2012 ASAP Mission Trip Report

GOD BROUGHT OUR TEAM TOGETHER

During the planning stages for the mission trip I prayed earnestly, asking the Lord to impress the right individuals with medical missionary training experience and a heart for missions to partner with ASAP. The Holy Spirit impressed Byron, Carol and Daniel Reynolds, Andrew Keyes, Somluck Laitipaya, Rungratri Chanrawangyot, Mike and Marilee Kier, Phamor Phoopichitprai, Khamsay Phetchareun, Rungratri Chanrawangyot and Sompong Khunsawangtwelve dedicated disciples, to join me on different legs of the journey. Byron and Carol Reynolds graciously joined even though they were immersed in volunteer service with the Buddhist Study Center in Thailand.

Somluck Laitipaya, a retired nurse with experience in medical missionary work, enthusiastically accepted the invitation to join our team. She shared, “When you called me to join you on the mission trip, I felt excited. The Lord had already impressed me to prepare for a special mission, but I did not know what it was going to be. When my husband had asked me the week before when I planned to go on our annual trip to Thailand, I told him that I was waiting until mid-February to go which was the exact time you asked me to join you. I thank God that he impressed you to choose me.”

Byron ReynoldsMAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE TRIP

1. One of the main purposes of the trip was to provide health and evangelism training for the ASAP-supported church planters and medical missionaries in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand. Byron Reynolds, who led out in planning the medical missionary training in Laos and Myanmar shares, “GOD'S RIGHT ARM was the title of our 2012 Medical Missionary training sessions. The focus was on practical natural remedies like hydrotherapy and other modalities to both prevent and treat diseases. The purpose was to show how to use the medical work as an opening wedge to break down barriers and to win souls for God’s kingdom among the local people groups. Our theme quote was, “The medical missionary work is to bear the same relation to the work of the third angel’s message that the arm and hand bear to the body....The right arm of the body of truth is to be constantly active, constantly at work, and God will strengthen it. But it is not to be made the body. At the same time the body is not to say to the arm, “I have no need of you.” The body has need of the arm in order to do active, aggressive work. Both have their appointed work, and each will suffer great loss if worked independently of the other.” {6T 288}

The goal of sharing Christ’s love through medical missionary avenues was emphasized as this is the means of saving precious people in Christ’s Kingdom. Ellen G. White says, “God reaches hearts through the relief of physical suffering. A seed of truth is dropped into the mind, and is watered by God. Much patience may be required before this seed shows signs of life, but at last it springs up, and bears fruit unto eternal life.” {Maranatha 326}

2. We also aimed to incorporate united prayer in the program. The workers learned this method of praying during the ASAP trainings the previous year and many shared how they implemented united prayer in their church plants and how effective it has been to bring unity and many answers from heaven. The national missionaries shared with our team the mighty way the Lord answers prayers in bringing not only physical healing but also spiritual healing. We spent much time on our knees, circled close together, praying for each worker’s needs and that of those they are reaching out to.

3. Another main objective was to spiritually encourage the workers in their service for the Lord. This was best accomplished one-on-one and in group interviews. These workers are giving their all for God’s work, despite persecution from family, friends, and government and facing obstacles and trials of all kinds. It was a joy to hear first-hand accounts of how God is working through them. Byron Reynolds relates, “What amazing stories they had of using natural means to bless and help people in the villages where they had been sent. Souls have been saved for eternity. We had special prayer for each one, as we laid hands on them. The Spirit of God was very near.” Each one has a unique testimony which often includes miraculous answers to prayer. For instance, Lay Pastor Chai Manivanh* in Laos shared how one of his friend’s teenage sons was in a motorbike accident. He was called to the accident scene and prayed for the boy. The children recovered quickly without any broken bones. The father and son and all the family were touched by Christ’s love to answer prayer and heal. They all accepted Jesus Christ and became Christians. 

BLESSINGS IN LAOS

We were pleased to provide training for not only the ASAP lay pastors, but other Lao Adventist Field pastors and members, Global Mission Pioneers, and other Adventist workers from all over Laos. Byron Reynolds writes, “A team of volunteers traveled with us from Thailand in early March to help do the training and interviewing. Judy met us in Laos. Two Thai ladies, Somluck and Ratri, added a special touch as they shared herbal remedies, nutrition and cooking classes with the group. Student missionaries from Thailand, Daniel and Andrew, shared their experiences with health expos, teaching temperance to Thai high school students and more. Teaching massage, natural remedies, hydrotherapy, and ways to prevent diseases was rewarding to me. To watch their faces light up with understanding, or hear their laughs as they practiced on each other made it all worthwhile. Carol used rice farming as a cycle of evangelism illustration, taught a useful First Aid class and other topics. Judy gave inspiring devotional talks and spent the majority of her time interviewing the workers. Mike and Marilee, BSC volunteers in Thailand, also helped with the interviews and shared several moving devotionals. The days were packed full. Many of the attendees expressed their gratitude for all the practical things they had learned to help the people in their towns and villages with NEWSTART principles and natural remedies. We truly were blessed to fellowship with the youthful mission leaders, lay workers, medical missionaries and pastors in Laos, and to see their vision to reach the people of Laos with the blessed hope we have in Christ Jesus.”

BLESSINGS IN CAMBODIA

Somluck Laitipaya

Somluck Laitipaya shares, “At first, I did not think I could fit into Dr. Mary Ann McNeilus’ shoes, who usually accompanies ASAP in training the medical missionaries. When you showed me her book, “God’s Healing Way,” I realized that she is very knowledgeable and I know that people have a lot of love and respect for her. I thought “Who am I? I have no credentials.” God immediately impressed me that I have His credentials and that He can use me like He did Moses. I then trusted in God more. I had planned to teach the medical missionaries a few hours each day. After teaching for several hours the first day, Nhean Thonsovan, the medical director of Cambodia Adventist Mission, encouraged me to continue teaching as I had been doing. Instead of teaching a few hours, I taught all day. I could see that God was with me. During the days that I was teaching, I saw that the students were excited to hear the messages. They were not sleepy or bored. I thank God for giving me time each lunch break to pray to Him. My prayers often went like this, “You led me all the way to Phnom Penh to do Your program, Lord. Speak through me.” I thank God for answering my prayers and for His power to use me, a weak servant of His. He opened my mouth to share God’s powerful yet simple methods to reach people for Christ. I shared about the benefit our bodies receive from eating healthful foods, which is information that I learned from the CHIP program. The vegetarian cooking class I taught was also well received. I thank God that He gave me ideas and the knowledge to be a blessing.” 

BLESSINGS IN MYANMAR (BURMA)

Byron shares, “Fifteen ASAP-sponsored medical missionaries and a number of visitors attended the training we held. One young man traveled four days over rough terrain to come to the training! We were humbled and in awe of the faithfulness of these dear brothers and sisters. We had planned to share similar things that we had taught in Laos and Thailand, but we quickly found that the medical missionaries in Myanmar were more advanced in their knowledge base and experience, thanks to prior good training. Dr. Htway Le, MD, the health director for the Myanmar Union, has developed a thorough hands-on three-week training program for the medical missionaries there. Quite a few of them were also college graduates. We were able to go much deeper in what we taught, sharing more advanced techniques and remedies similar to what I use in my therapy practice. We found them to be such eager learners, and most understood some English. After three days of training, we had bonded closely with this wonderful group of dedicated workers. It was with sadness that we departed, but we are looking forward to meeting them again on the heavenly shore, if not before then.”

BLESSINGS IN THAILAND

Nine ASAP church planters, four pastors from Thailand Adventist Mission, as well as local church members joined together in Ubon for an inspiring training led by Pastor Phamor which focused on health and diet reform. Three missionaries, Sompong, Ratri and Somluck, taught vegetarian cooking classes. Pastor Khamsay Phetchareun gave practical workshops on ways to reach people for Christ. It was all a major success for Christ’s kingdom.

Toward the end of the training, ASAP Church Planter Sung told me how helpful the seminars were to him. He was so impressed, he asked Sompong and the other ladies to come to his church to teach vegetarian cooking classes to the people in his community.  

He went on to share testimony after testimony, praising the Lord for answering prayers and blessing his work. Eight people accepted Jesus in baptism over the past year as a result of God’s power to heal their sicknesses. He has started to see how effective it is to share healthful living with the people in his community as a way to bring them to Christ. 

 
FINAL WORDS

The Apostle Paul’s prayer in 2 Thessalonians 3:1 (TLB) is my prayer today: “Finally, dear brothers [and sisters], as I come to the end of this [report] I ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and triumph wherever it goes, winning converts everywhere...” Thank you for praying for us during this trip and for the national missionaries who, with burning love for Jesus Christ, are sharing His love with others in practical ways and reaping a great harvest of souls for Christ’s Kingdom as a result.

*Name has been changed for the safety of God’s worker.


As you read this mission trip report, did the Holy Spirit tug on your heart and urge you to GO? If so, contact ASAP or fill out our mission trip application form and we will put you on a special email list to be notified when we are taking another ASAP mission.