ASAP Newsletter, May/June 2011

HOW TO SLAY A DRAGON: Put on the Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18 Belt of Truth Psalm 119:30 Breastplate of Righteousness 1 Corinthians 1:30

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects

Footgear of Peace Ephesians 4:2-3

Helmet of Salvation Exodus 15:2 Sword of the Spirit—the Word Psalm 119:11 Persistence in Prayer Ephesians 6:18

Slaying Paper Dragons Christian, in the classic book “Pilgrim’s Progress,” discovered that when he fought his enemies suited with the armor of God, it was like “slaying paper dragons”. ASAP missionaries in Vietnam conquer their enemies in the same way. BY DISTRICT LEADER VAN CANG*

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he Word of God spreads rapidly throughout Vietnam despite the ongoing attacks of the enemy. The sixtyfive ASAP lay pastors I supervise in three districts work very hard. They often sacrifice their meals when we go on long evangelistic trips to unreached areas. They would rather put the money into printing more DVDs than using it for their basic needs because they see how effectively the sermons reach the hearts of the people. For example, Lay Pastor Khai Bich Huang asks for about 12,800 DVDs each month because he has sixteen church members who help him distribute an average of 200 DVDs per member each week. Of course, this can happen only if the funds are available. Though the Peace and Happiness radio program is effective, people can play the DVDs 24/7 and hear the Bible explained by Pastor Isah Young in such a clear way.

It is also true that the young people in many areas of Vietnam are listening to the sermons online (peaceandhappiness.com), but in the tribal areas of the highlands where I work, DVDs are the most effective method of evangelism. When we receive DVDs and players from ASAP, the lay pastors prayerfully look for opportunities to strategically set them up in a centrally located

Hey Kids! Did You Know?

There’s a fruit in Southeast Asia called DRAGON FRUIT? Check out what it looks like on our website and learn how to make Dragon’s Head Tofu—YUM!

www.asapministries.org

tribal home to be watched by all the villagers, such as during the end of the harvest season when they are threshing the rice/ grains and whenever they gather for a celebration, wedding or funeral. Since the number of workers is so small compared to the large number of interests, by God’s grace, each DVD sermon is doing the work of many lay pastors in preaching truth.

These lay pastors face many hardships after they commit their lives to serving God. When the government officials discover the work they are doing, they put their names on a “black list” in the system. This means they no longer receive humanitarian assistance during floods, droughts, or other times of need.

Because they receive only a $70 stipend per month, they must depend on other sources to survive with their large families.

Their spouses are not able to get business loans and their children no longer are eligible to receive student loans. Lay Pastor Nguyen’s statement relates their general attitude in the midst of difficulty: he said, “I am happy to work for God in a communist country because I believe Matthew 5 where it says blessed are the persecuted.”

MAY/JUNE 2011

Shield of Faith Matthew 17:20

Thoughts From: JUDY AITKEN ASAP DIRECTOR

What do you think of when you read the main title of this newsletter’s feature, “Slaying Paper Dragons?”

Many non-Christians in the Eastern world think of dragons as legendary creatures that have attributes of God such as being creators of energy and strength, etc. You see dragons on every Buddhist temple, often protecting the entrances.

I think of the dragon in Revelation 20:2 that God clearly identifies as “that serpent of old, who is the devil or Satan”. Even from the beginning of time we have witnessed the controversy that rages between Jesus Christ and Satan. “The dragon was wroth with the woman (God’s church) and went to make war with the remnant of her seed who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12: 17).

The good news is that Satan can be likened to a paper dragon, a powerless defeated foe since he lost the battle when Jesus gave His life on the cross and triumphantly rose again. You will see all throughout this newsletter that ASAP missionaries are overcoming him “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11).

The experience lay pastor Sikieng shares in our Country Spotlight is evidence of the “exceeding greatness of God’s power to us who believe” (Ephesians 1:19).

You may not face “dragon possession” as the missionaries in Southeast Asia do, however, we all daily face evidences of his wrath. Let us always remember to pray for each other and each put on the whole armor of God that will surely protect and shield us.

The police officers call the ASAP missionaries in to the station for endless interrogations. Last year, when they summoned me into the police station, they locked me in a dimly lit interrogation cell. I prayed for wisdom to know what to say. The officer roughly asked me while pounding the Bible, “Doesn’t it say in this book that believers in Christ can ingest snake venom and live if prayed for? Will you dare to drink this glass of poison?” I calmly responded, “Yes, God has the power to heal as you say. Since I believe in God and know how to pray, I will pray for you, sir, to be unharmed after you drink the poison.” The officer did not dare touch the glass and I praise God I was not forced to drink it. It is the power of the Lord that helps us stand firm when we face trouble.

God provided funds through ASAP to build a house church where more than one hundred believers worship together each Sabbath. After we completed the project, the head police officer called the ASAP lay pastor in for interrogation and told him that the church needed to be registered with the government. The officer tried every cruel tactic he could think of to force him to submit to the demand. Three days later, after this pastor was released, the church members came together to fast and pray about this issue. They knew that registering their house church was not God’s will because they would have to compromise their beliefs and would not be able to actively evangelize.

Within the week, the police officer passed away. Thinking that the death of the officer was related to the interrogation incident, the other officers now have a healthy fear of the God of this church and do not disrupt their worship or insist they register. We believe that the SDA house church movement is under the protection of God. There are many forces and powers attacking us because we do not conform to the norms of society. We are not only attacked by the government, but by those in other Christian denominations along with family members who do not believe.

PHOTOS: (above) Mrs. Van Cang* shares the living Word with women group leaders during a training. (left) A sample of fines and summons from the police station. (right) District leader Van Cang gaining power through prayer.

Lately it has become increasingly difficult to transfer money, obtain passports and conduct trainings in and out of the country. The officers know that we hold trainings, but like the secret printing presses, God has prevented them from discovering the locations.

Difficulties abound when doing God’s work. The threatened enemy attempts to destroy each worker every moment of every day. However, with all your prayers and support, God continues to give us power, courage, wisdom and protection. Please daily claim Mark 16:18 for the ASAP missionaries in Vietnam.

“They will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

There are many locations in my district that need house churches built, lay pastors to be sent and more materials and DVDs to feed hungry hearts. Our missionaries sacrifice whenever they can to help the work go forward. For instance, Lay Pastor Khai Bich Huang sold his buffalo to buy a moped so he could travel to the five new churches God helped him establish in unreached areas. Thank you for sacrificing to help us, your brothers and sisters in Vietnam.

Country Spotlight: LAOS

LAOS

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

Any sacrifice you make to

SHARE JESUS with ASIA is worth it!

ONLY $80 SENDS ONE LAO WORKER OUT TO HARVEST THOUSANDS IN GOD’S RIPE FIELDS

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oday ASAP supports forty-two lay pastors in Laos. SOME are persecuted for their faith. MOST work under harsh conditions and ALL encounter the enemy, Satan, referred to in Revelation as the dragon, on a daily basis.

Take Sikieng Lvedamoonson, for example. Having been a staunch Buddhist for most of his life and having worked in a high position of the communist government, he recalls how terribly the dragon deceived and used him to harm others and hinder the cause of Christ. After learning of God’s power and love from his wife’s brother, he became a faithful believer and later, an ASAP lay pastor.

One of Sikieng’s sons caused him and his wife much heartache and grief. After going to Thailand to work, the son became addicted to drugs and made some poor choices that landed him in jail several times. Sikieng baled him out two times, but the third time he was unable to because of lack of funds. As his son sat in a Thai prison for three years, his anger, bitterness and resentment towards his father grew. The day he was released, he headed straight to his home village. Enraged, he hit his father several times and grabbing him by his shirt, shook him and yelled, “I’m going to kill you! I’m going to kill you for not rescuing me!” Sikieng and the family prayed silently. Sikieng and his family quickly called the church members and they all gathered for a special prayer service for their son.

They prayed together all night. His son came to the church and, though he dared not enter, yelled threats that he would burn it down. He fumed outside, kicking the tree, cursing all the while. It seemed that as they prayed the dragon’s rage in his heart increased. Sikieng recalls, “In the early morning, we heard my son shout, “Water! Water! I’m burning up.” We rushed out to him and discovered his body was sweating profusely. A member threw a bucket of cold water on him. He fell down in a heap. When he woke up, he was a different person. He looked around and said, “What is going on here? Why am I so wet?” We thank God for his power to daily fight the dragons the missionaries encounter. We thank God for answering prayers.

NOTES

from the field: MYANMAR

A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck regions bordering Thailand, Laos, and the East Shan State region in Myanmar on Thursday March 24, 2011. The quake brought havoc and destruction. AFP news stated that at least 150 people were killed.

Please pray for all the people affected and the eleven ASAP church planters that serve the people of East Shan State.

VIETNAM

We were able to purchase a generator to deliver power to our house church this year, thanks to God and ASAP. We now have electricity to watch the DVD sermons from Pr. Isah Young. We praise God for this! Sometimes the electricity is so weak that we cannot see the picture but we gain clearer understanding of the Word by just listening to him. Before we had the generator, we used oil lamps to read the Bible. We enjoy gathering together, singing hymns and worshiping God. MR. LAU, ASAP LAY PASTOR

CAMBODIA

Sophal Koe no longer hangs with a rough gang for he learned of Jesus from attending an ASAP English/Bible class.

Join us in praising God for his baptism. (pictured above) TEP PAO KOLYANAY, ASAP CHURCH PLANTER

tear and share

Meet Sung Panyawan POSITION ASAP Church Planter LOCATION Thailand PRAYER REQUESTS Please pray that my main church and two church plants will continue to grow. Currently there are over sixty people attending the Nam Yuen Church, ten attending the Thung Sri Udom Church Plant and eight attending the Thung Na Gnarm group.

SLAYING A FINANCIAL DRAGON When doing God’s work, there are always challenges, but I meet each challenge with prayer. For instance, our church needed a kitchen so we could have potlucks and cooking classes for the community. After telling God we had no money and asking Him for His help, the sister-in-law of one of our members, who came to visit from Singapore, generously donated what we needed. Though she is not a Seventhday Adventist, she loves God very much and wants His church to grow.

SLAYING THE DRAGON OF FEAR In Nam Yuen where I work, there is a cemetery the villagers avoid because many believe it is haunted with evil spirits. The garbage littering the grounds and overgrown grass caused disgrace to the community. My church members decided to do something about it. We believe that “the dead know not anything” (Eccl. 9:5) and have no fear of the place where people are laid to rest. They raised money and went to work, building a fence around the premises and cleaning up the place.

This project has left a good impression on the community.

SLAYING THE DRAGON SATAN One of my members, Mr. Pan Silalom desperately wanted his two daughters and wife to also believe in God. After much prayer, my wife and I visited their home. During the conversation, God impressed us to tell them about Asia Pacific International University (APIU), our Adventist college. Pan’s wife was open to her daughters receiving a Christian education. The girls asked for Bible studies and attended a youth Bible camp. Since then, both daughters have been baptized.

How Can I Help?

You can make it possible for church planters like Sung Panyawan to impact lives with the gospel! Your gift of $100 will provide a stipend for one missionary in Thailand for a month.

Intercede for Asia

BY MARTIN KIM

Friends, we invite you to become an ASAP prayer partner today. In James 4:2 it says, “You do not have because you do not ask.” Many interpret this verse in the context of God’s omnipotence and believe we would receive anyways even if we don’t ask because God has a plan. With this logic, it is easy to conclude that prayer is not necessary.

A clearer understanding of the text leads us to believe that prayer causes things to happen that would not happen otherwise if we did not pray.

In order for God to accomplish His will on Earth, we need to pray that His will be done, which is why Jesus taught us to pray “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). It is for this reason that Jesus, who wants the gospel to go to all, tells His disciples to: “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38). I love the promise in the Bible that tells us that God is “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). Let us commit to praying for our friends, our loved ones and the millions in Southeast Asia who are perishing without Jesus while we have yet another day to do so.

MISSION CHALLENGE

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In the next days, invite friends to help reach Southeast Asia for JESUS by JOINING the ASAP prayer team!

Join the prayer team online:

www.asapministries.org “The man who mobilizes the Christian church to pray will make the greatest contribution to world evangelization in history.” Andrew Murray

Always Saying a Prayer

In Loving Memory and Honor

Mrs. Thavan Phat (pictured below) lives in the slums of Phnom Penh. She daily faces the dragon of poverty that threatens to snuff out the very life of her and her family. It raises its ugly head in the forms of hunger (from her children), addiction (of her husband), and hopelessness (in her heart). Yet, as a new believer in Jesus Christ, Thavan is learning how powerful God is to conquer this dragon.

REMEMBERING NEHA KHAN

One night, she woke up abruptly to the cries of her youngest child. Feeling his burning head, she panicked, not knowing where to turn. She bitterly wept in the darkness, thinking she would lose her child forever. Then she remembered the Bible story ASAP Church Planter Doung Bopha shared of the lady whom Jesus healed after bleeding for twelve years. As she wiped down her son’s sweaty body with a towel, she prayed, “God, I know you have the same power you showed in the Bible. Please heal my boy.”

Immediately, a peace fell on them both and they were able to go back to sleep. The next morning her child was completely well. She joyfully thanked God and with an increased faith in His power, she asked Him to help her find just enough recyclables on the streets so she would be able to feed her family.

Thavan sifted through the trash for hours but found nothing. Then out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a big black bag. She opened it up and discovered it was full of wedding cards. She carefully checked each card, and towards the end of the pile, found one with 100,000 Riels which is $25.00. She looked up to heaven and joyfully shouted, “Thank you Jesus for blessing me and hearing my prayer. God, You are so great!”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Help slay the dragons of poverty and despair. Your gift of only $50-$150 for national missionaries will help keep them out on the battlefield.

We grieve the loss of precious Neha, daughter of Akram and Alia Khan, who work with us in Cambodia Adventist Mission. Five-year old Neha was tragically killed in a vehicle accident in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on March 19, 2011. Please pray for the family during this difficult time.

By Judy Aitken, Bruce and Linda Bauer, Martin and Liana Kim, A.J. and Julia O’Carey, Don and Trudi Starlin, Jay and Panyia Lo, Wayne and Sherri Labins, and Collegedale SDA Church.

IN MEMORY OF: DOROTHY L. VARNUM by Harriet Bos • EDEL PROPACH by Elisabeth Moore • EDITH LAWRENCE by Noel Lawrence • ELDON JENICKE AND JEANE PERKINS, MY FATHER AND MY AUNT by Sandy Monette • GRACIE L. DEPEW-MALABY by Hubert and Louise Harden • GRAHAM MAXWELL by Jane Barker Banta • TACIANA M. UMALI by Carolina M. Umali

IN HONOR OF: JESUS, WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR US by Joseph and Elizabeth Caruana • AIDAN AND TORIN MARTELL by Todd and Axa I. Martell • DANIEL ORELLANA’S 6TH BIRTHDAY by Gilbert and Susan Cornett • FAMBAM by Stephen Lee • JOSHUA AND CALEB by Brian and Leigh Chambers • NESTOR AND SOL ROMO by Jonalie Romo • REMINGTON, MY 14-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER by Silmore Ruffin • ROLAND W. COLONA by Bedelia Colona • RUTH TAYLOR by Matthew T. Peterson

P P.S. We Love Hearing from You  I receive your mailings and since we had recently moved and was organizing/unpacking, I threw your letter away. When I walked by the trash can, I felt the urge to take it out. So I set it on the counter.

With four small children, the newsletter wandered around the house again. A couple weeks later when I came across it again, I put it in the fireplace to help start the fire. I almost closed the door and the Lord told me to take it out. That was last week. Tonight I finally sat down and read the story about Fabian and his field of pineapples, and know God has been trying to get me to help. It’s not much, but God can multiply loaves and fish, so I’m not worried. You are in my prayers. AMANDA FROM AZ

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1-866-365-3541 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.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/DIRECTOR Judy Aitken EDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey COPY EDITORS Martin Kim, Wayne Labins DESIGN/LAYOUT Sarah Lee / www.ambientlightstudios.com ASAP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Bruce Bauer, Judy Aitken, Steve Chang, Denzil McNeilus, Mary Ann McNeilus, Byron and Carol Reynolds, Trudi Starlin, Kenneth Straw, and Max and Linnea Torkelsen.

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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