So Much to be Thankful for: 2021
Happy Thanksgiving!
Over the past year, actually since the pandemic started, we have noticed that when everything should have slowed down, God sped up. When opportunities should have disappeared, they increased, when so many people faced economic difficulties, donations multiplied. We've added more new Bible Workers and new missionaries since the pandemic started than other similar periods of time, and started work in places where no one else was serving.
We are so thankful to God for all the ways he has blessed Jesus for Asia projects this year, and we praise Him for the lives that are being, and will be, changed as a result.
We have put together a list of some of the projects and updates we want to thank God for, and we hope that you are blessed as you get a taste of what God has been doing through your prayers and support.
The Chembur Church Rebuild
The Chembur church in Mumbai, India, has been condemned for almost a decade. We started awareness raising for it when we learned about the need a couple years ago, but not much came in, until the pandemic, when God inspired a donor to give contrary to his own plans (Read the story here). We have approved a contractor's bid to rebuild the church and create a Center of Influence in Mumbai, and we are waiting for permission from the local government to demolish the old building. Learn More.
Travel is Starting to Open Again
With the whole world shutting down last year, missionaries were not able to launch, or travel anywhere besides their home countries. As we see increasing signs that the earth is in its last days, we are grateful to God for one more opportunity for missionaries to be sent out to share the Gospel with the billions who have not yet heard.
New Missionaries
This year at FaithCamp, several families came to us with interest in becoming missionaries, more than at any other FaithCamp! Some are still considering their options, and a few more are preparing to launch. We are excited to see what God has in store for these future missionaries, and to share with you what some of them will be doing in the coming months.
(Photo from FaithCamp West 2021)
Aviation program in Indonesia
Because the country of Indonesia is spread out across thousands of islands, about the size of the United States, the Tengkanos have been praying about starting an aviation program to reach out to people in far-off islands. By the grace of God we were able to buy a plane, and God is already opening doors for ways to use it! We will share the full story next week!
Learn more about the Tengkanos’ ministry in Indonesia.
New Bible Workers
This year we have hired over 50 new Bible Workers in several areas, including Jharkhand, India, and East Mindoro, Philippines. These new Bible Workers are working with hard-to-reach people groups. Many are working in animist areas and places where few have had the opportunity to hear the Gospel.
Here are stories from East Jharkhand and East Mindoro.
Learn More or support JFA Bible Workers.
Missionaries move to an Unreached city: Nakhon Sawan, Thailand
In March We held a virtual prayer walk in Nakhon Sawan, Thailand, a city with no Adventists and very few Christians. Our foreign correspondents Jonathan and Hannah Hill went to Nakhon Sawan to film and walk through the city while people from around the world gathered to pray on Zoom. Soon after our prayer walk, God led Jonathan and Hannah to move to Nakhon Sawan to become the first Adventists in the city. You can learn more about their ministry through their YouTube Channel.
Support the ministry work in Nakhon Sawan.
Kantharalak Prayer Walk Blessings
A few weeks ago, we had another virtual prayer walk for the unreached city of Kantharalak, also in Thailand. By the grace of God over 50 people joined to pray for the city’s residents and the missionaries who will be coming to serve. We are excited to see what God is going to do in Kantharalak in response to these prayers of faith.
“Faith is the expecting the word of God to do what it says and the depending upon that word to do what it says.” –Lessons on Faith
FaithCamp East Venue 2022
For the last few years, and especially since COVID started, we have had challenges in finding venues for FaithCamp East. This year, by the grace of God, we were able to have FaithCamp East at Fletcher Academy in North Carolina. Praise the Lord, we were invited back again in 2022. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon!
Opportunities in Bangladesh
We have been invited to go to Bangladesh with another ministry to check out some potential future projects for Jesus for Asia. God has blessed us with the opportunity to build connections as we have prepared for the trip, and we are excited to see what all He has in store for JFA and for the people of Bangladesh.
New TV Studio and Media Team in Thailand
In March, our Love for Asia Team broke ground for a new studio and office that would allow them to create Gospel media for the people of Thailand. Now the studio is pretty much complete! We also recently hired five new people for our Love for Asia Media Team. Although we weren’t planning to hire all of them, we saw that each new member would be an important asset to the team. The new team members have many ideas for new programs and are excited to work for God.
Support the Love for Asia Studio. | Support the Love for Asia Media Projects.
Jon's Trip to Thailand
After almost two years, Jon was finally able to travel to Thailand, and it was a huge blessing! He was able to assist in final preparations of the TV Studio in Thailand and be there for the dedication. While he was there he hired and started training the new members of the Love for Asia Media team. He was also grateful to get to know the Bauders’ adopted daughter Praew a bit better and is glad to see how God is working in her life. He is also grateful that he was able to bring Jonathan and Hannah Hill, our Foreign Correspondents, a new drone, right as theirs was dying.
The Missionary Van–Mindoro Outreach, Philippines
Last year, by God's grace, we were able to purchase a missionary van for theMindoro Outreachproject. Over and over, the Barolos, who run the project, have shared how much of a blessing this van has been in doing medical evacuations from the mountains where they work, and transporting food, supplies, and missionaries to the mountain villages.
Support Mindoro Outreach.
Missionaries Back in Cambodia
After a long delay, the Howell family was finally able to make it back to Cambodia to work on theCambodia Boarding Academy project. They are working on getting staff houses built on the school property so they can oversee the building project, and they are helping the future school teachers with their education, among other things. They are blessed to have Christy, a missionary from India, back to join them in their work. Although she has gone through many challenges, she is glad to be back as well!
Read Christy’s story here. | Support the Howells’ Ministry in Cambodia.
Equipment purchased for Southeast Asia Publishing House
Kenton and Rachel Rogers moved with their family to Cambodia with a dream of starting a publishing house for Southeast Asia. God impressed a few donors to give a total of $150,000 dollars for publishing equipment, and provided additional funds for the customs fees when the shipping containers arrive from Europe and the U.S.Read the story here. | Support publishing work for Southeast Asia.
The Norton Family
God has blessed the Nortons in many ways this year. They were able to start work developing their new property, where they now have a small school building, chapel, dormitories, and an outdoor kitchen and dining room. They have taken in several more Thai children and seen some of them become mini missionaries themselves in their Thai school.
Learn more about the Nortons’ ministry. | Read Kasey Norton’s Blog.| Support the children’s home property.
Building Schools in India
We have two building projects for schools in the Indian states of Manipur and Tripura. The Manipur School, which is an existing school, has had so many new students over the past couple of years that they are in need of a new school building and more dorm space. God has blessed with the funds to build the first floor and it is almost finished!
Learn more. | Support the Manipur School.
In Tripura, we are helping to start the first complete SDA high school, and after many months of searching, we have finally found property that will fit the school’s needs! Please pray the sale will go through.
Support the Tripura School.
Jesus 4 Slum Kids
Josh and Chitty Bauder started a children's home in Thailand for kids from bad home environments. Their lives changed when their baby girl Evangeleen got sick and was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Last year a young woman named Chompoo was led by God to come and help with the kids in their children's home, and she has been an incredible blessing this year, taking care of the kids when the Bauders went to America to get treatment for Evangeleen. Praise God, since coming to America, Evangeleen has been able to receive medication that is helping to reduce the effects of her disease. Some new missionaries are hoping to go to Thailand to help Chompoo, please pray for God to open doors so they can go soon.
Support Jesus for Slum Kids.
The Sharon Family's New Publishing Project
Travis Sharon was convicted earlier this year to start a small publishing project to share pamphlets in the local languages of the people he is serving. His family has helped to put these pamphlets together, and now they can’t print them fast enough for the demand.
We also praise God for his leading in the life of a former village head woman who lived near Travis’s parents, Leroy and Lisa Sharon. Since she accepted Jesus as her Savior, she has started working with Jesus for Asia, and now she is helping translate the pamphlets the Sharons are making into Thai!
Read more about this project here. | Support this publishing project.