WHAT IS A BILLION?
10 AMAZING FACTS
TEARS OF THE SAINTS
THE BIG PUSH
DON’T FORGET
The number of unreached people around the world is simply enormous
Awesome and astonishing things you didn’t know about Asia
Why Christians suffer for their faith
Do you need a push to get involved in the Great Commission?
Short-term trips essential items
the magazine
ISSUE 10
TEN AMAZING
AWESOME
Asia ASTONISHING
THINGS THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT
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MORE PEOPLE
ASIA IS THE LARGEST
THE POPULATION
THE GREAT WALL
THE TEN HIGHEST
live in India than in Central America, North America and South America put together!
continent. 4 billion people live here and the land area is greater than the surface of the moon!
of Hindus in the Indian sub-continent is 3 times greater than the population of the USA.
of China was built over a period of more than 2000 years (8th century BC – 17th century AD)
mountains are located in Asia. It’s home to the highest (Mt Everest 8,848m) and lowest (Dead Sea 395m) points on earth.
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CHINA
INDIA
CHEN GUANMING
MAWSYNRAM
HALF THE WORLD’S
is the world’s largest mobile phone market, with nearly 900 million subscribers.
produces 16 million tons of mangoes every year
travelled from Beijing to London by rickshaw in just over 2 years. The 60,000km journey took him through 16 countries.
in India is noted as being the wettest place on earth with over 11 metres of rain falling every year.
population are within 5 hours flying time of Hong Kong!
CONTENTS 10 Amazing Awesome Astonishing Things You Didn’t Know About Asia
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What Is A Billion?
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Know Your World: North Korea
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Tears Of The Saints: Why We Suffer
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Short-Term 2012 Report: Vietnam, Thailand & Laos
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Short-Term Kit List: Essential Gear
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Need A Push?
What is a Billion? 11
It’s estimated that there are more than 1 billion people who are yet to hear about Christ for the first time. Most don’t even know he exists. 1,000,000,000...sort of rolls off the tongue doesn’t it? We thought it would be interesting if we tried to measure what a billion looks like...
> If you wanted to count to a billion, it would take 31 years, 251 days, 7 hours and 39 seconds (if you counted one number per second).
> A billion seconds ago, it was 1981. > A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive. > One billion metres is almost three times the distance from the earth to the moon.
Historymakers Magazine
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Know your world
NORTH KOREA
MAN ON THE MOON? Many people in North Korea don’t even know that man has walked on the moon.
RADIO SILENCE You can’t turn off the government radio installed in your home, only reduce the volume.
BIG BROTHER REEDUCATE N.Koreans are taught from childhood to hate Japan, South Korea and the USA.
Visitors to North Korea are given special guides and can’t go anywhere without them.
MILITARY MIGHT North Korea has the fourth largest military in the world, at an estimated 1.21 million armed personnel.
HOLE IN ONE
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people are pouring into China and begging for food
It was once reported by NK media that Kim Jong Il shot 38 under par on a regulation 18-hole golf course – including 5 holes in one!
She should have had all the joys of a carefree childhood. She should have been as untroubled as any six year old. Instead, her dry skin and brittle nails were signs to make us ache for this beautiful little waif with the most gorgeous, deep brown eyes. So was the bloated belly on one so young. The natural pigments were fading away to dirty blonde streaks in what should have been a shock of shiny, jet black hair. Malnutrition was taking its toll. North Korea has plenty of problems but close to the top of the list is this: the country cannot feed its own people. Years of economic collapse and famine have fuelled the breakdown of a once-efficient health-care system. Chronic diseases now account for an estimated 40 percent of deaths.
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people are reduced to scraping frozen human excrement off the walls of public toilets
For North Koreans today, the lack of medicine, equipment, sanitation and reliable energy supplies make quality health-care virtually unobtainable outside of the capital Pyongyang where only those considered loyal to the government are allowed to live and where food is relatively plentiful. Those living in more remote provinces know all too well that severe malnutrition is their constant companion. In short, the future is bleak.
KIDS RULE Nobody knows for sure whether the new leader, Kim Jung Un was born in 1983 or 1984, Either way, he’s currently the world's youngest head of state.
More than half of North Korean children are stunted or underweight, while two-thirds of young adults are malnourished or anaemic. Even fertilizer has become an unaffordable luxury for a nation short on fuel, farm machinery and arable land.
(At best, only about 20% of the country is fertile.) People are reduced to scraping frozen human excrement off the walls of public toilets, mixing it with ash for use at state farms. A recent email from friends more used to secretly transporting Bibles into this tightly controlled country, shared this added burden: “The biggest need at the moment is food. People are pouring into China and begging for food. Families are dying of starvation inside. I don't know if this is anything that you want to be a part of or not – but if so please let me know.” It’s risk-taking for redemption’s sake. The work continues with added urgency n Watch our short NK Video here: vimeo.com/2162463
Historymakers Magazine
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“DEAD DOGS” Persecution is a daily reality for many Christians in minority groups in South-East Asia. Our contact reports: “In one Hmong village the police were going through and looking for Christians. This is easy to do, since traditionally the Hmong people worship the spirits, and they have an altar over the door of their homes. When the people become Christians they take down those altars so all the police had to do to find them was to go to the homes without the altar over the doors. In one village they found four Hmong Bibles. The police asked the Christians where they got the Bibles so they could put a stop to it but the Christians didn't talk. So the police boiled water and poured it down the believers' throats. This symbolized how Vietnamese eat dog––one way that they kill the dogs before they eat them is to pour boiling water down their throats. It was like the Vietnamese police were telling these Hmong Christians that they were nothing more than dead dogs.
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The torture was too much for the believers so they told them a Vietnamese pastor in the city had brought the Bibles. This pastor was arrested, taken to prison, and was beaten daily for two weeks during his "re-education." He was released after three months and told never to give out Bibles again” n
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so the police boiled water and poured it down the believers’ throats
200 MILLION TEARS More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, 60% of these are children.
SINCE JESUS... More than 43 million Christians have been killed for their faith.
WORLD WATCH LIST According to one Christian organisation, North Korea, Afghanistan & Saudi Arabia are the world’s worst countries to live in as a Christian.
Tears Saints OF THE
Persecution is just the norm for millions of Christians today. Name-calling, slander, imprisonment, physical abuse, death: these things are happening all over the world. Wherever God’s people are, there will always be people who don't like it. So suffering for our faith is real, but why does it happen?
To test faith (1 Peter 1:6) ...you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire— may be found to result in praise...at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
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Our faith is worth more than the value of all the world’s gold and just as precious metals are purified and refined through a process, God sometimes allows us to suffer persecution – he’s testing us to show how genuine our faith is. To be like Jesus (1 Peter 2:21, 4:2) For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
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To accomplish God’s plan (1 Peter 3:17, 4:19) Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
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It’s up to God whether we suffer persecution. The Devil may be the ultimate instrument of persecution but it’s God who is in control. The big picture is that God is building his Church and there’s nothing the enemy can do to stop it. From the moment Stephen was martyred and persecution broke out against the church, the followers were scattered all over the place. The most amazing thing was they didn’t abandon their faith, they simply preached wherever they went and in this way the Gospel spread rapidly and the numbers grew daily n
Jesus wants us to follow in his footsteps so we will live not for ourselves but for the will of God.
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you... (1 Peter 4:12)
To be blessed (1 Peter 3:14, 4:14) If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
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It’s a blessing to suffer persecution. It will make our homecoming – heaven – all the more amazing.
The big picture is that God is building his Church Historymakers Magazine
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Report
SHORT-TERM
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2012
...I didn’t really have any perspective on how needed the bibles may actually be... I have to admit my motives for going on the team were slightly selfish: to see a different part of the world, meet new people, improve my chop-stick skills, shake up my faith a bit. Carrying Bibles also held a certain excitement for me and I soon set about practicing my “calm, cool and completely casual” face for the border guards. I didn’t really have any perspective on how needed or useful the Bibles may actually be to the people we would meet. This was to change. After 3 flights we landed in South East Asia. After a mild panic involving a lost passport, we were soon jumping into a tuk tuk and scooting down town to sample some Asian cuisine. Keen to try out our limited local phrases we were quickly greeting anyone in our eyeline. The next day we got stuck into studying “Radical”, a book by David Platt about taking back your faith from the western dream. These studies and discussions really helped to focus our minds on the purpose of the trip, and challenge us to think about how much we live for God’s purposes or our own comfort. A big theme that came out of our group times was how God has always purposed to save all peoples of the earth, and we are His way of reaching those who are yet to hear of Him. The contact we met explained how needed the Bibles were in the country we would visit and gave us an update on the situation facing the believers in that land. We packed up our bags and I was soon ashamed to find that one of the girls had managed to squeeze more Bibles into her rucksack. I however had more clean clothes in the coming days and smelled slightly better in my opinion. Looking back
though I may have got my priorities wrong! Crossing the border went well. It’s a beautiful country of green jungle, rice paddies, smiling people, tasty food and spectacular waterfalls. We took opportunities to prayer-walk around Buddhist temples, past gold leaf covered statues of Buddha which so enthralled locals and tourists alike. The highlight was meeting a house church leader and hearing his inspirational testimony, and of how God is building His kingdom all over the country. Once again we heard that the Bibles were so welcome. It put the need in perspective when we heard that in the previous 6 months, 5000 people had come to Christ, yet we could only bring in 850 Bibles for him to distribute. This was a moment of realization for me.
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I went with selfish motives... We soon found ourselves back where we started and restocking our luggage with Bibles, this time for another people group and another country. God again calmed, encouraged and provided for us as we travelled with our bags stuffed. The hand-over here was somewhat different than previously. Our contact arrived and was away again in a flash, no words were spoken, no photos taken, just appreciation, visible on the face of the national believer, and
encouraging smiles and handshakes from us to our brother in Christ. It was after this that the group discussions and the chance to see the country and people, became so important. Our study of Radical continued, as did the change in our hearts that God was working. Getting to see the regions and villages that would receive the Bibles really helped to put faces to the numbers and needs we had heard about. We spent a lot of time with a local believer who had such a heart for reaching the unreached, and such a quiet love for God and strength in Him, that those remaining days became highlights of the whole trip for me. I went with selfish motives and God in is His grace met me where I was at. He shook me up, led me on, and I am thankful for the challenge and change in perspective that I was able to experience on that trip. My prayer is for this view to persist in our lives, of being global Christians, who are either supporting global mission or are being global missionaries, a people who follow the call of the gospel to, after being saved, go to those who have never heard of Jesus. If you are thinking about it, I highly recommend going to Asia with HistoryMakers, and while you are at it, take a couple of Bibles with you n –– Keith, N.Ireland
Historymakers Magazine
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Essentia l SHORT-TERM KIT-LIST
BIBLE & DEVOTIONAL BOOK
PASSPORT, E-TICKET & INSURANCE
LARGE RUCKSACK & SMALL DAY SACK
STRONG COMFORTABLE WALKING SHOES
It was Hudson Taylor who said "There is a living God. He has spoken in His Word. He means what He says. And He is willing and able to perform what He has promised" A HistoryMakers trip will shake you up. Be prepared for what God might do in you.
Your passport is worth more than all your money put together so don’t lose it! TOP TIP: Get travel insurance as soon as you book. If something happens to your flights, you’ll be covered.
You’ll be carrying twoweeks worth of clothes plus all your gear around with you. You’ll also need space for carrying a heavy load of Bibles into the country should you be on that trip. The day sack is your carryon bag and something that you’ll take everywhere with you. TOP TIP: Travel as light as you can.
You’ll be thankful for these when you are trudging through the mud, a river bed or down a flooded monsoon city street. TOP TIP: Bring a pair of flip flops or slip-ons, they’re handy for the hot weather and most indoor places in Laos or Vietnam culturally require shoes to be taken off.
SNACKS
FIRST-AID KIT & MEDICAL ITEMS
EAR PLUGS
SUN CREAM, HAT & SUNGLASSES
There are often those times, perhaps on a sleeper train or six hour minibus journey where you will feel peckish. Snacks such as energy bars, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit are great items to have along for the ride.
FOREIGN CURRENCY Currency is another essential item & US Dollars are accepted in most places in Asia now. Some HistoryMakers trips have been known to jump between five different currencies!
Not everyone on the team will need to bring a First-Aid Kit but you will need your own essential medicines such as painkillers and insect bite cream. TOP TIP: Keep a small bottle of hand cleanser in your pocket.
MOSQUITO SPRAY & NET, MALARIA PILLS Mosquitos are everywhere especially during the Monsoon season. Speak to your doctor for advice on Malaria pills and they will tell you if the region is a malaria zone. Mosquito nets could come in handy if you’re staying in more rural places or more basic guesthouses. TOP TIP: Go for the 100% high-deet sprays.
Ear plugs come in handy right across Asia. Noise disturbance is generally part of life whether in the urban jungle or the rainforest. Traffic, horns, engines roaring from 5am till 12pm. In the jungle the orchestra of wildlife starts up as soon as the sun goes down.
TOILET ROLL, IMODIUM There is the (off) chance you might get ‘Delhi-belly’. Most short-termers experience it at some point during a trip! Toilet roll and Imodium should do the trick! TOP TIP: Banana & yoghurt smoothies or hot vegetable soup are things locals might eat for an upset stomach.
The sun shines in most regions of Asia so even when it’s cloudy you can get burnt. It’s not uncommon to see Lao, Thai or Chinese people walking around with umbrellas, not for the rain but for the sunshine!
MP3 PLAYER, CAMERA & TRAVEL ADAPTOR Depending on your port of departure, you could be flying for up to 13hrs at a time. There are only so many episodes of Mr Bean you can watch so mp3 players help pass the time. A camera is another must have. Temples, red sunsets, monks and smiling Asian children make for great photography.
NEED A PUSH?
A man was lying in bed when he heard a knock on the door. It was half past three in the morning. "I'm not getting out of bed at this time," he thought, and rolled over. Then, a louder knock followed. "Aren't you going to answer that?" said his wife. So he dragged himself out of bed, and went downstairs. He opened the door and there was a man standing at the door. It didn't take the homeowner long to realise that the man was drunk. “Hi there,” slurred the stranger, "Can you give me a push?" “No, go away, it's half past three,” said the man and slammed the door. He went back up to bed and told his wife what happened. “That wasn't very nice of you,” she said. “Remember that night we broke down in the pouring rain and you
had to knock at a man's house to get us started again? What would have happened if he'd told us to go away?” "But the guy was drunk," said the husband. “It doesn't matter,” said the wife. “He needs our help.” So the husband went downstairs, opened the door and not being able to see the stranger anywhere he shouted, “Hey, do you still need a push?” He heard a voice cry out, “Yes, please!” Still being unable to see the stranger, he shouted: “Where are you?” The stranger replied: “I'm over here, on your swing!”
What about our prayer time? Are we committing peoples and places to the Lord regularly? What about resources God has given us? Time? Holiday? Money? Life? What’s it going to take? Everything! Think of India. Less than 3% of the population are Christians. More than 500,000 villages in India remain without a Christian witness. With over 1 billion unconverted in India alone perhaps we could say that we Christians need a bit of a push. Maybe today we need a little push to help us see our responsibility in reaching the whole world with the Gospel. Do you need a push? n
There are areas in our life where we all need a bit of a push. Certainly with regard to the Great Commission it seems that many Christians need a bit of a push.
Historymakers Magazine
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Arrive Asia
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What happens on one of our short-term trips?
Go to 1 airport
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Apply copious amounts of sun cream
5 Get familiarrizeKipd , with youDong Baht &
Eat local food
Be , Dona key, for Christ
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Gain a bigger , picture of God s 8 global purposes
for Preparefect side ef foods of local
10 Meet underground church leaders & local believers
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the Take in sightsds& soun
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Return home passionate for world mission
www.historymakers.info A ministry of AsiaLink. PO BOX 891, Preston PR4 9AB. Registered charity No.327165.
9 In the summer we focus on carrying Bibles across borders into two countries in south-east 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. Email historymakers@asialink.org for app-forms or phone 0161 443 2327 for more details.