Pilot Archives | Within Reach Global https://withinreachglobal.org/category/pilot/ Mon, 20 Aug 2018 07:20:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.7 https://withinreachglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-wrgSmallTransparent-32x32.png Pilot Archives | Within Reach Global https://withinreachglobal.org/category/pilot/ 32 32 Vision at Our Local Missionary Convention https://withinreachglobal.org/vision-local-missionary-convention/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vision-local-missionary-convention Mon, 20 Aug 2018 07:20:05 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=7338 With China’s constant governmental and seasonal changes, our role at Within Reach Global is changing. We will continue to pioneer new outreaches among unreached people groups, disciple new believers, and plant new churches. But God is leading us into a season of empowerment of our local missionaries. We want to be dream-makers and vision-instigators! Within […]

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With China’s constant governmental and seasonal changes, our role at Within Reach Global is changing. We will continue to pioneer new outreaches among unreached people groups, disciple new believers, and plant new churches. But God is leading us into a season of empowerment of our local missionaries.

We want to be dream-makers and vision-instigators!

Within goal in mind, we host bi-annual missionary conventions for our local missionaries. We gather everyone together from all our outreach centers, worship together, pray for one another, speak into their lives, and launch them into the ministries God has called them to. 

Our recent missionary convention was a powerful time of learning and growing together. We reviewed our vision and mission:

Vision: Our vision is to honor God by reaching unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window with the Christian gospel.

Mission: We accomplish our vision by trailblazing to places where there is no presence of the gospel, discipling, training and partnering with local believers, establishing outreach centers, planting churches, and releasing church plants to reach their own people groups.

We heard testimonies of God’s greatness and spent time in His presence. We taught about the Father heart of God, of our identity as sons and daughters, the armor of God, renewing your mind (based on the book, Switch On Your Brain), and Holy Spirit refilling and refreshing. Everyone had a wonderful time and felt refreshed for the next season of ministry.

Our local missionaries are our heroes. We believe that God will use indigenous missionaries and ministers to bring revival in Southeast Asia. Please pray with us.

To support one of our outreach centers, click here. 

To support one of our local missionaries, click here. 

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International Day for the Unreached https://withinreachglobal.org/international-day-for-the-unreached-2018/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=international-day-for-the-unreached-2018 Sun, 20 May 2018 14:02:56 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=7310 This is an important day. It’s a day that stirs our souls with passion for God’s glory and for those who have never heard of Him before. Sunday, May 20 is recognized as the International Day for the Unreached.  We want to invite you to join the 90-minute LIVE broadcast that will begin at 5:00PM […]

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This is an important day.

It’s a day that stirs our souls with passion for God’s glory and for those who have never heard of Him before.

Sunday, May 20 is recognized as the International Day for the Unreached. 

We want to invite you to join the 90-minute LIVE broadcast that will begin at 5:00PM PST / 8:00PM EST

To watch LIVE, click here.

Believe it or not, 5 billion people on earth have no relationship with Jesus, including 2 billion who have never heard the gospel.

Check out the incredible facts about the unreached on Within Reach Global’s 10/40 Window page here.


Today is the International Day for the Unreached! Watch LIVE and join us in prayer here!
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They’ve never heard. Not once. And they have no access to the good news.

Of the nearly 12,000 people groups on earth, 7,000 are less than 2% evangelical (i.e., unreached people groups). Even more troubling is the fact that approximately 3,200 of these groups (i.e., unengaged-unreached people groups) have no believers working among them with a church planting strategy. Learn more here.

This reality burns in our hearts at Within Reach Global. We exist to honor God and reach the unreached. Do you care about those who have never heard of Jesus before? You might want to read this riveting article.

The above statistics are common knowledge in some evangelical circles and among the missionary community. However, it troubles us that so many Christians have little understanding about the reality of brokenness among unreached people groups.

Sunday, may 20, 2018, marks the International Day for the Unreached.

What difference will it make on Monday?

This is a question you and I need to answer. If we say we care about the things of God, it follows that we share His emotion and passion for those without a hope of hearing His good news. 

The Apostle Paul wrote,

“I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (Rom 15:20-21, ESV).

Go with us to the unreached and unengaged. Learn more about Within Reach Global’s outreach centers and local missionaries.

Let’s join together to publicize the name of Jesus in regions largely left out of our evangelical priorities. 

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Supernatural healings are taking place in China https://withinreachglobal.org/supernatural-healings-are-taking-place-in-china/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=supernatural-healings-are-taking-place-in-china Mon, 20 Mar 2017 05:49:46 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=6736 If there’s one thing that we have found over the last 20 years it is that our God is a missionary God! We see this from Genesis to Revelation: God on mission to redeem his people from every corner of the planet. And the incredible part is that He invites us to join Him in […]

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If there’s one thing that we have found over the last 20 years it is that our God is a missionary God! We see this from Genesis to Revelation: God on mission to redeem his people from every corner of the planet. And the incredible part is that He invites us to join Him in this process!


God on mission to redeem his people from every corner of the planet.
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We have seen a number of supernatural healings take place in our outreach centers. When the residential guard outside The Hub church fell ill, our local missionaries prayed over him, and he was completely healed! He was so grateful that he immediately joined our local house church and is growing in his new Christian faith.

Another Chinese woman who recently came to know the Lord suffered from leg paralysis for 3 years. Her family abandoned her (for she brought shame to their household) and she was living alone without any family support. She came to our church complaining of extreme pain in her leg. Sleep eluded her and her misery was evident. Before the church service ended, our local missionaries prayed for her. Immediately, she felt the release of pain from her legs and walked home without discomfort! Watch the video here!

Soon after that, as one of our local missionaries was walking back home, they realized that their neighbor’s child was sick. They prayed for her, and the following week, they saw the child well and active. The parents marveled at this and gave testimony that after they prayed for the child, she was instantly healed! The family then gave their lives to the Lord and are now attending our local church!


She was instantly healed! The family gave their lives to Jesus, attending church!
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One of our dear Chinese missionary wives recently feel ill. She lives and ministers with her family on the China/Vietnam border at Pilot outreach center. Her husband took her to the nearby city to see a doctor because of a large lump that formed on her throat. The doctor informed her that she required immediate surgery. But because she had just given birth to her baby 3 months earlier, she was uncomfortable taking the doctor’s advice. Our whole missionary team (both foreign and Chinese) began to pray for her. The next day, the lump on her throat shrank! She returned to the hospital and the same doctor who wanted to operate on her her now said informed her that she no longer needed a surgery! We continue to pray for her complete healing. Please join us in prayer for our dear sister.

Your prayers make a difference! E.M. Bounds said, “Give your best hours of your day to prayer.” And A.B. Simpson said “Prayer is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work.”

Prayer works! It doesn’t mater where you are at present. There’s no need for a change of geographical coordinate or magical airplane ride to an exotic land. You don’t have to be a missionary, you just have to be linked to the heart of God! Time spent on your knees creates powerful shifts in the world of the divine. It is the linking of our hearts with the heart of God for the souls of men.


Time spent on your knees creates powerful shifts in the world of the divine.
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Will you like your heart to ours as we seek to make Jesus known among unreached people groups?

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Anti-Human Trafficking Training For Southeast Asia’s Heroes https://withinreachglobal.org/anti-human-trafficking-training-for-southeast-asias-heroes/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=anti-human-trafficking-training-for-southeast-asias-heroes Mon, 08 Aug 2016 08:27:39 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=6474 Did you know that Southeast Asia is full of heroes? Heroes who risk their lives and well-being to rescue perishing souls from the “dragon” and then impart healing and Sprit-life into them. They do it through midnight hikes, shining hope and carrying living water to women who are devalued and persecuted by their husbands. These […]

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Did you know that Southeast Asia is full of heroes?

Heroes who risk their lives and well-being to rescue perishing souls from the “dragon” and then impart healing and Sprit-life into them.

They do it through midnight hikes, shining hope and carrying living water to women who are devalued and persecuted by their husbands. These women escape under the cover of night to drink of the life flowing from these heroes.

These heroes do it by rescuing neglected, starving, and “sold” children, bringing them both real and spiritual food. Then they bring these precious ones into the loving arms of a family.


These heroes are rescuing neglected, starving, and “sold” children.
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The suffering and traumas these heroes face are counted as joy if only they can see their Savior’s glorious face.

Yet, even heroes need an occasional break and encouragement from the Christian family. They need new equipment to use in their daily “search and rescue” missions. They need to know that they are not alone.

On July 15, some of these heroes came together in the sticky, humid air in the jungles of Southeast Asia. They came to fellowship together, learn of their Heavenly Father’s love and receive new trainings. It was a joy to be one of the teachers—and humbling at the same time.

I looked into one man’s tearful eyes as he poured his heart out about the multitudes of starving children at The Edge outreach center he oversees. As he spoke, he held a baby he had just adopted out of human trafficking. I thought to myself, “He should be teaching me how to have more faith and love!” Yet all he sought was a listening ear and encouragement that he was on the right track. “Don’t ever give up,” I said. “God is using you mightily!”

For 2 days, these heroes learned about deliverance, forgiveness, how to involve communities in stopping human trafficking, and also learned a very impactful curriculum about God’s heart and plan for women. They were delivered from lies and also had prophetic words of encouragement spoken over them.

In a world filled with so many distractions, let’s not forget to pray for these dear brothers and sisters, who die daily to love the broken and bring salvation to unreached places. Let’s listen to the voice of our Heavenly Father. Perhaps we might just step out of our comfort zones, bring help to Christian heroes, and entertain angels in the process.


step out of your comfort zone, bring help to Christian heroes, entertain angels.
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We will continue to bring new trainings to these missionary heroes. But it costs money. If you feel led to give towards this joyful cause, donate here.

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Voice Of The Martyrs Just Donated Over 1,000 Gospel MP3 Players https://withinreachglobal.org/voice-of-the-martyrs-just-donated-over-1000-gospel-mp3-players/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=voice-of-the-martyrs-just-donated-over-1000-gospel-mp3-players Mon, 08 Aug 2016 07:48:51 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=6471 Just a few weeks ago, Voice of the Martyrs gave us 1,160 MP3 players filled with the Bible in Mandarin, Gospel teaching, and worship songs. Voice of the Martyrs @VOM_USA just gave us 1,160 Gospel MP3 players!Click To Tweet We have been partnering with Voice of the Martyrs for a few years now, and we are […]

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Just a few weeks ago, Voice of the Martyrs gave us 1,160 MP3 players filled with the Bible in Mandarin, Gospel teaching, and worship songs.


Voice of the Martyrs @VOM_USA just gave us 1,160 Gospel MP3 players!
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We have been partnering with Voice of the Martyrs for a few years now, and we are blessed by their generosity.

This is the third shipment of Gospel-loaded MP3 players that we have received. And they go fast! Within a few days, nearly all of these gifts were given to unreached people groups and rural house churches in Southwest China.

This blessing empowers our outreach centers to continue reaching unreached peoples who have no chance to hear the Gospel.

Pray with us for those who still remain untouched by a Christian presence. Perhaps God is calling you to take part even now.

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2015 Year In Review https://withinreachglobal.org/2015-year-in-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2015-year-in-review Thu, 18 Feb 2016 18:30:10 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=6216 We saw amazing things happen at Within Reach Global in 2015! 3 countries 6 outreach centers 13 local missionaries from 7 different people groups 10 foreign missionaries 9 church plants 10 tons of clothing given to the poor 150 led through our discipleship course 3-5 English Corners per week 120 students reached through Camps 135 […]

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We saw amazing things happen at Within Reach Global in 2015!

  • 3 countries
  • 6 outreach centers
  • 13 local missionaries from 7 different people groups
  • 10 foreign missionaries
  • 9 church plants
  • 10 tons of clothing given to the poor
  • 150 led through our discipleship course
  • 3-5 English Corners per week
  • 120 students reached through Camps
  • 135 college students / young professionals reached weekly
  • 650 children reached, discipled, fed, and given school supplies
  • 60 Burmese (scattered by war) reached and being followed up upon

Persecution. Revival. Police beatings. Underground trainings. Baptisms. Discipleship. Local missionary homes demolished by the government. Hope. Joy. Glory. You’ll be amazed at all that God has done through the ministry of Within Reach Global!

See the full scope of God at work in Southeast Asia. Get the Within Reach Global 2015 Year In Review here!

2015 Year In Review cover

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There’s A Bunch Of People Who Have Never Heard Of Jesus, And Chances Are, You Don’t Care https://withinreachglobal.org/chances-are-you-dont-care/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chances-are-you-dont-care Mon, 14 Sep 2015 08:40:15 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=5838 I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to be honest: the odds are, mathematically, stacked against you. There’s a bunch of people who have never heard the gospel. Chances are, you don’t care.Click To Tweet   THE 10/40 WINDOW The 10/40 Window is home to 6,921 unreached people groups. (Joshua Project) 2.82 billion people […]

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I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to be honest: the odds are, mathematically, stacked against you.


There’s a bunch of people who have never heard the gospel. Chances are, you don’t care.
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THE 10/40 WINDOW

  • The 10/40 Window is home to 6,921 unreached people groups. (Joshua Project)
  • 2.82 billion people live in the 10/40 Window.
  • 82% of the world’s poorest of the poor live in the 10/40 Window. (SGWM)
  • Nearly 40% of the world’s population live on less than $1.40 per day in the 10/40 Window.
  • Although 2.8 billion of these people live within the 10/40 Window, only 2.4% of all missionaries work among them.

 

MONEY AND MISSIONS

  • Annual Income of All Church Members: $30.5 trillion.
  • Given to any Christian causes: $545 billion (1.8% of our income) That’s also how much we spend in America on Christmas.
  • Given to Missions: $31 billion, (0.1%). That’s only 5.7% of the money given to Christian causes of any kind. That’s also how much we spend in America on dieting programs.
  • Money that goes toward the reached world: $26,970,000,000 (that means 87% of the money given to “missions” goes to areas with “reached” status or access to the gospel already).
  • Money that goes toward unreached peoples: $310 million (that’s only 1% of what is given to “missions”). That’s also how much Americans in 2011 spent on Halloween costumes (for their pets).
  • The $310 million (going toward unreached people groups) is only .001% of the $30.5 trillion Income of Christians. For every $100,000 that Christians make, they give $1 to the unreached. (The Traveling Team, Money and Missions)

 

Donate-Now-UPG-banner

Excitement and empathy are not enough. Compassion must be put into motion.
It’s empathy with wheels. It’s care with commitment.

 

It’s true. Unreached people are the forgotten population of the world. But you DO care, don’t you?

One of my Facebook friends just commented on my status the other day. “I love to see all the neat stuff you’re doing over there on the weird side of the planet!”

I Liked that comment.

It struck me.
I got it.
It was a little more clear to me.

“Your experiences determine what you see,” Craig Groeschel says, and so I write about my weird side of the planet.

 

*Names changed for security purposes.

The first time met *John was at The Hub outreach center, the Within Reach Global student center where we are reaching out to college kids in the Southwest part of the country.

“There’s no way I will ever become a Christian,” he told me. “I am a communist party member. I can’t believe in God.”

“That’s totally up to you,” I replied.

I’ve found that the best way to share the gospel is to let people make their own decisions instead of force feeding them Jesus on a spoon, or in John’s case, chopsticks. I knew God had his radar on him anyway, and it was only a matter of time before he embraced the life of Christ. “Poor guy! He can’t escape the power of the gospel even if he tried!” I thought to myself.

But John kept coming to The Hub, engaging in relevant conversations about life, God and culture. He was there every Thursday, tricking himself into thinking that he could run from reality of a powerfully good God.

3 weeks after I met him, I asked, “So John, do you believe in God yet?”

“I don’t believe in God, but I trust him.” he told me. “I don’t think he exists, but I feel him,” he continued in self defeating rhetoric. “I am not a Christian, but sometimes I pray to God.”

“I think you’re closer to becoming a Christian than you realize,” I told him with a roguish smile.

A few more weeks passed. John began to realize God’s radar was zoning in on him. We began to see him transforming. “Yep, only a matter of time,” I thought.

After 10 months of sharing life with him, John told us he wanted to become a Christian.

After The Hub English Corner, we found a quiet place in the back room, and prayed together. The atheist’s journey would end that night. A new young man was formed on the 22nd floor of our student center.

Soon after, he began telling his friends about God. He would lead discussions about how Jesus transformed his life. Chinese students listened amazed and confused at his life change.

A few weeks later, we baptized him in a lake at the foot of a thousand year old city.

An atheist turned evangelist. You’ve read stories of that before in Acts, and the 29th chapter is still being penned.


The stories of life transformation are still being penned! Acts 29 continues!
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*Barry, from the Yi tribe, had a similar story.

Lorna was talking to a group of 11 girls under the shadow of an ancient pagoda as the sunset turned pink and orange on the far horizon of a town 3 hours west of The Hub outreach center. The girls listened intently, but Barry kept interrupting her.

“I don’t believe in God! Let’s change the subject.” After 20 minutes of his constant interruptions, Lorna finally got fed up. “Why don’t you just shut up and listen!” she said boldly.

The lights clicked on.
A spiritual moment.
Something broke.

Barry gave his life to Christ that night, and couldn’t explain what happened, except that “I feel God’s presence right now,” he said.

Within a month he had led 21 of his friends to the Lord!


Within a month after getting saved, former Chinese atheist Barry led 21 friends to Jesus!
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These are the stories of the 10/40 Window, where religion is suppressed, or worse, illegal.

But the forward progression of God’s life transforming movement can’t be bottled.

Brother Fu, who got saved after being set free from writhing on his dusty village floor in demon possession, agrees.

And Brother Li, who drunk punched our Within Reach Global local missionary after he shared the gospel in his village. He got saved 10 months later, attended Bible school and literacy training, and is now a missionary to his own people group.

  • All missionaries in the world (Catholic, Protestant, etc.)    419,500 foreign missionaries
  • All missionaries in the reached world    316,500 foreign missionaries (75.4%)
  • All missionaries in the unevangelized world    103,000 foreign missionaries (24.6%)
  • All missionaries in the unreached world    10,200 foreign missionaries (2.4%)
  • Full time Christian workers in the world    5.5 million workers
  • All Christian workers in the reached world    4.19 million local workers (75.9%)
  • All Christian workers in the unevangelized world    1.3 million local workers (23.7%)
  • All Christian workers in the unreached world    20,500 local workers (0.37%)
  • The ratio of unreached people group workers to total unreached world is: 1 missionary for every 278,431 people
  • There are 95,000 Evangelical Christians for every one unreached people group. (The Traveling Team, Missionaries and Workers)
Sharing the gospel to an unreached people groups, Photo by Jacob Smith

Sharing the gospel to an unreached people groups, Photo by Jacob Smith

I have circuited most of Southwest China. I have eaten dog and cat and other, shall we say, “unique” delicacies. Not necessarily because I love the pungent taste of puppy and kitten so much. Not because a bowlfull of live grub worms is particularly delectable either. It’s because when you spend the night in the poorest of the poor tribal village, and they serve you the best they’ve got, it’s hard to turn down a meal and make your impoverished host lose face.

“Eat whatever is set before you.” I remember Jesus’s command, pull up my sleeves, and dig in.

They have never heard the name of Jesus. I know because when I ask, they question if “Jesus” is a brand of soap, or a medicine they’ve never heard of.


They have never heard of Jesus. Is he a soap brand? A medicine? No concept at all.
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The reality of their status as an unreached people group gets under my skin. Or should I say, it really pisses me off. It makes me jealous.

 

Why should anyone hear the gospel twice, before everyone has heard it once? – C.T. studd

I have traveled to too many unreached people groups to number. And after all these experiences, it is clear to me that God is still jealous for them to have a witness of the gospel.

 

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, as a testimony to every nation, and then the end will come. – Matthew 24:14

Hasn’t God put a stipulation upon himself, that until every tribe, people, and linguistic ethnic group has had the opportunity to hear the message of salvation, he cannot return?

I think YES.

And so, I pray that the things that break the heart of God would in the very least, prick mine as well.

I am a statistic just like you. But I pray that the things revolving around our personal experience will not distract us from God’s overall plan of redemption, namely, that every people group on earth has the chance to hear about him.

I mean, seriously, in the 21st century, and 2 billion people have never heard of Jesus? That’s just not fair.


2 billion people have never heard of Jesus?! That’s just not fair.
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In 1976, there were an estimated 17,000 unreached people groups. As of 2012, there were only estimated 6,921 unreached peoples. The statistics are changing because Christians are beginning to see the bigger picture. (Joshua Project)

I know of only one way of changing the mathematical chance that I don’t care: it’s simply to care.


One way of to change the mathematical chance that I don’t care: simply CARE.
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Care with commitment. For some that means with your wallet. For others it means with your hands and feet.

 

In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been––villages whose people are without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world. – Robert Moffat, 1795-1883, missionary to Africa, father in law of David Livingstone

Put wheels on your empathy.
Be a voice for the voiceless.

The 10/40 Window will not be home to unreached people groups forever, because we’re going to get up and do something about it.

People are waiting at the other end of our obedience, Photo by Jacob Smith

People are waiting at the other end of our obedience, Photo by Jacob Smith

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We Just Printed Hundreds Of Discipleship Books For New Chinese Christians https://withinreachglobal.org/we-just-printed-hundreds-of-discipleship-books-for-new-chinese-christians/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=we-just-printed-hundreds-of-discipleship-books-for-new-chinese-christians Thu, 18 Jun 2015 08:55:46 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=2762 There is something stirring in China. It has been going on for a while now. The whispers of continued revival. The results of missionary seeds and faithful prayers of the saints.   There is a spiritual vacuum in China. In post Cultural Revolution China, people are longing for spiritual truth. “You just kick the tree […]

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There is something stirring in China. It has been going on for a while now. The whispers of continued revival. The results of missionary seeds and faithful prayers of the saints.
 
There is a spiritual vacuum in China. In post Cultural Revolution China, people are longing for spiritual truth. “You just kick the tree and the fruit is falling to the ground! That’s how ripe it is.” That’s how some missionaries describe it.
 


“You just kick the tree and the fruit is falling to the ground! That’s how ripe it is.”
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We are seeing many new young Chinese college students and rural tribal people getting saved. Our present task is to disciple them, to help them grow in their new Christian faith.
 
“I have been an atheist all my life,” a Chinese college student just told us. “But when you tell me about this God of yours, something tells me that it is real.”
 


“When you tell me about this God of yours, something tells me that it is real.” – Chinese atheist
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We just printed 300 of each of our 3 part book curriculum, a total of 900 new books that are already being used to train a new generation of believers in China! We are excited about the growth we are seeing. Please continue to pray that the spiritual vacuum in China will be filled by the presence of Jesus.
Understand more about our discipleship program here.
 


Please continue to pray that the spiritual vacuum in China will be filled by the presence of Jesus.
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His Rifle Dug Into My Left Rib Cage https://withinreachglobal.org/his-rifle-dug-into-my-left-rib-cage/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=his-rifle-dug-into-my-left-rib-cage Sun, 10 May 2015 00:52:51 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=2749 7:30 P.M., lovely, cramped motorcycle ride back to a small town in China. Me and a couple locals packed onto a bike. The sun was lowering along with the temperature and humidity. It had been a rather hot day in a mountainous region. My heart was overwhelmed with thankfulness for this new life I’ve found […]

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7:30 P.M., lovely, cramped motorcycle ride back to a small town in China. Me and a couple locals packed onto a bike. The sun was lowering along with the temperature and humidity. It had been a rather hot day in a mountainous region. My heart was overwhelmed with thankfulness for this new life I’ve found in China. In that moment I knew that I had arrived. Arrived at place beholding the path leading me to the man I have always wanted to be. The freedom and openness of the bike with rushing cool warm wind intensified this current feeling.

45 minutes out we hit a random check point. As soon as the militarized police force saw my foreign face they took attention to us. They harshly asked the driver of the bike something in mandarin and looked at me and said, “passport!” My heart dropped. I left it in another vehicle. I had a picture of it on my phone. So I pulled it out and showed him. I told him I don’t have my passport on me. He pulled the key out of the bike and I knew this was going to take a minute or two…

The man that was in charge was not happy with me or the driver. Let’s call him Jim for the sake of the story. And we’ll call my local driver Bob.

Jim immediately started to hit Bob in the face. I froze like a small child. Suddenly I’m in a situation with a violent officer, no one speaks my language, I’m unaware of my rights and I’m without my passport in China on the border of Vietnam.


I’m unaware of my rights and I’m without my passport in China.
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Jim demanded the driver to empty his bag onto the table that had eight military helmets lined up on the edge. I could tell Bob was reluctant. But he had no choice. He poured out the contents of his bag and my passport along with his and one bible spilled out. I wasn’t sure why Bob didn’t hand Jim my passport. I wasn’t even sure how he had got it.

Jim snapped when he saw my passport. His started to violently hit Bob in the face until he pushed him to the ground and stared to kick him. I like a stone, stood there as Jim was beating my friend. The sound of his hand hitting his face echoed in my head after. He quickly placed handcuffs on him and sat him against the wall. They took me and had me stand against a wall with my hands on my head as they searched me.

They sat Bob and me down in a squatted position against a wall. His hands were cuffed and mine were on my head as they instructed me.

The interrogation started. A few times he would ask Bob a question and then smack him after. Jim started to focus on me. I knew he couldn’t touch me because of my citizenship but I was still afraid. He was angry with me and took it on Bob.

First question, in broken tongue came, “why are you here?” My heart sank. I replied “for adventures and photos.” I felt stupid. He looked at me with this “yeah right expression” Next question, “do you come to China often?” I mentioned “two, twice” and held up two fingers. He then asked, “are you here for mission?” I told him “mission? I don’t understand.” Jim was getting frustrated with me. He went back to questioning Bob. Came back with one word. He said “Christian?” Like, I’ve got you now. I said “yes” my driver, Bob looked scared when the “yes” came out of my mouth. He started to use a translator app on his phone. He typed in a message and let me read the translation. Each time I said “the sentence doesn’t make sense, I don’t understand?” He typed in clearly “What church do you belong to?” Oddly enough my first thought was of the improper grammar of the sentence that I was reading on his phone. I responded with “I don’t attend here, I don’t understand.” He muttered something in mandarin at my response.

At one point in the night Jim picked up the driver’s bible and began to thumb through it. I was sure he was going to start ripping out pages or begin to hit Bob with it. I guess I’ve seen too many movies. He started to ask him what certain verse were saying. As Bob was reading back to him what he asked I was praying underneath my breath that the words he hears will penetrate his heart and a curiosity for the bible will begin that very night.

It was so strange… Three months prior I was in America chilling at Starbucks or wherever with all the rights in the world. Now I’m being questioned with my hands on my head by young hot heads with guns.


I’m being questioned with my hands on my head by young hot heads with guns.
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After about an hour and a half, maybe two I’m not sure. I was contacted by others from my group. They had been detained as well at different road stops. They let me know that everything will be fine. And we will be released soon.

The thuggish police force contacted my embassy. They were very suspicious of my activity and purpose. Telling them that I do not have my passport and then having them find it on my driver didn’t help the situation at all.

They loaded the bike into the back of a police truck. And ushered me to get inside with Bob and the other local. Four police officers and us squeezed into the four door silver truck. I picked up the bullet proof vest on the seat beside me and put it on my lap to make room. 27 kilometers we rode, surrounded by officers, cramped with a Kevlar camouflage vest in my arms with the cheesiest music on the radio. It was straight out of some movie.

I was under the impression that they were taking me back to the hotel. Bob and I plus the other local ended up at the police station. One of the officers left to get help with the bike. Five or six heavily armed officers came out. I reached for the front wheel and the officer beside me grabbed the engine cage. His rifle dug into my left rib cage as we lowered the bike. That sobered me once again. It reminded me that I wasn’t in the clear yet.

Thirty minutes in they didn’t ask me much. They ushered me to leave. Bob and other locals that they detained because they were with other foreigners from my group at separate stops were not allowed to leave. Along with those detained was, one small child, a newborn and a young woman that could not walk due to complications with her legs. Huge threat, right?!

This morning I opened my bible to an old bookmark that was sleeping in the pages of Saint Peter. It read: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trail when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

I don’t want at all to depict a story where I’m being so bold and brave. Simply put, I wasn’t. I was fearful and struggled to find and feel my God in the situation. I thought selfishly a lot that night.


I was fearful and struggled to find and feel my God in the situation. #persecution
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See, I think it would be easy to say, “God, bro, why did you not protect my friend? Why did you let him get hit repeatedly when I prayed to you to make it stop?” The moral that I learned here is that God’s protection is beyond my understanding. That even at worst if we die for his sake, he never failed in protecting us. Seriously, think about that. He created everything. He created the word and the meaning of “protection” it’s safe to say that he may have a better understanding of it than me and Merriam-Webster. It’s my understanding that needs change, not how he handles the perfecting of the saints, his children.

 

*Photo was privately taken during the detention at the police station.

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I’ll Venture Down Into The Goldmine Of Souls If You’ll Hold The Rope [Video] https://withinreachglobal.org/ill-venture-down-into-the-goldmine-of-souls-if-youll-hold-the-rope-video/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ill-venture-down-into-the-goldmine-of-souls-if-youll-hold-the-rope-video Fri, 27 Feb 2015 03:48:42 +0000 https://withinreachglobal.org/?p=2715 Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell. I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell. We are looking for people who will join our Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team by faithfully giving to Within Reach Global, to help us get to the least reached people […]

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Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel bell.
I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.

We are looking for people who will join our Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team by faithfully giving to Within Reach Global, to help us get to the least reached people groups of Southeast Asia.

Would you consider making a monthly donation? Your hand outstretched, clutching tightly to the rope from which we are suspended inside this goldmine of souls, will be a powerful partnership to bring the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Join the Within Reach Global Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team Here:

    

I have seen the dark caverns of the unreached world. There is a goldmine of souls of in Southeast Asia. A sprawling sphere, shimmering with faint glimmers of hope, glimpses of countless opportunities for the gospel.

“It seems as deep as the center of the earth. Who will venture to explore it?” The voice of William Carey resounded from the back of the room in the year 1793: “I am willing to be lowered into the darkness, to venture down into that mine to dig, but remember, you must hold the ropes!”

For nearly 2 decades, I have spent countless hours on rough roads, traveling to rural villages, inhaling the black soot of smoky fire pits in the homes of unreached people groups like the Wa and Dai and Lahu, Yao, Miao and Yi.

My wife and I pioneered a ministry called Within Reach Global. Over the years, we have shared the gospel to thousands of unreached peoples and Chinese college students. Together with our missionary team, we have discipled and baptized new believers, trained them for leadership, established outreach centers and planted indigenous churches.

The people we have reached are but a few of the myriads of souls in the goldmine of Asia.

There are many more to be found. Lower us down into this goldmine! We will plunge our hands into the dirty depths to dig, if only you will hold the rope.

You see, people are waiting at the other end of our obedience.

As you join the Within Reach Global Monthly Prayer & Financial Support Team, we commit to keep you updated on how you can pray for the unreached, and how your donations are blessing the people we are reaching out to.

We commit to be diligent to fulfill the vision and mission God has given us, and be faithful stewards of the financial donations given to this ministry.

OUR VISION: to honor God by reaching unreached people groups in the 10/40 Window with the Christian gospel.

OUR MISSION: We accomplish our vision by trailblazing to places where there is no presence of the gospel, discipling, training and partnering with local believers, establishing outreach centers, planting churches, and releasing church plants to reach their own people groups.

The post I’ll Venture Down Into The Goldmine Of Souls If You’ll Hold The Rope [Video] appeared first on Within Reach Global.

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