Our Ten Favorites, Mission Stories, Vol.1

10

OUR

FAVORITES 

M I S S I O N S TO R I E S

FROM ADVENTIST SOUTHEAST ASIA PROJECTS

What’s Inside: ENCOUNTERS WITH ANGELS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Have you ever had an experience where you knew it must be an angel that came to your rescue?

PENETRATING THE HEARTS OF WARRIORS . . . . . . . . . . 6 What do you think it would be like to be a missionary to an unreached people group?

CHANCE OR PROVIDENCE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 How much of what happens in your day do you think is mere chance or God’s divine leading?

HUNTED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 How far would you go in standing for what you believe?

DISCUSSION WITH THE DEVIL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Do you believe God can heal any disease?

A TRIPLE RESCUE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Has God rescued you from Satan’s grasp?

JUST IN TIME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 How do people in the remote villages of Laos hear about Jesus?

TWO WIVES, ONE PRAYER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Do you have loved ones whom you are praying will accept Jesus?

THE UNFORGOTTEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Have you found yourself becoming somewhat calloused after seeing countless images of war, poverty, and disasters on the news?

LAUNCHING INTO THE DEEP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 What does it mean in this day and age to launch into the deep?

STAY CONNECTED 1-866-365-3541

Contact ASAP today and we will send you our newest 2

video and make sure you get FRESH news from the field.

Dear Friend, Have you ever read a story that stuck in your memory like glue because it had the ability to impact who you are and how you see God? When you come across these types of stories, you feel compelled to share them with others, don’t you? Hence, the motivation for reprinting ten of ASAP’s favorites. These mission stories, which come out of Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, resonated with the hearts of our ASAP staff and readers over the years and we pray they will speak to your heart as well.

Most of these stories are personal accounts of the national missionaries that were relayed first-hand to an ASAP team member via the interviewing process. When I hear their stories, I never cease to be awed by their courage, love for God and whole-hearted dedication to spreading the gospel. Thank you for being partners with us in making it possible for national missionaries to labor for the Lord.

As you read the stories, Discussion with the Devil, (page 12) and Encounters with Angels, (page 4) that reveal incredible miracles happening in the mission field, you may question, “Why is God not working in this manner in my life or my church?”

We believe He can and will. The Bible promises that as Jesus’ coming approaches He will pour His Holy Spirit out on all flesh (Joel 2:28) and that includes you and me. Be sure to read the last story titled Launching into the Deep, (page 22) with your church or small group, for this will give them a glimpse into the great things God can do when we unite in prayer.

Thank you, in advance, for praying the short prayers included after each story. We would like to ask that as the Holy Spirit directs you, that you continue praying for the ASAP missionaries daily.

Yours in Christ,

Julia O’Carey Associate Director/Editor

3

Encounters with Angels

Have you ever had an experience where you knew it must be an angel that came to your rescue? Here are two such stories from Vietnam.

ASAP evangelist, Ai Hang* relayed the following: The local police caught me praying and worshiping with a group of new believers. They tied me up and questioned me in front of all the onlookers. When I did not answer them, they hit me over and over again with bamboo poles. Then they dragged me over to a pickup truck and threw me in the back. They drove deep into the jungle. They must have thought I would be disoriented and have no chance of survival. Around midnight they tossed me out of the truck and drove off. The sounds of the forest and the darkness made my heart race. As I lay on the forest floor, I felt the warm blood running down my back. I felt half alive and half dead. Thoughts of wild animals coming to feast on my body filled my mind. I closed my eyes tightly and cried to God, “Loving Father, please save me!”

Then an amazing thing happened. My body lifted from the ground and I sensed I was flying in the air.

When I opened my eyes, I looked around bewilderingly and to my surprise, I discovered that I was sitting on a familiar downtown street in my own neighborhood. “Was this a dream?” I wondered. No, it was real.

I believe I was carried on angels’ wings safely home that night. I went back to sharing Jesus as soon as I could after this incident. Those who witnessed me being beaten were amazed that I survived. They wanted to know more about this God who had the power to save my life through an angel.

4

“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).

Ah, Lord God, BEHOLD You have made the heavens and the earth

By Your GREAT power and outstretched hand.

THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR YOU!

(Jeremiah 32:17) DO YOU BELIEVE IT? Then why not partner with angels in bringing RADIO and DVDs to every corner of Southeast Asia!

$65 purchases a DVD player and set of DVDs. $10 purchases a radio for a village to share.

In another area of Vietnam, where the authorities are also unfriendly to Christians, an ethnic people group resides, called the Montagnards. The government tightly controls the travel to this restricted area. An ASAP lay pastor who attempted to enter the area was caught and warned never to return. After making a second attempt to enter this area, he disappeared never to be seen again. After this, Pastor Isah Young, leader of the SDA house church movement, realized it is too risky to send workers in there.

A point was made to begin a prayer campaign for the salvation of these ethnic people and for God to open a way to reach them.

About three years later, God opened the way for a couple to enter this area by crossing the border into a neighboring country and entering from there. They came back with the following report: A tall stranger with a radiant face had appeared to some village chiefs and had given them a radio. Furthermore, he gave the village chief instructions, not only on how to use the radio, but also how to find a particular program that he encouraged them to listen to. Then he disappeared. That program turned out to be ASAP’s Peace and Happiness beamed in by Adventist World Radio. The people listened to Pastor Isah Young preach the Word of God and became Sabbath-keeping believers. This happened not just to one village, but to twenty villages in that region. These people know that the stranger was an angel sent by God because of earnest prayer for the Montagnards’ salvation.

PRAY FOR PROTECTION Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for sending heavenly beings who excel in strength to help us in our times of need. Please send a host of invisible angels to protect and aid the ASAP missionaries, along with me and my loved ones today.

5

Penetrating the Hearts of Warriors What to you think it would be like to be a missionary to an unreached people group? In a humble, yet quietly passionate way, Church Planter Aung Aung* paints a word picture of what it is like to share Jesus with the Lahu people of Myanmar.

My wife and I were asked to teach and church plant in a Lahu village nestled in the mountains of Northern Burma. Long before we agreed to go to this village, we prayed for God to guide us to where people’s hearts are open to accept God. We knew in order to reach them, we needed to learn all we could about their culture and master their language because neither my wife nor I are Lahu.

We discovered that the Lahu are strongly committed to maintain the Lahu way of life and are proud of their hunter-warrior heritage. We heard that in the past, the Baptist missionaries came to the village but the people did not like them and chased them out. The Lahu have strong communal ties and work together for survival. Each individual in the village submits to the common will of the elders and they answer to the village chief. The husbands treat their wives as equals and help out with raising the children and even assist with child birth. The Lahu are faced with the challenges of poverty, drug abuse, human trafficking, lack of education and infant mortality. With all this knowledge we knew that the only way we could survive was with God’s help.

With all this

knowledge we

knew that the only way we could survive was with God’s help.

We knew that the villagers were open to us coming because the village chief requested of the government for teachers, but they were not sent. The villagers even built a home and school for us! From the start, they observed everything we said and did and they seemed to like our Seventh-day Adventist lifestyle. However, it took about a year for them to accept us into their hearts. God put a deep love in our hearts for them and they also grew to love us. When I was getting ready to leave for the ASAP training, they said, “Do not go long. Come back quickly.” We know this is the working of the Holy Spirit.

Currently we have thirty-five students in our little school, but the neighboring villages are planning to send their children soon. My wife teaches during the day and I teach in the evenings. We enjoy teaching and find it rewarding to see children who could not read or write, blossom. Before we started teaching, I built a worship chapel and daily we teach our students to believe in God through Bible stories, prayer and singing songs about Jesus. Their eyes light up every time I pull out my guitar. One of the village leaders told me that the parents are very happy with our teaching. They feel that they can hold their heads high now that their children have an education. My long-term goal is to send students to an Adventist academy and college so that they can come back to carry on the work for their own people.

6

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them,” (Ephesians 2:10).

We knew that the Lahu are a people of strong wills and do not submit to outsiders’ ideas easily. This is why we taught our students early on to recite the Ten Commandments by heart. They are quick learners!

The parents tell us that we can have their children but not them. This means that they will let their children believe in God but they are not going to believe. I know that they do not know God’s love yet, but we daily pray that God will open their hearts.

As pantheistic animists, the Lahu believe in a spirit realm and a supreme being called G’eu sha. The village shaman, or paw hku (priest), is the mediator between the village and G’eu sha. When the villagers get sick and during child birth, they go to the shaman and offer sacrifices to appease the spirits and their ancestors. One day, the son of the village chief came down with malaria. When his fever was high he called me instead of the shaman and asked if I could do anything. Through prayer and natural remedies, God completely healed him. The parents laughed and laughed during the hydro therapy treatment because they had never seen anything like this before. But they were respectful and thankful to “my” God after their child recovered.

The wife of the chief also experienced God’s loving touch. I assisted her delivery when she was having birth complications. Because my mother is a nurse midwife, I learned how to deliver babies. News of the safe delivery spread quickly throughout the village.

Now, the villagers call for my help very often. They have given up their practice of worshiping their ancestor’s spirits before delivering their babies and they ask me to help them instead. Because of God’s blessing through answered prayer, we have not lost one baby.

Though it is not easy being a missionary to the Lahu, we can see that God gave us life experiences that helped prepare us for this mission. We also have learned to totally depend on God through prayer because He is the only one who can change hearts.

BLESSINGS OF PARTNERSHIP! The Evans family felt impressed to provide Church Planter Aung Aung with a moped so he can share Jesus with other villages and no longer have to walk six hours to the nearest town.

Tom and Mara Evans did not stop there.

They were so blessed by giving, they encouraged the Texas Church Planting Summit attendees to donate as well.

Together, they provided ten more mopeds for ASAP missionaries.

MISSION OPPORTUNITY Would you or your church family like to partner with missionaries in Asia?

Visit the ASAP Priceless Gift Catalog for project ideas.

 www.asapministries.org

PRAY FOR A MISSIONARY SPIRIT Dear Heavenly Father, continue to use me and the ASAP missionaries to reach the lost. Please prepare us for the special assignments you have in store for us today.

7

Chance or Providence?

How much of what happens in your day do you think is mere chance or God’s divine leading? As you read this story, I think you will conclude that Pastor Pen Narith’s encounter was planned in heaven.

“I would just like a trim please,” Pen Narith informed the village barber as he sat back in the chair under the palm trees. He welcomed the reprieve from the scorching tropical sun. A little boy, most likely the barber’s son, ran up and handed Pen Narith a plastic bag tied with a rubber band at one end, filled with cool water. “Thanks,” he said with a smile, as he sipped the refreshing liquid and felt it race through his body, giving him a bit of energy.

“So where are you from?” the barber asked in a cheerful voice. Pen Narith, having driven thirty kilometers on his moped, was preoccupied with thoughts of the next village he was planning to visit to give Bible studies. He paused before responding, “I am traveling to a town east of here.”“What are you going there for?” the barber persisted in his friendly manner.

“You are here for a reason. Talk to this man,” an inner voice quietly prompted. Pen Narith recognized the gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit and did not want to miss the opportunity that he had been afforded to witness. “I am going to the village to study the Bible with a group of new believers in Jesus,” Pen Narith answered. “I am their pastor, but I live in Takeo Province.” The barber’s eyes lit up and he excitedly blurted out, “I believe in Jesus too!” With that remark Pen Narith instantly knew that this was

ALL THROUGHOUT SOUTHEAST ASIA… Many are waiting for an ASAP MISSIONARY to help give them

PURPOSE, JOY, TRUTH BECOME A SENDER Your support of $100 per month will bring the LIGHT of God’s Word to many.

8

“Christ’s method alone will give true success in reaching the people. The Savior 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’” (Ministry of Healing, page 143).

not a chance encounter, but rather God’s providential leading. Editor’s Note: About 97% of Cambodia is Buddhist. It is not every day Pen Narith meets other Christians.

“Tell me, how did you learn of Jesus?” Pen Narith eagerly asked, excited to meet a fellow believer. The barber, Kim Neth, proceeded to pour out his whole story from how he fought for the government against the Khmer Rouge in 1986, was injured from stepping on a land mine, and then gained back hope for life when he heard the Good News of salvation through a radio broadcast. Pen Narith sat there in awe as Kim Neth shared with him how he almost took his life in utter hopelessness but how the simple stories about Jesus Christ as his Savior gave him the courage to keep living.

His haircut was over and so was the conversation as Kim Neth had other customers waiting. Pen Narith decided then and there to become Kim Neth’s permanent customer for he was hoping and praying to have a chance to study the Bible with his new Christian friend some day.

The next time he came for a haircut, Kim Neth greeted him like a long-lost relative. After a few more haircuts and stimulating talks about their beliefs, Kim Neth implored, “Would you teach my wife and me the Bible in our home like you do for the people in the other villages?” Pen Narith blurted, “YES, I would love to!” They studied twice a week for one month. Then Kim Neth and his wife felt ready to accept the truths of the Sabbath and the other Adventist beliefs that they had never known before. They begged Pen Narith to baptize them and that he joyfully did.

Pen Narith had no idea what amazing things would come from his stop for a quick haircut that day. If you were to visit Kim Neth at his open-air barber shop beside the road leading out of town, you would most likely hear him enthusiastically share his testimony of how the Bible truths became crystal clear and what Jesus means to Him today. Kim Neth went on to lead out in a new Bible study group in the Mo Husna Village that grew into a house church—bursting at its seams each Sabbath morning.

PRAY FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO WITNESS Dear Heavenly Father, forgive me for often being so busy that I miss the opportunities you give me to be your witness. Baptize me and the ASAP missionaries with the Holy Spirit so we will be ready for the people you send into our paths today.

9

Hunted

How far would you go in standing for what you believe? Lay Pastor Thanh Vinh* from Vietnam shares an early witnessing experience where his faith was tested.

My heart pounded as the heavy knocking on the door and the urgent, loud voices of several police officers filled the room. As my eyes briefly made contact with the newly converted family I was visiting, I hoped, in my look, to silently communicate a sense of assurance that God would be with us. I breathed a simple prayer, “God, please give me courage. Please protect us!”

The police burst in and immediately began questioning me and the local lay pastor as to why we were there. I slowly moved away from the garbage can in which we had just tossed the Buddhist altar, praying they would not think of looking inside. As the interrogation grew to an intense level, I subconsciously dug my hands into my pockets. Upon doing so I felt the list of names and addresses of church members we were planning to visit. My stomach flip flopped as I thought of what could happen to these precious babes in Christ if the police got a hold of the list. My mind began to race, trying to think of a plan, only having seconds to silently and fervently pray, “HELP, Lord!”

The badgering of questions ceased for a few minutes while the police called for reinforcement. I instantly realized God had opened a way of escape. I bolted out the back door, not looking back or slowing down for a second. I sprinted for the jungle that borders the small town. As the trees enveloped me, I started ripping up the list into tiny pieces. I stopped briefly to bury it in the jungle floor. I quickly jumped up and kept running to the thicker jungle undergrowth. The loud ringing of a bell pierced my ears alerting the villagers to join the search. I ran faster, like a hunted tiger.

10

“God in His great love is seeking to develop in us the precious graces of His Spirit. He permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships, not as a curse, but as the greatest blessing of our lives.

Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances us in the work of character building” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, page 117).

WILL YOU STAND? Your financial sacrifice and prayers for

COURAGEOUS missionaries signify that YOU stand with them.

I started to hear muffled voices not too far away. The voices grew louder and I felt my muscles begin to throb in pain and weariness. The words of Psalms 91 played over in my mind, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust…”

I realized the mob had caught up with me but I dare not look back. Suddenly, a large wooden board struck my back in full force, causing a piercing pain to race through my body. I staggered to the ground and buried my head in my arms while the group of young men quickly surrounded me like hungry wild animals. As they cursed at me, beat me, kicked me and dragged me to the police station, a sense of peace surrounded my mind. The words of Matthew 5:11 came to me, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” The sweet presence of the Holy Spirit comforted me in the midst of pain.

When we arrived at the police station, the interrogations started. They were searching for something to convict me. They passed me on up the chain of command. After questioning me further they decided to give me, and the owner of the house where we were worshiping, a fine and let me go.

We considered this outcome miraculous and an open door for us to continue visiting new believers and sharing the gospel. As I reflect on this experience, I can only thank God. Each trial in my life since I became Christian has prepared me to be God’s worker in my country of Vietnam and has taught me to stand for Him no matter what the costs.

PRAY FOR STRENGTH Dear Heavenly Father, through Your divine power may I resist temptations and be victorious amidst the trials that come my way today. Teach me to stand for You and keep the persecuted believers in Southeast Asia faithful.

11

Discussion with the Devil Do you believe God can heal any disease? Lay Pastor Cong Dong Thanh* definitely does! He believes the stories in the Bible that demonstrate God’s power and he personally experienced God’s healing. Read how God is working through him to heal others.

One day when I went to give Bible studies to a young man named Thao, he mentioned that his sister Nga had a strange illness. Thao, along with his mother, explained that she had confined herself to a darkened room day and night and was thrashing around like a wild animal. Knowing that I was a lay pastor, he asked if there was anything I could do, for the shaman and the medical doctors could not help her. I told her I worship God and He is the only One who can heal if it is His will. The mother’s eyes filled with hope when she heard my words. “Oh, there is a solution for us? Please help us!” she begged.

I agreed to go and pray for Nga that evening. As I rode my moped to her home, I was afraid this situation was too big for the level of faith God has given me. I prayed the whole way. “Lord, please forgive me and cover me with the power of the blood of Jesus and use me as an instrument in your hands.” When I walked into the house, it was strangely quiet. The family all woke up and I gathered around. Relatives from both sides of the family came, maybe out of curiosity and maybe with a willing heart to help, if they could. I told them, “I cannot do anything, but I worship the One who created Nga and this whole earth. Only He can help your family have peace again. I suggest that you cooperate with Him.” After forcing Nga’s locked door open and as light penetrated the room, I locked eyes with Nga who sat on a mat under a black blanket, hanging like a curtain above her. Having already given the situation to God, I felt no fear. After a long minute or two, she lowered her gaze and stared at the floor. I prayed silently, “Thank you for Your Spirit, God, which is in me and is greater than the spirit in her.” Three grown men had to pick Nga up and carry her out. I could tell she was very afraid. I asked Nga, “Where do you come from?” A male voice responded, “I roam around the earth, here and there. I came here and saw this lady [Nga]. I noticed she was working at night. She washes her clothes at around 10 p.m. I saw that she was very weak, so I entered into her body and went to her home. Then I could request the family to give me food to eat.”

“Do you know Jesus Christ?” I asked. The first mention of Jesus’ name, there was no reaction or comment.

I repeated my question louder. “Do you know Jesus Christ?” I noticed Nga’s fingers start to curl up and tighten. She began shaking violently. Her eyes changed color from green to blue to red to white. They were rolling around quickly. Her face was very tense. I asked again, “Do you know the name of Jesus Christ?” Finally she stuttered, “Yyyyeeeessssss.” I opened my Bible and asked, “Is this the Word of God?” She looked at the Bible, turned away and said, “Yes, that’s the Word of God.” Then I flipped from Genesis to Revelation and asked, “Does God ever lie in this Book?” She bowed her head down and said, “The Word of God does not have any lies in it.” At that point I turned to all the relatives. “Do you hear what 12

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father” (John 14:12).

is coming from her mouth? There are no lies in this Book. You should read and find out what this book says. It can change your lives.”

Then the spirit in her pleaded, “Do not cast me out! It’s cold and I do not have any food to eat out there. If you cast me out, I will take her spirit with me and she will die.” I declared, “In the name of Jesus you must leave this woman because you entered this family and destroyed their happiness. You do not have the authority to touch her soul. Do you hear me?” The spirit bowed its head and said timidly, “Yes, I hear you.”

Then the spirit asked me, “How can I get out?” I answered, “You need to leave by whatever way you entered.” Then Nga turned around and her eyes searched the room and settled on a pair of new sandals sitting on the steps right outside the door. The evil spirit asked, “Would you take the two sandals, and throw them across the pond, on the other side of the house and I will leave that way?” I agreed. The family members and I observed Nga become very stiff and sit straight up. Then she slithered like a snake towards the door and down the three steps. I walked out, picked up the sandals and threw them with all my might across the pond. When they dropped on the ground, Nga yelled out and fell into a heap on the floor. Her husband and I went and picked her up and brought her back into the house. I laid hands on her and prayed. Everyone thought that she was dead. I turned to them and said, “No she did not die. Jesus forbade the devil to take the life of this woman.” I told them she would be conscious in five minutes and I prayed again and that is exactly what happened.

When Nga opened her eyes, I asked her, “Is this your mom? Is this your husband, and are these your children?” She said,“Yes.” Her mother asked her how come she did not recognize or receive them before.

She said, “I don’t know.” I turned to the relatives and explained that the devil possessed this lady. He was her master, controlling her life; she did not know anything. With these words, fear gripped the people’s hearts. Then I told everyone to give up worshiping idols and explained that God is the true God to worship and He brings healing, love and peace. Nga and her immediate family became believers, along with two other families. I praise the Lord for being a powerful God who loves to heal and restore.

INSPIRE OTHERS!

Go online for more great

MISSION STORIES to share.

 www.asapministries.org PRAY FOR HEALING Dear Heavenly Father, I believe your power is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In Jesus’ name, I ask you to heal my mind, my body, and my soul according to Your will and use me to lead others to liberty. Free those in Southeast Asia whom Satan has in bondage.

13

A Triple Rescue Has God rescued you from Satan’s grasp?

Read on to find out how He came through for the Rim family.

The Tonle Sap River runs through the Kandal Province of Cambodia and bustles with activity all hours of the day and night. Small, rustic house boats surge up and down with the water. Children jump from boat to boat, playing a dangerous game of tag. Fishing boats pull in and out of the choppy shoreline. This Muslim fishing community is home to Mr. and Mrs. Rim Tit and their six children. They eat, sleep and manage to make a living on the water. “My father, grandfather and great grandfather fished for a living and now I am following in their footsteps,” Mr. Rim humbly shares with church planter Neth Lonh.

His father’s words keep ringing in his ears. “‘You know son, fishing will not be as easy as it used to be. I brought in enough fish so that you and your eight siblings had clothes, food, and a chance to go to elementary school. You are going to have a harder time.’” Mr. Rim’s father was right. The cost of gasoline is so high, some days he wonders if it is worth going out to fish.

“People still want to buy fish for the same price as when my father was alive,” Mr. Rim says. Church Planter Lonh observes that Mr. Rim’s children are dressed in rags and discovers they do not go to school. He can’t help but notice their little boat is about to fall apart. But he knows that what they need the most is Jesus.

So, Lonh decided to come back to the Cham floating village and buy fish from Mr. Rim often. Though he was not Muslim, he discovered he had many beliefs in common with these people.

For instance, they both believed God created the world. They both understood how eating pork was harmful for their bodies.

Step by step, lesson by lesson, the Holy Spirit helped Neth Lonh slowly expose the truth in God’s Word to Rim and his family.

Soon a small group waited every evening for him to come and teach them. They studied on the banks of the river or he was

14

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled,” (Psalm 46:1-3a).

Your Mission Offerings to ASAP… make it possible for

church planters to reach

unreached people groups,

like the Muslim Cham

people of Cambodia.

invited onto one of their boats. Lonh explains, “The boats are tied closely and I stand on the end of the middle one, speaking and reading from the Bible as they rock back and forth.” Some of the boat people’s favorite stories are the ones of Jesus and his disciples who spent much time on and around boats as they do. After several months of study, Mr. Rim, along with sixteen people (from five different families), were rescued from the evil one as they willingly accepted Christ Jesus as their Savior through baptism.

Now came the testing of their faith! It was the monsoon season—which means rain every day, a turbulent river and frequent flooding. On one particularly stormy night while Mr. Rim was fishing, water began to leak into his old, rickety boat. He frantically searched the little boat to find something to patch up the hole, but to no avail. His whole family gathered together and cried out to God to save them. As the boat began to sink, a wave knocked two of his small children into the foaming river. “God, save my children,” Rim shouted as his eyes desperately searched the waters for someone to help.

He spotted boats in the distance, trying to get to him, but with the strong current, they were making no headway. Just at the moment when all hope seemed dashed, the wooden boat, almost totally under water, miraculously began to surface. He then reached into the black water in the direction his two little ones had been thrown, hoping to be able to make contact with them. He felt their tiny arms and pulled them into the safety of the little boat.

An unseen power guided his boat safely to shore. Mr. Rim’s whole family praised God for the triple rescue; from saving them from the grip of Satan, saving his precious children from certain death and saving his house boat from a watery grave. Those in the other house boats that witnessed the rescue were amazed by what they saw, giving Mr. Rim an opportunity to share with them about the true God who has the power to come to their rescue anytime, anywhere, always.

PRAY FOR DELIVERANCE Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to deliver me and my Southeast Asian brothers and sisters today from Satan’s traps. Thank you for being our refuge and strength and a help in times of trouble.

15

Just in Time PRAYER

moves the hand that moves the world.

John Aikman Wallace

JOIN THE ASAP PRAYER TEAM Become a prayer warrior. Learn more online:

www.asapministries.org 

How do people in the remote villages of Laos hear about Jesus?

Boonpranee Wannadee, president of the Lao Adventist Field, discovered many are listening to Christian radio. Here is his story.

One day I received several letters from a Hmong mountain village in the North, asking for teachers to come and help them know more about the true God they heard about from their “little black boxes.” Mr. Song Somboon, an ASAP lay pastor with whom I work, was excited to hear of these letters because they came from the village where he grew up as a child. I asked him, “Would you like to be my guide to this village?” “Absolutely,“ he said, “but it is rainy season now,” he added. “We cannot wait! We can make it there, for with God all things are possible,” I persisted.

After a long drive, Mr. Song stopped the car and began to unload our backpacks full of Bibles and evangelism materials. “Where is the village?”

I asked, looking around at the vast jungle. Song pointed to a steep, muddy trail up the mountain which I immediately realized would be impossible to drive. We strapped our bags on and began to hike in the pouring rain. Every forty meters or so we used a stick to pry the mud off the soles of our shoes. Drenched, dirty, and worn out, we kept putting one step in front of the other, up the steep path. After hiking for over an hour, we reached a slash-and-burn farming area where we spotted some open shelters. The rain continued pelting our bodies so we decided to stop and rest.

16

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:8, NIV).

“We need to pray and ask God to send someone to help us,” Song panted. We knelt down and poured our hearts out to God, asking for His strength and guidance for every step of this mission journey. As we were snacking on some corn and chatting, we noticed a villager walking by. I jumped up and asked him, “How much further to the village?” He shook his head and said, “It is at least two more hours of hiking in these conditions.” I glanced over at my friend and saw him sigh. “How could we carry our heavy bags the rest of the way?” we wondered. Would God send someone to help?

With that news, we started out, hoping to reach the village before dark. “Dear Lord, please send someone to help us,” I kept praying silently. In a short while, we noticed a couple coming our way. Song looked closer. “I think they are my relatives,” he said. From their appearance, the couple looked like they had been hiking for a great length of time. Song could not contain his excitement. He ran to greet them, and yes, they were his relatives that he had not seen or heard from in many years. “Is it really you, Uncle and Auntie?” Song asked. “It is. It is!” they replied, greeting each other with joy. Song’s uncle said that they were going to get their car that was in the garage in the city. After hearing that we were headed to their village, Song’s uncle assured us that their car can travel these roads and offered to bring us there when they returned with the car. We were so relieved to hear this good news!

Not long after, we were slipping and sliding up the muddy, bumpy trail in their sturdy vehicle. As we drove, I began to worry that I might get arrested for preaching in this village. Local village chiefs in Laos often feel threatened by Christians coming in to share the gospel and at times they ask the communist authorities to arrest the evangelists who enter their villages and preach without permission. I wondered if Song’s uncle knew if the village chief was open to Christianity. “Do you think there will be problems with the authorities if I share about Jesus?” I asked. The uncle smiled and replied, “I am the chief of the village and of course I will not have you arrested!”

This news surprised Song and me. As Song asked his uncle questions about being the chief and about his village, I kept thinking about how wonderful God is. I could feel His presence leading and guiding us.

When we arrived at the village, the chief arranged for our arrival to be announced to the villagers. They prepared a feast for us and welcomed us warmly as important guests. They were excited to meet the Christian pastors for whom many had been praying. We met with seven families in the village who had been studying about God through the radio and they wanted to be baptized. The chief and his family were among those who loved God and considered themselves Christians.

As we left this village, we rejoiced over how God led us every step of the journey. In the eight months following our visit, Song returned often. God has blessed with the establishment of a church group that worships together every Sabbath morning.

PRAY FOR GUIDANCE Dear Heavenly Father, I commit my ways to you. Please continue to lead and guide me and the ASAP missionaries moment by moment, day by day.

17

Two Wives, One Prayer Do you have loved ones whom you are praying will accept Jesus? Two Cambodian women, Oung Sophal and Tep Sony, not only share the same title as ASAP church planters, but they daily prayed the same prayer.

“Father God, please save my husband!” Here is their story.

Oung Sophal’s husband often flew into a rage on Sabbath mornings when she and her eight children got ready to go to church. Though he would yell and beat them, they never missed a Sabbath. One particular morning, he asked some of his buddies to come over to their home to try and intimidate her into giving up this “new, foreign religion” as he called it. Oung Sophal recalls, “The men shouted threats in my face, to choose between my husband or God. I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that my children quietly crept out the back door and clamored over the fence because they did not want to miss Sabbath school. Seeing their courage, helped me make my choice. I stood up and walked out the front door, not knowing if I would ever be accepted back home.”

After church, they cautiously came into the house—and the husband exploded. Oung Sophal’s husband had found a box of Bibles and Bible lessons hidden in the closet. He cursed at her and stormed out of the house, heading for the river with the box in hand. The first moment Oung Sophal had a chance, she ran to the river and scanned the bank praying, “Lord, if you want me to keep sharing your Word with people, please protect those Bibles. Show me where they are.” She could hardly believe her eyes when she saw the heavy box resting above water on top of the lily pads. She waded out and rescued the box.

As she looked through it, only two Bibles on the bottom of the box were water damaged and the rest were dry. This miraculous incident gave Oung Sophal the faith that she and her children needed to know that God was with them.

Over the years, God has been working little by little, to soften the heart of Oung Sophal’s husband. He did not leave them or kick them out of the home that day. Now, he no longer abuses them and even allows them to attend church and work for the Lord. When his oldest daughter was getting married, he reluctantly attended their Christian wedding (she married a man who is now serving as an Adventist pastor). He humbly admitted, “I am impressed with how kind and loving all the Christians I meet are.

They treat each other more like a family than I often treat you and our children.” Please join Oung Sophal in praying that her husband will give his whole heart to God and serve Him with her some day.

Across the city, every Sabbath Tep Sony and her two daughters would also ready themselves and head to church. “Would you like to join us?” she always asked her husband, Chet Kemara. Every week for several years Tep Sony heard the same answer, “No thanks.” Undaunted, she kept praying. Though she was very successful in witnessing to people in Phnom Penh, her Buddhist husband showed no interest in her religion. God’s protection of her as she ministered fearlessly in Pong Ror, a dangerous area of the

18

“Open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” (Acts 26:18 NKJV)

city, did not even pique his curiosity about her God. Yet Tep Sony persevered in prayer, earnestly asking that someday, he would accept Jesus Christ as his Savior. Tep Sony could only imagine the witnessing potential if Chet, a respected police officer, were to invite Christ into his life. She knew him well; she knew his influence. She knew his heart, but most importantly, she knew he needed God. Then, one Sabbath morning, it happened. To her amazement, her husband asked, “Can I come to church with you today?” “Of course,” she replied with a radiant smile. Tep Sony and her daughters could hardly believe their ears, but sure enough, he changed his clothes and in minutes was waiting by the door.

Tep Sony’s heart sang for joy as she whispered prayers of gratitude throughout the church service. After church, her husband said nothing about the experience and she knew it was best not to push him. She continued to pray, however, and the following week Chet attended church with them again.

In the months that followed, Tep Sony witnessed an amazing transformation in her husband. The community and his co-workers noticed a change in him, too. Rumor had it that Chet was kinder when dealing with the drug dealers he arrested.

One day Chet approached Tep with a Bible question. “What exactly does it mean to keep the Sabbath holy?” he asked. For several days the words, “remember to keep the Sabbath day holy” kept playing over and over in his mind. “Are these words in the Bible?” he asked. “Yes, they are,” Tep Sony enthusiastically responded. “Unbelievable!” Chet answered, amazed. Together, they read the creation story in Genesis where it speaks of the Sabbath as the day when God rested after making the world. After reading these words, Tep Sony and her husband knelt in prayer. He said, “I am not going to ever work again on God’s holy day.”

Since Chet’s conversion, he has seized opportunities to share the gospel with those in his sphere of influence. As a result, the police chief of his department has become a Christian. Christ’s future Kingdom is growing in population, thanks to women like Oung Sophal and Tep Sony who understand the power of persisting in prayer.

PRAY FOR SALVATION Dear Heavenly Father, please send your Holy Spirit to woo my unsaved loved ones and the lost in Southeast Asia to You. Help them to discover how much you love them so we can all be together in heaven some day.

19

The Unforgotten Have you found yourself becoming somewhat calloused after seeing countless images of war, poverty, and disasters on the news?

After growing up in Southeast Asia and then returning year after year to work with the poorest of the poor, Julia O’Carey’s prayer has been, “Lord, cause my heart to break for the things that broke the heart of Jesus.” As you read her account below, you will see that God is answering this prayer.

I weep as I walk through some of the worst slums in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, and visit the homes of the children who attend ASAP’s Feed & Read schools. Everywhere I step, a cloud of flies rises up from the slimy filth that covers the ground and swarms around the children that follow me.

Trapped in poverty, the families that dwell here choose to stay because of the close proximity to odd jobs they might find in the streets of the city. The children help out by spending hours in the hot sun, combing through the nearby city dump, looking for bits of metal or other things that might be recycled or redeemed for a little rice.

Even if they could make it to the government school a couple of kilometers away, it is doubtful that the parents would be able to afford the necessary uniforms or school supplies. With no running water or sanitation facilities, poor nutrition, and lack of even the most basic health care, the child survival rate is very low. Sickness and disease is as plentiful as the layers of grime caked to the bodies of the children.

No one should have to live like this! Angels must weep as they see God’s children walking barefoot through the dangerous streets.

The ASAP Feed and Read schools are making a difference, one precious life at a time. Instead of spending all of their time at the dump, being sold into child slave labor or prostitution, the children gather around a loving, Christian teacher. With eager expressions on their faces, they soak in the reading, writing, and math lessons. Best of all, they learn of the love of Jesus. As part of the program, each day the children receive a nutritious warm meal of rice, vegetables, tofu and even a piece of fresh fruit.

20

“Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee” (Isaiah 49:15).

It is a simple program yet God is using it to save young lives and break the cycle of poverty. Take Seng, for example, whose mother and father died of AIDS when she was six years old. She and her siblings live in the slums with her aunt who works her like a slave. One day, when Seng was busy cooking the rice for the family, she took her eyes off her baby cousin she was supposed to be watching. Cries filled the crude little bamboo shack for the baby had cut herself on a sharp piece of broken glass she found on the dirt floor. Her aunt, boiling with anger, ordered Seng out of the house. “Never come back!” she yelled as Seng quickly packed up her uniform and few belongings.

As Seng wandered down the street that night, tears of anger mixed with regret stained her tan cheeks.

Fear and loneliness gripped her heart. Then the sweet words that her teacher once shared from the Bible filled her mind. “I will never leave you or forsake you!” “Heavenly Father,” she hesitantly prayed, “Please comfort me. Please show me where to go.” Immediately after she prayed, a warm comforting feeling swept over her body. The face of the kind Christian church member who lived about ten shacks down popped into her head. She bravely wiped her tears and told herself, “I’ll go and see if she will let me stay with her.” Seng stayed with this lady for two weeks until her aunt found her and brought her back to help with all the work. Though life is still hard for Seng, she has a hope in Jesus that she did not have before she attended the ASAP Feed & Read School.

Her heart yearns for

LOVE REDEMPTION HOPE

WILL YOU HELP? By sending in $20 per month for the Feed & Read Schools, you show God’s daughters that they are worth saving.

PRAY FOR THOSE IN NEED Dear Heavenly Father, please protect and provide for the at-risk children in Southeast Asia and around the world. Give me more love for the children, including the baby Christians you put in my path today.

21

Launching Into the Deep

What does it mean in this day and age to launch into the deep?

Martin Kim, ASAP Communication Director, shares his experience.

An English young man long ago asked some ministers if the Church had done all it could for the heathen, and received this answer: “Young man, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen world, He will do it without your help or mine.” This bold young man was William Carey, who eventually sailed for India where he served as a missionary for forty years (1793-1833). “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God,” was the mantra of this great man who is now considered the father of modern missions.

When I was the pastor of the Seattle Central New Life Church (the English ministry of the Seattle Central Korean SDA church) I challenged the members, “Do we expect God to do great things in and through us?” If Ellen White described Jesus by saying, “He expected much; therefore He attempted much,” (Desire of Ages, page 72), shouldn’t this be our desire as well? God planted a burden in our hearts to reach out not only to the people in our work places and community but to touch those in need of a Savior around the world (Matthew 28:19, 20).

In December of 2005, our church began giving all the loose offering money collected each third Sabbath to foreign missions. We chose Adventist Southeast Asia Projects (ASAP) because they serve some of the poorest of the poor in the world and we knew that 100% of the money goes for the project specified.

The small amount we collected would go a long way in Southeast Asia. After our second collection in January, I listened to an inspiring message by a missionary who shared story after story about how God provided. I was challenged when he said we will never have enough money to finish the work. How much will be enough? A million? Ten million? A hundred million? We need to go forward in faith and do the work that God has called us to do and believe that our God of infinite resources will provide. His words stirred my heart! I wanted to step out in faith. I wanted to see God do great things.

22

“God’s people are not to cease their labors until they shall encircle the world” (Testimonies vol. 6, page 23).

“What do you want me to do?” I implored. The Lord brought to my mind our special ASAP offering. Since we collected about $300 on average in loose offerings, I thought about challenging our members to pray for a $500 offering. But then I thought, “that doesn’t require much faith.” I then thought of a $700 offering, but finally decided that it would definitely take faith to pray for a thousand dollar offering.

When I shared this figure with the church members and explained that this amount would provide 200 Bibles to new believers in Vietnam who were waiting for months for one, they were all for it. Every Sabbath and through the weekly church email announcements our members were reminded to pray for this special gift. For when we pray, God moves and does that which only He can do.

One month later, on the Sabbath morning when the ASAP offering was to be taken, you could feel the anticipation in the air. Though we were praying for a miracle, we of little faith were amazed by His response. God blessed with $4,382 which provided for 876 Bibles! He worked through one visitor who came to our church a week before the offering was collected and heard that we were praying for $1,000.

He felt impressed to write a check for $1,500. God sent another visitor from California who gave a gift of $500 and the members also gave generously.

Well, what do you do after you witness the power of prayer and you see God move in a mighty way? To pray for a higher amount would honor God and demonstrate faith so we decided to round up the figure to set a $4,500 offering goal for March. Because I knew that this amount was far beyond the financial capacity of the members, I encouraged them to pray instead of urging them to give more, assuring them, “God will do mighty things here if we move forward in faith.”

Once again we witnessed God’s power and grace! God answered prayer and provided an offering of $6,684. This money helped build eight churches in Cambodia. Many of our members who gave generously in February gave twice as much. On top of that, one of our leaders was given the opportunity to share about our special offering with the Korean-speaking Sabbath School program in the mother church. At the end of her talk she made an appeal inviting them to experience the joy of giving towards this special offering. They contributed $2,740. This is nothing less than “the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes” (Mark 12:11).

Where did we go from there? We prayed that the April offering would exceed $7,000. We praise the Lord that $8,470 came in to support the lay pastors in Vietnam. As we continued to witness God’s faithfulness and goodness, and as we thought about the vast needs in Southeast Asia, we decided to “launch out into the deep” (Luke 5:4). We prayed for $15,000 to support the Cambodian and Vietnamese radio ministries.

The Lord blessed abundantly with $22,734. We realized that truly “Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing,” (Ministry of Healing, page 481). Space does not permit me to write in detail the rest of the story which reveals God’s continued providence, however, we saw over $120,000 come through our church in one year as we continued praying and exercising faith.

It was my desire that through this faith journey, we would experience God’s amazing power personally.

We needed to go beyond just hearing about Him. This experience helped our church know that the God who parted the Red Sea, the God who supplied an amazing amount of fish when the disciples launched into the deep, is active in our lives and in the foreign mission fields today. As we see the signs around us foretelling our Savior’s soon return, it is all the more crucial to persist in prayer and expect great things.

PRAY FOR SUPPORT OF MISSIONS Dear Heavenly Father, please teach me and all your people to follow Jesus’ example by attempting much and expecting great things from You.

23

PHOTO CREDITS A.J. O’Carey (pages 2, 10 and 22)

Alden J. Ho Photography (page 20)

ASAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Bruce Bauer, Judy Aitken, Max and Linnea Torkelsen, Mary Ann McNeilus, Byron and Carol Reynolds, Trudi Starlin, Kenneth Straw, Steve Chang, and Denzil McNeilus.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Judy Aitken EDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey COPY EDITORS Jacqueline Castelbuono, A.J. O’Carey, Wayne Labins DESIGN/LAYOUT Sarah Lee / www.ambientlightstudios.com

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

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

ASI MEMBER ASAP has been a member of ASI (Adventistlayman’s Services and Industries) since 1996 and is grateful to be an ASI grant recipient.

MORE ABOUT ASAP Adventist Southeast Asia Projects is fueled by mission-minded, faith-filled individuals whom God impresses.

Be assured that 100% of your gift will go directly to the projects you specify. However, in the blessed event that the project you chose is fully funded, ASAP will use your gift for a similar project or where most needed to help spread the gospel and ease the suffering in Southeast Asia. Because ASAP is a §501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, your donations are tax-deductible.

24 1-866-365-3541 269-471-3026 269-471-3034 office@asapministries.org www.asapministries.org

P

BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI PERMIT NO. 42

PAID

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

ASAP serves people from the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

to protect the safety of God’s workers.

* Where needed names have been changed and photos blurred,

TOLL FREE PHONE FAX EMAIL WEB