The Foot Soldiers of the Himalayas

Ram Prasad - AO Partner in Nepal

Asian Outreach Malaysia supports some 11 Foot Soldiers in Nepal, serving in the remote areas on the Himalayan Mountain Range. They are dedicated men and women who have experienced God in a powerful way and have given their lives to serving Him. They do not choose where to go but go where they are called to go and even though they face numerable challenges their faith never wavers. Some of the areas they serve require walking for days on foot up the mountains and even on dangerous terrain but their love for God surpasses every hardship and challenge that comes their way. This are their stories.

Testimony of Basudev Thing

My name is Basudev Thing and I am 45 years old. During my childhood, my family was very poor and my father struggled to put food on the table for us. Many a time we went to bed hungry and life was so difficult. Attending school was simply out of the question for me and my siblings. My father was a farmer so all of us at an early age had to help in the farm. When I was 11 years old, my mother fell ill and as we were too poor to take her to a hospital she passed away and our life became even worse as my father was unable to really care for us but he did try his best.

In my twenties I married and now have three children of my own. But the vicious cycle of poverty that I experienced in my childhood my children now were experiencing. I could not afford to send them to school so when he was old enough my eldest son got a job as a public bus driver in the city and my daughter got married. Now I am trying to send my youngest child to school but financially it is hard but I trust God will provide for all my needs.

I was not a religious man and no idea about Jesus or salvation. I enjoyed drinking even though I could not afford it and eventually drinking and smoking became part of my everyday life. This was my escape from all the hardships and challenges I had to face daily. For a while, I could forget all this as the effects of alcohol took over. However, I loved my wife and children and I did work hard trying to provide for them. My wife and I used to work hard in the field cultivating seasonal crops and grain and because of this my family never went hungry and we always had food on our table.

There was a time, when my eldest son got very sick and we could not find out what was wrong. He could not eat and lost a lot of weight. His condition got worse, I took him to the hospital but his health continued to deteriorate. I took him to Hindu gurus and Buddhists temples and yet his health continued to worsen. Finally my family lost hope and accepted that my son was going to die. Our neighbour came to see my son and asked us to take him to church. She persuaded us that we had nothing to lose and although the church was 20km away we took him. The Pastor prayed over my son and his prayer was so effective that it gave us hope again and I immediately felt this Jesus could heal my son. This was my first time ever in a church but this place became a place which gave me assurance and I started coming as often as I could. There were people in the church every day and they would always lay hands on my son and pray for him. As a result, within days we could see changes in his health and within a few weeks he recovered completely. This was the turning point in my life and in 1991 my whole family accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

It’s all about Christ's love that fascinated me to get involved in his ministry and I continued serving in the church and attending Bible classes. As I grew in His word I began to understand the significance of fulfilling the Great Commission. I felt the call of God urgently on my life and I committed my life to serving God. I now have my own church in the village and God has blessed my ministry. God has provided for us a piece of land to build our church but in April 25^th 2015 the building collapsed during the earthquake while we were having our service in church. However, God has been faithful and kind towards us and although the church’s walls and roof collapsed, we were all safe. It was indeed a miracle that not one of us was hurt although looking at our collapsed church one would think not many would have survived.

Praise God I now have planted 6 churches in various villages in our district and we trust that God will provide all the finances needed to rebuild our church. We face new challenges with the present political situation and the anti-conversion law but nothing will stop me from sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I will keep pressing on to ensure the salvation of my people. Kindly uphold me and my ministry in your prayer.

Testimony of Purna Bisunkhe

I was born into a staunch Hindu family but my family was going through hard times because my mother used to faint every day for 7 years. We took her to the doctors, traditional healers and offered religious ceremonies by sacrificing animals so that my mother could be healed. My father spent all the money he had until he lost hope and decided to let her die. I used to question why this was happening to my mother. We were a pious Hindu family following all the traditions and rituals, even offering animal sacrifices why did God not answer our prayers. One day a man who had accepted Jesus came to us and said, “If you took your mother to the church and believe in Jesus then He would heal your mother because there is a freedom in Jesus Christ.” However, we did not believe him because we had tried all sorts of religious rituals. But this man kept badgering us to take my mother to church and so one day I decided to take her.

I carried my mother in my arms and walked for an hour to get to the church but on reaching the church the members were suspicious of us and told us we could not come in but could sit outside and follow the service. We kept going for nine months but the church members never accepted us and we always had to remain outside the door, never being allowed to set foot inside. It was so humiliating but we never gave up because my mother and I listened attentively to the Gospel being preached and we found peace and joy in the praise and worship. After a few months we began to notice a change in my mother. She gained her strength and did not pass out as often as she used to. She told us that Jesus would heal her completely and that we had to trust in Him. Praise God He granted her complete healing and my whole family accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour.

Eventually we got help from another church and my brother and I became Pastors and started our own church. God gave me a vision to start a church in Dura Gaun, a two hour walk from my home and when I shared the Gospel in the village four people come to the Lord. But as time passed the Maoist insurgency started and churches were closed. They kidnapped us and we were taken to the jungle. Once we were freed I stared going to the believer's houses at night to encourage and nurture them in their faith until the Maoist found out. Fearing for my life I left my family behind and fled to another area. After hiding for 7 days I was informed that my wife was very ill and disregarding my safety, I rushed home. God healed my wife and I repented for not trusting God but fleeing instead. My wife and I rededicated our lives to serving God and standing firm on our faith. I went back to Dura Gaun and kept on preaching, teaching and building the body of Christ and the Lord protected me and blessed my ministry.

I always thank the lord for choosing me to become His servant to expand His kingdom. Now I am also involved in training disciples which takes me to different places to share the Gospel and train and build disciples.

Samuel 12:24 “But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you.”

There are so many more testimonies out there some told and some untold and you who have partnered with us in our Foot Soldiers Ministry played a part in each soul that was saved. Although you were not physically there, you did not preach or share the Gospel with them but you empowered the foot soldiers to go and that was the first step in reaching those souls saved. Many of you pray for these nameless, faceless foot soldiers whom you do not know and this is a vital part in any ministry. As one in the body of Christ we are working together to ensure the Gospel is preached to every soul.    

Romans 10:14-16 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

PERSECUTED FOR THE GOSPEL.

Apostolic Faith Mission–Paul Silvanus

Pastor Praveen Kumar was born into a Christian Family and from an early age he learned to love God. His father was a pastor and Praveen watched his father face many challenges and even persecution and yet his father never complained but kept on praising God in all his circumstances. As a young boy growing up, he too was determined to follow in his father’s footsteps and serve God. In 2010 after graduating from mission school, Praveen chose to work in the mission fields of Maharastha rather than the comfort of his own state, Kerala. The dialect here was different and being far away from home was a challenge to the young man but like his father he was determine to preserver for the glory of God. He started a mission field here but just when he was beginning to be fruitful the Holy Spirit told him to move to the Theni District of Tamil Nadu, an unreached place where people’s resistance and intolerance toward Christianity was well known. A little apprehensive but trusting God he went there with his wife and child.

He started the first church (the only church in the area) in a small village with 5 adult church members and 15 children. Encouraged by the children he started a Sunday school for the children which blessed the children greatly. A few months after he had been there Ps Praveen was called to pray for a Hindu man, Mr Annadurai who lay dying in his home. Mr Annadurai met a major accident in Madurai City and was very badly injured. He was admitted to the hospital there but his family was told there was no hope and the authorities asked the family to take him home. Ps Praveen visited him every day to pray for him and each day Annadurai began to recover slowly. He was supposed to go for surgery but as he began to recover he did not need the surgery. Praise God he has completely recovered and has accepted Christ. When news of this miracle spread people wanted to know Praveen’s God and after 6 months his church had grown to 50 people. People here however, were still afraid of the Hindu neighbours and 30 of them took water baptism secretly. A lady who had received healing for her ailment donated her land for a makeshift church to be built and the church began to grow. The Hindus there began to resent Ps Praveen.

Perumayi was well known in the village for her special power to help Barren women conceive and many women would come to her and they would be able to conceive after she performed some rituals over them. One day Perumayi fell ill and could not sleep at night. She tried everything but to no avail. Desperate she came to Ps Praveen and was delivered from evil spirits. She was healed and accepted Christ and this angered the Hindu extremist. They made a police report that Ps Praveen was converting Hindu (anti-conversion law) by giving them money and they brought with them false witnesses to confirm their story. Police came and arrested Ps Praveen and he was taken to the police station for interrogation. After questioning him for a few hours and taking his statement he was released but had to attend a court hearing four days later.

Ps Praveen called me in Chennai and asked the church to pray for him and I immediately sent out urgent prayer requests to all the churches and also to AO Malaysia who has a powerful intercessory group to pray for Ps Praveen, that the truth will prevail. Our team members and I also prayed and cried out to God to save Ps Praveen from false imprisonment. On the day of the court hearing, Ps Praveen was there on time but after waiting for half an hour, not one of his accusers turned up. To his amazement, 50 of his church members who were new converts turned up to declare in writing that they had converted of their own free will and were in no way forced. They did not want to hide their conversion anymore but came boldly to declare that they had accepted Jesus as their Lord and saviour. Now neighbouring villages are inviting Ps Praveen’s to come and pray with them.

Prov 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance and victory are of the Lord.

                                                    Perumayi proud to be Christian now

Ps Praveen

                                                                                                                

                                                     

THE CHALLENGES IN MISSIONS WORK

Ps Lau Tak Siong –AO Leadership Trainer

 

  

There are many challenges in missions work ministry, but let me preface it by saying that it is always a privilege to serve the Lord Jesus. In my 40 years of ministry it is encouraging to see the good fruit after many years of labour in different third world countries of Asia. Some of the challenges of missions work include:

1. The challenge of leaving your family

At the early onset of my ministry I made up my mind that my family would be my priority and I knew that God would give me wisdom to prioritize my time and travelling schedule so I would not neglect them. My children are all grown up now and I am blessed to be a grandfather so I can be away for longer periods but I still try to spend quality time with my family. It is a blessing too that my wife is strong (both spiritually and mentally) and fully understands my call to the mission fields. She is my greatest supporter and encourager, even following me sometimes to help me with the training too.

2. The challenge of ministering in rural areas

Decades ago when I first ventured into remote villages, communication was very poor. To keep communication with our loved ones, we had to go to a post office, book a call and after a 2 hour wait you can only talk to your family for a few minutes. At times, it was a challenge not to be in contact for the whole duration of the ministry. Now, even with advanced technology, there are still many poor remote villages where we go to that have limited or even no Internet access. Furthermore, one has to be willing to bear with the lack of basic amenities, be it the extreme heat without a fan, or a toilet that is just a hole in the ground, no running water or a bed that has the smell of the sweat of the previous person who slept on it. But that's sometimes the best the host can provide, and we are thankful that the discomfort is just for a short duration.

Sometimes we have to keep going back for further training in these remote areas as the local pastors in their own country are not keen to go to these poor remote places. Most people prefer to have ministries in the bigger cities where all the amenities are there. Coupled with this discomfort, the long bus or train rides (sometimes 20 hours or more) is definitely not appealing.

3. The challenge of serving others without "ownership"

Unlike pastoring a church where one can see the growth of the church in terms of the number of people or the maturity of the sheep, in the work of missions, it is unlikely that we see the participants "growing". We train them, build them up and encourage them so they can return home to their respective ministries and churches to serve. This is a challenge to keep on serving without having something tangible to hold on to, but we are serving Him, without seeking glory for ourselves.

4. The challenge of not always seeing good fruit

Although the trained leaders are not accountable to us, it is certainly a joy to see many that we have trained and ministered bearing good fruit. I am filled with inner satisfaction when a brother or sister would come up to me and say, "You trained me twenty years ago and through your strong encouragement, I have persevered in the ministry and did not give up. I now have pioneered four churches!" Inevitably, however, there are some leaders whom we have trained who have not been fruitful but have backslidden in their walk or have fallen into scandals of sexual immorality of financial impropriety. We can only do our part, and leave the rest to God.

5. The Challenge of finding teaching partners

Networking with other pastors, leaders and bible teachers is necessary and biblical. We can see in the book of Acts that Apostle Paul teamed up with Barnabas, Silas, Priscilla and Aquila, etc. Unfortunately, most pastors are very busy with their own churches and ministries, and understandably cannot be easily released. Furthermore, the places we go to are not the most comfortable of places; therefore to get teachers to come along to help can be a challenge.

6. The challenge of fundraising

Unlike other ministries where a fee is charged for each participant, in this particular ministry, we have to pay for the full cost of training and even pay for their transport cost from the inner villages as most of the participants are very poor. Thus this involves a lot of cost. (However, in recent years, we have been challenging some leaders to try to raise a part of the cost of training). Seeking funds for the ministry can be difficult as most churches have their own missions focus and will usually support what lies within their vision. Furthermore there are many ministries and mission agencies that are also seeking support from churches. Asking for donations is always a humbling challenge.

 Let me just conclude by saying that the above are just some of the challenges that we face from year to year. However, we are very thankful that God's grace is sufficient for us at all times for all that we need: 2Cor 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." We are indeed thankful for friends who prayed for us and partners who supported us financially. Together, we can be a blessing and win Asia for Christ.

Lighting up the Darkest Area

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said let there be light and there was light.” (Genesis 1:1-3)

God spoke, and His Light was established.

The Foot Soldiers/church planters have gone to places devoid of church and believers (light). Through the preaching of these Foot Soldiers, God poured out His grace into the void, and the Holy Spirit has ignited a spectacular church-planting movement. The Foot Soldiers are men and women who boldly and obediently agreed to answer the call to be soldiers in the Kingdom of God effecting change throughout the nation.

Foot Soldiers are trained believers who are thought to have captured the vision to evangelize in unreached villages devoid of Christian (light). They are challenged to evangelize and to undertake personal responsibilities of nurturing or discipling all who receive Jesus as Lord and Saviour. Despite persecution and life threatening situations, these evangelists are undeterred, having surrendered their lives to the Lord as martyrs. They go where they are called to go, to the most remote villages, some high up in the mountain areas, deep in the jungles, long hours of walking from village to village and even hostile areas where they face harassment and rejection.

 We are now supporting 82 Foot Soldiers/church planters in eight countries reaching out to hundreds of thousands of people in the farthest ends of the earth where most of these areas are void of believers and churches. During the times when they feel alone, discouraged and when they feel like they are labouring alone, the words of the Great Commission hold one magnificent promise.

Matthew 28:20: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The Great commission is great because it comes with the promise of God’s enduring presence.

In 2014, by God’s grace, we were able to channel enough financial resources to support all Foot Soldiers and their families. In the last two years, cost of living has escalated not only in our country, but also in the third-world nations in which the Foot Soldiers are working. We came to be aware of the prayers of the Foot Soldiers asking God to allow an increase in their salaries in order to cope with the cost of inflation. A prayer that was direct to God and not asking us, and since then we too have been asking for His provision to sow more into the lives of the Foot Soldiers, as well as recruit new ones as He is the source of any and all resources who works through His people.

Knowing how much you have already been giving sacrificially into the work, we dare not ask for more. Instead, we only ask God to multiply your seed to enable you to sow more into the Kingdom of God. This year and the years to come will be very crucial for the preaching of the Gospel. As we discern the unfolding of current world events, we sense the urgency to spare no effort in our evangelism with the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ’s eminent return.

Joel 2 28-32 Speaks volumes of the last days where He will pour out His spirit. As much as we see a spiritual awakening in our midst. Let us take heed of these events as we prepare ourselves of His return. Let us be mindful of what we are called to do during our life time whereby all of us are called to make an account of what we have done and what we have not done. To me, I will simply put it as the SIN OF COMMITMENT and the SIN OF OMISSION.

2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Would you consider empowering the Foot Soldiers in their effort to carry the Gospel to those that have been blinded by the enemy and have yet to experience Christ’s love? We can demonstrate the love of God toward the world in three ways: going, giving, and praying. We would love to have you join us in service in any of those areas. Our vision is to establish the Kingdom of God among every person in the nations of Asia and throughout the world. Together we will work toward the goal of Reaching, Touching and Changing lives through preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As we start this New Year, I am looking forward to your partnership with God through Asian Outreach to fulfil the Great Commission and seeing thousands being ushered into the Kingdom of God, fruitful and above all glorifying to the Father in Heaven.

FLAMES OF FIRE

Ps Jiwan Rai-AO coordinator Glory Place Prayer Tower Siliguri

Acts 2:3-4

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Twelve years ago, God called my brother, Ps Joel to preach the Gospel in the most remote places in the Eastern part of Nepal where they have never heard about Jesus Christ. The Eastern part of Nepal is an untamed frontier, surrounded by the majestic Himalayan Mountains.

Joel loved the Lord but he had been there and knew that area to be a poor area. How was he going to support his wife and two children? He worried about this and prayed to the Lord one day while walking home. Right there on the road Joel heard God speak to him clearly, asking him to read Matthew 6:25-33 “Therefore I tell you do not worry about your life………” He had his answer.

Obedient to his calling, Joel and his wife went to Llam, a small district in Eastern Nepal near the mountains and there he planted his first church with just four believers. He had no financial support but trusting God completely to provide for him and his wife he continued to preach the Gospel. He faced many challenges in the rural villages as people here were set in their ways and eyed him with suspicion.  But Joel persevered and God blessed him. After four years he had planted three churches with a total of 150 believers and another church in the neighbouring village of Jhapa which today has 110 believers. What would have happened to these souls if Joel had not been obedient to God’s call?

Due to the remoteness of this place, Joel had to leave his two children behind with their grandmother in India.  It was a heart wrenching decision for any parent to make and a sacrifice many would be unwilling to make. But they knew they had to be obedient to the Lord. If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be because God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end.

Four years later God called Joel into the Prayer Ministry. Prayer is so essential in the life of a Christian. Without prayer your witness will be far less effective and you will be far more vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy. Prayer brings the blessing and support of the Lord. You need to be in fellowship with Him. Prayer makes all this possible. Starting with nine believers in a small cramped rented room, the ministry quickly grew to a larger group. It was amazing to see 30 to 40 prayer intercessors coming from the towns, villages and mountains to mobilize prayers for their nation. As the group grew and the room became too small the local pastors got together and raised funds to buy a small piece of land and a Prayer House was built.    

                                                          It was a simple bamboo building on the outside but a powerhouse of prayer and intercession inside. I could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit all around us, such a powerful anointing and I was excited in my spirit. As we stood outside the Prayer House ready to dedicate it to the Lord, we began to pray and some of us started praying in ‘tongues’.  Suddenly someone shouted for us to look and as we looked up we saw a flame of fire shoot down and rest above the heads of the pastors. Everyone there was shaken by the strong presence of the Holy Spirit. Never in my 21 years serving God have I ever seen such an awesome sight.  One hundred and fity over believers witnessed this and I praise and thank God for sending us the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen us.

When you share the Gospel you plant the seeds of the Gospel, but it is only God who can cause the seed to take root and grow.

 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

A miracle working God

Kikon Lotha- Neighbours Mission Himalayas.

Millions of souls are perishing without hearing the Gospel in the Himalayan region. Can you hear the heartbeat of God for those souls perishing? People in this region are lost in alcohol and drug addiction, possession by evil spirits and abusive family lives. Many are sick and hopeless, having no vision for their life. The people there are hungry for the Word of God but are in bondage with their superstitions, fears and Idol worship. They have been Idol worshippers until their lives have been transformed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Each one has a powerful testimony to tell

Eph 2:1-10 For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

In 1997 after Bible school in my home country of Nagaland, I moved to Siliguri in obedience to the call of God. God gave me a clear mission…A ministry of church planting-winning souls for Christ. After much prayer and fasting Neighbours Mission Himalayas was birthed to work in the Himalayan regions that borders India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Our ministry is based on Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself”. My wife and I have obeyed His divine calling in our lives to carry out His mission. Praise God that we have been blessed to witness miracles of healing, signs and wonders and His marvellous provision when we submitted by faith to do His calling. I am humbled by the fact that God in His magnificent wisdom and grace has allowed me to get a glimpse into what He is doing in the Himalayan region.”

In February 2015 a young lady, Seema Routh, was brought to our church for prayers. She was in her 7^th month of pregnancy and had a heart problem. She could hardly walk and had difficulty in breathing. Shortly after this she felt numbness in her legs and became paralysed from the waist down. Her desperate mother took her to Hospital and was told that due to her complications of her heart, her paralysis and her pregnancy there was nothing they could do and the doctor informed the family that there was a strong possibility she would not make it. They were poor and going to the hospitals in the city was not an option.  When a neighbour suggested taking her to the Christian church, her parents and her husband immediately brought her. They kept coming faithfully and believed this Christian god could heal their daughter. God in His compassion and love for Seema healed her completely. In April she gave birth to healthy baby girl and both mother and daughter is doing well. She is able to walk and shows no sign of any heart problem. After her delivery Sema accepted Jesus as her Lord and saviour and was born again. Now her husband, mother and two brothers come to church regularly and she is praying that they too will accept Jesus as they Lord and Saviour. When Seema’s doctor heard what happened he did not believe it until she went to see him and even then could not believe that she was completely healed. Seema’s healing has spread around the villages and has brought hope to many. Many lives have been touched through Seema’s miracle.God used this simple uneducated girl to reveal His power, His compassion and His love.

Seema and her baby

In the village of Belgachi, a 44 year old woman fell to the ground in the throes of an epileptic fit. It was a daily occurrence for her, sometimes 4 to 5 times a day. She had spent all her saving trying to find a cure, seeing one doctor after another. When that did not work she sought the help of the Hindu gods and spent all her money on one medium after another until all her money was gone. On the 2^nd of March a Christian neighbour took Ps Suresh Turi, our missionary to pray for her. When the Pastor laid hands on her she felt instantly that she was healed. From that instant she has never had another seizure again. Now she, her husband and 4 daughters have accepted Jesus and been born again.  People who knew her are simply amazed at her healing and many of her neighbours and friends want to know this God who healed her.

Shanti healed from Epilepsy

God is moving in such a powerful way across the Himalayas reaching, touching and changing lives.  People in the Himalayas are coming to Christ with openness to the supernatural demonstration of God’s power especially through miracles, signs and wonder. A spiritual harvest has began and God is calling His people back to Him.

Heb 2:4

And God confirmed the message by giving signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit whenever he chose.

Prayer Request

1. We pray that God will raise up more workers for the harvest fields of the Himalayas so that

    every person in this region will be able to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

2. May the Lord continue to bless the two women, Seema and Shanti that through the testimony

     more people will come into the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

3. We ask the Lord to bless the foot soldiers and church planter in the Himalayan region and God

    provision in their lives and the needs of the ministry.

AOM YEAR-END REPORT 2015

John 9:4
“We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is
coming, and then no one can work.”

In the twinkling of an eye a season slips by like a breeze; another blink the year slips by like
oil slipping through our fingers. Yet sometimes in another blink a long awaited opportunity is lost because we are too slow in responding, we hesitated too long and the moment was gone. Have we seized every opportunity that God has put in our hand? The time is short and God given opportunities are precious. God often opens doors of opportunities to Share the Gospel, opportunities to minister to someone who is hurting or in need, opportunities to make an influence on the world around us, opportunities to give financially and opportunities to stand alongside and pray for those in the mission fields. If we allow these opportunities to pass by (perhaps because we are waiting for something easier to come along), we may miss out on them altogether resulting in self-denial, robbing ourselves of the joy and fulfillment of being used by God.
Gal 6:8-10
“Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

The Bible is full of missed opportunities. In the Old Testament the Israelites missed out on
the opportunity in entering the Promised Land because they were rebellious and stiff necked and as a result they wandered 40 years in the desert. In the words of Jesus, in the parable of the ten virgins, five were foolish and did not bring enough oil and when the bridegroom finally arrived they missed out on the opportunity of attending the Great Wedding Feast.

As I reflect on this year’s ministry, I think about how true these two important elements
have come to shape our work, God’s timing and God’s given opportunity that has brought
about the great harvest in the nations we are working in. There is so much to share with you here, but due to space constraints, may I draw your attention to just the following highlights from our ministries in Asia.

Foot Soldiers - AOM supports some 76 foot soldiers in Asia, mainly in Bangladesh, China, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam. They are local man and women who work full time in ministry, moving freely in areas restricted to outsiders and are accepted because they blend in well and live among the community. Each one of them has had a profound encounter with the Lord that has changed their lives completely and this makes them passionate in their service for God and they carry a burden to see their own people saved. They have endured torture and vicious beatings, have had their families threatened and harassed and attacks on their home and family. They don’t know who to trust. They have walked for miles on foot, deep into the jungles or up the treacherous mountain paths to share the love of Christ to those who do not know Him yet. Often they are alone with only the bible as their companion but that is all they need. For they do not walk alone and they know that the One whom they preach about is with them. I call this motivational faith resulting in hundreds of souls being saved. Their reports have not been negative or complaining but all giving praise to God for what He is doing through them. Miracles signs and wonders follow them. In May of this year our Bhutan foot soldier shared an awesome testimony of healing.

44 year old Shanti had been suffering from Epilepsy for the last 12 years and she had 5/6
attacks a day, throwing her to the ground in the throes of violent fits. Desperate she came
for a healing service and during the altar call she felt instantly healed. She has never had
an epileptic fit since then.
Ps Praveen, one of our foot soldiers in India was accused of forcefully converting Hindus
and was arrested. On the day of his trial not one of his accusers turned up and to his
amazement the 50 newly baptized came forward boldly declaring that they willingly
believed in Jesus Christ.
A father finding his son in excruciating back pain after loading cement bags at work called
our co-worker in Bangladesh asking for prayers. He was told to lay hands on his son and
pray and immediately he did that. Within a few minutes the pain left his son. In Sabah, our
foot soldier reports of a new believer who accepted Jesus but his wife was skeptical until
one day while driving home they hit a motorbike on the road and saw the bike and rider
somersault in the air before landing heavily on the road. As the rider lay motionless on the
road this believer started to pray and lay hands on the rider. To everyone’s amazement the
rider got up and walked away without even a scratch on him.

they are in full time ministry they depend on your support to put food on the table for their
family and to see to their other needs. We all have families of our own so we can understand how they feel.

                Our foot soldiers in India and Bhutan praying and sharing the Gospel

Children Homes - In Myanmar AOM supports the House of Hope with 44 children and the New Generation Centre with 50 children. These children have been abandoned and are from broken homes or from single parents who cannot afford to keep them. These children are the fortunate ones as they have a safe environment, food and clothes and a chance to go to school. The children also have daily bible study and are nurtured in the ways of the Lord. If not for the homes these children would join the ranks of the thousands of street children aged between 4 and 13 who are begging on the streets. They eat out of rubbish dumps or steal food for their daily survival. According to reports, these street children who can’t produce IDs are recruited into the Burmese army. The house parents of the two homes are so grateful for your support and for giving these children an opportunity for a better future.

     

The Children Homes in Myanmar-House of Hope and New Generation Centre                                                  
Slum Ministry serving the Dalits in India and Nepal - The Dalits are a group of people who are shunned, rejected and repelled by society because they are of the lowest caste. They work mostly as menial laborers and are treated inhumanely; the women are forced into prostitution and the  children into child labor. They live below the poverty line in slums that are filthy and lacking basic necessities.

AOM jointly operate 3 centres in India and 3 in Nepal with our partners there. These centres operate as a day care for the children giving then a safe place to come after school and get a free meal (for many their only meal for the day). They are given tuition, thought manners, hygiene, moral and biblical values. The centres keep them off the streets and away from danger such as drug pushers and child traffickers.

In India we have a total of 175 Children in the 3 centres and in Nepal we have 125 in the 3 centres. Sadly we cannot take in more children at this time as we do not have the budget to expand or open more centres. Every child deserves an opportunity regardless of race, color or caste and I pray in 2016 God will make a way for us to help more of His little children.

 

             The Dalit Day Care Centres in India and Nepal

Bible schools in Myanmar, India and Sarawak - Bible students are vital for the growth and extension of God’s kingdom. Workers for the Harvest fields have come to a dangerously low level. As it is written in Luke 10:2 "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” The responsibility to churn out workers have encompassed upon you to raise funds to finance their studies.

AOM supports 6 bible students in India, 3 bible students in Sarawak and 23 students in Myanmar. Most of these students come from small villages and towns in rural areas and their families are often too poor to support them through bible school. In Myanmar, our coordinator who is the principal of the bible school shares his own home with some of the bible students to reduce their cost of living expenses. The need for workers is huge that our coordinator is prepared to lose his family’s privacy for the Kingdom’s sake. Praise God 4 of his previous students (under our foot soldiers support) are involved in church planting, 3 in the Chin state and one in the countryside of Yangon.

Leper Ministry Vietnam - Praise God this year 3 adults and 21 children have been baptized in the 5 Leper Centres. The Leper Centres are located far from the city, about 2-3 hours by motorbike (as society still ostracizes them) and yet our co-workers have been faithful visiting them, conducting bible classes and have started fellowship amongst them. In some centres the staff and director welcome them, giving them the opportunity to even share the Gospel with them discreetly. Unfortunately this is not the case in all the centres. They are harassed, even having the police called in to question them. But the foot soldiers love for these rejected people keeps them going back to give them hope that even though their families have abandoned them God has not. Recently a Leper patient was diagnosed with Prostate cancer and was passing out blood and in pain. As he is a Leper patient he was not sent to any other hospital and received only minimal treatment for his condition at the centres. After our co-workers prayed for him continually for 2 weeks he was totally healed, Praise God.

Vietnam has the highest rate of abortions in Asia and our missionaries, Dave and Pushpa, in Vietnam are reaching out to the many women in Hanoi to counsel them against having an abortion. Cards with the ministry phone number are placed in public places in the hope that women who are contemplating an abortion can seek help and counseling. Help is also given to those who intend to keep their child especially the many single girls who are desperate and rejected by their families. Women who are struggling with past abortions also call to find forgiveness and reconciliation.

Tibetan Ministry based in China - We praise the Lord for opening the door for our missionary couple, R and S (not their real names) to be involved with the Tibetan students in a local university. Their passion to share the Gospel and bring the Tibetan people to salvation has led many students to the Lord by faithfully sharing, loving and encouraging them. They also travel to the Tibetan villages along the border to share the Gospel with them and to train and encourage local Tibetan house church leaders. It has been an amazing journey for them to see how God uses them through His word to reach, touch and change lives and we praise God that though facing many challenges in the ministry and even in their own personal life, their zeal and love for the Lord’s work has not faltered.

Please do continue reading…………

Training and Equipping - Pastor and leaders in the developing countries in Asia are often untrained or have limited Bible knowledge or ministry skills to lead their local churches. Access to the internet or on-line learning programs are often limited or not available to many. There is an urgent need for relevant training for the growth of the Kingdom to equip and mobilize the Church in the developing countries. AOM recognizes this needs and our trainers have conducted training in India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Cambodia.

Our Trainers are not paid so we have to solicit funds for their airfare, local transportation, and accommodation. As most of the participants cannot afford to pay, funds have to be raised for the rental of a venue for training, food, accommodation and all relevant materials needed. In some cases accommodation for the participants from outstation too. We solicit your prayers and financial support so that they can continue to impact, empower, encourage and change the lives of the poor leaders and pastors in Asia to be more effective in sharing the Gospel in their churches and communities. Thousands of pastors and leaders have been blessed by the training programs. Many have testified how the training has renews their minds and given them a new understanding of God and His Word, challenging them to change their lives, making them more effective in their ministry.

Community Projects
Bangladesh - Many poor villages in Bangladesh have never had electricity and our pastor there appealed to us for solar panels that could light up a fan and 2 bulbs. The pastors and leaders lacked adequate lighting in their homes during Cell meetings, bible study and Sunday night services. All they had was the glow of a candle (kerosene is too expensive). When you choose to sow into the lives of these people it enabled us to provide 158 solar panels which could light up a fan and 2 light bulbs. A simple gift but to those who lived without electricity all their lives it was a miracle. A 93 year old lady whose son was one of the recipients of this gift knelt down and with tears streaming down her face she praised God when the bulb was lit up, thanking Him for allowing her to see this before she dies.

Solar Panels given to the Pastors and leaders in Bangladesh

People in a fishing village in Bangladesh desperately needed toilets (there was not even one in the entire village) and wells. Again we reached out to you and you showed these people the tangible love of God by enabling us to build 10 toilets and 6 wells. The whole village came together to help build the toilets and wells and it was amazing to see such community spirit.

Nepal - The slum dwellers on one of the centers were urgently in need of clean water for drinking and cooking. They had been using the water from a nearby river which was so filthy and strewn with rubbish and even animal carcasses. These poor people were falling ill especially the little babies and children and our co-worker asked us to help. There was no question that we would not and we asked for your partnership. Now praise God 2 water tanks containing 1000 liters of water each come in every week, bringing water to be stored in tanks for the slum dwellers consumption.

Clean water for the slum dwellers in Nepal

In April this year Nepal was rocked by a powerful earthquake that shook the nation to its very core. The devastation was enormous killing almost 10,000 people and rendering hundreds of thousands homeless. Villagers were flattened and in the city building came tumbling down like pieces of Lego. The Nepalese had never experience such devastation and were totally unprepared for it, throwing them into a state of utter chaos and terror.

When we had managed to contact our co-worker in Nepal, his immediate response to my call was “Please help my people”. Praise God for your partnership which enabled us to distribute urgent relief supplies to the villages most badly affected, near the epic center of the earthquake. Blankets, food, water and tents were rushed to those who needed it. Our Foot Soldiers were the first people to bring relief supplies to some of the remote villages and they told them that they had given up hope of receiving any kind of help. The tangible love of God shown to these victims by our foot soldiers has altered the villagers thinking of Christians as people not be to trusted. Now the people are responsive to the Gospel and receptive to the foot soldiers.

The outpouring of your love and generosity in response to my appeal letter overwhelmed me and praise God we have already provided 21 families with new homes. Unfortunately due to the political situation (Re-election of a new PM and amendment of the constitution) l we have had to temporary stop work till we can reapply for new Government approval.

Myanmar - Many poor villages in the Chin state are overlooked by authorities for any development project because they were mainly Christian. The villagers appealed for help to get a regular supply of water brought into their village from a river 11km away. Their only water supply was from a small river that dried up in summer and water had to be constantly rationed. Praise God again you partnered with us to answer this cry for help and we were able to build a pipe to carry the water from the river 11km away into two big tanks where the water could be stored. Another community project made possible through your partnership.

Myanmar-In July, 2015 Myanmar was hit by terrible flooding which caused massive destruction and left more than 500,000 people displaced. Livestock and farms were destroyed and even whole villages flattened. The areas most affected were the Chin, Rakhine and Shan states. These were the poorest states in Myanmar, suffering not just poverty but ethnic wars and rebellion. I hesitated to send out an appeal letter as I had just sent out a letter for Nepal but I trusted the prompting of the Holy Spirit and two months after the flood we were able to build 10 homes for the flood victims. Many more are in dire need of a home and I pray that we will be able to raise funds to build at least 100 houses at a cost of USD700 per unit.

Thank you for your partnership of prayer and finances that has empowered these men and women of God to go out and share the Gospel. Their strength and perseverance despite all the persecution and challenges they face shows how passionate they are for Christ. In present times Christians everywhere are persecuted so they need your prayers more than ever. Your partnership has also been such an encouragement to me personally that drives me to keep on going that extra mile. I thank you again for being our partners in Christ and together we will be able to reach, touch and change lives in Asia through the saving power of Jesus Christ. I don’t know what plans God has for this ministry for 2016 but we will seize every opportunity He has given us for His kingdom’s glory.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven”.

ay the Lord bless you and your families and continue to use you to be His beacon of light giving hope to the down-trodden, lost and the suffering. As you shine your ‘light’ before men may you see the glory of God in your own lives. My prayer is that you will take advantage of the God given opportunities before you so that you will be filled with joy and fulfillment. On behalf of the AO staff and the foot soldiers I wish you and your family a very joyous and blessed Christmas.