2020 3rd Quarter Newsletter by ASAP Ministries

NEWS FROM ASAP MINISTRIESâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;ADVOCATES FOR SOUTHEAST ASIANS AND THE PERSECUTED

THIRD QUARTER 2020

REACH THE

WORLD

ASAP

Ready to Serve the Master

FEATURE STORY

Ready to Serve the Master BY CAROL REYNOLDS, ASAP BOARD MEMBER

oe Nay Hsee, called “Soe Soe” by his family and friends, remembers a happy childhood spent in Myanmar (formerly Burma), living with his faithful Karen Seventh-day Adventist family. He attended the Eric B. Hare Memorial Academy at Ye-bu village. At nine years of age he had a close brush with death when he fell into a deep well. A mentally ill lady miraculously heard his cries and called for help to pull him out. His hands were raw from clinging onto the rope. Soe Soe knew that God had spared him, and he determined to serve Him. When civil war overtook their village, Soe Soe’s parents were threatened and arrested, and the family with six children fled through the jungle. They ended up in the primitive Mae La refugee camp on the border of Thailand, where they lived for many years. Thankfully, Soe Soe was able to finish high school in the camp, learning both the Burmese and the Karen languages, as well as a little English. Those years were difficult, but even though the family had very little, they enjoyed warm fellowship with other displaced believers. They also prayed for a better future and educational opportunities for the children. In 2007, when Soe Soe was 19 years old, his whole family resettled to Utica, New York. What a huge adjustment for them after years of primitive jungle living! Soe Soe’s parents were thrown into the workforce at minimum wage jobs, and they struggled to find a church and Christian education for their children. Soe Soe worked hard to learn more English and eventually completed an associate degree in computer information systems at a local community college. His parents were determined that, if possible, their children should attend Adventist schools. Soe Soe wondered if he could reach his goal of serving the Lord. Because of generous donors who believe in sponsoring refugee youth to become pastors to their people groups, Soe Soe made the courageous decision to step out of his comfort zone and attend Ouachita Hills College (OHC), a small Bible college in Arkansas, to prepare for the ministry. “At first, I really felt like it was not the right fit for me. I had to leave all my friends, my family, my culture, my language, and even the food I loved,” Soe Soe recalls. “But I wanted to serve the Lord and my people, and it is the way He led me.”

Cover: While attending Ouachita Hills College, Soe Soe participated in multiple mission trips, including one to Mexico. Opposite: Soe Soe and his family spent several years living in the Mae La refugee camp in Thailand before resettling to Utica, New York. Above: Visiting the Mae La refugee camp on a recent mission trip helped inspire Soe Soe to return, after graduation, to serve among the displaced Karen people on the Thai-Myanmar border.

Now that four years have passed, Soe Soe is very thankful for the education he has received. Canvassing is a big part of his life at OHC, and he has grown much and learned many valuable leadership and decision-making skills. “I now know that I didn’t lose anything when I chose to attend OHC, but rather, I have gained many deep spiritual friendships and invaluable preparation for ministry. I have also been extremely blessed by the Spirit of Prophecy, which I was never exposed to before. My life has been totally changed by being here. I don’t know where I would be today if I had not come here.”

Now a U.S. citizen, last summer Soe Soe returned to Southeast Asia on a mission trip led by Pastor Jimmy Shwe and his wife as part of his senior practicum requirements. Pastor Shwe is a mentor and church planting consultant for thousands of Karen Adventist refugees scattered across North America. Returning to his roots was incredibly inspiring to Soe Soe. “I was able to return to my home village, as well as to the refugee camp where we lived. I have become so used to a more comfortable life in America that it was sobering to remember who I was and where I came from. I questioned what I will do about it in the future,” Soe Soe pondered. “The refugees have so very little

 EQUIP YOUNG REFUGEES TO LABOR FOR THE UNREACHED Promising young Adventist refugees are eager for educational opportunities that will prepare them to minister to their people groups. But financial obstacles prevent many from attending an Adventist college or university. Your gift to ASAP’s “Education for Southeast Asians in the U.S.” scholarship fund can change that!* *_See reverse for giving details or give online at asapministries.org

Help ASAP raise $25,000 this school year to bring refugee students’ dreams within reach and hasten the spread of the gospel to the unreached!!

and hardly enough to eat, yet they were so joyful. Teaching in an ASAP-sponsored school for these refugee children bound my heart to those who were just like me a few years ago. I can’t wait to serve my people and share with them what I have learned.” Soe Soe graduated from OHC last month (August 2020), and he plans to return to Southeast Asia, where he will serve the Lord as the coordinator for church planting and evangelism among the displaced Karen people on the ThaiMyanmar border. Though he was the first Karen student to attend OHC, now three others are attending and studying theology there. Canvassing helps them pay their school tuition, but support from ASAP’s “Education for Southeast Asians in the U.S.” fund also plays an important part in their success. This fund assists several faithful refugee theology students at other Adventist schools in North America, as well. Please pray that the Lord will provide for their education and their future involvement in His work among their people groups. Above: Board members Carol Reynolds (left) and Trudi Starlin (right), who serve on ASAP Ministries’ Scholarship Committee, attended Soe Soe’s graduation.



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REACH THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

Discovering the Mission Field Next Door BY PR. SCOTT GRISWOLD

renda grew up on a sheep farm in Minnesota. She loved the little lambs, but her fondest childhood memories are the visits from relatives who were missionaries in Africa. As she listened to their stories, she knew there was only one thing she would ever be: a missionary nurse. After earning a nursing degree, Brenda married Pastor Dick Duerksen, and Africa seemed closer than ever. Instead, calls to various leadership positions kept them on the homeward side of the ocean. Finally, they received a call to join Maranatha Volunteers International. Brenda began traveling the world, coordinating medical clinics wherever a church or school was under construction. She loved every minute of it. In time, the Oregon Conference of Seventh-day Adventists called Pastor Duerksen, and once again the mission field was on the other side of the world. Or was it? Brenda thought deeply as she puttered around her orchid greenhouse. What did God want her to do? Then, the Conference called. Would she work part-time helping with health ministry and community services? It fit her abilities. She agreed. But was it the mission field that mattered so much to her? Calls began to come in from the Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Church. They were having wonderful problems—their church was being overrun by Adventist refugees from the Congo. Cultural differences were raising issues that needed to be worked through. Since her teenage years, Brenda had longed to help in refugee camps. Once, she had planned to travel to the Thai-Myanmar border to help longtime family friend and ASAP founder Judy Aitken in the camps there, but it never quite worked out.

Now, Brenda began to learn more about the many refugees, immigrants, and international students living in Portland, Oregon. In particular, there were many Karen from Myanmar. Soon the conference asked her to help coordinate ministry among the refugees. She looked around for people involved in such activities and developed a refugee taskforce to learn how to respond to the needs. Brenda really did not feel equipped for this ministry. She flew to Tucson, Arizona, to attend a seminar, and she gathered as many ideas as she could from Terri Saelee, coordinator for Adventist Refugee and Immigrant Ministries for the North American Division, and Pastor Jimmy Shwe, church planter coordinator for the Karen. There she learned about the online cross-cultural missions training Reach the World Next Door. “I have to do that training!” she exclaimed. She ordered the workbook and videos, then told her Hood View Seventh-day Adventist Church family. “Would anyone like to join me?” she asked, as she passed around a clipboard. Twelve people signed up. The group grew to 16, meeting every Thursday evening in the Duerksen’s home. Group members were impacted in different ways. One member, Carl, reached out to a refugee from Iraq. They met together at restaurants. They practiced English. The Iraqi had significant physical challenges because of beatings during the war. Carl took him to medical appointments. They became close friends, which his Iraqi friend said is the very thing he needed most. It was Brenda, the group leader, who was most impacted by the training. Soon she joined a team coordinating a free twoday clinic called Impact Your Health Portland. Over 500 volunteers helped her reach out to more than 800 patients, including many immigrants and refugees. Brenda also continued to help Portland Adventist Community Services. In response to COVID-19, they prepare pre-filled boxes for a drive-through food bank. One day recently the Duerksen’s van was filled with 825 loaves or bags of rolls to distribute to individuals in need.

Brenda and her husband, Pr. Dick Duerksen, traveled the world while working for Maranatha Volunteers International. Now she organizes local church members in Portland, Oregon, to minister to the needs of the refugees in their communities

Frequently, Brenda coordinates efforts with a Karen Adventist refugee leader named Doh Soe to deliver furniture, clothing, 5

bedding, cooking supplies, and children’s toys to refugee and immigrant families in need. Doh Soe is supported by the Rockwood Seventh-day Adventist Church to church plant among the refugees from Myanmar. I was thrilled to meet the Duerksens at a previous Oregon Conference camp meeting, and to learn, recently, the impact of the Reach the World Next Door training on them and those whose lives they have touched. God desires to use all of us in some way to welcome, befriend, and share His salvation with the unreached who have moved nearby. After using this training for the last seven years, we have just completely revised the program to increase its effectiveness and make it easier to use. You will enjoy the video clips of leaders and members sharing their valuable insights and experiences in ministry among refugees and international students. You will also appreciate the small group Bible study and discussion workbooks, through which you will learn excellent principles for working with people of other cultures and religions. The full course is available for free online at adventistlearningcommunity.com/rwnd. It includes 13 lessons that can be completed in your home with your family or at the park with friends. You can use it in Sabbath school classes, youth groups, academy Bible classes, and other venues. Pastors and teachers can also take the course for continuing education credits. Every lesson has an assignment that helps you put a new witnessing principle into action. If you faithfully follow it, you will make new friends with people from other cultures and

Brenda works with Portland Adventist Community Services and Adventist refugee leaders to distribute food to those in need.

significantly help them with the challenges they are facing. You will gain confidence in sharing your faith with Buddhists, Muslims, and others. You will learn how to appreciate various elements of your new friends’ culture, while helping them address issues that must be transformed as they become disciples of Christ. I am praying that you will take the step to invite friends and family to join you in this mission journey like Brenda did. She writes, “I loved the Bible lessons being focused on how Jesus reached out to immigrants and refugees, with supportive Bible texts and stories. He’s always the number one inspiring role model for us.” Someone has said we are either a missionary or a mission field. As you consider this strategic mission, remember that the new friend you make may be the one who, like the Ethiopian treasurer (see Acts 8:26-39), takes the gospel back to his entire country. Together, let’s reach the world next door and see Jesus return—sooner!

TRAIN FOR MISSIONS BY DOING MISSIONS 13 Life-Changing Sessions The all-new Reach the World Next Door online training program teaches you how to reach out cross-culturally to the unreached who live near you! Through small group materials, video presentations, and field assignments, you will learn how to pray for, befriend, serve, and effectively witness to refugees, immigrants, and international students.

REACH the world

next door

Join God’s strategic end-time mission! Gather your church members, family, and friends for this free online training!

Explore now at adventistlearningcommunity.com/rwnd.

NEWS

Exceedingly, Abundantly AN UPDATE ON ASAP’S COVID-19 HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE CAMPAIGN, BY JOHN PRESS

arlier this year, as the coronavirus pandemic took hold across the globe, requests for emergency aid began pouring in from the field. In Myanmar, residents of the Samee displacement camp lacked basic necessities. In Laos, hunger stalked villagers impacted by drought. In Cambodia, at-risk families were reeling from the financial fallout of COVID-19 lockdowns. And across the 10/40 Window, the vulnerable and the unreached cried out for relief amidst the fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

300 Displaced families in Samee, Myanmar, that have received food, cooking utensils, mosquito nets, tarps, and other essential supplies through ASAP’s humanitarian assistance efforts. Thirteen individuals have been baptized into the Seventhday Adventist Church since arriving in Samee, and many more have expressed interest in Bible studies. Please pray for ASAP church planter Simon Tin* and others as they minister to the displaced.

In response, on May 1, ASAP launched a campaign to raise $75,000 for humanitarian assistance in just over eight weeks. We prayed. You prayed. You gave. And God blessed exceedingly, abundantly above all that we asked or thought possible (Eph. 3:20)! To date, more than $125,000 has been raised! Our heartfelt thanks to each one of you who supported this campaign. The report below highlights just a few of the many ways that God has answered your prayers and used your gifts to bring hope and help to those in need.

13 The number of languages into which ASAP’s “Protect Yourself from COVID-19” poster has been translated. The poster, which teaches people how to strengthen their immune systems using the eight laws of health, is currently being used in Asia, the Middle East, and among multiple refugee and immigrant communities in the U.S.

25% Percentage of Seventh-day Adventist church members (including unbaptized family members and children) in Laos who are in danger of going to bed hungry each night, according to ASAP field supervisor Pr. Jeremiah Thor.* Thanks to funding from ASAP donors and other Adventist organizations, the Laos Attached Region distributed nearly five tons of rice during its first delivery of aid to those impacted by flooding, drought, and COVID-19 lockdowns.

FROM COVID-19 Eat Superfoods

MORNING GLORY

Green vegetables cabbage

that Fight Viruses

1,915

fruit

Onion

Spinach

citrus

Kale

GINGER

GARLIC

Mango

Kaffir Lime

Stop & Reduce Things that Weaken Your Body

pineapple

papaya

Build a Strong

Mind & Body Naturally

At-risk families that have received smoking assistance SUGAR rest fresh air food andsunshine health and sanitation supplies through ASAP and Cambodia Adventist Mission. Many ALCOHOL FATS & MEATS exercise lots of water trust in god • wash and sanitize Choose peaceful thoughts of the families areDrinknon-Adventists whose children attend ASAP schools Get the facts and find encouragement at godcareseveryday.org throughout Cambodia. This handout is sponsored by ASAP Ministries

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A New Husband for Leah BY BRENDA KIŠ

eah Ma Saw,* an ASAP teacher in Myanmar, is married to a new husband. She didn’t expect that her life would turn out this way, but it’s a wonderful blessing. Her former husband—let’s call him Joe—was very difficult. Joe didn’t encourage her in her teaching. Joe drank. Joe used drugs—a lot. Joe wasn’t a good father to their children. His rage spilled over even the smallest of things and he wouldn’t let go. Leah could list many reasons for wanting a divorce, and apparently, Joe felt the same way. It seemed he just wanted to drink himself into oblivion and sleep. When he was awake, he tore up the house. Nights were filled with fights between them. Leah had been scared of him at first, but as the horror of their life together grew, her fright melted into deep disappointment and grief. She tried to be patient for the children’s sake, and she prayed. Oh, how she prayed!

Two years ago, Leah attended the annual ASAP worker training with a heavy heart. She and Joe were planning to divorce when she returned home. “We fight every time before trainings,” she explained to ASAP Executive Director Julia O’Carey. “He does not want me to attend. But I am so blessed by the trainings. I must come.” At the training, as Leah listened to a presentation on the Holy Spirit, she was convicted to forgive her husband and return to him in love. During the 8

united prayer session that followed, she poured out her heart to God. “He gave me the gift of forgiveness for my husband,” she shared at the time. “I’m going to go back home and make things right with him.” However, when Leah returned home, Joe had not changed. He angrily ripped up her notes from the training, and he continued drinking and sleeping the days away. But Leah continued praying. And one evening she and Joe were finally able to agree on one thing. It was time to consult the village chief to see if he could help them. It must have been an answer to prayer, Leah thought, because the chief told Joe that he shouldn’t treat his wife so badly. And from that day on, Joe started to change. During the next two months he stopped chewing betel nut. Smoking fell away next. And then alcohol. He started to fast and pray. He attended a Daniel and Revelation seminar at church. He started canvassing and selling church books. Leah couldn’t believe what she was witnessing! Many times Joe had tried, without success, to stop drinking and smoking. Always in the past Leah had led out in morning and evening worship, but suddenly Joe took up his priestly role and started leading out on his own initiative. Compassion filled his heart and he went from house to house helping people. He began to read the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

MEET OUR WORKERS

The Power of Healing Prayer BY BRENDA KIŠ

SAP church planter Mathias Srimoon* has a wife, four children, nearly two dozen goats, and two house churches of 20-30 members to look after. He is fortunate to have family members and church leaders who help each other in God’s work. But it isn’t always easy. “I was the first Christian in my family,” he says. “In the beginning it was very difficult to share Jesus with them, but after they observed me and saw how God is, they also decided to believe in Him.”

But for Mathias’ father, just changing allegiance from the spirits to God was not enough. Unfortunately, one day he lost his mind and grabbed a knife. As he swung it around the house, Mathias’ 9-year-old daughter was cut on the head. Bleeding heavily, she was rushed to the hospital where the doctors saved her life. Mathias’ father was arrested and imprisoned after the authorities found drugs in his possession. This was his fourth time in the state prison! Incidents like this could turn some people away from the gospel, but Mathias is not deterred. “In my village it is hard to get someone interested in God,” he says. “But if we spend time with people, they will trust us and be open to hear the gospel. I befriended someone with a sick daughter. He’d spent a lot of money on finding a cure for her, but she hadn’t been healed. Then he asked me to pray for her. After I prayed and she was healed, he believed in God.” Such healings are not lost on the villagers. A church member who always helped with the song service didn’t show up one Sabbath. As Mathias was wondering why this faithful worker wasn’t there, a small boy ran into the church and told him that the woman had pain in her stomach and had been rolling on the floor for many hours already that morning. Mathias and the little boy immediately went to her home. There he laid his hand on the song leader and she ceased her screaming. The villagers were amazed. Mathias’ own brother-in-law had been married for over ten years without having a child. His family had been praying for him. He was also praying for himself. He and his wife had gone to medical professionals and even witch doctors. Their funds were quickly draining away. Finally, they decided to

simply trust in God, and last year He blessed them with a baby girl! Again the villagers were astounded at a God with such power. Seven people were baptized recently after studying with Mathias. Now he’s eager to enter the next village and start the work there. Thank you for praying for this faithful church planter as he ministers to the people of Laos.

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven” (James 5:15). 9

IN TRIBUTE IN HONOR OF AURELIE HOSKIN, by Carlos & Wanda Antuna • AUTUMN CLARK, by Thu & Randy Clark • BERNARD MUN, by Ben Mun • DAVID QUALLS, by David & Ruth Qualls • DUANE KAY SMITH, by Daryl Smith • ESTHER & BILL WEST, by Bob & Esther Lair • EUN PYEUN-KIM, by EJ & Hyun Kyung Lee • GEORGE FLOYD, by Robert & Emily Cecil • GOD, by Vontis Paska • JACK & BETHENE GRISWOLD, by Lynne & Thomas Buske • JESUS, ALWAYS JESUS (JOHN 5:23), JESUS AND HIS SACRIFICE, JESUS, MY LORD AND SAVIOUR, WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR ME, LORD JESUS CHRIST, by Edwin & Connie Reynolds, Jenice Vance, Wyman Kingsley, Amy Bergman, Robin & Bonnier Rogers, Michael & Felicia Taimi • JULIA O’CAREY, by Judith Tuttle • MILWAUKEE KAREN SDA GROUP, by Aung Tun • MY MOM ON MOTHER’S DAY, by Elizabeth Yeagley • MY MOTHER, ESTHER (PASSED AWAY FEB. 2018), ON MOTHER’S DAY, by Donald & Ellen Amador • NOAH DAVID PARSONS, by Carol Marino • SIVILAI & DOUANGCHANH SAENGPRASEUTH, by May Saengpraseuth Alirad • TOM & MARGARET JEYS, by Karl & Jody Sandberg

IN MEMORY OF ALL THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE IN DA NANG, by Patrick Trainor • BEATRICE NEALL, by Byron & Carol Reynolds • BONNIE LLOYD, by Harry Lloyd • CLEO WIGHTMAN, by Wanda Poole & Roy Wightman • DR. PAUL W. ESSIG, JR., by Karen Bowen • ERIC SCHMIDT, by Victoria Schmidt • JAMES NASH, by Rosalyn Nash • JUDY AITKEN, by Christie Lee, Joseph & Susan Chhuth, and Rosalyn Nash • LISA DEBOOY, by David & Ruth DeBooy MR. & MRS. CARL TROTT, by Eloise Symonds • MY FATHER-IN-LAW RIM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

books he was selling, learned about hydrotherapy, and put his new knowledge to work. Leah and Joe began praying and worshiping together. Joe was a new man! Joe was a new husband! If you ask Leah what made the difference, she won’t tell you that the village chief is a fabulous counselor or an authoritative leader who knows how to make things happen. She will tell you that consistent prayer to the greatest Counselor who ever lived, prayer to the Leader of the universe, is what brought about such a miraculous change. “I was like Saul,” says Joe, “because he, too, persecuted believers and God’s children.” But now, Leah has a new testimony to share, even among believers in other denominations. Her Saul has become a Paul; her old husband has been born again! 10

PHAN, by Michael Vuthy Sarunn • NATHAN DAVID STOLL, by Cherilyn Typaldos • NELDA R. WOMACK, by Mary Jacob • RICHARD POPE, by James & Judith Culpepper • RUTH WATSON, by Penny Sieben • SAGE, by Laura & Dan Fuller • VERDA WEBB LYONS, by Fred Webb • VIVIEN TOZER, by Susan Harboldt

IN THANKFULNESS FOR CARLOS ANTUNA, by Carlos & Wanda Antuna • CHARLOTTE PARK, by Jake Park • CHRIS GENSOLIN, by Michelle Thao Gensolin • GOD AND HIS BLESSINGS, GOODNESS, GRACE, AND UNFAILING LOVE, by Rosa Miller, Annette Marin, Neftali Acuna Perez, Beverly George, Jennifer Diaz, Samuel Brathwaite, James & Sue Pierce, and Melody Mason • GRACE, by Grace Banayos • GREAT FAMILY, by Kevin & Teresa Jepson • JESUS!, JESUS CHRIST, JESUS CHRIST AND OUR FATHER, JESUS AND HIS GIFT OF SALVATION (PLEASE SHARE WITH OTHERS), HOW JESUS HAS CARED FOR ME AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE FOR ME, WHAT JESUS HAS DONE FOR US!, by Aleksandar & Miriam Popovski, Kahn Ellmers, Mike Raj, Shashena Ruddock, Valery & Johanna Loumber, Hope Sekulic, Amy Bergman, and Tracie Alonso • MARRIAGE OF MY DAUGHTER, MARY GRACE, by Fernando & Elizabeth Orozco • MIKE DOUCOUMES, by Mike & Gwen Doucoumes • MOTHER MILLER, by Carlos & Kathy Martinez • MY FAMILY, by Ronaldo & Maribeth Betito • MY HUSBAND, DON, by Ellen Amador • MY PARENTS, ARLO & PHYLLIS KRUEGER, by Karla Krueger Mundall • ROBERT MCCOY, by Ericka Quesada • RUTHIE REEVES, by Joseph Reeves

GREATEST NEEDS

Greatest Need? Field Supervisors BY LAURA HOKANSON

SAP field supervisor Philip Charoensuk,* who oversees the Bangkok Refugee and Poor (BRAP) Project, recently received this letter from a refugee family: “We are ever grateful to ASAP for all the support that they have given us. We pray that God blesses ASAP abundantly so that they may be able to help even more families like us, not only in Bangkok, Thailand, but all the countries where the need may arise.” Philip says, “Dealing with urban refugees and asylum seekers has been teaching me to get on my knees every day. I love seeing people become hopeful even in the most difficult circumstances.”

supervisor, Dr. Htwe Lay Thein, encouraged Naomi Htwe to incorporate health ministry into her love for preaching the gospel. Reluctant at first to work with “sick people,” Naomi began to pray. As a result, a failing NEWSTART Lifestyle Center was transformed into a NEWSTART gym. Dr. Htwe Lay says, “I attended the opening dedication of the center. Naomi is leading out in fitness training and health education. I often talk with her and the other two workers to pray and watch how the Holy Spirit moves. They are excited to see more customers come to the center. Naomi, in this new role, seems happier than before.”

Did you know, when you give to ASAP’s Greatest Needs fund, you help workers like Philip give the gift of hope?

ASAP supports 15 field supervisors in five countries. You can help them keep ASAP projects strong. Give to Greatest Needs today!

Field supervisors, like Philip, are national missionaries who visit ASAP projects regularly, assessing the spiritual, financial, and physical needs of the field workers. Working directly with the treasurers at the local Seventh-day Adventist missions, they monitor project costs, keep expenditures within budget, and ensure that 100% of your donation goes to the project specified. Through weekly reports to ASAP Associate Director Pastor Saeng Saengthip, they also supply many of the stories and photos you see in ASAP publications. Most importantly, field supervisors are mentors. The field workers in their care daily encounter threatening circumstances such as famine, poverty, demon possession, and persecution. In addition, many need education in the practical aspects of caring for their growing ministries. Field supervisors work side-by-side with these dedicated workers, praying with them, counseling them through difficulties, and helping them find the resources they need. Sometimes this mentorship results in the birth of new ministries. Recently, in Myanmar, medical missionary field Mentorship from her ASAP field supervisor has helped Naomi Htwe (second from right) incorporate health ministry with her passion for sharing the gospel.

Travel restrictions related to COVID-19 led to the postponement of our annual training events in Southeast Asia this year, but our workers and other mission leaders received a tremendous blessing from two recent virtual training events made possible, in part, through your support of ASAP’s Greatest Needs fund. Trauma: War, famine, and pandemic create challenges for our national missionaries. In response, ASAP partnered with the Social Work department at Andrews University to sponsor a Trauma Awareness & Intervention live webinar for ASAP mission leaders. Ninety individuals from eight countries participated, praising the timely education they received. Coaching: To combat the isolation and discouragement that halt mission growth, ASAP field supervisors attended a dynamic coaching webinar presented by former ASAP board chair Dr. Tom Evans. They received tools for training workers and organizing them into accountability prayer teams for long-term spiritual growth.

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 Brenda Duerksen, Soe Nay Hsee, Philip Htoo,* Anthony Isensee, Abel Lao,* Carol Reynolds, Trudi Starlin, Dr. Htwe Lay Thein 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.

PHONE 269-471-3026 FAX 269-471-3034 EMAIL office@asapministries.org WEB 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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Celebrate ASAP Ministries’ 25th Anniversary ON OCTOBER 24, 2020

SAVE THE DATE!