2020 2nd Quarter Newsletter

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

SECOND QUARTER 2020

REACH THE

WORLD

ASAP

Mission in the Age of COVID -19 A SPECIAL REPORT

FEATURE STORY

Cover: ASAP church planter Simon Tin is currently ministering to those displaced by violence in Chin State, Myanmar (Photo by Anthony Isensee).

Above: Among the 3,000 displaced villagers seeking refuge in Samee are many who have never heard the gospel.

Mission in the Age of COVID-19

BY JULIA O’CAREY

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n just a few short months, the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed our world. Bible prophecy is fast fulfilling! At ASAP Ministries, this lends even greater urgency to our mission to reach the 10/40 Window with the good news of Jesus’ soon return.

extraordinary time in Earth’s history. Most importantly, they reveal how God is opening opportunities to share hope amidst this crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the people ASAP serves, particularly the poor, the persecuted, and refugees. Like the rest of us, they are dealing with health concerns, lockdowns, and economic catastrophe. But their plight is magnified by aggravating factors such as violence, poverty, and natural disasters. The following “snapshots” from the mission field demonstrate not only the unprecedented needs of this moment, but also the impact of your prayers and financial support during this

“We have to leave the village. The world is falling apart!” On March 14, 2020, ASAP church planter Simon Tin* listened as a terrified missionary described how Burmese military fighter jets had just bombed a nearby village. The conflict between Myanmar’s government forces and rebel soldiers from the neighboring Rakhine State had spilled over into the mountains of western Chin State, claiming the lives of innocent villagers. Adventist church members in the village narrowly escaped. They were attending Sabbath services

PROVIDING AID TO THOUSANDS DISPLACED BY VIOLENCE IN MYANMAR

when the bombing started. Otherwise, they might have perished alongside their neighbors.

The next afternoon, fighter jets attacked Simon’s village, killing eight people and wounding a dozen others. As the village burned and night fell, Simon gathered the elderly and 19 Adventist families in his home. “We could not sleep,” he recalls. “I conducted worship that night, comforting them and encouraging them to trust God’s promises.” Early the next morning, they fled the village, traveling 17 hours by foot until they reached a camp for the displaced in the town of Samee.

Meanwhile, two other ASAP church planters, Elisha Boon* and Nathan Tin,* and their congregations remain trapped in the fighting zone. In coordination with the Yangon Adventist Mission, ASAP provided some of the first humanitarian aid to reach the region. But with the rainy season quickly approaching, more help is urgently needed and ASAP’s disaster relief funds are depleted.

From top: Elder Timothy Paul, Myanmar Union Mission President, traveled with Philip Htoo,* ASAP field supervisor, to deliver aid and encouragement to the displaced; violence and COVID-19 concerns have complicated relief efforts.

“We are so thankful to ASAP Ministries for providing our immediate needs, such as blankets, mats, and rice,” says Simon. “And amid the difficulties, I see mission opportunities. Many more refugees are joining Samee camp [3,000 at last count]. Among them, there are many who are not Christian and have never heard the gospel.

Please pray for them and for my ministry here.”

 COVID-19 RELIEF FOR “THE LEAST OF THESE” The coronavirus pandemic has intensified the suffering of the poor, the persecuted, and refugees in the 10/40 Window. They need RELIEF. And HOPE. You can give them both with a special gift to ASAP’s Humanitarian Fund.* $10 will equip one ASAP missionary with resources to assist the sick and vulnerable $25 will provide two mosquito nets and a Bible to a family displaced by violence in Myanmar $50 will feed a family in drought-stricken Laos for one month $150 will support small enterprise development to replace lost income for refugees and poor families * See reverse for giving details or give online at asapministries.org

Help us raise $75,000 by June 30 so ASAP missionaries can continue sharing life-saving relief and the good news of Jesus’ soon return with those who need it most!

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the prospect of starvation, Joseph appealed to ASAP field supervisor Abel Lao* for help. In response, ASAP provided more than 3,000 pounds of rice to Joseph’s village and the villages of two other ASAP church planters. Overwhelmed with gratitude and relief, Joseph called Abel to thank him.

“This is truly God’s blessing for us in this time of hunger.

God fed Elijah for three years, and He is doing the same for us!” Joseph’s village and others in northern Laos will need more help to survive until the next rice harvest ripens. With your support, ASAP will continue providing life-saving assistance and sharing Jesus, the Bread of Life, with the physically and spiritually hungry.

FEEDING THE HUNGRY IN LAOS ASAP church planter Joseph Vangpo’s* wife could not hide her distress as they surveyed the brown, lifeless plants in their rice field. “We are going hungry this year! We are going hungry this year!” she cried. For the 100 families living in Joseph’s village in northern Laos, rice farming is more than a way of life. It is their primary source of food and income, a matter of life and death. Now, for the second consecutive season, their harvest has failed.

Last year, heavy rains flooded the fields at harvest time, destroying crops. Then, a severe drought struck the region, killing the current crop of rice before it matured. Facing



YES! I want to help SAVE LIVES NOW and FOR ETERNITY. Here is my gift to ASAP’s Humanitarian Fund:

 $50

$150

 $500

 $1,000

 $5,000

 Other $_________

 I would like to advance God’s work in the 10/40 Window by supporting a different ASAP fund/project.

Here is my gift of $_____ for the following fund/project:_____________________________________ Your Name:______________________________________

 Cash  Check/Money Order  Credit Card

Address:_________________________________________

Please charge my gift of $_______________ to:

City:_____________________________________________







AMERICAN EXPRESS

State/Province:_________________ Zip:______________

Card #:____________________________ Exp:___ /___ CVC Code:_____

Email:___________________________________________

Name on Card:____________________________

Phone:__________________________________________

Signature:________________________________

Please make checks payable to: ASAP Ministries

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

Date: ___ /___ /___

ASAP is a registered §501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible.

HELPING THE VULNERABLE IN CAMBODIA AND ELSEWHERE An initial survey conducted by Cambodia Adventist Mission (CAM) among Adventist church members and their communities revealed 750 individuals seriously financially affected by job layoffs. These individuals worked in factories or in manual labor positions like construction prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. ASAP recently committed to match the $5,000 in emergency aid that CAM will provide to them, but we expect that more will be needed. We are planning small enterprises, such as facemask production and soapmaking, in Cambodia and other countries to help our part-time workers, refugees, and other vulnerable families replace wages lost due to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis.

After a month-long shutdown, ASAP schools in Cambodia are preparing to reopen. Yet in large cities like Phnom Penh, the impoverished communities served by our schools remain at risk due to overcrowding and poor sanitation.

ASAP teachers will provide students with masks and hand sanitizer and continue teaching them good health and hygiene practices. CAM and ASAP are also exploring the possibility of launching a feeding program to help students and their families.

SHARING THE HEALTH MESSAGE WITH THE 10/40 WINDOW ASAP has produced simple posters and videos to equip all our missionaries and Adventist church members throughout the 10/40 Window to share the eight laws of health and perform basic hydrotherapy treatments. They have been translated into every major Southeast Asian language, and we are also preparing translations of the poster for use among several of the largest language groups in the Middle East and North Africa. Pr. Scott Griswold and the team at Reach the World Next Door, along with ASAP-supported refugee and immigrant church planters, are already using these resources among least-reached people groups in North America with great success. As word spreads, we continue to receive new requests for additional translations. We praise God for how He is using these simple means to share the health message with those who need it most!

It is only as God provides through partners like you that ASAP can respond to the needs just described. ASAP’s mission is more urgent and relevant right now than ever before because it compels us to reach “the least of these” (Matt.

25:40), the vulnerable and marginalized people of the 10/40 Window, who have no earthly means of support during the COVID-19 crisis. Requests for humanitarian aid are rapidly

FROM COVID-19 Eat Superfoods

MORNING GLORY

Green vegetables cabbage

that Fight Viruses

Kale

GINGER

GARLIC Mango

Kaffir Lime

Stop & Reduce Things

SUGAR

ALCOHOL

FATS & MEATS

papaya

Build a Strong

that Weaken Your Body

smoking

pineapple

fruit Onion

Spinac h

citrus

Mind & Body Naturally

sunshine

rest

lots of water

exercise

Drink • wash and sanitize

fresh air

trust in god Choose peaceful thoughts

Get the facts and find encouragement at godcareseveryday.org This handout is sponsored by ASAP Ministries

Opposite: In northern Laos, ASAP church planter Joseph Vangpo (pictured here with his wife and two young relatives) is helping villagers suffering through a severe drought that destroyed their rice crops.

Above (from top): Students at the Vietnamese Feed & Read School in Phnom Penh are learning how to protect themselves from COVID-19; ASAP has produced simple posters that share the eight laws of health in 12 different languages.

multiplying and ASAP wants to respond quickly. With these requests come opportunities to provide not only physical help, but spiritual aid to those desperately seeking answers.

We anticipate that our faith and our resources will be stretched to the limit in the days ahead. But we believe that Jehovahjireh, “The-Lord-Will-Provide” (Gen. 22:14), will sustain His work through ASAP in miraculous ways. “Blessed is he who considers the poor,” writes the psalmist. “The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble” (Ps. 41:1). Thank you for your faithful prayers and sacrificial gifts during this critical time.

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Heaven Planned It All Along

BY JULIA O’CAREY

C

an you imagine how busy the angels are each day, ensuring that all the right connections happen at just the right time to fulfill God’s purposes? Wouldn’t you love to read the behind-the-scenes plans drafted in heaven? We will have to wait until we get there, but in the meantime, I want to share a story about how heaven orchestrated events far in advance to bring new light to one precious soul and a new laborer for God’s work among the Lao people in North America.

Thirteen years ago, Pr. Bounprany Vannady traveled from Laos to the U.S. to speak at a camp meeting. While visiting a friend in Holland, Michigan, he heard a knock on the door. To his amazement, his auntie greeted him with a surprised smile.

“Auntie Chanthi, I didn’t know where you lived in the United States. This is a big country! I’m shocked and thrilled to see you!” Pr. Bounprany exclaimed. She warmly embraced him before her expression suddenly turned serious. “Nephew, I am so sorry for the way I persecuted you when you became a Christian in Laos. Now I have become a Christian, too.”

While getting settled in Holland, the Vannadys stayed with Auntie Chanthi. Each evening, she drove them from house to house, visiting Laotians in the community. Both Christians and Buddhists warmly welcomed them, and the Vannadys discovered that God had already set many divine appointments for them. For instance, Mrs. Vannady met an old client from her days as a beautician in Laos. The woman cried tears of joy at their reunion. The Vannadys invited each new friend they met to church, and many are coming!

Please pray for this growing ministry and thank God for heaven’s helpers, who are constantly arranging new divine appointments. I encourage you and your church to pray for more divine appointments, too!

Pr. Bounprany and his family are eager to share the good news of salvation with the large Lao community in Holland, Michigan.

Pr. Bounprany remembered what happened like it was yesterday. Though he had forgiven her many years ago, memories remained of his aunt yelling at him, cursing him, throwing away his Bible, and forbidding him to attend church. Tears flooded his eyes. “Auntie, I stayed faithful to Jesus and, of course, I forgave you long ago. Did you know I have become a pastor?” His auntie smiled proudly and asked him about his church. During their short time together, Pr. Bounprany shared the Seventh-day Adventist beliefs he holds so dear and connected his auntie with the local Lao Adventist group. She already knew one of the group’s faithful members, Mrs. Lampai Sihavong, the friend who Pr. Bounprany was visiting when Auntie Chanti “accidentally” ran into him.

Eventually, Auntie Chanthi got baptized, and she remains a faithful Seventh-day Adventist today. On January 25, 2020, she and her fellow church members welcomed Pr. Bounprany and his family back to Holland. Through another miraculous chain of events, God enabled ASAP to bring Pr. Bounprany to America to pastor the Lao Adventist group in Holland and support the four other Lao Adventist groups in North America. The Michigan Conference also accepted him as one of its workers (ASAP seeks your support to make this a financial reality).

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Order the inspiring new book, Life-Changing Divine Appointments: 30-Day Challenge, by former ASAP board chair Tom Evans, at maxharvestchurch.com

NEWS

Historic International Karen Family Convention

BY DON & TRUDI STARLIN

D

anger, always present in the jungle, is no respecter of persons. The Karen pastor and his small group of students rounded a bend in the trail at the same time as a Burmese army patrol headed in the opposite direction. The soldiers opened fire, outright killing several boys.

The others dove off the trail, tumbling down the mountainside.

Unwilling to allow their prey to escape, the soldiers tossed grenades down the embankment, firing at anything that moved. Shrapnel tore through the pastor’s abdominal cavity; then, silence.

Seminar topics included family life, spiritual growth, and unity.

Morning and evening worship services fed souls hungry for the Word of God. Southern Asia-Pacific Division President, Elder Samuel Paul, shared a message of encouragement with attendees on Sabbath morning. Sabbath afternoon witnessed 32 souls baptized, a beautiful scene framed by the mountains of Karen State. For some baptismal candidates, joining the Adventist family meant losing their birth families. Under Pr. Jimmy Shwe’s excellent leadership, over 90 percent of the convention’s attendees were young people.

The patrol eventually moved on. The remaining students carried their injured pastor and fellow students four days through the jungle to receive medical attention. Surgeons declared the pastor’s survival nothing short of a miracle given the internal damage. The true account relayed here is not uncommon for the Karen people living on the border between Thailand and Myanmar. War remains their reality.

Perhaps the most strategic activity that occurred during the convention was the meeting of denominational leaders from the Division, Southeast Asia Union Mission, Myanmar Union Mission, Thailand Adventist Mission, ASAP Ministries, and other interested parties to develop an actionable plan to improve curriculum, upgrade teaching skills, and provide regular financial support for the faithful Karen school and pastoral workers in the war zone along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Though military activity against the Rohingya people dominates current international news, other tribes like the Karen have endured ethnic violence for over 70 years. During the past decade, the United Nations resettled roughly 100,000 Karen refugees to numerous host countries such as Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States.

The resettled Karen Adventists abroad, along with ASAP donors, helped sponsor the first-ever International Karen Family Convention, a gathering of nearly 2,000 Karen Adventists on the banks of the Moei River along the ThaiMyanmar border from December 4-7, 2019. For a hunted people, the opportunity to worship, receive training, and fellowship together was like a piece of heaven.

There are roughly 40 Seventh-day Adventist schools in this area, staffed by about 150 teachers instructing approximately 5,000 students. Most of the students come from animist, Buddhist or non-Adventist Christian families, making the schools a fruitful mission field. In addition, 20 lay pastors and one full-time senior pastor serve the people of this region.

These workers welcomed the support from official church entities. They have endured unbelievable hardship inside the war zone but they were encouraged to know that their brothers and sisters in Christ are praying for them.

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HELPING HANDS

they need for free. This way our community and Feed and Read schools receive a blessing.

Laura: What an awesome idea!

Alison: It wasn’t our doing. The Lord led in all the events leading to purchase of the property. We felt the blueberries belonged to Him. Laura: What other outreach opportunities have opened for you?

Rue (left) and Daniel (right), with their friend, Kate (center), go door-to-door sharing their faith and collecting donations for ASAP education projects.

More Than a Blessing

BY LAURA HOKANSON

R

ecently, I interviewed one of our many wonderful partners in ministry, Alison, about the creative ways her family shares their faith and supports God’s work through ASAP. Alison asked us not to use her last name.

She wants all the glory to go to God. Laura: How did you first learn about ASAP? Alison: At a GYC conference. My husband and I were impressed with the dedication of ASAP national missionaries and the emphasis on combining health work with evangelism.

We have supported ASAP ever since.

Laura: Your support has taken you on an interesting journey. I hear you have a few blueberries.

Alison: Yes, 2,000 pounds each year! Three years ago, we bought some property previously operated as a U-pick berry farm. Instead of reopening the farm, we decided to give the berries away. Pickers are asked to donate a certain price per pound toward ASAP Feed and Read schools. Most patrons give the suggested donation. Some pay more. Others take what

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Alison: Our friend, Lareda Neves, operates a ministry facilitating the sale of Christ’s Object Lessons as a fundraiser for Christian education. Each of my children chose their own ASAP education project to support. We spend two hours per week taking the children door to door in our neighborhood. Using an info card to explain their ASAP projects, the children ask for a $20 donation for each book. Some people give more, some donate without taking a book. We give everyone a free Our Little Friend or Signs of the Times magazine. Like the blueberries, this method blesses our community and ASAP. Laura: You must be really brave to go door to door!

Alison: NO! Truthfully, I resist going every time! We always receive a blessing that outweighs the fear. One person who saw our book said, “I’ve been praying for something like this!”

When we pray, we see the Lord’s leading in each encounter and it has made my children more instant in prayer. Now two other mothers in our congregation plan to bring their children canvassing with us.

Laura: What advice do you have for others who want to get involved in outreach like this?

Alison: I won’t lie, it isn’t always easy. Pray through the discouragements and see what the Lord will do for you. You will receive MORE than a blessing.

If you would like Christ’s Object Lessons for your education fundraiser, you may contact Lareda Neves at letsgohomeministry.com.

MEET OUR WORKERS

Radio and the Right Arm

BY BRENDA KIŠ

T

he radio program in Surin, Thailand, was languishing. No one was keeping up with the programming and anyway, the internet was attracting more attention. The few Surin church members were folks from the countryside and every Sabbath the pastor, ASAP medical missionary Sompong Khunsawang’s husband, had to drive some 100 kilometers to pick up and return home the scattered members.

Sompong (pictured) decided that city people needed to hear this message, too. Gathering church members in support of radio outreach, they created a Facebook page for their program. Soon people were listening from around the world. As listeners requested materials, the church members sent out pamphlets on religion and health. A local Protestant church even donated Bibles to distribute to interested listeners!

Then the members began planning a local health outreach.

They spent nearly three months in advance visiting people and using natural remedies and massage to reach their hearts. Then they invited their new friends to the church to clear a garden plot, to plant vegetables, which they shared, and to teach them how to eat healthfully. Exercises in the church courtyard were offered, as well. They informed their friends that dentists from America would be coming to help them with any of their dental issues. With all this preparation, it was easy to invite these city dwellers to the meetings to learn about health and how God wants to bless them.

The church could hold 200 people and everyone had to register in advance. But 300 people registered for the three-day program! What an opportunity to get names and contact information for post-meeting visitation. As a result, the church members learned about family needs, peoples’ jobs, and so on. Small groups were formed and new gardening methods were shared.

One lady named Nit had cancer of the intestines and liver and needed chemo treatments and surgery. However, she learned about NEWSTART at the health outreach and Sompong encouraged her to “Come trust in God and make the changes you really need for long-term health.”

Then she took Nit to her home after surgery and cared for

her scar area, giving her ginger and carrot juice to drink.

These were things straight from the garden! Eventually, Nit stopped eating meat altogether and the doctor was pleased with her progress. She was so grateful that she shared with her neighbors that “the seventh-day church takes care of your health!” When she asked what she could do to express her gratitude, Sompong told her to just keep sharing.

Another health program drew an additional 200 people and resulted in nine baptisms. Now Nit was saying, “I don’t know how much longer I will live, but how can I serve God?” This time Sompong invited her to share on a radio program.

“But I don’t know how to speak,” Nit said. “Never mind,” Sompong told her. “Let the Holy Spirit prepare you. You can share from some books.”

All this has resulted in a piece of land, once intended for a cemetery, that now grows vegetables and a dream to someday build a sanitarium there. Even the government enthusiastically approves of what is happening. Three announcers currently work for the radio station, and church members as well as others listen to the programs. People are spreading the word! And Nit says, “Now I’m not afraid to die.”

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IN GRATITUDE IN HONOR OF BYRON & CAROL REYNOLDS, by Johanna Rita Vital • DAMON LAWSON, by John Beishke • JESUS, ALWAYS JESUS (JOHN 5:23), by Amy Bergman, Mark Ranzinger, and Wyman Kingsley • MY MOTHER, ESTHER ZIMMERMAN’S BIRTHDAY, by Donald & Ellen Amador • REGIL MATTSON, by Terry & Nicole Mattson • RUTH & DUANE SOULE, by Mark & Kristi Kochanski • TUN TAR OO AND POE PREE, DAWAE MITTAR YWA, TANINTAZI DIVISION, MYANMAR, by Mi Mi and Shee Mu

IN MEMORY OF ALLEN HAMILTON, by Wendy Hamilton • BOB ISAACS, by Berwyn & Barbara Rogers • DAVID HOOD, SR., by Randi & Pam Suckut • E. JENICKE AND J. KRAVIG, by Sandy Monette • ELOIZA PURTLE, by Lawrence & Alice Gulllie • ESTHER ZIMMERMAN, by Donald & Ellen Amador • HARRY HAAS AND OPAL LAWRY VEGG, by James & Judith Culpepper • JUDY AITKEN,

by Byron & Carol Reynolds, Don & Trudi Starlin, James & Marilene Watson, John & Harryette Aitken, Kit Watts, Melchizedek & Josephine Ponniah, and Sokhom Phann • LANE VAN ARSDELL, by Kent & Joan Van Arsdell • LISA DEBOOY, by David & Ruth DeBooy • MABLE BINGHAM, by Sydonnie Doctor • MOLLY MYAING, by Don & Trudi Starlin • MY FATHER-IN-LAW, RIM PHAN, by Michael Vuthy Sarunn • PARENTS, JERRY & WANDA GROSS, IN MEMORY OF THEIR COMMITMENT TO MISSIONS, by Sandra Gross •

RUTH WATSON, by Chavalit & Nillawan Chaya, Phein Sirichotiratana, and James & Marilene Watson • SHEBA CANTRELL, by Frank Cantrell • STEPHANIE MARSH, by Don & Vickie Marsh • VIOLA MAE SCHROEDER,

by Eric & Nancy Johnson

IN THANKFULNESS FOR ALLEN & PATRICIA HAMILTON, by Wendy Hamilton • ANOTHER YEAR OF LIFE, by Karin Erickson • CHARLES HUTCHINSON, by Cynthia Hutchinson • CHRIS PICCO AND CAMEO CARTER, by Tom & Irene Picco • CHRISTIAN & JOSHUA CHUNG AND DON & SOON CHOE, by Daniel Chung & Judy Choe • GOD AND HIS GREAT BLESSINGS, GOODNESS, GRACE, AND KINDNESS, by Joseph Caruana, William Fehl, Laura & Dan Fuller, Kenneth Griffith, John & Joyce Marter, Melody Mason, Rosa Miller, Donna Shank, and Renaleen Tomagan • GOD’S RICH BLESSINGS TO OUR FAMILY THROUGHOUT 2019, by Jennifer De Trinidad • GREAT FAMILY, by Kevin & Teresa Jepson • JESUS CHRIST, by Victor Windisch • KHAMPHO OHNO,

by Anna Ursales • MARY ANN MCNEILUS, by Denise Abrahams • MY 64TH BIRTHDAY, by Sherrie Linebaugh • ROBERT MCCOY, by Ericka Quesada • STEPHEN & VICKI, by Thomas & Susan Kim • THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD, by Kevin & Alice Thio • TIM & PATSI SEIDENSTRICKER, by Brian Boyle

DOUBLE YOUR GIFT TO REACH 100 MILLION VIETNAMESE ASAP! In February, Peace & Happiness Ministry stepped out in faith to launch a 24/7 Vietnamese television channel and online broadcast. With coronavirus lockdowns forcing many to stay home, now is the time to reach the Vietnamese with the Three Angels’ Messages!

A Vietnamese Adventist congregation in California has pledged $30,000, and a generous ASAP donor has offered a $12,000 matching grant to help fund the remaining $66,000 needed for the first year’s operating costs. This is an opportunity to reach 100 million Vietnamese worldwide with the everlasting gospel!

Give now to double your gift – and your impact!

DONATION MATCHING OPPORTUNITY! 10

NEW PROJECT

REACH THE WORLD NEXT DOOR / EXCITING EVANGELISM

Refugees Learn to “Think Healthy”

BY BILL WELLS AND JENIFFER PEÑA

O

ver the past 15 years, nearly 4,000 refugees from Myanmar’s Chin State have resettled in Battle Creek, Michigan. Like many other refugees, the Chin people often struggle to adjust to life in a new country and to cope with the effects of the persecution and trauma they suffered in their homeland. On Sabbath, February 29, 2020, ASAP partnered with Andrews University (AU) and local Adventist church members to launch a unique health outreach initiative to minister to the needs of these refugees.

More than 60 members of the local Zomi* Adventist group gathered at the Battle Creek Tabernacle for the first phase of the Think Healthy initiative. The kickoff event featured health screenings, a cooking demonstration, and interactive presentations on trauma and mental health, parenting, and healthy relationships, presented by students from the AU School of Nursing, Social Work Department, and School of Population Health, Nutrition & Wellness. Five Chin-speaking students from the AU undergraduate- and graduate-level business and theology programs served as translators.

Think Healthy represented the culmination of months of planning that grew out of a brainstorming session between ASAP Refugee Coordinator Bill Wells and Shawna Henry, Pre-Licensure Program Director for the AU School of Nursing.

In addition, Carlisle Sutton, AU Director for Community Engagement Integration & Service, Shirley Finneman, director of Adventist Community Services in Battle Creek, ASAP volunteer Kim Kip, and ASAP social work intern Jeniffer Peña played key roles in the coordination of the event.

“It was rewarding to see an interdisciplinary mix of students working together to serve the Zomi group in Battle Creek,” commented Henry. Wells concurred, adding, “The synergy both in the planning and execution of the service was felt by

From top: Andrews University staff and students, local church members, and ASAP staff and interns collaborated on the Think Healthy initiative; young attendees enjoy a presentation on healthy relationships.

all. To see such unity in the body of Christ, coming together in service, was a wonderful gift to behold and experience!”

Tiji Pau, a Zomi Adventist lay leader, expressed his gratitude for their efforts. He shared what a blessing he and the group’s members received from Think Healthy, as they learned how to care for their physical, relational, and mental health. We praise God for orchestrating the timing of the event to reach vulnerable refugees in Battle Creek with important health principles just before the COVID-19 outbreak prompted a statewide stay-at-home order. During the second phase of outreach, planned for spring 2021, project partners will support the Zomi Adventist group in organizing a citywide Think Healthy event for the larger Burmese-Chin community. *Zomi is one of five ethnolinguistic groups that comprise the majority of the Chin population in Battle Creek. The other four groups are Burmese-speaking, Chin, Falam, and Haka.

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P

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.

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR John Press ASSOCIATE EDITOR/DIRECTOR Julia O’Carey DESIGN Robert Mason PHOTOS Josiah Adams, SangPi Cin, Philip Htoo, Anthony Isensee, Paul Khai, Abel Lao, Khan Pham 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, Carmelo Mercado, Amy Montevilla, Julia O’Carey, Byron and Carol Reynolds, Saeng Saengthip, Trudi Starlin

ASAP Ministries is fueled by mission-minded, faith-filled individuals whom God impresses. Be assured that 100% of your gift goes directly to the project(s) 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 needed most 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.

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269-471-3026 269-471-3034 office@asapministries.org www.asapministries.org

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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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dozens of baptisms across Myanmar and Cambodia. Read the full story at asapministries.org Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, recent health evangelism and prophecy seminars have resulted in following the baptism of 11 members of the Kayan tribe in central Myanmar on March 21, 2020.

“Nothing can stop the work of God!” ASAP field supervisor Pr. Paul Khai* reported jubilantly