Advocates for Southeast Asians and the Persecuted

R esist the urge to fight back,” Pastor Saw Htoo encouraged the boys. “I know you grew up surrounded by soldiers and fighting, but you are in America now.

You don’t want to go to jail. And besides, Jesus said, ‘Turn the other cheek.”

Saw Htoo, the leader of the Karen Seventh-day Adventist refugee group in Albany, New York, knew that he was asking something very difficult of the boys. There had been threats against them from the local gang in their high school. Before coming to America, they had heard many stories of cruelty and revenge living on the border of the long-standing civil war between the Burmese government and their Karen tribe. However, Saw Htoo also knew that the boys had given their hearts to Jesus, the prince of peace and source of love.

The boys struggled with their pastors’ words. Did it really matter to not fight back? Jesus said love is an absolute essential of discipleship. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). The very context of His saying is right after predicting Judas’ betrayal and right before predicting Peter’s denial.

So when Jesus said, “As I have loved you…love one another” (John 13:36) He meant love those who hurt you. Yes, not fighting mattered, if the boys wanted to call themselves Christians.

Shortly after, the two boys got off the bus and were almost immediately confronted by the gang. They tried to ward off the blows, to get away, and they didn’t fight back. Pastor Saw Htoo heard about their beating. He went to the school and asked to talk with all the students. He shared with them his personal experience of seeing hatred and revenge destroy the peace and happiness of his country.

What is the result of Jesus’ love expressed through Saw Htoo? He believes it has prevented the many Karen in that area from forming a Karen gang. Love is powerful.

In previous newsletters, we have looked at many aspects of what it means to be a disciple. Based on the four gospels and 1 Corinthians 13, love to others appears to be the most appreciated and visible sign of being a true follower of Jesus. Everywhere He went, Jesus was known for His love: love for the sick, even the leper; love for the stranger, even the Samaritan; love for one’s enemy, even when they crucify you. “Love as I have loved you.”

The further context of Jesus’ statement is that He washed the disciples’ dirty feet and self-centered hearts. He was faithful, patient, and self-sacrificing. What an example for us to follow!

ASAP Ministries is frequently thrilled to hear reports of national missionaries sacrificing to help the poor. Even though they do not have much themselves, they simply cannot stand by while

Disciples Love One AnotherBY SCOTT GRISWOLD

WHAT'S INSIDE?

Check out our new website

Learn about what Minnesota is doing with its mission field

Meet a secret worker in an oppressive place TH

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JUDY AITKENASAP Ministries Founder

Thoughts From: mothers struggle to feed their children. Money, rice, and soy sauce quickly flow through their hands to the villagers around them. This is love. Love is sacrifice.

I hear other Southeast Asian church planters share their struggles as church members disappear into Thailand to find jobs to support their families. Sometimes baptismal interests or even baptized members suddenly switch to another denomination who offers to pay them to join their church. Discouragement tests love, but they press on patiently. This is love. Love is faithful.

Love is daily manifested in our missionaries as they bathe a feverish head, put charcoal on a scorpion bite, pray for a boy harassed by evil spirits, and tell God’s stories of hope to a mother whose baby has died. They are active, washing the feet of sinners like Jesus did. This is love. Love bears all things.

To love is often difficult. It can break one's heart. God certainly knows about that. Perhaps that is why Paul called it the “fellowship of His suffering” (Philippians 3:10). We come close to God as we love.

And God does not forget these disciples of His. I remember one worker and his wife coming to our house when we were living in Cambodia. They were so excited. His wife told us how frustrated she had been with her husband. He had given their last bag of rice to a poor relative. “We are so poor ourselves! I couldn’t believe it! And all he said was, ‘God will provide.”

She could not sleep that night and got up early to go outside so she wouldn’t have to face the children since there was nothing to feed them. As the sun came up, she saw something glistening. She bent over and to her great surprise picked up a gold chain. She and her husband hurried to find out if it was genuine. It was worth $350!

It does not always happen like that. Love’s sacrifices are often followed by further suffering and even rejection by those cared for. Most of love’s rewards will have to wait for heaven. For now, the national missionaries have to hold on to Jesus’ promise, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

Loving like Jesus is tough. In fact, it is impossible without the gift of righteousness by faith. We don't have unselfish love. Jesus does. We receive it by faith. I urge you to study His love in the gospels daily and ask Him to show you how to live it more fully in the specifics of your everyday life. This is what it means to be a disciple of Jesus and to make disciples unto the coming of Christ.

I’m often asked this question: What is ASAP’s key to success? How is it possible, 20 years after ASAP first began, to keep supporting more national pastors in Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, as well as refugees who have resettled in the USA? I believe the answer can be summed up in one word—love. God’s love for mankind. He desires that every human hear and know about His love, so He continues to open the doors for our national pastors to preach the word of God where it would otherwise be impossible. God’s love: the love and sacrifice of ASAP staff and donors, the love of our national pastors for a God who they love more than life itself. Yes, love adds up to successful missionary work for a loving Lord.

ASAP’s loving commitment in support of our national pastors dates back before ASAP was formed. On my birthday in May this year, a note arrived from Cambodian pastor Chantha Ung, “You taught me since I lived in the refugee camp. You were not a soldier, but one evening there was heavy fighting on the Khmer/Thai border not far from our church. You had us stand up and pray. We prayed until the great fighting and big gun sound stopped. You did not run. You did not leave“ Now, thirty years later Chantha is leading a flock of his own, shepherding them into God’s fold. Why? Because, like you and me, he is a disciple of Jesus, loving as he has been loved.

“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35). Thank you for your discipleship. Thank you for your love for missions.

PHOTO: Left: Saw Htoo's growing group of young people. Right: Saw Htoo helps a young man take his stand.

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects

Volunteers, Staff, National Missionaries, ASAP Ambassadors, Prayer Partners, Donors, Board Members and Gift Recipients

Notes from our ASAP Family

PROJECT FOCUS: LITERACY 4 LIFE n YEARLY AMOUNT NEEDED: $31,020

B un Leng and his wife Chom Vanna could not sit back and enjoy retirement when so

many in their village had not yet heard about their loving Savior. In the evenings, they warmly asked the village children, “Do you want to come hear a story?” Many came to learn under the big palm trees. Most of their parents work in Thailand. Their grandparents are often weary and very thankful for someone to watch their energy-filled charges.

Quickly Bun Leng and Chom Vanna realized these children did not know how to read even though they attended public school. For one year they taught them outside—no classroom at all. Then they went into the forest and cut down some trees and gathered huge leaves to build a simple structure and a roof that became their literacy school. After two months, a big flood washed away their efforts. They determined that circumstance would not stop them.

Because of kind ASAP donors who believe in Christian education, a beautiful literacy center was built (pictured) where today six classes are offered a day. When things became formalized, some of the Buddhist parents and grandparents refused to allow their children to come. Through prayer and persistent home visits, this has changed. Now

over 100 students attend. The children come to church on Sabbath. In the past year, six committed their lives to Christ publicly in baptism.

ASAP invites you to help teach children and women in the villages of Cambodia how to read, write, and know that Jesus is their Creator, Savior, and coming King. You have a great opportunity to provide literacy teachers with stipends, training, white boards, and books for thirty locations. This comes to $31,020 for one year and $5,000 for each school built. Jesus made children a priority when He walked this earth and together so can we!

Recently a call came from a donor asking to give exactly $84: “I know it sounds unusual, but I work at Radio Shack and I made a commitment to God that I would give all my commissions on every cell phone I sell.” Thank you Jeremy.

“You are daily in my prayers. May God’s rich blessings continue to be poured out on you and all your ministry. Jesus is coming soon. I want to be with Him and I will look forward to meeting all of you that I have been praying for. Sincerely, Betty

I should have picked up more of the MyLanguageMyLife.com cards at camp meeting. Sorry, please send me about a hundred more. Our people love them. Let me know the cost. Thanks, Ed

“We went to our favorite Thai restaurant—yum! I felt guilty at the dollars spent, so I asked hubby if we could send the same amount to ASAP. He said yes. My son also gave $10.” She quoted John 15, “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…by this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit.” Then she added, “God is using you to bear much fruit. Thanks for letting us have a part.” Holly

BY MARTIN KIMASAP PRAYER AMBASSADOR

Intercede for Asia

Always Say A Prayer

ASAP Ministries is excited to announce our new website!

Fresh LookEasy ways to donateMany special stories

Share the joy of partnering with us through new social media links. Our website is our best place to share what ASAP Ministries is about and to partner with you. That is why we have worked hard to improve and update it. We are sure you will like it, but please let us know your suggestions. Pass on the news. There is a world to love and reach!

www.asapministries.org

I n Hmong culture, it is a scary thing to see flies laying their eggs on your sticky rice. It means the ancestors are angry. Xangthu

knew he must sacrifice an animal to appease the spirits. However, Xangthu first called his younger brother who had been studying the Bible with Phai Manee,* an ASAP-sponsored worker in Laos. His brother immediately prayed...

He called back shortly. “I really feel at peace! Would you pray for the spirits to go away and stay away?”

“Yes, but let me get Pastor Phai Manee to join me.” Then the two of them asked Xangthu to gather his whole family around the phone. They all came together as Xangthu put Phai Manee on speaker-phone for a special prayer.

“Now take all your altars and throw them away.” It was not easy to stop doing something they had done all their life, but they did not hesitate. They cleared the home.

What is the result of this one prayer? Xangthu’s home has become a house of prayer for the neighbors. The sick come for prayer and they are healed. Five families now believe.

Prayer is our channel for God’s mighty blessings. There are many things that can block the flow besides spirit worship. Eating too much or the wrong foods can make us sleepy or sick reducing our desire to pray. Exciting books or movies can increase the feeling that prayer is boring. Harbored thoughts of resentment or unforgiveness can make it impossible for God to get His love and

blessings through to us.

God wants to help us clear the way. The Holy Spirit will both convict us of what needs to go and will be the power to make it happen. Would you like to search your heart to see what could be further cleared? You can find a personal Bible study and inventory called Clearing the Way at asapministries.org under Resources

E ven the home-life may hinder the prayer life. See what Peter says about how we should so live in the home that our “prayers be not hindered” (1 Peter 3:1-10). We would venture to urge every

reader to ask God to search his heart once again and to show him if there is ‘any root of bitterness’ toward anyone. We all desire to do what is pleasing to God. It would be an immense gain to our spiritual life if we would resolve not to attempt to pray until we had done all in our power to make peace and harmony between ourselves and any with whom we have quarreled. Until we do this, as far as lies in our power, our prayers are just wasted breath. Unkindly feelings toward another hinder God from helping us in the way He desires.

A loving life is an essential condition of believing prayer. God challenges us again today to become fit persons to receive His superabundant blessing. Many of us have to decide whether we will choose a bitter, unforgiving spirit, or the tender mercies and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Is it not amazing that any man can halt between two opinions with such a choice in the balance?" (The Kneeling Christian, 114-115)

Pray that the ASAP missionaries will be full of love for their families and everyone they meet.

PRAYER IS OUR CHANNEL FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS n BY SCOTT GRISWOLD

Advocates Supporting & Assisting the Persecuted

S cene 1: A country very high on the persecution listDate: 2013

“God, please provide us a place to live. Until then, please protect us while we live here. Don’t let us be crushed by our rotten roof, Lord.”

This secret believer prayed earnestly every night as she looked at her two grandchildren and her daughter-in-law sleeping. Her son had died recently, leaving them to fend for themselves.

Every time this grandmother was tempted to give up, she remembered what her sister had taught her about God. “He is real and very alive. He can hear and answer your prayers even when our country makes it illegal to pray out loud; they cannot silence your mind.”

Her sister is an ASAP-sponsored worker among the persecuted, bravely sharing Jesus at the risk of her life.

Scene 2: Indiana, USADate: 2014

“Honey, I think we need to help this project, what do you think?” A husband and wife seriously discussed the story from the GWIDOP project in one of ASAP newsletters.

“I was thinking the same thing,” she replied.

They sent their generous donation to the ASAP office. How could they know they were answering an unspoken prayer that no one

else could hear?

Scene 3: Berrien Springs, Michigan, USADate: March 2015

“So, Mrs. K.,* as the representative for the GWIDOP project you feel you need to take some emergency funds as you travel to that restricted country. How much do you think you need?” Julia O’Carey at ASAP Ministries was eager to help.

“I think about $3,000,” Mrs. K. replied.

Scene 4: On the border of the country high on the persecution listDate: April 2015

“Could ASAP help a secret believer, a grandmother who is very afraid that their house’s rotting roof is about to fall on them and kill them all?” Missionary Paul,* who leads the outreach for ASAP’s work in that restricted-access country, wanted to know if Mrs. K. and ASAP could help.

Without hesitance, she handed the $3,000 of emergency funds over for this desperate family.

A couple of weeks later, Mrs. K. received the news that the family was able to buy a small one room place with an attached kitchen. The cost to answer this unspoken prayer? Exactly $3,000.

Surely God hears every prayer of our heart. Pray for the grandmother and other secret believers to be courageous and faithful to the coming of Jesus.

DOES GOD HEAR THE PRAYERS I CANNOT SPEAK? n BY THE ASAP REPRESENTATIVE FOR GWIDOP

ASAP Ministries at the General Conference SessionThe GC session in San Antonio, July 2-11, 2015, was a wonderful experience, meeting long-time friends, donors, and hundreds of new contacts. We are so grateful for each person who volunteered to help exhibit and those who gave money and prayed with us. What a joy it was to see all the ministries at so many booths, each showing some piece of God's glory; His love for the leper or the deaf, for refugees from Congo and Orphans from India, His concern for education, disaster relief, and evangelism. The theme for the session was Arise. Shine. Jesus is Coming! That is His call to each of us-we must do our best to show His glory to a hopeless and dying world.

Thank you to each one who partners with ASAP Ministries to show God's love in such a variety of ways.

Reaching the World Next Door—A.S.A.P.!

MISSION FIELD MINNESOTA! n BY SCOTT GRISWOLD

International Students relax at the Vigilant's home.

T he plane banked hard over the city and I had a perfect view. The skyscrapers mushroomed up majestically, while the mighty Mississippi River cut through a

huge hardwood forest and ran between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

A book called Cityview Report was open on my lap. It told me that the sprawl below held a population of huge diversity. 150,000 Muslims, 68,500 Buddhists, 58,000 Jews, and 33,750 Hindus. The Twin Cities have exploded with immigrant growth. They house the largest populations in the U.S. of Anauk, Hmong, Karen, Liberian, Oromo, Somali, and Sudanese. In fact the Phillips Neighborhood is considered the most diverse place in the United States with over 100 languages spoken. Now that’s a mission field!

I was on my way to visit the Minnesota Seventh-day Adventist camp meeting where I would have the privilege of sharing a Reach the World Next Door seminar on cross-cultural ministry.

It turned out to be a wonderful week of international fellowship with Norwegians and Hispanics, Swedes and Kenyans. I was thrilled to hear the conference president Justin Lyon’s passion for finding ways to reach the unreached that God has sent to them. Many of the city churches are already bursting with immigration growth.

A Korean pastor stood to share how his church is trying to reach the Korean international students near his church. Pastor Seyna shared his report of the Karen refugee group’s rapid growth to more than a hundred. He is thankful that one of the Minnesota Seventh-day Adventist church schools has opened its gymnasium for the first fully organized Karen

church in America to worship in. The names on the school’s lockers now include many of the Karen children who are getting an Adventist education.

In my class, I had the privilege of meeting an eighty-year-old lady named Myrna Parker who has opened her home again and again to international students for an evening, a month, and many times for an entire year. She bought winter clothes for students from Pakistan and held a baby shower for a couple from Thailand. They sponsored several people from Laos.

Now she has friends on Facebook from all over the world. Myrna was excited to learn there are materials on our website through which they can discover Jesus in their own language.

I also met Lee and Ayuko Vigilant who have just started opening their home in the last year. Lee is a sociology professor at Minnesota State University. He put a simple quote on his website about true education. A Seventh-day Adventist international student noticed, and asked to attend church with him. Soon that student began inviting many non-Christians to join him at church. In a short time they established a Friday night program in the Vigilant’s home. Church members supply food and young people find love and a knowledge of the living God.

When this wonderful camp meeting was over I drove back through the Twin Cities feeling a lot of hope for what God would yet do for the many unreached there. As I flew out of Minneapolis, I caught a different view. There were farmlands spread as far as the eye could see. I started counting the lakes and ponds in between them as fast as I could. I quickly got to eighty and stopped counting. Minnesota, the land of the lakes and rich fields is also ready for an international harvest. God is not counting lakes, but He is counting the people added to His kingdom.

There are many other cities and towns in North America with immigrants, refugees, and international students. Jesus clearly says to us, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38). May that begin with you and me. To learn how to reach immigrants, refugees, and international students visit our website reachtheworldnextdoor.com.

Your Gifts at Work

In Loving Memory & Honor

Current Greatest Need—Training FundsIt takes $200 to train one missionary.ASAP needs $108,000 for trainings each year.

The majority of the ASAP national missionaries come from Buddhist or animist backgrounds. They initially have limited understanding about God and the Bible. You can help build on their personal encounters with God by supporting the annual ASAP trainings conducted in each country. A false prophet has been preying on young Hmong congregations in Thailand and Laos, claiming to be Seventh-day Adventist but holding false doctrines and practices. In our trainings we seek to deepen their understanding of God’s word and their personal walk with Jesus. Much of the time is spent in prayer and encouragement since they are doing one of the most challenging jobs in the world. Please support trainings so our workers can combat error with truth.

It is urgent we train our workers well so they can in turn help their members have a strong Biblical foundation so they will not be deceived in earth’s final days.

KIDS WITH A MISSION!ELISA

IN MEMORY OF:HARLEY RASHLEIGH-BERRY, VALERIE'S BROTHER by Chris and Valerie Barr • PAUL ESSIG by Karen Bowen • DARLENE EWERT by Kenneth and Sherry Christensen • ALLEN SANDEFUR AND JACK GIBBONS by James and Judith Culpepper • BUDDY ANN PRETORIUS by Antonie De Bruin • DOROTHY BLISS by Simon Elloway • FRANK AND DORIS GIBBON by Charles Gibbon • CURTIS GREEN, MY DEAR HUSBAND by Darleen Green • ZOBEEDA MOHAMMED by Aphzal and Vashti Mohammed • E. JENICKE & J. KRAVIG by Sandy Monette • HARRY OLSON, BELOVED HUSBAND by Janet Olson • LOUISE VIETZ AND HEIDI NUESSLE by Mary Lou Peckham • RONALD PYKE by Bill and Elizabeth Pyke • JAMES RAULS by Soon Chin Ruhling • JOHN SANDQUIST by Norma Sandquist • EMMA HILTON by Newton and Karen States • WILL STORK by Lois Stork • PHU TAH MOO AND PHI SAY by Dennis & Lila Tidwell • NATHAN STOLL by Cherilyn Typaldos • BOB WARD, MY HUSBAND by Evelyn Ward • TOM WATSON by Mary Watson • PEARL, RUTH AND ROGER KELLER by Herbert and Phyllis Wrate

IN HONOR & THANKFULNESS OF:J. GENE AND DANIEL ZIMMERMAN by Donald and Ellen Amador • JIM AND DORA BODINET, 25TH ANNIVERSARY by Helen Bodinet • JESUS CHRIST by Phyllis Geiman • MR. INSANG DAVID LYU by Christine Kim • THEODORE WALTER NICKEL JR. by Ted and Lisa Nickel • TWO OLIVE TREES HOMELESS PROJECT by Esther Norton • RONALD NEALL by Kevin Powell • DEBORAH JUDSON, DEDICATED & MISSION-MINDED TEACHER by Red Bluff SDA Church • BYRON AND CAROL REYNOLDS by Johanna Rita Vital

You can watch this week’s Reach the World—ASAP video podcast at www.asapministries.org

I watched the One in a Million podcast (about evangelistic DVDs for Vietnam) with my family. The minute we were done watching it, my 7-year-old daughter, Elisa, ran to find her bank and dug through it looking for a quarter. She didn't have one, but she came up with enough dimes and nickels to make $0.50. I helped her find a little tin to put the coins in. She went running through the house calling to her brother “I just bought two DVDs!”

The next day she went from grumpy to smiling. "Do you want to see what I did to feel better?" I looked into her little tin and found a dollar bill in there. “I got it from my bank. How many DVD's will that buy?"

The day after she saw some change I had taken from my pocket. “Oh! You have quarters! Wouldn't you like to give these? How many DVDs will that be?"

You have definitely inspired her (and us). Thank you for your ministry and for putting together these podcasts. 

Kerri, from Michigan

ASAP Ministries is fueled by mission-minded, faith-filled individuals whom God impresses. Be assured that 100% of your gift will go directly to the projects you specify. However, in the blessed event that the project you chose is fully funded, ASAP will use your gift for a similar project or where most needed to help spread the gospel and ease suffering in the countries ASAP operates. Because ASAP is a §501(c)(3) non-profit organization, your donations are tax-deductible the USA.

ASI MEMBER ASAP Ministries has been a member of ASI (Adventist-layman’s Services and Industries) since 1996 and

is grateful to be an ASI grant recipient. EXECUTIVE EDITOR/DIRECTOR Julia O’CareyEDITOR/ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Scott Griswold COPY EDITOR Wayne LabinsDESIGN/LAYOUT Hannah Smoot

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair: Tom Evans, Bruce Bauer, Judy Aitken, Peter Van Bemmelen, Christopher Carmen, Steve Chang, Chan Sun and Esther Hwang, Denzil McNeilus, Mary Ann McNeilus, Byron and Carol Reynolds, and Trudi Starlin.

TOLL FREE 1-866-365-3541PHONE 269-471-3026FAX 269-471-3034EMAIL office@asapministries.orgWEB www.asapministries.org

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version® copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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PASAP 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.

FROM "DELIVERER" TO DELIVERED Deborah began attending a Seventh-day Adventist church after her mother pleaded with her several times to go with her. She went just to satisfy her mother. She found it quite boring. She pushed herself to go anyway, every Tuesday, Friday and Sabbath for three weeks. On the very day that she decided to stop attending, she met a missionary named Paul.* He asked her to be his interpreter and she accepted. As she translated, she began to learn many Bible verses and people in the Bible. At first it was difficult to translate Missionary Paul’s words and concepts. Soon she began to think about what she was saying. She was convicted of the truths and gave her life to Christ. She went from being an uninterested deliverer of the message to being divinely delivered through the message!

JOIN THE ACTION Today, Deborah is still translating the gospel. She also helps manage a training school for missionaries. We invite you to help her spread God’s message in this GWIDOP (God’s Work in Dangerous Oppressive Places) country. It costs $300 a month to support Deborah or another one of God’s workers in a country where it is dangerous to be a Christian. You may donate monthly or give a one-time gift of $3,600 to provide a full year of sponsorship for one of these workers. Please consider partnering with your Sabbath School class, Bible study group or other friends to make this happen. You may also give a donation of any amount to contribute to the $50,000 it costs per year to sustain GWIDOP.

POSITION Missionary and TranslatorLOCATION Undisclosed/Persecuted CountryPRAYER REQUEST For all of her family members to accept God’s free gift of salvation. For her to have love in her heart for others just as God has for her.

Meet Missionary Deborah*