A Huge THANK YOU!

On behalf of the Southeast Asia missions’ team, I want to thank you for your generosity and prayers. Despite having to deal with a bout of sickness that made the rounds among the three of us, we had a successful trip. Your prayers went a long way enabling us to endure. It might help to know how I define success. It goes beyond the fact that we got everyone there and back safely (although that is certainly a win!).

Here were my goals before leaving on the trip and how God answered my prayers:

1. We wanted to make contact with those who were working with our unreached people group (UPG) to strategize the next steps. On Thursday evening, we were away from the main island, and we had dinner with our friends who are living among our UPG. It was good to encourage them and hear how the Lord had been working. I was told that two people were saved as a result of our medical mission almost eight years ago. It was relationships of trust built on that trip that brought about a hearing of the gospel. I was able to get some ideas about how we can help this UPG in the near future.
2. We wanted to encourage and strengthen the local church. Before the trip began, Rendi and I strategized as to what was the greatest need on the primary island we were on. We agreed the greatest need was a methodology for discipleship. We decided to use the One-to-One Method and taught this both at the seminary and the local churches (Kudos to Jon Cherry for leading two of these!). Our students were given a method that gave them confidence to do discipleship. Rendi and I were also able to preach at two churches. Mike was able to speak to a group of men who desired purity in their lives. It is our hope that a stronger church will become more evangelistic.
3. I wanted our team members to see the great need and desire to see the gospel spread throughout this region of then world. Our missionary contact arranged a one-day trip to a neighboring island where the vast majority of the population was under the dominant religion. As soon as we arrived the darkness was almost palpable. The calls to prayer seemed relentless since it was Ramadan. People were legally fined if they broke their fast early. There were shopping and western style stores, but there were no churches. Surely if we can get commerce to such places, we could get the gospel there. We spoke with several who were chained to their legalism. It brought many of us to tears. I don’t think any of us will be the same after that visit. It made us all committed to see Christ proclaimed in that part of the world.
4. We wanted to encourage our missionaries. We took over a suitcase full of goodies from the U.S. We listened to the challenges. We prayed with our friends. We laughed and we cried together. We tried to lighten their load just a little. I knew we were successful here when they referred to us as ‘our Providence family.’ That is how they view our consistent support.
5. Opportunities to share the gospel, if possible, but would be gravy. This region of the world is hard soil. We had some opportunities to share, but the main response was to turn away and ignore the message. Joe, Mike, and Jon got to share with an ‘English Club.’ As one team member shared with an English-speaking native, he was literally told ‘this is making me uncomfortable’. And that may be all the seed planting we get to do. We remind them that their religion will not bring peace and satisfaction. And hopefully, that will cause them to seek the One that can bring it into their lives.

Thank you for blessing this group of men with this trip. Each of us are ready to return. And each time we hope to chip away at the resistance. For we are confident that there are sheep who are there that are not of this fold. And there will be those from that region of the world, who will be standing beside us as we praise the Lamb for all eternity.

‘After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”’ Revelation 7:9-10