ASAP Newsletter, 4th Quarter 2007

Fourth Quarter, 2007

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Cover: Cambodian Church Planter, Chhoun Chheun, sacrifices much for His Savior. Find out more about his life and ministry through an interview with him on page 1�.

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Adventist Southeast

Asia Projects

Adventist Southeast

Asia Projects

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Director’s Update by Judy Aitken

Sacrifice: Living for Now or Living for Eternity? by Isah Young

Even Unto Death by Martin Kim

A Village Chief’s Second Job by Judy Aitken

This Idea Was Certainly From the Lord by Calvin Kim

Chhoun Chheun’s Sacrifice Interview by Hang Dara

Seeds of Sacrifice

Thank You for Your Sacrifice!

Calling All Prayer Warriors

In Loving Memory

AdventiSt SoutheASt ASiA ProjectS

2007 Fourth Quarter Newsletter

Executive Editor/DirectorJudy Aitken

Editor/Assistant DirectorJulia O’CareyCopy Editors

Jolene RoosenbergLinda Bauer

Adrienne ReddingDesign/Layout

Margie Mitchell, Son PraisesPhotography

Frank Spangler, WorldViewImages.com

Contact Us:ASAP publishes this newsletter quarterly. Please contact the office to receive your complimentary sub-scription or additional copies.

PO Box 84Berrien Springs, MI 49103

269-471-30261-866-365-3541

269-471-3034 (fax) [email protected] (email)

www.ASAPministries.org

ASAP Board of DirectorsBruce Bauer, Chair

Judy Aitken, ASAP DirectorMary Ann McNeilus

Ralph & Beatrice NeallByron & Carol Reynolds

Robin RichesTrudi Starlin

Kenneth StrawMax & Linnea Torkelsen

ASI MemberASAP has been a member of ASI (Adventist-laymen’s Services and Industries) since 1996 and is grate-ful to be an ASI grant recipient.

ASAP is a registered 501(c3), non-profit organization and is fueled by faith in God and His provision through individuals’ financial sup-port. Please note that 100% of your gifts go directly to the projects specified. All donations are tax-deductible.

ASAP �

hat does it mean, exactly, to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice to

God? And how is it an act of wor-ship? Of course God isn’t talking about offering ourselves like the daily animal sacrifices of-fered by the children of Israel. However, there is deep significance in the comparison. When an animal was offered as a sacrifice, the entire animal was offered up. In the same way, God wants ALL of us. It is because we love Him with all our hearts that we desire to sacrifice our all to Him. Starting with our heads and moving down; He wants our minds to think His thoughts, our eyes to see His plan, our hearts to love Him, our hands and arms to work for Him and our legs to walk in His way.

The next time you deny yourself something you ordinarily would have had in favor of sac-rificing for Christ, remind yourself that your act of selflessness is an act of heartfelt love in worship to Him. Whether you use your bonus from work to buy Bibles or sell vegetables from your garden to help build a church, whether you make a pledge for missions in your will, or you shop at discount stores and use the sav-ings for pastors and Bible workers, your act of sacrifice is a beautiful act of love in worship to our Lord and Savior.

In the pages of this newsletter you will find

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiri-

tual act of worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)

countless examples of your brothers and sisters in Christ who share the joy of loving sacrifice. From Vietnamese youth evangelists and pas-tors’ testimonies on page 6 to mission buckets on page 10, you will be inspired, motivated, and moved by those who sacrifice for their Lord and missions.

It is my prayer that you feel our gratitude and appreciation for the way you, personally, have sacrificed of yourself to give for God’s work in Asia. Check out page 15 where we highlight just some of the ways your gifts have made a difference. There is no way of know-ing, until we get to heaven, how many prayers were offered for this work, or how much of a sacrifice the $5, $20, or $1,000 donation actu-ally required. But what I do know, simply from the way that God blesses every penny offered for His kingdom, is that there are many of you who are living examples of the widow’s mite. With faith, you reflect on the ways the Lord has provided when you give sacrificially.

Thank you for praying for and supporting the national missionaries. Each and every worker can’t wait to meet you personally to thank you, in heaven. Until that day, you remain connected through your shared commitment to worship our Lord by offering yourself as a loving sacrifice for Him. ASAP

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects�

ne day a hen and a cow passed a church and observed the title of the pastor’s sermon: How Can We Expand God’s Kingdom? After a moment of

reflection, the hen said, “I know what we can do. We can give them a beef steak and an egg everyday to raise funds for this cause.”

The cow protested, saying, “An egg is only a contribution for you, but for me it would mean a total sacrifice of my body.”

The subject of sacrificing ourselves brings with it a variety of emotions, some of which may be uncomfortable. So, consider yourself warned.

We are told that “he who loses his life for Christ’s sake will find it again” (Matthew 16:25). Indeed, without sacrifice we will not find eternity, since the way to the Kingdom of Heaven is one that involves sacrifice of one’s whole self, not just a contribution like the hen considered. Jesus modeled the fact that a Christian life is a sacrificial one when He, “who, being in the very nature of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And be-ing found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death–even death on the cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8).

As director of the SDA radio broad-cast program to Vietnam and leader of our underground SDA church in Vietnam, I’m in a unique position of continually being inspired by examples

of true sacrifice on both sides of the world. The Vietnamese pastors and Bible workers put their physical lives at risk by witnessing for Christ. They are routinely caught, jailed, beaten and tortured for simply telling others of Jesus. Their level of sacrificial giving as-tounds me, inspires me and lifts me on even my darkest days.

Amazingly, this same spirit of sacrifice for Christ can be found here in America, from people with sacrificial hearts for God’s work in Southeast Asia and around the world. While just the thought of physical sacrifice would scare those who operate out of a desire for life’s comforts, there are others who live for Christ and only what they need rather than what they want. They have a big picture of life (eternal life) that allows them to see God’s plan rather than being limited by their own plans. It is these individuals who experience the true meaning of sacrificing oneself for Christ despite being surrounded by opportunity and excess. I’ve met people

Sacrifice: Living for Now or Living for Eternity? by Isah Young

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who turn down their heat in the winter so they can send their savings to missions and people who willingly drive an old car in order to be able to donate thousands of dollars for evangelism work. It is these individuals who know that it is only when they are willing to lose or let go of what they dearly love and crave for Christ’s sake, that they have, in a very practical way, demonstrated the fact that they love Christ above all else in life.

These people (you know who you are) both in Vietnam and here at home in Amer-ica, are today’s examples of the poor widow who gave two very small copper coins. She had faith that God would not let her go to bed on an empty stomach that night. She knew that her God was bigger than any hardship she would have to face in her life. It is her sacrifice that Jesus considered the largest offering. Why? Because she gave everything

she had. It points to the sobering thought that without sacrifice, our work will never touch the heart of God. It is only the gifts from a sacrificial heart that will move heaven.

I have made a personal discovery that when we sacrifice ourselves to the Lord, we empty ourselves so we have room for God to fill us up with His blessings! Repeatedly I’ve experienced how God is willing to sup-ply all our personal needs when we put Him first. I recall in the year 2000 making the following statement to my congregations and family: “There is no way I’ll be able to survive with the work load I have. It is not humanly possible for me to accomplish all it seems the Lord has for me to do. I am not super-human. It would mean I would have to work day and night.”

Facts on Persecution in Vietnam for 2007 The number of ASAP supported SDA pastors (district leaders) and youth evangelists courageously sacrificing and working for the Lord. Note: A tremendous army of workers serve as volunteers under these leaders. The percentage of Vietnamese pastors who have been interrogated, harassed and forced to report to the police station (for a stay of anywhere from three days to a month).

The number of pastors who have been arrested and imprisoned. Frequently the arrest includes persecution, beatings and physical injury.

The number of pastors who have “disappeared” and not been heard from in the past month.

The number of pastors who, along with their families, have been transferred to another town because of persecution.

Pastor Isah Young’s life is a true example of sacrifice. Despite attacks (even death threats), he perseveres as he conducts the important work of speaking for Peace & Happiness radio and leading the underground house-church movement in Vietnam. Please keep him, his family and his ministry in your daily prayers.

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About the Author:

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he privilege of interviewing a number of our persecuted Vietnamese brothers and

sisters is an experience I will never forget. I was inspired and challenged as I heard these

faithful laborers recount the great sacrifices they had to make as they told others about Jesus. I can vividly remember an interview in which a young 23-year-old female youth evangelist told me that she was ready to die for Jesus. (How often does one get that kind of an experience?) In front of me sat an individual who truly loved Jesus with all her heart, with all her soul, with all her mind, and with all her strength (Mk 12:30). And because of her love for Jesus she was willing to forsake all – even her life.

When I think about our faithful laborers in Vietnam, I am reminded of the following words in the Spirit of Prophecy: “The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who on earth has drunk most deeply of the spirit of His self-sac-rificing love … love that moves the disciple, as it moved our Lord, to give all, to live and labor and sacrifice, even unto death, for the saving of humanity” (DA 549). As I look forward to the day when I will one day meet my Vietnamese

brothers and sisters on the sea of glass (if not on this earth again), I have to ask myself the question: “Am I drinking deeply of the spirit of Christ’s self-sacrificing love?”

Below are glimpses into the lives of a few of God’s workers in Vietnam who are giving their all in order to work alongside the One who gave us the ultimate sacrifice of love.

Ro Chan Kiet* is from one of the many tribes in Vietnam. He is the leader of 15 Bible work-ers and 1,200 house church members. When he became a Seventh-day Adventist, his relatives turned the names of his Bible workers as well as his immediate family over to the police. His wife then lost her government job and his chil-dren were denied schooling. He and his workers were arrested, persecuted and harassed. They are frequently fined, for no reason. Ro Chan Kiet tes-tifies, “I have made my commitment. As long as I live I will stay faithful to my God. I work with all my strength and all my heart. When God calls me, I respond, “Here I am.” He can call me to go wherever He needs me. I will follow His calling.”

Nguyen Te Sanh* pastors

Even Unto Deathby Martin Kim

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Stand by these courageous missionaries and consider a small sacrifice of $50 per month to support one of them so they can continue

their work for God.

ASAP �

an area where the police are strict and use the old methods of communist persecution. On more than one occasion they have taken Sanh and other SDA members to the market place, accused them in front of the villagers and have proceeded to beat them publicly. Recently the authorities entered a house church where Sanh was meeting with a group on Sabbath. In their search for “illegal” religious materials, the au-thorities trashed the house, smashing furniture and destroying belongings. Nguyen Te Sanh said, “Though I often suffer for Jesus, I will never deny Him. He is my God and Savior.”

Lan Hahn’s* brother has, for many years, served in a very respected position as chief of his village. When Vietnamese authorities learned that his brother, Thanh Hanh was a Christian, they arrested Thanh and stripped Lan of his position as chief of his village, and cut the family off from other support. Thanh remains a firm believer and Lan has now ac-cepted the Lord.

Dai Van Ngoc* was a postal worker when he became an SDA. When his employers learned of his new faith, he was immediately fired from his job. Furthermore, all food ration supplies were cut off from his entire family leaving no way for the adults or the children to obtain food. Regardless, they remain strong in the faith, courageously trusting in the Lord to provide.

Minh Van Pham*, 67 years-old, rides his motor-bike hundreds of miles each week, fol-lowing up with radio listeners and giving Bible studies. He poses as a magazine seller and car-ries a variety of news magazines on the back of his bike, underneath which he has concealed piles of Bibles and evangelism materials. Pham has been arrested and imprisoned by local

police numerous times. Dieu Danh* is the leader of

house-churches in 20 different villages. Sixteen of these churches are tribal peo-ple who speak Viet-namese. Since he speaks Khmer as well as Vietnamese, God helped him begin four church-es among Cambodi-an people. He writes in his own w o r d s : “Every other week, I travel by walking at night through the forest. I leave my home at 9:00 p.m. as it takes me six hours to walk 32 kilometers. It is about 3:00 a.m. when I arrive in the area where the Cambodian churches are located. I walk at night so as not to be detected by the police. Though I am persecuted for my faith, I always feel peace from Jesus in my heart because He is with me and helps me to be strong to carry the gospel to people who are seeking to know Him.” About two years ago Danh was arrested and spent three months in prison. At that time he was beaten by not only the authorities but also by other inmates. The Lord continues to protect him and give him courage.

*names have been changed for security.

Martin Kim and his wife, Liana, live in Auburn, WA. He has served as the West Coast Representative for ASAP, coordinator of the ASAP Prayer Team and was just elected as ASAP Communication Director. He desires greatly to see God’s people actively involved in both local and foreign mission.

ASAP

About the Author:


n the northernmost section of the little country of Laos, there is a tribe of people called the Hmong. Most Hmong

are animist. Phon Saay, however, was born into a Catholic family. In fact, Phon’s dad had, for a time, served as a Catholic priest. So it is not a surprise that Phon and his siblings were taught at a young age to memorize prayers. It wasn’t until Phon was a teenager and forcibly drafted by the communist party into military service that he made those childhood prayers personal. Everything about combat repulsed him. He pleaded with God to deliver him from the trials that came with living a life of a soldier, yet he sacrificed his comfort for duty. Four years passed. Phon never gave up. He was confident God would hear his prayers.

While on guard duty one day, Phon was shot. The bullet lodged in his cheek. Even as he felt the searing pain, Phon thanked God for what he knew would be his ticket out of military service. Sure enough, while recov-ering in a local hospital, he received news

that due to his wound, he’d be discharged. Ecstatic, he could hardly wait to return home. It had been four years since he had set foot in his village, since the military does not allow leaves.

Phon wasn’t prepared for what greeted him at home. Perhaps the biggest shock was that the government had closed his church and now forbade worship by all faiths. Fur-thermore, the local police harassed anyone known to have been a Christian. Phon’s father was no exception.

Despite these troubling changes, Phon was thrilled to be home among the warmth and love of family. He settled into life, got married, and had children, with every in-tention of living out his life in this village. More than anything, though, he and his wife wanted the freedom to worship freely as a family, just as they both had done as chil-dren. When they heard that a large group of Christian Hmong families lived in a village located in a southern province of Laos, Phon, his wife and their two daughters decided to make the move.

A Village Chief ’s Second Job by Judy Aitken

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Upon arrival in the new village, Phon discovered that about half the population was made up of Hmong people and the other half were people from the Kamu tribe. As there are many differing tribes in the mountain re-gions of Laos this wouldn’t ordinarily be a problem; however, in this particular village of Tongnami, these two tribes did not get along. There was a lot of argu-ing and fighting going on. Alarmed, Phon prayed that the Lord would help him put an end to the strife. Af-ter all, peaceful, Christian living was the whole reason his and many other families had moved to this village.

As time passed, Phon found himself involved in resolving disputes. Due to his status as a new arrival, the resident villagers recognized him as unbiased, and he quickly developed a reputation for being fair and exceptional at dealing with complicated dilemmas. Phon never hesitated to do what he could to mediate and resolve difficulties.

As a result, both tribes respected Phon’s peaceful and compassionate qualities. They

unanimously elected him to be chief of the village.

The role of village chief brought with it many re-sponsibilities, one of which was to organize and approve village events, meetings and happenings. It was in 2004 that Phon checked in on a meeting where an Adventist evangelist named Thongsuk was leading out. She spoke about the truth of keeping the 7th day as the Sabbath. Phon was convicted of this truth and after studying the

subject with his wife, decided to join the Adventist church.

Because there were only a few other families who worshipped on this day, Phon and his wife opened their home for Sabbath church services. At this time, religious prac-tice was becoming increasingly restricted throughout the country and Phon’s village was no exception. The police issued a ban on worshipping in house churches, making it

Continued on page22

If you feel impressed to help your SDA family in Phon’s village build a church, please respond today! $4,500 dollars will provide a church for this village. Also, please help by offering up your prayers.

Phon Saay (left) and Pastor Boonpranee Wannadee studying the Bible together.

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With Christ’s love in his heart, Phon is bringing Christ’s peace as he counsels,

advises, resolves conflicts and prays for the people he meets and works with each day.

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects10

This Idea Was Certainly from the Lordby Calvin Kim

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he lord recently blessed me with an eye opening experience through a mission trip to a communist country

in Asia where the cycle of malnutrition and poverty was clearly evident. As a part of the dental team, it was my privilege to treat all the patients who entered the makeshift dental clinic. Although we lacked essential supplies in our dental arsenal to provide adequate care, we gained the opportunity to look to the Lord to supply all our needs.

This being my 12th mission trip, I had seen my fair share of “rotting” teeth, but this trip was different. Each of the young children that came into our clinic had not just one or two, but a mouthful of rotting teeth. These young children had severe decay on every single primary tooth, along with abscesses that were draining pus out of their gums. This was not the result of a sugary diet as is common in the U.S., but rather from severe malnourishment. What do you do when every single tooth in the mouth is rotting away and non-restorable? All we could do is to ask which area hurt the most, and begin extracting the remnants of the rotting tooth in that area to bring relief to the child. It would break our hearts to see these beauti-ful young children suffering from the results of a cruel regime. Our team pediatri-cian often exclaimed that

he saw children with diseases he had only seen in textbooks! Every day we shed tears as we administered the love of Jesus to our brothers and sisters living in such wretched conditions.

At mealtime one of our 20-year-old young men sat there staring pensively at his food. When we asked him why he wasn’t eating, he qui-etly replied, “How can I eat when these peo-

Charis, actively involved and excited about the act of giving.

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ASAP 11

this mission bucket to answer our prayers that our children will have hearts for missions. This bucket also gives us an opportunity to tell friends who visit about ASAP.

My brother, having visited us recently, was happily surprised to dis-cover our mission bucket. When he returned home he sent me several amazing statements he had found which were published in The Gospel Herald almost a hundred years ago. Ellen White had written: “Every church-member should cherish a spirit of sacri-fice. In every home there should be taught lessons of self-denial. Keep in your homes a self-denial box into which you can put the money saved by little acts of self-denial. Many should become interested

in the work of placing these boxes in homes.” To my surprise she had also written: “When visitors come to your home, they will see the box, and will ask in regard to it. Let the children tell the story of their effort to help a needy missionary field by denying self” (GH, May 1, 1910).

As I read these quotes, I felt that the Lord had certainly impressed me with the idea of having this mission bucket in our home. I felt grateful as I sensed the Lord was lead-ing our family. ASAP

ple are starving?” This trip was humbling for every member on our team. We came not knowing what to expect, and we left being changed forever.

When I returned home, as I sat down to my breakfast of toast smoth-ered with peanut butter and applesauce, tears welled up in my eyes. As the tears rolled down my face, I said, “Thank you Jesus for blessing me with this food.” I have eaten breakfast for 33 years and it was the first time I understood what it meant to be thankful for food on my plate.

Things have changed in our home since this last mission trip. Previously, we would put leftovers in the fridge and then forget about them. After 4-5 days we would throw them in the trash. Now we do our best to eat the leftovers the next day. My wife and I have made for ourselves a strict allowance. We have a large five gallon water container that we call our mission buck-et. Whatever we don’t spend goes into this ASAP bucket at home. It serves as a constant reminder to us that missions are an integral part of our daily Christian experience. When we have any change or leftover allowance, we hand the money to our little daughter who excitedly takes the money and places it inside the bucket. We see how God is using

Calvin Kim, D.D.S. runs his own dental practice in Snoqualmie, WA. He and his wife, Amy, and their two daughters, Charis and Caia, attend the Seattle Central New Life SDA Church where he serves as a deacon. They are very involved in their church and in supporting missions. Calvin is serving as coordinator for ASAP’s mission trip to Cambodia for �00�.

About the Author:

“Every church-member should cherish a spirit of sacrifice. In every home there should be taught lessons of self-denial. Keep in your homes

a self-denial box into which you can put the money saved by little acts of self-denial.”

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects1�

felt confident i could write up chhoun Chheun’s story with ease because I know and love him like he is my little brother. Yet, after sitting down with

him and digging deep, I was left with a feeling of even deeper respect for this faithful church planter, who continually sacrifices for his Lord. I am honored that he is a part of my team to reach the lost in the West side of Phnom Penh. As you read this interview and after, please pray for him and all the church planters in Cambodia.

Please tell the ASAP family how you be-came a Seventh-day Adventist.

I was born into a Buddhist family in Prey Veng Prov-

ince. My parents are farmers and

could not af-ford for me to study in high school. There-

fore, I was sent to Phnom Penh

City to find a job.

Where I lived, I had friends who influenced me to drink, smoke and gamble. After living there for two years I became very sick with a gastric ulcer. Though I stopped smoking and drinking, my illness became worse. I went to many doctors but there was no doctor that could help me and they told me that I would soon die. On a day when I was feeling a little better, I met a friend who invited me to study English/Bible at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. I could only study for a short time because my stomach pain and illness re-turned. It was then that you, my Christian friend and another youth from the class came to see me. They talked about God’s power to heal me. Pastor Hang Dara, when you prayed for me, I felt peace. Three days later I felt better and noticed my strength begin to return. A few weeks later I was able to return to study English. I realized that my healing was a miracle from God. Since that time I decided to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior. I then studied in the Bible class and became baptized.

How did your family react to your new faith?

Chhoun Chheun’s Sacrificeby Pastor Hang Dara

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Your pledge of $100 per month will plant more seeds of sacrifice in the ripe fields

of Cambodia. Sponsor a Cambodian church planter today!

ASAP 1�

When my family and relatives first discovered I got baptized and became a Seventh-day Adventist,

they got very upset with me. My parents

asked me to leave the religion right away and

be a Buddhist again if I still wanted to consider myself their son. I knew if I did not listen and do what they said, they would no longer care about my life. They thought that by threatening me, I would change my mind. But I knew I could not give up Jesus’ love and my new life even for a minute. I stood firm in my decision and told them that I would not leave this religion for anything. I could see they were very angry.

Later whenever I visited them they remained angry and unwelcoming. My relatives called me a shameful son. They said that I am ungrateful to my parents who gave me life and also my ancestors because I didn’t show up to join the Khmer celebration festival “Bon Phcum Ben” where we pay tribute to their spirits. Also, when they noticed that I refused to eat pork, they mocked me and said that I am a

Muslim. My parents even said that if ever I decided to marry a Christian girl, they would not at-tend or help out at the wedding.

But as time passed, thanks to God, they’ve changed their minds and have accepted me as a Christian. My relatives saw that no matter

what they said or did, I never complained or said anything back. Also, they witnessed the miracle of how God healed me.

I can see many ways God is using you in Toul Tompong. Can you describe your work for God?

As you know, Pastor Hang Dara, this district we work in is a very poor area of Phnom Penh. Because of Christ’s love for me, it is a joy to re-turn His love in serving Him. Everyday I go out to share the good news of salvation by visiting people house to

house, praying for those who are sick, casting out evil spirits in the name of Jesus, teaching Bible classes and leading the church on Sab-bath. The best way to reach people for Christ is to first make friends and then share Jesus with them. I also hold small group meetings and prayer meetings.

Currently I face the trial of be-

ing in love with an SDA woman

whose parents will not permit me to marry her unless I agree to marry the

Buddhist way.


Specifically, how has God blessed your work as a church planter?

God has blessed me to share the gospel with 133 people. Out of these 133 people, 83 have been baptized and more are now studying. I praise Him!

I like how you always involve the youth in your churches. Can you describe how that first came about?

Yes, my first job working for the Ad-ventist Church was as a literacy teacher. At first, I hesitated to teach children because I lacked experience. But the Lord gave me much love and courage through the stories I read from the Bible. Besides teaching the basics of reading, I also taught them Chris-tian songs and shared stories from the Bible. I showed interest in each student and got to know them and their families. After class I would go to their homes to tell their parents positive things about their children and how they were doing at school and then have an opportunity to share Jesus with them. At present, one of my former students is also a church planter. He works with his mother who became a church planter as well. She was among those parents that I visited dur-ing the time that I was a literacy teacher. The whole family accepted Jesus into their lives, including a daughter who was also a student of mine. I really praise the Lord for all these wonderful outcomes that are the result of the work of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Hang Dara came to know the Lord in the Thailand Khao I Dang Refugee Camp in the early 1��0’s where he became a leader of the SDA church there. He has served the Lord in Cambodia for over fifteen years. Currently, he is a pastor and supervises the fourteen church planters in the Phnom Penh West district and is in charge of training all

About the Author:

Another blessing for me is teaching Bible one hour a day to very poor children who study at the Literacy/Feeding school in my district. Praise the Lord because right now some children’s parents are also interested in learning more about the Bible. The parents of five students are coming to our church. Let’s pray they will decide to accept Jesus soon.

How have you sacrificed for the Lord and is it worth it?

Any sacrifice for God is definitely worth it! I am called to work for God. I know that He needs me to help in spreading the good news to others through the experiences I have had in my own life. God has done a wonderful miracle in me. I faced many trials with health problems and family problems, but God overcame everything. Currently I face the trial of being in love with an SDA woman whose parents will not permit me to marry her unless I agree to marry the Bud-dhist way. This is a very difficult trial for me because I love her so much but when choosing between marrying her and disobey-ing God’s law, I have chosen God. It is with great joy that I give my entire life to Jesus in service for Him. Any sacrifice I make is small compared to what Jesus has done for me in giving me salvation, healing my ulcer, presenting me with a new life and blessing me with the opportunity to serve Him as a church planter. ASAP

the ASAP church planters. His dedicated wife, Bun Sokhom, is his partner in service and his three grown daughters, Rothana, Sayanet and Sayaneat also love and serve the Lord.

ASAP 1�

Pastor Pen Narith travels about 500 miles a week over pot-holed and dan-gerous roads to give Bible studies to believers in many villages and towns in two separate provinces. He has been robbed, had his motorbike stolen, and yet he remains joyful to be able to do what loves: witnessing for Christ.

Savoeun was an Adventist widow who, every month until she passed away, faithfully gave $20 to God’s work in Cambodia from her meager Social Secu-rity check. Despite being ill and without

enough money for expensive medications and nutrition, she continued to make her offering to Cambodia a priority.

Pen Chenda is a pastor and youth direc-tor of the Cambodia Adventist Mission. He and his family routinely give all they have to feed those in need, trusting God to provide. As Pastor Chenda will tell you, “God never fails me.” Once, when a large group of poor Adventist youth heading home after youth camp came to his home to spend the night, Chenda’s wife fed them from their family’s rice sack, knowing that there was not enough for the family for the rest of the month. Miraculously, from that act of generosity until his pay check arrived, there was just enough rice in the bottom of the rice sack for each day’s meal.

Seeds of Sacrifice

Above left: Pastor Pen Narith worships with a group of believers in Kandal Province.

ASAP

“then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘if anyone would come after Me, He must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.’ For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:34-35 NIV


irst and foremost, we thank God, who gave the biggest

sacrifice of all, His Son. Because of this gift, ASAP has a message of hope to share.

We also know God is the one who touched your hearts to generously sac-rifice for His work in Southeast Asia. Thank you for responding to Him. Here are some highlights of what your sacrifi-cial gifts provided in ASAP’s past fiscal year (October 2006-September 2007).

THANK YOU

For your Sacrifice!

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ASAP 1�

250 “national missionar-ies”, who won souls for God’s kingdom throughout Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.

130 mopeds and bicycles which helped speed the spread of the Gospel in “dif-ficult to reach” areas.

1�

You Helped Provide for…

17 new churches that were built in Thailand and Cambodia along with 22 house-churches repaired or expanded in Vietnam.

300 Vietnamese SDA district leaders and 24 youth evangelists who risked all for Christ through their leadership in the underground house-church movement.

Training, which better equipped all the ASAP national missionar-ies to do God’s special work.

THANK YOU

For your Sacrifice!

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects1�1�


Small income generating projects such as sew-ing schools, mushroom growing, cows, and gardens for poor widows and women at-risk of joining the commercial sex trade.

The Voice of Love radio broadcast ministry and Pastor Sophat Sorn, who brings the Gos-pel to many Cambodians via the air waves.

43 ASAP wells, built in strategic lo-cations needing fresh water and the knowledge of the Water of Life.

ASAP 1�ASAP 1�

Health Expos and medical mis-sionary trainings in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos.

Four Church Planting Projects for Southeast Asians in North America.

Emergency aide for the poorest of the poor Sev-enth-day Adventists in all 20 districts where ASAP works in Cambodia.

Emergency food and materials to rebuild the house-churches and huts of thousands of typhoon, flood and drought victims in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Over 5,250 Bibles and thousands of Bible lessons, Desire of Ages and evangelism materials for new believ-

ers and outreach in Laos, Thailand, Cam-bodia and Vietnam.

You Provided for…

Hot meals once a day for 160 poor children attend-ing the Vietnamese school and the Feed & Read schools.

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects�0�0


86 literacy teachers who spread Jesus’ love to women and children in Cam-bodia.

The Peace & Happiness radio staff and much-needed broadcast equipment so the daily broadcasts can continue to spread the love of Jesus throughout communist Vietnam.

Radios, DVD Players and DVD ser-mon-sets that lay pastors distributed to new believers and growing house-church-es throughout Vietnam.

A safe shelter, medical care, spiri-tual support and food for 51 AIDS victims at the Sda Center (Hos-pice) in Cambodia.

ASAP �1

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects is a prayer driven ministry. We take seriously God’s oft-repeated command through Scripture to pray knowing that apart from Him we can do absolutely noth-

ing (John 15:5). E.M. Bounds, in his book The Necessity of Prayer says, “Prayer projects faith on God, and God on the world. Only God

can move mountains, but faith and prayer move God.” ASAP believes that God needs our prayers, and that God will do great things in answer to the prayer of faith.

Would you be a good candidate for the ASAP prayer team? We are looking for people who desire to do great things for God and

desire to be men and women of power. “The men of prayer are the men of power” (Patriarchs and Prophets, 509).

We need people who believe that evangelism begins on our knees. God says, “Ask of Me, and I will give

You the nations for Your inheritance, and the end of the earth for Your possession” (Psalms 2:8). What a promise!

We seek people who desire to learn about pre-vailing prayer so they can regularly receive an-swers. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

We need prayer partners who believe in the power of persevering prayer, who will lift up the prayer requests

mentioned under the monthly prayer focus. Jesus “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart…” (Luke 18:1).

�1

If you sense God’s call to sacrifice some time to pray and become an ASAP prayer partner, sign up TODAY by going to www.asapministries.org and click PRAY on the menu.

ASAP

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects��

A Village Chief ’s Second JobContinued from page 9

ASAP

necessary to rotate homes among the mem-bers and to worship quietly. Local police au-thorities started harassing Christians just as they had in Phon’s childhood village. Church Planter Thongsuk, who converted Phon and his family was arrested and put in prison. Her crime: speaking about Jesus without permis-sion. Phon and other believers continued, however, to worship together quietly. Other members were caught studying the Bible and put in jail. The group of Adventists that were left, spent time in sessions of prayer, asking for the Lord to intervene and give them freedom to worship.

Last year, December 2006, Pastor Boon-pranee, president of Lao Adventist Field visited Phon’s village. He met with about 60 people who were crowded into a house church. Phon and the other members had asked him to preach. While he was in the middle of his sermon, three policemen sud-denly walked into the house church and sat down, taking notes regarding who was present. Pastor Boonpranee immediately switched sermon topics from talking about the meaning of Christmas, to talking about how Seventh-day Adventists must obey the laws of the government. He also encouraged the Adventist believers to do good deeds as Jesus had done and he spoke about how SDA Christians should help the government to develop the country. The police seemed pleased, put down their pens and listened. They stayed until the end and then made a point to speak to Pastor Boonpranee, ex-pressing appreciation for the subject matter. They had never heard other churches present Christianity in terms of how it benefits the community. God impressed the police to an-nounce to the worshippers that they would be allowed to continue worshiping in their house-church. Furthermore, when the police-men asked for Bibles, Pastor Boonpranee and Mr. Phon Saay were happy to have one

available to give them. The police have now become friends of the Adventist members.

For the past three years Phon has not only served as chief of the Tongnami Village, but also as the leader and lay pastor of the growing house church. With a heart burning with love for Christ, he actively witnesses to everyone who will listen.

Though the area is very dangerous due to drug trafficking and robbers, Phon frequently travels by motorbike to neighboring villages where groups of believers have requested Bible studies.

His role as village chief has given him much credibility with others who respect this position and feel it blends nicely with his role as a lay pastor. With Christ’s love in his heart, Phon is bringing Christ’s peace as he counsels, advises, resolves conflicts and prays for the people he meets and works with each day.

Editor’s Note: The above information is based on an interview with Phon who is mod-est and humble in his accounts. In speaking with others about this man of God, nothing but the utmost respect was given for all he does. Furthermore, many noted that he fear-lessly and tirelessly works for his God. The villagers reported that Phon never hesitates to sacrifice his time and comfort by help-ing them in times of need, such as taking a villager to the hospital despite the fact that such travel is very dangerous. Not long ago a pastor of another church was robbed and killed by drug dealers while driving between these same villages. When asked about the dangers he faces, Phon points to the fact that he believes God has guided his entire life and will continue to protect him. Three years ago when Phon first heard of the Sab-bath there were 10 Adventist believers in this village. Currently there are over 60 baptized members who squeeze into the house-church each Sabbath.

ASAP ��

ASAP

In sympathy and gratefulness, we claim Isaiah 26:3 for each of our dear friends who gave in memory and in honor of those they love. “Thou wilt

keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”

Boyd and Elizabeth Olson, Elizabeth Olson Reiner Weitzel and Oliver Olson, given by Donna and Larry Henderson

Christene Salvage and Neville Gordon, by Judy AitkenDr. James C. Anderson D.D.S., by his parents, Jim and Pat Anderson

John Reed, by David and Elaine BradshawGary Glass, by Betty Taylor, Jem & Chris Taylor, Mike & Donna Barry, Lelia Vaughan,

Martha Vaughan, Mike DobsonE.E & Jane Trefz and G.L & Erma Dybdahl, by their children Jon & Kathy Dybdahl

E.E & Jane Trefz, also by Gordon & Betty MattisonMilton Kesler, by Yvonne KeslerJustina Peshka, by David Peshka

Wayne Riesenberger, by Judy McMahonJames Edelman, by his sister, Dorraine Schermerborn

Vania Kim’s birthday, by Martin & Liana KimGlenn Wesner’s 96th birthday, by Mrs. Wesner

You would think that going without sleep, pushing myself hard and working long hours to the point of exhaustion would have a nega-tive toll on my body. However, I now find myself in 2007, alive, healthy and stronger than ever. With faith, I surrendered my life to Him and said, “Take me, Lord, use every part of me physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually–to build Your kingdom.” His response still amazes me. I wake up every day with renewed strength for that day. Our God is faithful and will supply all of our needs.

What would it mean in your life if you were to live only for your basic needs, rather

than for what it is that you want in life? I challenge you to prayerfully reflect on what it means to offer yourself as a living sacrifice for Christ. As you may already know from experience, there is true joy in this endeavor. You find yourself among those who realize that the wise way to invest on earth is to store up treasure in heaven.

Brothers and sisters, your sacrifices have warmed my heart, strengthened my determination to serve the Lord, and set an example for me to follow. It is my prayer that we support each other in our quest to live sacrificially for the Lord. Truly, all is for His glory, His honor and His power.

Sacrifice: Living for Now or Living for Eternity? Continued from page 5

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ASAP Newsletter, 4th Quarter 2007

Documents

Transcript of ASAP Newsletter, 4th Quarter 2007