ASAP Newsletter, September/October 2006

September/October, 2006

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects2

Cover: A Cambodian SDA church member, eagerly searching theWord of God. Photo by Frank Spangler. See more of his photos atWorldViewImages.com.

AdventistSoutheast

Asia Projects

AdventistSoutheast

Asia Projects

Director/EditorJudy Aitken

Assistant EditorJulia O’CareyCopy Editors

Jolene RoosenbergShari Pottinger

Linda BauerDesign/Layout

Son Praises/Margie Mitchell

ASAP is a non-profit organization, asupporting ministry of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. ASAP isfueled by faith in God and His provi-sion through your financial support.One hundred percent of your gifts godirectly to the projects specified. Alldonations are tax-deductible. Makethis mission your mission and shareit with others.

NOW! is published bi-monthly byAdventist Southeast Asia Projects(ASAP). Please contact ASAP toreceive your complimentary sub-scription or additional copies toshare with friends and family.

PO Box 84Berrien Springs, MI 49103

Phone: 269-471-3026Fax: 269-471-3034

Email: [email protected] address:

http://www.ASAPministries.org

All of the projects ASAP support focus on getting thegospel to people as soon as possible, fulfilling thegreat commission of Matthew 28:19-20. This isASAP’s mission and reason for existing.

ASAP accomplishes this mission using a two-foldmethod. First, ASAP supported national workersshow God’s compassion to those around them bymeeting their immediate needs, such as providingfood for hungry mouths and clean water for villagesin need. The result? Seeds are planted!

Second, these trained national workers share Christas soon as possible. The result? A transformation ofhearts takes place, churches sprout up and souls areharvested for God’s Kingdom. ASAP nurtures thesechurches by providing financial and spiritual supportto aid in their growth.

Did you notice the Adventist Southeast Asia Projects’newsletter publication does not have a name? ASAPwould like to change that. We are considering select-ing the name NOW! because there is no better timethan the present to reach Southeast Asians for Christ.What do you think? We welcome your suggestionsand feedback for a name.

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Director’s UpdateJudy Aitken shares the exciting theme of this newsletter, “Until All HaveHeard…Spread the Word!” Be inspired!

ASAP Experiences GrowthBruce Bauer shares some recent changes in staff within the ASAP team.

Personal Reflections on God’s WordDiscover how the Bible has impacted the lives of ASAP’s church planters and those theyreach out to.

Help Spread the Word about ASAPCheck out ASAP’s resources and recommendations that will equip and enable youto confidently share this ministry with your friends and family.

Five (Million) Star Accommodations and Other Excerpts from a Missionary’sTravel LogRead Pastor Khamsay Phetchareun’s exciting update on two church planting projects fromvillages nestled on the border of Cambodia.

“ASAP Family” OpportunitiesLet ASAP know if you are interested in taking a short-term mission trip.

Giving in Memory, Honor and Celebration

ConnectionsBe inspired by the passion and commitment of ASAP family members as they partner with us!

Do You Carry a Weapon? Are You Skilled in Using It?Pastor Isah Young challenges us to utilize the most powerful weapon that is available to us.His illustration from a Vietnamese wedding brings his point home.

My All for Jesus; Vietnamese Pastor, Tan Dinh* Shares His Testimony withPastor Isah Young.How does God speak to you? Pastor Tan Dinh shares his moving testimony and messages Hereceived from God.

Until All Have Heard…Spread the Word to Southeast Asians in the United StatesIn an interview with Judy Aitken, Pastor Son Nguyen shares his outreach to VietnameseAmericans, a group of people who urgently need to hear the gospel.

ASAP’s Wish ListJoin ASAP in praising God for His promise to meet all our needs. We trust that the HolySpirit will impress you to give with your prayers and resources.

ASAP Follow-UpJudy shares what became of Sophie and her baby brother. Be prepared to smile!

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“Now the Bereans were of more noble character than theThessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness andexamined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek

women and many Greek men” Acts 17:5 (NIV).

URING THIS PAST SUMMER, I LOOKED

forward to the annual North Caro-lina Cambodian/American camp-meeting. I was excited to relax by

beautiful Lake Kerr and visit with specialfriends. Most of all, I anticipated the spiri-tual blessing I knew was in store. This year,the campmeeting coordinator, Thorn Hean,asked me to speak for several of the meet-ings, one being a Bible study. “Don’t be dis-appointed if there is a small turn-out sinceit is on Sabbath afternoon,” he cautioned. Iassured him, “I always welcome the oppor-tunity to study the Bible, even if no oneshows and I study by myself!” Imagine mysurprise when about half the campers gath-ered around with lawn chairs and blankets,Bibles in hand. With open hearts to studyGod’s Word, we eagerly searched the Scrip-tures, like the Bereans in the text above. OurBible study focused on seeking to knowJesus Christ on an intimate, personal level.This high point of my summer reminded meof the blessings that come when one delvesinto the gold-mines of truths within thepages of God’s Word.

As director of ASAP, I witness daily theWord of God spreading throughout South-east Asia through a variety of venues. The

national pastors and Bible workers, supportedby the ASAP family (that would be you), taketo heart the theme of this newsletter, “TillAll Have Heard…Spread the Word!” Theyhave dedicated their lives to spreading HisWord to those located in remote huts in smallvillages in forgotten out-of-the-way cornersof Vietnam and to the masses of “invisible”sick, handicapped, poor, down-trodden of thedusty city of Phnom Penh. Their inspiringtestimonies on page 6 further illustrate theimpact God’s Word has in changing lives.

Pastor Dieu Nga shared his favorite text,Matthew 28:19-20, with me during the re-cent Vietnamese training session. He said,“This text gives my members and me a de-sire to go out and work hard for Jesus in shar-ing His Word to everyone who will listen!”Pastor Nga and the other fearless leaders re-port that they see God’s Word touch thehearts of thousands they come in contactwith. Many of these contacts had never heardof the truths from the Bible before discover-ing Peace & Happiness radio broadcasts orbefore they received a Bible, DVD sermon,or evangelistic tract. God impressed onemember of our ASAP family, DenzilMcNeilus, to spread the Word to Vietnamthrough DVD evangelism. God is giving

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Chan and Esther Hwang and their Family—-Members of the Central Korean SDAChurch in Auburn, Washington

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ASAP and the 350,000 Vietnamese whoworship illegally in housechurches acrossVietnam wisdom in how to most successfullyspread the Word.

Despite the successes in proclaiming andspreading God’s Word, many still crave thisprecious gift. In one of the highland prov-inces of Vietnam, only 10 percent of the 2,300members have Bibles. The pastors feel theurgency and look for ways to work faster,more efficiently and more passionately thanever before to give each person the Word ofGod. Please pray that more people will have

an opportunity to read the powerful wordsin the Bible and that the government officersin Vietnam will not confiscate the Bibles somehave the privilege of owning.

It is exciting to see all over Southeast Asiahow God’s Word is spreading in a mighty wayand thousands receiving salvation in Jesus Christas they believe and accept God’s promises. AsJesus said in John 17:39, “These scriptures tes-tify of Me.” On behalf of each individual lifetouched for Christ because you provided themwith the Word of God, I thank you.

by Bruce Bauer, Chair of the ASAP Board of Directors

T HAS BEEN EXCITING TO WITNESS GOD’S

leading in the work of ASAP over thepast ten years. What started as JudyAitken’s vision has grown and expanded

to become a shared vision by hundreds ofsupporters in assisting God’s initiativesthroughout Southeast Asia. The expandinghouse church movement in Vietnam, newwork in Laos and Thailand, and the continu-ing projects in Cambodia have created morework in the home office than can be handledby Judy and a couple half time employees.

Beginning in January, Shari Pottinger be-came ASAP’s second full-time worker. Wewant to thank Shari for her valuable contri-butions as Office Manager. Please pray forher and her husband, Trevan, as they beginministering for the Lord in the Potomac Con-ference starting this December. Also, pleasepray for a qualified, mission-minded replace-ment for Shari’s position.

We are happy to announce that JuliaO’Carey, Judy Aitken’s daughter, has ac-cepted the full-time position of AssociateDirector of ASAP as of July 1, 2006. For thepast year, Julia has assisted half time as theDevelopment Director and has been instru-mental in introducing a fresh look to the

ASAP magazine. She will continue to giveleadership in development, fund raising, andpublic relations.

Julia shared her family’s experience work-ing in the refugee camps in Thailand that cre-ated a passion for missions and an under-standing of the needs in Southeast Asia. Wewelcome Julia, her husband, A.J., and daugh-ter, Kaila, to the challenges and excitementof the ASAP family.

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Julia O’Carey with her husband, A.J., anddaughter, Kaila.

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Poung SothyJesus Christ is my number-one

teacher! Everyday as I read my Bible, Iget instruction in how to share His Word.The sixty adults, forty children and youngpeople who attend my churches inRoveng City and Chambakblam Villageeach came to know God through study-ing the best textbook written, the Bible.Please pray for the ten people I currentlyam studying the Bible with.

Personal Reflections on God’s Word From ASAP Church Planters

Hin ThearyEach new day I wake up excited, because I know God will send me some-

one to share the Bible with. One day God led me to Keo Sokha. After shecomplained to me about her illness and high blood pressure, I prayed for herand shared James 5:15, “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick per-son well; the Lord will raise him up.” I gave her advice on how to havegood health. Praise the Lord! He kept His promise in His Word and healedh e r . She asked to know more about the God who has power to

heal. But there was a problem. Ms. Sokha could not read.So I began a class for illiterate adults where I used the

Bible and Bible lessons as textbooks. Now they have abigger longing to read the Bible. Ms. Sokha accepted Jesus asher Savior and was baptized.

Ty KimanOne day when I was carrying my noodle pots on my shoul-

ders and selling them door to door, a nice lady stopped me andtold me, “Did you know this book tells about an amazing man


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named Jesus, who is the rice and noodles of life?” She offered to come to my house andteach me more about what the Bible says. When I accepted Jesus, He gave me much joy.During the four years since I became an Adventist I share Jesus as I sell noodles. One day Iwas asked by ASAP if I would like to be a church planter full time for God. This was such ahappy day for me because I could now share God’s Word full time. I have been a churchplanter in this district for a year, and I have loved telling hundreds of people about Jesus andstudying the Bible with anyone who asks me. I always share with them my favorite Bibletext, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son thatwhoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” I want everyone whom Istudy with to have the same joy of being saved as I have.

Sear SeapFrom Monday through Thursday and again on Sabbath I ride

my old bicycle six kilometers to teach the Bible in a village inPorseet Province where people have never heard the gos-pel. Before I begin teaching I always pray, “Father, pleasesend the Holy Spirit to open our minds and help us un-derstand Your truth in Your Word.” One day when Ishared Psalm 86:7, “In the day of my trouble I will callto you, O Lord, for you will answer me,” Soum On,one of my Bible students asked the class, “Would allof you pray for my husband who drinks every nightand beats me and my children?” The next week af-ter we prayed, her husband also came to the Bibleclass. With his wife he decided to accept Jesus as hisSavior. This showed me the power of Christ and HisWord!

Kongsri PatheeI am excited to tell you how God is blessing me to share His Word with

the people of Kud-I-Thao District, Thailand. Every day I go out to visithouse to house and witness to many people of the love of God. I alsoteach the Bible in three villages and I have a youth Bible study once aweek. The light of God shines into their hearts as they study the Bible.This light of the Holy Spirit enables them to witness to people aboutJesus Christ. People come from three villages on Sabbath to worship atmy house. Last year the school director and his two teen-age children

studied the Bible with me. They accepted the Lord and were baptized.Now his wife and daughter are studying the Bible with me. I

praise God for using me to share the gospel with the peopleof my district.

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Photos by Frank Spangler

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Do you feel passionate about getting theWord out to Southeast Asia? We do, andwe would love to have your help! Considerthe following ways you can share this excit-ing ministry. Here is the bottom line. Thefaster you share, the faster ASAP can reachThai, Cambodian, Lao and Vietnamese withthe gospel.

Jesus said, “Go home to your friends andtell them what great things the Lord has donefor you [and those in Southeast Asia], andhow He has had compassion on you [andthem]” (Mark 5:19 NKJV).

Make a Grand ListSend ASAP the names and addresses of all the

people in your personal network who would en-joy receiving ASAP’s newsletter.

Show ASAP Videos at ChurchGo into the Alleys (available in video or DVD)

shares the inspiring story of how ASAP churchplanters are taking the message of God’s love toCambodia.

To All Who Thirst (available in video) fea-tures examples of how Christ’s living water isreaching thousands in the closed country of Viet-nam.

Light in Darkness (available in video) givesan overview of ASAP’s work in Vietnam,Cambodia and Laos.

Peace and Happiness in Vietnam (available invideo) features the amazing way the Vietnameseradio ministry is bringing the gospel to Vietnam.

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Share the ASAP Website Those close to you may also be seeking to make a

difference in the world. Do them a favor by encourag-ing them to log on to www.asapministries.org.

ASAP is on 3ABN-Pass This AlongEncourage your friends to watch 3ABN every

third Thursday of the month at 7:00 AM and eachthird Friday of the month at 5:30 PM Central time tohear inspirational stories taking place in SoutheastAsia.

Represent ASAP at a CampmeetingWouldn’t it be amazing if ASAP was represented in

all fifty states next year? You could become one ofASAP’s representatives who give the gift of time.ASAP simply sends you the exhibit and resources toshare.

Conduct an ASAP “Mission Spotlight”Energize church members with stories from the

ASAP newsletter that touched your heart. Make Mis-sion Spotlight time personal by sharing why you sup-port ASAP! Ask ASAP to send out extra copies of thenewsletters and the recently revised general brochurefor you to share with the listeners.

Become a Missions CoordinatorBecome a committee of one and encourage your

church or school group to take on a special ASAPproject.

Intercede for ASAP in PrayerJesus promises, “If you remain in me and my words

remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will begiven you” (John 15:7). Check out the prayer agendaon the ASAP website or contact ASAP directly so youand your prayer group can pray specifically.


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Church planter,Pal Sopheap,witnessing inthe slums ofPhnom Penh.

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HIS IS A BRIEF REPORT OF MY RECENT

visit to ASAP’s church plantingprojects in Takong and Wangmuang,the Lao villages on the border of Cam-

bodia. To sum it up, I was very happy andencouraged with the progress! The Lord hasabundantly blessed His work there.

At Takong, there are now about eightyattendees at church every Sabbath with halfof them baptized. I was equally impressedwith the progress at Wangmuang. The fiftystudents attending the school are hungry forthe truth. Over twenty of them have requestedbaptism already. When I shared with themthe Word of God, they asked me a lot of ba-sic spiritual questions like, “Apart from be-lieving in Jesus, is there anything else we needto do to be saved?” and “Why are there somany religions?” The Lord was with me aswe searched the Scriptures for the answers.

Our schools at Wangmuang and Takongare like light houses, bringing hope to theextremely poor families who cannot affordto send their children to government schoolswhich charge fees from time to time.The dedicated teach-

ers, Visien and Boh, are showing God’s loveand giving young people the chance to learnthe Lao language/culture and the good newsof Jesus and salvation. I discovered from test-ing students’ reading ability that in less thana year of exposure to English, they were ableto read it pretty well. There is no more roomfor students to squeeze into the schools evenafter I added six benches at Wangmuang. Weneed to build rather urgently. A plot of landwas secured for the Takong school/churchproject in faith that funds will come fromASAP soon.

The last tropical storm caused a lot ofdamage, even loss of lives. People who livedthrough it have been rebuilding their lives.However, when people live in very simplehuts, which are next to cardboard houses, itis hard to recognize the extent of destructionafter a few months. People of Wangmuangare certainly grateful for the help ASAP wasable to give. Every time Ivisit, they also thank mefor the

Five (Million) Star Accommodations…and OtherExcerpts from a Missionary’s Email Travel Logby Khamsay Phetchareun, BEd, BA, MSA, D.Min.

Newbelievers atWangmuangVillage.

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water bore that still gives out much neededclean water.

Besides teaching English, Lao, and Bible,Visien has done a great job with making ouragricultural project work really well. Theyhave cucumbers, beans, bananas, mangos,and other fruit trees. Please pray for Visien’shealth as he has still not completely recov-ered from his bout of malaria. If it persists,he will need to come to Thailand to be treated.I feel we need to take good care of our ASAPworkers! I admire their dedication and sac-rifice to go and live in such primitive condi-tions away from family and friends. Com-munication is also very limited. When onegets sick while being so far from loved onesto care for them, it can be the lowest mo-ments of one’s life. I have never heard Visiancomplain, though. In fact the doctor cau-tioned him not to work so hard. The impres-sive educational and spiritual progress of hisstudents is fruit of his hard work, commit-ment and sacrifice to the Lord.

Another worker named Jaisin will be join-ing Visien and Boh. Soon, they will all moveto Wangmuang because Nimith 4 is too faraway. Apart from the danger of being beatenby robbers, traveling in the rainy season isjust not practical in this area. In some placesthe water is too deep to cross or the mud istoo sticky for motorbikes to pass through.Although Visian and Boh displayed great skillin maneuvering through the muck, riding onthe back of their motorbike on those roads

for almost an entire day was an experience Iwill never forget. I do not plan to hop on amotorbike again until the painful memory atleast fades a little.

The Lord impressed a family inWangmuang to offer us a house for our work-ers to live in. When I offered to pay themthey told me, “Only strangers charge eachother rent, but close friends don’t. They canstay for free!” This statement indicates thatthe villagers in Wangmuang love Visien andsee the benefits of his work there.

To make sure that our projects are sus-tainable, we must train local, young peopleto lead out in the future. At the moment wehave four mature Lao students who needscholarships to further their studies at Ad-ventist institutions. If we train them, they willbe equipped to take over the work some day.The highest educational level they can getlocally is grade nine.

Thank you for praying for my trip to Cam-bodia. I enjoyed sleeping in a five (million)star accommodation that I considered muchbetter than a five star hotel. For those whocannot picture what I am talking about, a fivemillion star accommodation is an open skyresort, where you sleep outside in God’s na-ture and look up at the millions of stars Godcreated. The impact of our work in these vil-lages extends far and wide and cannot bemeasured. Thank you for your support! May

Seize the God-givenOpportunities to

Support the Building ofChurches and Schools inTakong, Wangmuang,and Other Villages in

Southeast Asia.

Pastor Khamsay, rejoicing over clean water,thanks God for impressing ASAP donors to give.

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(Continued on page 23)


IS GOD IMPRESSING YOU

to help the people inSoutheast Asia in apractical, personalway? ASAP

currently knows ofthree churches that are

considering mission trips. Please let the staff at ASAP knowif you are interested in spending time encouraging a churchgroup in Cambodia or taking a couple weeks off to use thegifts He gave you to bless others.

Please join these ASAP family members as they remember and honor specialpeople in their lives and as they celebrate memorable occasions. Also, keep them inyour prayers because “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears areattentive to their prayer” 1 Peter 3:12.

ASAP appreciates these gifts given to further God’s work in Southeast Asia:

In memory of Elma Manske, from Harlin and Shirley CareyIn memory of Mr. Milton Kesler, from Mrs. Yvonne KeslerIn honor of Stephanie Jaeger and Justin McNeilus’ wedding, from Lorna LukensIn celebration of his eightieth birthday, from Johannes Nikkels

ASAP welcomes designated gifts given in memory, honor or celebration of aloved one. If you would like to do so, simply write your wishes on the gift and sendit in the response envelope along with the name and address of individuals to whomwe can send acknowledgement/sympathy.

Dr. Mary Ann McNeilus assessing a sicklady in Cambodia.

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DenzilMcNeilus inCambodia.

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ASAP board members, who are a sup-port in many ways throughout the year. Weappreciate Bruce Bauer (chair), William &Yvonne Dysinger, Mary Ann McNeilus, Ralph& Beatrice Neall, Byron & Carol Reynolds,Robin Riches, Trudi Starlin, Kenneth Strawand Max & Linnea Torkelsen.

Denzil McNeilus, President of the Ster-ling Bank, who spear-headed the DVD Evan-gelism project in Vietnam. ASI (Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries) providedDVD players for Vietnamese house churchesand Denzil, along with Mike Ryan, taught thepastors how to use them as evangelistic tools.The players and New Beginnings Evangelis-tic DVDs were put to use right away and arereaching thousands of souls for Christ in com-munist Vietnam, a country that forbid publicevangelism. This DVD method of evangelismcreatively brings the gospel to many whowould not have a chance to hear it throughtraditional evangelistic methods.

Michael Ryan, Vice President of the Gen-

eral Conference of SDA, who helped trainthe ASAP supported Vietnamese pastors andCambodian church planters. They weregreatly encouraged by his words.

Kim Hakeem, who helps the ASAP of-fice staff with the appeal letter.

ASAP Representatives, who shared themission at campmeetings and conferencesacross the United States. Thank you, Robinand Lamorna Riches (Wyoming), Mary AnnMcNeilus (Michigan), Minh Pham (Florida),Ko and Terri Saelee (Minnesota and Wiscon-sin), Steve Nakamura (Northern CaliforniaRedwood), Isaiah, Mai, Abbey, and AndrewDuong and Linnea Torkelsen (ASI, Texas).

Central Korean SDA Church, underthe leadership of Martin Kim, their pastor,and Calvin Kim, the missions coordinator,support specific ASAP projects throughmonthly mission offerings. God never failsto answer their faith-filled prayers and mi-raculously provide.

e extend a heart-feltTHANK YOUto the following

ASAP familywho give above andbeyond to further

God’s work inSoutheast Asia.

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects1414 Adventist Southeast Asia Projects

FTER SEARCHING AND DIGGING DEEPLY INTO

Scripture for more than twelve years, Irecall the day that I knelt down andprayed: “Lord, I accept this is your holy

and living Word. From now on I will neverquestion your Word again. I will obey whatyou reveal to me and what is unclear, one dayyou will open my mind to understand.” Fromthat very moment, a transformation took placewithin me as well as with the work of the Lordwhich I was called to do.

The Bible says, “The sword of the HolySpirit is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:20).This sword is part of the armor which eachChristian should put on. I have thought aboutthe armor of the Holy Spirit for many years.Everything a soldier headed for battle equipshimself with, the shoes, the helmet, flakjacket, bullet-proof vest, etc., all serves adefensive purpose. This is true for everythingexcept the weapon (sword in Bible times, gunin today’s war). The weapon is the only re-

source a soldier has to attack. The enemydoes not fear what a soldier wears, only theweapon used against him. The more skillfula soldier is with his weapon, the more theenemy will be intimidated.

Let us turn to our spiritual battlefield. Wewill not make any progress, will not hurt theenemy, and will not even scare the enemy ifwe do not carry with us the Word of God asour Sword, our one and only valuableweapon. Of course it is to our advantage tosharpen our skill in using the Bible. An inti-mate familiarity with scripture will prove ef-fective in keeping even the worst of our en-emies at bay. Let us NOT be defeated. Wehave been given the resource vital to our de-fense as well as our offense. Keep your Bibleclose so we can scare the enemy at the initialmoment of contact.

Furthermore, the text assures us that “thesword of the Holy Spirit is the Word of God.”In other words, if we do not open the pages

Do You Carry a Weapon? Are You Skilled in Using it?

Aby Pastor Isah Young

By Giving $5.00You Provide a Viet-

namese Warrior withthe Most PowerfulWeapon, the Bible.

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of Scripture, the Holy Spirit is handi-capped to attack the enemy. IfGod’s people don’t actively utilizethe potential effectiveness wrappedup within the pages of the Bible, wedo the Holy Spirit a great disservice.Just as the weapon is critical on thebattle field, it is vitally necessary forGod’s people to emphasize the Holy Spiriteveryday to make progress on the battlefieldof life.

You may wonder why a soft-spoken pas-tor such as myself is addressing the issue ofwarfare. I do so out of the knowledge andcontinual reminders from our believers inVietnam who have adopted this philosophyof biblical warfare in their battle to win soulsfor Christ. We, the people of the house churchmovement in Vietnam, use everything that wehave, every means that God provides, everyopportunity which the Lord opens, to supplythe Word of God to the people. We provideGod’s Word by whatever means is avail-able: through pamphlets, VCD for-mat, in DVD’s, cassette tapes, CDformat, drama format, songbooks, books, but most impor-tantly, through the Bible itself.Everywhere our people go, theybring with them their weapon andan extra one to share. When theyare on buses they share throughgiving literature or by asking thedriver to let people hear the tapeor CD over the bus PA system. Theyshare when they are in the restaurantsand at schools.

Recently, at a wedding with about 500guests (which the government gave permis-sion to conduct), the father of the bride, whois an Adventist church member, used the sixtyminute SDA evangelism DVD called “NewBeginnings” to show on a television at thereception for interested guests. It includedpreaching and singing as well as the truthabout the Sabbath. Many of the weddingguests watched the program and then re-

quested more programs like what they saw.He then showed three more one-hour pro-grams. As a result, the Holy Spirit worked inthe hearts of people and twelve surrenderedtheir lives to Christ on the spot! About thirtyguests asked to have Bible Studies, and twoSunday-keeping groups have now decided tokeep the Sabbath from this one act of shar-ing the Word.

We will never know the full impact, the fullpotential of the Holy Spirit at work. But

what we do know is that the key tounlocking the power of the HolySpirit lies in our use and relianceon Scripture. The Bible–theSword of the Holy Spirit–is thepower we need to face the en-emy in Vietnam and the powerwe need daily to face the enemyin our personal lives. It is myprayer that God will richly bless

whoever reads the words of thisarticle. May the Lord give you wis-

dom to sow the seed of the Word ofGod in the hearts of others wherever you go.

Thank you very much for supporting theVietnam house church movement and thePeace and Happiness radio ministry so thatwe can sow the seed of the Word in Vietnam.We are in war for Christ and He has equippedus with a powerful weapon. I challenge youto sharpen your skill in using this powerfulweapon, the Bible, and furthermore give thisresource to others through your support ofevangelism in Southeast Asia.

“The Bible—the Sword of

the HolySpirit—is the

power weneed to facethe enemy.”

Pastor Isah Young, praying with Vietnamesepastors.


WAS BORN INTO A COMMUNIST FAMILY.My father, an officer of the Commu-nist government, sent me to schoolswhere I was educated to follow in his

footsteps. I worked for the governmentawhile, but got fed up with the corruption inthe system so one day I quit my job.

At that time I felt depressed and begandrinking, smoking and taking drugs such asmarijuana. I became involved with gambling,but still felt unhappy and depressed. I sup-ported myself and my bad habits by doingsmall construction jobs. One day as I wasdoing work for a man from the tribes, I sawa Bible on his table. I opened the first pageand read Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning Godcreated the heaven and earth.” I rememberthinking, “This teaching is surprisingly dif-ferent than what I grew up with! You meanmaybe man has an origin and there is a God?”As I read the whole story of creation I feltimpressed that the words I read were true.Excited I thought, “If God created me, thenHe may have some meaning and purpose formy life.” To my surprise, when the owner of

the house came in the room and saw me read-ing his Bible instead of working, he said witha smile, “Do you want to borrow that book?It’s really good!” From that moment, I knewwe would be friends.

I couldn’t wait that day to get home andread more of the Bible. As my eyes read thewords, my mind raced with the new hopegrowing in my heart. I began attending theChristian Sunday-keeping church regularlyafter my friend invited me. It was not longbefore I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.My church family circled around me in prayerand I was set free from all my addictions. Idiscovered that God is powerful and strong.He brought me so much joy and led me tomy wonderful, supportive wife, Minh.

It was about four years after joining myfriend’s church that a lady walked up to mein a restaurant and asked me, “Are you aChristian?” I enthusiastically answered, “Yes,I am!” After we talked a long time aboutJesus and His salvation, she gave me twobooks, “Truth About the Sabbath” and “IsSunday a Holy Day?” I put the two books inthe corner of my room and forgot them. Oneday I read in the Bible that God is calling Hispeople to not harden their hearts (Heb 4:7).Immediately after reading those verses some-one told me, “Go pick up the two books thelady gave you and read them with your wife.”After we read through them, we shared witheach other what impressed us and cried as

My All For JesusVietnamese Pastor, Tan Dinh, shares his testimony toPastor Isah Young

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we realized we had found a deeper truth andunderstanding. God helped us locate the ladywho gave me the books. She promptly led usto an Adventist house church.

After joining this sincere, loving group ofbelievers, my wife and I dedicated our livesto telling other people about thetrue Sabbath. We became pio-neer missionaries to share thegospel with God’s people in anunreached province of Vietnam.We think there is no better jobon earth, even though it hastaken our family during the lastsix years to many dangerous,risky places. It was not longbefore the police discovered thatwe were witnessing and sharingthe good news of salvation. I was arrestedand taken to the police station for interroga-tion and then sent to the higher police au-thority which is the district level. After inter-rogating me for two weeks, they ordered meto leave the city. My family and I promptlymoved to another province.

We only lived for one month in the newcity when the police again arrested me. Theyordered, “Stop talking about God to thepeople of this city!” In my mind I knew Icould not stop because many people in thiscity were asking me to teach them. When Idid not stop, some people in the city from adifferent church felt threatened and reported

us to the police. I was again arrested and or-dered to check in at the police station everyday for one month. They confiscated all ourreligious materials. They interrogated me ev-ery day for eight hours a day. They talkedabout sending me to a reeducation camp. One

reason that they did not send meaway was that one police officerdefended me by telling the otherofficers that I had a wife and twosmall children to care for. In-stead, they gave me a citationand fined me. They asked me totake my family and leave theprovince immediately. The nextday the policemen came to myhouse to escort us out of town.They forcibly took my family

and me to the river where a boat was waitingfor us and they sent us away cautioning,“Never return here again.” We left with noth-ing but the assurance that there are manystrong SDA underground house churches inthat town who are faithful to God and whocontinue to worship Him every Sabbath.

I thank God that everywhere I have beenthere are people who I can witness to andshare Christ’s salvation with. God has blessedme to raise up groups of house churches inevery single location He has led us. The 340believers I led to Christ and His truth, whomI keep in contact with, are all faithfully stillworshipping on Sabbath in house churches.

“We becamepioneer

missionaries…there is no

better job onearth.”

(Continued on next page 22)


by Judy Aitken

Interview with Pastor Son Xuan Nguyen,Seattle Washington

Background InformationIN 1996, IT WAS WITH MUCH EXCITEMENT

that I heard the news that Son Xuan Nguyenwould be arriving in the USA. His reputa-tion as a dedicated, sincere Vietnamese pas-tor preceded him. Pastor Nguyen was giventhe opportunity to leave Vietnam when theCommunists over-took the country. Instead,however, he chose to stay behind to ensurethe Adventist church remained intact. “De-spite the risk to myself and my family, I feltthat God wanted me to continue leading thework of the SDA Church in Vietnam, and tobe present for the members,” he told me.During the fifteen years he served as presi-dent of the mission, he endured countless in-cidences of harassment, imprisonment, andinterrogation for his faith.

The InterviewFast forward to July 21, 2006 in the humble,

small church in south Seattle where I sit withPastor Nguyen and his wife Minh. PastorNguyen has now been living in the USA forten years. I am eager to question this soft-spo-ken, yet fiercely dynamic and determined dis-ciple of God. As you hear his earnest replies, Iam sure you will be as touched as I was by hispassion and love for the Lord and His Word.

Pastor Nguyen, it is a privilege totalk to you. I realize what an adjust-ment it is to move to a new country.The language barrier, financial chal-lenges and employment needs are usu-ally overwhelming for most immi-grants. However, you began workingfor the Lord soon after your arrival.How was that possible?

God provided the way. I thank Him foropening the door for me to continue work-ing for Him in ministry to my people. We firstsettled in Milpitas, CA, close to my wife’selderly parents. I continued to preach andspread God’s Word as a volunteer pastor ofthe Vietnamese Milpitas company. After pray-ing for guidance, I felt impressed to work inVietnamese radio as a means to reach them.

Can you share with our ASAP fam-ily one way God used you to witnessduring that time?

A dear friend named Pham Ngoc An comesto mind! Right after he arrived in Americahe got a call from his cousin who shared JesusChrist with him over the phone. His cousinadvised him to find a Seventh-day AdventistChurch to learn more. So Mr. An did just that.He looked in the yellow pages, asked around

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and finally located the SDA church I wasworking at. He was delighted! He and hiswife began attending regularly and startedBible studies with me. At that time Mr. Anworked in a factory like I do. We are oftenasked to work overtime which regularly fallson Saturday. When Mr. An learned of the im-portance of keeping Sabbath, he approachedhis employer about not working on Sabbaths.He was sure this would result in his dismissal.Instead, they granted his wish and have neverasked him to work on Sabbaths again.

Mr. An now serves as an elder in his churchand teaches Sabbath School every week. Heconsiders giving Bible studies one of his fa-vorite activities. His well-marked Bible is evi-dence of the many hours he spends in it.

Update us on where your ministryis today!

In January 2000 I moved to Seattle whereI began planting a church among Vietnam-ese people who expressed an interest. TheLord has blessed greatly during the past sixyears. We presently have thirty-six members,with five new believers who are studying andwish to become members following baptism.Furthermore, we have a growing group of

young people who are reaching out to thecommunity as well. Currently, I do everythingin my power to continue to serve God in thehours left when I am not working at the fac-tory. The day of Jesus’ coming is nearer. Ifeel an urgency to reach those who are seek-ing. I am compelled to spread the gospel toVietnamese people through every means ofoutreach possible.

Tell me more about the Vietnameseradio ministry you do in Washingtonnow.

So far, God has greatly blessed the radiobroadcast. Many people listen and are inter-ested in our truth. Home visitation has alsoproved very effective. There is an interest inthe community for me to do this full-time.The radio ministry often results in requestsfor Bible study and more literature. I feel thatmuch headway has been made in recent yearsin this community. I also attend the Vietnam-ese community programs where I meet peopleand have more opportunity to share tractsand books.

Let me tell you about seventy-seven yearold Luong My, who did not know what hewas searching for. This is because in the past

(Continued on next page 20)

(From left to right) Mr. My Luong, Pastor Son Nguyen, Minh Truong andJudy Aitken.


six years he has changed denominations threetimes. The most recent switch took placewhen he found the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. Last December, I met Luong and wechatted about his faith. He began telling meabout a radio program that preached the truthabout the seventh-day Sabbath. “I keep look-ing for that church, but I believe it is a prin-ciple and there is not an actual place of wor-ship in this area,” he told me. Imagine hissurprise when I disclosed that I am thespeaker of that radio program. He was sohappy and immediately began to study theBible with me. Since he began attendingchurch in January, he has never missed asingle Sabbath.

I understand you rely heavily on theBible in your ministry.

God’s Word is the nutritious food that ismy source of life, vital for living in this darkworld. I repeatedly experienced God’s powerto protect me in Vietnam as I clung to prom-ises in His Word. That same power is aliveand present today in America. I believe thatBible study is critically important for all Chris-tians today in order to be prepared for whatlies ahead.

What are your dreams?My purpose in life is to give God’s Word

to the 90,000 living in Vietnamese commu-

nities in Washington. I dream to somedayreach all the Vietnamese living in America.Vietnamese people living in America needGod just as badly as those living elsewhere.

What are ways that your ASAP familycan assist your ministry?

I have simple needs such as a projector soI can have evangelistic meetings on Sabbathafternoons and Sundays, as well as big needs,such as time (he laughs). To be given the op-portunity to work full-time for God wouldbe wonderful. Every day at the factory I thinkof outreach needs that I am unable to fulfilldue to time constraints. I continue to prayfor this daily. I leave this matter in His hands.

Your ASAP family would like to see youdevote all your time in outreach to grow theSDA Vietnamese church you have begun.

(A big smile emerging from teary eyes)Thank you! I hold myself accountable to eachperson who helps to support me in God’swork. I look forward to thanking you againnext year by providing a report of a harvestthat has been reaped for the Lord. My ASAPfamily is a gift from God. Thank you. Thankyou. I ask that you and ASAP friends con-tinue to pray for my wife and me as we workto accomplish our ministry as part of thepreparation for Jesus Christ’s soon coming.

Join ASAP in planting Southeast Asian churchesin the United States. Sponsor workers like PastorSon Nguyen and help them reach their people for

Christ. It’s a mission on your doorstep!

ASAP

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects

ASAP 21

Evangelism in Cambodia, Thailand and LaosBibles and evangelistic literature: $20,000

Evangelism in VietnamVietnamese Bibles and evangelistic literature: $60,000Hymnbooks and Bible lessons: $20,000DVD players and sermon tapes: $50,000

Radio Ministry in VietnamRadios (5,000) @ $10 each: $50,000

Literacy Schools in CambodiaTeachers’ stipends, schools, Bibles andteaching materials: $47,000

Church BuildingsBrick churches (5): $85,000Bamboo & thatch churches (10): $6,000Vietnamese house church additions and repairs(20) @ $500 each: $10,000

Transportation for National WorkersMotorbikes (30) @ $450 each: $13,500Bicycles (100) @ $60 each: $6,000

Humanitarian AssistanceEmergency rice/food: $10,000Wells (20) @ $150 each: $3,000Feeding programs for children and babies: $12,000AID/HIV Victims: $12,000

Training for Lay WorkersCambodia, Vietnam, Thailand and Laos: $25,000Health evangelism training: $8,000

21Photo by Frank Spangler

Church Planting Support for Southeast Asian Groups inthe United StatesVietnamese Pastor Nguyen (Seattle, WA) $400/month: $4,800Laotian Pastor Saengthip (Sacramento, CA) @ $500/month: $6,000Hmong Pastor Ko Saelee, (WI and MN) @ $500/month: $6,000Vietnamese lay worker Minh Pham (Orlando, FL) @ $300/month: $3,600


ASAP

We keep having the same story repeated.Persecution seems to follow me wherever Igo probably because I cannot stop speakingabout Jesus Christ to whomever I meet. Atthe third province where my family and Isettled the police arrested, imprisoned me fora week and beat me everyday. When they re-leased me they threatened to imprison melonger if I did not give up preaching andteaching the gospel.

When I returned home from the police sta-tion, I remember lying on the bed, not want-ing to move because of the pain from thebruises and open wounds. I remember feel-ing a silence, an emptiness. Even though mybody hurt more than it ever had in my life, Ididn’t think about that. I wanted to connectwith Jesus. Then suddenly, a quiet voice (notaudible, but very clear) told me, “Get up andgo to your secret place on the mountain topray.” I didn’t know how I could physicallydo that, but I pulled myself out of bed, know-ing that healing for my soul was in store. Upon the mountaintop I cried, “God, please helpme. Please show me your grace,your mercy!” While I was pray-ing I had a vision. I saw my-self standing on the moun-tain as I looked down tothe valley. I saw a col-umn of smoke andpeople walking mind-lessly into the fire todie. I then heard avoice saying, “Doyou want to keep thelove that I give youfor yourself? Go andshare My love withthe people whom I sendyou to.” At that moment, I said,“Yes, Lord! I commit my life to youfully. I WILL continue to seek thosewho wish to be saved. I will never stop

obeying you. My family and I will always gowhere you send us.” I fell down with my faceto the ground and prayed, “Please guide me,Lord!”

I prayed in this manner, most of the day.As evening approached, I again heard a voicethat again said the same words that I hadheard before, “Do you want to keep the lovethat I give for yourself? Go and share Mylove with the people whom I send you to.”This time, the caveat, “I will save 10,000souls through your witness” was added.Again I prayed to God, renewing my com-mitment to follow Him. I experienced an in-describable peace; a peace that I knew onlycame from God, a peace that strengthenedmy spirit.

I know these visions were a directive fromthe Lord, spelling out His will. I will neverwaver in my assurance that my family and Iare doing His will for our lives. We continueto travel to villages, make contacts, beginchurches and work until we are thrown outof that town by the local authorities. My bossis God. I work for Him. He is stronger andmore powerful than all the authorities in Viet-nam put together. He is above all, especially

human laws. Because I have a lengthyrecord with the Vietnamese authorities,the persecution and arrests increase inseverity each time. This is a small priceto pay for the privilege of followingGod’s directive for my life. It is anhonor to follow Jesus and I am willingto give my life for His service.

My All For JesusContinued from page 17


ASAP 23ASAP 23

Five (Million) Star Accommodations…Continued from page 11

ASAP

the Lord continue to bless you, ASAP fam-ily, everyone you love, and everything youdo, as He is blessing the first mission workever in the Wangmuang and Takong Villages.

Editor’s Note: Although Pastor KhamsayPhetchareun works full-time as a professor

of religion at Mission College in Muak Lek,Thailand, he spends his precious free timevolunteering as Missions Coordinator for theLao ASAP work. ASAP is truly blessed tohave him oversee many of the growingprojects. Please pray for him and his familyas they serve the Lord in every capacity Godcalls them to.

Do You Remember Sophie?Exactly one year ago, Sophie, a little girl from

the slums of Phnom Penh, was featured on the coverof ASAP’s newsletter. Judy Aitken shared howSophie was left to care for her malnourishedbaby brother after her mother had passed away.Her father went to workfor ten hours a day,earning just $2.00, notan adequate income toprovide for his children.

Judy reports, “Dur-ing my recent trip toCambodia, I couldn’twait to see Sophie andher brother and find outhow they were doing.Each day they had beengiven food, love, train-ing in the Word of Godand motherly care fromKong Chan Sopheap, aSeventh-day Adventistlay Bible worker. Thechanges in these twokids amazed me. Tearsof joy filled my eyes as I

ever, the dramaticchanges in Sophie and herbrother are a reminderthat through Christ, wecan change the world one

life at a time. With your dedicated support,we will continue to reach out a compassion-ate hand to the many Sophie’s-the hungry,destitute children in the slums of Phnom Penhand provide them with not only the physicalfood they need to survive, but the spiritualfood from the Word of God. ASAP

Above: Sophie’sbrother beingheld by lay Bibleworker, KongChan Sopheap.Left: Sophie

hugged Sophie tight and saw her eyes danceas she smile and laughed. Instead of brittle hairand yellowish, flaky, malnourished skin, herbrother radiated with the same good health ashis sister.”

Those of us working for ASAP realize thatwe cannot change the world overnight. How-

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ASAP Newsletter, September/October 2006

Documents

Transcript of ASAP Newsletter, September/October 2006