ASAP Newsletter, March/April 2011

Men always ought to pray and not lose heart. luke 18:1

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects

JOIN US IN FASTING AND PRAYING FOR:  More

of the Holy Spirit

 Salvation

for the Lost

Hebrews 7:25  More Laborers Matthew 9:36-38  Swiftness in Spreading the Word 2 Thess. 3:1

Christ’s Way “In Christ the cry of humanity reached the Father of infinite pity. As a man He supplicated the throne of God till His humanity was charged with a heavenly current that should connect humanity with divinity. Through continual communion He received life from God, that He might impart life to the world. His experience is to be ours” Desire of Ages, page 363.

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hen ASAP medical missionary, Somphong and her husband Pastor Kunsavang, moved to Lampang, Thailand, they had no idea how they would accomplish the goal of reviving and growing a small, dying group of church members—ten in all—meeting in the home of a member. Today, there exists a thriving church, filled to the brim each Sabbath with loving, active members along with visitors. How did they accomplish this in a city known for their rich Buddhist culture?

The monumental task of church planting was tackled the way Jesus Christ approached the work of saving souls. “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, p. 143). Sompong and her husband combined the method of friendship evangelism with much prayer and then the Holy Spirit opened up multiple ways for them to connect with the people of Lampang.

DID YOU KNOW? ASAP needs YOUR prayers and gifts for medical missionaries.

Your gift of $30-$150 will save the suffering. GIFT #103

Sompong started volunteering in the local hospital and health centers. The patients quickly fell in love with her. Their health benefitted from the practical workshops she gave on the Eight Laws of Health. Her bright smile and upbeat Christian action songs won their hearts and they deemed her their top volunteer. As a result, she received an award from the King of Thailand for her outstanding service to the community. Sompong humbly accepted the award and writes, “Everything I was able to accomplish is because of the King of Kings! I can do nothing on my own. With the love of God and the power of prayer from our church members, I was encouraged to move forward.”

Sompong wanted to spread her practical knowledge after she received medical missionary training. She started up a vegetarian restaurant, but after eighteen months of operation, did not have the funds to continue operating.

Though it seemed like a failure to Sompong, God was working out His perfect plan all along. During that short time period, Sompong made many contacts with people who were

MARCH/APRIL 2011

Luke 11:13

Thoughts From: JUDY AITKEN ASAP DIRECTOR

I will never forget the day in 1973 when I answered a knock on my door and met Shayne. I’m sure I greeted this lovely stranger with a surprised, confused, and amazed look, for she said, “God directed me to you. He told me your street and even the house number!” Sharing a common love for Jesus, the Holy Spirit led us as we studied the Bible in the days that followed. Shayne was led to new truths in God’s Word and accepted the seventh day as Sabbath. I was led to a deeper appreciation of the blessings of fasting combined with prayer. Since then, I began to fast and pray and have experienced amazing results! For instance, I received a greater baptism of the Holy Spirit, assurance of forgiveness of sin, a deeper love for the Lord and the lost, a clear mind to discern God’s will, direct answers to prayers and direction for the ministry of ASAP. In this time so close to the Lord’s return, He is calling on His people to fast and pray as he instructed the Israelites. He promised in Isaiah 58:8-9, “Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer. You shall cry and the Lord will say, ‘Here I am’.”

I praise the Lord that I work with a staff who voluntarily commits to fasting and praying together every second and fourth Friday of each month. As many of the missionaries and leaders in the field, along with donors and partners join us, we are experiencing breakthroughs for the kingdom of God. I encourage you to combine prayer with some form of fasting (as you are able). By doing so, you will experience God’s power in your life and those for whom you intercede. Please intercede for ASAP and our missionaries who are in great need of the Holy Spirit and financial support at this time.

seeking a healthier lifestyle and took the time to nurture these friendships over the past five years. For instance, she grew close to one of her customers, Mrs. Wacharin, who had diabetes. She invited Sompong home and asked her to teach her how to cook healthful food. With the change in her diet, she started feeling much better. She even started attending church periodically.

One day Sompong received a desperate phone call from a very depressed Mrs. Wacharin. Between sobs she heard, “I just want to die. I have nothing to live for!” Sompong rushed over to her home and held her close, interceding through prayer for healing, according to God’s will.

She brought Mrs. Wacharin home with her and together with another friend, they sought the Master Healer all through the night. Praise the Lord!

After three days of persisting in prayer, the depression lifted and she became a peaceful, happy, regular attending church member.

As the small group of believers in Lampang began to grow, God provided not only a beautiful church building for them to worship in, but a new vision for reaching the masses.

Sompong set up a radio studio within the church where she daily shares health messages which bring hope to many people from all walks of life.

She invites the health department to come and speak on the radio and the program is well-received.

PHOTOS: (above) Sompong with ASAP team and a group of medical missionaries at an ASAP training. (right) Sompong shares the word of God. (cover) Sompong in the radio studio.

She often shares over the radio waves, “If you are burdened with any problem in your life and do not know where to turn, come visit the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We are ready to help and give advice and encouragement to those of you who are discouraged.” One of the many guests who accepted Sompong’s invitation was Mrs. Kobsuk, who was suffering from a tumultuous marriage.

When she arrived, she was warmly welcomed. She received a taste of how wonderful God’s love and peace is as she witnessed the way the church members treated each other and worshipped together. Before she and her grandson left, they were taken on a tour through the lush church gardens and were offered fresh produce and herbs to take home.

Since that first visit, she has been back almost every Sabbath and sometimes even on weekdays. The Holy Spirit is even softening the heart of her diabetic, retired army officer husband.

Please pray for Sompong and all the other ASAP medical missionaries as they present the Gospel Christ’s way.

BETWEEN SOBS SHE HEARD, “I JUST WANT TO DIE. I HAVE NOTHING TO LIVE FOR!”

Country Spotlight: MYANMAR

MYANMAR

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3

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hen the Central Myanmar Mission president asked ASAP to support national missionaries for spreading the gospel to the unreached people of Myanmar (Burma), we earnestly prayed for God’s leading. God directly answered by providing the support needed to thrust out eleven church planters and eight medical missionaries into His ripe fields. God continues to provide in many ways as evidenced in the ministry of one of these missionaries—Ko Maung.

One of the first things you would discover about Ko Maung is his seriousness regarding prayer. He says, “I pray many times a day because I do not have a high education and I know I need much of God’s help to lead and guide me to bring salvation to the lost.” Going in Jesus’ name, he boldly enters Satan’s territory where others dare not enter.

SHOW CONCERN FOR THE LOST

Provide for a missionary so outcasts can see Jesus’ love in action.

GIFTS #101-104

NOTES

from the field: VIETNAM

Every Thursday the house-church leaders and members fast and pray for the salvation of millions in Vietnam. Each quarter (in some districts each month) they spend three days and nights in fasting and prayer and once a year, they fast for five days. All are encouraged to spend at least an hour a day in prayer. www.asapministries.org

Find out the result of these prayers.

How has Ko Maung found success in ministry? He simply sees a need, prays and God provides. He opened a school for illiterate children. He prayed about a village’s need for electricity and God provided funds to purchase wire and then he installed electrical service for the entire village. He learned their language and became the villagers’ friend after spending many hours chatting with them when they returned from the opium or rice fields. Day after day he explained about God’s love and power to create the world. When the villagers’ hearts started to open, he taught them that some of their traditional practices, such as killing twin babies, were harmful and why.

He taught them that Jesus is their burden-bearer and how to talk to Him about their problems.

Through God’s power, churches have been raised up in three villages. Ko Maung exclaims, “I thank God for His power to answer my prayers. I thank God that when I pray for the sick, I witness His healing. When I pray to convert souls to Christ, He answers.”

CAMBODIA

We thank God for what He is doing through the residents at the Sda Center.

Though they have AIDS, God has given some of them strength and courage to go door to door to spread the Good News.

Every Friday afternoon they invite people to church. As a result, many people have learned about Jesus and join them for worship on Sabbath. This is a miracle because usually Cambodians do not want to associate with people who have AIDS. The residents praise the Lord and thank Him for all His blessings. They also thank ASAP for providing a safe place to live and worship in.

HORNG SOPHAL, DISTRICT PASTOR

LAOS

God is really blessing the efforts of the ASAP lay pastors, and many are being baptized. I can’t help but wonder if this is the result of much fasting and prayer.

BOONPRANEE WANNADEE, PRESIDENT, LAO ADVENTIST FIELD PHOTO: A group of new believers at their baptism.

Interseed for Asia

BY MARTIN KIM

Meet Nari Trinh POSITION Student at the Vietnamese SDA School LOCATION Phnom Penh, Cambodia PRAYER REQUESTS Please pray for my parents’ health (back pain) and that they will accept Jesus into their hearts. Also pray that my school can have a library with lots of science books.

BEST TIME OF THE DAY The morning worship at my school is my favorite time of the day. I love being with all my friends and singing songs to God together. It gives my heart peace. We listen to Bible stories each morning, too. I really like the story of David and Goliath. It teaches me that whenever we meet any problems, no matter how big, we can pray to God. LIFE CHANGES This school has changed my life. Before I came to study here, I did not even know who Jesus is.

Now I believe in Jesus and I go to church with my teachers to praise Him by singing songs each Sabbath. Some day I want to be baptized and I don’t even think my parents will mind because they see how powerful Jesus is. Since I started praying to Jesus for them, they have become much happier and fight a lot less. They used to struggle with not earning enough money, but God hears my prayers and my mom’s noodle stand is now much more profitable.

EDITOR’S NOTE Nari’s parents pulled her out of school three times.

Each time the school principal was concerned that they would send Nari to work as a child prostitute. Nari’s father sells coffee to the “coffee shops” which double as brothels. Because of answered prayer, the parents brought her back to school. Please continue to pray for Nari’s safety and for all the students at the Vietnamese SDA School.

How Can I Help?

You can make it possible for at-risk girls like Nari Trinh to become best friends with Jesus! Your gift of $20 per month, combined with your daily prayers, can transform a young life. GIFT #301

Have you tried fasting with prayer? Jesus’ statement in Matthew 9:15 shows that He expects His followers to fast: “The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.” From the time of Jesus’ ascension until the time of His second coming, the followers of Jesus would fast! I like Andrew Bonar’s concise definition of fasting: “Fasting is abstaining from anything that hinders prayer.” Are there things in your life that keep you from spending more time in prayer? Consider taking a break from these things in exchange for a great blessing.

I recently returned from an ARME Bible Camp, a Spirit-filled Bible conference that is saturated with prayer. It is designed to arm and equip God’s people with practical tools for Bible study and a powerful prayer life. The attendees were asked to pray AND fast (from junk food and entertainment) for the ten days leading up to the four-day camp.

Can you imagine what God did as a result? Lives were touched by the Spirit of God and people experienced personal victories, reconciliation and sacrificial giving. With a little over 500 attendees, God blessed with an offering of more than $187,000 to support future ARME Bible Camps and foreign mission work. We praise God that more than $54,000 went to support the Hmong Bible Translation Project and Bibles for Southeast Asia—a direct answer to fasting and prayer.

MISSION CHALLENGE Boost your passion for prayer, missions and the Word of God by attending the next ARME Bible Camp in Cohutta Springs, Georgia on April 6-10, 2011.

You’ll never regret going! Register at:

www.armebiblecamp.com

Always Saying a Prayer

BY ASAP YOUTH EVANGELIST, MR. TO

About a year ago, I asked my Uncle Ky if he would study the Bible with me. The reason I wanted to know what he believed is because I witnessed a miracle between him, my father and two other brothers. They had many conflicts, but after Uncle Ky became a Seventh-day Adventist lay pastor, all the disagreements were resolved.

Uncle Ky explained that it was God’s power that comes through fasting and prayer. One day, I tried praying and here is what happened.

On my way home from school, I discovered that the key must have dropped out of the ignition while my moped was running. My father asked me to go look for the key. The distance from my university to home is very far and I was overwhelmed. I prayed, “Dear Father in Heaven, You know where the key is. If it is Your will, please help me to find it. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” I returned to the gas station and looked everywhere but did not find the key.

I noticed an elderly, well-dressed man walking on the side of the road. “Sir, do you need a ride?”

I asked. “Can you take me to the next village?” he quietly asked. “Yes!” I replied. As we drove, I found myself relating my story of the lost key to this stranger. The kind elderly man listened sympathetically and responded, “Don’t worry about your key.” When I stopped and he got off the moped, he reached into his pocket and pulled out my key and handed it to me! This experience showed me that God is not only powerful and in control of the universe, but He loves me so much He even cares about my little missing key.

PLEASE NOTE: Your offerings to ASAP make it possible for many more in Asia to expereince the power of prayer!

In Loving Memory and Honor Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

IN MEMORY OF: BOB AND ELMA ISAACS by Berwyn and Barbara Rogers • JUANITA COON STEFFENS by Charles T. Steffens • JACK L. DANFORTH

by Clint and Sandy Washam • ALICE STRAW, PAULINE BROWN, PEARL, RUTH AND ROGER KELLER by Herbert and Phyllis Wrate • GRAHAM MAXWELL by Jane Barker Banta • ROBERT MACNALL

by Verla MacNall • ELDER JAMES AND DOROTHY AITKEN by John and Harryette Aitken • EDITH LAWRENCE by Noel Lawrence • JERRY BROWN by Owen and Nancy Byers • ELDON JENICKE AND JEANE PERKINS by Sandy Monette

IN HONOR OF: JESUS by Joseph Caruana • YSABELLA (AGE 8) OUR DAUGHTER; STEPHEN (AGE 5) OUR SON by Artie and Madelene Hamann • DEEDEE’S RADIO FUND by Barbara Miller • ALLYSSA BRANDT AND SOVATH SIM, ARIANE BRANDT, DEREK WOODS, DESTINY WOODS, DOUG AND DONNA WOODS, JEANNINE BLACK, JUSTIN WOODS, LAURIE SIM ROD AND NANNETTE BRANDT by Bert and Gerrie Woods • REID AND LANE DOUNIAS by David D. Lyons • XAO HER METTEAUER, OUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW by Dean and Vickie Metteauer • ALFONSO ORELLANA FAMILY by Gilbert and Susan Cornett • BRYAN AND LEIGH CHAMBERS JOSHUA AND CALEB FORD by Hope Longwell • GRANDMA JUNE by Tim Riesenberger • SHERRI LABINS by Martin and Liana Kim • RUTH TAYLOR by Matthew T. Peterson

P P.S. We Love Hearing from You  We recently saw your DVD Go Into the Alleys and we were deeply touched by your work in that area of the world. Our hearts went out to the people of Southeast Asia and we would like to help whenever we can. DAVID AND JACQUELYN FROM WI  After I started volunteering for ASAP, my son asked me, “Dad, why are you doing all that work for ASAP? They aren’t paying you.” This gave me an opportunity to explain that giving of our time is another way to contribute to God’s work. “Son,” I said, “I want to support the ministry of ASAP. However, we are not in a position to donate money, but the gift of my time is something I can give.”

KEVIN FROM MI

HAVE A MISSIONS BIRTHDAY BASH! Why not think less of what we will get for our birthdays and more about what we can do to bless others? If even the heathen Pharaoh could do this, can’t we? (see Genesis 40:20, 21) Ask your friends and family to give to ASAP in honor of your birthday. They can visit www.asapministries.org to choose a project from our online Priceless Gift Catalog or contact ASAP (1-806-365-3541) to have us send you catalogs to include in your birthday invitations.

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#401

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) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible.

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.

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#201

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

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version® copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Adventist Southeast Asia Projects P.O. BOX 84, BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI 49103

#308

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

*Where needed names have been changed and photos blurred, to protect the safety of God’s workers.

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

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BERRIEN SPRINGS, MI PERMIT NO. 42