Little School in the Country: Send! Magazine

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rst quarter 2010 | volume 30 | number 1

{GOSPEL FOR ASIA NEWS MAGAZINE}

1

{www.fa.

+ A B Fe F Ba

Little Schoolin the Country

Impacting Eternity throughEducation in Nepal
http://www.gfa.org/http://www.gfa.org/http://www.gfa.org/


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insend!departments:4gospel or asia + youYou can impact the mission elds o Asia.16in ocusHow your partnership is changing lives.In this issue, we highlight youth outreach

and GFA Bible Society.

20short reportsBrie glimpses o what God is doing

all across Asia.

rst quarter 2010 | send! | 3

rst quarter 2010 | volume 30 | number 1

22profleFor most missionaries, learning and

explaining the intricacies o one aith are

more than enough, but Jeremiah nds he

does better with three.

23fve minutes with K.P.We can make our lives look so spiritualand be right in all our doctrineyet still

be completely wrong on the inside. But

when we continually see Jesus in all our

circumstances, that is when we will

experience Him and His lie through us.

6 little school in the countryIn the nation o Nepal, Gospel or Asias English medium

schoolspart o the Bridge o Hope programare bright

lights among otherwise dismal educational opportunities.

Children are nally getting the education that has so long

been denied them because o their background, amily

situation or home address.

12 a bright uture or bhutanFor centuries, the Bhutanese way o lie has been heavily

entrenched in keeping ancient religious traditions.

Christians today still ace beatings, harassment, death,

disowning and loss o citizenship, but they see the heart

o their nation gradually opening to receive the Gospel.

O N T H E C O V E R

Along with his school subjects, this little Nepali boy

is learning every day how much God loves him.

eatured:

22

20

16

18

Believers Bringthe Good Newsto Their Country

pg 12

23


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gospel or asia + you {You can impact the mission elds o Asia}+

This Makes Sensev

I learned about GFA rom an

interview on [the radio]. These

local missionaries can do so much

with so little to reach souls or

Jesus Christ. This makes so much

sense to me.

s.A., Greensboro, North Carolina

Visitwww.ga.org/stations to

fnd GFA programs on your local

radio stations.

Children Blessing Childrenv

I am a director o childrens

ministry and have been praying or

a way to get our children involved

in missions in our local community

and around the world. God

prompted me to have them sponsor

a child with their tithe. What a

perect way to show them that they

can make an eternal dierence.

A.M., Heath, Ohio

Clean Water,Deep Satisactionv

I am continually overwhelmed bythe diculty o obtaining clean

water in many parts o the world.

The picture in my mind o the

women and children o a village

walking miles to and rom a source

o water is incredible. To be able

to provide a whole village with a

Jesus Well with a relatively small

donation gives me such satisaction.

W.g., Spokane, Washington

Tangible Thanksgivingv

We have seen K.P. several times at

our church and know he is the real

deal. At this time o Thanksgiving

we would like to give thanks to

our GOD in a tangible way that

will help others to know the love

o Jesus Christ.

J.E., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Go to www.ga.org/speakerschedule

to request a GFA representative to

speak in your church, or to view

upcoming meetings.

A Missions-MindedWeddingv

My husband and I just got marriedlast week! Big ans o GFA, we

decided that instead o spending

money on wedding avors that

nobody needed, we would donate

that money to the Unsponsored

Childrens Fund. We put little cards

on each place setting to let our guests

know that a donation was made in

their honor to this extension o the

Kingdom. We both hope children

can be blessed with the love o ourSavior through this donation.

d.A. a E.A., Colorado Springs,

Colorado

Visitwww.ga.org/ucto learn

more about the Unsponsored

Childrens Fund.

How has God connected your

lie with Gospel or Asia?

Wed love to hear your story.

Peae ema :[email protected]

o we: Managing Editor

SEND!Magazine

1800 Golden Trail Court

Carrollton, TX 75010

Four ways to get more details:Contact: your companys HR department

Visit: www.fa./macf

Email: aecv@fa.

Call: 1800WinAsiA (9462742)

You can doubleor in some cases, even tripleyour donation to Gospel or Asia by asking youremployer to match your git.> Some companies even match volunteer hours and non-cash gits too.

> I youre a retiree, spouse or board member, your gits may also qualiy.

> Your 2009 donations may also be eligible. Dont let time run out

ask your employer now!

Make Your Git CountTwiceMatch It!

Share the joyo giving with your

employerat no

extra cost to you!
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nw o Webe

Find encouragement, renew your vision and share Gods heart

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rom Gospel or Asia! Read about three below, or visit:

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A: You may have already read books by GFA

President K.P. Yohannan. Now listen to his messages:

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Ve: Get one step closer to the mission eld as you view

what lie is like or missionaries in South Asia:

www.fa./ece/ve

PweP: Download colorul and vivid PowerPoint

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A tumor was growing in Madhuri Jhadavs abdomen. Her

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6 | send! | www.ga.org

Little School in the CountryImpacting Eternity through Education in Nepal
http://www.gfa.org/http://www.gfa.org/


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The building doesnt seem all that special.

Its a low-slung, fat-rooed structure,

built rom simple, sturdy, inexpensive,

locally available materials. The bright blue

window rames, which mimic the color o the

Nepali sky, are the only pops o color on the

gray concrete aade. In act, it looks like a

typical building you would nd almost anywhere

else in Nepal. Yet the 152 children who attend

this Gospel or Asia English medium school are

living proo that the day-to-day routine inside

this simple building is changing their lives,

bringing hope to their amilies and making

an eternal impact on their communities. >>


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8 | send! | www.ga.org *The name o this village has been changed or security reasons.

This particular school in Margapuj*, Nepal, is just one o

28 scattered around this tiny country wedged between India

and China. GFAs English medium schoolspart o the Bridge

o Hope programare bright lights among otherwise dismal

educational opportunities or Nepals youngest citizens. Most

o the children enrolled are nally getting the education that has

so long been denied them because o their background, amilysituation or home address.

The majority o our students are rom low-caste amilies,

and they dont have money to study in any other school, says

Madhav Dami, principal o the Margapuj school. The parents

o these students are very happy that these Christians are helping.

It is good.

A History o Educational PovertyProviding adequate education has historically been a

challenge in Nepal. Prior to 1950, there were only a handul o

schools in the country, and these were reserved or the childreno the ruling elite. Ater a political revolution in 1951, the public

demanded a government-run education system. But it would

take another 24 years beore public schools became a reality.

And then, even ater the public schools opened and

attendance became compulsory, thousands o children were still

not seeing the inside o a classroom. In some places, chiefy in

rural villages, parents needed their children to work in the elds

and at home. A number o parents did not see the value o

sending a child to schoolespecially their daughters. In many

areasparticularly the villages tucked away high in the Himalaya

Mountainsthere was no public school or them to attend. The

villages ortunate enough to have a school had trouble attracting

qualied teachers, and classrooms oten sat empty.

In addition, the strict social code o the caste system kept

many Dalit (Untouchable) children out o class. Society saw

very little need to educate people who would grow up to clean

the sewers or bury dead bodies.

While the government was struggling to establish a public

education system, a number o private schools sprang up to ll

the educational needs. The schools that had the best results were

those that taught the children in English. These English medium

schools, as they came to be known, developed a reputation as

providing an excellent education. Nepali parents wanted theirchildren to go to an English medium school above all else.

A Peoples War Closes SchoolsNepals progress in providing public education quickly

unraveled during the Maoist insurgency, which began in 1996

and lasted or more than a decade. During the crisis, which the

Maoists dubbed the Peoples War, both public and private

schools were requently closed because o strikes and gun battles.

Public education took another blow when the government

English medium schools in Nepal are meeting a desperate need

or education, health, nutrition and moral and spiritual values

in the lives o the children they are reaching. Parents deeply

appreciate all that the teachers and sta do to help their

children, and their hearts are opening to the Gospel as a result.


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shited more o its ocusand moneyto ghting the insurgency.

The countrys struggling education system began to crumble.

Many o the private schools also closed.

Nepals children again ound themselves stranded without

teachers or classrooms. The countrys literacy rate hovered

around 50 percent.

It was during this tumultuous time that the rst GFA Englishmedium school opened in Nepal.

Proving the Character o ChristGospel or Asias country leader, Narayan Sharma, says the

political and economic situations in Nepal in those days orced

Gospel or Asia workers to earnestly seek God in prayer or new

ways to share His love.

Our country was going down economically. We had to nd

some way to not just share Christ with people, but to prove the

character o Christ through our lives and through our service to

the community, he recalls. So we started these little countrychildrens schools all over Nepal.

The rst school, which was ully unded by local churches,

opened in 2005, at the height o the Maoist-government clash.

That little country school represented a monumental step

o aith. No one was sure i the schools would be accepted or

how long they would be able to remain open.

The Maoists never allowed any new schools in the villages

because they didnt want any business done in the schools,

Sharma explains. But they welcomed us because we werent

making any money rom our schools. We would tell them, Its a

Christian school and our schools are run on Christian principles.

And the Maoists even helped us start schools in many places!

In act, when there were strikes and problems, they closed down

other schools, but they told us that our schools should stay open.

GFAs English medium schools were also quickly embraced

by the local people and the Nepali government, even though

society does not generally hold Christianity in high regard.

All the parents and the government know the school is run

by Christian people. But at times like this, a new school is good

news or the government, Sharma explains. So we eel this is

Gods timing, and we never imagined or thought we could have

so much infuence. We are providing a ree education to the

whole village!Today the schools are still unded by the believers who

attend Gospel or Asiaaliated churches throughout Nepal,

and students are sponsored through Bridge o Hope.

Think about all the times that Nepal needed help rom

Westerners or Western projects or United Nations programs.

And what is working or us is a tiny, small village carrying on

an indigenous project in the name o Jesus to bless the Nepali

people in that community. Its a wonderul thing. Its so

amazing, Sharma says.

Whats the Dierence Betweenan English Medium Schooland a Bridge o Hope Center?

In addition to the 28 English medium schools

in the country o Nepal, Gospel or Asia alsooperates 17 Bridge o Hope centers. So whats

the dierence between the two?

The children enrolled in Bridge o Hope

centers have the opportunity to obtain their

primary education in a local schooleither a

public, government-run or privately unded

school. Part o each childs sponsorship covers

these costs. Ater school, the children come to

the the Bridge o Hope center or several hours

o tutoring and other programs that will help

them excel academically.

English medium schools,

however, are located in communities

where there is no other school at all.

This is a common situation in Nepal.

Many schools that closed during the

Maoist insurgency were never reopened,

leaving thousands o children with no access

to proper education. Because the country is

dominated by a mountainous landscape, many

villages are located in difcult-to-reach areas

where there are no schools or where there are

problems getting qualied teachers to work ata school.

Whether they attend

English medium schools or

Bridge o Hope centers, Nepali

children receive regular

medical checkups, a nutritious

meal each day and the school supplies and

uniorms they need. And without ail, every

time they step into class, they hear how much

Jesus loves them.


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No One Should Close Down This SchoolEach English medium school in Nepal has created enormous

opportunities or sharing the love o Jesus. No one knows that

better than Principal Madhav Dami.

Beore we started, they thought Christians were not goodpeople. They didnt like our aith, Madhav explains. Now

some students have chosen to ollow Jesus ater coming to our

school. And many parents are more positive about Christianity.

The anti-Christian sentiments o many Nepalis do not reach

into these Christian schools. The local people love the schools and

go to great lengths to deend them, according to Deepak Gurung,

who oversees Gospel or Asias ministry in the Margapuj area.

There were some outsiders who came in and tried to shut

down one o our schools, Deepak recalls. But the parents came

and stood in ront o the building. They told the outsiders, No

one should close down this school. This school was built or us,

and this is a very good school, so we have to keep this school.

These parents were even ready to go to the governments regional

education oce to deend it.

Building Relationships with Their StudentsOne o the secrets to the success o GFAs English medium

schools is that they are staed with godly, qualied, dependable

educators who are committed not only to the child, but also to

his or her entire amily. That means their work in the classroom

is only part o the job. These teachers and principals spend their

time outside the classroom serving in the local church and getting

to know their students amilies.Madhav and the six teachers rom his school have spent

hours hiking the narrow mountain trails and skirting rice

paddies, walking hundreds o miles to visit these homes.

During the course o the school year, they visit each students

home at least once. Some amilies will receive multiple visits rom

the English medium school sta. The visits have a threeold purpose.

At rst they talk about the children and how they are doing.

Then they take them some tracts and share with them about

Jesus and talk to them about Christs love, Madhav explains.

And the teachers always take time to pray with the amilies too.

One Friday aternoon, the teachers rom Margapuj stopped

by the house o one o their students, a young boy named Deling.

When they arrived at the simple home, they were greeted by

Delings ather. He was a well-known boxer, with a muscular

build and chiseled eatures that have intimidated many in thering. But on this day, his eatures sotened as he asked the

teachers to pray or his younger daughter, Saranya. The little girl

had a mental condition that could not be treated in their remote

area. Her behavior was so unpredictable that the amily kept her

tied to a tree or her own saety. She spent her days alongside the

amilys herd o goats, which are tied up in the same area.

Ater the teachers prayed or her, Saranya smiled or the

visitors, completely unaware that her condition was bringing

such sorrow and shame to her amily. Her parents eyes lled

with tears at their compassion.

Since then, the teachers have continued to pray or the little

girl each time they visit Delings house. Saranya has shown signs

o improvement during the past ew months, which is

encouraging to the teachers and her parents.

Academics and True WisdomThe teachers moved on to the next home, where they visited

with the amily o Chepan, another student. The parents invited the

teachers in, and everyone sat cross-legged on the foor o a screened-

in porch. Ater talking about their sons progress in the classroom,

Madhav asked the ather i he knew anything about Jesus.

Yes, I like Christianity very much, the ather said. But I

dont want to accept it as my religion because I am happy livingas I do in my society. I we believe in Christ, i we accept Him,

our society will hurt us and oppress us.

Madhav knew that what Chepans ather said was true. But

he also issued a challenge.

I also live in this same society, Madhav explained. I was

born and brought up in this very village. But I accepted Christ

because He is truly the only way.

The ather was still wrestling with the decision that day, so

Madhav and the teachers gave him some Gospel tracts. As the

parent-teacher chat was winding down, the teachers caught a

More than 100 children rom

kindergarten through th grade

attend the English medium school in

Margapuj (ar right). One o the ways

the teachers and sta (right) build

relationships is through home visits

(let), where they have the opportunity

to reach out to the amilies as well.


11/24


glimpse o the children peeking around the doorway. Madhav

went over and gave Chepan a hug, and a huge smile broke out on

the boys ace.

The teachers visited several more homes that day, talking

about both academics and the true wisdom ound in Jesus Christ.At the end o the day they were tired, but the ocus o their

mission was still strong in their minds.

Our goal is to reach these children and their parents with the

Word o Jesus Christ, Madhav shares. Our motivation is Jesus.

Changing Tomorrows NepalThese simple actseducating a child, caring or his amily

and demonstrating the compassion o Christ in his community

are doing something no amount o preaching alone could do;

they are shattering long-held notions about Christianity.

Christianity was always considered to be a religion or the

uneducated, the poor and the downtrodden people, notes Shikal

Deuba, a GFA-supported missionary who oversees an English

medium school and pastors a nearby church.

But this school has brought a new perspective to the people.

They couldnt believe a church, especially a poor church o lower-

caste people, had started a school oering English education!

This has led more people to visit the church and

ultimatelyhas changed their lives or all eternity.

The Gospel is becoming more eective because o our actions

o love being expressed through this school, Pastor Shikal says.

In Shikals school, six amilies chose to ollow Christ during

the rst year the school was open. And all the villages where theseschools are located are having similar encounters with the love o

God as they interact with the school sta and the local pastor.

Narayan Sharma says greater things are yet to come.

I we grab the opportunity now, we can change tomorrows

Nepal, he says smiling.

Me e Web: Visitwww.fa./cto learn more

about how you can help provide a boy or girl in Asia with a

bright utureboth now and or eternity!
http://www.gfa.org/childhttp://www.gfa.org/childhttp://www.gfa.org/childhttp://www.gfa.org/child


12/24


{ Believers Bring the Good News to Their Country }

It was the frst time Thaye saw his ather cry. Thiswas the same man who had chased him out o the

house three times (once with a knie), mercilessly beat

his own wie and children or their aith in Jesus

Christ and alsely accused a pastor o kidnapping his

amily. This same man now stood beore a church

congregation with tears streaming down his ace as

he testifed o his personal encounter with Christ

the very one he used to loathe and oppose.

In Bhutan, many people eel the same way aboutChristianity that Thayes ather, Zinjay, once did.

They fght it and do everything in their power to turn

believers away rom their aith. They beat them,

harass them, threaten their lives, disown them and

even revoke their citizenship. But Thaye is one o

many Bhutanese believers who are standing strong

despite the odds against them.

>>


13/24


Bhutan: Some Basic Facts Nearly 700,000 population

Religions: Lamaistic Buddhism (ocial state religion)72%;

Hinduism23%; Islam4%; Christianityless than 1%

Christian missionaries are barred from entering the country

Illegal for a Buddhist to choose to follow Christ, and church

buildings are orbidden


14/24



15/24

Pay f Ba: Believers to stand rm despite opposition

and persecution

Wisdom for Christian leaders

Demonic strongholds to be broken

Those opposing Christianity to personally

encounter the love o Christ

Increasing freedom for the Gospel


Prayer wheels (upper right), prayer beads and

religious ortresses (middle) are common sights in

a land where people seek to earn salvation through

religious acts. But men and women compelled by

God's love (lower let, upper let) are persevering

to reach their nation with His message o grace

and orgiveness.
http://www.gfa.org/sponsor


16/24


in ocus {How your partnership is changing lives}

Y o u t h o u t r E A C h

FanningFaith intoFlameReaching the Next Generation, Now


17/24


Be readyor service

and keepyour lamps

burning. Conerence theme,

based on Luke 12:35

in slums and leper colonies are also making the program

available as they see the need. Normally held on

Saturdays out o convenience or the students schedules,

the weekly classes provide children and teens with

regular discipleship and support rom Christian adults

they can consider role models.

The program has the added benet o easy

communication about special events like youth camps

and conerences. These events are usually held or a

group o 75150 kids, but attendance has reached

well into the upper hundreds. Although one o the

goals is to share the Gospel with nonbelievers, the

main idea behind the conerences is to encourage

youth in their spiritual growth.

ge e Meae oAs the students learn how to strengthen their

aith, theyre also taught how to share it with others.

Messages like the Mission Challenge session

rom the Nepali conerence are helpul or teens

ater they leave the event and return to their homes

and churches.

The obvious changes in their lives seen by their

riends and amily give them an automatic

opportunity to share the Gospel, but theyre also

encouraged to participate in outreach ministries with

their local church. Missionaries take the young people

to distribute Gospel tracts, help with VBS and even

return to their old Sunday school classes to teach and

be an example or a new group o young believers. In

one district, the childrens ministry leaders are so

enthusiastic about giving the youth opportunities to

minister that theyre even developing mission trips

and internships during school vacations.

While they work to raise up uture pastors

and missionaries, current leaders are seeing their

prayers answered.

The conerence was really blessed and ruitul,

a missionary correspondent said about the Nepali

event, because this conerence provided spiritual

nourishment to many young people.And as the youth grow today, theyre ensuring

a harvest tomorrow.

When you give to youth outreach, you are

ensuring that the work o Gospel or Asia carries

on to tomorrow. Visitwww.fa./yqake2

to learn more.

d YKw?Children who

receive Christ as

their Savior oten

end up leading the

rest o their amily

to the Lord.
http://www.gfa.org/youth-quake2http://www.gfa.org/youth-quake2http://www.gfa.org/youth-quake2http://www.gfa.org/youth-quake2


18/24


Jiva Giri had been prayerully waiting or the

opportunity to start a prison ministry, and now the

conditions were ripe. He and his ellow missionaries

had obtained permission rom jail authorities

to distribute Christian literature to the inmates.

They had only one concern: How would their

message be received?

Jiva and his team members began by distributingcopies o the New Testament. In many parts oAsia, copies o the Scriptures are rare, even among

believers. In this case, however, the missionaries were

able to give a New Testament to every prisoner.

To the teams surprise, the most enthusiastic

reactions came rom the jail ocials, who were

happy to see this work going orward and oeredtheir ull support.

In act, the ocials agreed to keep more than

60 Christian books in the prison library or inmates

to read whenever they liked. It is the guards hope

that the prisoners hearts will be changed as a result.

But o all the signs o budding aith witnessed

that day, the greatest was the request o a single

ocer. He asked Jiva to leave the missionaries

contact inormation so that prisoners could get in

touch with the ministry ater being released. Jiva and

his team are praying that both guards and prisoners

will soon choose to put their aith in Jesus Christ.

The remarkably ast growth o this new outreach

is a testament to the power o Gods Word and the

great hunger or truth in the hearts o people

throughout Asia. Many missionaries have ound that

simply distributing Bibles and other literature is an

incredibly eective means o communicating the

Gospel. And thanks to generous gits made to GFA

Bible Society, this is happening all over South Asia.

One Bible can become the door to salvation or

an entire amily! Visitwww.fa./bbeto give

the git o Gods Word.

d YKw?GFA Bible

Society can print

one Bible or six

New Testaments

or only $3

gFA eeae me a 30 m pece f gpe eae evey yea.

in ocus {How your partnership is changing lives}

B i B l E s

Spreading FreedomBehind Bars
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19/24

sp e:

www.ga.org/sponsor

or Cac u:

Gospel or Asia

1800 Golden Trail Court

Carrollton, TX 75010

1-800-WIN-ASIA

(1-800-946-2742)

Passionate about heeding Gods call on their lives, national missionariesseek to reach out to those who havent yet heard o His love. Y caep pea C ve Aa by p a aamay f j $30 a m.

Sponsor a national missionary today!

100 percent o your sponsorship goes to provide or missionary work on the mission eld; nothing is taken

out or administrative expenses. For each national missionary you help support, you will receive a

sponsorship packet that includes your missionarys photo and testimony to help you pray more eectively.
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20/24


short reports {Brie glimpses o what God is doing all across Asia}r

as he watched the lms story unold,

God touched himand instantly healed him.

Read more news online:

www.ga.org/latestnews

Declaring Their Faithv

The once-unreached Mising tribe is now bursting with

testimonies o Gods salvation!

Only a ew years ago, missionary Dayal Thomas struggled

greatly just to share the Lords message among the Mising

people. He could not nd acceptance, much less an openness toGod, among the tribe.

Today, however, dozens o missionaries work among the

Mising. Two Gospel workers, Tarak Gupta and Kavi Gupta,

recently witnessed 33 new believers make public declaration o

their aith in Jesus Christ. Tarak and Kavi praise God or the

privilege o serving in this region, and they pray or continued

spiritual growth or these new disciples.

Loving His Neighborv

When their only bull was bitten by a poisonous snake, the amily

members panicked. Ater all, the animal was their sole source o

incomei it died, they would certainly go hungry.

At rst they tried using dierent medicines, but the bull just

grew worse and eventually ell unconscious.As a last resort, they asked Rajiv Sen, their neighbor and a

Gospel or Asiasupported missionary, to pray or the bull. Rajiv

earnestly interceded or the bull. The Lord answered his prayers,

and soon the bull was healed and stood up.

Through this miracle, three amilies have

chosen to ollow Jesus and now regularly

attend the church Rajiv pastors.
http://www.gfa.org/http://www.gfa.org/latestnewshttp://www.gfa.org/http://www.gfa.org/latestnews


21/24


HealingCame to Himv

Jagajeet Patel was stuck. He lay paralyzed in a remote

village where getting around was anything but

easy. The nearest health center was miles away

a journey that many ailing people did not survive.But one special day, a lm team visited

Jagajeets village to screen a movie about the lie o

Christ. Jagajeet was one o about 150 attendees,

and as he watched the lms story unold, God

touched him and instantly healed him. Jagajeet

couldnt nd words to express his gratitude.

Although Jagajeet has not yet committed his

lie to Christ, he is hungry to learn even more

about Jesus and wishes to share what hes learned

with his amily and other villagers.

She Took the Riskv

Severe pain shot through Charus body. Although excruciating, the attack

did not surprise hershe had been suering unexplained pain or seven years.

No prescribed treatment could ease her suering, until the day a

ollower o Christ came to her door. He shared the Gospel message and

invited her to church to receive prayer or healing.

Charu was skeptical. Why should she turn her back on her amilysreligion? And what would her husband think?

Reluctantlyand without telling her husbandshe eventually decided

to visit Pastor Daruka Durajs church. He took the opportunity to tell Charu

about the power o Jesus, who was more than able to heal her, and then

prayed or her.

Within a month, Charus pain had vanished. Thrilled, she made the

decision to give her lie to the Lord and now attends church regularly.

The change in Charus liestyle piqued her husbands interest. He now

attends church regularly, seeking to learn more about the God who healed

his wie and transormed her lie.


22/24


proflep

nAtionAlM

issionArY

n A M E :

Jeremiah

l o C A t i o n :

South Asia

Dinnerand SalvationFor most missionaries, learning and explaining the intricacies o one religious

aith are more than enough, but Jeremiah nds he does better with three.

Jeremiah is a leader o the Zacchaeus ministry.Through this ministry, named or the biblicalgure, Gospel or Asiasupported missionaries

invite non-Christians to a local believers house or a

meal. There, they have a time o discussing traditional

Asian religions and the Word o God. Jeremiah comes

and explains in detail the history and practices o

two popular religions and then draws attention to

some o the problems he sees in them. Then he shares

rom the Bible.

The simple ormat o presenting all three

religions side by side is producing incredible results in

places where people are very dedicated to their

traditional aiths. In one village, local leaders strongly

opposed Christianity, saying it was a oreign religion

meant only or tribal people. But when Jeremiahspoke, he was able to answer all the questions the

people asked, and two-thirds o the group decided to

put their trust in Christ as Lord.

In another village, local missionaries were having

a hard time making progress because the people were

very skeptical and would mock Christianity. But these

three missionaries kept praying that they would be

able to win the lost, and they decided to have a

Zacchaeus program.

Even when Jeremiah spoke, several people did

what they could to disrupt the program by raising

every argument they could think o, whether relevant

or not. Yet eight people chose to ollow Jesus that

night, giving the missionaries the start they had been

looking or.

Jeremiahs knowledge has astonished villagers, as

or the rst time they learn the truth about the

traditional religions theyve ollowed their entire lives.

They were amazed to discover the alse belies

they had been nourishing in their hearts and minds,

said a GFA eld correspondent about a meeting

where 38 people received Christ. There was so much

wailing and weeping as the people conessed their sins

to the Lord.

Every time Jeremiah travels to a new village, heknows hes about to ace some o the people most set

against hearing about a dierent aith. But he knows

God has called and equipped him or this special task.

And besides, dinner with the neighbors oten results

in souls saved.

You can help support a national missionary like

Jeremiah! Visitwww.fa./pto learn more.
http://www.gfa.org/http://www.gfa.org/sponsorhttp://www.gfa.org/sponsorhttp://www.gfa.org/sponsorhttp://www.gfa.org/sponsorhttp://www.gfa.org/


23/24

5fve minutes with K.P.

We Will Be

Like HIM


Imagine with me that someone bought a whole bunch o bright red,

crisp apples and tied them onto an apple tree. Everyone who casually

walked by the tree would think, Wow, that tree looks great. See all o

those apples?and never notice that the apples were just tied onto the

branches. I you let some time go by though, anyone would be able to

notice that the now-rotting apples were not really a part o the tree.

s r, Ye Cmpeey W

Our Christianity can be like that apple tree. By knowing theappropriate behaviors, we can make our lives look so spiritual. However,

you and I can be right in our understanding and all our doctrines, yet be

completely wrong on the inside.

Look at the Pharisees. They had everything right. They knew Gods

holiness and all the laws. They were missionaries. They asted, gave,

prayed and taught the Scriptures.

Their problem? Everything began and ended with them. God had

no part in it.

What God wants us to be goes beyond doing all the right things.

Our apples should be produced rom the tree, or our ruit will not last.

So oten we want a plan, an agenda, a book to tell us how to

become godly. But godliness is not a list o how-tos.

The answer is Jesus. I we listen closely, well hear the Lord calling

out to our hearts, Be Mine. Let My lie be yours.

A lv, gw reap

Please dont look or a quick x. This call rom the Lord involves

daily walking with Him, being sensitive to hear His voice, seeking to do

His will and loving Him through our choices. It is not obedience to the

letter o the law, but rather understanding the heart o our Master. This

is not a ll-in-the-blank test, but a living, growing relationship with the

Creator o this world.

We must see Jesuseverywhere, in all o our lie, in everything. Thebook o Hebrews tells us, Let us fx our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).

Have you ever studied a car that was passing you, and all o a

sudden, without realizing it, you actually started to steer toward the

passing car? The more you dwell on negative things, the more negative

you become. The more you dwell on positive thoughts, the more positive

you become. The more time you spend with someone, the more you

actually take on their mannerisms and vocabulary without even trying.

We are called to be partakers o His

nature (see 2 Peter 1:4). How do we do that?

We see Jesus. Scripture says that when we see

Him, we will be like Him (see 1 John 3:2). Just

like the passing car, the thoughts we entertain,

and the people we spend time withi we look

at Jesus and keep Him beore us, we will go to Him.

We will become like Him. The measure in which were

able to see Him continually in all our circumstances is thesame measure we will experience Him and His lie through us.

lk f hm Evey sa

In my own lie, there was a particular time when I was going

through great difculty. In the midst o that season, the Lord asked me

the question: Are you willing to give up your reputation?

I said to mysel, Oh my goodness! He is the One who didnt care

what people thought about Him. He didnt deend Himsel when people

said all kinds o evil about Him. Hes asking me i Im willing to identiy

with Him and have His nature in me.

Lord, I didnt see this beore, I said to Him. Im happy to do it.

I was able to nd such peace and release rom my personal anguish.

Look or Him in your own situations that you are acing right now.

Listen to the things He speaks to your heart. Look at His lie on earth and

consider what it was like or Him. Look or Him in His Word. I we see

Him in every part o our lives, we will become like Him.

We will have His attitude toward the Father that says, I do nothing

o Mysel(John 8:28) and I say whatever the Father tells me to say

(John 12:50, NLT). We will walk in the humility that yields our rights or

others and is respectul toward those He created. Well have His mind

to suer and not be earul o it. We will maniest His passion to seek

and save the lost.

This is the kind o lie Christ wants or us. I t is a journey. Each day,as we see Him, we will become more like Him.

Will you seek Him today? He promises that you will nd Him.

K.P. Yohannan is ounder and president o Gospel or Asia.

Visitwww.fa./5meto read more Five Minutes

with K.P. articles.

This article was adapted rom a chapter in K.P. Yohannans newest book, Destined

to Soar. Visitwww.gfa.org/store to learn how you can receive your copy.
http://www.gfa.org/5minuteshttp://www.gfa.org/5minuteshttp://www.gfa.org/5minuteshttp://www.gfa.org/storehttp://www.gfa.org/storehttp://www.gfa.org/storehttp://www.gfa.org/storehttp://www.gfa.org/5minutes


24/24

CAN YOUDIE TOYOURSELF

FOR ONEYEAR?

spe a yea texa agpe f Aa sc

f dcpepy few eve be e ame.

> Grow spiritually through challengingclasses and personal discipleship.

> Serve in the Gospel or Asia homeofce alongside dedicated sta.

> Participate in requent times oprayer or the lost world.

> Practice sacricial service indiscipleship home groups.

> Visit the mission eld and see thedesperate need o the lostandthe lie-transorming power oJesus Christ at work.

Class Dates:August 21, 2010July 29, 2011deae Appy: April 30, 2010

January 22, 2011December 16, 2011

deae Appy: September 30, 2010

Open to dedicated Christian single

adults ages 1825.

For more information:Visit www.fa./cpep

Email cpep@fa.

Call 1800WinAsiA (18009462742)
http://www.gfa.org/discipleshipmailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.gfa.org/discipleship

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