lessons. She wants the children to be able to visualize how their offerings make a difference, so she’s printed and cut out miniature lessons about a square inch in size. Each week,

when they raise enough for one lesson, she adds another little Bible lesson to the board.

Teaching the children how they can help others through giving has blessed Luella as well. “We know about Jesus,” Luella reasons, “[so] we shouldn’t just take it for granted [when] there’s other people who need to know. You don’t have to be a missionary in another land to help people learn about Jesus. Just start right where you are—in your church, or school, or wherever you are!”

Continued from page 11

Patience and Providence Produce Fruit

Since that first meeting, the children have learned about safety skills, ladybugs, courtesy, handicrafts, and the seasons. We were even happier when we saw the parents join in singing the songs with us and listening to many Bible stories, such as Joseph’s forgiveness and Esther’s boldness.

We certainly did not do this on our own! By God’s grace, several local church members have helped with the web-based Adventurers club, which has now increased to 27 children representing 15 local Chinese families. However, we knew we needed to move past meeting online only, so last December we invited the families to come to the Griswold’s home for a Chinese Pathfinders investiture program.

The weather was going to be very cold. Would they come? We were thrilled to have 40 participants attend. Parents, grandparents, and children huddled on the ground learning a new skill – how to start a fire with just a knife and flint. The kids helped collect dry leaves to feed the fire. They were also the best cheerleaders. Then the Griswold family shared

the story of Jesus Christ and Christmas. One of the visitors translated it into Mandarin. Everyone enjoyed the time together. We were excited when they all signed up for our new children’s church program.

After the meeting, Tina and Cindy, two parents of some of our Adventurers, were talking with Julie.

They told her they would like to study the Bible and grow in Jesus. Praise the Lord! We are so happy.

Now, every Thursday night, Tina, Cindy and I (Rachel) are studying the Bible together.

We can’t wait to start our monthly children’s worship program at Houston International Seventh-day Adventist Church. It will be the next step in guiding these families to Jesus. Please uplift these plans in prayer, asking the Lord to guide us and open the hearts of these friends and neighbors.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9 NIV).

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR John Press

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Dean Coridan, Christopher Carmen, Shirley

ASSOCIATE EDITOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey

Freed, Darryl Hosford, Chan and Esther Hwang, Curtis Letniak, Denzil Mc-

COPY EDITORS Ruth Bradburn, John Press

Neilus, Amy Montevilla, Julia O’Carey, John Press, Byron and Carol Reynolds,

gospel. Be assured that 100% of your gift goes directly to the projects you specify. However, in the blessed

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Robert Mason

Trudi Starlin, Lilya Wagner

will use your gift for a similar project or where most

PHOTO CREDITS William Chen, Timothy Cho, Immanuel Hai, Pr. Chaiwat

PHONE

269-471-3026

needed to help spread the gospel and ease suffering

Konratanasak, Kris L., Pr. Phil Mills, Angy Plata, Pr. Jeremiah Thor, Elijah Win

FAX

269-471-3034

event that the project you chose is fully funded, ASAP

where ASAP operates. Because ASAP is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible in the USA.

*At times, photos are blurred and names changed to protect the safety of God's workers.

P.O. BOX 84, BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI 49103

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

WHAT WILL BE YOUR LEGACY? Members of the ASAP family have blessed this ministry and ensured the ongoing work of numerous mission projects with their planned gifts. Contact us at 269-471-3026 or office@asapministries.org to discover how you can make a difference through planned giving.

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ASAP Ministries empowers local missionaries to restore and disciple the marginalized with the wholistic