Campaign
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The church in East Asia is beginning to send missionaries to other parts of the world. Empowering them to reach the nations is vital because they can often enter communities and countries where Americans are not welcome. Your gift will match the funds raised by East Asian missionary candidates for training. Give today so that they can reach unengaged and unreached people groups in places Americans cannot go throughout Asia and to the ends of the earth!
The church in East Asia is beginning to send missionaries to other parts of the world. Empowering them to reach the nations is vital because they can often enter communities and countries where Americans are not welcome. Your gift will match the funds raised by East Asian missionary candidates for training. Give today so that they can reach unengaged and unreached people groups in places Americans cannot go throughout Asia and to the ends of the earth!
De* and Jing* entered the village on foot, aware they were strangers and might not be welcomed. They politely asked villagers for a room for rent, found a family who offered them shelter, and settled in.
“Father, You love this village so much You sent Jesus to die for them. Please help us love these people, too. Show us how to tell them about Your son.”
Night after night, the young couple repeated this prayer, interceding on behalf of the unengaged, unreached people group (UUPG) in the village. They were there because of your generosity to this ministry.
De and Jing came to the training center because, like you, they want to reach minority people in East Asia with the gospel. There, they learned how to enter a UUPG community, the importance of building trust, and ways to share Jesus with people who have never heard His name.
Because of your gifts, De and Jing have shared the gospel in several UUPG villages, and many have become believers. They teach agricultural practices during the day and hold gospel conversations as God opens the doors.
Please join us in prayer:
Like De and Jing, you, too, have answered God’s call to bring the gospel to the nations. Thank you for the eternal impact you are making in East Asia!
*Names changed
Thank you so much for your generosity to this ministry and the East Asians God calls us to equip and train. Your prayers and sacrificial giving help prepare East Asian missionary candidates to reach unengaged, unreached people groups (UUPGs) in places Americans cannot go throughout Asia and to the ends of the earth!
Progress seen. As COVID restrictions have waned and international borders have opened, we see a renewed passion among God’s children to engage people across borders. So far this year, with your support,
Throughout the duration of this project, the gospel has been shared with more than 10,000 people, resulting in 14 new churches planted where no church existed and more than 70 church plants from existing churches. Some of these were “third generation” church plants, which means the parent church planted a church which then planted a church.
Hear from Tam*, a student leader impacted by your generosity: Each year we have a conference for college students and recent graduates. The goal is to mobilize these young people for missions. Every year, people come forward saying they want to go on short-term mission trips, but we haven’t had any serve as long–term missionaries yet. Last year we had four students say they wanted to be long-term missionaries, and in February 2023, we sent them to another country. A fifth student recently joined this team. They also received a group of 12 students on a vision trip and are finally gaining traction in helping send students to become long-term missionaries.
Praise God with us for these students who have answered God’s call! They have three goals as they minister in a Southeast Asian country. First, they are partnering with a local church to plant a new church in a poor, remote village. Second, the students will identify and teach students too poor to attend the local school. Finally, they are working with an orphanage to provide healthcare, education, and the gospel to its children.
While our ultimate aim is evangelizing this isolated village, we also want to help its children have bright futures through education. As we pour into the lives of these children, adults see our efforts and respond. We baptized our first two adults about a month ago!
Please join us in prayer: Life is difficult for these students, and they need fervent prayer.
We are so thankful for you, our partners, who have made this project possible. There are so many ripple effects from this project we will never know this side of heaven. Your sacrificial gifts and intercession are truly transforming lives as we partner together to solve the world’s greatest problem, lostness.
*Name changed.
Whereas 2020 seemed to turn the world upside down, 2021 began to open it back up. ‘Normal’ life has been re-shaped and transformed in every country across the globe, and each one has adjusted based on global realities. Each country has had its own unique responses. God has given us the truly amazing privilege of helping local missionaries navigate the changes and stay engaged in the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. This impact report is a testimony of how the Lord is using these saints for the sake of His name!
During the onset of Covid in 2020, many East Asian churches canvassed their neighbors to discover how local communities were dealing with the pandemic. They learned that distributing aid and resources during lockdowns would offer them access to closed communities. So, they reached out with assistance items, placing contact cards in each resource packages to give the recipients phone numbers of church members available to help them in times of need. They trained church members to be ready to listen and engage with those on the phone. By the end of 2020, they had led nearly 70 people to Christ! Praise God with us for this harvest!
As 2021 progressed, the same type of resource distribution was not as effective because people learned to live in lockdown and found ways to find necessities. While this change was initially somewhat discouraging, it drove our missionary partners to seek the Lord and find new ways to engage people when they could not meet face to face. That led to some significant ministry breakthroughs that are very important for the future of missions in this region.
Many of those in lockdown joined online forums, seeking friends and meaningful communication. These online communities opened many doors for local missionaries to go online and build relationships. As the lockdowns eased, many of those friendships continued in person, and people began meeting in small groups in each other’s homes. They were amazed at the demeanor and the outlook of the Christians. So much of the region was in despair over Covid, but the Christians had so much positivity and joy. The contrast was so significant it drew non-believers to engage with the believers!
God used the pandemic to propel gospel work forward in ways that were not possible prior to the lockdown. Government officials and companies expanded internet highway infrastructure because they knew that was the way to keep people occupied during lockdown. Greater bandwidth led to many new forms of gospel engagement and re-enabled access for missionaries who felt isolated. They were able to connect with others in similar situations, and new relationships were forged among missionary colleagues. The result is that three new local mission agencies have been formed from the partnership of these missionary networks! These alliances are essential for the growth of missions in this region. God used the global pandemic to bring together missionary colleagues to catalyze the spread of His name and glory!
Statistics
The gospel has been shared with more than 5,000 people throughout the project. At least eight first-generation churches were planted, and more than 50 second and third-generation churches were planted (i.e., existing churches planting new churches).
Testimony
“Greetings from Bread of Life Church*!
I have great news to share with you! The second Bread of Life Church* has launched!!!
After launching the first church plant at the beginning of March, we have successfully established a second church in this area. This time it was in a remote mountain village, which is about two hours away from the city. The size of the church is about 20 people, primarily consisting of the High Mountain People*. Praise God that about 50% of them are new believers. A local brother has been appointed as the teaching pastor of this church.
The mission of this church is as follows:
While our aim is the evangelization of the High Mountain People as the ultimate goal, it has placed a considerable amount of importance on aiding kids who have dropped out of school because of poverty. So far, the current number of kids we have helped is 180.
Prayer Requests
The security situation in the region remains extremely difficult. While it is hard to be a Christian here, it is even more to be an ethnic minority Christian. Imagine, then, how challenging it is to be an ethnic minority missionary! Life is not easy for the missionaries who are part of this project, and they need fervent prayer. Please pray for them in the following ways:
Gratitude
We are so thankful for you, our partners, who have made this project possible! There are so many ripple effects from this project that we will probably never know this side of heaven. However, we know that the Lord has hardwired this world in such a way that all your giving and prayer support is being woven into our Lord’s plan of filling the earth with the knowledge of His glory as the waters cover the sea. Thank you so much!!
*Names changed for security.
From the skyscrapers of Hong Kong and vast plains of Mongolia to smoky rainforests hiding winding rivers edged by golden sands, the natural beauty and long history of these Asia-Pacific Rim countries testify to God’s creative hand. This vast region houses four of the most populous global cities, as well as the country with the world's largest nominal population of Muslims.
Spirituality swirls through cities and countryside like the smoke from temple incense sticks. Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, animists, Daoists and ancestor worshipers live here, comprising 851 unreached people groups who have never heard that freedom is found in Christ. Pray for divine appointments for Christian workers to share that Jesus is the way to peace with God and eternal life. Ask God to glorify His name among the peoples of the Asian Pacific Rim Peoples affinity.