asap newsletter, november/december 2005

November/December, 2005

Adventist Southeast Asia Projects2

1413

8

34

1210

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EditorJudy Aitken

Assistant EditorJulia O’CareyCopy EditorLinda Bauer

Design/LayoutSon Praises/

Margie Mitchell

Adventist Southeast AsiaProject's purpose is to support

the preaching of the everlastinggospel of Jesus Christ through

church planting and evangelismendeavors for Southeast Asian

people throughout the world. Asa privately funded, nonprofitorganization we work as asupporting ministry of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church.As an unaffiliated, independentministry, we are dependent upon

God to move people tosupport this work.

Please contact us:ASAP

PO Box 84Berrien Springs, MI 49103

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

Email: [email protected] address:

http://www.ASAPministries.org

We would love to hear from you.(Tax-deductible contributions

may be sent with theenclosed envelope.)

Cover: (Top) About 70 percent of all Cambodia’s rice paddieswere damaged by flooding or drought this year.(Bottom) Cambodian church members smile in relief as theyreceive the gift of rice and emergency food from ASAP donors.Check out the details on page 13.

AdventistSoutheast

Asia Projects

AdventistSoutheast

Asia Projects

Editor’s UpdateJudy Aitken reflects this holiday season on your gifts that lastthroughout the year.

The Gift of GivingYour partnership changes lives. In this issue, we highlight manyof the gifts given by YOU this year.

LiteracyLiteracy schools provide women and children hope for a betterfuture.

Hearing and Reading the Good NewsWitness how God uses $10 radios and $5 Bibles in Vietnam.

TransportationA brief glimpse at how one dedicated family enabled ournational workers to enter new territory for Christ.

Church PlantingLim Pheng, Secretary & Ministerial Director, shares CambodiaAdventist Mission’s big thrust. Planting churches comes aftermany accept the priceless gift of eternal life. ASAP’s ultimategoal.

Church PlantersTep Poa Kolyaney tells how God rescued her from life’s stormyseas.

Pastors in VietnamPastor Minh Pham preaches the gospel despite economic &political roadblocks she faces in Vietnam.

Emergency SupportRead Akram Khan’s update to find out the true situation inCambodia right now.

Lay Bible WorkersProm Hoehn gives gifts of spiritual and physical healingthrough God’s power.

ASAP 3

Then the angel said to them,“Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joywhich will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in thecity of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10 NKJV).

DDon’t you just love holiday songs?Nothing compares to carols that rejoice and givethanks for the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ that God gave to theworld. During this festive time of year we are truly fortunate to have a reason

to sing and celebrate. We often think of the holidays as a time of giving. It is also a time when

we, as Christians, can give thanks for the greatest gift that was ever given to this world—

Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. Think about it! This gift is tops in terms of the

best gift of all time! It was given from a heart of love for mankind. God gave up His Son to

live in this world as “the way, the truth and the life”—now that is some gift!

One of the most exciting aspects of the gift of Jesus is found in His name: “And you shall

call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt 1:21). He came to not

only give the promise of everlasting life in heaven, but to give His Spirit that transforms the

life of the believer, bringing them hope, joy, love and peace.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for giving to others the most precious

gift of all—Jesus. As you wrap gifts this holiday season, I hope our gratitude comes to

mind—because we truly thank you for giving Jesus to those who don’t know Him. While

your donations may not come with a bow on top, what each penny represents is brighter

and bigger than any package imaginable. The results of your donations for all of South-

east Asia for Bibles, Bible lessons, radios, wells, church planters, transportation, literacy

teachers, churches, pastors, lay Bible workers, and rice are more amazing than anything that

has ever been wrapped or unwrapped in the history of giving. ASAP


TASAP

In this special holiday issue, check out the many gifts ASAP

donors and prayer supporters gave this year. You will be

inspired as you read how national workers bring the ulti-

mate gift to searching souls, the gift of salvation through

Jesus! We thank you for your gifts and encourage you to

enjoy the gift of giving this season. “It is more blessed to

give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

This Cambodian girl

smiles because a new

world opened up to her af-

ter she learned how to read at

one of the ASAP sponsored SDA lit-

eracy schools. She now has hope for her

future, a successful life on earth and eter-

nity with Jesus. Your gifts for literacy

schools give destitute children and

women life-changing spiritual and edu-

cational opportunities.Photo by Frank Spangler

ASAP 5

ASAP

M

by the communist government. Pastor Isah Young, speaker and producer of

the radio ministry, reports that sixteen entire villages are tuning in, finding

God’s love through the airwaves every day. The workers and rice farmers

often gather in the home of the chief or a privileged person who has a radio

to hear the Adventist radio messages early in the morning. Pastor Isah Young

is being used by God to preach the Adventist truth in an unprecedented way.

Bibles and Bible lessons are read, shared and taught to others—Bibles are

used as English language textbooks and are treasured in Vietnam, where to

own one is illegal. Experience the gift of giving as you join other ASAP

donors in supplying radios and Bibles to the people in Vietnam.

Millions of Vietnamese listen to

Peace & Happiness SDA radio

broadcasts in their homes and house

churches in humble villages and af-

fluent cities throughout Vietnam.

Short wave radios and DVDs prove

to be the most effective means of

bringing the hope of salvation to the

people of Vietnam because public

evangelism currently is unauthorized


This incrediblesacrifice

enabled themto provide28 bicycles

and12 mopedsfor God’s

workers inVietnam.

W When a couple from central California heard of the

desperate transportation needs of ASAP Vietnamese

pastors and lay workers, they felt impressed to respond.

They sold their brand new Subaru Outback and down-

sized to a used 1998 Chevy Cavalier with

62,000 miles on it. This incredible sacri-

fice enabled them to provide 28 bicycles

and 12 mopeds for God’s workers in Viet-

nam. They say they have never regretted

the decision they made because they know

that their sacrifice helps to hasten the com-

ing of Jesus. Each time they get into their

used Chevy, they can imagine forty pastors

and lay Bible workers hopping on their

bicycles and mopeds, with Bibles, DVDs

and evangelistic materials in their back-

packs, traveling to and from towns to share

the great news of salvation with the people

in Vietnam. They ask that you pray for

their investment they dedicated to the Lord.

ASAP would like to specifically thank

them for their gift of sacrifice. ASAP

ASAP 7

Thank you, ASAP do-nors, for providing wheels for national lay Bible workers and pastors. Your giftsfor bicycles and mopeds are an immeasurable blessing for the advancement ofGod’s work in these countries. Gifts of transportation make it possible for layBible workers and pastors toexpand their territory for Christ.

Above: (left to right) Thai Manat, YemVeleak and Moul Kren in the Cambodianprovince of Kratie commute to neighbor-ing villages where they find interests andconduct Bible studies with new believers.With transportation, these lay Bibleworkers can achieve their goal of plantingchurches and spreading God’s Word.

Right: Srey Sear, Cambodian lay Bibleworker, smiles in gratitude for the gift of amoped, lovingly funded by ASAP donors.He can now travel throughout the pro-vince of Kampot and take the gospel tomany remote villages. He also uses themoped on Sabbath to transport elderlyand handicapped people to church.

ASAP


Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Himwho sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned;

he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).

Right: Pastors Lim Pheng (left) andThor Bophal (right) baptize two ofthe 800 new believers on January1, 2005 in the Tounle Bati River inCambodia. This great harvest ofsouls for Christ’s Kingdom resultedfrom the outpouring of the Holy Spiriton the evangelistic meetings held byJustin and Christina McNeilus andthe work of the Cambodian AdventistChurch planters, pastors and layBible workers.

Left: Pastors LimPheng (center) andPen Chenda (centerleft) pray for newbelievers after theirbaptism. ASAP’s sup-port of forty churchplanters and fifty layBible workers enablesthem to give the gift ofsalvation to many sin-cere people seekingto know God.

by Lim Pheng, Secretary and Ministerial Director of Cambodia Adventist Mission

ASAP 9

CChurch planting! We eat, sleep,breathe and live those two words atthe Cambodia Adventist Mission. Af-ter the executive committee voted to makechurch planting the main focus, the work inCambodia has experienced phenomenalgrowth. Ten years ago we had only a handfulof believers regularly worshipping in Cambo-dia, but now 5,000 Cambodians faithfully wor-ship as members of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch. We praise the Lord for what He is do-ing through all the church planters and pastors.Read on as I share the amazing results of ourchurch planting thrust.

We have established a Seventh-day Adventistpresence in all of Cambodia’s twenty-four prov-inces. Currently, twelve pastors minister tirelesslyfor the Lord in Cambodia. Some of our pastorsare responsible for as many as sixteen churches.

ing the membership for evangelistic outreach.Some of our church planters are placed in un-entered areas while others are assigned to keystrategic towns.

Denzil McNeilus and his family gave anamazing Christmas gift to Cambodia last year.They conducted a large evangelistic campaignin Phnom Penh and the surrounding areas, bap-tizing 800. Church planters worked before andafter the evangelistic meetings nurturing themass of new believers. Since January of thisyear 2,100 accepted Jesus in baptism. Ourgoal is to have each church planter plant tenchurches. Mr. McNeilus and his family plan togo back with a team to conduct and finance asecond evangelistic campaign this December.Our church planters are prepared to help reapthe harvest. As you read this, our pastors areconducting a ten-day training session for thechurch planters.

Others care for two whole provinceswhere large numbers of unreachedpeople live. Just as Jesus’ twelve dis-ciples, empowered by the Holy Spirit,began a massive Christian move-ment, God empowers these twelveCambodian pastors and the ASAP-supported lay pastors to do a mighty work forHim. Remember, though, only one percent ofthe 11 million populating Cambodia claim to beChristians. Millions of God’s children still needto hear the good news of their inheritance.

Due to this tremendous potential for growth,a taskforce of church planters was mobilized.There are seventy trained church planters, fortyof them sponsored by ASAP. The church plant-ers are busy providing pastoral care, givingBible studies, planting new churches and train-

The church planters work on the front lines,moving the work forward. ASAP donors are be-hind the scenes, working as a team, enablingthem to do the amazing work of growingchurches. We invite you to join and support achurch or a church planter today. Your gifts arethe water that aids the planting and growing.“Now he who plants and he who waters are one,and each one will receive his own reward ac-cording to his own labor” (1 Cor 3:8). ASAP


J

Read Tep Poa Kolyaney’s per-sonal testimony below, and seehow God rescued her from thestormy seas of life.

John 6:15-21 talks about when the dis-ciples were fearful of drowning when cross-ing the Sea of Galilee on their way toCapernaum. A great wind started to blow andthe sea became dangerous. Their little boattossed this way and that. My life was likethat little boat, tossed about the stormy seaof life. As a baby, I lost my father when hewas murdered by the Pol Pot regime. When I

was twelve, my mother died of a disease be-cause we had no money to buy her medicine.I made the hard decision to quit school inseventh grade, give up my dream of becom-ing a human rights lawyer, and start sellingthings on the street to help feed my threeyounger brothers and myself. I was very un-happy, hating the way I lived, so I turned tothe only place I knew, the Buddhist temple. Iworked in the temple and meditated on theteachings of Buddha and eventually becameordained as a Buddhist nun. My only goalwas to die, so I could translate into a betterlife than what I lived in. After living two yearsas a Buddhist nun, I walked away since I didnot find the peace I was searching for.

My friend, Keo Savet, found me at myworst. I got into a terrible situation and feltthe only way out was to kill myself. AlthoughI could not successfully end my life, I diedinside. When Keo Savet introduced me toJesus Christ, I did not see Him as my Savior,able to do anything for me. Just like the dis-ciples did not recognize Jesus when Hewalked across the water on top of those darkangry waves, I was afraid of Him.

Pastor Ing Nang happened to move in nextto where I lived. We became friends and oneday he gave me a book called The Healingof God. After reading that book, I told Pas-tor Ing Nang I wanted to learn more. ThroughBible studies, he showed me how to inviteGod into my boat. When I let Him in, it madeall the difference in my life. Little by little

“My only goal was to

die, so I couldtranslate intoa better lifethan whatI lived in.”

“My only goal was to

die, so I couldtranslate intoa better lifethan whatI lived in.”

by Tep Poa Kolyaney, church planter

ASAP 11

He rescued me and calmed the stormy seasof my life. He led me to study at the SALTCenter. I met my husband, Jacob, there.Now we have one precious child and servethe Lord as church planters. Every day Ipray that God will take control of my boatand guide my family and me safely throughlife’s journey.

Editor’s Note:Tep Poa Kolyaney works as a church

planter in the Chak Angreleu South dis-trict of Cambodia’s capitol city, PhnomPenh. Her husband, Pich Poa Jacob assistsher as she ministers to three churches.These churches are growing rapidly un-der this dedicated team. Besides preach-ing, witnessing door-to-door in friendshipministry, nurturing church members and in-terests, and holding DVD evangelisticmeetings, they go to churches and homesin other districts to hold Bible studies.Please pray for Tep Poa Kolyaney as sheleads out in this important ministry. Alsopray for her husband, Pich Poa Jacob, andhis health problems (specifically his heartcondition). Pray for their important min-istry and their family. ASAP


hrough ASAP donor sup-port, the people of Vietnamreceive the gift of 250 Ad-ventist pastors. Pastors like

Minh Pham, who fully dedicate theirlives to winning souls for Christ, in turn

share the ultimate gift, the gift of salva-tion with literally thousands. In reading

Pastor Minh Pham’s interview in our newslet-ter earlier this year, he told me how the HolySpirit, through Peace and Happiness RadioBroadcast, impressed him of the truth regard-ing the Sabbath. In faith, not knowing anyother Seventh-day Adventist, he quit his jobas a pastor for a Protestant church and waitedfor God’s leading. Shortly afterwards, PastorIsah Young sent a pastor to visit him. AfterBible studies, being baptized and trained, hestarted his own Sabbath-keeping house church.Through God’s power, his wife and twenty-four other family members, along with friends,gradually converted to Adventism. Today, Godcontinues to use Pastor Minh Pham as an ef-fective evangelist and leader of several largedistricts, overseeing 15,000 house churchmembers and their leaders.

He shares, “I often travel up to 400 km aday on my moped, following up radio interestsand nurturing new believers in my districts. Ispend the week prior to my trips in earnestprayer. God never fails to lead me to the peopleHe wants me to minister to, preparing theirhearts before I meet them. God clearly shows

me what passages from His Word to share withthem. I share DVD and VCD sermons withmany interested people and the house churchleaders. I cannot keep up with the demand forBibles and evangelistic materials.

We experienced severe upheaval in mydistricts this year. A large number of Protes-tant ethnic people involved in anti-governmentactivities caused the government to crackdown on all Christian groups. Because thisdisruptive group escaped to Cambodia, thegovernment targeted our Adventist housechurches, thinking we held similar beliefs.Government officials harassed, fined and per-secuted us, raiding our house church meet-ings. Many of our members were arrested thisyear. Praise the Lord, despite Satan’s attacks98 percent of our members remained faithfulSeventh-day Adventists.

I would like to thank the Lord for thegift of salvation He gave me and the gift ofthe Bible that led me to His truth about theSabbath. I will stay in the SDA church forthe rest of my life because I believe this isthe true church.

I say thank you to Pastor Isah Young forproducing Peace & Happiness Radio Broad-cast and to those caring people in the USA whosupport God’s work in Vietnam. I am callingon all of you who have now heard my story toplease pray for me, the church members, andthe house church leaders in my districts and tocontinue your support of our ministry.”

by Judy Aitken & Pastor Minh Pham

ASAP

ASAP 13

our donations in responseto disasters, such as the flooding and

droughts Cambodia experienced thisyear, truly saved many lives. Because

of heavy rainfall in July the water level in theMekong River rose in Cambodia and neigh-boring countries. The floods and drought af-fected almost all parts of the country. As ofright now the crop damage in Cambodia hasreached a critical level according to the Ag-riculture Research and Development Insti-tute. About 70 percent of all rice paddies weredamaged either by flood or drought this year.

According to the provincial director, thedistrict of Kampong Thom experienced dam-

age to 126 hect-ares (312 acres) ofrice from droughtand pests. About50 hectares (124acres) have been

damaged in the province of Stung Treng and300 hectares (741 acres) in the Mong Russeidistrict of Battambang according to the Min-istry of Agriculture. In Kampong Spue andTakeo provinces the local authorities are wor-ried that most of the rice fields are destroyeddue to the heavy rains. The district pastors havereported that floods have affected the areas ofStung Treng, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng,Svay Rieng as well. Just in these areas, thereare more than 700 Adventist families who aresuffering.

We wish to convey our heartfelt thanks tothe recently received donations from ASAPsupporters, given in response to this disaster.Many more dollars are needed to help relievethe suffering that the members are still facing.We estimate at least $10,000 is needed to helpthese flood victims. God bless you as you openyour hearts to those in need of food duringthis season of giving.

Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace; may the poorand needy praise your name (Psalm 74:21).

ASAP

by Akram Khan, Treasurer of Cambodia Adventist Mission

Y


God uses lay Bible

workers like

Prum Hoeun,

regardless of their

histories

or

backgrounds,

to bring glory

to Him

through healing

and spreading the

Good News.

Left: Cambodian Lay Bibleworker, Prum Hoeun andfamily, wish you good healthduring the holidays. Facingpage: Prum Hoeun (right) sitsnext to Ngar (center). Usingprayer and natural healingmethods, God helped him healher from typhoid fever.

Give a Gift that Lasts!Support a Lay Bible Worker

$20/month in Cambodia

$30/month in Laos

$50/month in Vietnam

ASAP 15

I is one of the ladies who was healed from ty-phoid fever and then received Jesus as her Sav-ior. I claim Malachai 4:2 which says, “But toyou who fear my name, the Son of righteous-ness shall arise with healing in His wings.” Godbrings healing according to His will.

We have a small but growing church. Sixstudents completed Bible studies and are readyfor baptism. Among the six, three of them weresick with demon possession for more than twoyears. After praying earnestly God deliveredthem. God brings healing according to His will.

I thank God and thank you for praying forme and giving us the gift of our beautiful church.Now I am working as a lay Bible worker andleader of this church, as well as running ourhealth mission. I see that there are many morevillages that have not heard the message of sal-vation. I would like to go share the gospel withthese villages and teach them God’s healingway, but I have no transportation or money totravel. Because of God’s love I am still work-ing hard to share His words to all kinds ofpeople, many who are under Satan’s control.

I would like to ask you to pray for the pa-tients that they will not only be healed but alsothat they will accept God. Pray also for me as Iminister to the health and spiritual needs of thepeople.

by Prom Hoeun

I am Prom Hoeun, God’s servant inSangkhlang Village, Kampong Thom Province.My wife, Voeun Sotheavy, my mother-in-law,Tep Sarom, and I work together in a health mis-sion to bring God’s healing ways to sick peoplewe meet.

In early 1999 Voeun and I volunteered towork for ADRA in helping village people toknow how to take care of their health. Oneyear later we got married and had a Christianwedding. We went to Siem Reap to study moreabout God. After studying we returned to ourhome village of Sangklaeng and felt impressedto start a ministry for God. I felt so grateful toGod for all He did to turn my life around; Iwanted to give back to Him. I went from asmoker, drinker and bad man to a happy per-son with a purpose. He has given me knowl-edge to teach His words and also to help sickpeople recover from their illnesses. I can seehow God prepared me through ADRA, Dr.Mary Ann McNeilus, and others to serve Himin this way.

During the last three months God healedtwenty-six people after they received naturaltreatments from my wife and me. I know thattheir faith in God as their Savior is beginning togrow because they see His power in healingthem. We pray that they all will want to followChrist with their whole hearts. Ngar, (pictured)

ASAP

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asap newsletter, november/december 2005

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