Our Ten Favorites, Mission Podcasts, Vol. 5

10

OUR

FAVORITES 

MISSION PODCASTS FROM ASAP MINISTRIES

What’s Inside: KURDISH REFUGEES DREAM OF JESUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 FROM SNAKE BITE TO KIDNEY STONES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 WATCH OUT FOR THAT LANDMINE! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 THE BRIDE WHO ALMOST MISSED THE WEDDING. . . 10 DARE I CALL MYSELF A MISSIONARY?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 ABOVE—THE TIGER! BELOW—THE CROCODILE!. . . . 14 FOUR STEPS TO AN EFFECTIVE WITNESS . . . . . . . . . . . 16 MY NAME IS ABUNDANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 I DREAMED THE OCEANS DRIED UP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 SO THY’S FIRE IS SPREADING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Don’t miss out! You can receive the Reach the World—A.S.A.P.! podcast right in your inbox every week. Just send your email address to office@asapministries.org, click the Subscribe button at asapministries.org or call us at 1-866-365-3541.

You will also find all the previous mission stories available online. Enjoy them for family worships and in Sabbath school programs. Pass them on!

COVER: A national missionary gives a man his first chance at eternal life.

WANT TO BECOME A WITNESS TO THE UNREACHED TODAY?

In a brand new way you can now join ASAP Ministries to lovingly carry the Gospel to the whole earth through the international students, refugees, and immigrants who are now all around us. Order our cross-cultural training kit called Reach the World Next Door. You, your family, and your church will be further empowered to pray, to understand Jesus’ methods for cross-cultural witness, and to effectively care and share with new international friends.



To explore the stories and opportunities for ministry in this book, or to purchase the kit, visit:

asapministries.org

Why Mission Podcasts?

My heart breaks when I see children shuffling through garbage for something to sell. I hate the thought of precious girls enslaved in prostitution. Everywhere I travel I see some form of poverty and suffering. I want to see Jesus return soon. How about you?

Looking at Bible prophecies, I am confident that we are at the tail end of Daniel 2, 7, 8, and 11.

That, combined with seeing many of the other signs of the end, gives me a solid expectation that it should be soon, except for one sign. Matthew 24:14 says, “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

That gives us a major problem. According to the excellent site joshuaproject.net, three billion people have basically had no solid opportunity to hear about Jesus. A minimum of 4,069 unreached people groups remain without a vibrant, multiplying witness in their culture and language. Unless something changes, Jesus’ second coming cannot be soon.

But I deeply believe that God has the perfect strategies and the fully adequate power to finish this work and finish it rapidly. After all, He yearns to welcome all of His children into heaven.

About a year ago I started a weekly podcast called Reach the World—A.S.A.P.! I present one of the huge needs of the unreached and tell one story of a missionary, a true follower of Jesus, who is out meeting that need, bringing the coming of Jesus closer. We talk about Jesus’ strategies for reaching the whole world and how to get involved and involve family and friends.

In this booklet, I want to share ten of our favorite podcasts. I hope they inspire you to watch weekly.

More importantly I hope they inspire you to further give your all! Finishing the work is going to take everything we have, combined with everything God has promised. It is going to happen.

So join me. Together let’s Reach the World—A.S.A.P.!

Pastor Scott Griswold Associate Director, ASAP Ministries

Reunited on a visit to Cambodia with a man I haven’t seen since he was my son Josiah’s age.

Kurdish Refugees Dream of Jesus God is eager to care for refugees through you.

One day in Iowa, a church member said, “Let’s hold our Vacation Bible School in the park this year.” A family of Kurdish refugees showed up. Their children loved the science experiments and English songs.

The church members got acquainted with the Kurdish family. They learned about how they had fled ISIS, the Islamic militant group in Iraq and had just arrived in America. It was a huge relief to be away from the fighting. At the same time they faced many challenges adjusting to America and surviving here. Church members followed up these first contacts by gathering food, bedding, and clothes to take to their home.

Several weeks later the father said, “I’m really trying figure out what to do about school for my children. Some have warned me that the quality of education and the atmosphere at the public school is not so good. What do you think I should do?”

“Put them in our Seventh-day Adventist School!” How could they possibly afford to do that? The Iowa-Missouri Conference had raised money just for this kind of situation and soon his children were all studying there.

Sometime after that, two ladies from the church invited the family to study the Bible together and they agreed. Did they know that out of the 22 million or so Kurds in the world, less than 1% is Christian?

There is no real country of Kurdistan. It is just sections of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. There are many distinct unreached people groups even within this Kurdish grouping.

The ladies discussed together what to share in their Bible studies. “Most of our written study sets begin with the image of Daniel 2 to show God’s word can be trusted. But I am not sure. The story takes place in Iraq. It includes a mean king. Maybe it is too similar to what they came from or is too confusing.”

They decided to do something simple on prayer.

When they came to the door, the father was agitated. “Come in, come in. I must tell you about my dream.” He explained, “In my dream I could see a small stone coming towards me in the sky. It got bigger and bigger. I was sure it was going to destroy everything. What does it mean?”

The ladies knew immediately that they must open to Daniel 2 and share about the rock. The rock is a symbol of Jesus and His coming which will end all the war and suffering!

Three weeks passed, with a study each week. The ladies used a smart phone app called BibleIS to get the Bible in Arabic. Then one night they were again greeted at the door with news of a dream. This time it was the wife.

You must tell me what my dream means. I was standing in our house in Iraq. The ISIS militia was coming right for us. There was no time to run. No way we could hide. I knew that this time we would be killed. Suddenly a man stood beside me. He was the whitest man I have ever seen. His hair was white. His beard was white. His clothes shown with the brightest white.

Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid. I’m going to put a robe around you that will make it so they cannot see you.

4

The ladies just stared in awe. She continued to tell her story.

“The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself.” Leviticus 19:34

I was so happy, I took His hand to kiss it. There was a mark on the back of His hand. So I turned it over and there was another mark on His palm. I asked Him, ‘How did you get these?’ He said, ‘My Father gave it to me.’ That was my dream. Can you tell me, who was that man?

The two ladies eagerly opened the Bible to Revelation 1 and the description of the Son of Man. “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14 NKJV).

Don’t you love this God of miracles, this Jesus with the marks of the cross in His hands who cares about every refugee? This father and mother fled certain death and now have found a good future for their children in the United States. More importantly Christians have shared with them the hope of eternal life.

More than 50,000 other Kurdish refugees have come to the United States. Many of these refugees left professional work and have had to take low-paying jobs in America to survive. But many have thrived. The question is, how many of them have a Christian friend? Joshua Project lists the percentage of Christians among the Kurdish in North America as zero percent. Will you, like the couple in this story, seek to change that? Together, let’s Reach the World—A.S.A.P.!

Learn more about how

to REACH REFUGEES who would never hear about Jesus in their home countries.

 YOU CAN

ReachtheWorldNextDoor.com When you meet someone of another culture, whose first language is not English, share the website:

 MyLanguageMyLife.com

We can send you these cards to distribute.

This website has resources in many languages. Soon your new friends will be watching the Jesus video, listening to evangelistic sermons or ordering a BIBLE, all in their own languages!

PRAY FOR THE REFUGEES Dear Lord, Thank You that You were a refugee so You understand their hearts. Help us reach refugees so they can return to their countries and be missionaries for You.

5

From Snake Bite to Kidney Stones A true Christian shares Jesus’ healing wisdom and power.

“Mommy, mommy! Nung got bit!” His little brother hung limp in his arms.

“What bit him?” Mother knew some poisonous snakes could kill a water buffalo.

“I stuck my hand in a hole,” said Nung. His arm was swelling rapidly.

Immediately mother lifted her heart to God. “I dedicate this son to you. Please deliver him from this poisonous snake.”

Nung’s mother lives in the mountains of Myanmar. There are no good hospitals nearby, only one tiny clinic. The lady there gave Nung an injection. She said, “I don’t think it will help. Only God can save your boy now.”

God did save little Nung. He grew up to learn about the God who healed him. At Sunday school he wrote careful notes. He believed God had saved him for a reason and so he started teaching younger boys about his Savior.

Then one day, Seventh-day Adventist Christians held some evangelistic meetings in his village.

Nung learned the signs of Jesus’ soon coming and the importance of God’s special Ten Commandments.

He was surprised to learn that the seventh-day, Saturday, had been God’s holy day ever since creation.

He was especially intrigued by the Bible truths about health.

“Your body is God’s temple,” they told him. “If you break God’s health laws, the body suffers and gets hurt. If you eat healthy food it makes you stronger to serve God.” He never heard that pigs and rats were unclean meats, not to be eaten.

Back at home, mother, big brother and everyone else frowned their disapproval. “You’re a teacher in our church. You cannot go off following this group.”

Nung prayed every day, “I believe You are the Healer God who saved me and has called me to obey You and serve You, taking Your healing to people in trouble. But if I cannot convert my family to the truth, then I do not want to serve in Your work.”

The very next day, his mother said, “We understand now the truths you are sharing. We will be baptized with you.”

Nung was overjoyed. His baptism and their baptism, was the happiest day of his life. He soon left to study at the Seventh-day Adventist college.

When he graduated he took a job as a medical missionary, sponsored by ASAP Ministries. By then he was married and had a little girl. They were sent high up in the mountains in the Chin state to work among the Falam people. Nung could not speak that language very well, but he determined to learn it.

In the meantime he would help people with their health.

He took health literature and went to the local hospital. He passed out the literature in the lobby, went from room to room, and prayed for the people. The medical staff was surprised by the love they saw.

As his language improved, Nung talked with people everywhere. He met one man who was suffering terribly with kidney stones. “I can’t go to the hospital. It’s too expensive.”

Nung offered his best idea. “Lemon juice, aloe vera, and olive oil can really help you!” The man did not believe it. Instead he went off to sacrifice a pig and a chicken with the shaman.

The pain would not go away. Finally he was ready to try out lemon juice and olive oil. To his surprise,

6

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” 3 John 1:2

YOU CAN

Extend God’s love by sponsoring a medical missionary for $120 per month.

after three days of these natural remedies and bottles and bottles of water, the pain disappeared. He was so pleased, he invited Nung to pray with him in his home and he is starting to learn what the Bible really teaches.

Nung knows that his ministry is powerful because he combines prayer to a mighty God with the perfect health counsel of the Bible. About 40% of the Falam people worship spirits while the rest are some kind of Christian. Many of the Christians think it makes no difference what you eat, just as long as your soul is saved and you can go to heaven.

Nung met a family that drank lots of coffee and ate too much meat. The mother had diabetes and her body was swollen. She asked Nung to pray for her. When he tried to counsel her to cut out the meat and fat from her diet since these often lead to diabetes, she said, “Jesus never said, ‘Don’t eat that!’ He just healed people.”

Gently Nung tried to explain health principles based on Exodus 15:26 but she closed her ears and did not listen. Right after he left, she was admitted to the hospital for two weeks.

The doctor gave her the exact advice Nung had explained from the Bible. She stopped eating meat and drinking coffee and is steadily improving. Now she welcomes Nung’s teaching.

God is using Nung powerfully. He has no degree in health care. He just knows some effective natural remedies, lives a healthy lifestyle, and trusts in a mighty God.

Myanmar needs MANY MORE

MEDICAL MISSIONARIES.

It has one of the highest rates in Asia for tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Three out of four people live in areas where mosquitoes are rampant, bringing the awful disease of malaria.

PRAY FOR THE SICK Dear Healer God, Please continue to extend Your healing hand to the sick that You are reaching through ASAP medical missionaries. Also, help me to live according to Your health laws and share the knowledge You have given me.

7

Watch Out for that Landmine!

Learn the secret of deactivating emotional landmines.

Cambodia had more than ten million landmines still hidden in the ground after the war. That was one for every person in the country! I have seen the results of those landmines in the markets; beggars with arms and legs missing, faces terribly scarred.

There is another type of landmine that gets hidden in the heart. It is bitterness and unforgiveness.

Life is like a war where mean words and cruel actions hit us hard. Anger and disappointment are natural, but when we refuse to forgive, when we feed the hateful desires for revenge, we are planting a landmine. Sometime, somewhere, those sensitive emotions will get triggered and they will explode with hurt both to our enemy, other innocent victims, and ourselves.

A few years ago while visiting my friend Pastor Pen Narith in the city of Battambang, Cambodia he said, “Come on! Let’s go up towards Pailin to visit a church member.”

“What?” I asked him, “Are you crazy?” The Khmer Rouge still had full control of that Wild West city.

They were busy cutting down huge trees and mining gems to sell them across the border for more guns and landmines.

“Oh, it’s fine,” Pen Narith grinned. “We won’t go that far. The church member leads a little group of Christians half-way there. He needs some encouragement. His bamboo church burned down.”

Still uncertain, I climbed on his little motorcycle and we passed miles of dusty rice fields scattered with little shacks. Suddenly I saw several red signs with a skull and crossbones that read, Danger!

Landmines! Some were posted right in the front of the huts. Children were running around them, playing.

“We have to stop and warn them!” I yelled at Pen Narith. “Those kids are going to get killed!”

“It’s okay,” he shouted back. “They know where they are. It’s the ones with no signs that you have to watch out for.”

That was not comforting. I’m reminded now that those unmarked landmines are like the people who shove their feelings of anger and resentment deep into their hearts. Eventually these landmines get triggered, destroying relationships, personal peace, and physical health. They even can block God’s love.

Finally we got to the village of the church member. My back was aching from the ride. I looked up to greet the man, putting my hands together like they do. I saw him raise just one arm and realized that was all he had. It looked like he encountered a landmine. Nearby was the burned-down church.

I wanted to hear his story.

Instead, he got right to the point, “Do you think Mother Judy could help us find money to rebuild the church again?” Pen Narith told me that the Khmer Rouge had come and told them to stop worshipping there. This was the third time the church had been burned down I was amazed at his courage. The Khmer Rouge had decimated their country through war and starvation. They still were planting landmines and killing people. I asked, “Why are you here?”

“I need to be,” He said matter-of-factly. “My family and church members are here. There are others who still need to learn about Jesus and His forgiveness.”

That made him my hero. We talked and prayed together and then bumped home to the safety of Pastor Pen Narith’s house. We would arrange for that church to be rebuilt once again.

8

“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.” Colossians 3:13

YOU CAN

Think about the difference your church makes in your life.

Encourage your church family to partner and build a sister-church in Asia for only $5,000!

How does a man learn to forgive like that? I am sure it was because he knew Jesus and received His free gift of forgiveness.

There are organizations where people risk their lives to remove landmines. Jesus left heaven’s safety to do just that. He carefully crawled through our hate-strewn world on His knees to set us free. When Jesus was on the cross, He received the full brunt of this world’s hatred. He felt rejection, betrayal, and pain deeper than we ever have. But He refused bitterness. He wrapped up the pain and threw it to His Father to deal with. Then God’s love poured through Him as He said, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

We cannot remove the landmine from our hearts. It is too closely tied to our memories of hurt.

But Jesus can. We must look to Him on the cross, again and again, until we see that we all deserve to die, both those who hurt us and we who are hurt. A look at the cross can melt our hardness and heal our pain. He took all of our hate and anger so we could be free. Ephesians 2:14-18 tells us that Jesus is our peace, reconciling us to Him and to our enemies. The greatest Forgiver will live in our hearts so we can “be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

A few years after I visited that burned down church, the Khmer Rouge surrendered to the government soldiers and that province became peaceful. A congregation now meets in that district with members who are former soldiers of both the government and the Khmer Rouge. They have all come to know Jesus Christ, the great landmine remover!

Much of Southeast Asia has never had the chance to know Jesus’ story of healing and forgiveness.

Let’s do all we can to change that.

PRAY FOR FORGIVENESS Dear God, Please help many more people in Asia learn about Your forgiveness. Help me to give You my anger and bitterness towards ______________ and replace it with compassion for that person.

9

The Bride Who Almost Missed the Wedding God can do the impossible. Trust Him and you will see.

The rolling hills are green all year long in this tropical country. Beautiful flowers dot the landscape.

Ladies sit for hours embroidering intricate traditional Hmong costumes. Men work together in the rice fields, and then relax into the night, talking together. It sounds like a very peaceful place for a vacation or even a wedding.

However, a closer look reveals communist officers patrolling the area diligently. This is Vietnam, a country that officially has religious freedom, but still maintains careful control.

Not long ago, a young Hmong tribesman named Kongcheng* approached his fiancée. “We can’t get married yet. My parents still oppose our wedding.”

“It’s the same for me,” Maisee* replied. “I don’t know how long it will take for God to answer our prayers. I am so eager, but my parents are so stubborn.”

Kongcheng knew why. It was because the two of them had followed the truth they had learned from the Peace and Happiness radio program and the DVDs. They had learned about the soon coming of Jesus and determined to be commandment keepers, honoring God’s Sabbath. They had been baptized as Seventh-day Adventists.

Kongcheng remembered that day very well. There are a lot of Protestant Christians in his village.

They did not like it when he shared the truths he was learning. They forbade him from joining what they thought was a cult. The more he shared the Biblical evidence for the truths, the angrier they

Help Kongcheng and Maisee in their

witness for the truth. PRAY!

10

“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10

became. He could almost still feel the bamboo pole crashing again and again on his back as they beat him when he left their church.

“You know what the church leaders said to my parents?” Kongcheng asked Maisee. “They said, ‘If Kongcheng brings a Seventh-day Adventist pastor to hold the wedding, we’ll ambush him and do him in. I think the village chief is even on their side. What are we going to do?”

Maisee simply replied, “We have to keep praying. God brought us to the truth and to each other. He will make it happen.”

Not long after that, an ASAP-sponsored evangelist named Pastor Trong* got a call. It was Kongcheng. “God worked a miracle! Maisee’s parents have finally agreed for me to marry her!”

They set the date for Pastor Trong to come. Kongcheng was so excited that the way was clear.

At nine in the morning, when the program was to start, there was no sign of the bride. They waited and waited, but none of her family appeared. Pastor Trong reassured the groom, pausing frequently to pray. “God will do the impossible. Trust and you will see.” Behind the scenes, relatives were causing a scene, doing everything they could to stop the marriage. Finally at six in the evening they let her go. The wedding was on!

Pastor Trong gave the honorary positions at the wedding to the village chief and his elderly relatives. He then preached a powerful message. DVDs with special Bible messages were handed out to everyone who attended the service. Once hardened hearts were melted by God’s loving Holy Spirit. When the ceremony and reception were finished, the chief urged Pastor Trong and his traveling companions to stay at his house. He had heard about the intent to ambush him and wanted to make sure his guests were safe.

Kongcheng and Maisee are now a united couple in the Lord. They actively share literature and DVDs with others every chance they get.

The national missionaries across Vietnam have set a faith goal of

1 MILLION DVDS to give out in one year.

YOU CAN

It only costs twenty-five cents to duplicate a DVD. Will you partner with ASAP to help raise $250,000 to answer their prayers?

Together, with God, we can help them surpass their goal.

PRAY FOR THE ONE IN A MILLION PROJECT Dear Lord, Please help one million DVDs get into the hands of seekers in Vietnam this year. We know nothing is too hard for You, Lord. Please give me the courage to share truth-filled tracts and DVDs too.

11

Dare I Call Myself a Missionary?

Are you ready to stand for Jesus and pay with your life?

ASAP Ministries supports work in four countries that score among the top 30 nations which persecute Christians (The World Watch List). In one of these countries it is illegal to own a Bible or to evangelize in any way. Listen to Missionary Thomas’* heart as he writes his true and painful experience.

One day, a woman I had studied the Bible with came to say good-bye to me.

“I’m leaving today.”

“I know,” I responded, emotion in my voice.

“There is a Bible in my backpack.”

I am quiet. What can I say to someone who is willing to share about God even if it might take her life?

When my words come they are quiet, like I’m not supposed to say this. “You know what will happen to you if you are caught.”

Inside I say to myself, “I am the one who taught her about God. I am the one who encouraged her to trust in Him no matter what. Now I am the one who is afraid of what will happen to myself if she is caught.

How can I say that I’m a missionary?”

12

“I know,” she says.

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20

Once again, I can’t find anything to say to her. A stream of tears comes down on both of our cheeks.

We begin to pray. My mind is confused. There is only one thing I know for sure at the moment. This may be the last time I ever see her. We both know, but we don’t talk about it.

“Please keep me in your prayers.”

I promise I will.

And then she leaves.

Not very long had passed and word of her came to me. She had indeed been caught with her Bible.

They persecuted her severely. What all they did I do not know. I do know that they told her she would be released if she revealed who gave the Bible to her.

Now she was the one who didn’t say anything. She suffered in silence until she paid with her life.

People call me a missionary.

People called her an illegal resident.

The police called her a traitor.

But I believe that she was the one who is worthy to be called a missionary.

Please join with ASAP Ministries

in your prayers for the

persecuted and with

YOUR GIFTS to help them

press forward in the

face of great trials.

YOU CAN

Give a sacrificial gift to GWIDOP (God’s Work in Dangerous Oppressive Places) and join in their suffering for Christ’s sake.

PRAY FOR THE PERSECUTED Dear Lord, Thank You for suffering for us on the cross and understanding how it feels to be persecuted for righteousness sake. Please strengthen and comfort our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

13

Above—the Tiger! Below—the Crocodile!

Share the amazing hope of eternal life wherever you go!

A man was lost in the jungle all alone. He sensed that he was being stalked. As he began to run he heard the terrifying roar of a large tiger. Screaming, the man raced for his life. He was exhausted, every muscle ached, but he dared not stop. Ahead the pathway dropped from view down into a river. With the tiger nearly upon him, he leaped for a vine hanging down from the trees that hung over the deep chasm of the river. He caught it and desperately clung to it.

The roaring tiger paced along the edge, saliva dripping from its mouth. With his heart still pounding, the man inched down the vine towards safety but suddenly froze with fear. What was that? A quiet swishing in the water. To his horror, he saw an immense crocodile staring hungrily at him. Hand over hand he pulled himself back up, away from the grasp of those jaws, only to see the tiger still watching, watching. Above—the Tiger! Below—the Crocodile!

His hands burned. How long could he hold out? Would the tiger or the crocodile ever go away? It didn’t seem like it. With his small bit of remaining energy he wrapped the vine around his waist and legs.

He could rest. He could wait. Surely they would not stay forever. Surely there was an escape. But then a sound disturbed his moment of peace. It was a quiet, steady, grinding above him. He looked up. There were two rats, a black one and a white one. They were gnawing on the vine above his head!

“No!” the man shouted, shaking the vine. “Get away!” But it was no use. The rats could not be frightened away. It was just a matter of time before he and the vine would go crashing to the water below. Death was certain. In hopelessness, he closed his eyes.

Something wet and sticky dropped onto his face. Startled, he looked up and saw a bees’ nest. He opened his mouth to catch the sweet honey. It was good. It was refreshing. But it could not make him forget: Above—the Tiger! Below—the Crocodile!

Who comes to rescue him? Where is the happy ending? There is no happy ending to this very familiar Cambodian and Thai proverb. That is how it ends. The message of Above—the Tiger! Below—the Crocodile! is very clear. No matter how sweet life is, you cannot escape the certainty of death.

Are we going to leave that man hanging there? Surely not! In fact, this story is told in Lesson 13 of the Cambodian Adventist Mission’s introductory Bible lessons. It goes on to tell the story of Jesus interrupting death, rescuing Lazarus by resurrecting him.

Christians often take the truth of life eternal for granted. We forget how radical and hopeful it is. But day after day, ASAP-sponsored church planters, medical missionaries, and literacy teachers in Southeast Asia are surrounded by Buddhists who stare at death with hopeless eyes.

Death is a very stark reality. In Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar many adults die prematurely from preventable diseases such as diarrhea and malaria. Many children do not reach their fifth birthday because they lack food and sanitation. In the cities, the increased use of meat, refined and fried foods, along with a more sedentary lifestyle leads to early death from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.

Others are taken by AIDS. All this heartache without the hope of the resurrection! That is why, besides helping the sick, teaching the uneducated, and feeding the poor, we know our national missionaries must share the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. True compassion must give them more than a little more hope for this life. And there is hope, even when Above—the Tiger! Below—the Crocodile!

14

“The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.” Psalm 98:2

YOU CAN

Join us to provide Bible studies, literature, and the precious Word of God to seekers in Southeast Asia.

Let’s share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and GIFT of eternal life. Together, let’s Reach the World—A.S.A.P.!

PRAY FOR LABORERS Dear Jesus, Many more in Asia need to know the hope of the resurrection. Please send a missionary to each village, town, and city throughout this part of the world.

15

Four Steps to an Effective Witness Learn a natural way for witnessing that can save people for eternity!

I was very tired after a long training session in Cambodia. I slipped away to the Mekong River on a motorcycle taxi. Almost as soon as I sat down to relax, two young men sat down eager to speak English.

I was not feeling very “missionary-like” any more and I lifted my book in front of my face, hoping they would go away. They did and I went back to my reading.

After a little bit I looked up and saw a man sitting on his motorcycle looking out toward the river. He looked sad. I felt the Holy Spirit gently tugging on my heart to talk to him. I reluctantly said, “God, if you really want me to talk to him, make him come over here.”

The next thing I knew he was sitting in front of me. I knew I had to put my book away.

We made small talk and then I asked him, “You looked pretty sad out there, what’s going on?” He told me how hard it was to make a living since there were so many other taxi drivers. He talked about his new baby and how he was afraid he would not have enough to take care of her.

I asked him if I could share a story about my wife’s grandmother who truly could relate to his difficulties. I told him about the God who provided apples, flour, and milk for her during the Great Depression. He listened carefully, hearing for the first time something about the living God. Then I thought my story was a little too foreign. So I told him another one about a Cambodian friend who had given away his last bag of rice, only to discover a chain of gold out in a deserted field.

The man, whose name was Jiuh Jee, was impressed. I asked him, “Would you like to learn more about this God? He was eager to. Since I was leaving soon, I wanted to know where he lived so I could bring a church planter to give Bible studies to him. The next day I introduced them.

Nine months later I had the privilege of returning to join some evangelistic meetings. To my excitement, on the final day I saw Jiuh Jee climb into the baptismal tank and receive Jesus as His Savior.

God loved Jiuh Jee so much, He found a way to use a worn out and selfish missionary. God can use any of us if we will let Him. My story also illustrates a simple flow for witnessing that is comfortable and natural for most people.

1. LISTEN Ask about their families, hobbies, education, career, future plans, health, or anything you can find that matters to them. Listening communicates that you value and respect them. It gives you the information you need to really care and help.

You do not need to be an expert in their religion to witness to them. Just casually learn about their personal beliefs and values. “What religion did you grow up in?” “What do you still practice from that upbringing?”

Once you know their beliefs, interests, and needs you will know better which specific pieces of God’s good news you should focus on to best help them.

2. AFFIRM SIMILARITIES Even though we usually think of our differences, Bible-believing Christians have much in common with people of other religions. When we affirm those similarities we draw our hearts together.

16

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

YOU CAN

Visit our website to explore the Gospel more deeply in light of our witness to world religions.



ReachtheWorldNextDoor.com

Beyond these simple steps there is much more to learn regarding how to lovingly and tactfully share CHRIST with Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, and others.

Jiuh Jee on his baptism day.

In our eagerness to speak about our unique differences, we may fail to recognize the prejudices that many people of other world religions have towards Christianity. They may feel Christianity is less spiritual and less moral than their own religion because they associate it with the “Christian” West’s aggressive politics, materialistic lifestyles, and immoral Hollywood movies. If they can see their own values in us and hear us affirm the good we have in common, they will be more ready to hear the new special truths we share.

3. SHARE DIFFERENCES THROUGH STORIES Most people want to avoid conflict and so they do not want to talk about religious differences. However, we must not stay silent about the essential differences we have with other world religions, especially regarding salvation and God’s true nature and character. The best way to do this is through a story.

Scatter the seeds of truth lightly and frequently. Tell stories about what God has done for you and stories from the Bible. Be enthusiastic. Be sincere. Pray much and the truths will never be forgotten.

4. INVITE TO A NEW EXPERIENCE Our effectiveness in sharing will increase if we invite our friend to try something related to what we have talked about. For example: • “May I pray for your troubled teenager?”

• “You said your wife is ready to divorce you. Each time before you see her, would you read this scripture that has helped many marriages?” (Ephesians 5:28).

• “We’re going to the park this Saturday afternoon to spend time as a family. Would you like to join us and experience a special stress-reliever we call Sabbath Rest?”

Pray much. Expect God to move powerfully. Share in faith, trusting God to love the people through you. Jesus is coming soon! He very much wants each person to be with Him for eternity. Surely He will work through you. Together let’s Reach the World—A.S.A.P.!

PRAY FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE Dear Lord, Please give me opportunities to listen to others and share testimonies with them. May Your Spirit guide me and others to those who are seeking You.

17

My Name is Abundance

Every child should have a chance for the truly abundant life.

A Cambodian lady turned the meatballs over and over on her little portable charcoal pit. She did those movements so many times she could do it in her sleep. But her mind was not turning meatballs. Her mind was turning over and over her worries about her youngest son, Vibol.

Why had she named him Vibol? Every time someone said Vibol it felt like they were mocking her.

Vibol means abundance. “Abundance, abundance,” she mused. “That’s what I had hoped he could have.

Our lives are anything but abundance. My husband’s an alcoholic. I can hardly remember when he last had a job. And these meatballs, they make me just enough to buy some rice and keep us in our hut.”

She worried most about Vibol because he was the youngest of her two boys and the naughtiest.

The neighbors said he was running around with a local gang. She hoped it was not true. All she knew was that she could never get him to do anything at home. He would not help her form the meatballs or roast them. He would not sweep the dirt floor or wash clothes. He was always running out the door to play games with his friends or maybe worse. “I guess with a dad like his I can hardly expect better. I just wish he could go to school. Maybe some day, if I can save enough.”

One day Vibol wandered by a small building with a tall sheet metal wall. He heard children laughing and playing inside. “That sounds fun,” he thought. “I wonder if I can go in?” He peeked through the door.

18

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32

All the children inside were wearing crisp red and white uniforms. That was different from what he had seen at the government schools. They were blue and white.

A guard asked him what he wanted. He pulled back, afraid. The guard smiled. He could tell Vibol was poor and not likely in school. “Would you like to go to school like these children?” Vibol was too surprised to answer. He finally nodded his head.

The kind guard brought him to the head teacher. She told him about the school and the best part—that it was free. Then he saw the kids lining up for lunch. They got food too. Before he knew it the teacher was walking him to his home to talk with his mother.

Vibol’s mother was overjoyed when the teacher offered to register him for school. “Was this really happening? A private school offering free education for her son?” The next morning Vibol woke up early. He put on the uniform the teacher had given him. The shirt was so white! The red shorts fit him perfectly. He went off to the school, excited for his first day. Everything went well. The teachers spoke kindly to him. The games were lively and fun. Vibol hardly noticed that he was way behind in school for his age. Other kids were too. Many of them had come from a similar background of poverty and hardship. They were eager to learn, just like him.

Vibol went day after day and learned more and more. The teachers did not just teach him to read, write, and calculate. They taught him from the Bible too. He liked the stories. He liked Jesus.

It was not long before his mother noticed the difference. “Mom, can I help you roast the meatballs?

You look tired Mom. Take a rest while I sweep up.” Even the neighbors noticed. Vibol was changing.

He loves to hear stories about Jesus and the miracles He performed. Every Sabbath he is at the nearby church singing and participating in the lesson. Life is so much better now.

His mom thinks she chose the right name for her son after all. “He’s learning so much. We may not ever have lots of money, but we have lots of love.” Vibol! An abundance.

Vibol is one of about 100 students at the Cambodia Feed and Read school which ASAP Ministries sponsors in Phnom Penh City.

YOU CAN

Sponsor a child for just $20 a month. Together let’s Reach the World, one child at a time—A.S.A.P.!

PRAY FOR THE ASAP SCHOOLS Dear Father, Thank You for being a good Father to the fatherless. Please help many more poor children have a chance to study and learn about You. Bless the ASAP schools and provide 19 for each student and his or her family.

I Dreamed the Oceans Dried Up If the desperately poor were sitting next to you, what would you do?

I dreamed a long, fitful dream. The wind blew and blew until it dried up all the oceans. We went to work and school as if nothing had changed. How could we know that India and Africa were now our neighbors? There was nothing between them and us any more.

A few days passed and in my dream I saw her face. I saw her as I left my half-eaten plate of food to get desert at the buffet. She pressed her little face against the restaurant’s window, staring, eyes wide. Was she really a child? Her face was so taut, her bones so frail, like something from last night’s news. I grabbed an apple and hurried out to find her, but she was already around the corner, drawn by the excited cries of other waifs who were crawling in and out of the restaurant’s dumpster. The older children hoisted up their treasures to share with their little brothers and sisters. A pizza crust, a melon rind, a fist-full of mashed potatoes.

I stared, unable to move, shocked by their hunger and our waste. Then my phone signaled its reminder—deep discount day at the mall. I had almost forgotten. I had quite list so I knew I needed to hurry. The mall was right across the way, but what was that out front? The water fountain was full of children splashing and swimming. Mothers were bathing. Their laughter bubbled up and flowed out towards me. It was like they had never seen running water before. Maybe they hadn’t. Men were gathering all they could into bottles and cartons. Why? Had they come from drought-stricken countries, where water for drinking, cooking, or bathing came from a single well miles away? Were they afraid this too might dry up soon?

I passed them slowly, trying to comprehend life without running water. As I walked into the mall, I saw a crowd, growing by the second, men, women, and children with rags covering their bony ribs. They seemed as dazed as I, wandering in and out of stores. Clerks stared, too shocked to know what to do.

I stumbled over a stooped, gray-haired grandma. She was gazing into a store filled with rows of books. I mumbled an apology, then glanced again. Was that a look of longing in her tired eyes? Had she never learned to read? Did she feel that life had passed her by?

Are you AWAKE TO

THE NEEDS OF THE POOR in

Southeast Asia?

20

“The Lord provides for the widow and the fatherless not by a miracle in sending manna from heaven, not by sending ravens to bring them food; but by a miracle upon human hearts, expelling selfishness, and unsealing the fountains of Christ-like love.” Ministry of Healing, page 202

In front of me a man stood transfixed by a huge television proudly displayed at the front of an electronics store. He reached his thin arm to touch the screen as if he thought the images were real.

Surely the price tag made no sense to him. Had he ever made that much even in four or five years? I watched him stiffly lower his body to the ground. His eyes never left the many wonders on the screen.

I had to sit down. My thoughts raced. Why him and not me? Was I more clever at business? More industrious in my trade? Or was it simply where he and I happened to be born. These were new questions and thoughts. My mind began to ache. I covered my face with my hands. I wanted to sleep and have it all go away. Is that how these people had felt all their lives?

My questions were interrupted by a grunting and shuffling sound. I opened my eyes and saw a woman moving herself across the ground. She stretched her hands forward, then pulled herself up, next dragged her feet close to her body. Like an inchworm she was working her way towards somewhere.

Was it polio that had maimed those legs? Polio had been eradicated from my country for years. Was there no clinic in her village to immunize her as a girl? And where was she going? The popcorn stand!

She stuffed the popcorn into her mouth right off the ground. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I fumbled for change in my pocket. I wanted to get her a fresh, clean bag and a cool bottle of water. But my pajamas had no pockets. My money was at home. Was this a dream? A nightmare? Or was it real?

Again, I covered my face. Sobs shook my body. And then I woke up. My pillow was wet with tears. It was just a dream. The oceans had not dried up after all. Or had they? Had the distance, the separation between the poor and myself dried up in my mind? Were these precious people now my nearby neighbors? Were their heartaches now my concerns? Only the new day would show if I had truly awakened.

Recently a young girl after watching a podcast said, “Maybe we should eat two meals instead of three so we can send the money to those children on the streets.”

I was so touched by that. In North America we don’t often have to suffer for our faith like our workers do. But there are sacrifices we can make in order to see God’s work go forward.

YOU CAN

Give $35 for project #406 in the Priceless Gift Catalog and you will give food (God’s practical love) to widows and their children during their most vulnerable times of need.

PRAY FOR THE POOR Dear Jesus, Thank You for identifying Yourself as the Least of These. Please open our eyes to the needs in this world and give us hearts to sacrifice so that we can help widows and orphans in loving, helpful ways.

21

So Thy’s Fire is Spreading God is calling you to tell His stories wherever you live!

Church planter So Thy (pronounced so tee) is naturally shy, but you would not know it. God has helped him to become a friendly witness in the Cambodian village of Preak Liuhp. About three years ago So Thy pushed himself to go door to door. He could hear what sounded like a fight in one hut. A woman’s highpitched voiced droned on and on. Every once in a while you could hear a man shout out his opinion. The neighbors warned So Thy to stay away from this house.

That just motivated So Thy to go see them. On his first visit he learned the lady had terrible pains in her stomach. “I can’t afford to go to the hospital, but it hurts so bad.” The husband had a cough and complained that he didn’t have enough money to do anything about it. So Thy listened sympathetically.

On the next visit he asked them if he could pray for God to help them get better. Then he pulled out a Bible study and told them a story. “If you really want to be healed,” he told them, “you must study these lessons one hour a week.” They looked surprised. He went on to say, “The best thing you can do is to stop drinking and gambling. Try it for one week.”

Did he really believe they would stop? He was praying hard. To his surprise, the next week they said, “We really do feel better! We only gambled a little and drank a whole lot less.”

So Thy invited them to church and once again was surprised when they showed up and kept coming. Everyone in the church befriended them. Soon they were asking So Thy if they could go door-to-door with him. Can you imagine what the neighbors thought as they saw the power of God changing this family?

So Thy loves to help the poor. Recently he met a fifteen-year-old girl named Srey Leap who could not read or write. She heard So Thy reading the Bible and said, “I want to read that wonderful book too!”

He said, “Come, let me teach you!” But the Bible was hard for her. Then he pulled out the new Disciples of Jesus lessons that he received at the ASAP Ministries church planter training. Paragraph by paragraph he had her repeat after him.

He earnestly prayed for her and with her. In three months Srey Leap could read. Somebody saw her carrying a Bible and said, “What are you doing with that book? You can’t read.”

She smiled and said, “Yes, I can read now. Let me show you!” Now her friends want to learn how to read too. About eight of them come with her to learn. She knows how to teach using the Disciples of Jesus lessons. Each lesson is based on just one story of Jesus and has a picture book so that even an illiterate person can share them.

So Thy was so excited to see Srey Leap pass on the Good News. He said, “I love these lessons! The people are excited to learn from them. They say, ‘Hey these pictures look like Cambodians!’”

He continued, “I can share them with adults. I can use them to teach children. At first the people do not think my stories are true, but when they see the pictures, they really start to believe! This book should be flying everywhere. I have only one. I need ten more books right away!”

That’s what Jesus asked us all to do. Go therefore into all the world and make disciples. He is calling you to tell His stories wherever you live right now. He is asking you to watch for struggling people like that fighting couple and Srey Leap. He wants you to take young people with you and train them up to reach out and share Jesus. Together we can Reach the World—A.S.A.P.!

22

“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” Daniel 12:3

YOU CAN

YOU CAN

National missionaries like So Thy are one of the best ways to use our offerings to finish the work. $160 per month is all it takes.

Help produce one colorful set of Disciples with Jesus. It only costs $3 and will touch many from village to village.

WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN THE ASAP FAMILY

PRAY

Become an online prayer partner and receive monthly prayer points.

GIVE

Check out ASAP’s Dynamic Giving Opportunities Online.

GO

Reach the World Next Door!

Want to learn more?

Contact ASAP today!

asapministries.org 

1-866-365-3541

PRAY FOR THE SPREAD OF LITERATURE Dear Heavenly Father, Please help the literature to spread throughout Asia and my community like the leaves of autumn. Give the ASAP missionaries and me the confidence we need to do our part.

23

PHOTO CREDITS James Haines-Young, p. 5, A.J. O’Carey, Scott Griswold

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Bruce Bauer, Judy Aitken, Peter Van Bemmelen, Christopher Carmen, Steve Chang, Chan Sun and Esther Hwang, Denzil McNeilus, Mary Ann McNeilus, Byron and Carol Reynolds, Tom Evans, and Trudi Starlin.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey EDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Scott Griswold COPY EDITOR Wayne Labins DESIGN/LAYOUT Sarah Lee www.ambientlightstudios.com

P

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

for the safety of God’s workers.

*Where needed names have been changed and photos blurred

TOLL FREE 1-866-365-3541 PHONE 269-471-3026 FAX 269-471-3034 EMAIL office@asapministries.org WEB www.asapministries.org

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI PERMIT NO. 42

PAID

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

DO YOU ENJOY THESE STORIES? Email: office@asapministries.org and ask to receive a weekly email link to fresh mission podcasts.

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

ASAP Ministries 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 choose is fully funded, ASAP will use your gift for a similar project or where most needed to help spread the gospel and ease suffering in the countries ASAP operates. Because ASAP is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible.

24