ASIALINK the magazine winter 2017
NEPAL
BLESSINGS & CHALLENGES
NORTH KOREA
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
ASIALINK
COMINGS & GOINGS
NORTH KO R E A
2
ASIALINK
UPDATE
asialink the magazine
www.asialink.org
BEHIND THE HEADLINES Whatever the news reports say, we find from personal experience that there are good people doing good works in North Korea. Praise God for opportunities to work with them to improve the lives of children in orphanages, schools for the blind and deaf and rehabilitation centres. We can help with increasing the food supply, equipment for schools and centres and, very importantly, medical training. We have the privilege of working directly with the Korean Federation for the Protection of the Disabled, a department of the North Korean government whose mission is to advocate for, and represent the rights and interests of, people with disabilities in that country. Our relationship with the Director and his team is developing and we find that they are sincere, caring people wanting to help in their community. They have made great progress in a short time. In the past, people with disabilities were hidden away, their families ashamed that they could not contribute to society. But that attitude is changing and now they are celebrating the contribution that the disabled are making in many areas of life. In 2015 our friends arranged a visit of 12 disabled young musicians and performers to give concerts in London, Oxford, Cambridge and Paris. This was very well received and they plan to come again this year. We are grateful for gifts from AsiaLink supporters that have allowed us to help in practical ways. Most significantly is the provision of two greenhouses, one at a school for deaf children (almost completed) and another to help an orphanage and the poorest people in one town. You will see from the photos that these are no ordinary greenhouses! These eco-friendly, bio-diverse units are used not only to grow vegetables but also to breed livestock. They will provide much needed food, year around, for many.
also the first school for people with disabilities. Other needs we are working on include Braille typewriters and solar heating systems for remote schools where there is no heating in the freezing winters. So, there are many opportunities and much to do. Of course, when in North Korea we are unable to witness openly but the people we meet know we are Christians and motivated by a God given love for their people. They are very grateful for our help and they used words such as love, joy, peace, kind and gentle when thanking our team. So please pray for our friends and partners in North Korea, we believe God is at work. Please pray especially now as the harsh winter conditions mean food supplies are very low. Pray for the provision of more greenhouses to allow yearround harvests. Thank you for your prayers and support for this work we feel very privileged to be part of.
“
In North Korea we are unable to witness openly but the people we meet know we are Christians
OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE Our team last October included two physiotherapy professors and a paediatrician. They held a two-day seminar covering a whole range of subjects including cerebral palsy, autism and physical therapy. This was followed by a week of “handson” teaching for the health professionals at the rehabilitation centre. There is an ongoing need for medical professionals to join us and go to teach short-term in North Korea. There are many other opportunities opening for our team. For example, a design college for the disabled in Pyongyang, the capital. This will not only be the first college of its kind, but
3
ASIALINK
NEWS
BURMA
“
The villagers are traditionally animist, worshiping the spirit of the mountains and valley.
CHALLENGES OF SHARING THE MESSAGE Taung Khuah village is a small village on a hill top in Rakhine State, Burma. It has some 45 families, mostly farmers cultivating the surrounding hillsides. Some families operate a small road side store with the barter system still in place. Despite their hard work, villagers only make a meagre harvest as there is no modern farming technology here. U San Win, one of the village elders shares with us how his community survives, “We came to this location because there was a time when most of us were hunters and the mountains and valleys in this region was filled with rich wildlife. But as people moved in, the wildlife population declined and we began cultivating the valleys. Today, we are seasonal hunters and farmers,
4
adapting our activities to the dictate of the season and what it can offer to us”. The villagers are traditionally animist, worshipping the spirit of the mountains and valley. They have myriads of spirits, who specialise in different areas. Hunters will make sacrifices so that they will be successful, some sprinkle animal blood on the rice terrace or ground they cultivate hoping the gods will bless them. Physically sickness is often seen as an indication that the spirits are not pleased with them. But the Gospel has been preached among this group: many villagers now have turned to the living God. But their grasp of the gospel is minimal and a discerning observer will quickly see remnants of their previous belief system still in play. I gathered through our various visits in the past, and during this trip, that the
idea of a monolithic God is somehow insufficient. They think that the universe is too large for a single God to manage, hence many spirits, each with a specialised area! Like an investor with a diversified portfolio who believes that in the event of one stock dipping, the remainder will somehow make up for the losses and bring in gain. Any dealings with the spirits/gods are rather transactional – one party doing something for the other to get something greater or more beneficial. The scriptures’ idea of “worshipping” God is very foreign in this native religion. We are grateful to be able to share the whole Gospel. We are privileged to proclaim the message of the all sufficient Jesus who does not fail us! Please pray as we teach these infant Christians from the Word. (From our Burmese partner.)
asialink the magazine
LAOS
www.asialink.org
NEPAL
Thank you very much for your prayers and support. We just came back from a trip last night and are rejoicing but sad. Rejoicing in the sense that we preached at eight villages and gave out 540 warm blankets to very poor elderly people, widows and new mothers. But sad in the sense that even the villages near to the highways and towns were not reached with the Gospel. The Lord opened my eyes to see the real need of the tribal people living in the southern plain belt of Nepal. Very sad! Again rejoicing that a local pastor called me to tell that his landlord repented after he heard the Word of God preached from the porch of his house while I was standing just in front of a big picture of Hindu god and goddess. He said that he came to know that his heart is wicked and not right with the Creator. But very sad that the Maithili NT, which took 30 years to translate, can’t be understood by the native Maithili people groups. Rejoicing that the local pastors are now willing to translate a tract and the Gospel of John into the local Maithili language. Please pray with us that the Lord will help us to print those and be used in the eight southern districts of Nepal.
“
we preached at eight villages and gave out 540 warm blankets to very poor elderly people, widows and new mothers.
Really rejoicing that even the tea-shop owners heard the Gospel clearly. Really sad that the labourers are very few even from the day of Jesus and now it’s really hard to find true believers who are willing to GO for the Lord. Rejoicing to remember the smiling faces of the poor when they heard the Message of hope and receive the warm blankets. But really sad to know that there are millions others to be reached. Rejoicing to see that the just literate believers are serving the Lord and have a hunger for the meat of the Word of God, but really sad to know that they don’t have any regular training and resources to help them mature in their faith and leadership. We covet your prayers for these people and the written and spoken Word to bear fruits. Now, our mission field has just widened and you must pray more with us. Thank you very much. Bishnu, Nepal
MONGOLIA
For many years AsiaLink has supported the church in Mongolia in its work with school children. Initially we funded places for children who were not accepted into the state system for various reasons. Christian teachers worked with local authorities and helped many children until the situation improved a few years ago. Now the LifeSkills Education project is again reaching children and their parents. Five fulltime teachers go into schools in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and teach children practical Biblical values in a 40 minute lesson. The lessons are now also being taught in four schools in another town, Nailakh and a total of 2,132 children attended the lessons last year. Our partner in this work tells us, “We continue to be thankful and amazed to have this opportunity to have such an impact on these children. Due to limited time to share in the lessons we have worked with local churches to establish afterschool LifeSkills clubs where our teachers are available to talk with the children.”
“
Five fulltime teachers go into schools in the capital, Ulaanbaatar, and teach children practical biblical values
Parents are seeing the benefits too and the churches are meeting with them. One mother said, “Since my daughter studied LifeSkills she has learned a lot about obedience and listing to parents and teachers. Thank you for choosing our school and helping our sons and daughters. We have visited your club and joined in the activities for parents.” Please pray that this wonderful opportunity will continue and more and more children will hear great truths from the Bible and that Jesus loves them.
5
ASIALINK
EYEWITNESS
DAVID IN BHUTAN
“
There are anti-conversion laws... making it extremely diffiuclt for those who seek to share the gospel I’m on a flight like no other, enjoying one of the most spectacular views that can be experienced from a commercial aircraft. The flight from Kathmandu, to Paro in Bhutan, offers the rare opportunity to see the beautiful Himalayan mountain range from above. Prepared passengers who reserved seats on the left side of the plane enjoy aerial views of Everest and K2 before the steep descent into Paro. The plane weaves through a valley before touching down on a runway that is cut startlingly short by the side of a mountain. It’s an unforgettable introduction to the unforgettable nation of Bhutan. Bhutan is the last Buddhist kingdom remaining on earth. Here, to be Bhutanese is to be a Buddhist, it’s part of the national identity. Bhutan is the only country in the world to measure GNH – Gross National Happiness. It’s often referred to as the Happiest Country on Earth, but dig a little deeper and you discover a people who are deeply sad, indoctrinated in a religion based on works that offers no hope, no assurance and no salvation.
A LIFE OF FEAR Nowhere is this more evident than in the capital, Thimpu, home to the National Memorial Stupa, a mammoth white monument seen throughout the city. Around the stupa stomps many Buddhists, often spinning prayer wheels or with prayer beads. I see over to one side men bowing fervently in prayer, the wood beneath them rubbed smooth due to the repeated ‘diving’. Many elderly men and women around the stupa are particularly desperate in prayer so that their next life might be better than the current one nearing its end. These are devout people, so indoctrinated in their religion that the end of life brings only fear for the next. Many devote their whole lives in the pursuit of karma, and none have assurance of what the next life might bring. These are desperately sad people. There is however, real hope and real happiness in Bhutan. In Thimpu, I meet with a house church in the home of a believer and learn some of the difficulties faced by Christians in Bhutan. They cannot own land collectively, so are unable to build churches for themselves or bury their dead. Churches are only permitted to meet in homes owned by believers,
6
David is AsiaLink’s Regional Manager for the South of England and Republic of Ireland. He would love to come and share at your church or group.
so long as neighbours do not complain to the authorities. There are anti-conversion laws in the country, making it extremely difficult for those who seek to share the gospel. Punishment is severe. Those who break the law may be stripped of citizenship preventing access to employment, to education and to healthcare. Despite all this, the church in Bhutan continues to grow. I was humbled to teach from the Bible to around 16 believers in Thimpu, all of whom have a deep hunger for the Word of God. For these believers, their faith is at the centre of who they are. They seek depth in their understanding of God’s Word asking many questions about the teaching. The host of this church has a real desire to train Bhutanese evangelists who can cautiously move throughout the country sharing the gospel and seeing lives won for Christ.
asialink the magazine
www.asialink.org
I travel on to another city, 12 hours along a precarious mountainside road. It is here that I meet with an underground church under the cover of darkness so as to not raise suspicion. Squeezed into just a couple of rooms are 50 believers from the surrounding area, some of whom have travelled 30 miles on foot to be here. The church here is hungry for God’s Word and there are many young believers. God has moved in this area over the last few years and blessed the church with many converts. People are coming to know Christ despite the difficulties they face. One recent convert, who was being baptised on Christmas Day, is too afraid to tell her father as she’s convinced he will beat her. Still, the young people here are passionate for evangelism. It is a real privilege to train and support these Bhutanese believers as they seek to reach friends, family and communities with the good news of Jesus Christ.
PRAY FOR BHUTAN Please pray that God would raise up more leaders in the Bhutanese church to faithfully preach and teach God’s word and that Christians would stand firm and obey God despite harsh treatment and harassment. Our Beautiful Feet project supports pastors and evangelists like those I metin Bhutan.
COMINGS AND GOINGS 2017 is shaping up to be a very exciting year of change and opportunity for AsiaLink as we continue to minister among the unreached people of Asia.
Nicola is married to Andrew with three children, Rachel, Ruth and Samuel, and is going with her church on a trip this summer with AsiaLink:
As Andrew and Pamela leave us, we would like to thank them for their years of service and pray they will know God’s blessing in the days ahead.
“I’m not only excited to be a part of a team travelling to Asia carrying Bibles to those in need but also delighted to receive the opportunity to join the AsiaLink team, serving God in this new role.”
We are delighted to welcome two new staff members to the AsiaLink team. The first is Nicola Hoey who will be our new Accounts Officer. With 25 years of experience managing accounts in Ballyclare, Northern Ireland, we’re pleased to welcome her in a similar role with AsiaLink.
We are also joined by Stephen Houston who is taking up the role of Communications Officer. Since graduating from Queens University Belfast, Stephen has worked at both the Evangelical Alliance and his home church, Ballymena Baptist in Northern Ireland. Stephen is a creative thinker with a particular passion for mission and young people.
Our new team members would greatly appreciate your prayerful support as they begin a new challenge and seek to see the gospel proclaimed among the unreached peoples of Asia.
“I’m thrilled to be joining AsiaLink in this role and to serve the mission in Asia. I look forward to communicating their celebrations and challenges to the church closer to home so that we can support our brothers and sisters to the best of our ability. I’m particularly excited to get stuck into the HistoryMakers ministry, encouraging the next generation in mission.”
7
Location: Southeast Asia Trip length: 14 Days (from 22nd July– 5th August approx)
2 01 7
HISTORY MAKERS
DON’T WASTE YOUR SUMMER! In the summer our youth teams focus on carrying Bibles across borders in Southeast Asia. We call it “Operation Monsoon”. What happens? Spiritual opposition, emotionally challenging situations, physical and mental exhaustion. Prayer, discussion and spiritual development. Bible studies. Planes, trains, boats & tuk tuks. Firm friends, awesome sights and unforgettable memories. You’ll never be the same again.
HEAD OFFICE PO BOX 891 Preston PR4 9AB. 01772 681618 / talk2us@asialink.org
REGIONAL OFFICE 11 Grange Valley Park, Ballyclare, Co Antrim BT39 9HG. 028 933 42920 / regional@asialink.org Registered Charity No. 327165
Age limit: 18-29 Cost: Approx. £1,550 (inc. flights, accommodation, living expenses, visas, travel costs) Flight time from the UK: 13hrs To apply please email: historymakers@asialink.org