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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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. 

The post International Day for the Unreached appeared first on Within Reach Global.

He has been working with us at Within Reach Global for over 13 years, planting churches in hard-to-reach regions. Zhang Rong and his family serve at The Edge outreach center, rescuing abandoned children whose parents have been jailed for drug abuse. They also hold weekly Sunday school classes and Bible studies and are shining the light of Jesus to families who know nothing of God’s love.

This week, Zhang Rong sent us an update about their ministry in Myanmar. This is what he says:

What an honor it is to share our story with our brothers and sisters around the world!

We have four children, two of our own, one who we have legally adopted after rescuing her from a child trafficking gang (read the story here), and another who we have recently taken into our home. This is the story of the latter, Ye Mei, a 14-year-old girl whose parents abandoned her after they were jailed for drug abuse.

Ye Mei is actually the first daughter that we adopted in Myanmar. The eastern part of Myanmar is the epicenter of narcotic production and abuse, a dangerous place to live under the ongoing Burma Conflict. Because this issue runs so rampant in our region, Ye Mei’s parents quickly became two of the many victims of this abusive lifestyle.

See The Edge outreach center in a danger zone of the Burma Conflict, child rescue, drug rehabilitation.
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In fact, her parents lost their land and their home when it was seized by narco traffickers. Homeless and dejected they began sleeping on the streets, rummaging through garbage with hope to find discarded bottles that they could recycle for a few coins.

Their drug addiction grew so severe that they began stealing from nearby homes, plundering the place like pirates. Ye Mei’s father and mother were seized by the police and jailed for their crimes. The little girl now had no one to fend for her life.

Ye Mei had nothing to eat. Her clothing was worn and tattered and she near froze every year because of the extreme cold.

When we learned about Ye Mei’s family situation, our hearts were touched and saddened. How could we simply stand idly by while such horrific abuse was happening right outside our doorstep?

If you have children, you understand the feeling that panged our hearts. We desire that our own children are fed and clothed, that they are able to go to school, grow up with hopes and dreams, and experience the love of a family.

We rescued this precious little girl, took her into our home, and she began to experience not only the tender care of a loving family but the deep love of her Heavenly Father as well.

We are so thrilled that Ye Mei just gave her life to Jesus Christ, accepting Him as her personal Savior! We baptized her and are witnessing her grow in her love for God and people.

14-year-old Burmese girl rescued, baptized, growing in her faith in Jesus!
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Every day she listens to worship and teaching on the Gospel mp3 player that we use to share the Jesus with our community.

I recently asked her what she wants to be when she grows up. Her answer brought such joy to our hearts.

“I want to be a teacher, or maybe a doctor so that I can help a lot of people know God.”

Abandoned Burmese child rescued, now wants to be a teacher/doctor to tell people about God!
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We are homeschooling her now, and will soon begin the Good New Series and School of Workers, our discipleship curriculum. She is excited about that! She has the heart to learn and grow as a child of God.

Ye Mei has become a blessing to many people around her. They have seen the transformation of a young life. She is a little lamp in a dark region of Myanmar, shining the love of Jesus to those who have never heard of Him before.

She is one of many more children to come as we continue to cast the light of the Gospel to the community we serve.

Do you want to bless Ye Mei? You can sponsor Zhang Rong and his family’s ministry in Myanmar here.

We also encourage you to sow into The Edge outreach center where they continue to rescue abandoned children in drug-infected areas of Southeast Asia.

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#Unreached people groups don’t always live in ugly places. #missions
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Say the word “unreached” and mental images of ugliness and debasement are generally evoked.

Either that or we subliminally gather these individuals and communities into a large group of nebulous humans. A sea of humanity. A massive conglomeration of bobbing and weaving heads without faces.

In our mind’s eye, they are barely human. Sometimes the “unreached” don’t feel real to us.

By unreached I am not simply referring to individuals who will darken the door of church this Sunday. I’m not talking about unsaved people or neighbors who live as though God were dead.

I’m talking about people—whole communities of people—without access to the Christian Gospel.

Whole communities of people without access to the Christian Gospel.
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Stop for a moment. Can you picture that? There are no churches, no Christian bookstores, no Gospel radio broadcasts, no missionaries, and no believers among them. They simply have no idea who in the world this Jesus that we speak about actually is.

Unfathomable. The notion of it all makes me uncomfortable and angry.

But alas, we’ve learned to live with the reality. So we do church and small groups, and we’re busy with the things that we’re busy with. To be fair, most of the stuff we’re busy with is good old fashioned decent stuff. Well, at least some of it.

Truth be told, we simply don’t have that much spare time to consider the plight of the unreached world in the 10/40 Window.

Anyway, they’re far away. They live in dumps. It’s hard to get to them. And besides, someone else—maybe a church or para-church organization—will figure out what to do about them.

Jesus said, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

But sadly, we haven’t gone far beyond our own zip codes. Meanwhile, millions are still waiting at the other end of our obedience.

We have misinterpreted information about who the unreached actually are. Let me remind you: they have names and faces. They are making plans for the weekend. They like to drink coffee and leafy green tea. They want justice and they have hopes for a better future. They are mothers and fathers and uncles and aunties and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters.

The unreached people groups of the 10/40 Window are real.

UPDATE: The #unreached people groups of the 10/40 Window are real.
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They live in urban megacities and street side shanties. Some are the poorest of the poor. Others have more money than you have ever seen in your entire life. They live in beautiful, bucolic countrysides, along the banks of curious rivers cascading toward ocean inlets.

Here’s what I encourage you to do: Remember them. Remember that God delights to use you to go where many can or will not. He wants to hear your prayers bubble forth; to beseech Him to draw people to Himself by the power of the Holy Spirit. You can do this. You have time. Not only that, you are called to do this.

You can sow financially into an organization that is focused on reaching the unreached. You can travel abroad on a short-term mission trip. You can be a part of God’s epic redemptive salvation plan of bringing every nation, tribe, people, and language to the throne of grace.

Unreached people groups don’t always live in ugly places. Sometimes their settings are quite serene. But life without the knowledge of a Savior is barely life at all.

Maybe it’s time we helped change that.

Life without a Savior is barely life at all. Maybe it’s time we changed that.
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Adapted from blog by thenanfang.com

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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.

The post Anti-Human Trafficking Training For Southeast Asia’s Heroes appeared first on Within Reach Global.

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.

The post Voice Of The Martyrs Just Donated Over 1,000 Gospel MP3 Players appeared first on Within Reach Global.

• 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!

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The core of the gospel is life on life. It’s a sharing of the glory of God to every human.
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The problem? There are millions who have yet to hear of the name of Jesus—even once.

That’s why at Within Reach Global we are passionate about taking the holistic gospel to people who have not heard it before.

Here’s a beautiful community of people around The Edge outreach center who we are blessing in a tangible way.

Clothing, bedsheets and basic necessities have been donated by underground churches throughout China, and sent to our local missionaries to give to these unreached tribes in Myanmar.

“Missions: all tribes tongue nations—all people—experiencing and knowing the glory of God.” – Denny Spitters

Missions: all tribes tongue nations—all people—experiencing and knowing the glory of God.

 

We are seeking more vision partners who will join us in this holy passion, to honor God and reach unreached peoples with us.

Join the Monthly Prayer and Financial Support Team today!

The post We Will Not Forget The Poorest Of The Poor In This Community appeared first on Within Reach Global.

They live near The Edge outreach center. They are the least of these. They are not beautiful.

But God has a special way of bringing beauty up from the ashes. 

God has a special way of bringing beauty up from the ashes.
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At Within Reach Global, we are passionate about unreached people groups—people who have never heard the name of Jesus before. These few represent many more who have been overlooked and despised by community and the general population. They’re the perfect ones to focus our love and the love of God upon!

These few represent many more who have been overlooked and despised by community and the general population. They’re the perfect ones to focus our love and the love of God upon!

These few represent many more who have been overlooked and despised by community.
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Two children have already undergone successful surgeries, and many more will soon be taken to other parts of China to receive medical care that the China government is providing.

As you see these faces, see the hurt and heartache, we pray that your heart would be moved with compassion as well. 

Partner with us to bring the message of salvation to those who are waiting.

The post These Poor Precious People Are Receiving Free Medical Care In China appeared first on Within Reach Global.

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)

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

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

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