2021 4th Quarter Newsletter by ASAP Ministries

NEWS FROM ASAP MINISTRIES—ADVOCATES FOR SOUTHEAST ASIANS AND THE PERSECUTED

FOURTH QUARTER 2021

Just Launched! ASAP Ministries Sends First Refugee Student Missionaries

Just Launched! ASAP SENDS FIRST REFUGEE STUDENT MISSIONARIES BY RUTH BRADBURN WITH BILL WELLS

O G Left to right: Jasmine grew up in a refugee camp; a short-term mission trip to Southeast Asia helped confirm Jasmine's calling as a teacher; Jasmine with friends at a gathering of Karen Adventists

ne of ASAP Ministries’ strategic goals is to equip and empower missionaries to return to the marginalized communities they were once a part of and share the good news of Christ’s love.

As Ellen White wrote, “God in his providence has brought men to our very doors and thrust them, as it were, into our arms, that they might learn the truth, and be qualified to do a work we could not do in getting the light before men of other tongues” (RH October 29, 1914, Art. A, par. 17-18). Meet Jasmine Moo and Soe Soe Moon, two compassionate and driven Karen young adults who grew up in refugee camps in Thailand before resettling in the U.S. After personally experiencing God’s saving power in their lives, they have accepted His call to serve as ASAP’s first refugee student missionaries, ministering to displaced Karen people on the Thai-Myanmar border. In September 2021, Jasmine and Soe Soe launched to Thailand and began a two-year term of service there. Currently, Jasmine is serving as a teacher at an ASAP school, and Soe Soe is working as a Karen Field Ministry Assistant. For years, Jasmine dreamed at night about going back to Southeast Asia. In fact, God first began calling her to be a missionary through a series of dreams during

her freshman year of college. Inspired by the dreams, Jasmine and a group of friends traveled to Thailand and Cambodia in 2017 on a short-term mission trip. Although Jasmine was studying health ministry at the time, she agreed to teach several classes at the local church schools to help the teachers. Little did Jasmine realize how much the experience would change her life. As she taught, Jasmine found that she enjoyed talking with the students. The Holy Spirit worked through her as she shared her testimony with them, and one day after class a certain girl approached Jasmine, clearly moved by her story. The student shared with Jasmine that her heart had been touched by how God had taken care of Jasmine through all the difficulties she experienced, from her time in the refugee camps to living in America. Two years later the student texted Jasmine. After graduating, the girl was now teaching in a nearby school. “Your story really inspired me, missionary. Now I want to be like you.” Jasmine looks thoughtful as she remembers this experience. “The reason I want to go to

E Left to right: Soe Soe's family moved to the U.S. when he was 19; mission trips helped fuel Soe Soe's passion to serve

be a student missionary is to inspire people,” she says. “People are not going to remember the [words you spoke to them], they’re going to remember that you put your fingerprint on their heart.” After Jasmine returned from the mission trip she prayerfully changed her major from health ministry to education. God had spoken clearly to her through the experience, calling her to give back to her people through the teaching and mentoring skills He created her with. “Everywhere I go, I want to be a light,” Jasmine says. She’s not sure what the next two years will have in store, but one thing she firmly believes is that God can use her to touch people deeply, no matter how much time they spend together. Soe Soe came to America when he was 19 years old. Living in Southeast Asia was not always easy for him and his family. When civil war overtook the village in Myanmar where Soe Soe had grown up, he was forced to flee with his parents and five siblings to refugee camps in Thailand. But living in America presented its own set of challenges. “My family had to work in a factory, and I also got a job,” Soe Soe recalls. “My first two years I didn’t go to school. It was tough.” Soe Soe’s family struggled adjusting to life in America, living in a neighborhood where there were a lot of drugs and other unsafe activities. The environment wasn’t anything like Thailand or Myanmar. His family was not used to the culture or language of America, and so they struggled with a lot of things. “But at the same time,” Soe Soe says, “we praised God that we had church members who were willing to step out and help us to go through all of these things.” With an open, genuine smile on his face, Soe Soe is the kind of person that you immediately know is go-

ing to be a friend. His optimism and sense of humor lighten the mood around him. Interestingly enough, like Jasmine, Soe Soe first felt the call to missions on a trip back to Thailand in 2019. “That taught me so much,” Soe Soe says. “It taught me that what I have learned here I can give back, because going back there really opened my eyes to see how people are struggling.” Soe Soe feels so much gratitude that God has blessed him with education and the opportunity to go to Ouachita Hills College, thanks in part to the Judy Aitken Memorial Refugee Scholarship Fund. Now, he wants to return home and share the love of Jesus. “Going back is going to be a challenge, yes,” Soe Soe says, “however, I’m from there, so it makes it a bit easier with the language and the culture.” Soe Soe nods affirmatively in his thoughtful way. “I’m really excited, and I’m really blessed that God has chosen me and called me to be a part of this mission.” Over the last two years, ASAP team members Julia O’Carey, Angy Plata, Laura Hokanson, and Bill Wells have worked hard to prepare Jasmine and Soe Soe for their positions in Thailand. We praise God for various partnerships and the support of numerous donors who have made this possible. Thank you for supporting this endeavor with your prayers and means. Both Jasmine and Soe Soe have been practicing recording events in their lives in preparation for creating a series of videologs (vlogs) chronicling their journey to Thailand and their experiences there. Through their vlogs, they hope to share what it’s like to be ASAP’s first refugee student missionaries. Stay tuned for Jasmine and Soe Soe’s vlogs in the next couple of months. We can’t wait to share their journey with you!

Tia’s Tears and Transformation BY JULIA O’CAREY (FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH TONY,* AN ASAP CHURCH PLANTER IN A CLOSED COUNTRY)

s I finished sharing the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 with a small group of house-church members, I looked up and my eyes met deep sadness.

Tia* sat there in silence. I knew she had a story to share. When Tia spoke, her voice was filled with remorse. “I am that prodigal!” she said. “I used to follow God and attend church on Sunday but I stopped going when my life got difficult. In my loneliness, I turned to alcohol.” The woman hung her head. “You are in church now, though, so that’s a good thing,” I said, in an effort to encourage her. I understood the shame and disgrace she must have felt, especially since our culture and community greatly look down on female alcoholics. Tia was 62 and struggling with a major alcohol addiction. In that moment I didn’t hesitate. I knew what I needed to say. “Would you like to give your whole life over to Jesus once again?” I asked. The Holy Spirit was working. I saw a twinkle of hope enter Tia’s eyes and she immediately responded, “Yes, I want to give my heart to Jesus. I need Him! I have tried to stop by myself

and cannot.” The other church members and I circled around her and bathed her in prayer. Tia remained alone no longer. There was no need for her to mourn the husband who had abandoned her and adult children who were married and gone to live their own lives. She had a new family now, the family of God. Even though Tia lives more than two hours away on an island that’s not easy to get to, I visited her every month. And when the pandemic restrictions prevented travel, I called her every Monday and Wednesday to study the Bible together over the phone. It has been seven months now and I believe she will be baptized before the end of this year (2021). I find so much joy in seeing how Jesus is transforming Tia’s life. God has been working steadfastly alongside Tia in her journey. After three months of studying the Bible, she gained complete freedom from her addiction. Tia then decided that she wanted to eat a healthy diet according to the Bible. When she was convicted of Saturday being the Sabbath, she started praying for a job. (This, too, was a triumph for Tia, since she could not hold down a job when she was an alcoholic.) Soon after, God helped her find a good job sorting fish for a company that gives her Sabbaths off! Tia was once known as the neighborhood drunk. Now she is known for her strong faith in her God, the Father that always welcomes back prodigal sons – and daughters. Tia is a changed woman, and she wants everyone on her island to know about Jesus! Although she is a new believer, Tia is not shy to lead out in the house church, and she shares her testimony with whoever will listen.

Reaching Thailand Christ’s Way BY JOHN PRESS

here is a well-known line in The Ministry of Healing that is often repeated during discussions on various approaches to evangelism. “Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people.

The Saviour mingled with men as one who desired their good. He showed His sympathy for them, ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. Then He bade them, ‘Follow Me’” (p. 143). Recently, an ASAP medical missionary named Sompong put this method to the test. Would it work in Thailand, the country with the most unreached people (61.5 million) in mainland Southeast Asia? Mingling with People Sompong and her husband, an Adventist pastor, had just moved to northeastern Thailand to serve a three-church district in the Ubon Ratchathani Province. As they prayed about how to reach their predominantly Buddhist community, the Holy Spirit impressed Sompong to start with health ministry. “Especially during this time of pandemic, when we talk about health the people are very interested in it,” she says.

for help either. The three young men were battling drug and alcohol addictions, leaving their mother and seven-year-old sister to fend for themselves. Now Duen’s health was failing, and she felt like giving up. At that moment, Sompong appeared at her door. “I could sense that she had lots of problems,” Sompong remembers. Together with her husband, Sompong began regularly visiting Duen. They listened, offered encouragement and prayer, and talked to Duen about Jesus. As they won her confidence, Duen started attending church with them, but her problems Continued on page 11

Sompong prepared a community health survey and began going door-to-door to meet her neighbors and learn about their needs. Then, she planned cooking demonstrations and presentations on nutrition, natural remedies, and other topics to address the needs expressed by her neighbors. One day, while going door-to-door, she met a widow named Duen. Showing Sympathy, Meeting Needs Duen sat alone in her house, silently agonizing over her misfortune. Since her husband’s death, the stress of caring for their four children had become too much for her. She could no longer count on her sons 5

God’s Math BY RUTH BRADBURN

ow did a church with a budget consistently in the red for all but one month of the year suddenly begin meeting their financial goals – and also raise tens of thousands of dollars for missions?

Simple answer: God’s math. It all started when Bob Kruger, an elder of the Grants Pass (Oregon) Seventh-day Adventist Church with a burden for foreign missions, approached his pastor and suggested that the church should be more active in foreign missions. When the pastor said to go for it, Bob and several others formed a committee to decide what mission projects to sponsor. The first year they chose to raise $10,000 to construct several buildings on the campus of a school in India, where a church member had served. Another member was involved with Adventist World Radio and Godpods so they decided to purchase 250 Godpods as well. At the end of the year the total raised for the school in India came to $13,000 and they had more than doubled their goal for the Godpods! In addition, the church was able to raise $36,000 towards a local outreach project. Wonder of wonders, during this entire time they discovered that church members were tithing significantly more than before, and as a result their church was consistently meeting its budget! The church hosted followup vespers to share progress reports and pictures of the projects they had sponsored, and many members came and were encouraged. The feedback was unanimous – “Let’s do more mission projects!”

So, the committee met again, this time choosing to raise money for two Adventist Frontier Missions (AFM) projects, as well as ASAP Ministries’ Naung Bo Den school project in Thailand. During church announcements they briefly shared the projects they had selected and told the members to stay tuned. A couple weeks later, the committee members held a special Sabbath service where representatives for each project took turns sharing about them, introducing the congregation to the needs, the work that was being done, and how they could help. The church’s Bible worker Chuck Austin presented ASAP’s Naung Bo Den project using a video and pictures provided by ASAP Development Director Laura Hokanson. In the foyer of the church they placed a box with three slots and the giving envelopes from each ministry. Church members had a chance to pick a project and how much they wanted to contribute that week, and then place the envelopes in the slot for that ministry. Every week the deacons collected the donations, counted them, and sent the giving envelopes to the ministry they were from (this allowed ASAP to thank donors individually). And every week the running total for each project goal was printed in the church bulletin.

G Below: The staff of the Naung Bo Den School in Thailand. Opposite (from top): Many of the children at the school come from migrant or displaced families from Myanmar; the mission committee of the Grants Pass Seventh-day Adventist Church developed an effective system to inspire members to support missions

In seven months, two of the three projects were already funded, and as of November 2021 the church had raised a total of $12,000 for ASAP’s Naung Bo Den project as well as $15,000 for each of the two AFM projects. The church leaders were amazed to see how God continued to bless them financially, as their church budget stayed consistently in the black for a whole year! When asked if the Grants Pass Church plans on continuing this tradition, Chuck said, “Oh yes, I’m sure we’ll do at least two or three projects next year, there is no doubt in my mind.” Chuck testifies to how the projects have changed people’s mindsets, growing a generous and giving spirit in the church members. His own eyes have been opened to see the abundance of mission projects out there that are in need of support. “Things are definitely going very quickly in this world,” Chuck commented. “We don’t want our monies to be sitting in a bank at the end of time. We want to be using them for the Lord.” Even when the church’s budget dips back into the red on occasion, Chuck and his fellow church members are not worried. “God’s math works a lot better than our math,” Chuck said. “He expands money, that’s for sure. The more you give the more you will be given to. It doesn’t make sense [at first], but when you understand God’s math it makes sense.”

“To show a liberal, self-denying spirit for the success of foreign missions is a sure way to advance home missionary work; for the prosperity of the home work depends largely, under God, upon the reflex influence of the evangelical work done in countries afar off. It is in working to supply the necessities of others that we bring our souls into touch with the Source of all power. The Lord has marked every phase of missionary zeal that has been shown by His people in behalf of foreign fields. He designs that in every home, in every church, and at all the centers of the work, a spirit of liberality shall be shown in sending help to foreign fields, where the workers are struggling against great odds to give the light to those who sit in darkness” (Gospel Workers, pp. 465-466).

In Tribute

View a list of gifts given in honor of friends and loved ones this quarter at asapministres.org/in-tribute 7

A Job from God BY CLARISSA FIEDLER (FROM A TESTIMONY SHARED BY TIMOTHY CHO*)

y name is Timothy Cho and I serve as a field supervisor for ASAP in Myanmar. I would like to share how God led me before I started working with ASAP Ministries.

As a young man about to graduate with my BA in Religion, I was so excited to soon be serving the Lord. However, since I am the eldest son of seven children, and since my parents owed many debts, the burden of my family pressed hard upon me. My parents’ financial situation meant that they hadn’t been able to pay anything for my college education. Thankfully, God provided me with work to support myself. It was my great desire to serve Him after graduation, even though I knew I would earn very little money. In the months leading up to graduation I struggled between these two thoughts: should I work in God’s service, or should I choose a job that would pay enough money to help my family? My heart was so burdened with this difficult decision.

During this time I remembered a small book I had read titled, “Prevailing Prayer.” The promise that God has a thousand ways to care for us came to my mind. I started to pray, “Lord, please provide me a job which would meet these needs: 1) a job at which I can keep your holy Sabbath; 2) a job from which I can earn enough money to pay my family’s debts and help my siblings afford to go to school; and 3) a job which is a ministry job.” I started fasting and praying this in faith two months before my graduation and I was determined to continue until God answered, even though I had never seen a job which would meet all three of my points. In Myanmar, most well-salaried jobs will not allow you to keep the Sabbath every week. And you cannot earn enough money to support family and siblings if your job is wholly ministry. But deep in my heart I completely believed that God could provide that kind of job for me. About two weeks before graduation an American missionary from Thailand came to Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary to find translators to work at his Bible school. How rapidly God answered my prayer! I could not help shedding tears of happiness. Even before graduation, here was the job I had prayed for. It was so amazing! In two years I was able to pay off my family’s debt, then we redeemed our field, and currently all six of my siblings are attending a Christian school. Praise God! Ever since God provided that first job for me I have never worried about how to get a job. Are you looking for work? Even a specific job? Just come to Jesus. He really has a thousand ways to answer our prayers. Let’s call on Him for all our needs. He says, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3, KJV).

Students Lead Refugee Outreach BY KEAN JAGITSCH WITH PASTOR SCOTT GRISWOLD

hen I was a boy, I watched my dad serve as a pastor and I knew I wanted to do the same or be a missionary. As I got older, though, I saw how tough ministry could be and my in-

terest lessened. I also struggled with the feeling that Christianity was all about what I should and shouldn’t do. During this time God pursued me with His love, teaching me the simple truth that He values me and wants to have a personal friendship with me. As God’s love changed me it reignited my interest in missions. My family and I moved to Oklahoma Academy where I joined the mission track, designed to train students to use their skills in mission service. The summer before our senior year, my class discussed what we could do to use our talents for God. We’re here at Oklahoma Academy to become missionaries, but we know there is no better way to learn than by actually doing mission work. We wanted a senior-led mission venture, but as time passed and we had nothing organized some of my classmates started losing interest. Eventually we decided to join Pastor Scott and Julie Griswold from Reach the World Next Door in Houston for our senior class mission trip. We helped rebuild greenhouses for Cambodians and Laotians. We went door to door helping William and Rachel Chen with their Chinese church plant. We got to play with Afghan refugee children and do a special Super Safety program in the park for them and their parents. I saw the need face to face and realized that many of the refugees were from completely unreached people groups. As my class researched refugees in Oklahoma City, we realized Afghans were arriving just forty miles from our

school. The very ones in my class who had lost interest in having our own mission venture said, “Kean, we have to do something.” But how? As we talked and prayed, someone connected me with Ira Farley, who had previous experience working with Muslims. At the end of our conversation he said, “Do you want to go and visit with me tonight?” He had just met a family who had come from Afghanistan. “I’ve been praying for someone to be a friend to this teenager in the family,” he added. My dad, my friend Michael, and I met the family in the hotel where they had been placed. The new friend I met was 17 years old. His father, two uncles, and two younger Continued on page 11 9

Wise Counsel BY JULIA O’CAREY

ho in your life do you turn to when you need some wise counsel? We at ASAP ask our board members for advice and feel incredibly blessed by each one of them. Their ex-

perience, wisdom, and Spirit-filled counsel bless ASAP during our board meetings, as well as throughout the year. Not only do they give guidance to ASAP’s mission and goals, many of them also give of their time in volunteer service, living an active missionary lifestyle. you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:33-34, emphasis added). In Pastor Jimmy Shwe’s interview with board member Carol Reynolds we heard firsthand news of the situation in Southeast Asia where thousands of Karen refugees are fleeing for their lives on the border between Myanmar and Thailand. We took the opportunity to appeal for a special offering, which totaled over $2,000, to provide humanitarian aid for these displaced people. E Elder Dean Coridan preached on Sabbath morning during ASAP's annual board weekend

When the board members come together each fall from all over North America, we turn it into a special occasion. This year we invited local donors and volunteers to join the board members and staff for a weekend of mission inspiration. Below are just a few of the highlights. I am so proud of the ASAP staff for working together to make this weekend a memorable one. Elder Dean Coridan, President of the Iowa-Missouri Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and ASAP Board Chairman, shared the main message on Sabbath. He helped us see our refugee brothers and sisters as family, not strangers. The compelling question that touched my heart is one we should all ask when deciding how to help refugees: “What would I do for my own child?” That’s what we should do for them. “And if a stranger dwells with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. The stranger who dwells among you shall be to 10

Board member Darryl Hosford, ASAP Associate Director John Press, and I presented on ASAP’s mission. We intentionally crafted the presentation so that any of you who have a passion for ASAP can share and let people know what we are all about, where we came from, and where we are going. Please contact ASAP and we can provide you with this presentation to share in your church. Pr. Scott Griswold’s interactive session on Reach the World Next Door, Curtis Letniak’s devotional talk, and other presentations, prayers, and songs focused on the unplanned theme of selfless service. It was also our pleasure to honor the life of one board member whose life portrays over three decades of selfless service. Dr. Mary Ann McNeilus traveled countless times with my mother, ASAP’s late founder Judy Aitken, pioneering the medical missionary work in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries. She dodged bullets and potholes in the early war-torn days and endured the heat, long

plane rides, and mosquitos without complaint. Dr. McNeilus gave her resignation at this year’s meeting, but due to her longtime service with ASAP, she was made an honorary board member. May her example inspire each of us to commit our lives to selfless service, whether in our local community or across the world.

Reaching Thailand Christ's Way, continued from page 5

E Sompong with Duen and three of her children E Dr. Mary Ann McNeilus (center) with Gem Castor and Julia O'Carey

Students Lead Refugee Outreach, continued from page 9

brothers were there but he was the only one who spoke English. I asked him, “How do you say ‘hello’ in Pashto?” He taught me the word Salam, and then Manana, which is “thank you.” I discovered he loves to play cricket and I told him he’d have to come to our school so we could play together. Six of us who went on the mission trip to Houston asked the administration of our school for permission to do regular outreach among the Afghans in Oklahoma City. They agreed that any of us who have completed the Reach the World Next Door training program can go. Younger students want to go, too, so we are planning to train them so they can carry the program forward after we graduate. At the end of my senior year, I will likely serve in the Alaskan bush as a missionary for a year. I’m pretty excited. There is such a great need there as in many places. They just need laborers. That’s why I’m so glad I can get others started in mission work close by.

continued to mount. First, all three of her sons were arrested and jailed. Then, after their release, one son attempted suicide. He survived, but the medical bills for his ongoing care left Duen destitute. Sompong and her husband began delivering food when they visited the family. They also raised money to help Duen with her debts. “When I gave [the money] to her, she started crying and thanking God for providing for her,” says Sompong. The Invitation Soon afterward, Sompong’s husband held evangelistic meetings. Duen and two of her sons faithfully attended. At the final meeting all three responded to the invitation to follow Jesus and accept Him as their Savior. Recently, Duen and her sons were among 18 new believers baptized through the labors of ASAP missionaries in two different locations in Thailand. And Sompong reports that ten more people are currently taking Bible studies. These are remarkable developments in a country where 88% of the population is Buddhist and there is just one Adventist for every 4,436 people. The Holy Spirit is working through ASAP missionaries using Christ’s method of evangelism to prepare a harvest of souls for the soon return of Jesus! Two days after their baptism, Duen and her son found jobs at a local rubber farm. With the wages they receive they finally have enough income to support the family. They are thrilled, and so is Sompong. “[God always] provides a way to support the one who is faithful to Him,” she says. “Duen thanks God for new life, not only for her but for her whole family.” 11

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EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR John Press ASSOCIATE EDITOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey COPY EDITOR Ruth Bradburn GRAPHIC DESIGNER Robert Mason PHOTO CREDITS Chuck Austin, Ruth Bradburn, Scott Griswold, Kalu Hser, Sompong Koonsawang, Soe Soe Moon, Abraham Tengkano BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Dean Coridan, Christopher Carmen, Shirley Freed, Darryl Hosford, Chan and Esther Hwang, Curtis Letniak, Denzil McNeilus, Amy Montevilla, Julia O’Carey, John Press, Byron and Carol Reynolds, Trudi Starlin

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