Stories

A Day to Remember
It was early when we climbed into an old Toyota truck and headed for the river. We carefully made our way down a steep bank and clumsily found our seats in the back of a longboat. I pulled my light jacket closer to my body, my heart beating faster with excitement as I thought of where this little boat was taking us. 
ASAP Launches a Landmark Project
I once traveled across Myanmar at highway speed for over eight hours without passing any Seventh-day Adventist churches or church members. In fact, along that route, I did not pass one Christian church, or even a single Christian.
It Is Heart Missionaries That Are Needed
"This trip doesn't make sense.... We cannot serve without an entire team of medical doctors and dentists. God, why did you even bring me here?" These were the thoughts running through my mind as the mission trip began to unfold.
Ordinary People, Divine Assignments
Open Doors reports, "There is no freedom of religion in Turkmenistan. The dictatorial government uses a huge network of police, secret services, and local imams to closely monitor all religious activities." How will the gospel commission be completed in such a country? Here is one of God's plans—to use people like you and me.
Streams of Light in 180+ Languages
God is constantly working to get His message out in every language. A few years ago, He sent an energetic man to an ASAP booth in Southern California, where he met me and took some My Language My Life cards.
Closing the Circle of Marginalized to Missionary
Eyu was always getting into trouble. He was so out of control that his classmates begged their teacher to expel him from the school. Instead, God used the love and prayers of the staff at the school to transform Eyu from marginalized to missionary.
Charcoal and a Prayer
"Please help! Come fast!" A man came running to Deborah's home one morning in early May. "Simeon has drunk poison and is dying! Please help! Come fast!" Deborah, an ASAP medical missionary, whispered a prayer as she grabbed some supplies and ran to Simeon's house.
RWND Muslim Ministry Update
When Reach the World Next Door's Muslim Ministry Coordinator moved away, the team began praying earnestly, asking God to send someone who could speak the Dari language of the Afghan refugees they serve. But they knew it would take a miracle.
Update on ASAP Refugee Student Missionaries
Soe Soe and Jasmine experienced many twists and turns as ASAP refugee student missionaries, from their initial launching challenges to their amazing front-line mission work on the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Find out what they're up to now!
7 Reasons to Train Missionaries
ASAP believes in the importance of training our local missionaries because we see it as an avenue for empowering them to fulfill their calling in an effective way. We experienced an outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the trainings in two countries this past January and February and we pray for God to work mightily in the upcoming trainings in two more countries during March and April. Read about the top seven reasons why trainings are so crucial.
Out of the Office and Into Front-Line Missions
When an anonymous donor gave a special gift to send the ASAP office staff and their families on a mission trip, we immediately jumped on board. Soon we were on our way to multicultural, immigrant-dense Houston, TX, where we spent an unforgettable weekend serving as Reach the World Next Door missionaries.
The YouTube Miracle
Is the God of the Bible really the true God? Does He really answer prayers? It was eleven o’clock one night when I finally knew in my heart that the answers to my questions were a resounding YES!
The Longest Roller Coaster Ride Ever
Recently, I found myself in India on the wildest roller-coaster ride I’d ever experienced. No, it didn’t last three minutes like traditional roller coasters. It took over eleven hours by car! The twists and turns, ups and downs, record speed and close calls - and especially with the refugees I met - made this a trip I will never forget.
The French Fry Beetles
“Would you like to try a bug?” The translator held out a shiny black beetle, oil glistening on its spindly legs. “It tastes just like French fries!”
Esther's Discipleship Paradigm
“I want you to be in heaven someday. I want to see you there. The journey will not be easy. So be careful.” The plaintive words struck Esther’s* heart like an arrow.
Why Camp Meetings for Refugees are a Must
When you think of evangelism, does a Daniel and Revelation series come to mind? You may not link evangelism to camp meetings, but let me tell you, much evangelism happened during two special camp meetings that took place this summer for the people of Myanmar now living in the United States.
Let the Children Preach!
“That girl is so scared I don’t know if she can do it,” I told my Cambodian assistant, Sophal. We were trying to train the middle grade students at Takong Adventist School to do all the presentations for a week of evangelism. For our 2022 mission trip we had decided that our group of foreigners would not do the speaking but would equip the locals. Now we weren’t so sure.
Syrian Refugees Find Hope at ALC
“Why, God? I am dying, my family is hungry, I cannot work! Why is this happening to me?” Renas,* a Syrian refugee in Lebanon did not consider himself a religious man, but in his desperation, he cried out to God.
EAVS Opens for Summer 2022!
After almost two years of gathering information, assessing needs, writing proposals, listening to expert advice, developing an administrative team, preparing curriculum materials, setting up an office, acquiring visas, and much more; the Eternity ASAP Virtual School (EAVS) is opening with the target audience being Pakistani refugees in Thailand.
Soe Finds His Calling
Soe's family were brought to Dallas, Texas, in 2008 from a primitive refugee camp on the border of Thailand, where Soe spent the first ten years of his life. The transition to life in America was difficult, but Soe persevered, and he recently graduated from Ouachita Hills College with a theology degree.
From Marginalized to Missionary
James survived a traumatic childhood in eastern Shan State, Myanmar, thanks to a local Adventist missionary, Mrs. Pasaw Htee. But the trouble started soon after her sudden passing. James argued and fought with the other children in the family that took him in. Worse yet, their oldest son was a drunkard who taught James to steal. Soon James was branded as a little thief and marginalized by his adopted family and the community. No one wanted him.
Prayers of Deliverance
The ground below Srey Pheak’s feet left a hollow echo behind her as she ran. Without consciousness and oblivious to direction or destination, she ran with determination, farther and farther away from home. No one could stop her. No one dared try. A demon controlled her actions. Her mind and her spirit were numb.
A Divine Reunion
I sat in the living room and nervously watched the clock, waiting for 7:30 p.m. when I could make the call. It had been over 10 years since I had last seen Binh* and so much had changed.
Patience and Providence Produce Fruit
The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for our evangelism among the Chinese in Houston, Texas. In the beginning, we waited for the city to reopen, but as month after month dragged by it seemingly became only more impossible to reach those in our community. We prayed and prayed, asking God to open a new door for us...
Just Launched!
Meet Jasmine Moo and Soe Soe Moon, two compassionate and driven Karen young adults who grew up in refugee camps in Thailand before resettling in the U.S. After personally experiencing God's saving power in their lives, they have accepted His call to serve as ASAP's first refugee student missionaries...
Tia's Tears and Transformation
As I finished sharing the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 with a small group of house-church members, I looked up and my eyes met deep sadness. Tia sat there in silence. I knew she had a story to share. When Tia spoke, her voice was filled remorse. "I am that prodigal!" she said.
Reaching Thailand Christ's Way
"Christ's method alone will give true success in reaching the people" (The Ministry of Healing, p. 143). But could it work in Thailand, the country with the most unreached people (61.5 million) in mainland Southeast Asia? Sompong, an ASAP medical missionary, put it to the test.
God's Math
How did a church with a budget consistently in the red for all but one month of the year suddenly begin meeting their financial goals - and also raise tens of thousands of dollars for missions? Simple answer: God's math.
Clothed with Compassion
You’re on your own now.” As the shock of their father’s words wore off, reality set in for Sok Chea and his seven older siblings. Their mother had died five years ago. Now, their newly remarried father had informed them that he would not support them anymore. Suddenly, they were alone. Orphaned.
An Outpouring of Love for Myanmar
The Lord amazed us with your tremendous response to the urgent, heartbreaking needs of your brothers and sisters in Christ, following the recent coup and Covid-19 outbreaks in Myanmar. Read to see how musicians, prayer partners, and Karen refugees answered God's call in unique ways.
Meeting Kha Nan's Greatest Need
"Rude, impolite, dirty, and ill-mannered.” These words once described the preschool-aged children of Kha Nan village. Then Kha Nan Nursery School opened its doors, and those descriptions began to change.
From the Headlines to Your Hometown
Recent developments in Afghanistan might not affect you – until you realize your neighbors could be facing one of their lives' biggest crises. Read this story by Pr. Scott Griswold to learn how Reach the World Next Door is helping families of immigrants from Afghanistan.
A Very Big Church Family
When Lynetta joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church last January, I don’t think she realized how big her new family was. As a child, she fled the Cambodian genocide, just barely avoiding soldiers and landmines. Coming to America, she discovered Jesus’ love while pushing through the difficulties of raising five children mostly on her own. She was struggling to keep her water spinach business going when Lucio and Anna, volunteers with Reach the World Next Door, met her in Rosharon, Texas.
Standing Tall for Jesus
About two months after I met Grandma Bao at the market, I got a special call from her. I could hear the excitement in her voice. “Come to my house quickly and bring anyone from the church that is available.” When ten of us arrived, we saw a lady burst from her home with a huge smile on her face. It was Grandma Bao, not walking with a cane, but running, with a straight back and head held high. “God completely healed me! He did it!” she shouted, laughed and cried all at the same time.
A Ministry Powered by Prayer
POP! Pop, pop, pop! The sound of gunfire rang through the peaceful demonstration in Yangon, Myanmar, as police opened fire on the unarmed crowd. During the ensuing chaos, a Seventh-day Adventist church member was shot. A friend was trying to stop the bleeding when police arrested the wounded man and dragged him away. Sadly these incidents are increasingly common in this region. People who have been unjustly arrested are killed in many instances rather than being released. Knowing of his injuries and arrest, his family held a memorial service and grieved his passing. But back in the United States, a different battle was raging.
God's Amazing Timing
Harlin Carey tells the story of how God had big plans for his state duck stamp. Learn how God's amazing timing led to the construction of a road in Nakhai that will pave the way for the gospel!
Pray for Myanmar!
I jolted out of bed at 2:00 a.m. My sister’s voice whispered on the phone, “Ben, they are on the roof! What should I do?” “Who is on the roof?” I asked as my heart beat wildly. “I don’t know, but they are yelling and shining a flashlight back and forth in the windows to see if anyone is moving inside. I’m so scared.”
Broken Pipes and New Missionaries
“You’re sleeping in your car?” I couldn’t believe it. Phaly, his wife, Kak, and son, Chris, had no water or heat in their house, and it was super cold. Soon we learned that around four million Texans were facing the same, ill prepared for eight days of freezing weather.
Losing All, Gaining Christ
“They gave me two choices,” recalls Chavanh. “Give up Christianity, or give up my position as village chief. So, I gave up my position.” But although he had lost his title, his reputation, and his freedom, he did not lose his faith.
An F-150 and a Thunderstorm
While on a seven-state ASAP awareness tour, things took an abrupt turn when the Isensee's van broke down in 100-degree heat near Yates Center, Kansas. That’s when God sent Leon Weber home early from work. But this divine appointment wasn't the only miracle God had in store!
I'LL NEVER LOOK BACK
Life was too hard in Cambodia; between Sokhom and me, we lost a total of 25 close family members in the war. It was 1981. Two months after our wedding day, my new bride and I set out on a dangerous journey to create a new life together. Destination? Norng Samet Refugee Camp, Thailand.
A LIFE-CHANGING INVITATION
On the steps of Pioneer Memorial Church, by the statue of John Andrews and his children staring off across the ocean to the mission field, she said, “We need someone in the Thailand refugee camps right now. Will you go?” Her passion, her prayers, and her invitation changed the course of our entire lives.
THE BEGINNING OF ASAP'S MEDICAL MISSIONARY WORK
Amid these scenes of heartbreaking devastation, Judy and I witnessed God’s guidance in providential ways. We traveled on landmine-infested roads, around blown out bridges and through pockets of Khmer Rouge resistance forces in search of returning church members. We experienced many joyful, tear-dimmed reunions!
Ready to Serve the Master
Soe Nay Hsee, called “Soe Soe” by his family and friends, remembers a happy childhood spent in Myanmar (formerly Burma), living with his faithful Karen Seventh-day Adventist family. He plans on returning to the refugee camps as ASAP's first student missionary. "The refugees have so very little and hardly enough to eat, yet they were so joyful. Teaching in an ASAP-sponsored school for these refugee children bound my heart to those who were just like me a few years ago. I can’t wait to serve my people and share with them what I have learned.”
Discovering the Mission Field Next Door
Learn how Brenda Duerksen was able to fulfill her childhood dream of being a Missionary through helping Refugees in America with Reach the World Next Door.
A New Husband for Leah
Leah Ma Saw,* an ASAP teacher in Myanmar, is married to a new husband. Her former husband—let’s call him Joe—was very difficult. Joe didn’t encourage her in her teaching. Joe drank. Joe used drugs—a lot. Joe wasn’t a good father to their children. His rage spilled over even the smallest of things and he wouldn’t let go. Nights were filled with fights between them. Leah had been scared of him at first, but as the horror of their life together grew, her fright melted into deep disappointment and grief. She tried to be patient for the children’s sake, and she prayed. Oh, how she prayed!
The Power of Healing Prayer
ASAP church planter Mathias Srimoon* has a wife, four children, nearly two dozen goats, and two house churches of 20-30 members to look after. He is fortunate to have family members and church leaders who help each other in God’s work. But it isn’t always easy. Learn about some of the challenges Mathias is facing, and how God has been working miracles through him in the lives of his villagers.
Mission in the Age of COVID-19
In just a few short months, the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed our world. Bible prophecy is fast fulfilling! At ASAP Ministries, this lends even greater urgency to our mission to reach the 10/40 Window with the good news of Jesus’ soon return. Read how the people ASAP serves have experienced unprecedented needs due to the pandemic, as well as how God is opening opportunities to share hope amidst this crisis.
Heaven Planned It All Along
Can you imagine how busy the angels are each day, ensuring that all the right connections happen at just the right time to fulfill God’s purposes? Wouldn’t you love to read the behind-the-scenes plans drafted in heaven? Here is a story about how heaven orchestrated events far in advance to bring new light to one precious soul and a new laborer for God’s work among the Lao people in North America.
More Than a Blessing
Recently, ASAP Development Director Laura Hokanson interviewed one of our many wonderful partners in ministry, Alison, about the creative ways her family shares their faith and supports God’s work through ASAP. Read how Alison has experienced and shared God's blessings with her neighbors as well as ASAP's Feed and Read schools.

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