2021 1st Quarter Newsletter by ASAP Ministries

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

FIRST QUARTER 2021

REACH THE

WORLD

ASAP

Pray for Myanmar!

Pray for Myanmar! BY JULIA O’CAREY

ave you worked out spiritually lately? The Lord encourages us to carry each other’s burdens, and in this way we fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).

I hope that your spiritual muscles are strong enough to handle the heavy burden that I am asking you to help carry for our brothers and sisters in Myanmar (Burma). You have most likely heard about the coup there that started on February 1 when Myanmar’s military seized power after detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and other democratically elected leaders. As I write this, the country remains in chaos, and innocent people are suffering daily in a multitude of ways, including losing their lives in pursuit of freedom and peace.

This is not just another news blip to us at ASAP Ministries. It is personal. Take, for example, ASAP’s Field Relations Coordinator, Pr. Benjamin Kip. He writes: I jolted out of bed at 2 a.m. in the morning. My sister’s voice whispered on the phone, “Ben, they are on the roof! What should I do?” “Who is on the roof?” I asked as my heart beat wildly. “I don’t know, but they are yelling and shining a

flashlight back and forth in the windows to see if anyone is moving inside. I’m so scared.” As a brother, though thousands of miles away, I went right into action. “Go find mom and stay with her and just quietly pray and listen. I’ll stay on the phone with you.” For the next two hours, I claimed Bible verses and prayed with my dear mother and sister to help calm their hearts. Thankfully, God heard our prayers and the men did not make it into the house that night. Later, I read in the news that the military released 23,000 criminals with payment and instructions to go wreak havoc in the towns and villages. These criminals have been looting, setting homes on fire, killing randomly, and ultimately terrifying innocent people. How can I sleep at night, knowing my mother and sister are in this state of uncertainty? What I decided to do is start a daily live prayer session on Facebook and Zoom. I’m joining our refugee leaders and believers from around the world. I believe Heaven’s General will send forth thousands of army angels to help my people. Also, the ASAP staff are praying daily for my people. It really touches my heart to hear them pray with so much fervency. Please join us! My people need your prayers. Pr. Jonathan,* president of a Seventh-day Adventist Mission in Myanmar, also implores us to pray for his country. He recently wrote, “The situation in my country is getting worse and is very unpredictable. People feel like they are holding the tiger’s tail. If they don’t kill the tiger, the tiger will kill them.

There’s no choice, do or die! This is the reality people in Myanmar face today.” He went on to describe how hard it is to function with the banks closed, food prices skyrocketing, internet shut down for long periods of time, travel forbidden, schools and churches closed, etc. Dr. Lin,* one of ASAP’s field supervisors, posted on Facebook a sympathetic invitation for anyone needing medical care to contact her. The hospitals and other institutions have closed because the medical professionals are on strike. This is a great opportunity for her and the ASAP medical missionaries she supervises to be God’s hands and feet to help those in need. Pray for safety and courage for them as they care for those God sends them. On Monday, February 22, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres spoke out against what is happening in Myanmar. “We see the undermining of democracy, the use of brutal force, arbitrary arrests, repression in all its manifestations. Restrictions of civic space. Attacks on civil society. Today, I call on the Myanmar military to stop the repression immediately. Release the prisoners. End the violence. Respect human rights, and the will of the people expressed in recent elections.”1 This horrific activity is not new in Myanmar. Ethnic and religious minority groups have been mistreated for the past 70 years. Just this past January, on the border between Myanmar and Thailand, 4,000 Karen had to grab what few essentials they could carry and flee deeper into the forest for safety from the military strikes targeting their villages. Even more recently, another 2,000 Karen had to flee. 3

Among them were twelve Adventist families from two small church groups and the families from an ASAP-supported school. They plan to continue studying under the trees. We received a precious video of students singing and praising the Lord on Sabbath despite the sound of bombs exploding in the distance. I think as they keep their minds on God’s promises, their hearts resonate with John 16:33. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have

tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Now, more than ever before, the 54 million people in Myanmar need your prayers. They are suffering injustice and many have yet to hear the Good News of salvation. 1. U.N. chief Guterres tells Myanmar military: “Stop the repression.” (2021, February 22). Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/ us-myanmar-politics-un-idCAKBN2AM0PB1

The Major and the Missionary as told by Elizabeth Daw*

One Sabbath evening as we prepared for a juice fasting and prayer session, a colleague called to inform us that he would be bringing some special guests. They came for a purpose, and we welcomed them warmly and offered a cup of carrot juice to each of them. We had a nice chat with one of them, in particular. He is a major general in the military, in charge of 200 soldiers. I met him a second time with his wife at a colleague’s birthday celebration. Strangely, he sang a beautiful Christian song on that evening, though he is a faithful Buddhist. I met him for the third time when he invited my colleagues and me to visit his military base, a onehour drive away. He prepared some good quality fruit for us and entertained us nicely. I had a chance to pray and bless him and his fellows. After that he gave a tour of the base and showed us the pagoda he and his wife had sponsored. We visited his paddy field, chicken farm, dairy farm, and vegetable garden. I was praying about how I could share the truth, as I had purposely brought some books with me. Before we left, we took pictures and visited the army library, and he asked me to select a book to take. In return, I gave him the book Counsels on Diet and Foods, by Ellen White, as I noticed his interest in health. While we walked and chatted , I asked him, “Major, how come you sang that Christian song so well, and how are you familiar with Christians?” He explained 4

that he was taught by the Chin Christian young men while he was stationed in Upper Myanmar. He confessed that whenever he sang Christian songs he felt peace in his heart. We said goodbye and left the army compound. As protests against the military coup erupted across Myanmar, I, too, was unhappy about it and posted “Love does not like injustice” on my Facebook page. The next morning, the major called me and asked how I was doing. He expressed his feelings as a soldier, wanting me to understand him. I told him according to Christ, we should love even our enemies, and we will be friends forever. Later, I texted him about the great controversy between Christ and Satan. I told him that although we are different, all of us are choosing our leader, either God or Satan. I thought of how he felt as a soldier, having been brainwashed for years and years. But I am glad that I have sowed good seeds in his heart, and I hope that one day they will grow. Please remember him and his wife in your prayers.

Greatest Needs Funds Bring Healing in Myanmar BY LAURA HOKANSON AND BRENDA KIŠ

ach year, faithful donors sponsor ASAP missionaries who spread the gospel

through acts of service. However, the work is so great that often there are missionaries who do not get sponsored. Praise God for the Greatest Needs Fund, which ensures that unsponsored ASAP missionaries receive the funding they need to carry out their ministry. Last year, some medical missionaries in Myanmar were supported by Greatest Needs funds. Stories like the following are the blessed result. “Ouch! Help!” A female road worker was breaking up stones with a hammer when a tiny fragment shot into her eye. Quickly her coworker brought her to the ASAP medical missionary in the village. Gathering his team around the woman, they prayed. After the prayer, one of the team members plucked a hair from the woman’s head and used it to remove the stone! Both women, moved by the effective treatment and compassionate prayer, began taking Bible studies. Another man in their community was relieved of his back pain after the ASAP medical missionary administered massage. His recovery was so dramatic that he asked the missionary to teach him how to administer massage also. Soon he began taking Bible studies. Now, he and his wife are learning to follow Jesus. In another part of Myanmar, a man with lung cancer had spent all his money on doctors and extended hospital stays. Finally, he was told that he would not recover and was sent home to await his final

Prayer is the vital force of medical missionary work. days. An ASAP medical missionary heard of his case and visited him. Immediately, the missionary began natural treatments and taught the family how to care for him each day. After one month of these treatments, he recovered, was eating well, and began working again without pain! The miracle paved the way for further health evangelism in this city. Prayer is the vital force of medical missionary work. “I cannot do this work alone,” one missionary explained. “Every day I pray and wait to hear from God.” One day a pastor asked her to go with him to see a woman with breast cancer. While en route she prayed for wisdom to help the lady. When they arrived, God brought to her mind specific natural treatments to help the sick woman. At first, the lady was in so much pain she could not walk. After six weeks of the treatments she was able to go to her field to work! The pastor continues to visit this lady whose heart is now open to hearing the Word of Life. Medical missionary work is opening doors for the gospel all over Myanmar. Your gift to Greatest Needs enables this work to continue. 5

Broken Pipes and New Missionaries BY PR. SCOTT GRISWOLD

“Y

ou’re sleeping in your car?” I couldn’t believe it. Phaly, his wife, Kak, and son, Chris, had no water or heat in their house, and it was super cold. Soon we learned that around four million Texans

were facing the same, ill prepared for eight days of freezing weather. “You can stay at Jose’s house,” I told Phaly. “Lynetta’s already there. You have a church family now, you know.” Phaly, from Laos, and Lynetta, from Cambodia, were just baptized on January 9, 2021. For three and a half years, volunteers with Reach the World Next Door have been helping rebuild the community in Rosharon after Hurricane Harvey. Phaly and Lynetta are the first fruits of those caring actions. Phaly became interested in learning about God by seeing wave after wave of Christians help his community. Two volunteers regularly helped Lynetta with her health challenges. Eventually, several of us had the privilege of spending many

hours telling Bible stories and sharing the three angels’ messages with both of them. “We’re okay,” said Phaly. He’s been through worse things. About 12 years ago, when he felt his life was at risk, he fled Laos. Two daughters had to be left with grandmothers. Since then he’s eked out a living, growing water spinach in a couple of greenhouses. I’ve never heard him complain, so it didn’t surprise me that he was making do. “The pipes under our mobile home are all busted,” Phaly added. “I can’t find any plumbing supplies at

Home Depot.” We began contacting other friends in Rosharon. Nobody had power, and everyone had broken pipes. That’s why the shelves were empty. As the cold continued, we wondered if we would be able to meet on Sabbath since our small group worships in an unfinished, though nice looking shed on Lynetta’s property. Jose, the member who now leads this church plant, told us to come with heaters and coats. After lunch we got ready to go out with a stack of blankets to see how the neighbors were doing. We had prepared a card with QR codes of MyLanguageMyLife.com in English, Spanish, Cambodian, and Laotian. On the back side was an invitation to attend Wednesday Bible studies at Phaly’s house and church at Lynetta’s. I smiled to think how similar this was to the description of the early churches, in the book of Acts, meeting in members’ homes. Phaly didn’t think he could go out with us. His water still wasn’t running and his wife was eager for him to finish. Kak comes from a strong Buddhist background and is studying the Bible, also preparing to be baptized. One of the church members quickly pitched in to help Phaly while the rest of us headed out. An hour later we were back together. The report focused mostly on Lynetta, as she described an elderly couple who still had no water and desperately needed help. Where could we find supplies?

We put out the word to our local church. Over the next two days the exact parts needed came together. On Wednesday, I joined Phaly and two others under the couple’s house. Before dark they were wearing big smiles as the water flowed freely in their little house. I think my smile was even bigger. I was thrilled to see Phaly and Lynetta serving their own community. As we gathered for our Bible study, we laid a plan for them to practice telling the Bible stories each Wednesday night and Sabbath morning. No longer will they be just students. Though brand new members, they are becoming missionaries. And who knows where God will take them. The week of his baptism, Phaly said, “I have to go back to visit Laos. There are so many people who need to hear the good news.” You, too, can be part of sharing the gospel across cultures. Open your friendship circle to those in your area from other backgrounds who need to be included in the family of God. Visit adventistlearningcommunity.com/ courses/rwnd to learn how to facilitate a small outreach group like the one that has impacted Rosharon. H Opposite: Phaly and Lynetta (front row, middle) were baptized after three and a half years of caring service by Reach the World Next Door volunteers in the immigrant community of Rosharon. G Below: (Left to right) Phaly is learning to share Bible stories with the Rosharon small group; the group meets in an unfinished shed on one of the member's property; Pr. Scott, Phaly, and other volunteers helped Rosharon residents following a recent winter storm.

You, too, can be part of sharing the gospel across cultures. Open your friendship circle to those in your area from other backgrounds who need to be included in the family of God. 7

Your Gifts in Action BY JOHN PRESS

t ASAP, we love sharing new mission opportunities through our publications, Mission Matters videos, and social media platforms. But do you know what’s even better? Sharing how God

has blessed and provided for these projects through people like you! We hope you will receive a blessing, too, as you read about the impact of your prayers and gifts on four recently highlighted projects.

A Transformation for the Thma Koul Literacy School Students at the Thma Koul Literacy School near Battambang, Cambodia, could not attend classes during heavy rains because the building’s lower level was open to the elements. In addition, the teachers’ living quarters consisted of a broken-down shack behind the school. Through the generosity of ASAP donors, newly constructed walls now keep the students dry during rainstorms. And Bun Leng and his wife, Chom Vanna, the school’s founders and head teachers, have a beautiful new little home.

Bibles for New Believers in Myanmar & Thailand

This school year, the staff of the Mu Aye Bu School rejoiced over the baptisms of several of their students. This 12-grade school on the Thai-Myanmar border sees an average of 15-20 baptisms per year. The 28 schools ASAP supports in this area not only provide an education to displaced Karen children, they are also soulwinning centers of influence. Thanks to ASAP donors, every baptized student receives a new Karen Bible to help them continue growing in their faith!

Goats for Struggling Families in Laos Pr. Jeremiah,* an ASAP field supervisor, had an idea to assist poor church members in Laos. In 2020, your donations helped bring it to life! Ten families received goats, shelter building materials, and training to start their own small businesses. Now, each time the goats give birth, the families pass the adult goats to a new family in need, and the process begins again. The income from their new businesses enables them to support the church with their tithes, send their children to school, and provide for other necessities. “You cannot imagine how happy they are!” reports Pr. Jeremiah.

Good News for the Vietnamese

Last spring, Peace & Happiness Ministry launched a new 24/7 Vietnamese television channel and online broadcast. A Vietnamese Adventist congregation in southern California pledged one-third of the first year’s operating costs, and through you, God provided the remaining two-thirds in just two months! The broadcast is already expanding to several new platforms and markets, reaching hearts across the globe. “I used to turn on the TV when I got home from work to watch movies or dramas until I went to bed,” shares one viewer. “Now, all I watch is your Peace & Happiness television broadcast. Peace reigns in my heart, and my life has meaning! I am so grateful for this.”

Losing All, Gaining Christ BY JOHN PRESS

havanh Meang* knew his decision to follow Christ would prove costly. He needed to look no further than the man who had given him Bible studies by phone, the late ASAP church planter Ste-

phen Thid,* to know what could happen to Christians in the closed country where he lives. The communist authorities had arrested and imprisoned Pr. Stephen multiple times. But Chavanh was the chief of his village. Perhaps they would treat him less harshly.

However, shortly after Chavanh’s conversion, the district authorities made it clear that this province would not tolerate the presence of Christians. Once a bastion of the communist party’s military operations, it was also a stronghold of the devil. In Chavanh’s village alone, more than half of the 80 households sheltered active shamans. They, too, feared the loss of their influence and livelihood if Chavanh’s strange new beliefs gained an audience in the village. So, they conspired against him with the local police, who arrested him and put him in jail. “They gave me two choices,” recalls Chavanh. “Give up Christianity, or give up my position as village chief. So, I gave up my position.” But although he had lost his title, his reputation, and his freedom, he did not lose his faith. After he was released from prison, Chavanh gained a new title: ASAP missionary. Despite the presence of so many shamans, the people in his village could not find relief from the illnesses and demonic manifestations that tormented them. The shamans often charged them as much as 10,000 baht (about $320 U.S. dollars) to perform ceremonies that had no effect. “It was too much for them,” explains Chavanh. “So many wanted to be free from this heavy burden.”

Finally, one brave little grandma in the village had had enough. She was very sick, and her own son, a shaman, had demanded that she buy him opium before he would perform a healing ceremony. Instead, she secretly sought out Chavanh and asked him to pray for her. He did, and she was healed. Word of Chavanh’s prayer and the woman’s healing spread rapidly through the village. One by one, more villagers began visiting their former chief to request prayer. “God is very powerful,” says Chavanh, “Most of the people were sick, and they were healed by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Others who were demon possessed also experienced deliverance when Chavanh prayed for them. Within three years of his conversion, the number of villagers joining Chavanh for worship every Sabbath swelled to more than 100. He and another ASAP missionary, Nath Xiong,* who completed youth evangelist training at ASAP’s training center in Thailand, began sharing the gospel in neighboring villages. Recently, 97 people were baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church as a result of their labors. Because Chavanh was willing to lose all, his village has gained Christ.

Meet Pr. Robert Benjamin, ASAP’s New Director of Operations

Please join us in welcoming Pr. Robert Benjamin to the ASAP family as Director of Operations! With his business and ministry background, his experience working with international students, and his passion for evangelism, we are excited about how God is going to use him in this new role. We praise the Lord for sending the office support staff we need, while some current staff have shifted roles. Visit the Meet the Staff page on our website, asapministries.org, to learn more.

In Gratitude IN HONOR OF ABBY & OLIVIA PAGE, by Zachary & Leah Page AIDAN MARTELL, by Todd & Axa Martell | AUTUMN NGUYEN CLARK, by Thu & Randy Clark | BIRTHDAY, by Troy Hart | BYRON & CAROL REYNOLDS, by Johanna Vital | CHARLOTTE PARK, by Jake & Monica Park DEANNA KLEYPAS, by Alana Pierson | GABE & EMERY OH, by Monica Park | MATHRI AND GEORGE, by Mike Raj | QUINCY & MARLO CHOI, by Monica Park ROBIN & BONNIE ROGERS, by Rachel Perry | SULTAN FAMILY, by Charles Neels and Cornelius & Kathrin Stam | SHELBY, ZAILEY, AND IYANA ADAMS, by Laura Fuller

IN MEMORY OF BONNIE LLOYD, by Harry Lloyd | CAROL STICKLE, by John & Teresa Reeve | CHARLES MYERS, JR., CONNIE JACKSON ARNOLD, JANET HALL, AND RON MITCHELLE, by James & Judith Culpepper | COLIN STANDISH, by Kahn Ellmers | DONNIE C. POOLE, by Wanda Poole | DR. RONALD VAN ARSDELL, by Kent & Joan Van Arsdell | E. JENICKE AND J. KRAVIG, by Sandra Monette | EMILY SMITH (MOM), by Douglas & Melody Wheeler | HARTLAND PIATT, by Arnold Clapp JAMES CRUISE, MD, by Carol Cruise | JUDY AITKEN, by Debbie Montcalm, Pr. Elroy Tesch, Jr., James & Marilene Watson, Joseph & Susan Chhuth, Kit Watts, Louis Michel, Robert & Sharon Westcott | LINDA FINLAYSON, by Ken & Angela Finlayson | LISA GANNAGAN, OUR DAUGHTER, by Richard & Diana Bauer NORTON RITTER, MD, by Lois Ritchie-Ritter | SAGE, by Tara Wilson IN THANKFULNESS FOR GOD’S BLESSINGS, FAITHFULNESS, LOVING PROTECTION, MERCIES, by Todd & Axa Martell, Jonathan & Patricia Barfield, and Gemalli Austin | JESUS IN HEAVEN, by Robin & Bonnie Rogers | LORD JESUS FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW, by Walter Petts LUKE & ANDIE ANDERSON, by Howard & Kathy Anderson | LYNNE JOHNSON, by David Winkler MOTHER, by Thomas & Jennifer Ish | MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN, by Bonnie Ready | RWND HOUSTON/TRAINING LESSONS BY PR. SCOTT GRISWOLD, by Judy Kitavi | THE PRAYER JOURNAL THAT I RECEIVED FROM ASAP, by Tracy Ishii | TIM & PATSY SEIDENSTRICKER, by Brian Boyle 11

E Above: (Left) When the Isensees van broke down, God sent Leon Weber to the rescue. (Right) Lisa and Victoria Isensee, Lesa Budd, and Mary Weber.

An F-150 and a Thunderstorm BY PR. LISA ISENSEE

his past August, ASAP volunteer ambassador, Lesa Budd, my 11-year-old daughter Victoria, and I set off on a seven-state ASAP awareness tour. It all started out smoothly, God blessing amaz-

ingly. However, things took an abrupt turn when our van broke down in 100-degree heat near Yates Center, Kansas. That’s when God sent Leon Weber home early from work.

Not long after we pulled off the interstate, Leon pulled over ready to help. Realizing that we couldn’t drive farther, and concerned about the dangerous afternoon heat, Leon called his wife, Mary. “Babe, can you bring our pickup out here so these ladies can sit in the air conditioning?”

what…” A silent communication passed between Mary and Leon. “You can take our vehicle.” I was overwhelmed. “We’ll get a rental and bring yours right back,” I promised. But that was not what they had in mind. “No need. You just use this vehicle for the rest of your trip,” they insisted.

A few minutes later, Mary pulled up in their 2019 Ford F-150. We got inside, then spent hours finding a tow truck and mechanic. Now what we really needed was a rental car. “You won’t find anything until Topeka,” Leon informed us. “But tell you

Touched by the kindness of this Catholic couple to total strangers like us, we wondered how we could show our gratitude. Before we left, Lesa asked, “Leon, how can we pray for you?” He thought for a second. “The farmers in Eastern Kansas really need

rain.” Bowing our heads, Lesa led in a beautiful prayer, trusting God to bless Leon and Mary as they had blessed us. Our faith strengthened in the midst of difficulty, we continued our journey, praising and thanking God. Yet as we drove along, Lesa’s voice rose periodically from the passenger seat, confident as she prayed, “Lord, there’s only heat in the forecast, but we know You can send rain.” The next morning, I awoke early. Yawning, I spotted Lesa under the covers with her phone. “Hey, look at this!” she exclaimed. Across all of eastern Kansas, the weather had entirely changed. It was a miracle! Within hours, rain began to pour from the heavens. It took six days to fix our broken-down van. While waiting, we’d driven the Weber’s truck about 500 miles, owing $250 for mileage alone, I figured. But Leon and Mary refused to accept any talk of money. So, instead, we took them to supper to say thank you.

E It had been a hot, dry summer in eastern Kansas, with no end in sight, but prayer changed the forecast!

Near the end of the meal, Leon leaned across the table, and grinned. “What did you think about the rain!? Can you believe it?” “Leon and Mary,” Lesa replied, “God did that for you.” As we talked, we learned that a beloved priest from Burma (Myanmar) had once served in Leon and Mary’s parish for many years. So, they already had a connection with Southeast Asia. Before we parted, they pressed something toward me. “We want to help with your mission,” they explained. It was a check for $250.

It was a miracle! Within hours, rain began to pour from the heavens.

Multiply the Weber’s Gift to Help the Vietnamese Feed & Read School

Leon and Mary’s gift helped the children of the Vietnamese Feed & Read School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Since many of these children come from poor families and do not hold Cambodian citizenship, they cannot attend the government schools. Without an education, they are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking. The Feed & Read School provides them with a free, quality education, a warm, nourishing lunch daily, and introduces them to Jesus through Bible stories and Christian songs. Multiply the Weber’s love gift by giving one of your own to bless these precious children!

Entertaining Strangers BY JOHN PRESS

n all her years of hosting international students, Gretchen Wagner* had never met anyone quite like Nhu.* A well-educated woman with a prominent position at a prestigious university in Vietnam, Nhu first

appeared on the Wagner’s doorstep ten years ago, bringing her 15-yearold daughter, Anh,* to live with them while she attended the local Seventh-day Adventist academy.

To Gretchen’s surprise, Nhu moved in, too, making herself at home for three weeks! Her unannounced visits continued throughout the four years that Anh lived with the Wagners. Even after Anh graduated and moved in with another family while studying at a nearby university, whenever Nhu came to town, she always stayed at the Wagner’s house.

In March 2020, Nhu again appeared on the Wagner’s doorstep. She was in town on business and needed a place to stay for a couple of weeks. Two days after her arrival, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. With flights canceled and airports closed, Nhu could not return home. Gretchen, an English as a second language (ESL)

teacher, was already dealing with the sudden transition to teaching online, her daughter’s upcoming wedding, and an ailing father-in-law. It was an inconvenient time for an unexpected guest, but Nhu had nowhere else to go. This time, her stay at the Wagner’s house would extend much longer than usual. Gretchen and Nhu had developed a cordial relationship over the years. During her previous stays, Nhu had learned about the Wagner’s observance of the Sabbath and why they did not eat pork. However, she was reserved and generally consumed with her work, and though she wore a little gold Buddha necklace, Gretchen observed that Nhu was primarily a “cultural Buddhist.” She had shown little interest in Christianity to this point. Yet as the lockdown dragged on, the Holy Spirit gave Gretchen an idea. The next time she went to her office to collect some items she needed for a class, she also grabbed an English-Vietnamese dictionary and Vietnamese translations of the Bible, Steps to Christ, and The Desire of Ages. She had obtained the latter three books from ASAP’s Southeast Asian Language (SAL) Library for some Vietnamese students in her ESL classes. However, the books had sat unread on a shelf in Gretchen’s office for more than three years. Now, she began to watch and pray for an opportunity to share them with Nhu. One day, Gretchen noticed Nhu sitting with an open book in her hands. “What are you reading?” she asked. “It’s my bible,” Nhu explained, referring to the teachings of Buddha, rather than the Word of God. Quickly retrieving the books she had brought from her office, Gretchen returned and presented them to Nhu. A huge smile spread across Nhu’s face. “Oh! A Bible! I want to read this!” she exclaimed. In the days that followed, Nhu immersed herself in Scripture. She finished reading the New Testament in two weeks. Halfway through the Old Testament, she started reading Steps to Christ and The Desire of Ages, finishing both books in a month-and-a-half. Nhu already believed in the supernatural and the existence of a deity who was somehow interacting with humanity. Now, she began asking Gretchen questions about what she was reading – especially about God. “I’m going to finish the Bible before I leave,” Nhu told Gretchen. “No, I’ll take it with me. I want to go back and read it more slowly so I can understand it

better.” True to her word, when Nhu finally returned home, after living with the Wagners for four months, the Vietnamese Bible was packed securely in her suitcase. Gretchen, who was raised in another Protestant denomination and went through her own time of spiritual searching, is confident that God’s Word will have the same effect on Nhu’s life that it had on hers. “Reading the Bible convinced me not to become a Muslim. Reading the Bible convinced me to become a Seventh-day Adventist,” she explains. “If Nhu is reading the Bible…” Her voice trails off, but the implication is clear. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11, NKJV). *Pseudonym

Share the Gospel with Southeast Asians in Their Heart Language! Do you have a neighbor from Cambodia or Vietnam who doesn’t know Jesus? Are there Hmong, Karen, or Lao refugees living in your community who need to hear of God’s love for them? What about the local Thai restaurant you eat at? Is there someone there who is hungry for the gospel? ASAP’s Southeast Asian Language (SAL) Library contains Bibles, Spirit of Prophecy books, GLOW tracts, and other materials in every major language spoken in Southeast Asia. Call (269) 471-3026 or email office@asapministries.org to learn more about what sharing resources are available. 15

DOES PRAYER WORK? Join ASAP Ministries and the Stevensville Seventh-day Adventist Church for a special Spring Week of Prayer, April 12-17. Attend in person or via livestream to discover the power of prayer through Spirit-filled presentations and United Prayer sessions led by Gem Castor, ASAP Prayer Coordinator. Learn more at asapministries.org. ASAP Ministries is fueled by mission-minded, faithfilled individuals whom God impresses. Be assured that 100% of your gift goes 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 suffering where ASAP operates. Because ASAP is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible in the USA.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR John Press ASSOCIATE EDITOR/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey GRAPHIC DESIGNER Robert Mason PHOTO CREDITS Ruth Burn, Gem Castor, Pr. Kalu Hser, Anthony Isensee, Pr. Lisa Isensee, Pr. Jeremiah Thor,* Chanvicheak Ung, Elijah Win* BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Dean Coridan, Christopher Carmen, Steve Chang, Shirley Freed, Darryl Hosford, Chan and Esther Hwang, Curtis Letniak, Denzil McNeilus, Mary Ann McNeilus, Amy Montevilla, Julia O’Carey, John Press, Byron and Carol Reynolds, Trudi Starlin

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

ASAP serves people from the countries of Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Beyond! *At times, photos are blurred and names changed to protect the safety of God's workers.

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